A person could spend hours happily browsing the shelves at Barrett Bookstore, and over the years many thousands of bibliophiles have done just that. This Darien icon is the epitome of what local, community-oriented bookstores used to be, and you can recapture a bit of that feeling when you visit Barrett Bookstore today.

As you walk around the store, you'll start to see that the books in stock have been chosen with care and reflect the personalities of the owners. And once you wander into the aisles, you might find yourself thumbing through a classic spine-tingling mystery novel or flipping through pages of Shakespeare's love sonnets. You might even find yourself planning your next vacation as you skim travel guides for Greece, Australia, or Thailand.

The bookstore also hosts many community events, ranging from book signings with local and nationally known authors to weekly story time sessions for budding bookworms.

Barrett Bookstore
314 Heights Road
Darien, CT 06820
(203) 655-2712
www.barrettbookstore.com
www.facebook.com/barrettbookstore/info

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Alexandre Duret-Lutz

Station Eats is a sustainable, organic "road food" restaurant that takes casual fare to a whole new level. Offering only the finest in organic, grass fed beef, Station Eats is proud to serve a socially-conscious burger that's also juicy, fresh, and delicious.The menu at Station Eats is a great selection of beef, chicken, and veggie burgers, plus hot dogs, organic fries, and — for the adults — spiked milkshakes.

Eat in the little diner or order your meal to-go to enjoy in the park or at home. Station Eats loves its customers and community, putting effort into every order served. Visit the website for a full menu and hours.

Station Eats
19 South Avenue
New Canaan, CT 06840
(203) 966-4445
http://stationeats.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/station-eats-new-canaan

With the technology around today, employees are pretty much always "on the clock." Still, it's important to learn techniques to help you strike a healthy balance between work and your personal life. Follow these tips to find the work-life balance that works for you.

• Try not to be a perfectionist. Strive for excellence rather than perfection.
• Live in the moment. When you're spending time with friends or family, put away your cell phone. Quality time is something that you should value, and you could miss a lot by always checking on your email.
• Take care of yourself. Your body and mind need to be refreshed as well. Take some time to exercise or meditate to help lift your mood or to relieve some stress.
• Respect your "me" time. Give yourself time to get enough rest and sleep so that you can be more productive during work hours.

6 Tips For Better Work-Life Balance [Forbes]
5 Secrets to Achieving and Maintaining Work-Life Balance [Entrepreneur]
4 Tips For Maintaining A Healthy Work-Life Balance [Career Realism]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/sue seecof