Blog Posts

Picture an idyllic downtown One of the times my parents came to visit us, we went to downtown Mill Valley for lunch. It was one of those spectacular Northern California days with a clear blue sky and temps in the mid-70s. We were walking through the Depot Square when my dad turned to me and said, "you live in paradise." If you picture your...

How does your dog say trick or treat? I'm guessing your dog doesn't know how to trick you, but they sure know how to ask for dog treats . And if your dog is like my granddog, Beanie, they're so attuned to things that you have to spell certain words around them ["we need more T-R-E-A-T-S"]. Or change the words you're using, until they've figured...

Breast Cancer is no Fun Really? No sh**, Sherlock.  Anyway, I try to keep this space upbeat and cheeky, but this week, I'm going to go personal and a bit serious (but please keep reading). Being that it's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought it appropriate. Recently, I was at a conference and heard a woman speak about her...

The Best Pet Store in Marin Treats, treats, and more treats My granddog, Beanie, wrote that sub-headline. He's surprisingly adept at using a keyboard, and at using the Oxford comma. And he obviously loves treats. You know who else loves treats? Me. That's one of the reasons fall is my favorite season: the Bay Area weather is fantastic, it's...

How do they get that skin? I missed the Emmy's (I was learning to play Mahjong!) but have seen the photos and watched some clips and there was a lot of beautiful skin on display. I'm looking at you,  Lamorne Morris  - and your mom! Aside from great genetics, you know what these stars also have? Good skin routines. Did you know that...

Hello, hello, hello, how low I write this on September 10th, the 33rd anniversary of the release of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." To say it was "huge" is an understatement, but what is the song about? I'm going to take a wild guess: Sustainability Really? No, I just made that up to have a transition to our featured merchant,...

Better late than never This newsletter is coming out a day later than normal. With the Labor Day holiday, I'm a day behind - I barely got the garbage out to the curb on time, and forgot to send this yesterday. Maybe that's why the Procrastinators’ Club of America set September 5 as Be Late For Something Day. Anyway, what I...

Nine of the ten most common birthdays are in September. Is yours one of them? If it isn't, you most likely know someone with an upcoming birthday. So, here's an idea: get them (or yourself) a  Birthday Cake Candle from Ember + Fog. Founded in San Francisco by Jaclyn, Ember + Fog has been making candles since 2016. What...