At Home With Valerie

(Family Features) The autumn season offers plenty of reasons to celebrate: nostalgic flavors, pretty leaves and a seasonal wardrobe change. Fall also typically features event calendars full of festivals, trips to pumpkin patches and hikes to take in the crisp air. While taking advantage of all the season has to offer, there are also ways to incorporate your furry friend into your favorite fall activities. Consider these tips for making the most out of the season, and visit temptationstreats.com and greenies.com for more information on treating your pet. Get Cozy with Your Pet If the sound of a good book when the weather cools piques your interest, try making a day of it. You may not be basking in the sun, but a cup of warm cider or a pumpkin-spiced drink can help you appreciate the feeling of fall. Bring your pets in on the relaxation by helping them get cozy, too. Find extra blankets and open windows to let them observe any squirrels or neighbors that might pass by. Your pup...

(Family Features) Few traditions are as popular on Halloween as picking out the perfect costume. This haunting season, think outside the box – literally – and use boxes from your recent deliveries to create a unique DIY costume, or “boxtume.” Boxtumes are a perfect way to express your creativity and stand out at any spooky gathering. Plus, they can be a fun way to get crafty with family and friends to create costumes for children, adults, couples and groups that can be as simple or elaborate as your imaginations desire. For example, this DIY Ice Cream Truck Boxtume just requires supplies like cardboard boxes, tape, paint and glue, allowing your personality to shine through with customization. With households across the country already taking advantage of Amazon Prime’s unlimited fast, free shipping and entertainment benefits, your costume inspiration could be just one click (or box) away. If you’re feeling extra crafty this season, try upcycling those smile boxes to craft o...

(Culinary.net) Halloween calls for candies and treats of all kinds as trick-or-treaters roam neighborhoods, but don't forget to stock your own snack supply with homemade goodies. Skip the store-bought sweets this year and instead opt for ideas like these that can be whipped up in the comfort of your own kitchen. Party Mix   As one of the easiest recipes you could imagine, a Halloween-themed party mix simply calls for your favorite snack-type foods tossed together in a group-sized bowl or individual containers. You can try just about anything from candy corns and miniature chocolates to pretzels, popcorn and more. Spooky Cupcakes   Kid-friendly treats are the name of the game when it comes to Halloween, and there's almost no better way to get children involved in the kitchen than with some personalized decorations. Bake your preferred cupcakes - chocolate or vanilla - then call on the kiddos to use icing and toppings for creepy custom creations. Pumpkin Pie ...

Family-friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner   (Family Features) Morning routines, homework, practices and more are all part of back-to-school season, and even when time is short, flavorful meals can be, too. Whether it's breakfast and dinner together as a family or sending your little learner out the door with a nutritious lunch, making tasty recipes in your own kitchen doesn't have to be a drain on an already busy schedule. With dishes like a new take on French toast to a quickly packed lunchbox and bolder burgers, you can keep your loved ones fueled for everything the school year brings your way. For more back-to-school recipes, visit Culinary.net .   Freshen Up Family Breakfasts A truly beneficial start to the day is usually centered around breakfast. Start your family on the right foot with a meal that delivers sweet flavor along with nutritious fruits. This Honey Leches French Toast recipe swaps out syrup for hot honey combined with the crisp t...

(Family Features) When it comes to family fun, it's hard to beat Halloween, and with all the candy flying around, it's an opportunity to add something nutritious and delicious to festive celebrations. Chocolate milk can provide the best of both worlds. It satisfies kids' sweet tooth while providing all the nutrients of classic white milk, like calcium, vitamin D and high-quality protein to help keep little skeletons strong, making it a Halloween h it for kids and parents alike. Carve out some quality time to make memories during the eeriest time of the year with this Scary Sweet Cemetery - including chocolate pudding, gummy worms and sandwich cookies - to get kids cooking and crafting, all while nourishing their bodies and bones with nutritious chocolate milk. Visit MilkLife.com for more kid-friendly, DIY Halloween treats. Scary Sweet Cemetery Recipe courtesy of MilkPEP Servings: 6 Pudding: 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablesp...

(Family Features) For fans and athletes alike, fall means gearing up for a new season of sports activities. While plenty of attention goes into developing skills and talent, other important components that affect an athlete's performance can be overlooked. Especially considering the demands of an athlete's training and game schedule, getting adequate sleep is often an afterthought. However, a lack of sleep can significantly affect athletes' performance both on and off the field. Sleep quality, efficiency and duration all may decrease just before competition, limiting opportunities for athletes to get the optimal quality and quantity of sleep their bodies need due to intense practice and game schedules, according to research published in "Sports Medicine." The same research found sleep can affect several aspects of an athlete's performance. Skills that require endurance tend to be more affected by sleep deprivation than short-term, high-power activities. R...

(Family Features) A kitchen serves as command-central of most homes, so it's also one of the first rooms homeowners choose when it's time to make upgrades. When approaching your kitchen remodel, it's important to keep your family's lifestyle at the forefront of your planning to create a space that fits the way you like to live. Get the most livable space and enjoyment out of a kitchen remodel with these tips from the experts at the National Association of the Remodeling Industry: Make purposeful changes. A desire to bring your kitchen's style up to date is plenty of motivation for a renovation, but to get maximum benefit from your new space, spend time considering what functional improvements you can make, too. Do you need more cabinets for storage? Is there enough counter space for meal prep? Does the overall layout suit your family's needs? Even if you chose the original layout and floorplan, chances are good that over time you've found a few things y...

(Family Features) Around 37.5 million adults in the United States report some trouble hearing, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, it is an undertreated condition with the NIH also estimating 28.8 million adults with mild to severe hearing loss could benefit from hearing aids. Thanks to ever-evolving technology, devices that improve hearing loss are more user-friendly than ever. Of course, today's hearing aids help people hear better, but technology also is revolutionizing the way people use their hearing aids. For example, people can now use them like a headset to enjoy music, take calls and more, simply by streaming sound directly from their mobile devices. If you're considering a hearing aid for yourself or a loved one, or are just intrigued by how technology is changing the future for those who experience hearing loss, consider these five technology advancements that are helping people connect and hear better: 1) Rechargeable batteries. The ted...

(Family Features) The tide of environmental studies showing the harmful effects of litter and mismanaged waste on oceans are seemingly everywhere. For example, 8 million metric tons of plastics wind up in streams, rivers and waterways each year, according to research published in "Science." According to the Ocean Conservancy, plastic product consumption is predicted to double over the next 10 years. With the health of the oceans closely tied to the health of the environment, marine life and humans, making choices that help reduce ocean pollution is one way to make an impact. In fact, research from the Plastic Free July Foundation shows that more than six in 10 people refuse plastic shopping bags, avoid pre-packed fruit and vegetables, pick up litter and avoid buying water in plastic bottles. "Mismanaged packaging waste is a threat to our oceans and the overall health of our planet," said Lynn Bragg, president of the Glass Packaging Institute. "We can all ma...