Blogging once felt like a niche corner of the Internet, but midlife women transformed it into something far more powerful. They’ve built spaces rooted in style, substance, humor, and the kind of wisdom only time can teach. Their blogs mirror their lives: thoughtful, expressive…

The scent of vanilla brings back comforting memories for me. My grandmother always wore Guerlain’s Shalimar, her signature vanilla-based fragrance. That early connection made me love vanilla and want something similar, but a bit more youthful. As a teenager in the 1970s…

My colleague, Michael Rizzotto, the manager of a Brooklyn, New York, funeral home, recently shared a story about a family he served. During the arrangement conference, he asked, as he always does, about the deceased’s interests and hobbies. The funeral home aims…

With the official start of summer, it’s time to consider summer fragrances. Summer is a magical time for me, and I love everything about it – the beach, dining al fresco, shopping for bathing suits and sandals – and changing up my fragrance. I must admit that I’ve already used Beach by Bobbi Brown (on […]

Over my long career as a funeral director I’ve heard more than my fair share of eulogies. In a sense, eulogies are like taking a scenic drive through a life…

Last summer, one of my girlfriends told me about a new hair and scalp treatment she had tried at a salon exclusively devoted to scalp health. Shortly after that conversation, I read an article in Newsday, our local paper, titled “Long Island head spas: What to expect at the trendy new experience.”

Some call it “the happiest time of the year,” but it can feel like jingle hell for others. The holiday season has always been a time of joy and celebration, when families come together to share laughter, love, and create lasting memories. But for those who have lost a…

As the temperatures drop and the nights get longer in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s not just sweaters and blankets that bring comfort – your choice of fragrance can also play a role in how you feel during winter. The best winter colognes should evoke warmth, coziness…

Families often view cremation as a final disposition, like burial or entombment. It is not, and that means some important decisions must be made. Unfortunately, families often put off deciding what to do with the cremated remains…

Ambition has been defined as “a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.” And while ambition does not take you on a straight path in life, it can take you on a journey you never thought…