(Feature Impact) Summer is peak snake season, so if you’ve recently gotten jump-scared while gardening or walking up your porch steps, you’re not alone. Typically, snakes aren’t slithering around looking for someone to bite – they’re often searching for food, water and shelter, and the vast majority (97% in the U.S.) aren’t venomous. Even if the risks of any real danger are low, though, you probably have no desire to share your shelter or yard with any slithering housemates.

Check out these snake prevention tips to reduce the possibility of unwanted reptilian encounters on your property.

Tidy Up Your Yard

If there’s one thing snakes love, it’s overgrown vegetation. Tall grass, piles of leaves and unkempt landscaping offer cool, sheltered hiding places for snakes and other pests. By keeping your lawn mowed, shrubs trimmed and garden weeded, you immediately make your yard less attractive to snakes and other pests.

Seal Exterior Cracks and Gaps

Seeing a snake outside your home is one thing but inside is a whole new level of startling. Conduct a thorough inspection of your house’s foundation to look for holes or cracks where uninvited guests may be able to infiltrate. Batten down the hatches by sealing these up and installing sturdy mesh over other openings like vents and crawl spaces.

Control Rodent Populations

Households with a mice or rat problem are also susceptible to predators that like to eat rodents. Addressing the first issue removes a major food source for snakes around your property and makes them less likely to hang around.

Don’t Leave Food Around

Speaking of food sources, if you have bird feeders or have other animals you feed outdoors, store your supplies in sealed containers. When you host outdoor gatherings, clean up promptly so crumbs and spills don’t attract insects and rodents (and in turn, snakes). Promptly gather any fallen fruit from trees on your property as well.

Practice Snake Safety

It never hurts to exercise a little extra caution when you’re spending time in places where you might encounter snakes. Stay alert when pulling equipment out of sheds, going elbow-deep in garden weeds, walking around in the dark or moving piles of wood, rocks or debris. Educate family members, especially kids, on what to do if they see a snake: stay calm, don’t provoke it, give it space and tell someone.

If you’re experiencing recurring snake sightings or issues on your property, it might be worth calling a professional. A wildlife removal or pest control specialist can look around your home and give you more specialized guidance on how to keep your spaces safe and snake-free. Visit eLivingtoday.com for additional home and garden guidance.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

SOURCE:

eLivingtoday.com

(Feature Impact) Real-world connection has become increasingly rare and if you’ve felt the effects, you’re not alone. After years of digital-first habits becoming the new norm, many people are looking to rediscover face-to-face social interaction – “IRL,” in real life, not from behind a screen.

With many Americans now spending less time together than ever before as in-person contact continues to decline, according to data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Teremana Tequila is inviting people back to something simple: the table. Rooted in the philosophy of Mana – the brand’s guiding core philosophy and belief that good energy is contagious and the best moments in life happen when people come together – its “Share the Table, Share the Mana” initiative and partnership with Timeleft, a global app that matches strangers into small groups for real-life meetups, is a call for real-world connection.

A gradual rebalancing is underway, according to Teremana. In a world where people are more digitally connected yet more personally disconnected, sometimes all it takes is one small gesture, like pulling up a chair and sharing a table to unlock something transformative.

Activity-Based Communities

According to the American Psychiatric Association, 1 in 3 American adults went at least a week in 2024 without feeling genuinely connected. In response, many people are shifting toward connection rooted in shared activities rather than conversation alone. Consider Eventbrite’s 2026 Social Trends Report, which found 58% of people now prefer events where socializing isn’t the primary focus, signaling a growing appetite for in-person gatherings built around common interests and experiences.

Recurring events – such as weekly trivia nights or monthly potlucks – reflect this shift toward activity-based connection. With a built-in rhythm and shared interest, they reduce the pressure of constant planning and allow relationships to develop more naturally over time. Whether it’s a standing “taco Tuesday” or “trivia Thursday,” these gatherings create structure that makes it easier for people to simply show up and enjoy the moment together.

This shift is also extending beyond traditional community spaces into experiences that transform everyday environments into opportunities for connection.

Third Spaces, Reimagined

Building on its spirit of good energy and shared moments, Teremana Tequila’s “Share the Table, Share the Mana” campaign kicked off with a series of out-of-home billboards across the country, but took a surprising turn when what appeared to be a standard billboard concealed a hidden bartender, drinks and an open invitation to share the table – turning a street corner into an unplanned gathering space for strangers. More experiential moments like this are on the way.

While digital tools remain central to how people connect, they’re increasingly being used to facilitate in-person moments – helping organize meetups, dinners, and shared experiences in the real world.

For example, by partnering withTimeleft, a global app that matches strangers into small groups for real-life meetups, Teremana’s idea is becoming a nationwide movement. Every Thursday from now through August, the Share the Table series will bring curated groups of people together at bars and restaurants across 13 U.S. cities, creating a consistent space for the kind of unscripted human connection no screen can replicate.

The nationwide initiative offers a key to unlocking something much bigger than one-off moments as an investment in infrastructure for connection, providing strangers opportunities to match with groups of people with similar interests and compatibilities.

Neighborhoods as a Nexus for Connection

By meeting and greeting neighbors and attending local events, the reliance on digital tools can be reversed. Proximity lowers barriers like time and distance, increasing the likelihood of repeated encounters for after-work drinks or dinner parties that allow for relaxed, low-pressure socializing.

For an easy way to break the ice with those near you, sharing a drink, or the mana, lets you open up your home in a low-stress setting without the pressure of cooking for a crowd. These simple at-home cocktail recipes for a Cucumber Serrano Margarita or Mana Paloma make hosting a breeze – and will leave neighbors thinking you’re a natural bartender.

To discover more ways the philosophy of Mana can revitalize human connection, visit Timeleft.com.

Cucumber Serrano Margarita

• 2          ounces Teremana Blanco or Reposado
  
• 1          ounce fresh cucumber juice
  
• 3/4       ounce fresh lime juice
  
• 1/2       ounce agave nectar
  
• 3          thin slices serrano pepper, divided
  
•             ice
  
•             cucumber slice, for garnish
  
•             salt, for rim
  
•             tajin, for rim

1. In cocktail shaker, combine tequila, cucumber juice, lime juice, agave nectar and two slices serrano pepper; shake with ice. Strain over fresh ice into rocks glass.
2. Garnish with cucumber slice and remaining serrano pepper slice. Rim half of glass with salt and tajin.

Mana Paloma

•             Ice
  
• 2          ounces Teremana Blanco
  
• 1          ounce grapefruit juice
  
• 3/4       ounce lime juice
  
• 1/2       ounce simple syrup
  
• club soda
  
• 1          pinch salt
  
•             lime wheel or grapefruit peel, for garnish

1. In highball glass over ice, combine tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup, club soda and salt. Gently stir, garnish with lime wheel or grapefruit peel and serve.

SOURCE:

Teremana Tequila

(Feature Impact) Despite its wide recognition as an effective tool for skin cancer prevention, many Americans still say they aren’t sure how sunscreen works. In fact, confusion about its use and misinformation persist, especially on social media.

According to a national survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of the nonprofit Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), 53% of the 2,000 adult respondents said they’ve seen claims that sunscreen ingredients may be harmful while 59% reported they’re concerned about what’s in sunscreen and 38% don’t believe sunscreen is safe and effective.

This sunscreen confusion highlights a central challenge in preventing skin cancer, which is the most common form of cancer in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Among the various types of skin cancer, 9 out of 10, including melanoma, are linked to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, according to the MRA. The survey found most Americans have a basic understanding of the risks of sun exposure, including the more than 8 in 10 who recognize spending long hours in the sun contributes to melanoma risk. However, roughly one-quarter said they rarely or never use sunscreen when outdoors.

Reducing exposure to UV radiation lowers the risk of skin cancer, making sunscreen a key part of prevention, even during those everyday moments you may not immediately recognize as “risky,” like a short walk through a parking lot or an hour sitting in the bleachers at a sporting event.

To combat the confusion, it’s important to first understand how sunscreen works. It absorbs or blocks UV radiation from reaching the skin, preventing DNA damage that can cause cancer.

“Conflicting or incomplete information can make people less likely to wear sunscreen consistently,” said Dr. Joan Levy, chief science officer at the MRA, “but the science on sun protection is clear, and sunscreen is one of the most effective tools to prevent melanoma.”

Active ingredients in sunscreen in the U.S. undergo rigorous review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which evaluates them as over-the-counter drugs – a standard which requires extensive testing and contributes to a more limited set of approved UV filters compared to Europe, where sunscreens are regulated as cosmetics.

The FDA is evaluating additional methodologies for assessing sunscreen ingredients, a process that could, according to Levy, expand the number of approved UV filters available in the U.S.

While melanoma remains the deadliest form of skin cancer, real progress is being made in melanoma research. Recent advances are improving outcomes for many patients with the disease, though approximately 50% of patients do not respond to current treatments, according to the MRA, underscoring why prevention and early detection are critical.

“Treatments such as immunotherapy have significantly improved outcomes for many melanoma patients, but we should never need to treat what we could have prevented,” Levy said.

To learn more and find strategies to protect your skin, visit CureMelanoma.org.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

SOURCE:

Melanoma Research Alliance