Flu season can start as early as October and last through March. As seasonal influenza arrives again in Northeast Ohio, Dr. Walter Vieweg, occupational physician at Lake Health System, advises readers on how to help prevent the virus from invading their households.

The benefit of mindful eating is that you can lose weight without starving or frustration from rebounding. And you can keep the weight off because you aren’t hopping on and off of this plan. It’s a way you can eat for the long run.

The estate is illuminated inside and out with over 800,000 lights and the historic Manor House is decorated and inspired by the theme of “Home for the Holidays.” Dazzle is an outdoor light show animated to new music each year, while Gingerbread Land is the popular Playgarden “dressed up” for the holiday season.

Friends, family, neighbors and grandparents are always sensitive to a child’s needs, but might be equally unsure of whether their choice of a gift will really be useful or even safe. Got Autism, which offers educational and therapeutic products for people on the autism spectrum, provides the following list of gift ideas for those with special needs in every age group, including adult gift options.

Winterfest is a free family event for Clevelanders of all ages to experience the holiday magic of the season. Downtown will be bustling with activities for families throughout the day, including free horse-drawn carriage rides, a variety of live entertainment, time-honored traditions, tasty treats and more.

Primrose School of Hudson's annual Caring and Giving program had children earn money for shopping trips by completing extra chores at home. Students in each classroom then pooled their money and created detailed shopping lists to follow at the grocery store, where they purchased the food they will donate.

Food. Friends. Family. Football. Thanksgiving would be incomplete without any of them, but the most important is the holiday feast your family and friends have gathered to enjoy while the game plays in the background. Serving up a full holiday spread – from turkey to dessert – that is sure to bring everyone back for years to come is easy with these tips.

Shopping with kids of any age is an exercise in stealth, patience and creativity that’s almost as hard as trying to find a place to stash the gifts once you get home (one hint: it’s nearly impossible to hide a light-sensitive talking baby anywhere in your closet without her piping up ‘Peek-a-boo!’ anytime you open the door). So how do you attempt to shop for kids, finding that perfect gift to wrap up for them for Christmas? Here are a few ideas to get started.

Some of the best — and most memorable — gifts for kids don’t come in neatly tied packages. This year, you might consider giving your kids the gift of experience. Think of your child’s interests and then incorporate something you two can do together.

Store locations in Mentor, North Olmsted and Mayfield invite parents and their kids, family members and friends for this fun-filled event. Join for a special storytime and other activities, plus every child who attends will receive a free book to take home. There’s a limit of one pre-selected book per child, while supplies last.