Get away from it all. Hit the beach. Take a road trip. Go fishing. Vacation is our annual, bi-annual, monthly reset switch. When the stress of work and home drowns us in laundry, paperwork, bills, lawncare, responsibilities, we treat ourselves to a holiday abroad or some fresh air at our favorite campsite. The Novel CoronavirusRead more

Chicago weather tends to behave in unexpected ways – snowstorms plaguing citizens well into Spring; 80-degree days surprising us in early November. Snow doesn’t usually come when we want it, and when it does come, it’s often sleet or too light or too heavy or too icy. Thus the common quip Chicagoans share with aRead more

October is a fortnight away and with it Halloween! Did you know that even amidst the spooky cloud cover and vegetative decay, your office can happily help the environment? The cycle of the seasons is natural and worth celebrating, and the “decay” of the foliage is just another word for “compost.” The leaves may beRead more

So you had to work on America’s birthday. While all of your friends and family were stuffing themselves on brats and burgers, you were taking support calls or taking care of outstanding projects. Never fear! You can still celebrate Independence day a day late. In fact, it may be even more fun, more exciting, andRead more

“Compassion—which I would define as…unconditional love—is essential to a Jedi’s life.”       – Anakin Skywalker If you’re anything like a young Darth Vader, you are probably a Jedi Apprentice. And if you are training to be a Jedi, you probably find yourself #SuddenlySingle. Forever. On Valentine’s Day, some of us feel like we’llRead more

You just got home from a long day at the office. Snow and sleet doubled your drive time. The wind chill reached 50 below, and your whole body still feels frozen. Between the molasses drivers and the reckless speed demons, you’ve got a throbbing headache. Winter still has at least a month to go, but you’reRead more

Most New Year’s resolutions are very personal. You might have a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking. Or you want to take tango lessons with your husband. Maybe you just want to finally do a cartwheel. The longest running joke about them is that most people abandon their resolutions within days or even minutes ofRead more

You need some Holiday Pranks that are sure to be awesome!?  Yeah,  you’ve got a loud-mouthed coworker, maybe one that’s too uptight planning for the holidays – even a workplace pal that needs a good laugh; never fear – these five pranks will be sure to make your day and that of the victim’s!  BeRead more

We often have a general idea of how to do “friendsgiving,” because well, our friends are our “chosen” family. As for the actual Thanksgiving, which usually involves several degrees of family members? It can be fraught — and in this year more than any for Americans, where political divisiveness seems the norm, some conversations might get aRead more

Are you stressed about the final months of the year? Where did October go! The holidays are right around the corner! If you’re feeling it, then everyone in your office is feeling it too. Some employees like to relax with a good scare this time of year. It releases endorphins, relaxes muscles, gets the adrenalineRead more