DESIGN | by KAT SPELLMAN

FOUND OBJECTS, BUILDING ELEMENTS AND “JUNK” (as some dub it) are art in the eye of this beholder. Over 20-plus years, my hubby and I have amassed an odd collection of “art” that we lovingly move from home to home, re-imagine in new ways for display, and treasure as much as any framed painting or photo from a gallery.

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Piles of old metal locker baskets and industrial grates. Limbs of a mature tree felled by the wind. Consider these types of objects as high-impact art that’s affordable (often even free), nearly indestructible (critical if you have energetic kids like me) and decidedly different.

Where to “shop”

Keep an eye out for treasures being kicked to the curb. One of my favorite pieces was scored as hubby and I randomly drove by a house getting cleared out for sale. They were tossing a vintage bus sign for a long-shuttered ice cream parlor we’d both loved as kids.

Hit your local recycling center, dump or building-salvage warehouse to see what treasures you can score there. And don’t forget flea markets and tag sales where, often, the back tables have a crusty old collection of tools and random bits that offer great lines and graphic appeal when looked at in a new light.

Materials to watch for

In our house, metals and cement are a big favorite. If you love sparkle, seek out glass and mirrors that, even when flawed, hold great allure. Wood is another cheap option, bringing a bit of nature or a touch of the industrial into your decor, depending on what you’ve unearthed.

How to display

Consider dramatic statements, with “art” given a place of honor in uncluttered spaces. Repetition of a shape brings a restful continuity to a collection of wheels displayed graphically against a blank wall. Use tiny cup hooks to hang baskets on another wall, or hang one from the ceiling under a bare bulb fixture: instant chandelier. Look down and out, look up and in. Use large pieces to pull focus to the top of a cupboard or the far corner of a room.

CONNECTIONS | by KAVITA VARMA-WHITE

JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOUR TWEEN HAS LEARNED the art of good manners — whether it’s keeping elbows off the dinner table or courteously addressing adults — there comes yet another form of etiquette that needs to be conquered.

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Call it Textiquette: the art of texting without being rude to those around you.

Since recently becoming a 3-out-of– person texting family (Santa surprised our 10-year-old daughter with a cell phone!), we now communicate via texting more than ever before.

At this age, our daughter has only a few contacts, and most are family members. So while we don’t yet worry about whom she is communicating with, we already see how texting could become a distraction.

Textiquette is like any other learned behavior, so we figure it’s best to establish rules from the beginning so we don’t have to change habits later.

There are a handful of no-brainer basic rules that every tween, teen and even adults should follow:

• Never text while driving (or doing any activity that requires your full attention, like riding a bike or skateboarding).
• Never text where it’s not allowed — in class, in church or synagogue, or in other obvious public settings.
• And never, ever text inappropriate pictures or messages.

In teaching our daughter when it is — and when it’s not — appropriate to text, we’ve realized that many adults (ourselves, included) could stand to brush up on their Textiquette. Consider:

Keep text messages short and to the point. If it lasts longer than a few minutes, use your phone for a real conversation.

Don’t text another person when you are in the company of someone else. It’s just rude.  If you must take the text, politely excuse yourself from the room.

Don’t use texting as a forum to gossip or say mean things about other people. Tweens should understand how texting can impact others — and how they are ultimately responsible for what they text.

WELLNESS | by POSY GERING

ONE OF MY FAVORITE DELUSIONS is that I can squeeze in “one more thing” before I head to my next appointment. The result is invariably a squeeze on me.

I have a calendar. I have a sense of how long it takes to get from here to there. However, my Outlook reminder must set off a chemical reaction in my brain. I am compelled to do one more thing before I go.

Instead of sanity, I brew the “perfect stress storm” that results in sacrificing access to my best thinking, increasing tension and setting myself up for low self-esteem.

Since I’m racing to finish something, I get tense. I always underestimate the time it takes just to gather up the materials needed, put on my coat, check the location, find the book I was going to return to the library and walk to my car.

Now I’m relying on the highly unlikely alignment of the planets with traffic and a convenient parking place in order to be on time. I stop breathing. My thoughts are racing, and — usually — are filled with apologies and self-recrimination.

I arrive at my destination flustered, frustrated and frantic, not the the way I want to experience life. If I want to be centered, creative and enjoying the moment, there is a solution: Resist the temptation to add one more item to the list.

WELLNESS | by MOLLY MARTIN

I DON’T REMEMBER THE PRECISE SOURCES of these two stretching techniques. Around the time I realized that they help increase my flexibility every time I use them, I had been receiving treatments from a physical therapist, getting adjustments from a chiropractor and doing a little yoga. So I think of them as a blend of those (and probably more).

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Regardless of their source, they’ve been amazingly helpful not only for me but also for friends who’ve tried them.

Here’s how I do them, usually in this order:

Breathe and relax

1. Get into a position that stretches whatever muscle is tight.
2. Relax.
3. Breathe in so deeply that you feel the skin around tight area expand.
4. Breathe out and relax, allowing the stretch to go a bit further.
5. Repeat two to five times.

Resist in the opposite direction

This is a little tricky to describe, so I’ll use a shoulder/triceps stretch (see photo) as an example.

1. Raise your left arm above your head, and bend the elbow so the palm is facing your back.
2. Use your right hand to gentle press your elbow back (so your palm moves slightly down your back).
3. Now press the elbow forward into your right palm, to the count of 5.
4. Relax and allow the stretch in Step 2 to lengthen.
5. Repeat two to five times.

This works with almost every stretch, once you figure out how to provide that resistance in the opposite direction.

With both techniques, I find I can stretch a little farther each time I do them. If you try them, let me know if you feel that, too.

SUSTAINABLE LIVING | by CELESTE TELL

SOMETIMES I THINK THE POWERS THAT BE are going to kick me out of Seattle and exile me to the Yukon for not being an avid gardener. With a black thumb and an interest in just about anything but gardening, it’s no wonder that I thought composting was some mysterious cultish ritual — and not one I wanted to delve too far into. I remember a friend once telling me about her worm bin. I listened politely, thinking that this was more information about worms than I ever wanted to know.

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Like many cities and counties across North America, the City of Seattle now offers municipal composting of food waste (in addition to yard waste). I signed up immediately. After all, the best services are those things you really, really don’t want to do yourself. While it sounded good on paper, how was I actually going to collect the food waste and get it from the kitchen to the curb?

After looking for an inexpensive, yet attractive container, I bypassed the $40 official Compost Bins for a $15 Bain Marie with a matching lid from a local restaurant supply store. But I still had to take it down, dump it and clean out all the stuff that stuck to the sides of the container. Yuck.

Enter BioBags. Not the sexiest thing on the planet (although they are Italian), but the best thing since sliced bread as far as I’m concerned. Completely biodegradable and compostable, I use them as liners in the Bain Marie and take the bags down to the mobile compost bin that goes out weekly with the trash. Seriously, sometimes being green is hard work.

BACK TO BASICS | by JANNA LUFKIN

SEEMS THAT ONCE I’VE MANAGED to get to all of my daily, weekly and monthly tasks, it’s time to start all over again. That’s how it goes for many of us. Try as we might to fit it all in, there will be things left undone.

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Often the tasks that are not finished are usually the ones that can fall to the bottom of the “to-do” list anyway. These are things that, while wonderful to have completed, might not impact the success of running your day-to-day life.

For me, that task is cleaning out my car. I love my car, I need my car and I do my best to take care of it. It gets its regular maintenance in a somewhat timely manner, but it’s not always the cleanest, most organized space I have.

My point? It’s OK. Learning to prioritize your list and focusing on what’s important is what matters most.

I’ve heard it’s best to have no more than seven items on a daily to-do list. I think that’s a good number. But plan to have one or more of your daily tasks left unfinished. It’s more important to have some wiggle room throughout your day than to over-schedule and over-do. The things that are important to you, like your family, some time for yourself or an impromptu lunch invite are the things that make your days meaningful and memorable.

One idea for setting up your daily list is to give your tasks a numbering system, starting with the one that is the most time-sensitive to accomplish. Or start with your easiest task at the top of your list and work your way to the toughest. That way you will accomplish something right from the start.

Remember; it’s not how much you accomplish, it’s how well you’ve accomplished it.

CURATING | by KAT SPELLMAN

WHETHER FOR FASHION, FUNCTION OR FATIGUE, many women opt for shoes that aren’t in the high-heel category. What are the cutest, coolest and comfiest options out there in the no- and low- heel category? Skip the sciatic pain, move more during the day or just look really chic by trying these on for size:

• Fashion’s leaders have been embracing haberdashery of late with its men’s-style oxfords and vintage aesthetic. Worn with narrow pants or leggings (yes, leggings, just use them like tights and remember to cover your bum and thighs with a tunic, dress, long top or coat), a comfy, narrow oxford upgrades your sensible shoe to “au courant” status.
• Look around: More and more, sporty tennies are being donned outside the studio or gym. Old-school sneakers with a cropped pant leg look breezy, while a pantsuit gets smart with a pair of Vans. A pair of all black, second skin casual shoes are a versatile pair to pack for travel and to wear every day.
• Face it, gals, even though they’re cheap and easy fall-backs, flip flops are due to be phased out. This spring and summer look like you’ve given your look some forethought and opt for a sandal with more support and snazz. Cheap and easy holds a certain allure for you? Then shop discount stores like Old Navy for some guilt-free options that will elevate your look a few steps up from those flip-flop-wearing high-school girls.

BACK TO BASICS | by JEAN GALTON

WHAT TO DO WITH THAT LEFTOVER ROASTED CHICKEN wasting away in the back of the fridge? Elevate it to an amazing chicken-salad sandwich. Here’s one full of crunchy fresh fennel, sweet golden raisins and toasted pine nuts. Definitely a sandwich that can be a dinner.

© ANGIE NORWOOD BROWNE

Chicken and Fennel Salad Sandwich
Serves 4

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1 fennel bulb
2 cups diced cooked chicken
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 large baguette
1 bunch watercress

In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon and salt and pepper. Chop 2 tablespoons of the fennel fronds and stir into the mayonnaise. Coarsely chop the bulb of the fennel until you have 2/3 cup. Add to the mayonnaise along with the chicken, pine nuts and raisins. Cut the baguette into 4 pieces and line with the watercress. Top with the chicken salad and serve.

BACK TO BASICS | by SHERRY STRIPLING

LATELY I’VE BEGUN TO IMAGINE MYSELF as that unfortunate character in a sci-fi TV episode with such an insatiable appetite for learning that his head expanded into its own alien being.

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My topics aren’t as weighty as his. They tend toward guitar, mandolin, Photoshop, InDesign, home repair, pruning, storytelling, driving a horse trailer, technology, technology, technology, and compost.

But they are nonstop, or were until my charge card told me: Stop taking classes.

Luckily, I have a secret weapon: Friends. Instead of Friends with Benefits, I have Friends with Knowledge. Just like me, and probably just like you, these friends live in the new world largely as independent contractors. Not only are their work and hobby skills ever evolving, but they are their own technology, billing and advertising departments. They have to learn!

So we teach each other. We offer to exchange money but usually we share for free.  I’m trading beginning guitar tips with one friend for Photoshop tricks. It’s all very informal, plus we throw in a walk.

Here are some benefits:

• You learn at your own speed and learn only those parts you want to improve.
• You see how you and your friend’s skills fit together, which can lead to work collaboration.
• You get to visit and be productive.

To do it graciously:

• Remember to pay close attention to sighs. That’s a sign you’ve come too often or, worse, you’re not listening.
• Be flexible about time if the “teacher” needs to cancel.
• Take something with you: coffee, food, movie passes, an offer to pet- or child-sit or run an errand.

It’s clear we’ll never know enough to keep up with the world. At least this way, we can all grow into alien beings together.

STORYTELLING | by VALERIE GRIFFITH

MY MOTHER IS 88 YEARS OLD. She lives a thousand miles from me. Though my father died 10 years ago, my mom still lives in the house where I grew up, still drives short distances. I feel enormously blessed by her independence and good health.

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Although she’s far away, I’ve discovered that I can help her maintain her health by preparing delicious, wholesome meals, which she can freeze and heat later. So with each change of season, I hop a plane for a long weekend of cooking.

The first thing I make is a fresh batch of vegetable-rich chicken soup, which I believe cures all ills. The soup is substantial enough to enjoy for supper, and always on hand if my mom feels under the weather. A curried squash gratin makes for a warming meal in the fall. Beef bourguignon does nicely on a cold winter’s night. Spring inspires a stew with lamb, fresh peas and potatoes.

Best of all, we have fun. We shop together and chat while working in the kitchen. She likes to be my sous chef. I show her a few easy culinary techniques. We reminisce and talk about the kids. I learn things I didn’t know about her childhood and the early years of her marriage over pots of simmering stock and pans with caramelizing onions. It’s the kind of women’s work that nourishes us both.

By the time I catch my plane back home, my mom has enough homemade meals to last until the season turns again, and I am full of stories, sustained by an abiding belief that cooking is an act of love.