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What’s a Succulent Wife? And what the heck is a B(l)oomer™?

We hoped you would ask!

Don’t you find that, as you get older, your life is now more about finding “meaning”? This is why the theme of Succulence is on the marquee. For us, Succulence is about truly tasting and experiencing life, preferably in big juicy, delicious bites. It’s about finding ways to relish the moment, to make it playful and exciting and meaningful. And it’s about living and consuming more consciously.

And the “Wife” part? The “Succulent Wife” was originally the name of our online gift shop, which featured the work of independent artists as well as other very unique gift ideas. We no longer sell product on this site, and now have the privilege of being completely editorial and able to report on the variety of things that… truly turn us on. We decided to keep the name TheSucculentWife.com for our blog magazine because we really enjoy the fact that it raises a few eyebrows.

And what’s with B(L)OOMERS? Yes, you got it, we are talking about Baby Boomers, because we are, ourselves, at the tail end of that generation and proud of it (Baby Boomers are – technically – born between 1946 and 1964). But, we do find that Baby Boomers are ill-portrayed in the media, most often shown as golden-agers just shy of needing a walker. That is clearly not how we feel. As women over 45, we are feeling more alive than ever, more adventurous, self-assured and more determined to improve our lives… The term Baby Boomers described our demographic generation, but not our essence. Other known synonymous terms? Middle-aged? Out. Mid-lifer? Not feeling it. So we thought we needed another name, one that would qualify how we felt. Our particular designation didn’t exist yet so, we invented it: B(L)OOMERS, as in the generation of blooming Boomers. Tacky in a perfectly charming way, we know. But so much more resonating: we are Boomers, but don’t have a foot in the grave yet. Au contraire, we are on a constant quest for personal growth and boy are we blossoming, uh, b(l)ooming!

So, with that in mind, The Succulent Wife curates content that speaks to women like us, in our stage or life, where the primary focus has shifted away from catering to the family’s every need (we’ve done our best to raise self-reliant kids that can now make their own breakfast and maybe even do their own laundry) to now meeting our obligations to ourselves. Along with some fantastic contributors, we are ardent in our quest to uncover the latest, most interesting, enriching lifestyle trends and topics to present to our readers. Besides that, our passion for “very cool stuff”, especially in the gift category, drives us to search high and wide for finds of the most current, charming, value-filled, relevant, useful and beautiful products. In all modesty, we put together the best gift guides anywhere around.

We are lucky enough to be able to share all of that with you through this website. We hope that you enjoy our finds as much as we enjoy bringing them to you.

We’d love to hear from you! "Write" to us at info [at] thesucculentwife [dot] com.

THE SUCCULENT WIVES

Anne-Marie Kovacs is a marketing professional by day and Chief Wife and founder at TheSucculentWife.com at every other moment. With over 20 years of marketing experience, she has developed a knack for spotting trends and the unique positioning factors and values propositions of products or services. Branding remains her dearest passion since it is so central to the marketing strategy: it’s about telling the story of a product, communicating its value, giving it a voice and connecting with the audience. So then, it’s a natural tangent for her to want to tell her audience - her readers - the story of the unique products, businesses and practices that make her life richer and more meaningful.

Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor. Although Audrey jokingly calls herself the REAL Real Housewife of Orange County, she sees herself as an influencer and is passionate about what she does. With a degree in Social Work, Audrey has reinvented herself with three very distinct career paths. First, as a social worker working with abused children and at the same time teaching Communication and Counseling courses at a local college. Her second career came when her husband's company relocated the family to Southern California. After taking an introductory class in yoga, Audrey was hooked, got involved and soon became General Manager, leading the company to successfully grow from one studio to five. With the birth of their last child, Audrey joined forces with The Succulent Wife. She brings us her contagious enthusiasm, zen-like communication skills and an ability to juggle all the going-ons of The Succulent Wife.

CONTRIBUTORS

	Marjie Killeen thinks her forties are her coolest decade so far. Since turning 40 she has sung in a rock band, produced a local access TV show, and earned her Masters in Written Communication from National-Louis University. She blogs about this unexpectedly fulfilling time of life at www.fortyfabulous.blogspot.com and is the regular “Sex & the Suburbs” columnist for MakeitBetter.net magazine. Marjie lives in Wilmette, IL with her husband and their two teenaged children.

	Kristin Fast lives in The OC with her 1 husband, 3 children and 4 dogs... all cozy together in a 1200 square foot house by the sea. She is overeducated, underemployed and she likes it that way. Her favorite drink is whiskey, her passport is always up to date and she still believes that she can grow up to be Nancy Drew. You can find Kristin and her love of ellipsis on the Internet at her personal blog, kkfast.blogspot.com It's All Fun and Games as well as at the celebrity snark site, Mamarazzi.org.

	Tara Riceberg is the owner of TWEAK a styling company and TWEAK99, an online shop that has 99 accents for your home, all under $99.00. Tara has lectured at the Pacific Design Center and has appeared on radio and television shows for NBC, Style, and USA networks as a lifestyle expert. Tara has styled homes from Los Angeles to New York and has been the go-to gal for planning celebrity parties. She was just hired this year by Party City as their Celebration Expert. When she is not spanning the globe, she is at home hosting intimate parties for her friends.

	Amie Valpone, HHC, AADP is a Manhattan based Culinary Marketing Consultant, recipe developer and food writer specializing in Gluten Free, Soy-Free and Dairy Free Culinary Nutrition. Amie writes a blog The Healthy Apple and is also the Publisher and Marketing Director of the online gluten-free magazine, Easy Eats. Amie believes in everything in moderation.Never using the word ‘diet,’ she stands by the truth that “each of us has control over what we put into our mouths and these choices impact our bodies now and in the future.”

	Susan Keats ~ In 2010 Susan received life-changing news after a routine mammogram. She had breast cancer. After plenty of tears, anxiety and soul searching, she finished treatments and is now entering a year of renewal, growth, and recovery. Susan hopes that those who are just stepping into the experience of illnesses or crises will find the same comfort and inspiration that she felt when others shared their experiences and wisdom with her. She is looking forward to rediscovering parts of herself that she had allowed to fall away. This is going to be a great year!

	Shari Bonnin believes she has perfected the art of multi-tasking/crafting and lives a joyous (thanks to my adorable husband and 2 Whippets) and crazed but adventurous (thanks to my teenage daughter and teenage son) life in Southern California. She loves to try new ethnic restaurants and her dream job would be a restaurant critic. Until then, she loves to spend time with friends and family, go to the beach, collect art, dance flamenco, do photography, knit, crochet, and make jewelry. Sewing is her new adventure. Shari’s jewelry and accessories can be found on her website at www.bonnindesigns.com

	Natalie Greggain is a Raw Food and Healthy Nutrition expert. As women, we spend way too much time agonizing over how we will get perfect bodies, but we are never happy with ourselves. The problem? We are too fixated on image. We need to spend more energy eating healthy foods and getting regular exercise. Once we shift our focus from image to healthy balance, we begin to eat better, look better, feel better and therefore are able to spend more time appreciating all of life’s succulent wonders. Natalie doesn’t eat 100% raw foods, or even a 100% vegan diet, but she has figured out how to incorporate these healthy lifestyles into a manageable, and balanced life that keeps her happy. She will be sharing her knowledge, tips and recipes with us occasionally on the Succulent Wife. Learn more from Natalie at her online store, Purely Juicers.

	Kym Tolson is a Certified Hypnotherapist approved by the National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists as well as a Licensed Therapist (LCSW) and Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC). She utilizes hypnosis daily in her professional practice to affect positive change in clients who are experiencing difficulties with a variety of behaviors. She is the owner of Hypnotransformations, LLC. Her online hypnotherapy sessions are available in CD and MP3 download formats. Her hypnosis sessions allow you to be hypnotized whenever you have spare time to spend transforming your life for the better. She covers a wide range of topics and if your need is not already available, she can personalize a custom session to accommodate any goal. All that is needed is a desire for positive change and the commitment to listen to the hypnosis session on a consistent basis. You can download her many hypnosis CD's on her site or on Etsy.

	Margaret Plouff's personal wellness journey has reached a highpoint. For several years, as owner of Nature's Cupboard, she learned what was at the root of a couple childhood illnesses that had caused her concern into young adulthood. She has always enjoyed combining holistic and natural remedies for herself, her family, and the community. Nowadays, Margaret is experiencing optimum, vibrant health. She knows it is achievable to anyone who puts their mind to it. In fact, her one-on-one consultations provide information that easily translates into graceful aging for her clients. She is owner of Focused Wisdom for Modern Health.

	Sylvia Sabes is a born traveler, who has happily slept in Ugandian huts, colonial palaces, Cuban dormitories and exotic resorts. She is equally at ease getting around in the back of a Toyota pickup truck with 30 fellow travelers, 6 chickens and a goat, as by private jet with CEOs or rock stars. She has traveled the globe, living and working in the US, Canada and France. Her true passion is sharing her travel experience with others and getting them out there exploring the world.

	Liza Kovacs, M.S.C., M.A., is a movement specialist and certified pilates instructor in New York, who combines her love of movement with expert knowledge in kinesiology. She aims to provide a better quality of life to her clients through exercise and kinesthetic awareness. Read more about her dedication to the art and science of movement on her website at LizaKovacs.com.

	Maria Boustead is co-founder of Po Campo, a company devoted to making fashionable and functional bicycle accessories for city women. Maria spent many years as an industrial design consultant, helping to bring well-designed products to market for her clients. With Po Campo, she applies her talents to one of her own passions: getting more people to use bicycles for transportation. Po Campo's products are designed to fit into your lifestyle and they are made with pride in Chicago, IL. When not working on spreading the gospel of urban bicycling to the world, Maria enjoys reading, traveling, drinking coffee and, well, biking around town.

	Jennifer Urezzio is a master intuitive, author, teacher and speaker. She founded her own business, Blooming Grove, Know Soul’s Language’s parent company, in 2004 in response to her intuitive senses and ability to help others feel better about themselves both holistically and naturally, working closely with them to generate a feeling of strength and well-being. She also founded a new paradigm of divine guidance — Know Soul’s Language — where she guides clients to understand their Soul’s Language. This new way of understanding how the soul expresses itself is being embraced by top healers, lifestyle coaches and CEOs all over the country.

	Kristin Thomas has spent the past 25 years in the field of education. She is an educational consultant advising students and their families who are seeking guidance in the college admissions process. As a former teacher and current wife and mother of three "emerging adults", she brings a unique perspective to issues in the world of education. A passion for educating young people also lead her to become a board member of the Indigenous Education foundation of Tanzania which builds secondary schools in Eastern Africa. When she isn’t parenting or consulting, you’ll find her racing her stand-up paddleboard in the waterways of Southern California. Learn more about Kristin at LagunaCC.com.

	Mrs/Dr. T is snarky PhD scientist attempting to deconstruct and communicate the dorky world of research to pretty much anyone that will listen. After 20 years of working in the nutrition industry, she is quick to agree, disagree or mock others when it comes to evaluating new findings on health and wellness…and pretty much everything else. In between her full-time job in nutrition research and micromanaging her 3 pre-teen daughters, she blogs about women’s health and related interests under an alias at TheDecadeofShe.blogspot.com.

	Lisa Hughes Anderson - “You can’t take it with you, but you can make it for others.” Lisa is a plein-air painter, creative writer, roving photographer and passionate cook. Cooking up an inspired meal for others, putting striking detail of everyday life on film, journaling a child’s venture into maturity…Her observations are written to make you feel as if you are sitting at the kitchen table next to her. Her photographs are meant to catch your attention with focused simplicity and her food & art gifts are treasured by her recipients. Lisa is the proud mom of 3 boys and a pony sized Labradoodle. She is married to her “partner in time” husband and shares her time between Washington State and SoCal. Find her blog at Sound-Thoughts.com.

	Scott Roeben is an online marketing copywriter during the day and photographer during the rest of his waking hours. He specializes in children's photography and was named "Photographer of the Year" by the Las Vegas Photographic Society, an organization devoted to nourishing the passion of amateur and professional photographers. He volunteers his talents as a photographer for a variety of charitable causes, including Spread the Word Nevada (a children's literacy initiative), Operation Love: Reunited (providing free portraits to military families), Portraits of Love (also serving military families), Shade Tree (shelter for abused women and children), the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and others. He's also an aspiring succulent guy. Hey, everyone needs to have a dream.

About the products and services that we feature: We do not receive monetary compensation for a.ny.thing in our editorial pages. When we write about something, it's because we are moved by our passions, our discoveries and our temptations and follies of the moment. Sometimes, great companies, designers and artists inform us of their products or services, and if we get as excited as they are about them, we will feature them. No guarantees, but we are really glad that they let us know they existed so that we could spread the word. If you need to let us know about a great product or service that you think might make our day, write to us at info [at] thesucculentwife [dot] com.

With that said, you will also want to read our disclosure. It explains how we clearly mark sponsored posts or giveaways and how we sometimes will include affiliate links to products that we are writing about, should such an affiliate program be available to us. Again, please contact us at info [at] thesucculentwife [dot] com if you have any questions.

The Succulent Wife has been trained to search out and propose the most unique gift ideas since looooooong before she ever became a - succulent - wife. You see, her very own mother had a successful gift boutique back in the day and that was part of the early training. Today, she denotes her most special finds with this "Gift Worthy" seal of approval which signifies that the gift suggestion upon which the seal is bestowed has shown special meaning, provenance, value (and value is not always about the cost) and/or beauty. We hope that this will mean to you that you need not question the potential glee that your gift recipient will exhibit upon receiving it.