You relax as the chair warms and massages your back. Soothing colors surround you, and calming music fills your ears. No one can interrupt this 30 minutes just for you. No phone calls, no demands, no guilt about just being still and doing nothing—with your mouth wide open.

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. 

If you’ve ever been through it, you have true sympathy for others. Trying to soothe a colicky baby is one of the greatest initial trials of parenthood. One day your baby starts to cry—and he keeps on crying. For weeks. And then...it stops as mysteriously as it began.

The Champagne toasts and wedding cake may have passed, but there still is time for claiming whose is whose. Postnuptial agreements, the figurative younger sibling of the better-known prenuptial agreements, offer legal documentation of spousal understandings, should marital circumstances change in the future. But if you’re happily married, why bring attorneys into the picture?

TAYLOR ROBINSON, a senior at Ladue Horton-Watkins High School, is one of 814 high school athletes nationwide who have been nominated to play in the 2013 McDonald’s All American Games. The 2013 nominees include high school basketball players from across the country who have been selected by coaches, athletic directors, principals and members of the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee. Pictured: Taylor Robinson with Colleen Schoendienst, local McDonald's owner/operator

So, I’m an OK mother—Cranky, Whiny and Punch seem to be surviving. Honestly, were I grading my parenting, I would give myself a B, which is weird because I always have been an A student.

Men have it pretty easy when it comes to wedding attire: If the invitation says black tie, a tuxedo is in order, whether you own one or not. If you’re in the latter category, you must rent one. But don’t let the young guys at the tux shop rent you anything but the most traditional of tuxedos. In addition, instead of patent leather shoes that look like plastic, I recommend you wear a highly shined pair of black, lace-up dress shoes.

The Gatesworth is getting ready to break out the silver, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary this fall. That kind of longevity doesn’t come easily, and it has been earned with a commitment to providing the highest possible level of service, says director of operations Bob Leonard. “We do quality, not quantity,” he says. “We’re not trying to run 30 senior living facilities—we have one at each level of care. We decided to do one thing, and do it right.”

DR. COLIN DERDEYN, professor of radiology, neurological surgery and neurology at Washington University School of Medicine, has been appointed vice-chair and chair-elect of the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

The hills are alive… Trust me, if you’re a classical music fan, you’ll want to run through a lush field (with your arms outstretched in song, of course) once you read about the biggest news to hit the St. Louis airwaves in years.

My oldest child is 11 years old. And I believe that if you do something every day for 11 years, experience alone should make one proficient. However, parenting is more of an art than a science. What works one day may not work the next, and there are many factors that contribute to the ebb and flow of family functioning.

To flourish financially into future generations, author Ellen Miley Perry says affluent families also have to thrive emotionally. A wealth adviser for 25 years and author of A Wealth of Possibilities: Navigating Family, Money and Legacy, Perry has worked with more than 150 high-net worth families throughout her career—often witnessing the same pattern. “I observed that families who flourish the most were focused on qualitative issues, not just quantitative ones,” she says. “They took time and interest in quality family relationships and raising the next generation. Far fewer families devote the same intensity, energy and commitment to human assets as they do to financial assets.”

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.

DOUGLAS CHANG has been appointed GM of The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis. Previously, he oversaw the hotel's Maui location.

Story: Caleb has returned home, or rather what’s left of his home, following the conclusion of the Civil War. The Confederate soldier has been shot in the leg and is badly in need of surgery, but he resists the efforts of Simon, his former slave, to take him to the hospital in Richmond.

You voted, we listened! Ladue News readers know what they like; and with this year's Platinum List, you've made your voices heard. This list compiles the best of St. Louis. 

SweetArt Bake Shop in the Shaw neighborhood is a marriage of food and art. And that works out beautifully for owners Cbabi and Reine Bayoc, who happen to be husband and wife.

Last week, my husband and I attended a seminar on alcohol and drug prevention at Whiny’s school for eighth-graders and their parents. We were split up, and tables of nine were composed of four kids, four parents and a faculty facilitator. There were various speakers: a doctor who explained the effects of alcohol on the teenage brain, two seniors who had elected not to drink during their high school years, and the head of school who encouraged open and honest dialogue about the subject.

New York City Ballet MOVES is coming to St. Louis for the first time since 1994, in conjunction with Dance St. Louis. The touring group of 20 performers will present five pieces that run the gamut, giving viewers the chance to experience the ballet’s diverse repertory without leaving home. We caught up with artistic director and ballet master Jean-Pierre Frohlich in advance of the March 9 and 10 performances at the Fox Theatre.

Every last fixture, decorative panel and crown molding must be perfect for a remodel to look authentic, local contractors say. That’s why they go above and beyond—special-ordering pieces from around the country to be fit precisely into place by experienced local craftsmen. This attention to detail is what preserves each home’s architectural integrity, says Dave Dunlap, owner of Consolidated Design & Construction Group.

When facing an impending divorce, it can feel like you are drowning in a tumultuous sea surrounded by major decisions about the most important aspects of your life. The family law firm of Green Cordonnier & House aims to be a life jacket for you during that time, helping you protect what matters the most, says partner Margo Green. “It’s very important that the attorney you choose to guide you though that process understands the traumatic nature of the situation. You may not be able to see clearly at that moment, but with so many years of experience, we are confident that we can guide you in the right direction.”

When Amanda and Jeffrey Mullen were preparing for their wedding in 2010, Amanda Mullen knew that she wanted her pets to play a big part. After all, she is the director of the Humane Society’s Longmeadow Rescue Ranch.

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.

Every year, a small college in northern Michigan compiles a list of words and phrases to eliminate from everyday vocabulary due to misuse, overuse and/or annoyance. In years past, words as mundane as ‘amazing’ or as trendy as ‘LOL’ made the list. Personally, I am of the opinion that any spoken text abbreviation should be banned. Do people realize that actually saying ‘by the way’ is shorter syllabically than ‘BTW?’