A tribute by comedian Louis C.K. Humorous, wise & inspiring. Thanks Louis!

Happy Father’s Day to our wonderful dads!

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

Sunday, June 19th is around the corner and for all of you who forgot (yes, I am looking at you) that means Father’s Day is fast approaching and unless you are one of the lucky ones with a dad who is a real zealot for some sort of hobby, you are wringing your hands in despair because buying dad a gift can be particularly difficult. Annoyingly, many fathers are of the, “Save your money” and “It’s a ‘Hallmark’ holiday” variety which moves them from the “difficult” to the “eye-gouging” category on your shopping list.

Lucky for you, I’m here to help.

For those of you with small children you are probably going to go the route of baby’s face on a commuter mug, or a personalized photo mouse pad. So sweet. If you are older and have a couple of bucks in your pocket maybe you’ll surprise him with a tee time at a posh golf course… sentiment and money make for easy gift giving. Little children get to give handprint ashtrays for fathers that quit smoking in 1989 while bigger children can splash out for an expensive bottle of scotch; both awesome choices. However, I am here to tell you that what your father really wants for his “big” day, what would make him happy and proud, is some indication that you’ve been listening to him all along. You value his advice and he has helped guide and direct you to a better place in your life.

Sounds easy, no?

See, fathers exist in a strange little vacuum in our society and despite the fact that just as many mothers work outside the home, the most common image of Dear Old Dad is that of protector and provider. We look to him to teach us how to ride a bikes, to drive a car and maybe how to throw a punch… gender roles aren’t as clearly defined in reality as they are ingrained in our collective societal consciousness.

This Sunday is the perfect time to let your pops know that he has done a good job – pick just one thing your father has imparted on to you – something that is important enough to him that he let you in on it as well and tell him that he was right.

For example, consider mailing him a card in which you jot down, Dad, thanks for the great advice. I am so glad I started changing my oil every 2,500 miles! Or take him to lunch and let him know that your backhand did improve when you tried those stretching exercises his friend the chiropractor suggested… these are tangible examples of how you not only heard what he had to say but also took it to heart. If you are insistent on say, purchasing him a new tackle box, make it more personal by including a hand tied lure or voucher to his favorite fishing spot – anything that is an actual visual to your relationship.

Father Knows Best – it’s not just a old TV show anymore.

Myself? Well for over a year my father has been hounding encouraging me to learn Spanish, so this year I am going to crack open my Amazon account and order myself the incredibly pricey so it better work Rosetta Stone program and hopefully I will be discurso en Espanol soon. Bueno! Ole!

Adios!

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

As a working mom, for some reason, I have no problem managing my day at work with my colleagues. But, when it comes to managing my home life and family there have been some serious near misses. In a home of two working parents, three children, dentist/doctor appointments, soccer practices, swimming lessons, dance recitals, sleepovers, birthday parties, play dates, infinite must-run errands and lord knows what else, it takes a fine tuned system to ensure that no child is left waiting on the curb who was to be picked up by a parent who thought the other one was going to pick them up (it only happened once – this year – and she was safely with another mom who called me).

I needed one central place to coordinate every family “event”, on one single calendar that could not only schedule each event but also designate the tasks for that event. Plus, it would need to show who was doing what, where the event is taking place and email all parties involved.  Does this even exist?

Regen Fearon felt the same way. This is what inspired her to create a solution and to develop Plumlife, an integrated tool to manage family activities. As she was setting out to understand the needs of what it takes to manage a single event at home, she discovered that just to send one child to a birthday party takes 8 steps and 8 tasks to complete: 1) RSVP 2) jot down on calendar 3) buy present 4) wrap present 5) make or buy card 6) get child there 7) get child home  and lastly, to make sure other children are looked after at the time of the birthday party. If everyone is doing something different on the same day (which is not unusual) the number of tasks can add up and a lot of PostIt notes and texting back and forth on who-is-doing-what-and-when happens. A business could never be run like this. It is too easy for someone to forget something important (or someone).

Since women are the CEO’s of the family, Regen saw it as her job to keep all her employees, i.e.

Read the full story »

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

I have just celebrated my last birthday in my, ahem, later 40′s and I have come to realize that I am definitely looking my age. Which I have no problem with – really – as long as I “age gracefully”, I am happy with the way I look. I can truly embrace my wrinkles but, at the same time, I still do want my skin to look as healthy and toned as possible without resorting to “procedures”.

When I attended MORE magazine’s Reinvention Convention last month, Dr. Will Kirby, a Board Certified Dermatologist, spoke about Ageless Skincare. It was reassuring to listen to him say that we can slow the process of skin aging without resorting to visits to the cosmetic doctor’s office. Dr. Kirby actually “empowered” women in the audience by demystifying some facts (mostly marketing messages we have been hearing) and educating us about the reality of our skin and how getting “back to basics”can make a difference in our skin’s aging process.

Here are some commonly heard myths about our skin:

1) Food – It is not clear if food really makes a difference in the skin’s aging process. Of course, if we eat better, we feel better and our bodies do thank us for this, but does it make a difference to our skin? Studies have not proven that it does. As for acne, food seldom causes it. Acne is caused by over production of sebum (oil) and obstruction of the pores. The amount of sebum produced by the skin is regulated by hormones only, not food.

2) Dirt – Huge anti-aging myth. We naturally need to wash our faces like the rest of our bodies, but keep it simple. Mild soaps and warm water or cleansing pads are enough to keep our face clean. You can do a lot more damage if you are overzealous in cleaning your face.

Read the full story »

As the parent of two teens, one already driving and the other about to get her learner’s permit, the subject of teen driving is one that makes me cringe but also one to which I pay close attention. And now that it’s summer, our still-wet-behind-the-ears drivers have more time on their hands and abundant excuses, uh I mean, reasons to borrow the car.

Bt, let’s not despair, here is the kind of news on teen driving that might be calming instead of anxiety-provoking: Speedbump™ is a smartphone app that allows parents to monitor their teenager’s safe driving on neighborhood streets, secondary roads or highways. The Speedbump app, available on a contract-free monthly charge of $9.95, can be downloaded and parents set up the speed limits by type of road. When the app-enabled phone is in the car, Speedbump detects the speed at which the car is moving and driving behavior, even if the teen in question is a passenger and not the driver. Watch this video to see how it works:

Speedbump works with the phone’s GPS to assess speed. An alert is sent to the parents by email or text to notify them of  any broken driving rules. In addition to speed monitoring, Speedbump has personal safety features like Help, Check-in, Locate and Emergency Tracking. These send messages to parents when teens click the emergency appropriate app button to request assistance. The messages contain date, time and location. Peace of mind for you, and perhaps even for them.

Teens will want to know that this is NOT a tracking device. Privacy is ensured unless precise location needs to be disclosed in case of emergency.

“Speedbump was developed based on well-respected and proven parenting techniques for keeping teens safe – parental involvement, clear-cut rules and well-defined consequences.”

How well this app is accepted and adopted by teens will largely be determined by how it is presented to them. That is, the Speedbump is NOT a spying device, but simply a tool to make them more aware of their own driving behavior. And as an emergency tool if ever required. And, it’s not crazy to think that some teens might actually welcome the app, to help them feel safer, especially as passengers. Their driving friends will know that they must also abide by the driving & speeding rules. Peer pressure with a new safety twist. Like!

And, for those parents that are equally fearful at the thought that their kids might be texting, talking on the phone or just plain goofing around while driving, here is a great profile on Laura Myers, the founder of the ICUdrive.com program to which unsafe driving behavior can be reported with the aid of a bumper sticker.

Lastly, should you wish to further our edification even more, know that Speedbump has put together this great list of resources for all matters relating to teen driving and safety.

Here’s to a very safe summer!

By Marjie Killeen, Contributor- Midlife Wisdom

As part of my midlife crisis, I’ve been considering the theme of empowerment. Because even though I’m on fire in many areas of my life, I sometimes feel insecure about my choices, or worry what other people think, or downplay my accomplishments.  You know who doesn’t waste time undermining themselves this way? Men!

Men are comfortable talking about themselves positively; they openly share their successes and achievements. It’s not bragging – it’s confidence. And guys know how to accept praise, with none of the shirking or deflecting that women often do. I say we women have something to learn from them in this area.

One place to begin is how we receive compliments. If someone is insightful and generous enough to express admiration for us, not only should we enjoy it – we should believe in ourselves enough to agree. It does take a shift in thinking, though. Watch my one-minute video to learn more.

Note: If you are interested in following Marjie’s “My Midlife Crisis” adventures, visit her Midlife Crisis posts right here on The Succulent Wife or read more of her midlife-centric trials & tribulations on her blog at FortyFabulous.Blogspot.com.

Move over cupcake craze. It’s Marshmallow Madness now. I love this foodie fervor that we are now all developing, revisiting old favorites and modernizing them. We indulged in cupcakes in the last few years. That’s not over yet. But what’s coming up on the horizon? Marshmallow. No, not the type that you buy in bags at your supermarket. No, no, no. We are talking lovingly handmade confections in a rainbow of flavors – and colors. These are handmade delights are fantastic for gift giving and for serving at parties.

	Truffle Truffle – Still being in Father’s Day gift idea mode, we thought we’d mention this one first. This  Beer & Pretzel collection includes truffles, caramels, marshmallows and brittle all in the guy-friendly flavor combo. Buy from Truffle Truffle for $56 for the 29 piece collection.
	Have It Sweet is a handmade-to-order artisan confections company which use only the finest all-natural ingredients, organic as much as possible. Their tantalizing marshmallow flavors include raspberry lemonade, marzipan, lemon meringue pie… Buy here.
	Juju Z. Treat Company – Their gourmet  marshmallows are naturally flavored and each secretly harbors a chunk of chocolate.  Flavors include coconut, orange, raspberry, vanilla and chocolate (with chocolate insert, bien sur). Handmade to order. Buy from Juju Z for $9.95 for a bag of 10 luscious marshmallows.
	BonBonBar Caramallows – Decadence under another name… Vanilla marshmallow are wrapped in salted chocolate nut caramel. The company uses organic and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Buy from BonBonBar for $15 for a box of 6.
	Sweets and Treats -  Marshmallow pops in classic treat flavors like Turtle, Snickers, Rocky Road, S’Mores, etc… These would be great for birthday parties, baby showers, and other fun gathering. Buy from SweetsandTreats on Etsy for $14.95 per dozen.

Good thing that what is old is new again, huh?  Did you know that marshmallow candy has been around since the Egyptian antiquity? Also good to know, marshmallow treats tend to be low in fat free and gluten free. Sugar free? Not so much…