By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
I know that I’ve mentioned that my mother-in-law is a breast cancer survivor. I know how passionate she is about the fight to end cancer, because even as a very, very private person, she is very open about being a 6th year breast cancer survivor, she wears lots of pink and supports cancer research in a multitude of ways.
So, when I found out about Save the ta-tas Pink Hair Project,

By Jennifer Urezzio, Contributor – Spiritual Affairs
“You must love yourself before anyone else can…”
The above statement is old and true. Why? Simply, if you don’t show yourself love and compassion no matter what anyone says or does, it will feel as if there is never “enough.”
We hear a lot in today’s culture about self-care. Well, self-love is the foundation of self-care. These two should not be confused (and often are) with selfishness or self-esteem.
Recently, I interviewed Marci Shimoff, author of Love for No Reason. I loved what she said, “Self-love is loving yourself for no reason while self-esteem is loving [...]

The sad state of our economy and our increased willingness to be good to Mother Earth has motivated us to think in new ways about our wardrobes. It’s a case of less is more. It’s a little bit of a scary notion for some of us, to think that maybe only one pair of shoes and less than a dozen garment pieces and and handful of accessories would suffice, but the merits of a minimalist wardrobe need to be considered.
A little over two years ago, we followed The Uniform Project where Sheena Matheiken chose to wear one single dress for [...]

By Marjie Killeen, Contributor- Midlife Wisdom
Hot flashes. Night sweats. Sleeplessness. Mood swings. Anxiety. Memory loss. Low Libido. It’s enough to make a woman crazy!
Historically, menopausal women were considered that and worse. In the Middle Ages they were burned at the stake as witches; in the 1700′s they were institutionalized as lunatics. Even today, many women view the phase so negatively, they avoid even thinking about it until they have to – usually when they begin experiencing symptoms.
As a result many of us are woefully unprepared for “the change.” But we don’t have to be. We owe it to ourselves to [...]

…and a moment of song. To believe. To remember.
 
Reason to Believe by Joe Scarborough
 

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
We are all aware of ADHD diagnosis in children. In the United States alone 9% of school aged children have been diagnosed with ADHD, with the rate increasing every year. Also, more boys than girls are likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, probably due to the fact the boys tend to show more disruptive behavior in the classroom than a girl with ADHD. It is estimated that there are about 5% of adults living in the U.S. with ADHD. My husband and I have recently experienced two of our close friends marriages end only to [...]

By Jennifer Urezzio, Contributor – Spiritual Affairs
Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures ~ 
John F. Kennedy
The concept of meditation has been integrated into the mass consciousness.  Now, science is proving the benefits of meditation that the mystics have been talking about for ages. Some of those benefits are:
•    increased blood flow and slower heart rate
•    increased brain function and focus
•    improved memory
•    decrease in stress hormones
•    lower blood pressure
•    reversal of aging process  (this one alone is a reason to take up meditation)
•    increased productivity
You (and [...]

Would you choose to put lead in your lipstick? Not a single one of us would, I’m sure.
My favorite consumer advocate, Annie Leonard (we mentioned her Story of Stuff video here) has created yet another engaging video to alert us to the untold problems of chemicals in our personal care products. Sure, we are now more educated about the nastiness of Parabens and Phthalates but ingredients such as these are but a few of the potentially harmful chemicals present in our lotions and potions. And although we could actively search out “natural” products, we are still trusting blindly on what [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
We love to support companies that do great work here and abroad. By now, we are all now quite familiar with (and wearing) Toms Shoes and we love the great work the company does around the world (Did you know that Toms does eyewear now, under the same One-for-One principle).  In fact, we wrote about them three years ago already. Here are some other shoe companies that also do great work in their own way, whether it is helping the environment, fighting poverty or helping women.
 
For the Young Ones
Chooze Shoes – Here are some perfect [...]

Editor’s Introduction Note: The Succulent Wife is excited to welcome Jennifer Urezzio, master intuitive, as a monthly contributor in a previously unexplored category for us, that of spiritual growth. As we deal with the nearly unmanageable hustle and bustle of our everyday, we forget to take those precious moments to help us reassess, think, appreciate and grow. We look forward to Jennifer’s words of wisdom in her new monthly series with us.
By Jennifer Urezzio, Contributor – Spiritual Affairs
I’m grateful for my life. I live a life of passion. Each morning I jump out of bed and look forward [...]