Blog Posts by genConnect.com

sexproblemsBy Dr. Marianne Brandon | genConnect

I suspect most women wouldn't be so ardently reading the Fifty Shades trilogy if they were experiencing more lust in their own bedrooms.

So why in the world, when nearly EVERYONE wants a better sex life, is it not happening for probably the majority of couples?

Well I would like to say there is an easy answer for that question, but there isn't. The answer is quite complicated and it does depend on the individual couple and their unique sexual dynamics. Nonetheless, there is a LOT both men and women do today to sabotage their instinctual animal longing without even realizing it.

Here are some things each gender does to kill the primal passion you read about in 50 Shades of Grey:

• Ladies, you KNOW that foreplay starts outside of the bedroom. You tell your partner that if he took out the garbage or helped with the kids, you'd want to have sex with him. But the same wisdom can be applied to us! Supporting the masculinity in

Mr. Wrong

By Chef Jackie M. Lee | genConnect

On your search for Mr. or Mrs. Right, are you asking the right questions for yourself?

I know I am very guilty of giving my power away. We all do that sometimes when we meet someone special and really want it to work. You get caught up in the relationship and often lose the relationship with yourself. Believe me, I can count too many times where I've allowed someone in my life that kind of took over.

To avoid those drainages of time and energy, ask yourself these 5 questions and see what your answers are. How does the scale weigh? Your honest answers will help you determine if this person is right for YOU:

1. How does he/she add value to your life? - Does this person bring components that make your life better? In what way and are you satisfied with the manner in which he/she does that?
2. Does he/she allow you to be yourself? - Does this person accept you for who you are, warts and all? Does this person allow you to

baby safety stoveSeptember is Baby Safety Month, sponsored annually by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). This September, JPMA is helping educate parents and caregivers on the importance of safely using second hand, hand-me-down and heirloom baby gear.

One dangerous substance that may go unnoticed: lead. Lead is a neurotoxin, which means that it affects the way your brain works, and it's especially dangerous to kids. Unfortunately, it's also invisible, tasteless and odorless-so it's virtually impossible to detect if it's in your air or water, without testing.

In honor of September's Child Safety Month, here are few things you can do to protect your family from lead:

1. Take off your shoes outside to reduce 85 percent of dirt - including lead residue - from entering your home.

2. Wet mop at least once a week, and use a HEPA filter when vacuuming. (Lead is transmitted through dust: less dust, less lead.)

3. Encourage your family to wash their hands, especially

Rachel Greenwald

By Rachel Greenwald | genConnect

"How did you get such a fun job?" I'm frequently asked. Well, I'm 48 years old now, but not too long ago I graduated from Harvard Business School (okay, it was 19 years ago, but it feels like yesterday). I was on the business fast-track selling designer water to supermodels at Fashion Week in New York City.

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But, when I got married and was expecting my first baby, I realized the corporate mommy-track was not for me. What's a smart, successful, driven MBA to do when (3) babies arrive? I had absolutely no clue, but I knew one thing: I could no longer go into an office and pretend that $5 bottles of water were the most important thing in my day. Like many women in my generation, I wanted to find something I could be passionate about, but do it from home around a flexible schedule.

So I decided to create something I called an "Adrenaline Journal". I wrote down

By Amy Chua | genConnect

It's back-to-school time, which means time for kids to hit the books, do their homework, stay focused, and hone their attention and discipline skills. Looking for ways to help them do just that?

Try a little "Tiger parenting," says Amy Chua, self-proclaimed "Tiger mom" and author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.

The controversial strict parenting style is rooted in "Chinese values" of excellence and often conflicts with the more lax "Western" style of parenting. Tiger parenting isn't something to be feared, Chua says. Here are her tips to become a Westernized Tiger Parent:

1. Assume strength, rather than fragility or weakness in your children.

2. Express love. "You can be really really tough, but you've got to listen and adjust and let them know that you're not doing it for yourself, that you are doing it for them," Chua said.

3. Pay attention to the individual personalities of your children.

Watch our interview with the tiger mom

Social media has inspired revolutions, launched super stars and helped millions of strangers forge new connections. It can also save an animal's life.

More than half of companion animals who enter shelters each year never find a happy home. Approximately 5 million to 7 million pets enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and approximately 3 million to 4 million are euthanized, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Yvonne DiVita, pet blogger and co-founder of BlogPaws, offers tips on how to use social media to dogs' advantage:

"At BlogPaws, we use our blogs, both our home blog and our Be the Change for Pets blog to share information, support our members that are focused on shelter and rescue, and to raise funds for important project," DiVita says. "Following the hurricane in Japan, BlogPaws helped raise over $40,000 - this enabled World Vets to visit Japan and save stranded pets. Using social media, bloggers and tweeters

bbq_shutterstockBy Vicki Salemi | genConnect.com

As social events take reign on the calendar, you may think it's time to leave your business cards and elevator pitches at home. Think again.

Networking opportunities via social occasions are abundant! Plus, you're likely more relaxed and less likely to feel "on," and therefore, more authentic.

Just take it from Diane Lyons, founder of FestiGals, an annual empowering women's getaway weekend held every June in New Orleans. For instance, Lyons planned a morning outing to Café du Monde for beignets, carriage house tours, and an empowering luncheon featuring keynote speaker Hoda Kotb. All events lent themselves to not only having fun, but networking, as well.

"As women, we need to support each other. All the arrows start to fall in place in the right direction when you make connection after connection that leads you to your goal," Lyons says. "Talk to each other, talk about business plans and help each other's business grow by trading

Back to school! Getting your kids back in the swing of things after a long summer break may be exciting, but for many it's back to the dreaded, inevitable preparation of school lunch. Prepare to pack 200 brown bags over the next year!

How do you make it tasty, nutritious and exciting for your kids as well as being easy to prepare for you?

Here are a few tips that will help:

• Focus on packing a fruit, vegetable, protein and carbohydrate in each meal. This may seem daunting at first, but it's actually easier than you think. That could mean an apple, bagel with cream cheese and a handful of sugar snap peas.
• Kids use all their senses when it comes to food, so shape and color can be just as important as taste and smell. Cutting foods into coins, sticks or other shapes can change a child's perception of a food.
• Switch it up! I know it's easy to toss the same PB&J and banana in a brown bag, but in the long run if you want your kid to be good eater and