By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

In our home we try not to be gender specific, but clearly the BBQ is my husband Scott’s domain (as mentioned in a previous article). Very early into our marriage, I was using our BBQ and I did not completely fasten on the gas tank. When I lit the grill, flames started spewing out of the tank also. Let’s just say I almost burned down the house and have been traumatized ever since. But, since it is one of Scott’s passions I am always looking for products that will enhance the barbecuing experience.

(PS: Photo at left is not Scott, but Anne-Marie’s husband and son, happily displaying their dinner on the Fire Wire. More on that below)

Here are some of my favorites:

	Fire Wire Skewers – Shish Kabobs are a staple during the summer months in our home and I was thrilled to discover Fire Wire’s innovative double prong skewers. The Double Prong Skewer is stainless steel and keeps food from spinning so that everything can cook evenly. They are sold in a pack of four with different symbols on each skewer for easy labeling. Get them on Amazon for $12.95. Fire Wire also created the Flexible Grilling Skewer which makes grilling so much easier. No matter the size of your grill surface these skewers can snake easily around other food on the grill. Plus, I love that you can marinade the kabobs right on the skewer by putting the whole thing in a bag and then placing them on the grill. They are twice as long as a traditional skewer and come in a package of two. They are also available on Amazon or Cooking.com for $10.00.
	Himalayan Salt Block -  Love, love this!! Place on grill and let heat throughout. Add a little oil and veggies, seafood or meat. No other seasoning is needed. The Himalayan salt enhances the flavor of the food. Makes the best Ahi Tuna I have ever tasted! Salt is a natural anti-microbial, meaning that mold, bacteria and fungus cannot survive on it. To clean, simply scrape off food particles and wipe with a damp cloth. Also can be used as a cold platter for oysters or sushi. They are available directly from SaltRox or from Amazon.
	Cookina BBQ & Cooking Sheets – Ideal for non-stick, easy-clean and healthy grilling, these BBQ cooking sheets are reusable and they allow to cook without oils or fats. It keeps the food tender, juicy and tasty! Great for grilled veggies (especially the little stuff that falls between the grills), meats, seafood and perfect for pizza. Buy directly from Cookina for $14.99.

If your father loves to BBQ, just remember, Father’s Day is next month.

By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife

I found this product at one of the trade shows that I visited recently. Innocuous little packaging, but the product name made me do a double-take: Quickshine Pure Silver Plating Spray, it’s called.

I have been going through my jewelry drawer, sadly lamenting the state of previous favorite pieces, now unworn for cause of being tarnished and silver-less beyond repair. Or so I thought.  I had been thinking that I needed something like the Quickshine plating spray, but I never knew something like this existed.

Here’s how the Quickshine website describes it: “It plates worn areas of silverware, blending seamlessly onto the original plating. It removes tarnish and can be reapplied as often as you like to build layers of pure silver … Quickshine Silver Plating Spray creates a molecular bond – identical to electro-plating, so it will not chip, peel or flake. And it’s suitable for use on cutlery and flatware“. You can plate brass, copper and bronze.

So I went to work on a ring that used to belong to my grandmother. I’m guessing that it’s about 100 years old. It was given to me because it has her initials on it and since I was named after her, the initials are also mine. It was an INexpensive ring, given to her by her first beau. It’s made out of a base metal that used to be silver plated, and there are some – remaining – marcasite accents. This gentleman-caller was certainly on a tight budget, but he was also sweet and romantic. Despite all this, he’s not the one who won my grandmother’s heart.

I like the story and provenance of the ring (there’s not much I’m sentimental about, and this is one of those rare objects) but stopped wearing it because it just looked raggedy. There was no amount of polishing that could revive it. So I tried the Quickshine plating spray on it.

Quickshine comes in a small, basic spray bottle. Instructions say to uniformly spray the surface of the object to be plated, let stand for 45 seconds to allow the silver to transfer and then polish with a clean cloth. The solution smells very much like the basic silver polish that we used eons ago (not sure what metal smells like today since I have not polished anything in a long, long time), i.e really chemical-ly. It can’t be good for you, but my thought is that I was exposed to that for just a couple minutes as I worked on the ring. See the results above. The Quickshine spray did revive the ring, it took a two rounds to get it to look like the photo on the right. The product seemed to act as a polish to clean the ring, more than it did seem to be applying silver to it. But, it DID apply silver, since there was none left on it. I’m guessing that it would have taken better had the base metal been brass or copper.

Not sure if I will go all the way and have the missing marcasite pieces replaced, but in the meanwhile, I can happily wear the ring again. Next, I will go for a (previously) silver plated tray that I love and for some vintage serving pieces.

Anyhoo, if you have any heirloom jewelry or formerly silver-plated objects you would like to revive, this is worth a try. I could only find it in the UK for £9.99 (about $15) on the Quickshine.co.uk website, but they ship internationally.

Let me know what you think if you give it a try.

By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife

My (not so original) line, when I’m asked if I like camping is “My idea of camping is the Best Western”. I have lost many potential friends with that response. But, then again, my idea of friendship involves more than just the shared (read frustrated) experience of pitching the tent and moaning over sleepless night because the inflatable mattress deflated during the night.

It’s not that I don’t like the outdoors. I just don’t like to unnecessarily suffer for the privilege of being outdoors. No electricity, nearest bathroom is 500 yards away, uncivilized neighbors, lousy morning coffee, threat of mosquitoes, insects in general, reptiles and rodents… Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m a diva in that regard. Oh, and then all the prep and packing work. That’s ridiculous. I’d rather stay home. Me and my inner very chi-chi diva.

All that to say, that this new trend of glamping (glamorous camping, but I know you got that) seems to have been made to order for moi. Certainly, this is not a camping style for purist of the “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints” kind. But there are times – and certainly, life stages – where the idea of glamor + camping is very appealing. Remember, it’s all about being comfortable even while in the great outdoors, and with glamping, being a little excessive with the creature comforts is not only allowed, it is encouraged. No roughing it here!

With that in mind, I thought I would provide some ideas to get you started with your own glamping adventures. To begin, in case you are even more of a prima donna than I am, here are turnkey glamping solutions that won’t require you to lift even so much as your little finger. No worries if you are a DIY-er. Next week’s glamping article will feature lots of products to elevate your “regular” camping routine.

In the meanwhile…

GlampingHub.com – “Your alternative guide to luxury camping and alternative accommodations“. That’s the tagline and it pretty well sums up what this site is all about. It features national and international destinations for those who like to camp… with amenities! Is your preference a yurt, a motor home, a tree house, an igloo, a tipi or a safari tent? Find the type of glamping lodging that rings your bell here.

GoGlamping.net – Go Glamping is similar to the above and features Glamping destinations in Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, Oceania and a ton in the UK (where the trend is said to be born). There are definitely Read the full story »

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

At The Succulent Wife, we love gift-of-the-month clubs. What is not to love? Convenient to give and delightful to receive. It is a gift that keeps on giving all year, literally. These clubs are becoming so popular that there is one for everyone.

With Father’s Day here next month, this might be the solution that you have been looking for. If you have a dad who is just plain practical, he may be thrilled to receive the Sock of the Month or the Undies of the Month club. What about for the man who is the self-proclaimed Sommelier or the BBQ Virtuoso? Does he like movies? What about gardening?

Here are three more noteworthy ones just in time for Father’s Day:

	Birchbox for Men – We wrote about Birchbox before, but just last month they launched their Birchbox for men. Filled with trial-size items such as shave gel and stylish socks, this $20.00 a month subscription is full of the latest samples of grooming and lifestyle products. There is something for every man; from the man’s man to the metrosexual and everything in between. Check out out these sample boxes at Birchbox.
	Manpacks - Is the quintessential drug store sent to him in a box. If your dad hates to shop, the Manpacks carries all the mundane items that need replacing in 3 month intervals. From undies to condoms vitamins, all their products are reasonably priced. They will notify him when his next delivery is due – giving him plenty of time to fill his manpacks. Go to Manpacks to view all their essentials.
	For Whiskey Lovers – Who knew there was a club for Whiskey drinkers. But why would there not be? There is one for tea, coffee and wine drinkers. Little did I now that there is a whole community out there and your dad just may be interested in being part of this avant-garde group of the worlds most leading Whiskey connoisseurs and drinkers and wannabes. Go to WhiskeyLovers to sign him up to their annual membership for $575.00. He will receive six bottles of whiskey from around the world, early access to hard to find and limited production bottles, crystal nosing and tasting glass and discounted tickets to whiskey events, such as Whiskies of the World  and Whiskey Live. They do Scotch too. Kilt is optional.

Did we miss one?  Let us know!

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

Leave it to the French to be the inventors of the bidet. Invented by a French furniture maker in the late 17th hundreds, the bidet was kept in the bedroom beside the chamber pot. Since, at this time, there was no indoor plumbing or toilet paper, the bidet’s sole purpose was to use after the chamber pot to clean the perianal and genital area. Once indoor plumbing became the norm, the bidet was then used whenever one needed to, shall we say, freshen up.

As teenagers traveling through Europe with my parents, my sister and I saw our first bidet. I remember asking my father what it was and he jokingly said that it was to clean our feet. Taking him literally that is just what I did – daily! It was only later, when we returned home, my mother told me the facts of life. Egad! I put my feet in there!!

Thankfully, Cottonelle has come up with a modern day alternative to the bidet. Their Fresh Care Flushable Wipes clean efficiently and discretely. They are easy to use and to dispose of and take up very little space. In fact, they come with an easy reach hanger that conveniently sits above the roll of toilet paper. In our household we all use them and my husband and I jokingly call Cottonelle’s fresh care routine the Disposable Bidet. And this is exactly what Cottonelle wants you to do.

NAME IT!

Come up with a name for your fresh care routine using both the Ultra Comfort Toilet Paper and the Fresh Care Flushable Wipes and enter it in the Name It campaign on Facebook. You just may win a year’s supply of their products. People can also participate by following @Cottonelle on Twitter to receive exclusive opportunities to win prizes by using the hashtag #NameIt. Plus, check out the Book of Names on Cottonelle’s website to see what others have named their routine and get fun bathroom trivia such as, did you know that in the 70′s most households bought colored toilet paper to match their bathroom decor? I remember my mom doing that!

As for our fresh care routine, the Disposable Bidet, it keeps us fresh and clean thank-you-very-much! And yes, you can even wash your feet with them.

I was compensated for this post. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.

By Susan Keats, Contributor &  Seize-the-Day Propagandist

I am running down the hall. In the living room there is a party going on and women are dancing to the music. I’m nervous. Very very nervous. One of the women calls to me. Suuuusaaaaan. Its yooooouuurr turrrrnnn! She has a feather boa in her hands and she wants me to shimmy my way into the center of the circle and hoochie koo around with the birthday gal. So instead, I am running down the hall and hiding in the kitchen. Nightmare? No. Totally true. The idea of dancing, letting myself go, being uninhibited in front of a bunch of people I didn’t know was so uncomfortable, there was no way I was going to dance at that party. No way. Which is odd, because I love to dance.

On my way home I thought about my behavior. Why had I done that? Why did the idea of dancing in front of all those people seem to be more awful than fun? I mean… I’ve been known to do the funky chicken… around the house….in front of my mirror…alone. Don’t you do that? I wondered about myself. Is this really you? You can’t just be silly and have fun in front of other people? What’s THAT about? I cranked up my radio and sang loudly, cabaret style, all the way home. I wasn’t much in the mood for self-reflection.

I didn’t think about it again until one day my cousin put a very silly hat on my head and suggested that I wear it out. I was instantly mortified. There they were, all those feelings again. I didn’t want to feel foolish, ridiculous, embarrassed and self-conscious. I wanted that hat OFF! I didn’t want to be the center of attention…what would people think of me?

And there it was. What will people think?

This is why I call cancer the great clarifier and creator of strange

Read the full story »

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

Just in time for Father’s Day, a do-it-yourself kit beer making kit from Brooklyn Brew Shop. Whether your patriarch is familiar in the kitchen or not, this no-brainer, easy-to-follow process allows even the I-can’t- boil-water type to make high quality and complex beers on top of the stove.

Brooklyn Brew Shop’s user-friendly beer making kit uses only fresh, whole ingredients, such as cracked barley, hops, spices and yeast, and follows the traditional brewery method to producing beer that has been used for centuries. This kit includes a one gallon reusable glass fermenter, chambered airlock, thermometer, tubing, racking cane, sanitizer and beer making mix.

Here is the video to show each simple step:

With flavors such as Summer Wheat, Chestnut Brown Ale and eclectic sounding Coffee & Donut Stout, the Beer Enthusiast will enjoy experimenting with his micro-brewery. Let him proudly brag to all his friends when he invites them over for a taste and exclaims that, “yes, I, indeed, made this! Cheers!”

Buy directly from BrooklynBrew  or UncommonGoods.