First of all it’s important to note that fleas prefer weaker, less healthy animals and very young puppies and kittens with undeveloped immune systems. Knowing this, we can arm our pets for flea resistance by boosting their health and immunity. If you have a flea problem, this is the first place to start.

Nearly all of us CRAVE sweets. If you are anything like me, you can't have just one! That first rush of sweetness on your tongue sets off a creshendo of cravings that doesn't quit until your stomach begs for mercy, your calories are blown for the day, and your blood sugar level has just reached a new height and is preparing for rapid descent.

The endeavor to wellness has challenged many of us in the past. My friends, I have had bumps in the road and I’m not just talking about warts. Think about how you can take control of your health today and not let it control you. The following is a list of “missing elements” that may provide significant benefits in the human diet.

Like many of you, as a working mom I find that my plate is always full of things that need to get done. In the rare occasion that it’s not, I will find things to add to it. Quite frankly, I wear myself out. There are times that I lay in bed at night thinking of all the things that didn’t get done or all the things that I need to do and there are nights that 'all that needs to get done,' gets to me.

There’s something you should know. I can easily cave to sugar. My goodness, it is absolute madness because I know better. It’s easy to do because sugar can be so TASTY.

You know, sometimes, doing nothing is good for you. A quiet retreat away from our daily agenda is most definitely an underrated pastime. There are always books to be read, movies to watch, luxurious baths to be taken and, my favorite, TEA to drink.

Oy! It’s so dark all the time right now. It’s tough enough that our allotment of sunshine is so limited here in the PNW anyway, but it drives me CRAZY when I barely see the light of day. So I give myself the “when life gives you lemons” speech.

It’s official – I am middle-aged. In fact, I have been for quite a while, but I am choosing now to embrace my older self. There are things that have happened to my body and my brain that I never expected when I was a young thing. Some of these are good – I have more patience, for example. Other changes are not as good, like wrinkles, but at least I knew they were inevitbale.