It's Adopt-A-Cat month at the American Humane Association. Shelters all over the country are looking for cat lovers like you to rescue a few of our feline friends. Most shelters offer "two fur the price of one," which means you can get two cats for one low fee, including the shelters' adoption fees, spay and neutering costs and sometimes even microchipping. You'll never get a better deal on a cat (or two). And you'll never get a better feeling than rescuing an animal from a shelter.

There are just a few things you should know before rushing out to get your first -- or next -- kitty cat. While it's true that cats are very independent, they still need you around to provide food and water, to drive them to the vet and for playtime and lots of love -- on their time and terms, of course. And, like dogs, different cat breeds have their own set of dominant personality quirks. Do you want a lazy, aloof, indoor cat or an active, affectionate, outdoor hunter? This quiz can help you choose the cat that meshes perfectly with your quirks. Finally, it's a lot harder to cat-proof than to dog- or kid-proof a home. Why? Because cats can climb. And because, unlike kids and dogs, cats don't really care if you get mad at them.

The last thing you should know about cats is how they can improve your life and health. A feline friend helps humans lower their blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke and a recent study showed that kids who grow up with pets have fewer ear infections and respiratory illnessess. And it's been proven that a purring cat has a soothing influence on almost everyone -- humans and other animals alike. Except maybe the dog.

Your "Feline Friendly" Gift Guru
Linda

Choosing a great gift for Dad isn't as easy as it might seem. Even though you've known him all of your life and even if you're still living under his roof, people tell me that shopping for Dad is the hardest of all the family members. Why is that? According to my very informal poll, the top reasons are: "It seems like he already has everything he wants" followed closely by "I'm afraid he won't like my gift."

So what to do? Where to go? What to give? The answer, though a question, is fairly simple and takes care of both concerns at once: what's your dad's favorite pastime? Is it sports? Fishing? Hunting? Reading? What does he do when he gets some precious time all to himself? Once you answer that, the rest is easy. For my dad, it's cars. Cars. Cars. Cars. Looking at them, working on them, driving them, reading about them -- his spare time is all about cars.

But Dad already has all the car stuff he needs or wants, right? Of course not. He might think he does, but I know I can find a couple of unique gifts that he doesn't have and won't be able to live without once he gets them. The gifts don't have to be expensive -- I can't afford a classic car, for example -- they just have to be thoughtful, unique and show that I pay attention to the things that make him happy. Which shows that I love him. Which is what Father's Day is all about.

Your "Father's Day Finds" Gift Guru
Linda

Internet memes are fun and make for a great diversion when you're tired of Farmville farming or playing the inexplicably popular Candy Crush Saga on social networking sites. People make wildly creative memes for pets, corporations, politicians and celebrities and then spread them all over the internet, hoping they'll get picked up and passed along.

A successful meme will penetrate the popular culture, becoming universally recognized by people across the globe. Grumpy Cat is one of those. Voted 2013 Meme of the Year, she's so popular, she's breaking out of internet memeville and into mainstream media. Her book, "Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book," will be released later this year. She'll also have her own Grumpy Cat 2014 calendar. And now it looks like she's headed to Hollywood to make a feature film.

It's hard to say what kind of story the writers will build around the crochety cat, but with Will Ferrell and Jack Black playing two of the main characters, you know it will be silly, grumpy fun.

Your "Crazy For That Cranky Cat" Gift Guru,
Linda

I didn't always get along with my brother when we were growing up. Maybe because he was older and bigger and liked to do things like pin me to the ground and fart in my face. And once he convinced me to eat a dirt clod he said was from the Amazon. He told me it would transform me into one of the fierce warriors of comic book legend. Visions of the vengeance a great big Amazon girl could exact upon him, I ate the whole thing.

We still torment each other as much as we did when we were kids. Like most siblings, we're very different people. But he's my brother and I love him. Not just because I have to, but because he's a good guy. He's funny and smart and he's always there for me and my family. He chauffers anytime he's needed. He teaches the kids cool science experiments, helps them with their homework and even coached my daughter until she was the best kicker on her soccer team. And we invite him to dinner a couple of times a month, watch his dog while he's out of town and give a confirmed bachelor a family to come home to.

Together, siblings suffer the pains of growing up and watching our parents grow old. We share rites of passage like graduations and starting our families. No matter what -- whether we're best friends or we've fallen out -- brothers and sisters remain forever bonded. Being a little unconventional, I'll celebrate National Brother's Day by giving my brother the best gift ever -- letting him pull his silly pranks on me without taking vengeance.

Your "Celebrating Siblings" Gift Guru
Linda

It's BBQ month, which seems to spark a national conversation every year. Enthusiasts debate the origin and history of barbecuing meats. They argue over the difference between a grill and a barbecue. They wrestle with the truly hard questions about sauce and seasoning. Since you're likely to hear one or more of these heated exchanges, I thought I'd dig up some answers.

First, where did BBQ come from? Most Americans tend to think the origin has its roots in cowboy lore. It's true that the cattle bosses didn't want to feed their workers prime meats, giving them instead the tough and stringy cuts like brisket. However, the art and science of barbecue has been around for a long time. People were barbecuing in Brazil, Dominica and the Yucatan long before the cowboy came along. Second, is grilling the same as barbecuing? No. And that's the final answer. Barbecue means, literally, slow cooking meats over an open hearth -- on a wood or charcoal fire. A grill doesn't qualify as a hearth and cooking time is generally much quicker than roasting over an open fire.

Finally, if you cook without sauce, is it really BBQ? Yes and no. Early BBQ masters used savory dry-rubs made of grains and whatever spices were available. Texas and Tennessee still BBQ with dry-rubs as well as the more modern liquid sauces. BBQ sauce tends to be sweet and thick, unlike the rubs. Modern sauces are made with corn syrup and/or sugar, which assists in glazing if the sauce is added before cooking. And there's yet another debate: some say you should never add the sauce until the meat is almost done or until it's served. As far as I can tell, this is purely a matter of preference.

So put away your grill, stoke up the fire pit, choose your seasoning -- wet or dry -- and weigh in on the national debate. And most of all, enjoy all the good eating that comes with National Barbecue Month.

Your "Toss It On The Barbie" Gift Guru
Linda

Garden gnomes, traveling gnomes, helping gnomes and gnomes as characters in video games -- it seems almost everywhere we turn, we see a gnome. But why? And who are these tiny little creatures? And why are we so fascinated with them?

Gnomes trace their origins back to Scandavian folklore. Their name comes from the Greek work for knowledge (gnosis) because it was said that gnomes knew the exact location of precious metals deep within the interior of the earth, where they lived. It was their job to guard the earth's treasure and they were usually depicted as gnarled, hunched old men in nondescript clothing who were hard-working if sometimes ill-tempered helpers.

Now gnomes are mostly garden sitters. They come in all sorts of costumes, poses and characterizations and the help they provide is making us smile. Since the famous commercials, many people take them on vacation, snapping photos of the tiny creatures posing in far away gardens, in front of famous landmarks and on exotic beaches. They're seen riding in cabs, at meals and sometimes even participating in cocktail hour. Now there are gnomes dressed in all kinds of clothing, doing all sorts of things from sleeping to mooning anyone who dares enter the garden.

Maybe we're so taken with gnomes because they've been mankind's little helper for centuries. Or maybe because we still believe they might know the location of untol treasures within the earth. Or maybe we love having them in our homes and gardens because they're just so cute!

Your "Love Those Gnarly Gnomes" Gift Guru
Linda

Summer will be here before we know it. And you know what that means -- time to get your toes in flip-flop shape! A professional pedicure is nice, but not always affordable. Especially if you're constantly wearing out your polish and building up calluses by walking barefoot in the sand. You can save a lot of money and keep your toes looking pretty with a few home remedies.

Get rid of calluses with a weekly three-step routine. First, soak your feet in warm (not hot) water for about twenty minutes. Use a pumice stone or buffer to remove the loosened dead skin from heels and toes. Be gentle and don't take off too much at once or you'll expose the tender skin underneath. Finish by massaging feet with oil or an oil-based moisturizer and cover with cotton socks (I like to heat them in the dryer first.)

It turns out you really are what you eat and so are your cuticles. Vitamins A through E are crucial for cuticle health and so is a diet rich in biotin. Brewer's yeast, oats, brown rice and walnuts are great for healthy cuticles and nails. Exfoliate your toes with every wash by adding a small amount of ground apricot seed to a liquid soap and don't forget to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. If you must cut your cuticles, buy the proper tools. Snipping them with nail clippers can make cuticles look ragged and worse, it can lead to infection.

Follow this easy and inexpensive routine for a couple of weeks and soon your toes will be tapping for the first day of summer!

Your "Happy Toes" Gift Guru
Linda

Did you know that duct tape used to be called duck tape? Invented during WWII, the now indispensable sticky stuff was originally named for its water-repelling qualities. It was renamed after modern builders started using it to seal ductwork, which as it turns out, is the only thing duct tape isn't good for!

But duct tape still has hundreds of uses around the home and garden. I believe it's in use in every single room in my house. My son used it to patch the battery door on a remote control. My daughter hung strips of it from ceiling to floor in her bedroom and then pasted snapshots of friends, notes, doodles and other bulletin board items to it. My husband uses it to repair everything -- from a broken taillight cover to a favorite book whose binding was disintegrating. And I use it almost daily.

It's good for removing pet hair from clothes, fixing a broken cookie jar, reinforcing oven mitts, taming a wayward mini blind slat and no doubt all kinds of things I've yet to discover. If you're really creative, you can even make a prom dress out of it and help your kid win $5,000 for college! No matter what you call it, duct(k) tape is a household staple you never want to run out of.

Your "Just Ducky" Gift Guru
Linda

Boo is the Pomeranian version of an instant star. Discovered by Khloe Kardashian on Facebook in 2010, Boo's celebrity now rivals hers - and that of her reality TV family. She made him a star and he took the ball and ran with it! Boo's YouTube video has gotten over 2 million hits.

In addition to his 6.8 million - yes, million - Facebook fans, fan sites have popped up all over the internet. He gets better press coverage than many heads of state. He has two books out, "The Life of the World's Cutest Dog" and "Little Dog in the Big City," both of which rank surprisingly high on bookseller web sites. And there is even an amazing plush replica of Boo, along with mini plush collectibles for fans who feel they just have to cuddle little Boo, but can't get close to the real thing.

Like everyone else, I adore little Boo. How can you not? Of all the celebrities who are "famous for being famous," Boo ranks tops on the cute list, no doubt. But cutest dog in the world? I don't know. After all, the world hasn't seen my dogs!

Your "Bonkers for Boo" Gift Guru
Linda

Patriot's Day is a little-known holiday to most of the country. But to New Englanders it's the proverbial Big Deal. On the third Monday of April, the New England states close banks, schools, post offices and businesses, taking the day off to commemorate the Battle of Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775) and to celebrate Paul Revere's famous ride.

The battle marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War and spawned an American hero in Paul Revere, who famously charged through the streets of Lexington, warning, "The Red Coats are coming! The Red Coats are coming!" The British arrived later that morning, confronting the rebel "Minutemen" and "the shot heard 'round the world" was fired in the first battle of a war that would finally free the colonies from British rule.

But you don't have to be a New Englander to appreciate Patriot's Day. It's a day for all of us to celebrate. And to remember that the spirit embodied in Paul Revere's courageous ride lives in all Americans, no matter where we live.

Your "Proud American" Gift Guru
Linda