A friend of mine turned me onto Groupon about five months ago. I am thankful for that tip every time I scoop up one of their great deals. I thought that I was the last to know. But, as I’ve since introduced Groupon to several equally unenlightened friends, I thought that it would be worth a mention here, just in case you were also in the dark about this great coupon site…
What is Groupon? It’s an online deal-of-the-day/group-buy website that offers city-specific deals (usually between 40% to 60% off) with a whole panoply of local businesses.  Each daily deal only [...]

I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. If I were, by now, I’d have no more than 10% body fat, I’d be able to do the Dwi Pada Sirsasana yoga posture, I would meditate 30 minutes every single day, I’d never ever raise my voice at my kids, I’d send birthday cards, on time… But since I’ve liberated myself of the concept of New Years’ resolutions years ago, I have accomplished none of these things.
However, clearing clutter has been a general resolution that I’ve kept up with very nicely (I’m even a little overzealous). And, should that be on your [...]

I know that these have been out since last year, but since I have not, until this year, lived in a climate where gloves were a requirement at any time of year, I had never paid attention. Now that I’m Chicago, every member of my family is getting a pair of the Freehands gloves in their Christmas stockings. So simple, so ingenious, so essential for Midwesterners (Easterners and Northerners too!).

You can get them here, right from the Freehands website.

By Scott Roeben, Contributing Editor – Photography
Note: The Succulent Wife is honored to welcome an “old” friend & colleague as our first male contributor! Scott is a talented writer and photographer and I am quite excited to be bringing you his articles on photography. He will be providing tips & tools to make the amateur photographer look like a real pro. Thanks Scott!
Capturing great photos of children can be a challenge. But there are simple steps you can take to dramatically improve your photography, virtually overnight. Try these tips, and you’ll be taking great photos of your kids in [...]

I love it. The Whole Foods Market Recipe iPhone app is not exactly new (it’s been out since June of this year), but if you haven’t tried it yet, it’s a great one. Not just because it’s free. But mostly because now, I’ll probably never again find myself wondering what’s for dinner. I love that a highly visible brand such as Whole Foods expands its brand’s goodwill by providing useful “toys” such as this one.

This application provides recipes through some pretty smart filters: I can search for recipes by course (I’m always stuck for good ideas for appetizers), category (”Quick [...]

Very cool free photo apps that empower Photoshop-disabled people, like moi, to render basic photos into something you might just want to place on your wall. In this article I am going to show you even more websites where you simply upload your photo and start playing. You can add one element or more, depending on what you like. If you don’t like what you see, you simply undo it.

By Shari Bonnin, Contributing Editor
Maybe you’re like me and haven’t quite got the whole layers, cropping, lassoing and all other Photoshop intricacies and just want to find easy ways to achieve certain effects with photos or maybe you are great at Photoshop but want some shortcuts.
Recently I’ve become very nostalgic because of Facebook; re-connecting with many old friends, digging into my old photo boxes, pulling out my Polaroids and thinking how cool that would be to be able to have that look again. Well, I’ve done some research, and here are some *FREE* photo effect websites that can help [...]

We all know that moving ranks up there with divorce and death as one of the top family stress and trauma inducers. Even when the move was planned with much eagerness.
One of my great takeaways from this harrowing move is my new determination – as a very conscious decision – to live with less stuff. This seems like an obvious and auspicious awakening in these times… Like, duh. In my defense, I knew all that already (see post), but this renewed, steadfast determination is prompted by the realization that we hauled stuff across three states that was not worth moving.
No [...]

I always like to guess how companies choose their names. In this case, with the tagline of “Everyone needs an Alice”, it’s a “duh” to guess that loyal, no-nonsense, do-it-all Brady Bunch’s Alice was the inspiration. Close enough: Alice.com is a virtual home manager. It’s household shopping with all the extras and none of the hauling.
The benefits in a nutshell:

Free shipping – always, whatever the order amount
Lower prices – they eliminate the middleman, the consumer gets the best price available
Coupons applied automatically – if there is a coupon for that product, it will be applied, no action needed
Arrives at your [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Contributing Editor
Is it summer yet? I know I keep asking because we are totally geared up over here (as you could tell from my post on swimwear last week and on the FaceStick sunblock before that). Summer = water + fun. That’s the first thing I think of. Then, it’s water + wet + cold = miserable kids.  That invariably seems to be the formula.
With two kids in swimming lessons, many pool parties, beach days and a teenager who lives at the beach all summer, I’m so glad that I found these Ragz pullovers. They are [...]

I’ve always made lists. I’ve even been made fun because of my list making. Still, I’m undeterred. Having a list (or a few) helps me manage all the thoughts running through my head. It’s liberating, a weight lifted from not having to remember. If it’s written down, it’s almost as good as done. Almost.
Have you noticed how lists are everywhere and can apply to everything in our lives? Like mundane “HoneyDo” list to “1000 Places to See Do Before You Die” or the Facebook “25 Random Things About Me” lists (I didn’t play on that one) or the infinite variety [...]

I don’t know about you, but as I’ve gotten older my “ick” factor for public places has grown exponentially. I’m not quite OCD just yet. And the day may not even come since I’ve just discovered this magnificent little tool that makes recommendations for location and cleanliness of public restrooms. You can use SitOrSquat.com online or more practical, download the app to use it on your iPhone or Blackberry. This wiki developed by Charmin, the toilet paper brand, enables users to locate public toilets, upload their own suggestions and rate the ones that are already listed. This app is still [...]