Abby Quillen

Environmental & Personal Wellness Expert

Author of the novel The Garden of Dead Dreams and the editor of two anthologies. Her articles and essays have appeared in YES! Magazine and The Christian Science Monitor and on Common Dreams, Nation of Change, Reader Supported News, The Daily Good, Truthout, and Shareable. She lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her family. When she’s not writing, she grows vegetables and weeds, bikes and walks as much as she can, and jots down cute things her kids say.

Articles By Abby Quillen

14 articles

4 days agoSeptember 21, 2018

Earn some extra dough and find a new sense of purpose with a side hustle

in Lifestyle

Want to earn some extra cash to pay bills or build savings? There’s never been a better time to start a side hustle. With the rise of the internet, social media, and the sharing economy, it’s easier than ever to…

7 minutes

Last weekSeptember 17, 2018

10 red flags to watch out for when hiring your next employee

in Office Tips

Nearly three fourths (74 percent) of employers say they’ve hired the wrong person for a position. That’s bad news: Employers have a lot to lose when an employee doesn’t work out. The hiring process takes an average of 42 days…

7 minutes

September 7, 2018

Office expenses vs. supplies: What’s the difference?

in Office Tips

As far as the IRS is concerned, office supplies are the tangible items you use and regularly replenish to conduct business in your office, including pens, paper, and printer toner. Office expenses, on the other hand, are items and services…

5 minutes

May 22, 2018

How to set boundaries at work

in Office Tips

We hear a lot about establishing work-life balance. But in our always-on culture, striving for work-life balance can feel like teeter-tottering with a hippopotamus. However, if you want to be happier and more productive on the job then you need…

7 minutes

May 1, 2018

Don’t ditch your desk calendar: The benefits of handwriting events and tasks

in Office Tips

Even with hundreds of available apps to help organize your life, a paper desk calendar may be just what you need to stay on top of your work schedule. Despite dire predictions, desk calendars are thriving in the digital age.…

5 minutes

December 15, 2017

Want to give brush lettering calligraphy a shot? Beginner tips before you put pen to paper

in Lifestyle

Handwriting is back in fashion. Typography dominated the design world for many years, but recently, hand-drawn lettering, also known as brush lettering or calligraphy, has made a huge comeback. You’ve probably seen hand-drawn letters on movie titles, magazine covers, book…

5 minutes

August 25, 2017

5 tips for returning to work after maternity leave

in Lifestyle

Your maternity leave may be the longest length of time you take away from the office. But before you know it, you’ll be tucking away your yoga pants and reacquainting yourself with your work wardrobe. If you’re planning a pregnancy…

9 minutes

June 30, 2017

From secretary to administrative assistant: How the admin role has evolved over time

in Office Tips

Gone are the days when secretaries took dictation on Steno pads and transcribed correspondence on manual typewriters. Today’s administrative professionals rely on state-of-the-art technology to perform their day-to-day duties. In addition to organizing meetings, planning events, and creating and giving…

7 minutes

April 28, 2017

Create a family command center that won’t let anything slip through the cracks

in Lifestyle

Do you want to reduce your family’s stress load and improve your health? Get control of your clutter. Clutter takes a big toll on mental and physical health. In one study, women who described their houses as disorganized or haphazard…

4 minutes

February 21, 2017

Don’t give your employees enough credit? Why you should capitalize on recognition

in Workplace Culture

Bad news: Your employees may not be that into you (or your company). According to a 2015 Gallup poll, only 32 percent of employees are engaged at work, meaning they feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to the organization,…

5 minutes

February 20, 2017

Plagiarism is no joke: Protect your integrity in the workplace

in Career Advice

Melania Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention sparked a national conversation about plagiarism. Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone’s work or ideas and passing it off as your own; while there’s no criminal law against it, a creator…

5 minutes1 comment

February 17, 2017

Is maternity and paternity leave up for debate? How to negotiate more time with baby

in Career Advice

Tech companies, including Google, Amazon, Netflix, and Microsoft, have made headlines in the past few years for expanding paid maternity, paternity, and adoption leave. However, American companies still lag behind the rest of the world when it comes to parental…

6 minutes

January 27, 2017

Why increasing employee pay can pay off

in Workplace Culture

Walmart, Target, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and other large companies are boosting entry-level pay, and many corporations have announced larger than usual annual raises this year. Your company may want to follow suit and raise employee compensation. Pay hikes are not only…

4 minutes

January 27, 2017

How to color like a boss: Gel pens and coloring books for adults

in Lifestyle

pilScoot over, novels. Coloring books for grown-ups have taken over bookstore displays all over the country. The genre has been around for decades, but in 2013 adults discovered coloring in a big way. Last December, adult coloring books filled nine…

4 minutes