Consumer Reports

Last week our guest blogger, Erin Pierce, wrote about Making Every Day Earth Day . In keeping with the theme of doing good things for our planet and going green, my Friday blog is dedicated to trees. The last Friday in the month of April is designated as National Arbor Day . All around the country there are many schools and organizations carrying out tree planting activities. I remember, as a kid, my teacher had us plant a tree and write a report on our favorite tree. I wrote about the weeping willow in our backyard. My sisters and I used to climb all over that thing. I confess to playing “Tarzan.” I would swing from the vine-like branches doing my best jungle yell. Carol Burnett’s “Tarzan yell” was better, but I think I was a close second. Our lovely weeping willow began cracking and dying, so it had to be removed. The tree was large and it had to be cut down in sections. My dad did the cutting, but it was our job to hold the rope and pull when needed. Being a bit of a slacker, I wasn’t really holding the rope… actually, I think I was pretending to be a ballerina dancing around. A large branch broke and my sister, who was dutifully holding the rope, was dragged across the yard on her back as the branch came down. I thought that was the funniest thing, but my dad, who was nearly knocked off the ladder by the branch, did not. I got into big trouble. I held a grudge against all trees for awhile, but I eventually forgave them. If you like trees and/or are interested in participating in Arbor Day, here are some resources to check out: Arbor Day Foundation has planting and pruning guides as well as a map to determine the types of trees best suited for your area. Climate Change Information Climate Change Tree Atlas Cooling Your Home Naturally How to Prune Trees How to Recognize Hazardous Defects in Trees Prepare Your Trees for Winter Protecting Trees From Construction Damage Sierra Redwood Trees State Trees Trees by Joyce Kilmer United States National Arboretum Throughout the country many schools encourage and educate children on the benefits of planting trees. To see what your state or city is doing for Arbor Day, go to USA.gov and search on Arbor Day and the name of your state.

Last week I was in Los Angeles. More specifically, I was sitting outside on a patio in Santa Monica with a view of the ocean. This week? Well, things have been a hazy shade of winter. In case you haven’t heard, DC has had a “little” snow the past few days. The masses are beginning to get some serious cabin fever . While it’s normal to feel restless while cooped up, for some people it is more than a case of the winter blues. Season Affective Disorder (SAD) is when lack of exposure to sunshine and not enough vitamin D cause people to get depressed and unhealthily sluggish. Treatments are available, and if you’re feeling exceptionally bummed during this time of year you should consult your doctor. They may suggest installing special light boxes throughout your home, or medication. While waiting for the next ten inches to hit our area, I’m seriously considering a career-path that requires me to be in Hawaii.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. and the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell, or taste, and yet its quiet presence can be extremely dangerous. Test your home for radon this winter!

In case you’ve been living under a rock all weekend, the east coast got hit, HARD, by snow . While I’m not a fan of Winter or snow in general, I am putting on my “glass half full” cap and will admit there are some positives to being bamboozled by the white puffy stuff. Great excuse to lay around in sweat pants all weekend Enough shoveling to give me Michelle Obama’s arms The living room being warmed by a fire in the fireplace Hot Chocolate So, there’s the good stuff. But being stuck inside for 3 days is a LONG time. With impending news of the storm , 3 of my friends and I decided that if we were going to be snowed in, it would be better to be snowed in together. We watched movies, reality tv shows that are too shameful to be mentioned by name, and ate..ate..and ate. I suggested playing board (”bored&quot games, but the only one we had in the house was Monopoly, and I’m not a fan. What did you do to stay entertained? Any suggestions for “weathering” future storms?