Of all Fourth of July traditions, picnics and barbecue are the most popular by far. And, when I was young, my parents were busy people: my mom managed public relations for a bunch of fussy artists and family-owned businesses while raising three boys, and my dad commuted to New York City every day of the week. Getting all of us around the same dinner table was a logistical feat – an occasion that, to my dad, called for strip steak on the grill. As I saw it, the smell of seasoned beef came to mean that Dad was home, and the family was together; now, when I eat steak from a restaurant, I find it lacking something.

A culture’s cuisine is undoubtedly one of its strongest symbols; thinking of home cooking seems to always bring on sweet nostalgia. Even though America is comprised of a huge patchwork of cultures – or a melting pot, or a salad bowl, whatever term we choose – to many, American food means barbecue; that’s why, on the holiday celebrating our independence, the smell of smoke from the grill is as strong as the bang of fireworks.

Likewise, in my family, the Fourth of July means ribs, barbecued chicken and, of course, steak – it’s an extended family dinner where we gather around a grill instead of a table. But I remember celebrating a certain Fourth of July with some Chinese family friends, and instead of a grill, they gathered around a wok. In my youthful naivety, I didn’t understand why their Fourth of July barbecue, featured  Chinese food; it’s an American holiday, after all. So, I asked the father of the family, a friendly man named John.

John explained that his family had come to the United States to both escape civil unrest in China and seek greater financial security. He told me they didn’t intend to stay in the USA for long, and that they didn’t truly want to leave; when they did, all they could manage to bring was their set of woks and ladles. In their days in San Francisco, stir-frying, pan-searing and deep frying became their way to remember where they came from.

After around ten years, John explained, flipping the vegetables in the wok, they had decided to call America their new home. It was a place where they could maintain their culture while enjoying freedom and security – and that was what America meant to him. The best way to celebrate the Fourth of July for his family, then, was to cook Chinese food. The Fourth can mean steak, stir fry, pizza, anything – in the end, we’re all free to create our own ways to understand this country, and that’s what makes it the place it is.

Want to start some new traditions your family will love? Check out this link for a list of delicious Fourth of July barbecue recipe ideas.

Nobody wants to fill their lungs with nasty DDT-based spray and the organic stuff doesn’t smell that much better (forget the fact that it seems to attract more insects than it keeps away). We believe in one strong mosquito repellent home remedy over the rest, even better than those citronella mosquito repellent candles that will keep you going back and forth from the store. I’m talking about natural mosquito repellent plants; they’ll keep your home mosquito-free, fresh-smelling and fresh.

1)      Basil

It’s not just delicious: basil is easily planted in your home and keeps away mosquitos. Basil can be grown indoors with little hassle. Just find a small pot, basic soil, some seeds, and let it get plenty of sunlight on a windowsill, where it will deny mosquitoes’ entrance to your home.

2)      Lavender

It’s funny how some of the plants that smell best to us are avoided like the plague by insects: lavender is such a flower. Its smooth, calming scent will bring a relaxing air to any room in which lavender is placed, and it’s just as easy to grow as basil. You can even use it to make tea!

3)      Peppermint

Similarly, the lovely aroma and flavor of peppermint repels all bugs. It’s another plant you can grow and use in the kitchen. Other uses for peppermint include herbal tea (peppermint tea has long been used to improve mood) and an itch treatment – possibly for bites from those obnoxious mosquitoes.

4)      Garlic

Garlic breath is nasty, but the smell of raw or cooking garlic is sure to prompt “What’s cooking?”. It’s easily grown in an outdoor garden, but if you don’t have a garden or wish to grow it, you can hang up a sack of it in your kitchen to keep away mosquitoes and give your home a rustic touch.

5)      Rosemary

Rosemary attracts people to lamb chops, but repels mosquitoes from your kitchen. It’s easily grown inside, and you can save money and trips to the store by keeping it around. Plus, its sprigs grow out of beautiful purple flowers.

6)      Citronella

Citronella is another great bet for a mosquito repellent plant – skip the candles and go straight for the plant. It’s cheaper and doesn’t smell as strongly, but repels insects just as well. It’s a nice, green perennial grass that easily grows, reaching up to five or six feet. Set it up on your patio, front porch, or outside around big windows; this will repel mosquitoes from their main entry points to your home.

7)      Marigolds

A beautiful and bright flower, marigolds bear an aroma most insects can’t stand. They can also be planted around your home to form an anti-mosquito barrier, or in your garden to keep gardening a relaxing, bite-free experience.

Forget the DDT and foul candles; when it comes to insect repellent, Mother Nature has you covered. If you’re experiencing an insect infestation, though, don’t wait and head over to TalkLocal to find an exterminator without any of the headache.

June 21st will be the Summer Solstice, meaning the longest day of the year, and this year’s lands on a weekend. Think of all the possibilities. Last year’s Summer Solstice brought 17 hours of daylight to Dublin. Though you’re probably farther south than that, you’re still bound to get a much longer than average day – and you’ll need above-average ways to spend all that time. So you get the best of these extra hours, we’ve brainstormed four great ways to spend your extra time this Summer Solstice:

1)      Brunch with a Date

Everyone loves brunch, but it’s hard to get yourself out of bed or make time for it on a normal weekend. But when the sun is rising earlier and setting later, the sunlight should bring on wakefulness earlier in the day and give you more hours to complete other tasks – so why not? Bring a date, follow it up with a nice walk in the park or the beach. No stress – you have all day, which means something on the Solstice.

2)      The Longest Beach Day

The only thing keeping me from selling my home to live at the beach is the fact that the sun feels the need to rise and fall; you can guess how I’ll be spending this Solstice. Seventeen hours of sunlight means seventeen hours of beach – if you’re a beach nut like me, you can already hear the waves washing in and out. Invite some friends for an all-day beach cookout and turn it into the biggest party of the summer!

3)      Block Day Party

If you don’t want to risk that sunburn, or if the beach makes you tired, you can also throw that party on the block; get together with a handful of your neighbors and bring the town together with a party in the sun. It’s sometimes an annoyance to go out of your way to meet the people who live nearby, especially if they keep tight schedules or don’t go out much but with a block party, you’re almost guaranteed to make friends.

4)      Housework Day

All those hours means you can catch up on your housework; whether you have things to repair, a lawn to care for, gardening to finish up, or painting to do, there’s no need to waste a hand on a flashlight when the sun goes down. I had a neighbor growing up who would re-shingle his entire roof by the end of the Solstice – and he’d only do it then because, as he explained, that was the only day of the year that would give him the necessary amount of time.

But if there aren’t even enough hours in the longest day of the year to complete your outstanding house projects, let us help you find a professional. Just head to www.talklocal.com to find just the contractor you need without the headache.

So, you forgot to get him something really nice for this Sunday. It happens to the best of us. To go along with whatever last-minute gift you’ll end up getting, entertain your old man with the art form all fathers can appreciate: good dad jokes (yes, yes, we see the contradiction). We’ve gathered the cheesiest, stupidest, most groan-inducing paternal humor we’ve heard into one list: our Top 7 Father’s Day Jokes.

What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.

A panda walks into a restaurant, has dinner, fires a pistol at the ceiling, and then walks out. Another customer asks a waiter, “What’s the deal with that panda?” She says, “Oh, he just eats shoots and leaves.”

I just finished a jigsaw puzzle. It only took me six months…which is amazing because the box says 2-4 years.

There are so many good jokes about beef. In other words, well-done steak jokes aren’t rare.

What do thesauruses eat for breakfast? Synonym rolls.

What kind of trails does a crazy person travel? Psychopaths.

What’s the least-spoken language in the world? Sign language.

These bad-joke gems are sure to spruce up the gift you procrastinated on, but next year…actually get him something cool. One creative gift that many fathers will love is a pre-paid service, rather than a physical present. Treating Dad to an appointment with a tailor, personal trainer, or massage therapist is as easy as turning on your computer, iPhone  or Android device and using TalkLocal.