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Celebrate the grads in your life with financial gifts
(BPT) - Do you have a child in your life who will be graduating this spring? Whether it’s from kindergarten or college, graduation marks the completion of one chapter in a young person’s life and the start of a new adventure. Honor your grad’s achievement by helping him or her save for the future with a digital U.S. Sa...
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Secrets of what's driving American travelers this season
(BPT) - Now that spring has sprung, drivers will be hitting the road in earnest to enjoy the warmer weather. In fact, according to Hankook Tire’s latest Quarterly Gauge Index, 56 percent of Americans are planning to take a road trip that involves driving 50 miles or more. On average, they estimate they will drive 1,02...
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Planting, growing and harvesting times [Infographic]
Home vegetable and fruit gardening participation has increased exponentially in the past decade. In 2011, U.S. households spent a total $29.1 billion on their lawns and gardens. A study conducted in 2008 projected that a family who gardens would get on average a 25-1 return on their investment. With benefits like better food, saving money and spending time outdoors, it is no wonder more Americans are getting involved in growing their own produce. This infographic , brought to you by Avant ...
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Get glowing with simple tips for summer skincare
(BPT) - Sunshine and fresh air make us fall in love with summer every year. It’s a time to explore the outdoors and enjoy fashions like tank tops, flip-flops and sun dresses. How can you get beautiful summer-ready skin while keeping it protected from the sun’s hot rays? Get healthy, radiant skin that you’ll be proud to show off with these skin care tips and tricks for warm weather months: Toss your old sunscreen Long days playing in the sun are a part of what makes summer such a special s...
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Top tips for avoiding injury and strain while gardening
(BPT) - Fresh packets of seeds, the dirt between your fingers, and the smell of freshly churned earth – gardening season has officially begun. Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb or a newbie to home planting, gardening is a great activity that provides both physical and mental health benefits. Enthusiasm for gardenin...
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Why, how, what to compost [Infographic]
Compost is a mixture that consists largely of decayed organic matter and is used for fertilizing and conditioning land. Home composting reduces the need for water, fertilizers and pesticides, and encourages a higher yield in crops. Consisting of nutrient-rich brown and green material, compost creation is low-maintenance and can be done on both small and large scales. Creating your own compost will save you money and is easy to do. With compost starters like Ringer Compost Plus available t...
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Think outside the fuse box: Unique energy-saving home improvements
(BPT) - You’ve replaced your home’s 20-year-old windows with new, Energy Star-rated models, upgraded to electricity-sipping appliances and there’s not a single incandescent light bulb to be found anywhere in your house. You may be wondering what more you can do to further reduce your home energy bills. When you’ve cove...
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Smarter snacking for spring and summer
(BPT) - The air turns mild and warm, people gladly shed winter coats, and the days grow longer – everything about spring is lighter and brighter. Since the warmer months bring about many occasions to enjoy the best of backyard cookouts and boardwalk fare, the season’s more indulgently delicious offerings may cause us to...
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Programming your child's health - 5 nutrition tips for baby's future health
(BPT) - What if you could program the future of your child’s health as simply as you program your alarm clock? Push a button, choose a selected wake-up time, click and you’re done. It’s not quite that simple, but studies show that what a woman eats just before and during pregnancy will impact the health of her child for...
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Putting together the pieces to manage childhood asthma [Infographic]
Childhood asthma is a serious and costly chronic disease that affects one out of every 11 children. National Asthma Awareness Month gives us an opportunity to put our heads together to come up with good ideas to help children and their families better manage the disease. It’s time to start managing asthma where children live, learn and play. That’s why the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. created this infographic to highlight the critical role that schools, families, healthcare providers...
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Toddlers and tech: reasons to share your smartphone
(BPT) - A lot of things change when you become a parent. The shows you watch, the restaurants you go to and the concept of sleep as you once knew it all evolve when your family structure transforms from a “me” to a ”we.” And increasingly, personal gadgets like smartphones are following the same trend. “One day I looked...
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Tips to select the right camp for your child
(BPT) - Soccer camps, wilderness camps, chess camps, language camps – whatever interests your child, there’s a camp for him or her. Whether you’re looking for a local day camp or an overnight experience far from home, the key to finding the right camp involves research. That means not only learning about all the option...
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By Andy Sullivan and Kim Dixon WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The outgoing head of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service angered Republican lawmakers on Friday by resisting their demands that he identify who at the tax-collection agency had inappropriately targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny. But during the first hearing into a growing IRS scandal that could preoccupy Washington for months, Republicans did learn that a top official in President Barack Obama's administration knew that the IRS was looking into targeting by the tax agency nearly a year ago. ...
By Joanne von Alroth SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (Reuters) - The Illinois Senate on Friday voted to approve the use of marijuana for medical purposes, which if signed into law would make it the second-most-populous state in the nation after California to allow the drug's use for medical purposes. The bill, approved by the Illinois House in April, now moves to Governor Pat Quinn's desk to await his signature. Quinn has indicated he is sympathetic to the bill, especially as it would benefit injured veterans. "We fully expect Gov. ...
By Michelle McLoughlin FAIRFIELD, Connecticut (Reuters) - A commuter train traveling eastbound from New York City derailed near the Connecticut suburb of Fairfield during the evening rush hour on Friday and collided with a westbound commuter train, injuring up to 60 people, three critically, officials said. The collision of the two Metro North trains forced Amtrak to shut down service indefinitely between New York and Boston, the national railroad said. Three people were critically injured and 60 people were transported to area hospitals, police said. ...