Grilling season is upon us. I just know that you are looking for an eco-friendly alternative to the fuel imbued charcoal briquettes. You probably also prefer that your food taste like food and not like gas? Well, you will want to know that coconut charcoal is the new cleaner alternative. Co.co.nut??
Indeed. Coconut Charcoal is made from the inner hard shell of a coconut.  When carbonized coconut shell is burned as charcoal, it achieves high heat and maintains that temperature for up to two and a half hours. The condensed fiber of coconut shells creates hotter, longer and cleaner burning charcoal [...]

I saw – and fell in love –  with these “boomboxes” that I stumbled upon while exploring Second Friday in the Chicago Art District last month.
Lloyd Davis of Artpentry is the creator of these ultraverycool speakers contained in vintage suitcases and trunks.  Or, as he calls them, “amazing pieces of functional art”.  Indeed. You can plug in your iPod or whatever audio device to get the most stylish/funky looking  music delivery system anywhere.  When we visited the Artpentry studio, my husband and my son where all over these pieces, which is why I thought that they were perfect to mention [...]

WE HAVE OUR WINNER! CONGRATULATIONS Jenny!
You have won the PK Press Family Game Night Package. Woot!
The winner was selected at random using the Random Integer Generator. This giveaway CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED but do subscribe via RSS or email to get updates on new giveaways as they get posted. Thank you all for playing!
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We mentioned The Peaceable Kingdom Press (PKPress) in our Easter Basket article this last March (see it here). You may remember that we were impressed by this company with a conscience. PKPress was so happy that [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
Christine Northrup, MD, just released the newest version, the latest of four, of Women’s Body, Women’s Wisdom on June 1st, 2010. The release coincides with her new PBS special “Christine Northrup; Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom” (check your local PBS listing here).
I bought the original book in 1994 and read it as my own personal bible. The first copy got me through fertility, pregnancy and postpartum issues. This latest copy will see me through the next stage in my life, menopause, with the latest information, material and studies.
I appreciate Christiane Northrup’s straight forward [...]

Dear parents of teens, this is for them…
So, this is Part 3 and last of your mini-course on what to do to get a summer job. In case you missed it, Part 1 addressed the “What & Where” of looking for a job, as in “what do I want to do as a job” and “where do I start looking for a job”. Part 2 shared some tips on résumé writing and other docs that you need to prepare for your job hunt. And now, here are some tips & advice to prepare for the actual interview. Hopefully knowing [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
A girlfriend of mine, Isabel, is having a major love-affair with a knife. Not just any knife but a Kyocera Ceramic Knife (Yes, THAT Kyocera, the makers of cell phones and printers, among other things…). Isabel was enjoying her knife so much that she bought one for each of her girlfriends! I can see why she is so enthralled. I first used my Kyocera knife at our monthly Cooking Club gathering which was hosted at our house this time.  Although the food was amazing, I must say the focus was really on this [...]

WE HAVE OUR WINNER! CONGRATULATIONS Sylvia!
You have won Overlooked Undertakings, Audrey Heller’s fantastic book.
The winner was selected at random using the Random Integer Generator. This giveaway CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED but do subscribe via RSS or email to get updates on new giveaways as they get posted. Thank you all for playing!
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A couple of months ago, we wrote about Audrey Heller’s unique photographs. We loved her whimsical photographs so much that we gave her “The Succulent Wife Gift Worthy Seal of Approval” for the great gift appeal of her images.
Now, in honor of [...]

I am sooooooooo getting the BioLogic Bike Mount for iPhone for my husband for Father’s Day. Uh, I mean the kids are getting this for their dad for Father’s Day.
Since we’ve moved to the bicycle-friendly Chicago area (it’s flat with lots of bike trails), we are on our bikes all the time (well ok, not so much in January and ok, so, the flat part is a little monotonous for my husband, but it’s perfect for me). We’ve both downloaded different GPS based sports tracking apps. I use RunKeeper and my husband another (can’t remember which, sorry) to keep track [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
My son is a high school senior and feels that school is already over though there are, in fact more than a couple of weeks left, including finals’ week. With impeccable timing, I have just discovered this line of Ingestible Essential Oils that just may help him get through the next few weeks. I stocked up on Bright Student, Sweet Sleep, and Mood Master formulas from AromaMD. All of these essential oil blends can either be ingested, rubbed on the skin or used in a diffuser. They are all made with medical grade [...]

Dear parents of teens, this is for them…
As we mentioned last week, job hunting is never fun. The looming certainty of rejection (because, no matter how charming you are, you won’t get every job) is not the kind of emotional battering anyone welcomes. But, you might as well learn how to deal with it now, when you are young and resilient, ‘cause there’s a lifetime more of this ahead.
So, last week we covered the basic questions of  “what do I want to do” and “where do I go to look for a job”.  Assuming that you’ve got that covered, [...]