Blog Posts by The Succulent Wife

By Kristin Thomas, College Consultant & Guest Contributor

Your teenager might still envision summer as the time completely disengage, but the reality is that more and more college bound students do actually plan ahead and think about what they do with their summers. What would be the best use of their time? What activity meets their goals and would make them happy? Whether it's related to travel, academics, service or employment, there's a fit for your teen's plans. Perhaps your high-schooler can commit to something that they wouldn't have time for during the school year. Keep in mind that leadership roles and going in-depth into activity are two things colleges like to see. They are also both something that teens can actively work towards during the summer, especially if they can't make it happen during the school year. An activity related to a college major or future career the teen is considering is also a direction they might go. It is always nice to see a pattern and commitment on a younster's résumé. Summer can be a time to develop new passions or continue to pursue existing interests.

BACK TO THE CLASSROOM

It seems that we have a thing for water… I know that we're sounding like a broken record, with all our water talk (Tapped the Movie, causes and editorial reviews), and reviews of reusable water bottles (The KOR water bottle, the Good Life Gear bottle, the Vapur Anti-Bottle), but really, you know that the use of reusable bottles (along with reusable bags) is the easiest, most effortless way for anyone to feel a little more green.

And we care, not just because there are over 30 billion plastic bottles filling our landfills EVERY YEAR in the U.S. alone, but it's also the deception from the bottled water industry and the completely unnecessary cost to us as consumers. Watch this little eye opening video:

And since we know that not everyone has been converted to reusable - yet, we thought that we would provide even more reusable water bottle options. You'll certainly find something here that you'll be proud to lug around…

BottlesUp

BottlesUp Glass Bottles -

In honor of Earth Day (tomorrow!) we thought that we would highlight a green company that - to us - exemplifies what an environmentally-friendly consumer product manufacturing company should be.

Full Circle logoThat would be Full Circle, a company that produces green lifestyle tools that are stylishly designed, functional and made from sustainable, recycled and renewable resources (bamboo, cellulose, organic cotton….). Full Circle lives up to its name, operating under the premise that a product's lifecycle should be cyclical: "products make from materials that come from the earth can have long, functional lives, and then return from where they come, rather than collection in a landfill."

To that point, Full Circle estimates, as an example, that there are about 120 million scrub brushes - made of non-degradable plastic materials - that end up in our landfills every year. Yes, that's just for scrub brushes. Now, let's scale that to the rest of our everyday cleaning tools and we quickly see

How do you thank a mother for all that she does for you throughout the year? Whether your children make something at school for you (which mine do) or spend time with you (which I am thankful my teenage son does, at least one day a year), these gift ideas would show any mother just how much they are loved and appreciated.

Lizzie B Vintage	Customized Bracelet for Mom - Lizzy B Vintage will customize a bracelet for your mom by using five words you choose to describe how much your mom means to you. The words are taken from vintage dictionaries and placed under glass set in a silver plate bracelet. CONFIDANTE, FRIEND, HUMOR, CHEF, SASSY are words that I would use to describe my own mother. And yours? Order it at Lizzy B Found Vintage for $62.00. While there be sure to check out her entire line of jewelry just for mom.
Sara Tams Paper goods	Personalized Notepads - Perfect Notepad to keep handy for jotting messages to the school or other moms. Let Sara Tams on Etsy know all about your children and what information you want the notepad and she will customize it to your liking. See her shop here.
Flirty aprons	Mother/Daughter Aprons - For the mom who loves to cook with her little chefs, these matching aprons come in a variety of matching designs. Check out FlirtyAprons.com for a cute and practical gift idea under $30.00.

Who says that Easter baskets have to be just for kids! Last week I wrote about your child's Easter basket being for more than just Chocolate. We think that the adults should have a little something-something too. For the them, the Easter basket is all about delicacies. Be prepared to be indulged!

TruffleTruffle Boozie Bunnies	Boozy Bunnies - TruffleTruffle created the perfect complement to the Easter basket for adults. These Easter sweets are inspired from some classic libations such as Mudslide, Pina Colada, Rum Punch and, my personal favorite, Mint Julep. Thank you Easter Bunny! Buy them here.
CHUAO Firecracker Truffles	Firecracker Chocolates - Remember as kids we used to love Pop Rocks. Well, CHUAO Chocolatier has combined these nostalgic candies with dark chocolate and the chipotle spice. What you get is an explosion (literally) of opposing tastes of the heat of the spices and the smoothness of the chocolate. Buy them directly from CHUAO Chocolatier.
Anna Shea Bunny	The Easter Bunny - An Easter basket would not be complete without an Easter Bunny. These Floppy Eared Bunnies from Anna Shea Chocolates (are they the cutest things or what!) are hand painted on either Milk or Dark Chocolate. Buy them directly from Anna Shea and while you are there, check out the rest of their Easter collection (love the Robin's Eggs).
Resveratrol Gourmet Chocolates	WineTime Chocolate Bar - We have all heard the health benefits to a glass of red wine. Now you can get all that goodness in an anti-oxidant rich, high fiber bar that contains Resveratrol, the healthy ingredient found in grapes. They are available at Whole Foods or directly from Resvez.

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

So you want to practice yoga? You want Jennifer Aniston's arms and Ashley Judd's legs and inner peace and so you decide, like 15 million other Americans, to take up the practice of yoga.

Welcome.

I too, want all those things and at 41, the beginning twinges of sore knees and an achy back have finally compelled me to visit the options for a healthier lifestyle. I have always had a loose relationship with fitness and if I could have a mere nickel for every dollar spent on gym memberships, class sessions, and "miracle" equipment, I would be writing this post from a brand new MacBook Pro and not on my kid's 4 year old laptop. Yoga is one of those disciplines that not only brings about a better body, but a healthier mind and after all, stretching. Breathing. Posing. How hard can it be?*

*cue maniacal laughter

Hear me oh Succulent Readers, it. Is. Hard.

Step 1
Decide to practice yoga. Buy cute yoga pants. Get pedicure.

Step 2
Look into joining local yoga studio. See 42 sweaty bodies in tiny room and think again. It's January

For children, looking in their basket at Easter is like looking under the tree at Christmas. So why not make it more than just Chocolate Bunnies and eggs. Here are a few "little" gift ideas for items that will fit perfectly in those Easter baskets…

Easter Glass Tile Necklace	Personalized Vintage Easter Glass Tile Necklace - Adorable vintage Easter image tile made into a little glass pendant necklace. Etsy artist Michelle Gallegos will personalized it with your daughter's name on the back. Buy them at her Etsy shop here for $12.00.
Butterfly crayon	Butterfly Crayon - A rainbow of colors in one crayon shaped as a butterfly. Endless fun for children to draw and see the colors change. Also comes in the shape of a bumblebee and dragonfly. Buy it at Chasing Fireflies for $6.00.
DoodleMark	DoodleMark - A great learning tool for your children without them knowing it. DoodleMark is a magic-erase pad that attaches to the book they are reading. Not only a bookmark but also for parents and children to interact with books together. Buy them at DoodleMark for $8.00.

Sarah Elbert came up with the idea of her Lil' Masterpiece necklaces when she saw her niece's artwork on her sister's fridge. She felt that the drawings were absolutely adorable and wanted to come up with a way to keep some of them forever. She started experimenting with her Precious Metal Clays and found a method that transfers the actual drawing onto the surface of precious metals. Her first Lil' Masterpiece necklace was lovingly made for her sister. After her sister received so many comments on her pendant, the Lil' Masterpiece line was born. Sarah started appreciating children's artwork as she began working with many different lil' artists, creating one-of-a-kind keepsake necklaces for mothers, grandmothers and aunts.

SWAK Lil Masterpiece AdannaSarah offered to make me my very own Lil' Masterpiece necklace. Since I have two lil' artists, Sarah made mine reversible. I knew exactly which pieces I wanted to have on such a personal memento. My youngest daughter, Adanna loves butterflies. She puts one in