Tips to navigate the real estate landscape and find the perfect home (BPT) - For most Americans your home is the biggest ticket item you will ever purchase. It’s no wonder that people can take months, and sometimes even years, to find the perfect home. When you walk into a house that’s on the market, many times the homeowner or real estate agent has “staged” it to ensure that you focus o...
Aging-in-place upgrades that look great and make sense (BPT) - Do the words “aging in place” and “home improvement” conjure images of institutional-looking grab bars in bathrooms and overhead kitchen lights that could illuminate an airport runway? Many people eschew certain types of home improvements for the same reason others refuse to wear hearing aids – the negative conn...
Impromptu party planning: How to create great gatherings in 30 minutes or less (BPT) - Parents have never been more crunched for time. Balancing work demands with parental duties is complex – 56 percent of working moms and 50 percent of working dads say they find it very or somewhat difficult to balance these responsibilities, according to a 2013 report about modern parenthood from the Pew Resea...
Quenching your yard thirst [Infographic] As water bills rise and the hours spent on lawn care seem to multiply, outdoor watering can easily become a homeowner’s most daunting chore. Often times, the need to keep your lawn looking healthy and green feels more like wasted time, energy and money – especially as temperatures increase, which is commonly seen as an indicator to water more. However, watering doesn’t have to "drain" precious resources. Water-efficient lawns and landscapes, for example, allow homeowners to efficiently uti...
Five super nutrients that help you age well (BPT) - Parents often use the adage “You are what you eat!” to encourage children to make healthy food choices, but the saying is equally true for mature adults. Providing your body with a variety of nutrients lets you feel your best, and may even prevent disease and help you live longer. Allison Tannis is a nutritioni...
Three must-have features to add to your backyard this summer (BPT) - Is your backyard ready for bliss this summer? You probably look forward to spending as much time outdoors as possible during warmer months. But do you really have everything you need to ensure you can enjoy your outdoor living space from dawn to dusk – and beyond? Here are three must-have backyard features that...
Four simple tips to better hearing (BPT) - Staying socially active and engaged with friends and family is important as people age, and hearing well is crucial to making that happen. New research shows that hearing loss is associated not only with a range of physical problems, but also mental health problems such as social isolation and even dementia. ...
Five questions to ask before hiring a real estate agent (BPT) - Want to sell your property quickly? Looking for your dream house? Are you hoping to get the best deal possible during the complex process of buying or selling a home? With so much money – and often, emotion – at stake, going it alone is generally not the best way to reach your goals. The secret for getting exact...
Programming your child's health - 5 nutrition tips for baby's future health (BPT) - What if you could program the future of your child’s health as simply as you program your alarm clock? Push a button, choose a selected wake-up time, click and you’re done. It’s not quite that simple, but studies show that what a woman eats just before and during pregnancy will impact the health of her child for...
Think outside the fuse box: Unique energy-saving home improvements (BPT) - You’ve replaced your home’s 20-year-old windows with new, Energy Star-rated models, upgraded to electricity-sipping appliances and there’s not a single incandescent light bulb to be found anywhere in your house. You may be wondering what more you can do to further reduce your home energy bills. When you’ve cove...
Putting together the pieces to manage childhood asthma [Infographic] Childhood asthma is a serious and costly chronic disease that affects one out of every 11 children. National Asthma Awareness Month gives us an opportunity to put our heads together to come up with good ideas to help children and their families better manage the disease. It’s time to start managing asthma where children live, learn and play. That’s why the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. created this infographic to highlight the critical role that schools, families, healthcare providers...
Get glowing with simple tips for summer skincare (BPT) - Sunshine and fresh air make us fall in love with summer every year. It’s a time to explore the outdoors and enjoy fashions like tank tops, flip-flops and sun dresses. How can you get beautiful summer-ready skin while keeping it protected from the sun’s hot rays? Get healthy, radiant skin that you’ll be proud to show off with these skin care tips and tricks for warm weather months: Toss your old sunscreen Long days playing in the sun are a part of what makes summer such a special s...
