Focused mostly on remodeling, construction, wellness, real estate, sustainability. Also writes about lifestyle, pets, education. Bylines in AARP, Forbes.com, USAToday, Better Homes & Gardens.
So, You Think You Can Dance? Nora Fox Can
A Q&A with a 73-year old world champion pro-am ballroom dancer.
11 Gorgeous Buildings Around the World Designed by Black Architects
Black architects have been designing architectural structures and making their mark on the international landscape since the late 1800s, despite historical barriers. check out these incredible new and historical buildings from Southern California to Tokyo.
Blood Brothers
AKC Family Dog magazine
Canine blood donors can one day save your dog's life.
Uptick in Backyard Dwellings Gets Pandemic Push
When Kevin Yost began working from home last spring due to the pandemic, he set himself up at his San Francisco area home's dining room table. But with sensitive material on his laptop, he needed more privacy from his wife, who often worked from home, and two teenage children. Yost discovered a solution in his own backyard.
2020 Best in American Living Awards: Pockets of Joy
A round up celebrating nine "pockets of joy" from the 2020 Best in American Living Awards.
The best home builders, architects, and designers turn houses into homes by creating spaces that bring energy, positivity, or a sense of calm to their occupants. And they do it in any number of ways, using proportion, light, natural elements, sculptural details, or a dash of whimsy.
How A Texas Passive House Survived the 2021 Deep Freeze
Texas storms vs. Passive House construction: And the winner is...
Architect Trey Farmer shows how his Certified Passive House stood up to the massive storms that hit Texas in early 2021.
This story was also picked up and reprinted by Green Build Media.
Surf's SUP, Dog! Here's the Best Way to Teach Your Dog to Surf or Stand-up Paddle Board With You
Why “Hang 10” when hanging 16 is even better? With their low center of gravity, your dog can make for a great surfing or SUP boarding companion this summer.
We live, learn and work differently: How COVID is changing new home design
Since March, the pandemic has changed the way we live in our homes. In this article I interviewed architects and designers, including Alaina Money-Garman, whose firm helped develop a post-COVID home design that will address issues of indoor air quality, health and wellness.
AKC's Family Dog March-April 2020
Diagnosed in 20% to 40% of dogs, separation anxiety can affect your pet far into the future. A new device has shown promise in helping dogs and their owners cope.
Do Energy-Efficient Homes Increase Your Resale Value?
Extensive research went into this article. I contacted homeowners, realtors, mortgage appraisers, and several national organizations such as the US Green Building Council, Home Energy Labeling Information eXchange, Pearl Certification and others to determine whether investing in features that can make a home energy-efficient and sustainable will bring a premium at resale.
Rural Roots
The farmhouse is being reinvented for modern times, and the results pack big appeal for buyer.
Housing Shortages - Is Prefab The Solution?
This article defines prefab housing and determines how it might be helpful to mitigate the housing shortage. I interviewed Sheri Koones, a writer and expert on prefab housing.
Why 'built-to-rent' homes are the new hot trend in housing market
When people think of renting, they typically imagine a unit in an apartment building or maybe a part of or even a whole house. They don’t usually think of a newly constructed house built with a renter — not a buyer —in mind. But there are a growing number of these build-to-rent single-family communities in the United States (about 6% of new single-family homes, according to real estate adviser RCLCO), including some in the Rochester area.
The Fires Next Time: Climate Change and Business Continuity
Ensuring business continuity in the era of climate change requires thinking ahead to potential worst-case weather scenarios, and budgeting accordingly.
Can Naming Your Freelance Business Raise Your Income?
If you were a business looking for a writer, would you hire Robin Flanigan or The Kinetic Pen? Holly Leber Simmons or Red Pen Editorial? Elna Cain or Innovative Ink?
Flanigan, Simmons, and Cain are all freelance writers whose business name is different from their own. Should you do the same?