Have you ever complained that your children are giving you gray hair? You might be right.

Melanin is the pigment that gives color to your hair (skin and eyes), produced by stem cells, called melanocytes, at the base of hair follicles. The change in hair color begins when these cells stop producing melanin in the hair root, and new hairs grow in with little or no pigment. Hair that has lost most of its melanin is gray, and hair that has lost all of this pigment is white.

The link between stress and gray hair has not been proven; however, physicians have observed accelerated graying among patients under stress. Scientists theorize that hormones released by stress cause an increase of free radicals — unstable molecules that harm cells. If these free radicals damage the melanocytes at your hair follicles, melanin production would stop, and your hair would lose its color.

I attended a funeral today for the woman (a mother of three) who lived next door to me for virtually my entire life. It was truly beautiful, and it broke my heart to see the deep pain of her family, particularly her husband.

So naturally today I have been thinking a lot about death. During the funeral, this woman’s only daughter spoke for several minutes about her mother’s life. If I wasn’t one myself, I don’t think I would have paid quite as close attention to the adjectives she used to describe her mom. I began wondering what my daughters would say about me. I am sure they would find good things to say, because that is what you are supposed to do at funerals, but would I be worthy of their praise?

I know that nobody is perfect, but this experience today reminded that I want to try a little harder to be a little better.

Who: Rebecca Finell
What: Mother of three: Ryann (8), Vivian (6), and Luke (2). Designer of the award-winning Frog Pod, Co-founder & Design Principal at Boon Inc.
Where: Chandler, AZ

	1. Mexican Food. Cheese and chilies — need I say more? All three of my babies are made of these two ingredients.
	2. Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. Yes, I am a germaphobe. I use them on my phone, other people’s phones (when they are not looking), steering wheels, keyboards, kid’s stuff, walls, grocery carts, etc.
	3. iPhone. Perfection in a rectangle. It has everything you need at your fingertips and it is so simple and beautiful. My favorite feature is the GPS. I locate myself and tell it to find Mexican food, and it draws me a map to the closest restaurant!
	4. Chocolate Chip Cookies. Great after Mexican food! You can’t mess up a chocolate chip cookie. I like the stale ones from the bag or the fresh ones out of the oven. Need one now!!
	5. Steve Madden Shoes. Every girl loves Steve. I got married in Steve Maddens! They are designer-ly without breaking the bank — so you can buy 2-3 pair a month!

What is on your list? Email us and we just might publish it!

A wise mother of five once told me that she tries to have her dinner preparations complete by noon on any given day. This way she can avoid the maddening five o’clock rush to figure out what’s for dinner.

Her secret weapon is her Crock Pot. Most moms I know have one, but very few of us know how to get good use out of them. Besides the very typical pot roast, if you search online there are crock pot recipes for virtually any dish, from lasagna to stroganoff, enchiladas and soup. A good dinner without the stress, now that’s the perfect recipe!