Free Range Life

What Putin Really Wants With Ukraine – It’s About Power and Control

By Rachel Puryear As the world watches the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and overwhelmingly supports and admires the bravery and courage of the Ukrainian people in resisting the invasion; onlookers theorize various motivations for Putin to carry out this egregious and wholly unprovoked attack. Robbing Ukraine’s natural resources, which include oil and gas, is presumed…

Simple Ways to Help the People of Ukraine Now

By Rachel Puryear With war unfolding as Russia invades Ukraine, you may be wondering how you can help. No one can singlehandedly stop the war, but there are several simple things that anyone can do right now to help people in Ukraine who very much need it. Here are good organizations you can contribute to,…

Q&A: When You’re Moving In Together, But One Partner Makes a Lot More Than the Other

By Rachel Puryear In response to the recent post about discussing finances with your sweetheart before moving in together, I got a great question from a reader. The question was (paraphrasing for brevity): Where one person in a relationship doesn’t make much income on their own, how can they protect themselves – and specifically, ensure…

How Business Owners Can Retire Without Ruining the Company for Everyone

By Rachel Puryear Did you ever have a favorite restaurant or store you used to love to go to – and then one day, it changed ownership, and it totally sucked after that? We’ve all been there. When original owners of a company build a successful business, they work hard to retain dedicated employees, and…

Career Burnout is Real – But There is Hope

By Rachel Puryear No matter what you do for a living, there are times when your work life is trying and draining. This can be true at times even if you love your job, and feel a lot of overall fulfillment from it. For jobs we love, the awesome parts will make the tough parts…

Bringing Your Dogs With You to the Great Outdoors

By Rachel Puryear If you love the great outdoors and you have a dog, then chances are, your dogs also love being out in nature as much as you do. If you’ve been hesitant to bring them along camping hiking with you because you’re not sure how, read on for tips for bringing your dog…

Q&A: What Should My Sweetheart and I Discuss About Finances Before Moving in Together?

By Rachel Puryear A big milestone in any serious relationship is the decision to move in together. If you and your significant other are contemplating this step, you likely have some questions about many things – including how you will jointly manage finances once you share the same residence. If having this talk seems overwhelming,…

We Need to Talk More About Financial Abuse

By Rachel Puryear I got some great feedback after a couple of recent posts in which I discussed situations where people encounter serious but avoidable financial problems, because they were taken advantage of financially. (See here and here for past posts on this subject.) The type of behavior involved in such scenarios is common, destructive,…

San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences, Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park

By Rachel Puryear Want to check out a Planetarium with realistic virtual space travel, a giant rainforest dome, an aquarium, gorgeous gems from the Earth, a living roof, and tons of wildlife exhibits (many of which feature live animals and plant life)? The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has all…

Sex While Camping – Keeping it Safe, Private, and Hot

By Rachel Puryear We’re all adults here. So, let’s have an open conversation about intimacy while camping – including staying comfortable, and maintaining your privacy while you’re getting it on it the great outdoors. Many of us who camp do so with our significant others. Getting away is a great time for intimacy together. Couples…