Lifestyle
Throw a Party Like a Pro
Party Planning
(Family Features) Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply catching up with loved ones, playing host can be as demanding as it is enjoyable. Before gathering your crew for your next event, make a plan to ensure you get to enjoy the day as fully as your guests.
Keep the Menu Simple
An ornate spread may be impressive, but your guests are just as likely to appreciate a less demanding menu with a few standout dishes. Offer a single main dish, a couple of tried-and-true sides, some finger foods for snacking and a seasonal dessert. Beverage staples like tea, lemonade and water are all you really need, but if that feels too basic, you can offer a flavor station with fresh fruit like berries and lemon wedges, flavored syrups and other sweeteners. If you’ll be serving alcohol, don’t try to cater to everyone’s favorite. Select neutral white and red wines and one or two beer varieties. A signature cocktail you can premix and serve is another way to add a special touch.
Set a Thoughtful Theme
One area many hosts go overboard is theming their events. While setting a theme can be a fun idea, it doesn’t have to be fussy or complicated, and your decorations don’t have to be over the top. Subtle color, centerpieces and serving pieces are all places you can inject some thematic vibes without investing too much time or money. You can also let your theme influence any games or activities you plan, as well as other entertainment like background music.
Anticipate Guests’ Needs
Thinking ahead about your guests’ comfort can prevent scrambling once the party is underway. Consider needs like seating, where you’ll keep extra food for quick refills and essentials like more toilet paper in the guest bath. Also anticipate accidents like spills and have supplies ready to efficiently correct inevitable incidents. Remember to plan for extra trash bins and if guests will be congregating outdoors, provide extra sunscreen, bug spray and fans.
Organize Entertainment
Depending on the purpose of the party, your entertainment may be pretty clear, but if it’s a casual gathering, you’ll likely want to provide guests some ideas for passing the time. Board games and backyard games are almost always a hit. A playlist that fits your theme can add ambiance and provide background for conversation, but you can also inject some musical fun with karaoke. If you’ll have kids in attendance, provide age-appropriate options for shorter attention spans, too.
Make Cleanup Easy
After the last guest leaves, you may be ready to call it a night, but taking care of a few quick chores can make cleanup easier in the morning. Load the dishwasher and set it to run overnight, leaving any tough dishes to soak in hot, soapy water. Check for any spills or stains that need immediate attention and get a jump start on the floors. For a convenient hands-off experience, try the Eufy S1 Pro Robot Vacuum and Mop, which achieves a 99.99% sterilization rate when mopping and, using automated sensors, elevates the mophead and converts to powerful suction for carpeted areas. After cleaning, the robot docks to automatically empty its dustbin, dispose of wastewater and clean its mopping pads, drying them with hot air to inhibit bacterial growth and odors.
Explore more ideas to tackle entertaining (and its aftermath) with ease at eufy.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (group of friends)
SOURCE:
Anker Innovations
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
Consumer Corner
5 Summer Safety Risks Homeowners Often Overlook When Hosting
Summer is the perfect season for gathering outdoors with friends and family, but if you’re a homeowner planning to host barbecues, pool parties or holiday celebrations this year, it’s important to consider the potential safety and liability risks that may be affecting your own backyard. Set your summer up for success by paying special attention to these five often-overlooked seasonal safety risks.
5 Summer Safety Risks Homeowners Often Overlook When Hosting
(Feature Impact) Summer is the perfect season for gathering outdoors with friends and family, but if you’re a homeowner planning to host barbecues, pool parties or holiday celebrations this year, it’s important to consider the potential safety and liability risks that may be affecting your own backyard. A little advance planning can help you ensure that your guests enjoy safe, healthy experiences at your home and leave with only happy memories.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, thousands of injuries each year are linked to fireworks, grills and swimming pools. While most summer gatherings end without incident, Mercury Insurance is encouraging homeowners to remember that smart preparation can help you avoid unfortunate accidents and costly damage.
“A few simple safety checks can help homeowners create a safer environment for everyone while protecting the property they’ve worked hard to build,” said Larry Anderson, underwriting operations director at Mercury Insurance.
Set your summer up for success by paying special attention to these five often-overlooked seasonal safety risks.
Guest Injuries and Liability Risks
Since summer gatherings naturally increase foot traffic around a property, it should be safe to walk around. Uneven walkways, loose decking, poor lighting and pet-related incidents can all lead to injuries that homeowners may not anticipate.
Before hosting events, audit your property to repair trip hazards and ensure walkways and outdoor gathering areas are well-lit. If you have pets that may become stressed around large groups, secure them before guests arrive. Since unforeseen events can still occur despite your best efforts, review your liability coverage to understand available protections.
Unsupervised Pool Areas
Swimming pools can provide endless summer fun, but they also present one of the most serious safety risks around the home. Drowning remains a leading cause of accidental death for young children, making active supervision essential whenever children are near water.
If your backyard includes a pool, ensure that gates and barriers are functioning properly, keep rescue equipment nearby and consider pool alarms and self-closing gates for additional protection. Most importantly, never leave children unattended around water.
Backyard Grill Fires
Grilling is a summer tradition, but outdoor cooking equipment can quickly become a fire hazard if used improperly. Placing your grill too close to flammable objects, letting grease build up and leaving the grill unattended can all increase the risk of property damage.
Start by making sure your grill is set up at least 10 feet away from homes, fences and overhangs before you fire it up. Clean grease trays regularly, never leave a grill unattended while cooking and keep a fire extinguisher accessible during outdoor cooking.
Fireworks Too Close to Homes and Landscaping
Fireworks-related fires increase significantly during summer, particularly in dry climates where even one stray spark can ignite vegetation or nearby structures.
The safest option, when possible, is to attend professional displays rather than hosting your own. However, if you’re planning on lighting up your skies this summer, follow all local laws and restrictions regarding fireworks and keep your launch site well away from homes, vehicles and dry landscaping. Have a water source readily available when using legal consumer fireworks.
Outdoor Electrical Hazards
Extension cords, decorative lighting, outdoor speakers and fans often receive extra use during summer gatherings. Damaged cords or overloaded outlets can create shock and fire hazards. As you set up your summer entertainment systems, check your equipment to be sure it’s rated for outdoor use. Keep electrical connections away from pools and water features, avoid overloading electrical outlets and take a few extra minutes before each gathering to inspect outdoor cords for wear and damage.
“Most homeowners focus on making their gatherings enjoyable, but safety should be part of the preparation process,” Anderson said. “Taking a few minutes to identify potential hazards before guests arrive can help prevent accidents and allow everyone to focus on enjoying the season.”
For more home safety resources and insurance information, visit MercuryInsurance.com/Resources.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Mercury Insurance
📰 Enjoying STM Daily News? Join the conversation!
💬 Leave a comment, share your thoughts, and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest stories, updates, and “News You Can Use This Moment!” delivered to your inbox.
Stay connected with STM Daily News!
Health
How Young Adults Can Build a Healthier Future
Bridging national service and public health, the initiative supports a diverse group of early career professionals working to address today’s public health challenges in a range of roles
(Family Features) Shaping the future of public health into an equitable one means ensuring all people and communities have access to the health care and resources they need to live well. The nation requires a strong, diverse public health workforce to accomplish that goal.
That’s why AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched Public Health AmeriCorps – to support the recruitment, training and development of early career public health workers who can serve their local communities.
Bridging national service and public health, the initiative supports a diverse group of early career professionals working to address today’s public health challenges in a range of roles, including:
- Health education and training
- Community outreach and engagement
- System navigation, referrals and linkage to care
- Research, data collection, analysis and assessment
What Members are Saying
Everyone was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic – including Dionne Johnson, who lost a loved one to the virus.
“I had a family member die from COVID-19, and it really touched me,” Johnson said. “That gave me the passion and lit the fire under me to actually pursue a career in public health.”
Now, Johnson is realizing her dreams of transforming public health in her community. In her work, she wants to teach people in Black and brown communities how they can learn to be healthy and advocate for themselves.
Another member, Jaiden Singh, is the son of immigrants. Singh launched a promising career in public health so he can give back to the community where he grew up.
“Being a part of the organization not only has really supplemented my education that I’m working toward in public health and policy, it has also given me the opportunity to do work that I am really passionate about in a community that I have known all my life and really do love,” Singh said. “I would highly recommend being a part of this really valuable and inspiring community.”
Action That Creates Impact
The diverse work of Public Health AmeriCorps benefits not only program members but also the communities they serve. As examples of the program at work, members have:
- Provided overdose rescue education, raised awareness about opioid use disorder and harm reduction strategies and distributed overdose rescue kits containing naloxone (an overdose-reversing nasal spray).
- Held back-to-school COVID-19 testing events, distributed early childhood health education and built community gardens in underserved communities.
- Participated in a community mental health crisis intervention system to assess, stabilize and link people in crisis to follow-up care and services.
- Supported elementary schools as part of a dental hygiene program that sends out staff and volunteers to provide free teeth cleanings to students.
Learn More and Apply
If you want to start your career and make a difference in public health, consider member benefits such as:
- Education awards to apply to higher education or student loan forgiveness
- Student loan deferment and forbearance
- Living allowance
- Hands-on experience
- Training from experts
Visit AmeriCorps.gov/PublicHealth for a list of opportunities to serve and contact your desired opportunity by phone or email to learn more and apply. You can also subscribe to the newsletter to learn more about the initiative.
SOURCE:
AmeriCorps
Lifestyle
The big summer trip is getting harder to pull off. What families are doing instead.
Big Summer Trip: Ask most Americans about their favorite summer memory, and water shows up somewhere — a lake at dusk, a boat rocking gently, quiet mornings with nowhere else to be.
The big summer trip is getting harder to pull off. What families are doing instead.
(Tiffany Miller) Ask most Americans about their favorite summer memory, and water shows up somewhere — a lake at dusk, a boat rocking gently, quiet mornings with nowhere else to be. For a lot of them, that feeling has been easier to remember than recreate.
As travel costs climb and traditional vacations feel increasingly complicated, the appeal of something closer to home has grown. Each year, 85 million Americans find it on the water, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).
Part of boating’s appeal is rooted in nostalgia and connection. Many people are drawn to the kinds of unplugged experiences tied to childhood — time outdoors, shared adventures and uninterrupted moments together. According to a Discover Boating survey, 85% of current boat owners say their fondest childhood memories involved being on the water, with nearly half recalling those experiences before age 13.
The costs look different when stacked against a traditional vacation. According to NMMA, a week at an all-inclusive resort for a family of four runs around $5,000 to $8,000. Boat rentals run around $75 per hour, entry-level boat financing costs a few hundred dollars a month and boat club memberships offer access to multiple boats for a monthly fee, typically $150 to $375 after a one-time initiation fee. Many families are discovering that boating can offer multiple smaller vacations throughout the summer at a comparable cost.
Those lower-commitment options are more than just a budgeting tool — they are a first step into the lifestyle. According to the survey, 45% of prospective boat buyers expressed interest in renting or chartering before committing to a purchase, while interest in boat clubs and fractional ownership also remained high. The survey further found that 49% plan to own within two years, and 46% are focused on boats priced under $50,000.
For Americans deciding how to spend their time this summer, that flexibility may be part of boating’s growing appeal. It offers something many vacations promise but do not always deliver: the ability to truly disconnect and be present — not just once a year, but repeatedly throughout the season.
The pull toward the water may be deeper than nostalgia. Research shows there’s a connection between water and well-being — the sight and sound of water can help people feel calmer, lower stress and support overall wellness. The concept of “Blue Mind” describes the mild meditative state associated with being near, in, on or under water. For families looking to unplug, boating offers a way to step away from screens, slow down and recharge.
Methodology
The quantitative survey was fielded Aug. 22, 2025 through Sept. 12, 2025. It included 500 boat owners and 500 prospective owners. Boat owners are defined as those who own (or used to own) a boat and consider their primary vessel a motorized/power boat or sailboat. Prospective owners are defined as 50% or more likely to purchase a motorized/power boat or sailboat in the future and not a current or lapsed owner. Note: All insights collected reflect opinions of surveyed boat owners and prospective owners only.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Dive into “The Knowledge,” where curiosity meets clarity. This playlist, in collaboration with STMDailyNews.com, is designed for viewers who value historical accuracy and insightful learning. Our short videos, ranging from 30 seconds to a minute and a half, make complex subjects easy to grasp in no time. Covering everything from historical events to contemporary processes and entertainment, “The Knowledge” bridges the past with the present. In a world where information is abundant yet often misused, our series aims to guide you through the noise, preserving vital knowledge and truths that shape our lives today. Perfect for curious minds eager to discover the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of everything around us. Subscribe and join in as we explore the facts that matter. https://stmdailynews.com/the-knowl
