The heart is the workhorse of the body, beating over 100,000 times and pumping around 2,000 gallons of blood a day. Unfortunately, it often gets into a state of disrepair— cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for both males and females in the United States. So if you’re looking to prioritize your well-being, add improving your cardiac health to your to-do list. By making smart choices, you can help keep your heart strong both this year and for years to come.
Putting off appointments
A surprisingly large number of Americans avoid, delay, or even forget their doctor’s appointments. However, you should stay on top of your annual physicals because they allow a physician to listen to your heart and run tests to make sure it’s functioning properly. In addition, heart disease risk factors increase as you approach middle age, necessitating further testing.
Disregarding your meds
Along the same lines, taking your prescribed medicines every day as recommended is vital, especially when it comes to your heart health. To help ensure that you do, invest a few bucks in a pill box, which makes organizing and remembering your meds incredibly easy.
Smoking
Cigarette use is tied directly to cardiovascular disease. The chemicals inhaled cause damage to blood vessels, which can lead to greater plaque buildup in the arteries, even for those who breathe only secondhand smoke. So if smoking is a habit of yours, vow to kick it starting today. There are numerous resources and support services available to help.
Overimbibing
While alcohol in moderation is considered acceptable in some health circles, there is still debate about whether even small amounts are dangerous. Too much of it, though, is undoubtedly harmful; it can not only damage your liver but also elevate your cholesterol, insulin levels, and blood pressure, all of which are directly tied to heart issues. (More on those later.)
Losing sleep
Everyone loves a good night’s sleep, and so does your heart since dozing allows the organ to repair itself. Even still, people frequently don’t get the recommended seven hours minimum nightly, which can impact their hormone levels. This, in turn, can create a domino effect of eating more and feeling greater stress, ultimately contributing to poor heart health.
In addition, sleep deprivation and sleep apnea—an issue that disrupts both sleep and breathing—have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The most effective way to get more shut-eye? Establish a sleep routine, and avoid devices, meals, and caffeinated or sugary drinks (and even excess water) a couple hours before bedtime.
Stressing out
Between dealing with work, bills, traffic, and even other people, stress is an unavoidable part of life. The key is to manage it—if you don’t, it can lead to not only high blood pressure but also the aforementioned loss of sleep and unhealthy coping mechanisms like smoking and excess drinking. Instead, try better alternatives such as breathing techniques and meditation.
Know your family history
Did your grandmother have type 2 diabetes? Does your father have high blood pressure? If so, then you are more likely to eventually have heart problems yourself. Although you can’t do anything about genetics, you can take steps to mitigate their impact on your health.
Remember your ABCs (and D)
A common mnemonic used for heart health in the medical field, the ABCs stand for aspirin, blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking (as discussed previously). Regarding the first, taking aspirin daily may help those who have had strokes or are at high risk for cardiovascular disease; however, check with your doctor first about whether it’s a safe regimen for you.
Meanwhile, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers are some of the most important ones to monitor since there are often no symptoms when either is high. Make sure to get these checked routinely—your blood pressure at every annual visit and cholesterol at least every four or five years. And because the former is the top risk factor for both heart attack and stroke, stay on top of yours by consuming less sodium and possibly even buying an at-home blood pressure machine.
A final note: if there were a D here, it would be diabetes. Elevated blood glucose levels can lead to heart disease, so ask your doctor about your fasting glucose and A1c when you discuss the ABCs.
Watch your weight
This makes sense on the simplest level: carrying additional fat means that your heart must work harder every day. Pay particular attention to your waist since extra fat here can be more harmful. Waist circumferences of over 40 inches for men and over 35 inches for women have been shown to increase the chances of heart disease. In addition to monitoring your numbers, make sure to stay active and follow a healthy diet.
Skip the salt, sugar, and saturated fats
Start by minimizing processed foods, which can contain high amounts of salt, sugar, and unhealthy additives. Also cut back on red meats, fried foods, and pastries since they are usually loaded with saturated fats and thus raise artery-clogging LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. While shopping for food, opt for leafy greens and other veggies, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins and keep an eye out for the Heart-Check mark; this verifies that the product meets the American Heart Association’s requirements for being heart healthy.
Move more
A beneficial amount of activity doesn’t require a full-fledged workout every day. Experts recommend getting in at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, plus two muscle-building exercises if possible. The upsides are clear: the more you get your blood pumping, the more likely your arteries will remain wide and flexible to avoid plaque buildup and the stronger your heart will be.
There’s no better time than the present to plan how you’ll prioritize your cardiac self-care. This guide lays a solid foundation for heading down the path to a healthier lifestyle, but also be sure to talk to your doctor, who can give you individualized advice for improving your heart health.
In life, preparation is a great motivator and stress reducer, especially when a lot is at stake. After all, the more time you have for planning a wedding, purchasing a car, or setting up a fund for your kids’ college education, the better. This reality also applies to selling your house. While you don’t have to worry about saving like with a home purchase, there are several factors that can make a long-term approach ideal. Discover some of the upsides of this tactic and how to create an optimal game plan.
When it comes to selling in real estate, there’s a generally agreed-upon timeline: it’s recommended that you live in your home for at least three to five years first, for both fiscal reasons and pragmatic ones. Financially, a home’s value may creep up, or appreciate, during that time span, making it more valuable, while waiting gives you the opportunity to build equity in the property. Both realities can increase your net profit upon selling, even after factoring in fees like closing costs and commissions.
Holding off can also result in a tax benefit since you can avoid paying capital gains tax on any profit you gain from the sale. The general conditions to qualify for this exemption: you must have owned and used your home for at least two of the five years prior to sale, and you can exclude no more than $250,000 in capital gains from the sale (or double that if married).
From a practical perspective, having years instead of months at your disposal gives you ample time to both get a lay of the land and prepare your place for maximum selling potential. When you aren’t rushed to get it listed, you can make decisions about which changes you want to make and which you’ll forgo. You can also stagger your repairs and updates, making it easier to get them all done and absorb the total cost.
A good starting point in determining when you want to sell is to take a bird’s-eye view of the current market to get a gauge of your window of opportunity. For example, say you bought your property in 2023 for $300,000 and realtor.com says its current estimated price is $375,000, which fares favorably to similar local homes. Since you’d be at the edge of the three-to-five-year ownership mark, you could realistically consider selling within the next year rather than waiting the full five years to take advantage of your home’s present value.
In contrast, if you discover that it’s now only worth $280,000 or that a buyer’s market is emerging, it could be a sign to hold off for a few more years or longer. That will give you time to boost your home’s value through high-ROI upgrades or for the market to shift in your favor.
Once you establish when you may want to go to market, you can start making a thorough checklist of what you could do to improve your home to pique interest down the road. Inside and out, look at your spaces from the critical eyes of a buyer, considering questions such as the following in both the needs and wants categories.
Needs
Wants
Start by making minor repairs yourself, such as adding a fresh coat of paint to your living room or fixing a leaky toilet, while scheduling out the jobs best left for professionals. And remember that this is a race, not a sprint—you don’t have to get it all done at once!
To ultimately determine if the three-to-five-year math adds up for you, it’s critical that you consult with your real estate agent, especially about the current and near-future markets and the best potential return on investment. Also consider contacting your financial adviser concerning the capital gains tax. Overall, though, if you are afforded the luxury of taking a long-term approach to selling, the odds are that your stress will decrease while the benefits you receive will only compound.
Interior designer DuVäl Reynolds explains how he turned a house into a home for a family in Alexandria, Virginia.
How did your design journey begin?
I actually went to college for neurology but left school and worked in New York for a bit before moving to the DC area. I got a job at the design firm California Closets, where I discovered that I had much more of a knack and passion for design than I had realized. So, while holding a full-time job, I went back to school full-time at night to get my bachelor’s degree in interior design. I opened my own firm in 2017.
Many of your clients are attorneys. How did that happen?
My firm is in the DC metro area, so it was kind of inevitable, but they also keep finding us. On our website, we talk about our process, not how the final results look, which attorneys appreciate. I also think somewhat like an attorney—I ask a thousand questions, am very detailed and streamlined about everything, and anticipate well. That’s appealing to clients, especially attorneys, who are very busy, very hands-off, and do not like having to micromanage to get the job done.
Let’s talk about the Alexandria house, which you dubbed The Meaning of Home. How did it come about?
One of the clients found us on Instagram—funnily enough, neither he nor his wife is an attorney. He said one of the things they liked about our work was that we include before photos on our website for each project, which we do to show clients the work we put in and where we can take their homes.
The primary goal for this project was to combine the couple’s aesthetics. He is very traditional, loves color, bling, and “wow” factors, and enjoys having fun. She favors a modern farmhouse vibe that also focuses on comfort, especially for their children.
The design is stunning, right from the home’s entrance. Would you explain your ideas for this area?
In the foyer, where the pulse of the home starts, our first goal was to create effect. It needed to be high impact but also classic enough that it didn’t need to be redone in a few years. A black-and-white checkered floor achieved just that. In addition, the stair runner is wool, which is durable yet comfortable, softens the space, and is welcoming. For the chandelier, I obviously wanted it to be impressive but gave the piece a silhouette so it wasn’t distracting.
In fact, there’s never really a star or focal point in any room I design; every element stands on its own. In this foyer, the floor is impactful, but so are the walls—which are clad with molding and heavy detail work—and, of course, the chandelier. Even the table by the banister, though it has a chaotic floral arrangement, holds its own weight rather than drawing all the attention in the room.
The adjacent office is much darker and more traditional. Tell us about your inspiration for it.
It’s the husband’s office, so I wanted it to feel like his space. For a masculine touch, we painted the walls a deep blue that was darker than the room’s original shade of blue, added molding on every single wall right up to the built-ins, and peppered in leather tones, substantial hardware, and even whiskey glasses—in short, a classic smoking-room vibe. Since he’s also an avid reader, I added a Chesterfield sofa for a scholastic touch.
Would you talk about your choice of colors in the home?
We absolutely love playing with color. Every project we do usually has a baseline of three colors that run throughout. In this one, there are mostly shades of greens, blues, and browns. One room is fully blue, while the next has accents of blue. And another room has shades of gray with green or blue touches. I wanted each space to have a major color impact but still thread the hues together in ways that aligned with our original foundational aesthetic.
As an example, the wife wanted an amazing kitchen because she’s in there so often; I leaned into comforting modern-farmhouse colors for her. But there are also a few pieces that bring in a very traditional feel for him, such as the antique-brass handles and knobs. So it was very much a blended kitchen.
Would you explain what wallpaper adds to a project such as this?
Wallpaper brings a sense of depth and movement that paint cannot. It often creates storylines that spark the imagination, immersing you in the room—you simply cannot get away from it, which I love.
What were some of the most satisfying aspects of this project?
Definitely the dining room. Because it was huge, I decided to shorten it by about four feet, despite the wife’s nervousness. She wanted it to be used a lot, though, so I suggested a saloon style that feels relatable and accessible for everyone. I feel like we just nailed this room, probably more than any other one I’ve ever designed, because there were so many things we were trying to accomplish. Even the last window treatment I found, which features unusual cranes, felt so right.
The wife also said she wanted a “girl’s room,” which became the living room. When we presented the pink sofa and flowery wallpaper for the space, the husband wasn’t thrilled, but he trusted us. He then became obsessed with that room! He was shocked at how much of a masculine undertone it had, which we achieved through some of the furniture silhouettes and color profile choices mixed in with the feminine touches that are blanketed and layered in. I’m happy it worked for both of them. In addition, I love the family room with its heavy traditional elements like the coffered ceilings, the gray-patterned rug, and the white fireplace we created along with the soft, rounded sofa that brings a sense of family comfort.
What’s the meaning behind the name The Meaning of Home?
I don’t think the clients ever liked their house or felt comfortable in it, but they were adamant about making it a place where they could build memories with their kids. So I was really trying to emphasize how in a finished home, there’s no worry about anything needing to be worked on right away—instead, you’re inviting family over and the kids are having sleepovers. This is what the meaning of home is. Home isn’t just about the pretty stuff in it; it’s about the memories that start being made as soon as the project is done and enjoying the beauty of family.
For more info, visit duvalreynolds.com
Each spring, nature becomes the world’s most gifted artist—painting hillsides, gardens, and entire cities in vibrant hues. Across continents, flower festivals celebrate this fleeting beauty with a mix of culture, creativity, and community spirit. From sweeping tulip fields in the Pacific Northwest to Europe’s grand floral parades and Asia’s artful botanical displays, these events invite travelers to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the wonder of the natural world.
Here are five flower festivals that deserve a place on your travel calendar, each offering a unique way to experience the season in full bloom.
An easy drive north of Seattle, Washington’s Skagit Valley offers one of the most breathtaking floral displays in North America. Each April, endless rows of tulips, from crimson to coral to buttery yellow, stretch across the valley’s fertile farmland.
The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival isn’t confined to a single venue; it’s an immersive driving (or cycling) route through charming country roads lined with boutique farms like Roozengaarde and Tulip Town. Visitors can wander through meticulously planted display gardens, enjoy wine tastings, and browse artisanal markets showcasing local honey, lavender, and hand-thrown pottery.
Traveler tip: Plan a weekend stay at a cozy inn in La Conner or Mount Vernon, and dine on Pacific Northwest seafood paired with local Chardonnay. Time your visit for mid-April, when the blooms and the light are at their most spectacular.
Each August, Medellín—the “City of Eternal Spring”—comes alive in a kaleidoscope of color for the Feria de las Flores (Festival of Flowers). This ten-day celebration pays homage to Colombia’s floral heritage and the silleteros, local flower farmers who handcraft towering arrangements and carry them in a proud parade through the city’s streets.
The event is a cultural immersion: fireworks light up the skyline, music spills from open-air stages, and markets brim with orchids, roses, and native blooms found nowhere else on earth. Medellín’s hillside neighborhoods are fragrant with celebration, while its art galleries and cafés buzz with travelers soaking in the energy.
Traveler tip: Stay in El Poblado, a chic neighborhood filled with boutique hotels, rooftop bars, and lush courtyards. Pair the festival with a side trip to nearby Guatapé for vibrant lakeside scenery and handcrafted Colombian design.
Few natural events capture the world’s imagination like Hanami, Japan’s centuries-old tradition of celebrating cherry blossoms. Each spring, usually from late March to early April, delicate pink petals blanket cities, parks, and temples—symbolizing renewal and the fleeting beauty of life.
In Tokyo, crowds gather under the blooming trees of Ueno Park and along the Meguro River, where lanterns glow at dusk. In Kyoto, the blossoms frame ancient shrines and the Philosopher’s Path, creating postcard-perfect scenes that feel timeless. Many families and travelers alike mark the occasion with picnics beneath the blossoms, a custom that turns nature into a celebration.
Traveler tip: Peak bloom varies by region. Plan early, and consider traveling north from Tokyo to Hirosaki or Sapporo as the season progresses. Stay in a ryokan (traditional inn) for an authentic and serene spring experience.
As spring arrives in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia’s capital celebrates with Floriade, a dazzling floral event held from mid-September through mid-October in Canberra’s Commonwealth Park. Over one million blooms create a sweeping tapestry of color, shaped into intricate geometric patterns and creative designs that shift themes each year.
By day, visitors wander through tulip-lined pathways and attend horticultural talks and wellness workshops. By night, Floriade NightFest transforms the park with artful lighting, live jazz, and pop-up bars serving local wines and small plates. The atmosphere is festive yet sophisticated, a celebration of creativity, community, and the relaxed Australian lifestyle.
Traveler tip: Base yourself in a boutique hotel near Lake Burley Griffin, then extend your trip to explore the Canberra wine district or the coastal charm of Jervis Bay.
Every September, in this small Dutch town near the Belgian border, flowers take on architectural form. The Corso Zundert—the world’s largest flower parade—showcases extraordinary moving sculptures made entirely of dahlias.
Each float, often towering over 30 feet tall, is crafted by dedicated local volunteers who spend months cultivating millions of blooms. The result is a breathtaking procession of artistry, engineering, and community pride, a cultural phenomenon where flowers quite literally come to life.
Traveler Tip: Book accommodations early; Zundert fills quickly during parade weekend. Combine your visit with a stay in Amsterdam or a tour of the Keukenhof gardens if you’re traveling during tulip season.
Beyond their beauty, flower festivals reveal something profound about the places that host them. Each one reflects the local rhythm of life—the climate, the craftsmanship, and the culture that make it unique.
For travelers, these festivals offer experiences that go beyond sightseeing. They invite you to immerse, linger, and savor, to picnic under cherry trees, wander between tulip rows at golden hour, or sip a glass of wine while watching fireworks burst over a garden in full bloom.
They also shape local economies and communities. Cities that host major floral events often experience renewed energy, attracting tourism, supporting artisans, and inspiring a deeper connection between people and their landscapes.
From the tulip trails of Washington State to the dahlia parades of the Netherlands, these destinations prove that beauty transcends language and geography. Each festival is a reminder to travel not just to see, but to feel—to let color, scent, and atmosphere awaken the senses.
So pack a camera, lace up your walking shoes, and plan your travels by the seasons. Because when the world is in bloom, there’s no better time to explore it.
