Despite my best intentions, I am always stressed by this point in the holiday season. As a mom, I feel the societal pressure to transform into Martha Stewart to create the ultimate holiday for my family. The only problem is that I don’t have Martha’s team of assistants to tastefully decorate the house, buy the perfect gifts and bake cookies that taste as delectable as they look.

“I see you!” I said to my son. He was 3 years old at the time.

Football fans know there’s nothing quite like the playoffs. Whether your passion rests with college football or the action on the professional gridiron, there’s plenty of exciting football to watch in the early weeks of winter.

The holiday season is fast approaching with all its festive occupations like decorating the house, buying and wrapping presents and preparing and serving holiday meals. Between the additional time requirements, costs, travel and interactions with family members, this can be a particularly stressful time of year. Difficulties with getting around the house or community, remembering and managing multiple to-do lists, and feeling comfortable socializing for long periods of time can compound holiday stress. While some people experience a sense of deep engagement and enjoyment with holiday preparations and celebrations, others find the additional demands tiring and overwhelming. Many of us experience a variety of emotions, from deep joy to stress, during this busy time. No matter how you view the season, faculty in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of South Dakota have some advice to help reduce stress and enjoy your festive occupations this year.

I picked up some food items from the grocery store for some work-related videos and paid for them with a credit card. I needed my receipt in order to be reimbursed, so I carefully tucked it into my purse — or so I thought.

Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs. It tastes, smells and looks good. This woody shrub is great for outdoor herb gardens. Able to withstand periods of high heat and drought, it is one of the easier plants to grow. Rosemary also does well indoors, making it a great, versatile houseplant.

It’s that time of year again — garden centers and greenhouses are wellstocked with beautiful holiday plants. They make great gifts for friends and families. Nothing looks better on a table or desk than a blooming Christmas cactus or the red foliage of a poinsettia!

Gum disease is one of the most common chronic health conditions in adults. For those 40 and older, it’s also the leading cause of premature tooth loss. Unlike cavities, which often cause sensitivity or pain, gum disease is silent. Because the infection starts under the gums, you may not notice symptoms right away.

I must have unplugged the vacuum, I thought to myself when it suddenly stopped working. I walked over to check.

For those of us who follow the Christian tradition of lighting a candle in the Advent wreath each week as we draw closer to Christmas… the day of Christ’s birth; this past Sunday invited us to light the second purple candle… the candle of peace. The soft glow of the two candles… the candle of hope and the candle of peace… is meant to remind us that darkness is gradually giving way to increasing light… the light of Christ.