Every once in awhile, you may say something that unintentionally sounds like a brag. Without meaning to, you can offend colleagues with a perceived lack of humility. The Idealist Careers website has this to say on the subject of workplace humility:

Neilsen and Marrone’s work in the International Journal of Management Reviews found that people described as “humble” share the ability to: acknowledge their limitations and strengths; appreciate others’ strengths and contributions without letting their ego get in the way; maintain an open mind and a thirst for learning; seek diverse feedback; and apologize when they are in the wrong.

Humble leaders are especially effective at cultivating strong social relationships, helpfulness, forgiveness, and social justice amongst their team members. They ultimately create teams with more satisfied employees who stay longer at the organization. So, if you’re coming up on a rough patch or a big transition that will require teamwork, flexibility, and collaborative decision making, then put a humble leader in charge and remember to honor those qualities if you’re the one at the helm.

Time to start planning for the holidays! Wait, what? Yes, you read that right: start planning now in these easy summer days so you can relax this winter.

These suggestions on how to hone your holiday checklist all came from homemaking maven Martha Stewart:

1. Take stock of your stash. A well-kept holiday home begins with a proper assessment of what you already have: garlands, glittered baubles and figurines, lighting displays, preserved wreaths, and other decorations. Unpack and sort your collection, declutter by discarding anything broken or unusable, and organize the remaining stockpile for easier, more efficient decorating come December.
2. Gather your gifts. Now is the time to make your list and check it twice so you can keep an eye out for bargains, as well as buy yourself time (pun intended) to find more challenging items or start on a homemade craft. Source your materials and, if it’s helpful to you, draft a timeline to keep yourself on schedule with crafting gifts in due time for the season.
3. Stock up on host gifts. Think beyond the gift list of your inner circle. Come holiday time, there are likely to be small get togethers happening again and you will want to have a token of thanks for a few hosted parties. Stock up over summer—curating a handful of items that will appeal to everyone guarantees that you’re never caught in a gift-giving situation empty-handed.
4. Solidify your ‘must-dos’. Determine your priorities and must-do traditions then put the items that truly matter to you on your calendar. The rest of the days will fill up as the weeks progress, but locking in time for the things that matter most will keep you focused on fulfilling events.
5. Capture your family portrait. And save it for this year’s greeting card. Why not capture some memorable moments while the sun is out and the weather is forgiving? You can make a summer day of it and enjoy the memories for years to come.

The beloved, classic children’s television show Sesame Street offers some pearls of wisdom, says writer Sue Horner. Here are a few tips on communication that work well at home, at school, and out on “the street”.

1. Know your audience. What’s important to them? What do they already know and how quickly can you make your point?

2.  Be clear about what you need to get across. Sharing too many points will water down your message, and probably bore your audience. What one thing do you want people to remember?

3.  Tell a story to make it memorable. We’re more likely to remember a fact, a number or a summary when it has been wrapped in a story.

4.  Keep it easy to read and understand. You may not have children reading your work, but you will have people with little time to read, so help them out by getting to the point. No one will complain that you’ve made it too easy to understand.

5.  Keep it short. Who has time or patience for long introductions, lengthy paragraphs, long sentences, or complicated words?

6.  Think about references to pop culture. They are great ways to capture attention or make a connection. You could echo the words of a song, reflect current television shows or parody an ad.
7.  Don’t be afraid to be silly. Play with words and keep it light!

Did you know American barbecue sauce goes back as far as the 1600’s in the colonies? Early homemade barbecue sauces were generally just homemade concoctions of vinegar, salt and pepper, but regional variations started developing in the 18th century.

The 1920’s saw the addition of sugar and ketchup to many versions of the ubiquitous sauce, but it wasn’t until after World War II that the sauce got more complicated and true

 regionalities emerged. These days, we all seem to have a favorite, whether it resembles the thin sauce found in the

 Carolinas, the thick, white sauce of Alabama, or the molasses thick brown sauce of the Midwest.

This July, consider having a barbecue taste test with friends. You supply the barbecue and have each invited guest bring their favorite sauce, whether it is homemade or store- bought. No matter which variation ends up being the winner, you’ll get a fun evening with friends and good food.

Few things are more cheerful than the sound of happy birds chirping, whether you have citified jays or country songbirds. Providing water year round, but especially during hot months, improves their habitat and increases your chances of observing their fun behaviors up close. You can attract more birds to your balcony, roof patio, or yard by including a birdbath.

Good birdbaths are similar to shallow puddles found naturally in the wild. Choose a shallow container that is easy to clean, such as an old frying pan, shallow baking pan, or plastic lids of large containers.

If you have a yard, you can dig a shallow hole and line it with plastic or some other waterproof material. Birds prefer water basins that are on the ground, but if cats or other predators are a danger, put the birdbath three to four feet off the ground. Place some sand in the bottom of the bath and arrange a few branches or stones in the container, so birds can stand on them and drink without getting wet. Remember to change the water every few days.

The dog days of summer are an excellent time to make sure your pets - cats and dogs alike - have up-to-date information on file. While you’re at it, you can update home products to keep your favorite friends safe and secure. Here are a few tips from the American Veterinary Medical Association:

1. Make sure identification tags have current information and replace worn out tags that have faded information with new, legible ones.

2. If your pets aren’t already microchipped, talk with your veterinarian about having this done. This simple procedure can greatly improve your chances of getting your pets back if they become lost.

3. Confirm your contact information on any local pet pages, like Finding Rover, is also up-to-date.

4. Snap a photo of all of your pets that shows any distinctive markings. Position them near a standard item, like a refrigerator or laptop computer, so their relative size is clear.

5. Walk your yard and confirm fences are secure enough to contain your pet. If anything has come loose, now is the time to get it repaired.

6. Check your veterinary records to make sure all vaccinations are up-to-date and, if you carry pet insurance, confirm your policy is still what you need.

1. Develop different options for yourself. Don’t limit yourself to one role in your job or career. Look at all your strengths, and plan how you could use each one to position yourself differently.
2. Focus on enabling success. Working from home forced people to question conventional workplace practices, collaborate with each other, and achieve results from different locations. Keep this mindset going forward instead of seeking 'business as usual'.
3. Recognize the value of the people in your life. The crisis of the past year has probably made you aware of who you can depend on—who can solve problems, who manages projects well, who collaborates effectively with others, and so on. Seek out opportunities for collaboration where you will mesh well.
4. Embrace the uncertainty. Change takes you out of your comfort zone. Get used to dealing with the in-between feeling of moving from the past to the future. Take advantage of downtime to recharge yourself and learn new skills and coping mechanisms.
5. Work on exploratory projects. Volunteer for whatever you can in your organization, or outside of it. You’ll stay busy, learn new things, and show that you’re flexible and ready to adapt to your employer’s needs, even if they take you in a new direction. At the same time, try to develop a few projects on your own to stretch and stay fresh instead of hiding from the world.
6. Reconnect with other people. Check in with the people in your network. Your goal shouldn’t be simply to scout out new jobs, but to find out what’s going on, how other people are coping, what you can do to help, and maybe spot some new opportunities as the environment continues to change.