Marin Headlands Day Trip Adventure

Golden gate bridge san francisco

The Marin Headlands offer some spectacular views of the city of San Francisco, the bay, Pacific Ocean, not to mention the world renowned national park, Muir Woods. The Marin coast is one of the better day trips from Sacramento once you are willing to drive a couple of hours. Its fairly doable to experience a …

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Aggregate Nutrient Density Index or ANDI

Aggregate nutrient density index andi

The Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) is a scoring method developed to evaluate the nutritional value of various foods. The ANDI score is calculated by taking into account the amount of essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals per calorie in a given food. This scoring system is based on the principle that foods …

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OTC Allergy Relief: My Go-To Medicines

Bee collecting pollen, a major allergen

Allergy season never used to affect me. Sometime in my mid-twenties, I began to steadily be affected more and more by pollen, weeds, trees, grass, flowers, etc. With a strong love of the outdoors, I began my research for the best OTC allergy relief out there. Giant disclaimer: I am not a doctor and do …

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Carpe Vino! Seize the Budget Wines

Finding budget and value wines

Value wines are a great place to start when exploring different varietals and regions without breaking the bank. However, remember a lot of the varietal differences are far less pronounced than at higher end wine. Budget wines should be used to get a feel for the style of wine you like, but not an end-all …

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Everything You Wanted to Know About Cultured Pearls

Everything you wanted to know about cultured pearls

A History on Pearl Culture Pearls were the first gems discovered by man thousands of years ago. Since that time, people of many cultures have recognized the beauty and value of pearls. Pearls are the only organic gems and require no processing to reveal their natural beauty. At first, people relied on the chance finding …

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Improve Your Posture With These Simple Workouts

Posture improvement skeleton

Sitting at a desk and bending your neck to look at your phone all day can really put a strain on one’s back. Eliminate the pain of a stiff back and improve your posture with these simple workouts! Face Pulls They’re great for building up the rear delts, traps, rhomboids and rotator cuff muscles, and …

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Environmental Effects of Planting Non-Native Trees

Environmental effects of planting non-native trees featured

For most of the past 250 years, surprisingly it seems that Europe’s managed forests have been a net source of carbon, contributing to climate warming rather than mitigating it. The release of carbon otherwise stored in litter, dead wood, and soil carbon pools in managed forests was one key factor contributing to climate warming. Second, …

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Functional Furniture Polish: Which Type of Product to Use and When

Howard's furniture polish

There are many different types of furniture polish out there, and it’s good to know which kind to use depending on your end goal. That said, furniture-care products do five things more or less well: add shine to dull surfaces add scratch resistance aid in dusting (by picking up the dust rather than spreading it …

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Categories DIY

How to Withdraw Retirement Funds Early Without the 10% Penalty

How to withdraw retirement funds early without the 10% penalty 1 money in a 401(k), 403(b) or ira can come out before age 59½ without the 10% additional tax through six routes: the rule of 55, a 72(t) series of substantially equal periodic payments, roth ira contributions, a roth conversion ladder, a governmental 457(b) plan and a health savings account run as a receipts account. Each has its own entry age, lock-in and catch.

Money in a 401(k), 403(b) or IRA can come out before age 59½ without the 10% additional tax through six routes: the Rule of 55, a 72(t) series of substantially equal periodic payments, Roth IRA contributions, a Roth conversion ladder, a governmental 457(b) plan and a Health Savings Account run as a receipts account. Each …

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When to Plant Bare Root Roses

Bare root rose

Bare-root roses are roses that are sold without soil or foliage. Planting these roses during January gives them time to develop a strong root system before they begin putting on foliage in the spring and prepare for the hot summer that surely lies ahead. Look for bare-root roses with firm sound-looking stems and no shriveling. A …

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