Finding a Forever Home — AARF Opens New Facility

Opens New Facility

PHOTOS BY SAIL OFF PHOTOGRAPHY

After more than 25 years of finding homes for cats and dogs in Winston-Salem, the Animal Adoption and Rescue Foundation [AARF] cut the ribbon on its forever home on August 2. The new facility offers more than 6,000 square feet dedicated to providing veterinary care for animals, housing adoptable cats, training volunteers, and hosting community events.

Like most things at AARF, the project began with a rescue. When local animal advocates and philanthropists Michael and Christine Morykwas found an abandoned cat and kittens by the dumpsters at a local country club, they reached out to AARF for help. That relationship kickstarted the multi-year project.

“We couldn’t ask for better community partners on this project than the Morykwas family,” says Mitchell Currin, AARF’s first Executive Director. “Not only are their generosity and commitment to investing in animal welfare unmatched, but we were fortunate to learn from Christine’s experience starting and building an animal shelter in Fresno.”

A truly local organization, AARF was founded in 1995 by community volunteers, Leila Warren and Starr Stimmel. AARF’s humble beginnings included adoption fairs in the Thruway Shopping Center, meetings at the public library, and volunteer fosters covering the costs of animal care. Despite challenges, AARF was always guided by passionate volunteers working hard for the animals’ best interests.

The new facility was built on this solid foundation. “This gift has been truly transformational for our organization,” adds Currin. “After many years operating with a limited budget and minimal staff, this facility shows animal lovers in our community that we are here to stay.”

AARF plays a critical role in addressing the problem of homeless cats and dogs in the community. Each year more than 6 million animals are surrendered to shelters. AARF receives countless requests to rehome pets or assist strays daily.

One of the most impactful opportunities with the new facility is the ability to perform spay and neuter surgeries in-house. According to a recent study by Mars Veterinary Health, the United States will need nearly 41,000 additional veterinarians to meet the demand by 2030. Indeed, AARF has experienced the challenge of scheduling spay and neuter surgeries with partners at local veterinary clinics. According to Currin, the current system isn’t sustainable. “We have great veterinary partners who have served our organization for many years, but they are overwhelmed with the rising demand for their time and services. We also must ask our volunteers and staff to jump through more hoops with transportation and scheduling logistics working with multiple partners,” he says. With the addition of a staff veterinarian and the investment in a surgical suite, AARF can keep up with the spay and neuter procedures that directly address the community’s stray problem.

While these big changes bring new opportunities, AARF is committed to maintaining the core values represented in its mission of “finding loving homes for dogs and cats through rescue, foster care, veterinary services, adoption, and education.” AARF still depends on community volunteers and donations to accomplish this mission and welcomes new supporters. Currin adds, “We are excited for the potential to expand our volunteer opportunities and add new corporate and private partnerships with our new space. We are just scratching the surface of our possibilities.”

If you’re interested in learning more about AARF and how you can support the mission, please visit AARF’s website (www.aarfws.org). The new facility is located at 302 Thurston Street in Winston-Salem and is open to the public from 12–5pm Tuesday–Friday. Adoption fairs with adoptable dogs and cats are every Saturday from 11am–2pm.

Girls’ Night Out

$20 per person

Reservations Required September 14th 2022

5pm until…

Taco Bar $20++ **Tax and Service Charge not included**

Reservations can be made by calling 336.551.2684. Ask for Andrew Kloha

Live music by Michael Cheney

GNO - BRCC Bermuda Run Country Club

336.551.2684 | bermudaruncc.com

324 Bermuda Run Drive | Bermuda Run, NC 27006

Grab your mom, your sister, your girlfriends and/or your co-workers and join Forsyth Woman Magazine for a much needed Girls’ Night Out! As always, we’ll have our prize board with tons of awesome prizes! Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @forsythmags for reminders and updates about our monthly GNO events!

We’ll be collecting school supplies for the Educator Warehouse!

Add Magic to Your Wedding Day with Mae’s Makeovers

BY AMY HILL

In August, Mae’s Makeovers celebrated its 8th year in business as a bridal makeup and hair company made up of a strong team of ladies who specialize in airbrush makeup and boho bridal braids. The Mae’s Makeover team recently expanded its horizons in January with the opening of its stunning new salon, Mae’s Beauty Bar.

Mae’s Makeovers owner Mary-Ann Ladd always aspired to open Mae’s Beauty Bar to the public, but the COVID-19 pandemic sparked the perfect storm for her to finally make her dreams come to life. The pandemic allowed Mae’s Beauty Bar in Kernersville to serve as a “home base” for her team to take necessary safety precautions and provide services to clients during the week before traveling to different wedding venues across the state to provide cosmetic services to brides and bridal parties. Want to bring your bridal party to the Mae’s Beauty Bar team? The Beauty Bar is also able to host wedding-day bridal parties for ladies to sip on mimosas and snack on charcuterie in order to de-stress during wedding day prep.

The team at Mae’s Beauty Bar treats brides and clients of all kinds to top-notch cosmetic services in a stylish, intimate, and cozy atmosphere. MaryAnn and her team offer microblading, airbrush makeup, lash tinting and lifts, facials, teeth whitening, and lip blushing. The most commonly requested service offered at Mae’s Beauty Bar is hand-tied hair extensions, a specialty of MaryAnn’s. Because each weft is carefully tied by hand, these extensions are less visible, feel stronger, and prevent shedding. With hand-tied extensions, there is minimal hair breakage or stress on the scalp, allowing clients’ hair to continue to grow to be healthy and long. When Mary-Ann was in high school and college, her friends often asked her to help them with their hair and makeup. She continued strengthening her skills in cosmetology, graduating with a degree in Management from N.C. State University before earning a certification in makeup artistry and updos from the London Beauty Institute. After college, she worked full-time at a financial firm during the week, and performed cosmetic services for weddings on weekends. After a few years working a full-time desk job, she decided to follow her passion in cosmetology, graduating from Paul Mitchell and becoming a licensed cosmetologist.

Mae’s Makeovers and Mae’s Beauty Bar run smoothly thanks to Mary-Ann’s great team of gals. Mary-Ann first hired her sidekick Bethany six years ago, who performs flawless airbrush makeup for clients. Bethany later introduced Mary-Ann to Felicia, who makes lash extensions and brow treatments look easy.

A lot has changed since Mae’s Makeovers was first created eight years ago. As a young female entrepreneur, Mary-Ann has learned many valuable lessons about running a business throughout the years. When she first started as the owner of Mae’s Makeovers, she approached each day with a structured regime in mind. Since life rarely plays out how we expect it to, Mary-Ann now knows the importance of flexibility and being prepared to roll with the punches on the job.

She and her team also pride themselves on providing stellar customer service and putting clients at ease. Because brides are sharing their special moments with Mary-Ann and her team, Mae’s Makeovers is dedicated to creating a welcoming and upbeat atmosphere to help add to the excitement of wedding days.

Ready to book Beauty Bar services or a bridal appointment? Visit Mae’s Makeovers online at www.maesmakeovers.com for services, pricing, and the team’s portfolio. Check out Mae’s Beauty Bar online at www. maesmakeoversbeautybar.com, or visit in-person at 121 Pineview Drive, Kernersville. To stay up-to-date on the latest news from Mary-Ann and her team, find Mae’s Makeovers on Facebook and follow the team on Instagram at @maesmakeovers.

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YoungerDear Me

BY LESLIE SPEAS

I’m not sure how it happened, but I am now in my fifties. Somehow, I thought it would take a lot longer to get to this age! Some things are not so great about getting older—gray hair, hot flashes, wrinkles, gravity… I’ll stop there as I’m getting depressed. But there are some positive things about being in this stage of life. I have time to read and take naps. I don’t have to operate a taxi service any longer (and with the price of gas, that’s a bonus). I don’t have to feed everyone. And I care less about what others think of me.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self? Here are some tips that I would share with the younger version of me.

ACCEPT AND LOVE YOURSELF AS GOD MADE YOU

Quit comparing yourself to others and understand that God made you the way you are for a reason—he doesn’t make mistakes. Get counseling if you need to work through your issues. You must love yourself before you can love and nurture others.

TIPS ON CHILDREN

Children are a blessing and a joy, but if you have them, keep in mind that they will break your heart and scare you to death more times than you could ever imagine. And you aren’t done when they are in their twenties and beyond, as I thought would be the case. Puppies are a good lower maintenance substitute. Just sayin’. SLOW DOWN

Being busy is not a badge of honor. Figure out what’s important to you and say no to things that don’t fit these criteria. Chill out on the activities your kids are involved in —they probably aren’t going to be soccer stars or ballerinas. Doing so much running wears them out and wears you out, too. Finally, make sure to give yourself ten to fifteen minutes of quiet time in the morning - you’ll start your day from a centered, calm state.

YOU PROBABLY CAN’T HAVE IT ALL

Focus more on relationships and less on building bank balances and climbing the career ladder. In the end, relationships are what will matter, especially your relationship with God.

EXERCISE AND EAT RIGHT

Yay! There is one that I did consistently. As a result, I haven’t had struggles with my weight or health problems. I also think I may have gone off the deep end if I didn’t exercise because it helps me manage stress. I can even still do plyometrics (jump training), only sometimes I pee.

CHOOSE A PARTNER WISELY AND WELL

Be with someone who will treat you well and takes care of your soul. Understand that it isn’t your partner’s job to fill the emptiness inside you. And you probably aren’t going to be able to change the other person – only God can do that. Don’t settle, even if you feel it’s time that you find a partner. It’s better to be single than in a difficult, unfulfilling relationship.

POP UP DATES

Friday, September 2nd

5-9, First Friday at SouthEnd Brewing, 117 W Lewis St, Greensboro

Sunday, September 4th

12-5 at Goose & the Monkey Brewhouse, 401 S. Railroad St., Lexington Blue Jean Mobile Boutique

Friday-Saturday, Sept. 10th-11th

Shipping on The Farm, 7109 Harlow Dr., High Point Friday, September 16th

11-4 at Remedy Apothecary, 4725 Yadkinville Road, Pfafftown & 5-8 at Poppyseed Provisions 395 West End Bld., Winston Salem

Saturday, September 17th

9-4 at Southern Junk, 110 Wade St., Jamestown

BLUEJEANBOUTIQUENC.COM | @BLUEJEAN.BOUTIQUE

Ryan’s

Road Through Ruth BY ANGELIA CORNATZER

There are so many lessons that we can glean from the incredible book of Ruth. Many beautiful realizations await us as we dive into this Old Testament book. The people in the story and the circumstances that they find themselves in show us things we can learn about God and His character, even in the midst of struggle and uncertainty. Here we go, down a road through Ruth!

While the book of Ruth itself barely mentions the name of God, we can dig deep and see that this story is all about God. We can see God’s glorious intentionality and redemption at every turn. The Bible is full of things we can learn about our God’s character and design for our life on this earth as we walk with Him. We see time and time again from scripture how our extraordinary God works in ordinary ways. Some may discount the Bible as an ancient fairy tale, but we can hold fast to the timeless truths that we see on every page.

The book of Ruth begins out with a statement about the time period they were in. This was a hard and dark season of having no king and everyone just doing whatever they wanted to do. They were in cultural unrest and in the midst of this, there was a famine. We start the story looking at a family who fled the famine and went to Moab in search of food. This family contained Naomi, her husband Elimelech, and their two sons Mahlon and Chilion. They arrived in Moab and soon after that, their father, Elimelech passed away. Following this, the sons married Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth. A little while later, they experienced even more loss as both sons passed away.

Little did Naomi know that so much turmoil would occur in her life. Back to back she experienced civil unrest, a famine, moving to foreign land, the death of her husband, witnessing her sons marry women who were Moabites, losing both of her sons, and being left in an unknown land with her Moabite daughter-in-laws. This sounds like the lowest point imaginable. During her time of lamenting, she even changed her name to “Mara,” which means “bitter.” She was so low that she renamed herself bitter.

That is not the end of the story, though. As we continue reading, we see her try to go alone back to her country. Ruth, her daughter in law, would not let her go alone. She decided that she would go with Naomi wherever she went and worship the God that Naomi worshiped. They returned to Israel and came across a man named Boaz. He allowed them to glean grain and have enough to eat from his barley harvest. Further in the story we see that Boaz was a man of noble character and Ruth was a woman of noble character. After doing things the right way, they were married and bore a son named Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David. Just a few generations after this, we see Jesus come through this lineage.

As we look into this story, it is so important to look at how God worked through it all. There was loss, hardship, and deep lamenting. We see how God led them to redemption and gave them provision. God used this story and all of its parts to bring us the lineage of our Savior, Jesus! The people and stories involved in the genealogy of Jesus are undeserving in the eyes of the world. Most of them have major mess ups or deep losses. God chose to allow these people and situations to lead up to the birth of Jesus. This shows us that He can use every story and every person for our good and His glory. From this story we can learn about God’s faithfulness, intentionality, and the way He can work all things together just like He did for Naomi and Ruth.

Photo Artistry by Melinda

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Perfect options for your office lunch party.

Enjoy quality time with your office peeps and leave the cooking to us. Call ahead or order online and pick up a hot meal (or sweet treat) to take and enjoy.

ForgiveYourself BY JEAN MARIE JOHNSON You’ve said it to others:

“No one is perfect.”

“Try to let it go.” And finally:

“When are you going to forgive yourself?” The inability to send forgiveness inward can be torturous. When you see someone you care about suffering in this way, you do what you can to be helpful. But when the tables are turned, you may have a hard time taking your own advice. Feeling good about yourself can be very difficult when: you feel guilty because you think you’ve done something wrong, or when you feel ashamed because you think there’s something wrong with you. You may get stuck in that torturous place because you: • have no role model or road map for self-forgiveness • have conflicted feelings about what you did • don’t feel deserving of forgiveness • lack sufficient coping skills to deal with the discomfort of the process of self-forgiveness Everyone makes mistakes and wishes they could go back and undo uncalled for words or actions that caused someone else hurt, pain, or loss. But we can’t. To move forward, we need to learn how to forgive ourselves and to “make things right” as best we can. As with many things worth mastering, selfforgiveness takes courage and practice. Here’s an approach that will help you to turn forgiveness inward when you need to: 1. Instead of spinning your wheels by avoiding, minimizing, justifying your actions, or beating yourself up, consider your values, the person you want to be, and then take take responsibility for what you did, and the consequences thereof. It has to start here. 2. Remind yourself that everything you do is intended to fulfill some need. Everything. In other words, there was a reason behind what you did. Go there. Ask yourself what need you were trying to satisfy that prompted your need for selfforgiveness. Don’t judge the need; just accept what was really going on with you and take responsibility for your actions and their consequences. 3. Think about the person you want to be. Let’s say that you took a good look at your words or actions and realized that you tried to show someone up or compete with them in a nasty way. Why? Because you were tired of feeling unappreciated.

Instead of doing the same thing next time, stay attuned to your thoughts and feelings when they arise. Work on “checking” that response and, for the longer term, turning your attention to what you can do to feel appreciated in healthy ways. 4. Mend the bridge. Say, “I am sorry for what I did.” Or “My comment was very insensitive. I apologize.” Or “How I acted was uncalled for. I hope you can forgive me.” If the person you have hurt or harmed is no longer alive or no longer in your life, ask yourself how you can take the lesson you learned and help someone else. Remember that many of us are struggling with similar selfforgiveness challenges. 5. Send your forgiveness inward. Say something like: “I forgive myself for hurting Susan. I am working on how I satisfy my needs and how I interact with others.” 6. Let it go. If you find this difficult, it may be an indication that your self-forgiveness is incomplete. So, forgive yourself for not having an On-Off switch and remind yourself that every day you work on self-forgiveness, you are also working on being the best version of you.

Sweet but Sugar-Free Treats to Enjoy this Fall/Autumn

BY SUSAN BB SCHABACKER

Sweet! Treats sans sugar! Enjoy your fav flavors of fall without sugar, so those on sugar-free diets and diabetics don’t have to miss out. Try sugar-free nuta-licious, apple-licious, pumpkin-licious, and spicea-licious chai sweet treats that are happily guilt-free.

NO-BAKE PECAN BARS

INGREDIENTS: Pecans, almond flour, flax meal, oats, Medjool dates, cinnamon vanilla, cold black tea, or water.

INSTRUCTIONS: Combine all ingredients except pecans and Medjool dates into food processor and blend together. Add in Medjool dates then spread mixture into pan. Add chopped pecans overtop. Mash down so they adhere. Freeze about 30 minutes to set, slice into square or rectangular bars, and enjoy.

Recipe adapted from https:// www.purelykaylie.com/no-bakepecan-pie-bars-vegan-gluten-free/

ONE BOWL APPLE WALNUT CAKE

INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon hemp seeds, 2 tablespoons chai black tea or water, ¼ cup coconut oil, ¼ cup maple syrup, ½ nut milk (almond, oat, hemp, cashew, or coconut milk), 3 cups chopped apples, ¼ cup chopped walnuts, ¼ cup raisins, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon grated or ground ginger, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cloves, and a pinch of salt.

INSTRUCTIONS: Combine chia seeds and tea or water in a bowl until gel like consistency forms. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil an 8 inch cake tin. Add in oil, maple syrup, chia and hemp seeds, stir together, then add flour, baking powder, spices and salt and mix well. Fold in chopped apple, walnuts, and raisins and then transfer mixture into a cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Check readiness by inserting a toothpick. It’s ready if the toothpick comes out clean and crumbly. Best served warm with a scoop of oldfashioned vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of maple syrup to garnish. Stores in an airtight container for up to a week. CHOCOLATE CINNAMON PUMPKIN MOUSSE

INGREDIENTS: pumpkin puree, carob powder, cream cheese, heavy cream, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate shavings, stevia/natural sweetener, and chocolate syrup.

INSTRUCTIONS: In mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, carob powder, and spices. Whip heavy cream until peaks form and add in sugar-free sweetener. Fold whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture, a small batch at a time. Serve chilled and top with pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate shavings, then drizzle with chocolate sauce and sprinkle with cinnamon to garnish.

Recipe adapted from https://diethood.com/ low-carb-pumpkin-mousse/

SPICED CHAI CARROT CAKE MUFFINS/ CUPCAKES (WITH CHAI ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING)

INGREDIENTS: 3 cups carrots (finely grated), ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce, 1 cup coconut oil (or other plantbased oil), stevia (or other sugar-free sweetener), 4 large eggs, 3 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon ginger (grated or powdered), 1½ tablespoons steeped chai black tea, 2 cups flour, and 2 teaspoons baking soda.

INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two standard muffin pans with paper liners, lightly spray with olive oil spray, and set aside. Stir together all ingredients except dry ingredients which will be combined in a separate bowl. Fold dry mixture into wet mixture and then add in carrots until blended. Fill muffin pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5-10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely before frosting.

CHAI ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

INGREDIENTS: 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 4 ounces softened unsalted butter, 2+ teaspoons stevia/maple syrup (or other sugar-free sweetener), 1½ teaspoons chai black tea, dashes of any combination of spices in spiced chai carrot cake muffins/cupcakes, and ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (including extra for garnishing).

INSTRUCTIONS: Add softened cream cheese and butter to mixing bowl and beat together with mixer until completely smooth. Reduce speed to low setting and gradually add in other ingredients. Use a clean spoon for a quick taste test to determine how subtle or bold you prefer the flavors of chai and orange. Use a butter knife, small spatula, or piping bag to frost cupcakes and top with chopped nuts (optional). Store in fridge for about up to 3 days.

Recipe adapted from: https://bakerbynature.com/ chai-spiced-carrot-cake-cupcakes/

A Day in the Life of a 1920s Woman

BY KAREN COOPER

Sometimes life today can become so chaotic and stressful we romanticize the past and long for something simpler. Was it a simpler time though?

If you could choose to live at any time in the past, when would it be? What if you lived 100 years ago?

Let’s look back 100 years at what life was like for a woman in the 1920s.

The 1920s was a time of big changes for women. It was the first decade in which their interests and abilities outside the home were truly recognized.

When I think about the 1920s, flappers are one of the first things I think of, and while flappers were a big part of the cultural change of the 1920s, most women of the decade were homemakers who took care of their homes, husbands, and children. In 1920, two thirds of people over the age of 14 were married. The average age of marriage for men was 24, and the average age for women was 21. Interestingly, the average family size began to shrink during this decade.

The 1920s women started to embrace a looser, more comfortable style of clothing...leaving corsets by the wayside. Skirts were becoming a more common fashion choice and the length of the skirts started to shorten from ankle length to knee length. Bobbed hairstyles were in fashion and women started to wear more makeup.

At the close of World War I, the 1920s were the beginning of an era of great change and advancement. With new developments in technology, the world of the 1920s woman became much bigger.

It was a time of modernization and innovation which would significantly change the way women spent their days. There were many new time saving gadgets created for women to simplify their duties in the home. Women had access to ice boxes, electric stoves, washing machines and vacuums, among other appliances, and they could use the time they saved in a myriad of ways. The 1920s were a time of unprecedented prosperity for many. There was more money to be made and families had more time and disposable income to participate in activities just for fun. These pastimes included: attending movies, going dancing, attending sports games (especially baseball – known as the national pastime), gathering around the radio, and playing games.

Consumerism was becoming more prevalent with advertising being marketed directly to the 1920s woman through magazines, newspapers, radio, and movies. Much like today, advertisers sought to create an image of an ideal woman who was extremely proficient in all the things she did! A hard standard to live up to then, as now.

One of the most notable changes for women of the 1920s was securing the right to vote when the 19th Amendment passed on August 26, 1920. The 19th Amendment did not secure the vote for all women in the United States, but it was still a groundbreaking achievement that paved the way for broader change. Women had fought for their right to vote for nearly a century before the amendment was finally passed. Those who took up this cause faced jail time and harassment in their attempt to acquire women’s rights.

The number of women working rose by 2 million in the 1920s, which was still only a small percentage of the population overall. Discrimination in wages persisted, as well as the opinion that women only worked until they married. 1920s women typically had jobs as secretaries, telephone operators, factory workers, store clerks, and schoolteachers.

The 1920s was a complex time for women as they continued to fill the roles that were expected of them, but were also able to explore other distractions or avenues of self-fulfillment. This decade offered women more options than had been available in decades before.

Regrettably, the prosperity of the 1920s would ultimately come to a screeching halt in its last year when the stock market crashed in 1929. Life in the next decade of the 1930s would look drastically different for women.

Creatively Celebrate the Magic & Mystique

of Fall BY SUSAN BB SCHABACKER

Fall is a season of harvest and transformation as trees display their vivid array of autumn colors. Make the most of fall’s magical mystique as you make more memories.

Here are some ideas and inspiration to creatively celebrate the magic of fall:

• Take your journal, sketch pad, or easel outdoors to set up at a scenic spot or find a perfect park bench and capture the splendor of the scene.

• Sip and savor the festive flavors of fall like chai, pumpkin spice, apple cider, pecan, and caramel.

• Enjoy listening to nature’s symphony of crickets and frogs, still out and about until hibernation season arrives. Capture their sweet songs on your phone with voice memo or with a field recorder and their music will be ready when you need a nature escape.

• Stay cozy and warm in flannel shirts, sipping a cuppa something comforting.

• Take a nature walk and toss colorful leaves in the air like magical confetti.

• Combine fishing trips with canoeing, kayaking, and camping out in the mountains.

• Identify the constellations and wish on a star while dancing and toasting marshmallows for s’mores by a bonfire.

• Get crafty with colorful leaves, pinecones, acorns, and other natural materials collected on your next nature walk.

• Get a fall beauty and fashion make-over, reflecting the colors of autumn. Get your cues from nature, inspired by the colorful, changing leaves on trees, berries, plants, skies, and earth, and try out a new cut and color and make-up that suits the season. If green eyeshadow is too strong for you, try more subtle shades in a more neutral palette. For a highlighter color, try shimmery metallic gold or matte off-white eye shadows. For more subtle contour shades, try shades of bronze and brown. And for autumnal colors, however bold or subtle, try hues of sunshine yellow, zestful orange, and fiery red.

• You don’t have to be hiking on a trail to snack on an energy boosting, blood sugar stabilizing trail mix. For healthy at-home or on-the-go snacking, combine your fav granola or healthy cereal, nut/ seed mix, and dried fruit. Adding in some plain, butter-free popcorn is another option. Try a combination of your favorite granola, pecans, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and raisins.

• Fall in love with the colorful crisp leaves and crisp autumn apples as-is, on your salad, or as baked sweet treats. Keep that kitchen and tummy warm with baking. Here’s a quick and easy recipe for apple crumble/crisp. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and slice or chop your choice of apples and place in a baking dish. Top with granola, raisins and chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, and/or almonds. Add a few dabs of softened butter mixed with brown sugar or for healthier options, go for coconut oil and maple syrup. Set timer for about 20 minutes and set dish in oven. Check with a fork to see if apples are softened and the granola mixture has melded in.

• Take your yoga mat outside and enjoy body conditioning, including relaxing tai chi, out in nature.

• Decorate with pine cones, fall flowers, gourds and pumpkins, or other elements from nature and add to the ambiance with candles.

• Savor sippables like chai black tea, homemade apple cider, and mulled wine. Try adding spices such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods, star anise, and black peppercorns (optional) to loose black tea. Add vanilla, grated ginger, or orange zest for a flavor boost. For spiced apple cider, boil apple juice or cider with cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice (optional). For mulled wine the Swedish way (known as glögg), boil red wine, port, brandy, and water with orange peel or orange slices, raisins, blanched almonds (optional), cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, and grated ginger or ginger root slices. Sweeten to taste with honey, maple syrup, or stevia.

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