If you’ve already abandoned your New Year’s resolutions, don’t despair. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off … and start fresh today By Hillary Torchin I have the remnant of a bad habit left over from my nail-biting days … I pick the cuticle of my right thumb when I’m nervous or feeling anxious. It sticks out of my French-manicured hands like what it is: a sore thumb. My daughter regularly points out that it’s a terrible and gross habit, but it’s a difficult one for me to break. I know I should quit, yet it has become a comfort in [...]

Coping with the challenges of male infertility By Jennifer Florendo When you are trying to get pregnant, it can often feel like everyone around you is pregnant, except for you. Whether it’s your sister, your sister-in-law, your best friend or the majority of your Facebook friends, no matter where you turn all you can hear is, “I am pregnant and you are not.” While it takes two to tango, sometimes it just takes one to experience difficulty becoming pregnant. Fertility challenges can leave all parties feeling hurt and confused, but when your reproductive organs are ready to produce and his [...]

Kids seem to grow out of clothes before they are even brought home from the store, but kid’s consignment shops are a parent’s saving grace on both their wallets and the environment By Lisa Ferguson You probably don’t think twice about tossing an empty water bottle or soda can into a recycling bin. But what about your kid’s clothing? Once-beloved (or, in some cases, barely worn) duds can be recycled, so to speak, by finding new pint-sized owners through resale stores and special consignment sale events. That’s good news for parents, since youngsters grow like weeds: Shoes become too tight [...]

Not only is it green for the earth, but it can put some green back in your wallet By Sherry Swensk Is your home energy smart and secure? In other words, does your home operate efficiently to safeguard your hard-earned energy dollars from slipping right out the backdoor? Having an energy-efficient home isn’t just a seasonal subject; it’s a year-round concern, if you’re into saving money. Performing an energy assessment is the best way to know if your money is leaking through your uninsulated floor or drafty upstairs windows. Once you know where the problems are, you can put together [...]