By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
We just revisited all our gift guides from last year but I could not resist adding another one this year for the {furry} dependents that will never leave home. This is for you or anyone you know that adores their pets:

 
Dog Couches - Tired of the pooch getting on your couch, well why not get them their own. Choose from a large variety of sizes, styles, colors and fabric to fit with any decor. Go to Enchanted Pets to view their online catalog.

 
Dog Bows and Ties - Nothing says “I am a pampered pet” more than going over the top [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
One of our favorite passions is discovering unique, fun, clever or simply cool products that we get excited about, bring a smile to our faces or give us that “aha!” moment. But is this not what The Succulent Wife is all about? We love creating curated lists, including our (ahem) infamous gift guides. We work on them all year long as we window shop, scour art fairs and trade shows of all kinds. Our goal is to do all the leg work so that you can enjoy the holidays, because, quite frankly, this is what we love [...]

The Christmas gift list… Yep, there’s an app for that. Several really. So, why not make it one less piece of paper that gets lost at the bottom of your bag.
Christmas shopping can be a daunting task. The more generous you are, the larger the family, the more friends and co-workers you have… the list of gifts to buy can be endless. The organized shopper has always kept lists. And rewrote them when the frayed edges of the folded and re-folded paper started to tear. For those of us with a techie bend, those day can be over. Here are [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
When a women says “Is it hot in here?”, we all know what she is talking about. Yes, peri-menopause and the dreaded hot flashes.
I recently went to the doctor for my annual check up. The lovely “I-just-got-my-degree” Nurse Practitioner asked me how I was doing. I gave her the run down of all my peri-menopausal symptoms: weight gain, irritability, forgetfulness, insomnia and night sweats. She pulls out two sheets of paper. One was on tips for healthy eating (really?) and the other one was on how to get a good night’s sleep. I know she [...]

Meet NOVICA. This is a company that gives artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity.
1. We love your website, NOVICA. It’s full of beautiful and lovely gifts for giving and for yourself. What is the idea behind Novica and how did the company start?
NOVICA’s birth came from a desire to cut out the long strings of middlemen and bring handcrafted items directly from the artists to the customers. We’re really committed to helping artisans get recognition for their work while earning a fair income for their skills… [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
Every once in a while I come across a company and the story behind the person who started it makes me just want to write about them. Newly founded Get Happy Inspirational Apparel is one of those companies. At age 33 Maria Carmel woke up one morning in her friends apartment with her young daughter sleeping on the floor. Homeless, jobless, without family support, she decided right there that she wanted to Get Happy – her first independent decision in her entire life. Growing up in an unsupportive and emotionally abusive environment, Maria never felt [...]

By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife
Open the car trunk of my car and you will find a dizzying assortment of disparate reusable bags floating about. Some more reusable than others. No two are the same size or even texture. For a supposedly stylish and organized person like me, this is just plain embarrassing.
Cue in the Esse Reusable Bags company. Love their motto: “Making a difference just got a little easier”. And I would add “organized”. That’s especially true with their Carryall Tote, this item being the very subject of this post.

The Carryall Tote is more like a shopping supply system that eliminates [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
Tomorrow we will be in the month May (already?). How many weeks are left of school? It already appears that the year is winding down. This year I helped out at both of my daughters’ (ages 6 and 8 ) schools, more than I ever have in the past. I helped with special art classes, taught a weekly yoga class and helped out in their classrooms. I was able to get a real glimpse into a teacher’s day and was in awe with what they accomplish in a day and their joy and commitment to [...]

We know the joke: “You’re unique. just like everybody else“. But joking aside, we still like to think that we are unique. Which is why at The Succulent Wife, we always like to feature lots of indie and artisan businesses. Because when we shop with them at least we know that the stuff we buy is NOT like everybody else’s…
And, that goes for shoes too. Probably, especially for shoes. And so, we love this company… Shoes of Prey.
Shoes of Prey is a site that allows women to custom design their own shoes. Pick from a variety of heel heights and [...]

By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife
I’m dating myself (at this point, it can’t be avoided), but I remember my dresser drawer full of silk, satiny scarves in the 80′s and 90′s. Always the perfect accessory to perk up that otherwise drab business suit (yeah, I used to wear suits to work, even with a silk cravate in the mid 80′s. Scream!). And then, fashion scarves were gone. Until recently. Scarves have made a major comeback and I’m sooooo pleased.
Seriously, what’s not to love about a scarf? Besides their ability to enhance almost any outfit and to add color, scarves are our [...]