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Author Archive | Jennie Lyon

Frequently Asked Questions About Assisted Living (Such As ‘Is It Right For Your Loved One?’)

May 29, 2026 0

Choosing how to help an aging loved one is never easy. Most of us know that we would rather avoid dedicated care facilities for as long as possible, but there are still a range of options to consider. Chief amongst them is assisted living, an increasingly popular option that currently houses around 818,000 residents across the US and counting. 

But what does assisted living actually offer? And is this really the right option for everyone? As with any care solution, asking questions is the best way to decide whether or not assisted living is a viable option for your loved one. Keep reading as we answer the top questions you’ll want to consider.

# 1 – What’s Unique About Assisted Living?

Assisted living refers to independent living communities where residents have easy access to on-site care. Unlike care homes, however, assisted living facilities place a strong emphasis on independence. Your loved one will continue living in their own space, while still receiving care and daily help with tasks they find challenging. 

# 2 – What’s Good About Assisted Living?

Assisted living boasts a range of benefits, including personalized 24/7 care outside of a hospital or care home environment. This can be great for a loved one who is reluctant to relinquish their privacy and home comforts. Yet, families needn’t worry, because assisted living facilities oversee everything from medication management to socialization priorities like group outings and communal meal times. 

# 3 – Are There Downsides to Assisted Living?

No care choice is right for everyone, and assisted living is no exception. While this is an option for individuals with high-care needs, it’s especially worth noting that many facilities aren’t equipped to deal with specialist conditions like advanced Alzheimer’s. As is often the case, care also varies greatly across providers, with some facilities facing serious allegations like negligence or outright abuse at the hands of an assisted living abuse lawyer, while others simply fail to respond to patient needs. Other potential downsides for assisted living solutions include high costs (around $4,500 per month) and limited insurance coverage. 

# 4 – Is Assisted Living Right For Your Loved One?

Ultimately, everything we’ve discussed so far comes down to this – is assisted living right for your loved one or not? In other words, will they be happy in a facility like this?

Unfortunately, we can’t give one sure answer, but most experts recommend considering factors like your loved one’s medical needs and preferences before making a decision. After all, if they still want to live independently and are largely able to do so with assistance, then there’s no reason they won’t get along in a well-chosen assisted living facility. However, if they’re increasingly reliant on specialist care, or are becoming prone to health risks like falls and forgetfulness, then you might be better off considering other options. 

You’re bound to have a lot of questions when it comes to choosing the next steps for your loved one. Hopefully, we’ve helped to answer some of them here.

9 Eco-Friendly Summer Outings for Kids

May 27, 2026 2

Now that summer break is in full swing – you may be looking for some fun activities that will get your kids out of the house. Green outings are a great way to get your kids involved in the environment and add a little more excitement to long summer days. Here are 9 of my favorite eco-friendly summer outings for kids.

1. Local Farms
A farm is a great outing to show your children how our food is grown and harvested. They can see which fruits and vegetables grow in your area and can also have a hands-on experience with a farm animal. Many local farms have classes that allow the kids to milk a cow, collect eggs from the hens, feed the goats and sheep, and ride a horse. You could also visit a fruit farm such as a strawberry patch and spend the day picking strawberries, find a nice place to sit, wash the berries and enjoy on the spot with a whipped topping that you packed.

2. Nature and Science Museums
Our local nature and science museum offers exhibits that allow the children to see, touch and even climb on parts of their environment. We recently experienced fabulous exhibits on natural disasters and your health. At these particular exhibits, you could see the effects that a natural disaster has on our environment and the other showed what your face may look like as you age. You can also check out an IMAX – it’s always a super fun time.

3. Butterfly Pavilion
Visit a butterfly pavilion and experience free-flying butterflies, birds, subtropical and tropical flowers, plants, and trees. We love the butterfly pavilion and could spend hours there looking at the butterflies up close and personal.

4. Zoo
Your local zoo may offer a junior zookeeper program where your child can learn about caring for the animals as well as learn about their natural environments and any threats that they face. This is an amazing experience for children who are especially interested in animals and show interest in growing up to work with them as a career.

5. Nature Preserves
Your local nature preserve may offer guided tours to learn about the animals that live there and many offer classes as well. You can also simply pack your binoculars and camera and then hit the trail for an afternoon of animal sightseeing.

6. Library
Your local library is stocked with information about the environment that your children will love. When Eben was younger he always enjoyed checking out issues of Ranger Rick and National Geographic Kids. His favorite part of our library, by far, is the window seats, it’s a great place to hang out and read – he could spend a lifetime there.

7. Botanical Gardens
Visit your local botanical gardens and learn about native plants, trees, and flowers. Our botanical gardens have a great exotic frog exhibit which Eben loves. Many offer classes and have ample space for an outdoor picnic. While you are there, look closely for bugs and birds – don’t forget your magnifying glass and camera.

8. Hike and Swim
No matter where you live there is somewhere outside where you can explore. Whether it is a park or hiking trail, let the kids look in nooks and crannies and climb on the rocks. If you live in an area where you can take a long nature hike, pack a lunch and enjoy it next to a watering hole where the kids can take a swim.

9. Your Own Backyard
If you want to stay close to home, take a walk around your neighborhood or local park. Prepare a nature scavenger hunt for the kids by writing down several items on a piece of paper, give each of your children a pencil and a bucket and collect the items found on the list, such as a leaf, rock, flower, feather, etc; This is tons of fun and gets them looking for items they may have usually overlooked.

What are your green outing plans for this summer?

The Wild & Free Garden: A Community-Focused Guide to Creative, Low-Waste Gardening

April 29, 2026 0

If there’s one gardening book that feels especially aligned with the moment we’re in, it’s this one.

The Wild & Free Garden by Stephanie Rose is a refreshing reminder that gardening doesn’t have to be expensive, isolating, or overly complicated. Instead, it can be creative, communal, and rooted in what’s already around us.

🌿 A Garden Built From What You Already Have

At the heart of the book is a simple but powerful idea: abundance doesn’t always come from buying more, it often comes from sharing, reusing, and reimagining.

Stephanie Rose, founder of Garden Therapy, leans into a no- and low-buy approach that encourages gardeners to look at their environment differently. Found materials, shared resources, and community networks become the foundation for creating beautiful, functional outdoor spaces.

Instead of starting with a shopping list, you start with what’s already available, locally, socially, and creatively.

đŸŒ± Gardening as a Community Practice

One of the most compelling threads running through The Wild & Free Garden is the idea that gardens can bring people together.

Stephanie explores practical, real-world ways gardeners can build stronger local connections, including:

  • Seed swaps that keep biodiversity flowing through communities
  • Tool-sharing and lending systems that reduce cost and waste
  • Community garden spaces and shared greenhouses
  • Collaborative rainwater collection and resource systems
  • Neighborhood-based exchange of plants, cuttings, and ideas

It’s gardening as something shared, not just grown alone behind a fence.

đŸŒŒ Low-Waste, High-Creativity Gardening

Rather than focusing on what you need to buy, the book focuses on what you can create. Stephanie offers approachable DIY projects that turn overlooked or discarded materials into meaningful garden features.

You’ll find ideas like:

  • Dry riverbeds built with reclaimed and natural materials
  • Wildflower lawns designed for pollinators and beauty
  • Garden structures made from found or repurposed items
  • Creative ways to source materials through freecycling networks

Each project is practical, but also imaginative, inviting gardeners to see “waste” as possibility.

🌿 Designing a Garden That Reflects You

What makes this book stand out is how personal it feels. It doesn’t push a single style of gardening or aesthetic. Instead, it encourages readers to build spaces that reflect their values, environment, and sense of creativity.

Your garden becomes less about perfection and more about expression. Less about consumption and more about connection.

🌾 A Shift in How We Think About Gardening

The Wild & Free Garden is ultimately about rethinking abundance. It gently challenges the idea that a beautiful garden requires constant spending or constant input.

Instead, it shows that with a little ingenuity, and a willingness to collaborate, gardens can become places of shared creativity, resilience, and joy.

It’s a reminder that we don’t need more stuff to grow something meaningful. We just need to look a little closer at what we already have, and who we already have around us.

A Low-Maintenance Vegetable Garden: Grow More Food with Less Effort

April 29, 2026 0

If you’ve ever dreamed of a vegetable garden that practically takes care of itself, I have the perfect book for you.

You know how some gardens feel like a constant to-do list? Seed trays on every surface, endless transplanting, watering schedules you can’t skip
 beautiful, but exhausting. Well, Charlie Nardozzi is here to change that narrative with his brand-new book, The Continuous Vegetable Gardener, publishing February 3, 2026, and it might just be the most freeing gardening guide I’ve read in a long time.

It’s part inspiration, part practical roadmap, and completely refreshing, a guide to growing more food with less effort by letting your garden do what it naturally wants to do.

🌿 A Book That Will Change the Way You Garden
What I love most about The Continuous Vegetable Gardener is how doable it feels. Charlie doesn’t ask you to work harder, he shows you how to work smarter.

His philosophy is simple and honestly kind of magical: plant once, and let your garden keep giving.

Think self-sowing greens that return on their own. Perennials that quietly come back year after year. Seeds you save and replant without starting from scratch every season. It’s a shift away from “start over” gardening and into something more natural, more sustainable
 and a whole lot easier.

His approach could be summed up like this:

“Care for your garden just enough, and let nature handle the rest.”

Yes. This is exactly the energy we need going into a new growing season.

The book walks you through everything in a way that feels approachable and encouraging:

  • Choosing the right soil and location for a self-sustaining garden
  • Vegetables that reliably self-sow or return as perennials
  • Creating a long-lasting, low-maintenance edible space
  • Saving seeds so your favorite crops come back year after year
  • Simple, budget-friendly ways to protect plants from frost
  • Easy planting plans for steady, season-spanning harvests

It’s the kind of guidance that makes you feel like gardening doesn’t have to take over your life to be successful.

đŸŒ± Why I’m Adding This to My Spring Planning Stack
Every year around this time, I start dreaming about what I want my garden to feel like, not just what I want it to produce.

And this year? I want ease. I want abundance without burnout. I want a garden that works with me.

This book is perfect for:

  • The busy gardener who doesn’t have time for constant upkeep
  • The beginner who feels overwhelmed by where to start
  • The seasoned grower ready to simplify and streamline
  • Anyone who loves the idea of a more natural, sustainable garden

Or honestly
 yourself. Because a lower-effort garden that still delivers incredible harvests? That’s a gift.

🌾 From One Season to the Next, Seamlessly
What’s especially inspiring is how this method stretches the life of your garden. With the right combinations and a little planning, harvests don’t just peak in summer, they keep going.

And whether you’re gardening in raised beds, a backyard plot, or even a few containers on a patio, this approach adapts beautifully. It’s gardening that grows with you.

🌿 Grow Smarter, Harvest More
The Continuous Vegetable Gardener is a reminder that gardening doesn’t have to be complicated to be abundant.

Sometimes, the best thing we can do is step back a little, trust the process, and let nature meet us halfway.

As the new year approaches and garden plans start to take shape, this might just be the shift that makes everything feel lighter, easier
 and a lot more enjoyable.

Because what if your garden didn’t need more work, just a better rhythm? đŸŒ±đŸ’š

🌈 Grow Your Own Rainbow: Why Vibrant Harvest Belongs on Every Gardener’s Holiday Wish List

April 14, 2026 0

If you’ve ever dreamed of a vegetable garden that looks as magical as a flower bed, I have the perfect book for you.

You know how some gardens feel like quiet little patches of green? Lovely, but
 a little predictable? Well, Sandra Mao (@sandra.urbangarden) wants us to throw out that rulebook and embrace the color! Her brand-new book, Vibrant Harvest: Cultivating a Kaleidoscope of Colors in Your Vegetable Garden with Heirlooms, Modern Hybrids, and More, arriving December 2, is the most joyful gardening guide I’ve read in ages.

It’s part inspiration, part education, and completely gorgeous, a celebration of purple tomatoes, pink beans, magenta potatoes, speckled lettuces, and all the edible wonders that make gardening feel like art.

🌿 A Book That Will Change the Way You Garden

What I love most about Vibrant Harvest is how approachable it is. Sandra doesn’t just tell you what to plant , she shows you how to bring color, creativity, and personality into every inch of your garden, whether you’re working with a raised bed, a few pots on the patio, or an entire backyard plot.

Her mantra says it all:

“Vegetable gardens absolutely don’t have to be boring plots of green!”

Yes, please.

The book is organized into four easy-to-follow sections that take you from dreaming to harvest:

  1. Choose Your Plants – 42 dazzling vegetable profiles, organized by season and edible part (I already have my eye on the purple cauliflower and candy-striped beets).
  2. Plan & Start Your Garden – Site selection, soil prep, seed starting, and transplanting, Sandra walks you through it all.
  3. Care for Your Garden – Watering, feeding, pruning, staking, and trellising, written with the kind of real-life advice only an experienced gardener can give.
  4. Pick, Preserve & Prepare Your Harvest – Smart tips on harvesting, storing, and even cooking your colorful bounty.

It’s the kind of guide that makes you want to run outside, dig your hands into the soil, and start planting something beautiful.

🌾 Why I’m Adding It to My Holiday Gift List

Every year I try to give at least one gift that inspires someone to slow down and reconnect with nature, and Vibrant Harvest is exactly that kind of gift.

It’s perfect for:

  • The friend who’s already planning next spring’s seed order.
  • The foodie who loves photographing their meals (rainbow carrots, anyone?).
  • The eco-lover who believes homegrown always tastes better.
  • Or honestly, yourself, because who couldn’t use a little more color (and joy) right now?

With 150 vivid photos and Sandra’s encouraging voice, it’s a reminder that gardening isn’t just about growing food, it’s about cultivating beauty, creativity, and connection.

đŸŒ± From the Author’s Garden to Yours

Sandra’s own Southern California garden is a year-round rainbow, but what’s wonderful is that her guidance works for gardeners everywhere. Whether you’re in the warm sunshine of the South, the breezy coasts, or the mountain towns like mine here in North Carolina, you’ll find tips that match your growing zone.

And if you’ve ever struggled to keep your garden feeling inspired mid-season, this book will re-ignite that spark. It makes gardening feel like play again, messy, colorful, creative play that fills your kitchen with flavor and your heart with joy.

🌈 Grow Boldly, Eat Brilliantly

Vibrant Harvest reminds us that food can be both nourishing and beautiful, that a tomato can be as stunning as a bouquet, and that growing your own vegetables is one of the simplest ways to bring art into everyday life.

This holiday season, gift a little color, creativity, and inspiration, or keep it for yourself and start planning your most colorful garden yet.

Because why settle for a plain green garden when you can grow a kaleidoscope? 🌿💚

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