By Kristin Fast, Lifestyle Editor and In-House Wit-Cracker

It’s January 25, do you know where your resolution is?

Mine is happening right now as my little fingers fly (poke) over the keyboard of my hand-me-down laptop; Resolution 2012, more writing.

Only took 25 days to get crackin’.

Do you know that almost half of all Americans make a New Year’s Resolution and by June, more than half of those folks are still sticking with it?

Astounding and Huzzah!

The magic seems to be to not make goals along the lines of: I will lose 25 pounds by February 1 or I will never drink again, but rather to approach the clean slate of a new calendar year with more open possibilities such as, I will move more over the next 12 months or, cocktails are a weekend treat… see the difference? The more rigid and extreme, the greater the chance for failure.

Which is why, on the last day of 2011, I decided to forgo my usual blather about trekking Machu Pichu and simply aim to do more of the one thing that I actually want to do more of: write.

I need to write because of what is happening Chez Fast. The oldest child is a freshman in high school, the middle child is in the 8th grade and the youngest is in 2nd but let’s be honest, she is really more of a short adult than actual child so the bottom line is all of my wee babies are so not wee babies and I have been actively mourning the loss of their non-baby status for close to five months to the point where I have been banned from even looking at any pre-2010 photos because my maudlin state makes me weepy and then dinner is late…

And where I am going with this you ask? I am going straight into needing some documentation of my busy life which goes by much too quickly and I need to set things down so when I am an old woman I can look back and remember these precious, precious days before my kids had the nerve to grow up and get their own lives.

That is actually another little know trick of resolution success: mania.

I am asking you all for help. Help me stay focused. Once a month I will be here, Succulent-ing for your pleasure, but give me feedback and let me know what you want to hear about… for example, who among you needs tips when dealing with a first year high schooler with a senior girlfriend? I can help!

I would love to know how you are doing on your goals for 2012. Have you stuck with them or perhaps revised them? And more importantly, what motivated you and can we help you?

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

Is there better, thoroughly classic way of showing your undying love than with a dozen roses? Unfortunately, they last such a short time that they quickly start looking like your ‘dying’ love. Well, here’s a set of dozen roses that will not only live forever but that can also be worn as a LOVEly fashion statement! (OK, we’ll stop with the lovies now).

This String of Roses Silk Scarf is made with 100% natural silk that is weaved on antique looms to weave the richest quality fabric possible. All scarves are handmade and hand-dyed in Vietnam by skilled artisans who use ancient methods to produce the natural silk fibers. Each rose is individually crafted, so no two are exactly alike. The scarves are a work of art that are rich in color and soft to the touch.

Forget the long stem roses that will die in a week. Imagine that each time the scarf embraces her, she will think of the person who gave it to her (OK, we’re really done now).

This gorgeous scarf can be purchased here for $34.99. Contact Lua for a list of retailers near you.

By Jennifer Urezzio, Contributor – Spiritual Affairs

It was the day after Christmas. I stopped in the grocery store to pick up some necessities and was confronted with the Season of Love.

Giant pink and red hearts filled the aisle. I was surrounded by heart candies and heart cards and everything one would need to create the Season of Love. And yet, what is truly needed to create love in your life doesn’t come in a box, bag or card. It comes from within.

Most relationships fail because we are looking to that individual to complete us, to fill an empty hole that was created by some wound or painful experience. If you are interested in creating a new season of love, a relationship that is based on a solid foundation and in any relationship you are yourself, well here are my suggestions.

Take Time To Feel Complete and Whole

The truth is that you are complete and whole. The truth is that you are perfect just the way you are and in knowing and feeling this you won’t try to change yourself or anyone while in a relationship. Here’s my suggested exercise (and I will admit it is a tough one).

Look in the mirror each day and state out loud the following, while looking yourself in the eye.

• I am whole and complete
• I am perfect just the way I am
• I am love
• I am loved
• I feel safe giving and receiving love

Notice how you feel during this exercise. Even if it is tough, keep conducting it once a day for 10 days. Then see how you feel on the eleventh day conducting it. I would venture to bet you feel more confident, more loving and more your true self.

How Do You Express Love

Often we are under the impression that our mates and family don’t love us because we are expecting the expression of their love to look a certain way. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, has determined that there are five ways people express love (and see Audrey’s review of the book here). They are: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch. Your love language might not be the same as your mates. To start communicating with your loved ones with their language of love, first determine your love language and then discover what languages your family and mate speak. You can learn more about Gary’s book here. What you will become aware of is how much your family and friends do care and love you.

Trust and Be Vulnerable

How many times have you screamed at a movie screen and said, “Just tell her how you feel”? Most people don’t express their feelings or their truth because they feel unsafe being vulnerable. Today is your opportunity to take a chance and trust yourself to pick the right person to be you with. An exercise I always do is this: Ask your body to place you in a feeling and expression of trust and feeling safe being vulnerable.

What you are doing in this exercise is creating a new pattern in your body and you will start attracting circumstances that reflect this feeling of trust and safety in your everyday world.

There just isn’t one day to express your love or a season. It is up to you to create each moment of love within yourself.

Gina Balourdas, the artist behind the Lizzy B vintage jewelry line, has been hooked on flea markets and estate sales every since she was a little girl and her parents brought her along on their vintage treasure hunt expeditions.

Today, Gina still gets inspired by found vintage and antique silver. Her canvass for this particular medium is jewelry. She re-purposes vintage silver into one-of-a- kind pieces. Take her silver tray pieces. Each silver tray has its own special characteristics that ‘speak’ and help determine whether the final piece will be a pendant, earrings or beautiful cuff. Her favorite trays include those that were once inscribed as a trophy or award. Imagine wearing ‘Best Horsemanship’ or ‘Thoroughbred’ on your wrist!

Gina also designs custom jewelry pieces out of your heirloom treasures. Imagine your great grandfather’s dog tags from WWI and your grandmother’s and mother’s bracelets redesigned into one-of-a-kind keepsake necklaces…

Whatever the occasion (bridal, anniversary, Valentine’s day, milestone birthday…), meaningful heirloom-worthy pieces of jewelry would certainly speak volumes about that sentiment the gift-giver is so thoughtfully looking to express.

Contact Gina at Lizzy B to buy or to discuss custom orders. Follow her on Facebook to see her latest designs.

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

Greetings from my after life.

I’m not dead yet, by the way, but I had a glimpse of my death recently and I realized, upon considering it, that I was completely unprepared to have it arrive so soon. Why is it that sometimes we need a good kick in the teeth every so often to get us to sit up and pay attention?

My kick came in the form of cancer on a routine mammogram. There’s nothing like a good cancer diagnosis to push you into a state of acute awareness. Hello, this is your WAKE UP call!

Suddenly there I was, crying until I couldn’t cry any more, scared like I’d never been scared before. I spent many hours sobbing through such thoughts as, “but I was supposed to live to be 90!” And, “This is the end? I’m finished? How can this be true?” I wondered why, why? I’ve always been healthy. I don’t fit the profile of a person who typically gets a cancer diagnosis. For goodness’ sake, my best friend from college still likes to tell everyone about how I once offered her pea pods as a snack.

What followed the diagnosis was a whirlwind of medical tests, biopsies, assorted painful things, surgery, then the inevitable sickness of chemo and the weariness of radiation therapy. I lost my hair, I gained nearly 20 pounds. But strangely, what emerged from the whole experience once it was finally over was a metamorphosis of sorts. I re-emerged as if I had been living in an alternate world. I saw so many things clearly now. I deserved a really beautiful pair of butterfly wings.

Because I had been so sick, I now understood how wonderful it is to feel well. I had been so complacent before. I had so easily put things off for some later time. Now, because I had to face that I could die, I found the strongest desire to live life, to go, to do, to experience, to see things!

Maybe the thing to appreciate about the whole experience is the metamorphosis: the rising of oneself from the depths of feeling sick and sorry for yourself and unable to move, to the heights of just feeling good again. Just plain ol’ every day good. It’s a metamorphosis of appreciation and surviving, of body and really of self too. It’s cliche and it’s profound.

So what’s your situation? Huh? Waiting for those kids to get older before you take that trip? Feeling like you can’t spend a little money to learn to tap dance, even though you think you might be pretty good at it? Geez, do you need me to grab your shoulders and shake you up? I hate to have to say it, but life might be shorter than you are anticipating. Now is the time my friend. Now.

These days, when I wake up, I focus on how good I feel, how lucky I am to be feeling that way, and it truly makes my heart soar with happiness. I’ve learned so much, and realize that so many good things have emerged from the bad. Life is good. This is my after life. Life AFTER cancer. There’s lots of living to do. Gonna go get myself a pair of tap shoes!

By Amie Valpone, Gluten-Free Recipe Contributor, Culinary Marketing Consultant and food writer at the gluten-free blog, The Healthy Apple.

Looking for a healthy spin on a classic winter comfort food? Here is a ‘lighter’ recipe for stuffed mushrooms that is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. They are filled with lots of fiber and natural sweetness in each bite. Whether you’re preparing these for a football game on Sunday or a dinner party on Saturday night, they’re sure to be a crowd pleaser.

ORANGE MARJORAN STUFFED MUSHROOMS
Gluten-Free and Vegan

2 lb. baby bella mushrooms
1 1/2 cups gluten-free crackers, very finely crushed
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, very finely chopped
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/4 cup fresh marjoram, finely chopped
4 pitted dates, very finely chopped
1 tsp. orange zest

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Remove stems from mushrooms and chop.
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add all ingredients; cook for 5 minutes. Evenly distribute mixture to mushroom caps.  Bake for 45 minutes.
Serve with an extra drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Bon appétit!

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

Okay, I admit it. I am a closet potato chip eater. I have no cravings for sweet treats but hand me a bag of something crunchy and salty and the contents of said bag are gone. Ugh! This has been my nemesis for my entire life. I just cannot have chips in my home. And, you know as well as me that the “healthy” baked chips are just not the same.

Gone are the days when I could cut back on eating so that I could indulge my craving. As they say, “Once on the lips, forever on the hips.” How true that statement has become as I get older.

But, is it possible that there is something out there that can make potato chips without the fat? Topchips promises to make crispy, delicious and FAT FREE potato chips in your Microwave! GASP! And in under three minutes! Made by Mastrad, a innovative kitchen utensil company in France, Topchips is a silicon tray that helps crisp potatoes in the microwave. And, don’t limit yourself to just potatoes. Think of healthy chips to be made with other root vegetables, mangos, apples and more.

The Topchips comes with a mandolin style slicer and peeler. And for only $19.99 I feel it is worth trying out.

Can it be possible that I found a win-win for my New Years Resolution.  It looks like I have.

Go to TopChips to order.