By: Mary Fran BontempoTo hear an audio version of this post, click the play arrow below.For some it’s the sound of a child’s laughter. For others, a glorious symphony or the simple song of a bird.Personally, the sound that gets my endorphins flowing is a bit more mundane. It goes like this: “Vvvrrroooommmm!”Pass by the Bontempo household on any given day and chances are you’ll think you’ve stumbled onto a used car lot. [...]

By: Mary Fran BontempoTo hear an audio version of this column, click the play arrow below.Every time I look in the mirror, the frown line between my brows looks more and more like the San Andreas fault line. It’s deep, it’s underground, so to speak, and it has the ability to send seismic shivers down my spine.I’ve thought about Botox, but the mere idea of injecting anything, let alone poison into my face, [...]

By: Mary Fran BontempoTo hear an audio version of this column, click the play arrow below.Who says the news is all bad?Last week Fox News reported on a study that basically gave us middle-aged girls a pass on strenuous exercise. Not that we needed a pass, as most of us weren’t doing it anyway, but we’ll take the absolution.Now, three other studies not only confirm the first (“Women Who Exercise Often Hit Menopause [...]