Beyond Words

What’s the first thing you think of when you see someone like actress Sarah Jessica Parker hawking at-home hair color?  Me?  “Yeah, right.”  Garnier Nutrisse may indeed be easy to use and color all those pesky grays, but I find it slightly hard to believe that SJP colors her own hair in the privacy of her home using a $7 box from her local pharmacy.  Just sayin…

Ms. Parker, best known for portraying the effervescent and popular Carrie Bradshaw in the “Sex and the City” franchise, is not alone.  Do new Hollywood “it girls” Zooey Deschanel and Emma Stone really use the Pantene hair products and Revlon make-up they each promote in television and print ads?  Maybe they do, but maybe they don’t.  What about Hollywood heavyweights Jennifer Lopez and Halle Barry who have appeared in numerous L’Oreal and Revlon advertisements, again respectively?  My guess would be no, but again, I have no proof.

To be sure, some contracts do reportedly require celebrities to wear or use products they endorse but they may also be allowed to pick and choose particular items rather than an entire line.  Other than the hair color ads, the ones that really unnerve me are the mascara ads.  They really make me want to lash out!

Fuller. Plumper. 100 times longer.  More volume.  Curl-enhancing.  These are just some of the claims mascaras of every brand hope to convince you of.  If you use them, your lashes are said to look fuller and longer through the use of flat brushes, yellow brushes, jumbo brushes…wands of every make and style.  Do they really make a difference, especially if you aren’t blessed with good lashes to begin with?  Have you shopped for mascara lately?  There must be 100 different choices and, in my opinion, way too many.  I’ve used my trusty and traditional Maybelline mascara for as long as I can remember and prefer it over any high-priced or glam-brand styles I’ve gotten in “gift with purchase” promotions. If I had to choose a new one I think I’d suffer from some serious anxiety just considering the plethora of choices.  Does the world really need so many mascara varieties claiming so many miracles?

Are there responsibilities regarding truth in advertising in cases like these and others?  There have been instances of some big-name cosmetic companies being called out for falsifying information in their mascara ads.  To most readers, photos used in mascara ads clearly utilize eyelash extensions however, many include small – very small – print disclaimers that lash inserts are used prior to use of the mascara.  My question is, if their products are so wonderful, why do they have to be enhanced with false lashes?  Also, rather than using models with less than enviable natural lashes, why not use people like my daughter Kristen who were born with long eyelashes?  I’m not saying Kristen is model material, but her eyelashes certainly are!

According to “Beneath the Brand’s” Rosann Fisher, there are several reasons companies might choose to use a celebrity to endorse one of their products.  First is to launch a new brand, followed by reinforcing an existing brand and then repositioning an established brand.  Who they chose to recommend use of their products is also carefully analyzed.  Factors considered most valuable include the star’s credibility followed by his or her attractiveness and power.

One celeb I find somewhat credible and very likeable is L’Oreal’s Andie MacDowell.  The former model and one-time actress endorses everything from the company’s Superior Preference hair color to Visible Line make-up to Line Eraser skin care.  Does she really use them all? I’m not sure, but at least one website calls the Natural Medium Brown 5 shade “Andie MacDowell’s signature shade.”

Short of asking Ms. MacDowell personally, I may never know the black and white truth of which personally-endorsed products she or any celeb actually uses. Maybe the truth isn’t so black and white, and is instead somewhere in the “grays.”

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!  Tis the day to celebrate all things Irish, drink green beer, and wear something green or risk get pinched.  But, why on earth do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and just who was this saint who Christians and non-Christians alike know of?  Here are some fun and interesting facts about St. Patrick:

Patrick wasn’t Irish!  He was born in Britain to wealthy parents who were Roman citizens living in either Scotland or Wales.  He was a humble, pious and gentle man.  When he was 16, young Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders who took him to Ireland and sold him as a slave.  He then spent many years herding sheep but turning to God in prayer.  When he was 22 he escaped and made his way back to England where he spent 12 years in a monastery.    Legend has it that he had a dream in which the people of Ireland were calling him back.  The dream is said to have been the voice of God encouraging him to spread Christianity across the Emerald Isle and convert the pagans.  Patrick left England for Ireland and began preaching the Gospel, building churches, and converting many, including Kings and entire families and villages.  He continued to do so for 40 years, living in poverty and enduring suffering until he died on March 17, 461.

St. Patrick’s Day, therefore and surprisingly, is celebrated on the day he died, not on the day he was born.

Patrick used the shamrock as a way to teach the trinity during his travels.  The simple green plant grows abundantly in Ireland so he cleverly used it to explain that the trinity – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – although three separate entities are really just one, much like the three parts of the one plant that is a shamrock.   His idea was so convincing that even pagan rulers quickly converted to Christianity.

The shamrock is a popular Irish symbol but it is not the official symbol of Ireland.  Since medieval times the harp has represented Ireland and when it became an independent country in 1921, it adopted the harp as its national symbol.

There are more Irish people in the U.S. than there are in Ireland!  Well, sort of.  There are an estimated 34 million Americans who claim Irish ancestry, but the population of Ireland is only 4.2 million.

St. Patrick’s Day originated as a somewhat political holiday rather than a religious one.  In the mid-19^th century, Irish immigrants faced discrimination comparable to what African Americans encountered, sometimes even worse.  As a showing of solidarity, American Irish immigrants organized themselves and commemorated St. Patrick’s Day with annual parades and festivities to demonstrate their political and social might.  Today some of the day’s largest celebrations can be found in Boston and New York City with parades the standard and green beer overflowing.

Irish law from 1903-1970 considered St. Patrick’s Day a religious holiday, requiring all pubs be closed for the day.  This means drinking was not a part of original celebrations!  The law was reclassified as a national holiday in 1970, opening the doors of drinking establishments and the tradition of green beer.  However, in the diocese of Ireland, it is still considered a holy day of obligation, meaning Catholics are obligated to attend mass and receive the sacrament on that day…perhaps before visiting the local pub!

St. Patrick, along with St. Nicholas and St. Valentine, is one of Christianity’s most widely known figures, but he is also recognized in the secular world.  He is not only revered by Catholics though.  He is honored with a feast day in the Episcopal Church and is also venerated by the Orthodox Church.

In order to make potential Irish converts comfortable with his teachings, Patrick incorporated many traditional rituals into his lessons.  For example, fire was sacred to the Irish, so Patrick superimposed a sun onto a Christian cross.  Today this cross, called a Celtic cross, is one of Christianity’s most popular.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City is the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and is a parish church for many.  The Fifth Avenue Neo-Gothic icon is also one of Manhattan’s most popular tourist attractions, on par with the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building.

While on his evangelizing journeys, Patrick is said to have carried a wooden stick with him and would thrust it into the ground wherever he was speaking.  In one place, Aspatria, his message took so long to be accepted that the stick supposedly took root and grew into a living tree.

St. Patrick has never been formally canonized by a pope.  During his years on earth, canonizations were done on the diocesan or regional level but churches everywhere consider him a saint in heaven and he is in the List of Saints.

St. Patrick is said to be buried on Down Cathedra in the County of Down in Ireland.

Thinking of of St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday…

I saw the following essay posted on Facebook recently and feel it is the perfect “Think About It Thursday” post.  I will admit I didn’t use cloth diapers on Kristen and I don’t remember glass milk bottles, but I do remember our family’s push lawn mower and my mom’s clothesline, which she still uses to this day.  With Austin’s brand new ban of single use bags, this couldn’t be more timely.

Being Green

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days.”

The young clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.”

She was right — our generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were truly recycled.

But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of the brown bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings.

But too bad we didn’t do the green thing back then.

We walked up stairs because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts, and used wind and solar power to dry clothes on a clothes line. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that young lady is right; we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV or radio in the house, not a TV in every room.  And, the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working and playing so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she’s right; we didn’t have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away a whole plastic razor when the blade gets dull.

But we didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into 24-hour taxi services. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint or our friend’s house.

Isn’t it sad that the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?!

Think positive today!

I recently purchased something from Annie’s Blue Ribbon Store in Brooklyn (blueribbongeneralstore.com) and love that the store’s motto is “Selection of the Best Life Has to Offer.”  I also love that, with my order, came a postcard titled “Ten Essential Steps for Having a Blue Ribbon Day.”  I thought I’d share them with you:

1.  Follow your dreams and listen to your heart.
2. Appreciate your loved ones and show them you love them.
3. Be kind to strangers and smile!
4. Take risks and accept that life is not always about being comfortable.
5. Be present in your home, at your workplace, with your family, in your community.
6. Grow something (and enjoy nature!)
7. Make a child laugh.
8. Celebrate every day.
9. Take time to relax and unwind.
10. Discover someplace or something new.

I hope all of you have a Blue Ribbon Day!

I just got off the phone with my daughter Kristen who called to say she only has one more mid-term exam before she and her friends head off for Spring Break.  She is ecstatic and I’m ecstatic because I will see them all on Friday.  Ten of them are headed to South Padre Island thanks to Kristen’s most generous Godfather Lester, who is once again letting her and her friends enjoy some sun and surf for a week at his beachside condo.  They are driving to Austin on Friday and leaving bright and early Saturday morning.  I can’t wait to see them all, even if just for a brief moment.

It all takes me back to my days at OU and the Spring Break five of my girlfriends and I took to South Padre.  I don’t remember how we arranged for the rental house on the beach and am still amazed and grateful I could even afford it, but I do remember us piling into my friend Lynn’s dad’s long Cadillac and heading south.  Carlos and Charlie’s?  We were there.  Sunburnt and slept in?  We did both.

Now, I’m old and Kristen’s the one headed to the beach.  I’m on my Spring Break this week, and what exciting things am I doing?  Well, let’s see.  Today I did some returns and went to the grocery store.  I plan to do some organizing and painting this week, and I am going to get in some golf and hopefully a pedi.  Boy how times have changed!

It’s tough to let your “little ones” go, but go and grow they must.  Many have a hard time doing so and constantly hover over their kids.  These so-called “helicopter parents” take it upon themselves to do everything for their Suzy and Billy and put themselves smack dab in the middle of every aspect of their lives.  This is not a new phenomenon and many say “helicoptering” is at an epidemic stage.   A recent study to The University of Texas found that 40-60 percent of parents qualify as helicopter moms and dads, even into the fourth year of college!

This terrifying trend is not of benefit to anyone, with the following resulting:

• Kids grown up unable to make their own decisions or solve their own problems, and they also have inflated senses of themselves, are self-centered, frequently feel entitled, and are often immature and take longer to “grow up.”
• Employers are reporting that these kids are less equipped to hold their own in the workplace and many end up moving back in with mom and dad or relying on them financially…and not because of the economy!
• Moms and dads view their son or daughter as just another accomplishment in their lives, rather than people with their own thoughts and feelings.
• Parents who base their own self-worth on their kids’ accomplishments actually have worse mental health than those who base it on other factors.  They also have less joy and contentment in their lives.
• Over-parenting simply sucks the fun out of family life.

Why then, is helicopter parenting so prevalent?  Today’s competitive world of toddler athletic teams, high school grades, and college applications has somewhat lead parents, so afraid of their childrens’ failures, to take their kids’ lives into their own hands, leaving no room for them to fail and learn from those failures.  In addition, some studies show the guilt of working moms can push them into helicoptering whenever they have the chance, as does society’s distrust in school systems and media outlets.  It’s also a sad testament to society in that parents are often judged by how many school events they chair, how many teams they coach, and how many friends their children have.

It was not always easy for me to not hover, and it’s still hard.  Remember, Kristen is my one and only!  Just yesterday Smitty informed me we need Kristen’s W2 form from her summer job last year for tax purposes and to call the business and get it.  Yes, I could have, but I immediately told him it was her responsibility to do so, which I let her know in a text.  Do I talk to my daughter almost daily?  Yes, but at least half of the time she’s calling me!   I still use the “everybody but you” quote I’ve borrowed again and again from her cousin Michael whenever she pulls the “everybody is…” or “everybody has…” plea on me, and I am forever grateful that her elementary school did not allow parents to request teachers.  I firmly believe kids get the teacher they are supposed to get and besides, what if the teacher I requested didn’t work out?  I’d feel horrible.  If a certain teacher wasn’t her favorite, so be it.  I hope it made her stronger and better prepared for the real world.  I can’t request her college professors and she won’t be able to choose her future bosses!

It’s sad, because most overinvolved parents have good intentions but their preoccupation with every aspect of a child’s life is nothing but detrimental.  At some point, that child needs to be responsible for making sure he or she has all their equipment and clothing needed for an activity, they need to set their alarm and get themselves up in the morning, and they need to turn in their homework.   The older they get, the more they need to be responsible for.

So, is there a chance you are doing too much for you kiddos?  First of all, do you say “we” when talking about them?  “We” have practice tonight, “we” have a test tomorrow, “we” are applying to Vanderbilt?  If so, you probably need to reevaluate your involvement.   I’ve always liked the “Parenting with Love & Logic” book and formula of allowing your child to fail as long as it’s not a life or death situation.  If they insist on not wearing a coat and it’s cold outside, then don’t make them wear a coat.  They’ll learn to deterine when they need a coat on their own if they indeed get cold.  It will only take one freezing morning at the bus stop or car pool line to teach them!   Let them make “minor” decisions like what to wear to school when they’re little so they learn to feel confident in their decision making abilities then later, when decisions involve drugs, alcohol, or sex, they will have the tools to feel confident they can make the right choices.  Kristen has made some bad choices in her life, but I know in my heart of hearts that she learned from them and would never repeat them.  It’s okay to protect your children, but keep in mind sometimes they also need to fight their own battles and stand up for themselves, again, unless true danger is involved.

This is not to say parents don’t need to be involved.  Today’s adolescents have more alone time, are more isolated, and are more unsupervised than any generation before them.  In society after society, kids learn how to deal with life by watching the grown-ups in their lives but today, that generational connection is broken.  Kids now turn to their peers and, even worse, social media and TV, to get their doses of reality and morals.  It’s paramount for parents to stay involved in their kids’ schooling, activities, and friendships.  Drive them where they need to go, encourage their friends to hang out at your house (under supervision), and eat meals together at home.  Even The Mediterranean Diet that I recently wrote about encourages eating as a family…it’s not only smart, it’s healthy!

Most kids genuinely want parents in their lives.  They don’t want to disappoint us and want to make you proud.  We need to be firm but fair.  “Because I said so” just doesn’t fly anymore.  We also need to be good examples, as our kids learn how to handle things by how we handle things and by how we treat others.  Our kids, regardless of what they say or do, generally still want us to be there for them, to love them, and to guide them.  Kids need mentors and those who do are significantly less likely to engage in violent or risky behaviors.   They also want independence and they want your trust.

Trust is earned though and they need to learn that early on.  Start with baby steps.  The more trust your child earns, the more freedom you’ll give her.  Feeling like you have faith in them builds their confidence so, unless you have a specific reason for not trusting your child, experts generally say you shouldn’t snoop through their backpacks, purses, phones, or computers.  I know this is hard and I always say “go with your gut,” but if they discover you’ve done so and found nothing incriminating, your credibility could be significantly damaged.   Your kids will never open up to you if they think for one second you are judging them and they won’t come to you for help if they feel you don’t respect them.  Like trust, though, respect is earned.    Sometimes all you need to do is be there and listen.  Acknowledge what they say with an “I understand, but…” or “Good idea, but what if…” rather than deriding them.  Asking their opinion also goes a long way.  In the car is the perfect spot.  You drive.  They talk.

Think about this too:  your kids need to see that you have separate and interesting lives outside of your interaction with them.  This will allow them to not only develop their own interests and ideas, it will enable them to grow up without feeling guilty about leaving you behind with nothing but an empty bedroom and a shelf full of soccer and dance trophies.

Our focus as parents should be that our children are learning, are working hard, and are developing skills that will enable them to be valuable contributions to society.  Having fun is important too!  Teaching them to be responsible and compassionate people should be our goals, not that they make every team and every A.  As Michele Borba, author of “The Big Book of Parenting Solutions” says, “In 25 years will your kids be talking about how many miles of carpool you drove every day?”

I have not been a perfect mom; far from it.  But, I can honestly say Kristen grew up learning how to fend for herself.  Since elementary school she had a down-pat answer if someone asked about weak left side.  And, as much as many of you probably think I was instrumental in her being accepted to OU, I wasn’t, unless they counted me being an alum.  Nope, it was her grades and her tenacity.  Growing impatient and worried, she called the Dean of Admissions (without me knowing it!) and asked what it was going to take to get accepted.  Next thing I knew, she had an appointment with him and was on her way.  Is she perfect?  No way!  But, I’m happy to say she’s the perfect combination of grace and grit.  Now let’s hope both are evident on the beaches of South Padre!

I experienced a big dose of Texas this week and I definitely “felt the love.”  It was “Texas Day” (and basically “Texas Week”) in my preschool , which included everything from branding activities to a sing-along to a “chow down.”  What is it about the Lone Star State that is so adored and cherished by its natives?  Um, in a word, everything!

For those of you in parts elsewhere, Texans take their Texan-ness seriously!  I’ve known this for years, but it really struck me as we celebrated all things Texas with my little three-year-olds.  These youngins were taught everything from why the Texas flag looks like it does, what the state flower and tree are, and they all dressed like little Texans for Texas Day activities.  May I remind you that they are 3…well okay, some are 4???!!!!  It all coincides every year with Texas Independence Day, which is observed annually on March 2.  How do I know this?  Because Texans post it on their Facebook pages!  I’m serious!

As I taught my class that Texas is a state in the country called the U.S.A. and that its flag is also red, white and blue, I asked my co-worker Janet whether she remembers learning so much so young about Iowa, the state where she grew up.  Nope.  Growing up in New Mexico, I do remember having the state flower and flag on my bedroom wall at one point, but I don’t remember being particularly proud to be a New Mexican.  I had more pride in my hometown Santa Fe than I did of the state as a whole.   I was first and foremost Santa Fean, then a New Mexican.

I truly believe Texans stand tall and stand alone in their boundless level of state pride.  I’ve always found it interesting that, if a Texan is overseas and someone asks “where are you from,” a Texan will almost always say “Texas!”  On the other hand, someone from, say Delaware or Idaho will most likely say “the U.S.”    Sure, New Yorkers are proud, as are Coloradans and many from the south.  But, how often do you see someone sporting New York-shaped earrings, a Colorado-shaped necklace, or an Oregon-shaped tattoo?  In Texas it’s also not uncommon to see bumper stickers boasting “and on the 8^th day God created Texas” or “I wasn’t born in Texas but I got here as fast as I could.”

I know it’s all a little crazy, but I will somewhat enviously admit that those born and raised in Texas automatically have a sense of self-pride and self-worth that they take with them everywhere.  You can be the biggest loser or goober in many aspects, but the fact that you are a Texan gives you something to be very, very proud of.   My daughter has it and will never lose it, even living in Norman, Oklahoma!  It’s a birthright like no other birthright, short of perhaps royalty.   As they say, “American by birth, Texan by the grace of God.”

Texas officially became a republic On March 2, 1836 when the Texas Declaration of Independence was adopted.  With the document, settlers became independent from Mexico, creating the Republic of Texas.  Today, March 2 is an official state holiday and to this day, Texas is the only U.S. state to have previously been its own independent sovereign nation, something native Texans love to boast about.   April 21 is also cause for annual celebrations in Texas, as San Jacinto Day is commemorated with popular reenactments of the Battle of San Jacinto, the final battle of the Texas Revolution and where Texas officially won its independence from Mexico.  The San Jacinto Monument, located near Houston, is the world’s tallest monumental column at 570 feet tall; even taller than the Washington Monument’s 555 feet.

Texas was eventually annexed by the United States and ultimately became a state on December 29, 1845, but December 29 is not an official state holiday, although the date significantly impacted our entire nation.   By inheriting Texas’ border dispute with Mexico, the U.S. battled the Mexican-American War and captured additional territory that extending our nation’s borders all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

There’s no arguing that Texans love their Texas, and from the looks of recent headlines, apparently the rest of the country is in love with the Lone Star State too.  For the third year a row, Forbes magazine has declared Austin the fastest growing city in America, while Site Selection magazine just recently reported that Texas leads the country in business relocations and expansions.  The 2011 Census also proves this, with Texas having 3 of the 10 largest cities in the nation.  Houston comes in at #4, San Antonio is 7, and Dallas (only Dallas, the ranking doesn’t even include Ft. Worth) ranks #9.  Amazingly, Austin is ranked 13, higher than San Francisco; while El Paso’s 19^th ranking puts it above celebrated cities like Boston, Seattle, and Denver.

Texas is a great place to live.  The cost of living is somewhat low, the food (bar-b-cue, steaks, Tex-Mex, etc.) is great, the music is fabulous, there is no state income tax, high school football is a religion, and the people are friendly.  Signs on Texas highways even encourage drivers to “Drive Friendly.”  As someone who has lived in Austin for 27 years though, I’d love the gates at the edges of the city to close.  With all its growth, Austin has lost much of the charm that made it famous, even somewhat infamous.  It’s still a nice place to live, but it’s now very crowded and commercialized.

I do love Texas (although I’ll never even like those Texas Longhorns!) and I am proud of my little native Texan daughter.  She may not have been Sooner born, but she was Sooner bred with a whole lot of Texas mixed in!   Yeehaw!

Surprising and Fun Facts About Texas:

Beaumont is closer (770 miles) to Chicago then it is to El Paso (742 miles).

El Paso is closer to California than it is to Dallas.

King Ranch in South Texas is larger than the state of Rhode Island.

D/FW Airport encompasses more area than the island of Manhattan.

The dome on the state capitol building in Austin is 302.64 feet high, making it approximately 14 feet taller than the national capitol in Washington, D.C.

The first word spoken from the moon was “Houston.”

The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman, Rice University’s first full-time coach.

Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.

Volvo Trumps Rivals in Safety Test

Are you in the market for an extremely safe car that’s not as expensive as you might think?  Then look no further than the 2013 Volvo S60, which was recently the only European luxury car to win a top rating in a study by The Insurance Institute Highway Safety.  Structurally the Volvo performed best in incidents replicating the vehicle colliding with another vehicle or a large object.  While the Volvo S60, the Swedish company’s mid-size sedan, earned the Institute’s “Top Safety Pick” award, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Lexus IS 250/350, Audi A4, and Lexus ES 350 all earned the lowest rating available.  Shocking yes.  Starling, maybe even more so.

I will qualify all this gushing over an auto industry study by admitting I am a big fan of Volvos.  Our family has owned seven of them and Kristen’s little S40 has literally saved her life on two occasions.  What may surprise many of you is the price of a Volvo, which is often times much less than several of the above-mentioned cars that scored considerably lower in the safety test.  Pre-owned is a smart route to consider, one that we’ve taken several times, as Volvo’s hold up so well over the years and their warranties are very competitive.

Shopping for a smart, new, safe and good-looking car?  Think about the 2013 Volvo S60.  Questions?  Ask The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.