I have recently decided that I am going to train for a marathon. Crazy, right? This is quite a feat for anyone...but having been a Division I track and field sprinter, it's particularly terrifying for me. I run fast and stop, not slow and for hours. But, I'm sticking to it and by this time next year I should be a well oiled mile-eating-machine. With all that said, I've been even more interested in all the new advancements in athletic wear technology. Most recently, I had the opportunity to hear about and checkout a new collection of gear called Vizipro by Saucony--which is for the evening…
Real Simple
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Beauty & Fashion
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Saucony Introduces ViziPro Apparel For Those Who Need/Want To Be Seen
4 Nov 2009 | 2:14 pm -
Stella McCartney For GapKids Hits This Monday!
30 Oct 2009 | 6:20 amIf you thought these designer and big retailer collaborations couldn't get any better, then think again. The uber fabulous designer Stella McCartney is teaming up with GapKids to transform your little munchkins into fashionistas and fashionistos! Starting this Monday, November 2nd, select Gaps in the US, Canada, UK, Japan and France will have lines around the corner with moms clamoring for Stella's super cute kiddie designs. Just look at the whimsical campaign pictures---don't you just die for every last one of these looks (especially that little girl with the tutu… -
Do You Wear Thongs???
28 Oct 2009 | 7:00 amThis might be too personal of a question---but I'm not too shy to ask (hehehe): Do you wear thongs? I've had several conversations around this question over the past few months and I wanted to know how you all feel about this intriguing piece of cloth we call a thong (or g-string, y-string, etc). 1. Some people think they are necessary (myself included) for their practical purposes of hiding your panty line and protecting "your business" while feeling like you have nothing on. 2. Others believe quite the contrary. Putting a piece of fabric where-the-sun-don't-shine is just not something… -
Simple Survey: Shapewear That Wants To Be Seen??
21 Oct 2009 | 11:20 amSo, I just previewed DKNY's new and colorful shape-wear line called Smoothies-- that is meant to be seen. You heard me correctly....you're suppose to see it! See them peaking from underneath the clothes in the picture below? I'm on the fence about this situation. My initial reaction is to gag. But after seeing the collection it looks pretty cute (at least on the models that do). What happens to us ladies that really need the shape-wear....does it look as good? Then you have to consider that shape-wear takes up a lot of space on your body and finding the right style of clothes to… -
Cole Haan Introduces A Classic New Collection: Cole, Rood & Haan Co.
19 Oct 2009 | 1:05 pmOur favorite footwear and leather goods company just got a whole lot better.... Cole Haan is paying homage to it's roots and everyones classic sensibility by introducing their first vintage and denim-inspired men and women's footwear and accessories collection: Cole, Rood & Haan Co. I attended a fabulous party last week hosted by Paper Magazine launching the new line and got to see the amazing designs up close and personal. Think....The 1920's, speakeasies, the jazz revolution and superior craftsmanship. Just to give you a little background---- In a small…
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Celebrations
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Treat Yourself
6 Nov 2009 | 3:19 pmOnce in a while a girl has got to pamper herself. What better time than late in the year, as the impending holiday craziness looms near! On my recent trip to Napa, I paid a visit to the Spa Villagio at the Vintage Estate in Yountville, and I can say that it was - hands down - the best spa experience I’ve ever had. Now, most women I know have at least one thing that is their thing - they thing they splurge on once in a while because it does wonderful things for the soul to be pampered every now and then. For some, it’s a fancy new haircut or highlights. For others, it’s regular… -
Quick & Easy Thanksgiving Centerpiece
4 Nov 2009 | 10:16 amThanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday, but if you're the party host, let's face it... between all the cleaning, cooking, decorating, and hostessing, it can also be a stressful time! Chances are good that you'll be spending a lot of time in the kitchen already, so let's try to keep things simple when it comes to the decor. Below is a quick and easy centerpiece idea that won't take you more than a few minutes to whip together. It will require the use of a 3-tier serving dish, but this is the type of piece that you'll be able to use over and over again for both food and decorative purposes,… -
A European Vacation (without the European Price Tag)
3 Nov 2009 | 5:09 pmLast week, I went on the best vacation I’ve had in years. I spent four days and five nights ignoring emails, voicemail, and all work-related thoughts. I stayed in a beautiful French Country-style Inn, slept in a plush king-sized bed in a room with a fireplace and terrace, enjoyed luxurious spa treatments and Swiss-style showers, ate ridiculously good Italian and French food, and drove through the countryside visiting gorgeous vineyards and drinking the delicious product of local winemakers. No, I didn’t just win the lottery. I also didn’t take a long and pricey… -
Halloween Parties: 8 Tips for Last-Minute Hosts
29 Oct 2009 | 5:17 pm{pictured above: Midnight Madness Halloween Party} Halloween is on a Saturday this year, and you know what that means… even more of an excuse to party! If the date crept up on you (pun intended) and you’re not exactly ready for the costume-clad guests to arrive yet, not to worry. You’d be surprised how quickly you can whip up a cool Halloween bash, even if all you have to work with is Friday night and Saturday during the day... seriously! Below are some planning tips to help guide you through it. Pick and choose which ones work best for you, even if it's just 1 or 2 {pictured above:… -
Last-Minute Halloween Planning
29 Oct 2009 | 5:13 pmIf you're like me, Halloween is one of those holidays that just tends to sneak up on you. Thanksgiving? Weeks of advance planning, grocery shopping, and meal-prep. Christmas? I'm already starting my gifts-to-give list. But Halloween is just one of those occasions that seems to creep up and make me exclaim - "It's already the end of October?!" Real Simple to the rescue! Read on for last-minute DIY costume ideas, ways to celebrate without spending a dime, ideas for how to host a Pumpkin-Carving Party, and some must-see classic Halloween movies for a night in with the fam. As for me? Though I…
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Food & Recipes
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Real Simple Best Recipes Cookbook Giveaway
30 Oct 2009 | 9:00 amCalling all Real Simple recipe lovers: We just released a beautiful new cookbook of favorite easy, delicious meals (check out 10 featured recipes from the book). Update: Thanks so much for your excitement about the cookbook! We had an overwhelming response. The first 25 respondents have been emailed. We will try to get a few more copies to give away. Stay tuned. Here's the even more exciting news: The first 25 people to reply to this post will receive a free copy of Real Simple Best Recipes: Easy Delicious, Meals. We will contact the winners using the email address you used to comment. -
The Best College Food
12 Oct 2009 | 1:35 pmDo you have fond memories of your college dining hall? What I remember most from my first meal at Northwestern was the cereal bar. I'm a total cereal junkie and loved having the freedom to create my own bowl of Cap'n Crunch, Lucky Charms, and granola (to be healthy, of course)...for dinner. Other than that, I don't particularly remember being wowed over by gourmet catering. But then again, things always improve after you graduate...or at least it always seems like that. Still, Northwestern didn't make The Daily Beast's list of the country's top 15… -
The Cookie Recipe that Caused Quite a Commotion
9 Oct 2009 | 11:15 amI recently asked our Facebook fans to share their favorite Real Simple cookie recipe. However, the conversation took quite an interesting turn. Hillary D., the first respondent, shared her cookie secret: "Cake mix of choice...half can of sweetened condensed milk, three eggs and Voila! The perfect cookie dough!" This simple recipe quickly elicited an amazing response: some questions (Can you roll them? What temperature do you cook them at?) and others spouted pure praise ("Hillary D. for president!"). Check out the entire discussion on Facebook. To answer the call of… -
Dining With the Stars
8 Oct 2009 | 5:33 amA few nights ago I went to dinner with a friend at an Italian restaurant I had been long looking forward to trying. Just after we ordered, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Lorne Michaels (of Saturday Night Live fame) sat down at the table next to us. It was one of those moments when even blasé New Yorkers take pause. And because my friend and I are far from blasé, it took us a few minutes to regain our composure. Okay, it took us the better part of the night. What finally got us back on track was the arrival of our entrees. My friend had ordered Cacio e Pepe, a classic pasta dish made with… -
Saying Good-Bye to Gourmet Magazine
7 Oct 2009 | 11:48 amIt's been a sad week for the magazine industry. As you may have heard, Gourmet magazine has closed. It seems that the two salvations may be the TV show and the cookbooks (thank heavens). The Gourmet Cookbook is one of the 4 cookbooks I actually keep in the kitchen. I love it, especially the Hors d'Oeuvres and First Courses chapter. I have make quite a few dips, spreads, and lite bites in my time (try the roasted red pepper and eggplant dip recipe). Gourmet's longtime editor Ruth Reichl has been responding to the outpour of…
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Home & Organizing
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Protecting Your Tech
5 Nov 2009 | 8:34 amMy laptop and phone are the two most important tools I use to do my work. Protecting these devices is essential. As a result, I'm always on the lookout for beautiful, efficient, and (in this case) sustainable ways to protect them. Recently, I came across byrd and belle's shop on Etsy. It's full of felted wool laptop bags and cell phone covers that look modern and elegant, in addition to being very useful: One important aspect of being a smart consumer and leading an organized and uncluttered life is that you take the time, space, resources, and energy to protect the things you choose to have… -
Five Ways to Get Through the Holiday Season Calmly
3 Nov 2009 | 8:19 amBuy a case of Champagne (many stores will offer a discount). Give bottles as hostess gifts, then use the rest on New Year’s Eve. Avoid surprises. Confirm vacation days with your HR department. Know what to expect. Check Traffic.com, Flightstats.com, and Weather.com before traveling. Give gifts you don’t need to wrap and/or ship. Try zoo and museum memberships, items from Etsy.com, spa or credit-card gift cards, or dance lessons. Skip the cooking. Order a smoked turkey from your favorite barbecue joint. What advice would you add to this list? I'm excited to read your suggestions in the… -
Election Day Party Theme For Kids
3 Nov 2009 | 4:12 amWith Election Day being a current hot topic, I must share an adorable vintage campaign party theme for kids that you'll love whether you're a parent or not -- it's so creative and clever! Plus I have tons of photos from this special day to share, so be sure to keep scrolling down to view all of the delicious eye candy. This clever theme was coordinated by creative mom and paper goods designer in Washington, D.C., Suann Song, who happens to have a son named Ike so the party was called, "I Like Ike". The theme was developed around Eisenhower's presidential campaign in… -
Chocovenyl Wall Graphics
2 Nov 2009 | 3:20 amI was delighted to hear from Nataly Nir this morning from Chocovenyl in England, a children's wall decal company because they carry decals by some of my favorite illustrators and designers. Nataly, a graphic designer and a mom, loves decorating with decals which led to her passion for creating a company that makes them. Using state of the art printing equipment and premium materials to produce these whimsical graphics, Chocovenyl stands out because their decals have a slight texture and can be used over and over again since they're printed on fabric. With categories like tea party,… -
Photographer Bob O'Connor
30 Oct 2009 | 5:39 amI was reading Jenn Ski's blog recently, she's an artist living in New Hampshire, and discovered the photography of Boston photographer Bob O'Connor. He shot her beautiful mid century modern home for, I'm guessing, a magazine or book and I thought I'd share some of the photos with you today. So many love the mid century style and enjoy bringing it into this century in a fresh, modern way and I think Jenn does this so well and I appreciate that she decorates on a budget. Mixing in products from stores like Room & Board and sites like Craigslist for used finds, she is…
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Technology
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Tech Delight
5 Nov 2009 | 5:41 amOne of my all-time favorite shopping Web sites is Delight.com. Whenever I am on the hunt for something special or unexpected—mainly to give as a gift—I shop here first. Every day features a daily delight: a discount or product that's available in limited quantity. This week they've been showcasing some cool tech gadgets and accessories that are making it on to my holiday shopping lists. Yes, I do realize it was just Halloween. But once they start playing Christmas tunes 24/7 on the radio, I start making lists. This year I plan to have the majority of my shopping done by December first and… -
At First Glance, Windows 7 Worth the Wait
1 Nov 2009 | 7:57 pmIf you've been a patient PC user in need of a new computer but have been waiting for Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows 7, early reports say that your patience will be rewarded. Vista, the disappointing three-year tour between Windows XP and Windows 7, may have improved over time, but the public relations damage was done early by the sluggish, overly alarming, and often-incompatible-with-other-gadgets-and-software system's performance. Two third of corporations never made the move from XP to Vista, which made Microsoft want to get its newest iteration more right than… -
XBox or Wii - Which one do you use?
30 Oct 2009 | 5:04 pmThrough the years my husband and I have gone through our share of video game systems. Together we have owned the original Playstation (which we gave to my parents for their vacation home) and the original XBox, which we used, on and off, for many years. Then, we received a Wii from Nintendo and I thought we had found the perfect family-friendly video game system. But even as we enjoyed playing Wii Sports and Mario Party, I found my husband and then 6 year old son kept returning to the old XBox. And, when given the choice to buy Lego Star Wars for the Wii or the old XBox my son chose the… -
Are You Paying Too Much for Your Mobile Phone Service?
27 Oct 2009 | 3:57 amFor a few months now, I’ve been over-paying for my mobile phone service. When I signed up for my Verizon plan, I thought minutes were going to be most critical. I use my BlackBerry primarily for reading e-mail and talking, sending tweets and occasionally scanning Facebook. While Web is included in my plan, I don’t typically surf on my BlackBerry. And until a few months ago, I rarely sent text messages. Text messaging was not included in my monthly plan.But at the start of the school year I hired a high school senior to babysit my boys two days after school. She primarily communicates via… -
Why you should check your company's LinkedIn profile.
22 Oct 2009 | 5:30 pmIncreasingly, I'm finding the people that I do business with are on the popular business networking site, LinkedIn. But did you know you can also create a profile for your business on the site? So, how do you know if your business is listed on LinkedIn? Simple, visit the web site and, rather than searching for people, select from the drop down box "Search for Companies" and type in your company name. If your company is in LinkedIn, the listing should look something like this page for Sundin Associates (my day job).As you will see, the profile includes some background about the…
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Daily Recipe
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Spinach Pesto and Pasta
3 Nov 2009 | 10:55 amMake the pesto and transfer it to a freezer container or bag; freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, thaw the container in a bowl of cold water or overnight in the refrigerator. Follow the recipe instructions for the pasta and sprinkle with the lemon zest and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Or try the pesto on chicken, fish, pizza, or sandwiches. Other great fall pasta recipes:
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Daily Thought
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“Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless.”
28 Oct 2009 | 1:04 pm―Thomas Edison
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Daily Finds
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What to Do This Weekend
2 Nov 2009 | 1:56 pmWhether you want to see a movie or listen to music, there’s something for you.
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Adventures in Chaos
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Little Things That Can Ruin Your Day
2 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amI was in a meeting in my office last week and the topic of discussion was thongs. Yes, that’s right, thongs: When your coworkers are mostly women, and you work for a magazine that covers fashion, thongs are actually quite a legitimate subject of conversation. And thank God for that! It certainly makes the day more fun. Anyway, one of my coworkers—we’ll call her A—remarked that not only does she not like thongs, but on the rare day that she does wear one, it significantly affects her mood. At some point during the day, she realizes she’s really grumpy, and then a lightbulb goes off… -
If Your Dog Came to Work With You
27 Oct 2009 | 8:00 amTwo weeks ago I was in California on business and visited a super-cool advertising agency. The agency was so super-cool, in fact, that just walking through the place made me feel extremely uncool, old-fashioned, and anachronistic. Seriously, I might as well have been wearing a hoop skirt. One of the things that made this agency so super-cool was that you could take your dog to work. The place had an open floor plan, and everywhere you looked there were dogs: some in cubicles behind baby gates, some trotting merrily out the door with their owners. And many, many napping. Fascinated, I grilled… -
Movies That Make You Hate Your Life
19 Oct 2009 | 8:01 amWhile we're on the subject of movies, do you have any movies that are so wonderful—even if they are sad, or badly done, or set in a time when women routinely died in childbirth—that give you a hangover? By that, I mean cast your whole life in gray and make you wish you were someone else altogether, making it nearly impossible to get out of bed or have anything nice to say about anyone? Here, an informal sampling from me, family, and friends: Pride and Prejudice (BBC version) Pride & Prejudice (Keira Knightley version) The Notebook Sleepless in Seattle (even though he is a widower and his… -
This Just In: Just Because a Movie Features Mr. Darcy Doesn’t Mean It’s Any Good
12 Oct 2009 | 7:32 pmMy very good friend Sharene lives up the street, and we have many things in common. Our kids are the same age, we both love to cook, we both are close to our sisters and are married to men who play too much Ultimate Frisbee. We also both carry the Pride and Prejudice gene. You know about the P and P gene; you may even be a carrier. The P and P gene—let's call it PPG in the interest of brevity—means that any mention of Pemberley or Longbourn or even Netherfield Park sets your heart aflutter. And when that happens, you feel an uncontrollable urge to read or watch Pride and Prejudice ASAP… -
Why Does My 2-Year-Old Love iCarly?
5 Oct 2009 | 10:13 amSeriously, this is one of the current head-scratchers in our household. Now, a brief Web search informs me that iCarly is not appropriate for my son. To that I say, it is no less inappropriate than many other things he is exposed to as the youngest of three brothers, including but not limited to: Aerosmith songs; The Simpsons; and kids who say “Shut up!” Try as I might, he cannot live in a Pooh/101 Dalmations (the original, not the remake)/Sesame Street world 24/7. At least not without us putting his brothers up for adoption. Have I mentioned that “Hey Jude” is his favorite song, with…
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No Obligation Book Club
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The Art of Racing in the Rain: Chapters 1 - 13
6 Nov 2009 | 12:25 pmAnd we’re off – it was so difficult to put this book down. I was completely riveted and sped through the first few chapters. But before I get ahead of myself, I first want to thank you for sharing your amazing pet stories. I had quite a few good laughs – from farting dogs to over-sized lap dogs. You can’t help but smile reading all of them.Now, let’s talk about Chapter 1. From the first sentence, I got emotional reading this book written from Enzo’s point of view. It just made me think about what my dog Lucy must be thinking all day long and how I wish I could understand her… -
A Gate at the Stairs: Chapters 5 and 6, Plus Questions for the Author
2 Nov 2009 | 9:19 amWhile I knew something was up in the Thornwood-Brink house, I was completely floored by the story of Gabriel. I have been both the passenger and the driver in cars that have been pulled off the road due to a child’s unruly behavior, but leaving him? What?!? I could not believe that John/Edward drove away and that Susan/Sarah didn’t open the door and get out, even if the car was moving. I am still dumbfounded when I reread this passage, and want to know, did Moore make this up out of whole cloth or did she actually hear of such an incident in real life? As a parent, I cannot stomach… -
The Art of Racing in the Rain: An Introduction
28 Oct 2009 | 5:51 pmHi, everyone! Welcome to the next installment of the No-Obligation Book Club. I’m Kathleen Murray Harris, an executive editor for RealSimple.com (which you all love so much, right?). You can also catch me blogging about food for Simply Stated. You actually already know a bit about me; the four books I proposed for the November book club clue you in to a few of my favorite things: Dogs (The Art of Racing in the Rain) Making people happy (the reader-suggested Out Stealing Horses) Underdog sports stories (The Blind Side) Investigative journalism/exposing the bad guys (Nickel and Dimed) But I… -
A Question for You: What’s the Best Love Story You’ve Ever Read?
27 Oct 2009 | 7:30 amHello, book clubbers: Valentine’s Day being all about romance, we’d love to know for the February issue of Real Simple: What’s your favorite love story? Were you enthralled with the passionate affair between Almasy and Katherine Clifton in Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient? Did your heart break when Romeo and Juliet fell victim to their star-crossed love? Tell us below: Post the title and author, and little bit about why you were so touched by the love story, and your answer may appear in an upcoming issue of Real Simple magazine. -
And the November Winner?
26 Oct 2009 | 6:00 amThe Art of Racing in the Rain took off from the start as if, well, it were in a race to the finish line, winning the November poll handily. RealSimple.com Executive Editor Kathleen Murray Harris will lead the discussion of Garth Stein’s sweet, funny, offbeat novel, and she‘ll introduce herself and talk a little bit about the book later this week. Join her!
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Work & Life
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Why I Miss the 4:30 Movie.... (AKA McMillan & Wife Makes Me Smile)
6 Nov 2009 | 8:01 amI do quite a bit of my writing at night and often I watch campy old movies to keep me company. I can tell you that "In Like Flint" has come on more than a couple of times in the last year so has "Salt & Pepper". I watch these movies as well as things like "Columbo", "McCloud" and "McMillan & Wife" because they actually remind of when we only had one television in the house. So the whole family watched a whole bunch of campy spy flicks, whodunnits and the like (whether we wanted to or not). The same thing happened at Aunt… -
Do You Put Money into an FSA? POLL
6 Nov 2009 | 5:37 amHave you ever bought aspirin? Filled a prescription? Written a check for a co-pay at the doctor’s office? Sure you have. People spend hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars every year on medical expenses. That’s why Flexible Spending Accounts, or FSAs, are so fantastic: If you use them correctly, they can save you serious cash on expenses you’re incurring anyway.If your employer offers an FSA, it means you can put pre-tax money away to pay for many things health-related: doctor’s visits, over-the-counter meds, band-aids, you name it. What’s the big deal, you ask? I’ll tell… -
A Secret to Happiness? Pick a Favorite.
5 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pmOn our last family trip to visit my parents in my hometown, Kansas City, it occurred to me that one of the reasons we have so much fun there is that we make the rounds of our “favorites” – our favorite hamburger joint, our favorite ice-cream store, our favorite toy store, our favorite book store, our favorite barbeque place (several contenders for this — it’s Kansas City, after all!) For some reason, at home in New York City, we haven’t identified many places this way. Sometimes we go out for brunch on the weekends, and we usually go to the same place, but we don’t say to… -
Granite Countertops or a New Furnace? You Decide.
3 Nov 2009 | 6:27 amIf the wish fairy suddenly granted you a healthy chunk of money wrapped in ribbon made of twenty-dollar bills, what kind of home improvements would you make? Remodel the kitchen and replace the flooring? Or something more practical, like buying new windows and springing for a new furnace? If you’re leaning toward the practical, you’re so last year. Apparently now that the economy is on the up and up, Americans don’t care as much about being energy efficient or saving on utility bills, says a new survey conducted by the Shelton Group. A year ago, we were all about replacing windows and… -
Seriously, Don't Touch That Money
30 Oct 2009 | 5:43 amDo you have a retirement account? A 401(k) or an IRA of some kind? There’s a reason it’s called a “retirement” account: You’re not supposed to touch it until you retire. And yet nearly half of us are cashing out our 401(k) funds when we leave a company, according to a recent study by Hewitt Associates. We’re taking the money and running, so to speak. And why, you might ask, is that so bad? Let me count the ways.1. You’ll have to pay income taxes.2. You’ll have to pay a 10 percent penalty if you’re not yet 55 years old.3. You’ll lose all the growth and compounding that’ll…
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Daily Health
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Light the Night: Safer Exercising in the Dark
4 Nov 2009 | 7:21 amWith daylight savings time having just ended, it's getting dark ridiculously early again, and while the mornings will be lighter for a while, in general we all know that winter simply means shorter, darker days.And for people who exercise outside, it means trying to stay visible to the cars (and cyclists) that zoom by us. Getting the attention of those drivers, in particular, is a serious situation; according to recent statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 6,000 people were killed and 500,000 injured due to driver distraction in 2008. And of… -
Do You Always Follow Doctor's Orders?
31 Oct 2009 | 6:33 amWhen the doctor gives you instructions or advice, do you always follow it to the T? I've had a few occasions lately where I've been to a health-care practitioner, and she's told me to do something, and then I realized later that I wasn't really adhering to her guidelines as strictly as perhaps she'd have liked.I am not talking about anything really, really serious (or at least I don't think so), but for example, now that I am just five weeks post C-section, my midwife gave me the go ahead to do some "light jogging" and/or some "powerwalking", if I… -
Are You Going to Get a Flu Shot This Year?
22 Oct 2009 | 9:35 amIt seems like all anyone can talk about these days, and all you can hear about on the news lately, is the flu. Both the regular, 'seasonal', flu and the H1N1 flu (aka Swine Flu)...And while I am not about to add to the swirling stew of information and anxiety, I'm mostly just wondering if people are getting worried about it and if it's affecting your decisions about getting the flu vaccine in general.For some people, this will be the first time they get a flu shot, and for others (like myself), it's just another sign of autumn—dropping leaves, shorter days, and a jab in… -
Look Ma, No Hands! Two New Music On-the-Go Options
13 Oct 2009 | 5:31 amRegular readers will know that I'm fairly obsessed with finding products that let you exercise with your music in your ears but your hands free. (I hate having something gripped in my palm during a workout!) I've already found a few good products, and now I've got two new favorites to share. The Armpocket (below) is sort of like the luxury SUV of phone/MP3 carriers—with plenty of room for both items as well as keys, cash, a credit card. It's totally adjustable to any size bicep, easy to put on, and doesn't bounce or loosen up even during a long, vigorous workout. -
Hospital Daze: Taking Control of Your Time as a Patient
7 Oct 2009 | 11:02 amI spent nearly four days in the hospital ten days ago, after giving birth to my daughter. (Because it ended up being a C-section, I was there longer than I'd anticipated.) While I sort of fell perversely in love with those huge automatic, adjustable beds—perfect when you've had abdominal surgery and can't really raise or lower your body without pain—and did really like that they bring you (fairly palatable!!) food three times a day (as opposed to life at home where we have to fend for ourselves on two-hour stretches of sleep!), the overall hospital experience was rather…
