No. Not that kind of swinging. We’re talking about the most beautiful (and clever) porch swings ever designed. Actually, these are the first improvement in porch swings since they were first developed in Ancient Greece some 2400 years ago.

The Weather…Or Not™ Swings (WON) are designed by Becky Irvine who came up with the concept after she wondered whether the swing she wanted for her porch should face towards the wooded area where she might watch a delightful family of foxes, or back across the terrace to visit with family and friends. She wanted BOTH and that’s what the Weather…Or Not swings deliver with backs that pivot and lifts out so  homeowners can enjoy the view -­‐or face the other way to talk with friends. Or take a nap when the back is removed. And, the WON swing can also come with furniture legs to transform the WON into a bench with all the features of the swing, except for the swinging.

Besides being so cleverly convertible, the WON swings are also beautifully handmade in Kentucky by furniture carpenters and woodworking artist who hand-carve the backs. Solid mahogany is used which makes the swings suitable for either indoor or outdoor use.

As Duke Ellington says, “It don’t mean a thing if you ain’t got that swing“. I’m heartbroken that I don’t have a porch on which to install Becky’s beautiful swing at the moment, but I know that the requirements for my next home will be to have a spot dedicated to a Weather…Or Not Swing.

Each swing is made to order (and signed). Select from four furniture styles and five paint colors and hand-carved designs on the swing back. Prices start at $2,800 and Weather…Or Not swings can be ordered from PushBackTime.com.

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

It was a dark and stormy night.

No it wasn’t. It was a fine night as far as the weather goes, but as we sat our two daughters down in the living room to tell them that I had breast cancer, the storm raging inside my brain was pretty harrowing. I attempted a brave face while my husband told the girls what was happening with me and I watched their faces fall and shock cloud their eyes. And then he said it….through the turbulent whirlwind of anxiety in my head, I heard my husband say it. “Girls, mom may be too sick to do the laundry or clean the house, so we will really need your help to pitch in. You will need to start doing your own laundry.”

What? I might be too sick to clean and do laundry? Really? AWESOME!! YIPPEE!!!!! Yes, that is exactly where my mind went. You know, there’s that part of your brain that we usually tell to hush up, or simmer down? Well, my little unedited thought bubble was doing a gleeful dance and telling it like it is. I didn’t realize it at that moment, but in this particular ordeal, this was my first of many silver linings.

They are always there, those silver linings. You just have to be paying attention. So consider this your heads up. No matter what bad stuff happens in your life, there is always one to find. A friend of mine, who has also struggled with cancer, told me that the only good she could figure that came from her experience was that she now wants

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By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

With myself turning 50 this year, many of my friends are also doing the same. Surprise parties are being secretly organized for some and for others, they are taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, and organizing their own getaways with their gal pals. Always in search for the perfect gift I wonder if the My Baby Boomer Baby Book would be a great novelty gift to help bring light to the otherwise potentially somber prospect of aging. Although I personally am embracing turning 50 I am not excited about the physical side effects of the aging process.

As my husband’s Nana always used to say, “Once an adult, twice a child.” Although the My Baby Boomer Baby Book is a parody on the traditional baby book, middle age is another developmental stage filled with many memorable firsts, such as, my first colonoscopy, my first grey hair and my first pair of reading glasses. And let us not forget first words (is it hot in here?) and bedtime rituals (no fluids after 6 pm). Plus it keeps track of our growth spurts like the circumference of our abdomen and growing liver spots and chin hairs. As in a baby book there is a place to keep track of primary care givers—herbalist, psychopharmacologist, and vital statistics – married name(s). There is also a place for a lock of hair (if you can spare it) along with the Seven Stages of Hair Loss. This book guarantees to be the life of the party!

Come to think of it – maybe I should get one for myself. Buy on Amazon for $11.99.

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

The only way to really get into this post is to request that you follow this link and watch the below video on Fox Fur and Feather Carnivale Merkins, the latest ridiculous way to decorate your bikini zone, and then come back so we can chat…

Good, you’ve returned. Everyone okay? I can wait a moment if you need water or an Advil…

Now, I have mentioned before that I place an inordinate amount of faith in advertising and have fallen prey to far too many Miracle Infomercials… This weakness has been curbed a bit over the years simply because I fall asleep before 10 pm and everyone knows the really excellent commercials for hair/work-out/skin/riches don’t run until after midnight.

I did recently succumb to a surprisingly outrageous bait and switch operation involving a Slushee machine and “magic” ice cubes but that was sorted out for the low restocking cost of $30.00.

Hey, I want to feel beautiful. I want my skin to be luminescent and my hair to be thick and shiny and I want to look as young as I feel (which today, thanks to my overly enthusiastic participation in a stretching class, is 87) and sometimes the work involved with those things, healthy eating habits and regular workouts, just seem like such a snooze that I am occasionally willing to fork over three low payments of $19.99 and in just minutes a day achieve the backside of a teenager samba queen.

The question at hand is this: Does a line in the sand exist? Is there a product that I will not buy into

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By Amie Valpone, Culinary Marketing Consultant & CEO of the gluten-free blog, The Healthy Apple.

Ready for a sweet treat on ‘Love Day’ but not ready for the sugar overload and empty calories? Look no further than this healthy and fiber-rich chocolate bread that will wow your Valentine with one bite! Try this Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free recipe:

GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE SUNFLOWER BREAD

Ingredients

2 cups white rice flour
1/4 cup gluten-free cereal, crushed (rice crispies or any puffed rice cereal)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, beaten
4 large bananas, mashed
1 Tbsp. almond extract
1 ripe avocado, peeled
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1 Tbsp. cacao nibs
1/2 cup oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.
Spray a bread pan with nonstick cooking spray set aside.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and then make a well in the center.
Add eggs, bananas, avocado and oil to the center and combine them before folding into the rest of the dry ingredients.  Mix well to combine; stir in sunflower seeds, pistachios, pecans, dried cranberries and cacao nibs.
Transfer batter into prepared bread pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set aside to cool before serving.

Enjoy.

By now, you have undoubtedly seen some of the many iterations, permutations and variations of the Shit Girls Say video, the brilliant piece of pop culture that started it all (still, in the avalanche of Shit…Says videos, my favorite remains the Shit Yogis Say). This meme seems unstoppable. And of course, since we also wanted to be represented, we had to make our own age-appropriate Sh!t video.

Is it hot in here? Where are my glasses? These represent just a couple of the very erudite and enlightened everyday epigrams of midlife women:

Yeah. We talk like that all. the. time.

Thanks to Marjie Killeen of FortyFabulous (and our contributor of Midlife Wisdom) for her instrumental participation in this fun exercise!

So, how long has it been since you bought that new ceiling fan? It’s still sitting in the box because you never got around to getting the ladder you need to install it. Or the electrician… And how about that mountain of ironing that has been piling to the point that it has now become an unmanageable chore? Or how about getting some help to get those Christmas lights down already, huh?

We CAN’T do it all. Even the best intentioned among us. That’s the cruel reality. So, instead of having all this unfinished business haunt us, let’s deal with it ok?

I can say that now because I just found a practical and cost-effective way to “get it done”. It’s called TaskRabbit and it’s a web and mobile marketplace that safely connects neighbors to get everyday and skilled tasks done. Like all the stuff mentioned above to other tasks like assembling IKEA furniture (cringe), cooking, running errands, helping with events, pet care and anything else (legal!) you can think of. The best part is that you name the price you’re willing to pay and the community bids to do the task. You then select the TaskRabbit (that’s the person doing the task!) of your choice based on profiles and ratings. Good to know that all TaskRabbits have gone through an interview process that includes a background check for added safety and reliability.

Here’s a short video clip that will further explain how TaskRabbit works:

Get things off your To Do list AND get connected to people in your community that will help you to “get it done”. It’s a win-win. TaskRabbits earn a few dollars helping people who in turn get some time back in the day to do what they love.

Now,  let me go find someone who will teach my dog some manners…