Blog Posts by The Succulent Wife

dot girl logoI have two little girls and I am dreading (I should say, embracing) the moment when they reach that time in their lives when they leave the innocence of childhood to enter the ever changing (I'm talking hormones) woes of womanhood.

Ah, puberty. I remember the not-so-pleasant experience of getting my first period at school. I think that I remember wearing white pants that day but I am sure that, in reliving my experience with friends over the years, I may have embellished the story a wee bit. What I do remember clearly - like it happened yesterday - was how mortified I was at the thought that anyone would notice. I hid myself in the bathroom for my entire French class, not sure what to do (this, of course, being before cell phones). I waited for the bell to ring for the next class and snuck down to the office (we did not have a school nurse). I was in tears and extremely embarrassed as I told the secretary that I just got my period. She discreetly gave me a pad to use and sent me

Elum Stationery BoxBy some standards, handwriting is already considered an "ancient" skill. Next thing we'll know, it will be an extinct art form practiced by only a few artisans. Well, not in my lifetime if I have anything to do with it! These days, the charm of receiving a handwritten note is manifest (any handwriting will do, but do go all out with calligraphy as we mentioned recently) and its message exponentially more resonant than with anything sent electronically.

Always on the lookout for interesting "indie" brands in all categories, we thought it would be fun to pay tribute to another type of art, that is, the art of fine booze-making. Micro-distilleries, like micro-breweries have become more and more popular in the last decade. With reason. Many of these micro-distilleries make award-winning vodkas, far superior in taste and quality to the commercial brands. But, since award-winning in the vodka world pretty much means colorless, odorless and -we mean this as a compliment - tasteless, we want instead to turn our attention to the new and exotic flavor-ways of vodkas. And, let's not confuse "infused" with commercially "flavored".

Indiana Infusions

Indiana Infusions are made from the company's award-winning Indiana Vodka. Five of the seven Indiana Infusions' flavors were created by pairing a complimentary flavor to the prominent flavor for a completely unique offering: Chai Tea, Cherry Vanilla, Orange Cream, Honey Lemon, Raspberry

By Lisa Hughes Anderson - Guest Contributor

Sometimes it takes getting away to come back to yourself again.

What better way to raise your spirits than to spend a carefree night with good friends. I suggest an old fashioned sleepover, just like we use to do as kids. Gather up the girlfriends and host a night in pj's and sweats. Order pizzas, bring out the comfort food and put on a movie or two that everyone will love. Have them bring their favorite pillow and spread comfy blankets around. Sodas, wine, beer or hot chocolate can fit the bill. For dessert, buy a wide variety of those great mini ice cream containers and dole out the spoons. Remember, there should be little effort and a lot of fun. Yes, you may have to see if hubby and kids can hang out somewhere else for the night ( Grandma's? bff's?) or at least have their own pizza party in their bedroom.

gift mugsSleepover tips: try to have places that everyone can snuggle into as the night comes to a close, whether a bed or sofa.

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

There was a time when traveling on an airplane was the height of sophistication…

Today, not so much. Air travel is merely another form of transit. It is usually the fastest way to get from Point A to Point B and in some cases, the only reasonable way to actually reach Point B.

But is sucks. It sucks rotten eggs. It's stressful, tedious and uncertain. But we know all this therefore most of us have learned to approach air travel the same way we would approach battle: we prepare.

We wear slip-on shoes and yoga pants and take off our watches at security. Our 3 oz liquids are in baggies and there is a palpable sense of relief once the TSA pat-downs are complete and the departure gate is reached… But then, that tight little army of brotherhood and unity that we formed in the security line? It has been replaced by behavior so obnoxious that basically, by the time we land at our destination, I want to slap the taste right out the mouths of at least 5 of you.

In the interest of my (and your) sanity, I propose we create the Airplane Etiquette Manifesto. Future generations will sing our praises because together, we brought not only sexy, but also, civility, back.

Step 1

Don't bum-rush the boarding process. You will get on. You have an assigned seat. It will be there. No need to crowd the walkway or try to slip in before your row is called. The plane is boarded from the rear to the front and this is to prevent gridlock while folks are storing their carry-ons. You can wait the 7 minutes. By the way, early boarders, if you are in seat 37B, do not take the overhead compartment of 9A. Trust me, you will gain nothing but the knowledge that you have mightily inconvenienced a fellow passenger.

Step 2

rain bonnetIt's March. And just guess what the weather is like here in Chicago today? It's raining. Buckets. Frizz day. Or…

Here's a cool idea. A stylish, rain-resistant rain scarf. Dena Perry - bless her heart, also from Chicago, invented the Pop.N.Go rain scarf. What is it? It's a convertible rain scarf that protects your hair against rain and humidity. One side of the scarf is a water resistant nylon while the other is a satin fabric. Wear it as an accessory, ready to "pop on" whenever rain or drizzle threatens or keep one in your handbag instead of an umbrella. It's a great way to protect your investment should it be raining when you walk out of the hair salon.

pop n go rain scarf

Personally, I've never liked carrying an umbrella (heavy, awkward to carry, flips in the wind, leaves you with just one hand…) and have always favored wearing hats or raincoats with hoods to shield my head and hair from the rain. But this is a much more elegant - and fun - solution. Seriously, when was the last time you

Birchbox beauty sampleEver wanted to try that luscious emerald green eyeliner but didn't feel like risking $18 in case it didn't work out? Might you or someone you know be a sucker for sample makeup? If so, you'll want to hear about Birchbox.com .

Birchbox is a subscription service that will send its monthly subscribers a lovely, hand-packaged box with four to five luxury beauty samples. Cost? $10 per month and it includes shipping. The samples include well-known brands like Laura Mercier, NARS, Stila and Phyto. They also include lesser-known, hard-to-find, niche and prestige brands . Beauty samples can include makeup, skincare, body and hair product and fragrances.

New members fill out a beauty profile (hair color, skin type) that allows Birchbox to better match samples to your coloring, skin type and style preferences.

If you love any particular sample, a full-size version is available in the Birchbox store. If you don't love it, Birchbox welcomes the feedback that it will convey to the

Finally, days are getting longer and, though I hate the feeling of losing an hour, Daylight Savings time (March 13) means that there will be light when working out in the wee hours of the morning. Just enough to make those early bird workouts somewhat less painful. So, if like me, you are looking forward to hitting the pavement instead of the treadmill, we thought that you would enjoy these particular finds:

Silver Towel by Silversport	Silversport Silver Towel is made out of super soft and highly absorbent (and sustainable) viscose bamboo that is embedded with Terra Silver™ technology which utilizes antimicrobial silver to eliminate odor-causing bacteria in your towel. We also love the use of this technology in the SilverMat too, perfect for yoga. Available at Dick's Sporting Goods.
Headsweats	SweatHeads - Or, more appropriately performance hats. Unlike many of my friends who manage to still remain well-coiffed after a rigorous workout, I'm invariably a sweaty mess and always have to wear something on my brow to keep the sweat out of my eyes (at least I know that I am sweating out those toxins!). I like theSweatHeads hat and the visor , both with COOLMAX® fabric that wicks away moisture plus a soft COOLMAX® terry sweatband creates maximum air flow and moisture transfer. The UltraTech Headband might work well too, for the inside workouts when a hat is not needed. Prices approx. $20 and $15. Available in the HeadSweats online store .
Arm Sleeves	Arm Sleeves - Before the weather gets warm enough to go sleeveless, I like the idea of these arm warmers to cut the chill before the body warms up. I also like the "mitten" hands as I use to securely hold my iPhone there, on the inside of my palm, for easy reference to my running app and music. The New Balance arm sleeves shown here are available through Zappos . For a more colorful look, check out the Tattoo sleeves from Athleta.