Local Services

Investing In Your Health Is Everything

Sometimes, your wake-up call has to ring twice. Article by Don Seaman | Photography by Phillip Barone and David Faccone David Faccone had a wake-up call that ultimately answered an issue he’d had his entire adult life. While enjoying his lunch at a charity golf event, he choked on a piece of steak. Six hours later, he was having an emergency endoscopy to physically remove it. He’d had some choking scares before, but now he’d been officially diagnosed with a narrow esophagus. There’s medicine...

Finance + Legal Services

Invest In The Unexpected

Legally Protecting Your Newly Adult Children Before They Need It Article by Don Seaman | Photography by Ellen Goodman Getting your child off to college is hard work. Once you’ve run the gauntlet of applying to schools, getting all the financing in place, stocking them up with everything they’ll need while they’re there, and settling them in, you finally can “relax.” Then a month after they’re there, you get a panicked phone call from her roommate. There’s been an accident. Your daughter had...

Real Estate

Real Estate Success?

The Real Key Is Investing In The Right Relationships Article and Photography by Peter D'Angelo Relationships are the cornerstone of success, shaping our experiences and influencing our achievements. Nowhere is this more evident than in the real estate market. Buying a home is one of the most significant investments you’ll ever make, and the relationships you build during this process can determine your overall experience. Investing in the right relationships isn’t just about networking—it’s...

Food + Beverage

Lisa Baumann's Magic Crepes

The Waffles & Dreams Owner Shares An Easy Game Changer Article by Lisa Baumann | Photography by John Agnello Crepes are the romantic counterparts to cozy pancakes. They evoke images of a Paris street cafe, paired with a steaming café au lait in the springtime. But you don't need to go all the way to France to enjoy some world-class crepes - you can make them yourself, in your own quite American kitchen, for a memorable and elegant start to your day. Ingredients: 6 cups of milk 1 carton of...

Home + Design

Outside Inside

Adding Extra Living Space To Your Home While Improving Your Curb Appeal Article by Don Seaman | Photography by Ayden Acebo, Wayne Hills Photo Perhaps there is no image of American homesteading like a homefront porch, graced with a hanging swing. The open-air evokes memories of a simpler time, a pitcher of lemonade at the ready, sitting watching the approaching sunset. Yup, but it’s been snowing for days, those steps are weatherbeaten and need replacing, and let’s face it, you’ve maybe used...

Home + Design

Starter Home Follies

First Time Homeowners Learn Some Cautionary Tales Article by Don Seaman “We’d moved into our first home with a small backyard that was a disaster. Overgrown, ignored, a real wasteland. But our daughter’s third birthday was coming up and I had it in my head that we needed the yard ready for her party. My poor husband had gone through the ringer to clear it - but there was still no grass. The week before the party, he was away on a business trip. I panic-bought about 40 rolls of sod the day he...

Food + Beverage

Aunt Agnes’s Banana Bread 

Gina Monego shares her family's prized recipe...lucky us! Article by Gina Monego | Photography by Gina Monego & Phillip Barone This is our prized family recipe that I am sharing with all of you. My Great Aunt Agnes was the first member of our family to be born in America after our family immigrated from Italy. Through the years, she perfected her recipe, which came to be thought of as “The Crown Jewel” of her recipes. She later (reluctantly?) shared it with her sister, my Nonna. Eventually...

Home + Design

Rich's Guide To Inexpensive Kitchen Upgrades

Understated Ways To Update The Most Used Room In Your House Without Breaking The Bank Article by Rich Graniere | Photography by Ayden Acebo, Wayne Hills Photo You spend more time in your kitchen than most other rooms in your home. It’s not just for eating and meal prep. It’s usually the place where you organize, strategize, communicate, or simply caffeinate.    When you spend that much time in one place, you tend to see how stale the look has become. But a refresh doesn’t need to cost an arm...

Life + Culture

Taking Everyone To School

Derek Vannelli Helps New Drivers Navigate Their Financial Responsibilities While On The Road Article by Don Seaman | Photography by Derek Vannelli and John Agnello When you’re a teenager, getting your driver’s license is a bona fide rite of passage. When you’re a parent, your teenager getting their driver’s license is a heart attack waiting to happen. You stress about everything that could happen out there, if they’re prepared as well as you hope them to be. That’s where someone like Derek...

Life + Culture

The Family Influence

For Johnny Drinks, Their Relationship Drives Their Success Article by Don Seaman | Photography by John Agnello It could’ve been Johnny Eats. Or Johnny Advises. Or Johnny Builds. It just happened to be Johnny Drinks. And now it’s worldwide. Wayne residents John Sr. and John Jr. Rondi somehow caught lightning in a bottle one night as they prepared to have a guy’s night out with family. With four fateful words and a cell phone, their future had changed. “Make me a drink,” John told his father...