I’ve been celebrating Halloween with my kids for over a decade now, and as a result, I’ve got a few Halloween hacks for parents to share. 1. Go to the pumpkin patch early. Some might take this advice a step further and skip heading out to the over-crowded pumpkin-slash-apple-slash-pony-ride-slash-corn-maze extravaganza entirely, but not me. Those fall pumpkin photos with the kids are just too amazing to miss. But go early. Most farms are pretty empty the first few weekends in October, but not so much as ...

A 30 year study published in the British Medical Journal this week found an association between alcohol consumption, brain shrinkage in the area responsible for cognitive skills, and diminished “language fluency” ( a measure of memory and thinking skills). Regular, moderate drinkers (4-7 drinks a week) were 3 times more likely to have more brain shrinkage and less language fluency, (i.e. memory and thinking  skills), as compared to non-drinkers. Further, the greater amount of alcohol consumed, the faster the mental ...

Atlantic Health System's Acne Treatment and Research Center is conducting a study of an investigational treatment for people with moderate-to-severe acne. To qualify for the study, people must: Be at least 9 years of age Have at least 20 red, irritated pimples, and at least 20 whiteheads or blackheads, and Have no more than two large, hard bumps on the face Qualified participants will receive all study medication and study-related visits at no cost, and may receive compensation for their time. Health ...

As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen the durability and flexibility of its electric transmission and distribution systems, Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) plans to invest  $359 million during 2017 on infrastructure projects and other work to enhance reliability across its 13 county northern and central New Jersey service area.   Major projects scheduled for 2017 include finishing construction of a new 16- mile, 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Monmouth County, building a new 34.5 kV power line in ...

As a practicing professional organizer since 1994, I am often cornered by people I meet at parties, in the grocery store and throughout the community who want to share their organizing challenges and feelings of being overwhelmed with me. I always tell them that being organized is a skill set that can be learned. In this column, I’d like to share with you seven habits that organized people use to keep their homes organized; if you adopt these behaviors, your home can be organized, too!   1.  Organized People Develop a ...

Grab your family and friends and head to the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta this Saturday and Sunday, June 24th and 25th for great food, awesome music and a super laid-back crowd at Sussex County’s Rock, Ribs and Ridges Festival.  Get ready to rock as a slew of songsters take the stage over the weekend: Saturday, June 24 1:00 PM     Farmer Phil Band 2:15 PM     The Steppin’ Stones 3:30 PM     The Kentucky Headhunters 5:30 PM ...

MONTVILLE, NJ - Century 21 The Crossing is having the following open houses this Sunday, June 4: 15 Margaret Drive, Pine Brook from 2 - 4 p.m. - see full listing HERE 25 Hillcrest Road, Towaco from 1 - 4 p.m. - see full listing HERE

MILLBURN, NJ – It’s lively, it’s heart-warming and it’s a superb ending to the Paper Mill Playhouse season.   “Mary Poppins” should entice audiences to come back for more spectacular theatre in the fall.   Elena Shaddow is the strict yet magical nanny who descends on the Banks family with an umbrella and a carpet bag full of wonders and surprises. Shaddow perfectly captures the staunch no-nonsense attitude as the nanny while gradually enveloping the children in a spirit of fun and ...

A new bill soon will prohibit New Jersey-based companies with 15 or more employees from inquiring into the criminal backgrounds of job applicants until after the first interview.  The Opportunity to Compete Act became law this month but does not go into effect until March 1, 2015. This means you may not require an applicant to check “yes” or “no” to the question, “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” on your employment application before concluding the first job interview.  Nor may you ...

My first and last visit to Nashville was about 15 or 16 years ago with my boyfriend (now husband), and I’ve been craving a return trip for a while, especially since I’m such a big fan of the Nashville TV show on ABC. Luckily, we were able to take the kids on a fun trip there recently, and we wound up flying into Nashville and turning our excursion into a mini-road trip with stops in Chattanooga and Atlanta. After landing at BNA and picking up our rental car (through Costco - always the best deal I can find), we took the 2-hour ...

Holidays can be a tough time to keep on track. With a whirlwind of celebrations, every event may seem like an excuse to splurge, but the consequence just might be that post party food hangover. So let’s look at a few tips on how to stay on track!! 1)     Focus on Fun - There are so many activities we can focus on during the holidays: Engage in the fun activities like decorating our homes, catching up with old friends and shopping for others. Practice being in the moment and focus on what the season is really ...

Back in the dark ages of the 1970s, preparing for college was a lot simpler.  I paid attention to which courses I would take, but for a soon-to-be liberal arts major, I didn’t have too much planning to do.  Most of us took our SATs once, perhaps an advanced placement test, and applied to five or six schools.  Then we went on with our lives while waiting for the letters to come, in the mail.  Yes, in an envelope, straight to the mailbox. Today, course selection begins in middle school, so your student can get into ...