Spring is finally here! And when the weather gets warm, people run outside. Then they fall down. Or twist their ankle. Or throw the ball just a little too hard for their own good.

Creating good by giving back is a gift to yourself, local financial advisers say. But before making a major donation to support your favorite cause, heed the following pieces of advice to avoid scams, maximize that gift and leave a lasting legacy of philanthropy. 

When it comes to both decorating and entertaining, designer Bunny Williams is the epitome of classic, old-school style. Here, Williams offers advice setting up a classic drinks table, evocative of a slower, gentler, more gracious era.

Dr. Rajiv Patel is an enthusiast. Yet, though he enjoys a nice glass of red wine, Patel is careful to emphasize that any advice he has to offer is based solely on the data.

“At 91 my mom is sweet, unassuming, loves the Lord and is still as pretty as ever! She still remembers when horse-drawn wagons delivered the milk and when the ‘Laclede Gas Man’ lit the streetlights each night. She is as inquisitive as a child and always makes sure to point out a perfectly blue sky, and then wonder what makes it so blue.”

We’ve all been on antibiotics at some point in our lives, and most parents have given their children antibiotics by the time they go to school. However, physicians are warning that we can no longer afford to be so cavalier about the drugs we once thought were all but harmless bacteria killers. That’s because more and more bacteria are adapting to evade the effects of antibiotics.

Let's face it. Nobody really knows which investments are going to be sure-fire winners. Even the savviest financial gurus tell horror stories about seemingly reasonable ventures that inexplicably went south.

Although Wally and the Beaver might have rather been playing baseball, Ward and June insisted that their rambunctious sons come inside at dinnertime to share a meal and talk about the events of the day.

The humble knee is a true orthopedic workhorse. With its combination of bone, cartilage, ligaments and fluid, it carries us through life—until something goes wrong.

Are you ready? Spring is here, and we’ll soon be revealing more skin as we switch to lighter clothing and spend more time lounging by the pool. If you have problem areas that could use a little improvement, you’re in luck. A panel of local experts offers advice from head to toe to help you welcome warm weather by looking your best.

New Planting Opportunities

How are you faring during this cold and flu season? The answer depends, at least in part, on how your body’s immune system is protecting you from the many viral and bacterial illnesses that gets passed around every winter.

When a local woman’s battle with cancer left her exhausted from chemotherapy treatments and unable to afford nutritious meals, Food Outreach was there. “Without Food Outreach, I would not have been able to maintain a healthy diet, which is critical to my recovery,” she says.

When Jimmy Loomis III was in fifth grade, he watched a movie that would spur him toward a life of community involvement. The movie was An Inconvenient Truth, and the moment took place just seven years ago. Called to action by the film’s message about climate change and its consequences, the then 10-year-old stood before the Ladue City Council and successfully proposed the creation of a municipal recycling program. “That’s when I first became really interested in politics,” he recalls. “I realized that no matter who you are, what you have and where you come from, you can make a difference. I was able to witness actual change taking place and that has motivated me ever since.”

An elderly couple transferring wealth, an entrepreneur seeking business investment advice and a three-generation family preserving a legacy—they all turned to the Commerce Family Office.

Some of life’s biggest moments—marriage, the birth of a child and retirement—are a time to celebrate. But local legal professionals say families should also remember that life-changing events mean changes in your life insurance coverage.

In today’s challenging economic climate with mine fields of financial schemes, a trusted financial adviser has become more important than ever. So local professionals recommend doing your homework to find a reputable one.

With the enactment of the American Taxpayer Relief Act on Jan. 2, your 2013 tax return may look very different from last year’s. We asked local tax and financial experts to share some reminders for 2012 and advice for maximizing your tax outcome in 2013.

In our noisy society, about 36 million adults have some degree of hearing loss. A third of Americans (ages 65 to 74) and almost half of those 75 and older develop hearing loss, according to the National Institutes of Health.

In the world of professional gardening, winter brings on different tasks. Hopefully, most of these jobs will be indoors when the weather is at its worst, as snow-shoveling and ice-chipping rank near the very bottom of our favorite jobs list. About the only things lower on that list are cleaning up the bird messes under the seed feeders, mucking out the pond on a cold spring day or spreading ripe manure in the heat of the summer. Gardeners usually use the winter season to plan future plantings, research new materials, order specialty items and peruse plant catalogs.

One of life’s good fortunes is that retirement offers plenty of free time—time that many people use to see the far corners of the world. But Norma Johnson, a travel agent for 35 years, says you don’t have to wait that long!

Facial Plastic Surgery Center

It’s a new year; and if you’re wanting a new look, consider the new concept in facial rejuvenation: pan-facial volume augmentation.

Whether you’re looking for new carpeting or new finish for your marble floors, we asked local experts to offer some advice to assist in the decision-making.

Unreliable and second-hand gossip from around the world*