Local Voices: The Dinner Guest That Made Her Scream 'Bloody Murder', Ten-Toe Exploring and a Foiled Phony Charity

By now, I’m pretty sure it’s common knowledge, but in case this is your first visit to Hazelwood Patch, I’ll just let you know: I’m a total blogger-groupie. Some might call it an addiction—but I call it an affinity.

Luckily for me, I can get my blog fix right here in our Local Voices section. Every week, I find something new to love about those blogs.

Our blogging neighbors make it so easy for me with their mish-mash of newsy, localized, funny, smart and philosophical posts each week.

Check out seven of the most interesting, entertaining and/or useful posts I found around Patchland this week.

• Drink more water the easy way. , Local Voices blogger and Certified Holistic Health Coach Elaine King offers a simple tip: add cucumber to your water. Nope, not kidding.  Apparently, this is something that’s done frequently in spas—and even the comments indicate that it’s pretty darn tasty and chock full of health benefits.  Will you try it?
• Explore St. Louis with your ten toes (and the MetroLink and MetroBus).  Local Voices blogger Kimberly Cella offers the scoop on a new walking program that begins Sept. 10. The Ten Toe Express program is designed to help residents increase their independence, accessibility and overall health.  Learn more
• Musical Nights: worth the heat. According to the , it sponsored a tremendously successful concert this week featuring local bands, and it’s got two more in the four-concert series coming up on Aug. 26 and Sept. 23. The family-friendly event is enjoyed by all—and it’s free to attend.  
• “Don’t kill the mouse who came for dinner,” motivational blogger Dr. Debra Peppers found herself saying recently to a very unwelcome and unexpected guest (and it wasn’t the mouse).  Her under-the-sink mousetrap caught one—and something else, too. What made Dr. Peppers “scream bloody murder?” , and tell me: wouldn’t you scream too? I’m not going to lie—I know I would.  A lot. And loudly.
• Work it out, little doggie. Don’t let your dog get lazy in the hot weather. Dog trainer and Local Voices blogger Sarah Hoth offers more , pointing out that dogs who are cooped up in the house too much can be a little testy. Hoth offers tips and idea for helping your dog expend that excess energy without destroying your home in the process.
• Curses, foiled again! That’s what I imagine the founder of a phony charity thought when he was finally caught scamming innocent people. Better Business Bureau blogger Jerri Stroud offers up some inside information on a scammer who created a fake charity designed to funnel cash into his own pockets. After he asked a woman who needed help to meet him behind the University City Library, the BBB got involved—and so did police and prosecutors. Get the specific details on the case and find out how you can avoid such .
• Knowledge is power, and I can’t pass up a good freebie. Are you ready for this? Not only is the St. Louis County Library offering free online learning, according to SLCL Communications Manager and Local Voices blogger Jennifer McBride, but you even get an instructor to facilitate your courses. So in this case, the freebie is knowledge. How great is that? Find out more .

As you might know, this is only a very small cross-section of the Patch Local Voices blogger population. Which blog posts did you enjoy this week? Share your favorites in the comments section, below.

Got something to say? Consider starting a blog using the free Patch Local Voices blogging platform. You’ll have a built-in, local audience, and we’ll help you promote your posts. It’s simple and easy to set up your blog, and you can start blogging right away.