It's Our 2nd Anniversary...

Today we’re celebrating the anniversary of Carol’s Blog --- over 2 years now and still going strong! But before I blow out the candles and take my first bite of cake (I wish), I feel compelled to offer a big hearty “thanks” to all of you – because I really couldn’t do it without you guys. And I truly mean that -- the comments, stories, ideas and suggestions that so many of you shared have been vital in making this blog a success. So from the bottom of my heart: thank you!

And so, with another year under our belt, I thought I’d take a look back at all of the posts from the past 12 months and put together a list of my favorites (and yours). So without further ado, here are the Top 10 Posts from the past year:

1. Goodbye Winter – By far the most commented-on post of ’09, it seemed that everyone was excited to see the arrival of Spring last year. Call it a hunch, but considering the amount of snow we saw this winter, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a repeat-performance this year!



2. Are You Ready For Some Football? – Like me, a lot of you guys were excited for fall -- and psyched for football season to kickoff!



3. Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! – A tribute to the late Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss. I especially enjoyed putting this one together.



4. For the Birds – This post was dedicated to National Bird Feeding Month. Lots of cool links and resources on bird feeding, plus many of you shared some great stories from your own backyard. I was amazed at how many “bird lovers” we have out there!



5. This is the End... – No, not an ode to the famous song by The Doors… this post about the end of summer drew some really interesting comments about favorite summertime memories.



6. Making Every Day Earth Day – The response to this post was overwhelming; it was very inspiring to know that so many of you are earth-conscious.



7. Friday the 13th – This was a fun one. Feeling superstitious?



8. It’s National Nutrition Month – A collection of links to great healthy-eating and nutrition websites made this one of the more popular posts of 2009.



9. Keeping Active This Winter – Monopoly, card games, dominos… anything to beat the winter time blues. With close to a foot of snow gathering outside in my yard, this post will still find relevance in the coming days ahead.



10. Bored! – This one didn’t get a ton of comments but it was certainly one of my favorites. Random links galore, including StumbleUpon, a handful of games for kids, and a cool site where you can make your own Simpsons character.

Again, thank you to everyone who visited and commented on this blog. Keep tuning in, there’s more fun to come!

Let the Games Begin!

The Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics begin tonight in Vancouver. For the next 2 weeks, I’ll be glued to my television set, trying to catch as many events as possible. Thank goodness for DVR!

I love watching the Olympics for a number of reasons: skiing, ice hockey, skating … surprisingly, I even enjoy watching curling! But the main reason I enjoy watching the Olympics is because of the strong sense of patriotism and camaraderie it brings. While I wish all of the athletes from other countries the best of luck, it’s an incredible feeling to watch the athletes from your own country bring home a gold medal. There isn’t much else that can elicit chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" in living rooms all across America.

How about you guys -- will you be watching the Winter Games this month? What’s your favorite event? Be sure to share your thoughts and comments with other members in the section below.

Good luck to all of the athletes this year! Go Team USA -- bring home the gold!

Winter Safety

In last week’s post, I offered a handful of tips to help make the winter season a bit less harsh. This week, our focus is on staying safe during the remaining cold months...

Driving in bad winter weather can be a nightmare. There’s snow, ice, freezing rain, etc. to contend with, not to mention that there are fewer hours of daylight this time of year. If you are able to, avoid driving altogether when the weather is bad; however, if you must drive, be sure to practice safety and take the proper precautions ahead of time. As Benjamin Franklin famously said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Another thing that helps me deal with the sting of winter is knowing how to dress for the cold. From everything that I’ve read, it turns out that layering is hands-down the best method to stay warm. Layering allows you to adjust to a variety of conditions by simply adding or removing clothing. Stick with these principles and you can’t go wrong.

As I’m writing this, the snow has ceased and the sun is out … but winter weather is extremely unpredictable (especially here in the Midwest), and things can change in an instant. That’s why it’s always good to be prepared for the unknown. Just taking a few precautions -- like storing non-perishable food, having an alternate source for heat, etc. -- can help keep your family safe in the event of an emergency. Be sure to plan ahead!

Before you know it, we’ll be talking about the arrival of flowers and the return of birds to their native areas … but until then, stay warm out there and be safe! If you have any winter tips or advice that you’d like to share with other members, feel free to add them in the comments section.