Brette Sember

Estate planning is important for all families. For parents in blended families, however, it is an absolute necessity. The complexities of the modern blended family require thoughtful estate planning to ensure that every member of the family is protected, provided for, and recognized properly.
Creating a will with a lawyer or through an online estate planning service like FindLaw Legal Forms & Services ensures that all of the children you and your spouse have will have their unique needs met w...

As your loved ones age, you probably are starting to have concerns about their future. End-of-life planning is easy to put off because it is emotionally challenging and may feel overwhelming. But the sooner you have the conversation, the easier it will be, and the more quickly everyone can put their minds at ease.
Why You Need to Talk About Estate Planning
Estate planning is an all-encompassing term that includes planning for end-of-life scenarios and dividing assets after a person passes awa...

What many women don’t realize is that sex is a use it or lose it activity. “Frequent sex in and of itself is somewhat therapeutic,” DePree said. Sex improves blood flow to the sex organs, which prevents further atrophy and dryness. DePree pointed out that some menopausal women fall into a cycle of having sex, being uncomfortable, avoiding it for weeks or months, and then trying again with the same result. It continues to be uncomfortable when you do it rarely, so inste...

“And Just Like That,” the much anticipated follow-up to “Sex and the City,” depicts the beloved characters dealing with life in their early 50s. In episode nine, Charlotte breezily reported she hadn’t had a period in four months and was through menopause without any hot flashes. Later, she unexpectedly bled while wearing a white jumpsuit (we’ve all been there for that moment). Miranda, tying a sweater around Charlotte’s waist, informed her it was a “flash period.”
What is a flash period?
“A f...

Golf carts are becoming more and more popular as a mode of transportation, They're smaller, less expensive than cars, and as most are rechargeable electric vehicles, they are affordable to drive.
Golf carts are an attractive way to travel short distances. The Villages, a large retirement city in Florida, alone is home to 50,000 golf carts, which are the primary mode of transportation for residents.
Put It in Drive
The laws about golf carts being street legal vary from state to state and can e...

One of the biggest decisions as you age is where you will age. Three-quarters of adults in a 2018 AARP survey said they wanted to remain in their homes, but only 59% thought they would be able to do so. If remaining at home is your preference, here are nine steps you can take:
Credit: Getty
1. Prevent Falls
Falls are the most common cause of nonfatal, trauma-related hospital admissions for older adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-quarter of Americans 65 a...

If you can't be with your family this holiday season for a gift exchange, you can still celebrate virtually. Shipping gifts and enjoying a family get-together via videoconferencing is a great way to make the most of the situation and create holiday magic.
Holiday Gifts in a Pandemic
The first question is what to buy. Julie Schechter, founder and CEO of Small Packages says, "This is a moment when people like getting tangible gifts more than ever. Because so much of our lives has moved online, ...

There may not be as many faces at your holiday table this year, or if there are, they'll be on Zoom. But even with the pandemic, it's possible to share a holiday meal with those you love, with creativity and help from a shipping service.
Make and Send Their Favorites
If you want your loved ones to have "your" holiday foods, you can make and send them. Homemade items that can be easily shipped include cookies, breads, some pies, cakes, rolls and coffee cakes.
To make your baked goods look prof...

If you're hoping to be one of the quarter million franchise businesses in the U.S., you should make sure you fully understand your franchise agreement, which is perhaps the most important document you will sign. Making sure the agreement is fair, complete, and detailed will help you start your business off on the right foot.
Franchise Agreement Overview
A franchise agreement is a contract in which a franchisor grants you, the franchisee, a license to operate under their trademarks and to cond...

Cash flow—the movement of money in and out of your business—is the key to business success or failure. In fact, cash-flow problems are the main reason most businesses fail. Put simply, when you don't have enough cash coming in to pay the bills, you've got trouble.
That's why proper cash-flow management for your small business is essential to your success. “If you're a small business owner, it's vital to understand your current cash position, and to know how to keep cash flowing so the heart o...

Health
Aside from health benefits, today's bicycle options make riding more comfortable
Credit: Martha Doran
Has it been years since you got on a bicycle because you remember it being uncomfortable? You’re not alone. Lots of people say a bike’s seat hurts their butt, the handles hurt their wrists, they have balance issues or arthritis makes the riding motion painful.
But there are many ways to make cycling comfortable, as evidenced by the fact that the number of people age 60 to 79 bicycling ...

Health
How to keep you and your family healthy this holiday season
The holidays are approaching, and for many people that means cooking and baking for gatherings with family and friends. It’s a good time to revisit food safety practices and, perhaps, learn a few things you might not have realized can help you and your loved ones avoid food-borne illnesses.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that 48 million Americans get sick every year from food, and some of these illnesses are ...

Health
Experts explain the conditions, symptoms, causes and treatments
Good muscle tone is important to health in many ways. But most people don’t realize that it’s also important to maintain, treat and improve muscle tone in the pelvis.
The pelvis works sort of like a sling to support all the pelvic organs, holding them in place and providing support. As our muscle tone ages, or if it’s damaged or becomes weak, it can lead to pelvic floor disorders that impact bladder and bowel functioning.
...

This July 4th holiday may be a bit different.
The COVID-19 pandemic has cancelled some civic fireworks displays and many people are choosing to stay home. Large gatherings are banned in some areas, leaving Americans without their usual plans for the Fourth. Between the pandemic, civil unrest that began with George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis and the high level of political disagreement in our country, there’s room to rethink the holiday and its meaning.
What Does Patriotism Mean?
A 2019 Moo...