If you’re looking for an AWESOME, UNIQUE gift idea for the men (or women who can rock men’s attire) in your life, you LOVE to look fashionable and support marriage equality, consider a gift/gift certificate from Tie the Knot. Proceeds benefit efforts to MAKE MARRIAGE EQUAL for ALL AMERICANS. This foundation was started by Jesse Tyler Ferguson (of Modern Family) and his fiancée, Justin Mikita. In addition to awesome attire, there are hilarious videos on the site to enjoy. It’s worth checking out–even if you’re not in the market to purchase something.

In recent months, I have read two historical novels centered around secrets and the Second World War. The first is “Sarah’s Key” by Tatiana de Rosnay.  The second is “The Secret Keeper” by Kate Morton. Both books are structured so that modern-day women are delving into the secrets of the past, trying to make sense of said secrets, and right the wrongs of the past. “Sarah’s Key” centers around the Vel d’Hiv Roundup of Jewish citizens in 1942 France. “The Secret Keeper” takes place in and around London, dealing extensively with the 1941 London bombing raids. Both books were well worth the read. While “The Secret Keeper” took a little longer to grab my attention, once it hooked me, there was no putting it down. The twists and turns at the end more than made up for the slow start. Both books left me thinking about the past…about how important it is to learn lessons from those who came before and how it’s never too late to try to make things right.