Community Corner

Text Slang, Crackdown on Designer Drugs: Top Local Voices

Marylanders share tips on how to approach kids about lying, a primer on designer drugs and holiday memories.

Has Text Messaging Changed the Way You Write?
The shorthand used to write text messages is influencing our daily conversations and Westminster-based blogger Nicholas has something to say about it. In his blog, he sounds off on why we’re losing the ability to spell and offers a few (funny) suggestions for this problem. Read more here: Unfortunately, We Can’t Spell Anymore.

Maryland Cracks Down on “Spice,” “Bath Salts”
A surge in the use of designer drugs, also known as synthetic drugs, has prompted a ban on some items that used to be widely available. Annapolis-based attorney and blogger Drew Cochran explains what the state is doing to crack down on these designer drugs in his blog: New Rules Toughen Penalties for Synthetic Drug Use in Maryland.

Have You Ever Suspected Your Child is Lying?
“Some children are bad liars, which at least makes it easier to know when a child is lying,” wrote Bethesda-based psychologist Carey Heller in the blog post I'm Not Lying? “While others are good ones, which can make trusting your child or teen very difficult.” Click here to see Heller’s five tips for how to approach the situation.

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Vary Your Workout Schedule, Take a Day to Rest
Don’t feel like working out? You have permission to rest. “When it comes to exercise, you have to take into account the time needed to heal and recover,” wrote Chris Aitken in his blog. Aitken warns against a repetitive schedule that promotes stagnation. He recommends varying workout and rest days instead of always following the same schedule. Read more in the blog: Importance of a Rest Day.

Christmas Treasure Rescued from Attic
It's a season to dig out long-forgotten items and put them on display for the holidays. Blogger Jane Reville wrote about the excitement of a restoring an old train set with a new engine. "The train had been in the attic collecting dust since it failed to run over fifty years ago," wrote Reville. "It had been purchased by my father in the forties." Read more in the blog post: Antique Marx Train Runs Again.

Find out what's happening in Elkridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Do you have a holiday tradition to share? We invite you to share your insights on Patch. Community contributions—whether it’s sharing photos with Santa, family rituals or reflections of thanks—are a hugely important part of Patch. This is especially true during the holiday season.

Above are highlights from the best of this week's blog posts from our Patch sites across Maryland. Want to share your thoughts on local politics, sports or entertainment? Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Start a Blog" under "Post Something" on your Patch homepage. If you need help getting started, email community editors Shannon Morgan at shannon.morgan@patch.com or Susan Jenkins at susan@patch.com.


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