V-day is just a few days away and I'm craving more than just the typical flowers and chocolates (although those are very nice). There are a few items that I have had my eye on...and maybe you can to. Just make sure to have your computer screen on this page anytime your valentine is in the room...wink wink! 1. HP Mini 210, $299 This small wonder is at the top of my list for good reason: It's compact, will keep me connected to the ones I love and it's super cute! Weighing in at only 2.69 lbs with a 10.1" wide-screen display and measuring less then an inch…
Real Simple
- Beauty & Fashion
-
Valentine's Day Wish List...
9 Feb 2010 | 7:11 am -
Freshen Your Spring Wardrobe
2 Feb 2010 | 6:18 amSpring is just around the corner and I've got just what you need to enter into the season in style. In no particular order, here are my 5 must-have items for this Spring (and a few examples you can snag right now). Your Springtime ensembles just got a whole lot brighter (thank me later...hehehe)!1. Patterned flats. Get playful with bold stripes, polka dots, and florals. Pretty Ballerina, $179 2. A decorative head-band. Look for grown-up embellishments, like metallic beads or crystals. Loft studded headband, $18.50 3. A maxi dress. Yes, you can wear… -
Stylish Blogs That Inspire Me--- What Are Yours?
25 Jan 2010 | 2:44 pmIt's my birthday today (yipee), so in the spirit of growing older/wiser AND fabulousity...I want to share with you some of my favorite blogs. Aurore-A Certain Romance (pic credit) I love blogging (although I wish I had more time to do it)! I love the fact that it is a wonderful way of expressing myself, speaking with you the readers, and being a part of a the Blogosphere. I can spend hours surfing the web and gathering little tips, tricks and amazing products from tons of blogs. These creative sites are taking freedom of speech and style to a whole new level. Everyone can… -
How Much Would You Pay For A Haircut?
21 Jan 2010 | 8:00 amI suddenly realized while talking to a girlfriend about my hair woes (there are so many) last week that it has been over two years since my last haircut! It's a shame, I know. My hair doesn't grow like wildflowers, but you can definitely tell by the looks of my ends that I need some serious work. I usually wear my hair up masking the mess and thus forgetting about how important it is to get a trim/cut every once in awhile. Well, my every-once-in-awhile has come and gone. I need a cut! So, this past weekend I ventured into a pretty well-known salon....but definitely not a celebrity… -
Buy And Give: Our Fashion and Beauty Favorites Helping Haiti
20 Jan 2010 | 8:00 amIt's been little over a week since the devastating earthquake in Haiti. People around the nation and the world are donating their money, time and goods. And thankfully some of our favorite fashion and beauty companies are also helping in the effort to bring a brighter day and future to the survivors in Haiti. Here are a few more ways you can help... Alexis Bittar Jewelry Between January 18 and January 22, Alexis Bittar will be donating 100% of their sales to Haiti relief programs (Catholic Relief Services to use 93% of donations). Tucker Paisley Love for Haiti Scarf Buy their…
- Celebrations
-
Inspiration Board: Love in Bloom
5 Feb 2010 | 12:14 pmWith Valentine's Day right around the corner and lots of spring and summer wedding showers on the way, it's safe to say that love is in the air! With that thought in mind, here's a new "Love in Bloom" inspiration board featuring one of my favorite "romantic" color palettes – pink & gray – and inspired by the oh-so-lovely Plum Blossom paper partyware collection. FEATURED PRODUCTS & RESOURCES:• Scarlet Fever FloralsRuby, burgundy and blush tones make for a seriously stunning floral combination! Featured here: red roses, majestic red… -
Placemat Crush
3 Feb 2010 | 1:00 pmI just can't get over the cute factor of these cheeky printed canvas mats from Anthropologie. Talk about setting the table! I'd probably use them at a casual dinner party, serving the food on clear plastic plates (hooray - no dishes to do), so the placemat design would be visible even after guests sit down to eat. Too cute to cover up! Bonus: they're machine washable. -
What's Your Entertaining Style?
28 Jan 2010 | 2:01 pmIn an effort to deliver useful and relevant Entertaining ideas and tips here, I'm curious to know - how do you Entertain? It is my experience that every hostess must find her own "entertaining style" - figuring out what types of parties you like to throw, how often you like to throw them, and what elements of party planning you're good at (food, decor, music). The best parties are always the ones where the hostess is at ease in her own skin, having a good time and enjoying time with her guests. She has her own "style" that has been cultivated over the years. I'm far from… -
Dinner for Two
24 Jan 2010 | 7:25 pmSince I often find myself cooking for two, I love coming across recipes that are easily cut. Recently I tried this Roasted Fennel and Red Onion Salmon, and it was a hit - the perfect weeknight dinner that's a step above the ordinary but still totally easy and quick to make (meant to serve 4, it's easy to cut in half). Bonus: it's a one-pot dish (love that). I love seeing real-life images of fellow amateur foodies cooking at home, so thought I'd take (and share) a few of my attempt at this dinner. I always wish there were "process shots" when I come across a great recipe in a magazine -… -
What's your favorite Wedding blog?
21 Jan 2010 | 3:11 pmIt's no secret that there is an entire blogosphere out there devoted to weddings. Due to a recent turn of events, I've become quite interested in exploring this fascinating world... You guessed it - I'm engaged! My wonderful boyfriend proposed last Friday, and it's been a whirlwind of celebrating, spreading the good news to family and friends, and occasionally pinching myself (is this really happening??) ever since. Needless to say, I'm over the moon with joy - I get to marry my best friend and throw a really fun bash?! Pretty darn great. I hope you'll allow me the…
- Food & Recipes
-
What's Your Ideal Valentine's Day Meal?
8 Feb 2010 | 1:59 pmValentine's Day, as you probably are well aware, is on Sunday, which means there are a myriad of love-filled eating events to choose from: breakfast in bed, a long, lazy lunch, or the traditional romantic dinner. Personally, I love Valentine's Day because it's the perfect excuse to try a fabulous new restaurant. But this year my husband and I are going to switch it up. In an effort to be more cost conscious and do something a little different, we're planning to cook (or I should say, I'm planning to cook) something simple but… -
Healthy Super Bowl Dips
5 Feb 2010 | 1:44 pmWith all the mindless eating one does at TV-watching parties, I always think it's smart to offer to bring an appetizer. That way, you have control over one dish and you can make something healthy yet still crowd-pleasing to balance the host's party spread. My go-to, healthy potluck appetizer strategy: dips. It's easy to scale down the fat and calories (without sacrificing flavor) by making some simple swaps. For instance, use yogurt, ricotta cheese, or cottage cheese in place of mayo or sour cream. Case in point: this 3-ingredient Real Simple Broccoli Dip Recipe (frozen broccoli,… -
What's Your Meal-Planning Style?
26 Jan 2010 | 4:33 amThere's a new survey on our site that asks, "What is the most tedious thing about making dinner?" (If you're interested, you can take it here.) The winner, so far, is "figuring out what to make." This got me thinking about how different people plan meals. Some may go to the extreme: Have you read about the woman who plans a year's worth of meals at once? Other people I know just go to the grocery store and get inspired. I am not that organized (or that creative), but I do like to start each week with a basic cooking plan loosely based on three principles: what… -
Do You Make Your Own Salad Dressing?
14 Jan 2010 | 12:39 pmI hate making salads. I've said it before, but I just find that they involve so much work and, many times, have little payoff. But in an effort to eat heathier, I'm trying to make a super quick and easy small side salad with every dinner. Here are my rules: I do not want to have to chop anything and I can't use an extra bowl/dish/carafe to mix the dressing. The results? Something pretty boring but tasty: 1) prewashed mixed greens (I feel guilty about using these, but sometimes you have to take shortcuts) 2) cherry tomatoes 3) drizzle of olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and… -
Poached Eggs: What's Your Secret?
11 Jan 2010 | 12:48 pmI recently attempted to poach an egg for the first time--it's crazy how long it took me to try. I've always been a little frightened of making a complete mess of it, but I bought a dozen fresh eggs and decided to give it a go. (I know, how Julie Powell of me). My father-in-law showed me his method over the holidays, which produces perfectly poached eggs, but unless you're actually doing it, it's hard to remember the exact steps. One thing I retained as essential: white vinegar and swirling the water. Here's what I did, after googling a video…
- Home & Organizing
-
The Easiest Valentines I've Seen
8 Feb 2010 | 1:36 pmI love sending cards—holiday cards, birthday cards, cards for no reason. But I generally leave Valentine's Day cards out of the mix, primarily because I'm still wiped out from sending holiday cards. (I actually made my cards for the first time this year. I was pretty excited with how they turned out, you can see a photo here.) But this year, I'm reconsidering because I was tipped off to the Virtual Valentines section of Red Stamp's site. There are six designs, and four different delivery options, two of which will cost you absolutely nothing. Here are the four options: A… -
Sebastian Foster Gallery
8 Feb 2010 | 5:14 amSebastian Foster is a contemporary art gallery based in Austin, Texas which happens to also have an online shop where you can view many original paintings and prints from a carefully curated group of emerging and established artists. More ways to bring affordable art into your home, yay! In addition to selling affordable originals, Sebastian Foster also operates a print making studio which allows them to offer archival quality print editions from artists like Amanda Blake, Amy Ruppel , Matte Stephens, and Leah Giberson. When you see prints like that ones shown above, do you often wonder how… -
Big Table by Bonaldo: Thoughts?
5 Feb 2010 | 4:37 amI just love furniture, don't you? Especially a few statement makers. That's why the moment I heard about the Big Table designed by Alain Gilles in Brussels for Bonaldo of Italy that was recently crowed with the Good Design award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design. This award is one of the most prestigious, and oldest, design awards and as a result the Big Table shown below will become part of the permanent collection of the museum. So now that we know of all that, I ask you Real Simple readers, what do you think? Do you like it? Why? Not like it? Why? -
Curing the Malaise and Fighting Procrastination
4 Feb 2010 | 9:18 amMy friend Rebecca left a voicemail on my answering machine about 10 years ago that I will never forget: "Hi, Erin. This is Rebecca. I have the malaise and won't be able to make it to dinner tonight. Call me tomorrow after work. Bye." I was a bit disappointed that my friend was bailing on dinner for a fictional malady, but I was laughing so hard that I couldn't be too upset with her. Although a doctor would never diagnose the malaise, I knew exactly how Rebecca felt: Spent. Burned out. Lacking motivation. Not wanting to be near anyone. I'm thinking about the malaise because I'm pretty sure I… -
Keep Calm Gallery
4 Feb 2010 | 12:28 amAll you need is love! And a bunch of cool prints on your walls! The Keep Calm Gallery just introduced the work of London-based illustrator James Brown and his trio of hand printed designs for your home. Bags is a one color linocut which is nice for your entryway, Absence is a limited edition (only 100) two color linocut that is signed and numbered which can be viewed in two different ways depending on how you want to see things - either "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" or when flipped upside down it reads, "Out of sight out of mind". Ha! Then there is With Love from…
- Technology
-
Do you wear a watch?
4 Feb 2010 | 3:59 pmPreparing for our recent family vacation - a cruise to the Caribbean - I realized I needed something important . . . a watch. Like many people, I have come to rely on my mobile devices (first Blackberry, now iPhone) to find the time, and haven't regularly used a watch in years. I have a few old watches kicking around – some with cartoon characters, some with cracked crystals, all with dead batteries – but nothing that I could rely on for our upcoming trip. And I needed a watch, because with my plan of placing my iPhone in the stateroom safe and leaving it there for the duration of the… -
iRumors on the Apple Tablet: Waiting for Wednesday
25 Jan 2010 | 9:20 amWhat will Steve Jobs and Apple wow us with next? If you read any daily newspaper or tech blog you can't avoid the rumor and speculation swirling around the highly anticipated so-called Apple Tablet or iSlate. Gizmodo offers the most exhaustive guide to the rumors, with several updates posted in recent days. The big announcement is expected to come on Wednesday. I'm a Mac user but I was late to adopt the iPhone. The initial price point, exclusive arrangement with AT&T, and touch-screen keyboard scared me away. Eventually, though, I got over it and have been in love ever since. I love having… -
Technology we will, and won't, be taking on vacation
21 Jan 2010 | 4:51 amAll our bags our packed and we're ready to go on our Caribbean cruise. . . actually, we're almost ready to go. Just have to fill our bags with an assortment of technology. Here are the gadgets each of us will be bringing along, and what we'll be leaving at home. In my 7 year old son's backpack: Nintendo DS lite with charger, bag of games and headset/microphone Craig video player loaded with with Cars, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and Underdog iFrogz Ear Pollution Toxix In my 4 year old daughter's backpack: Leapster with games rechargeable batteries, battery charger… -
Why I Finally Bought a Kindle
15 Jan 2010 | 5:30 amDuring the summer of 2008, I had the opportunity to test drive the new Kindle, Amazon's high-tech electronic book reader. Looking back at my post (while amazed that we've been writing about technology for so long!), I thought the system was slick, but at $359 (the price for the original Kindle), I decided it wasn't right for me. (Click here to read my original review). Fast forward to last week when I decided to pull the trigger and buy the new Kindle. Here is what finally drove me to push the "purchase" button: Portability - As I stated in my original post, the best… -
Spotted: Fun and Pretty Accessories at CES
14 Jan 2010 | 10:02 amEar buds adorned with Swarovski crystals. iPhone cases that also hold your credit card and ID. Laptop cases featuring a Grid-It ™ Organizer to hold your gum, mints, hand sanitizer and USB flash drive. These are just a few fun and pretty accessories I spotted in the exhibit halls last week at the Consumer Electronics Show. Jewelry manufacturer DEOS displayed their ultra durable aluminum earphone covers set with 200 hand-chosen Swarovski crystals. Expected to launch in spring 2010 and retail for $98, the covers snap over the ubiquitous (and quite uncomfortable) white ear buds that come with…
- Today on Real Simple
-
New Solutions to Common Beauty Problems
8 Feb 2010 | 12:11 pmDull hair? Wimpy lashes? Wrinkles? Try these breakthrough products.
- Daily Recipe
-
Pork Chops With Garlicky Broccoli
8 Feb 2010 | 1:15 pmFor this recipe, use a cast-iron skillet. It’s an ideal ovenproof pan: It’s affordable and durable and can go from stovetop to oven effortlessly. Try more recipes with pork chops:
- Daily Thought
-
“There’s one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbor’s.”
5 Feb 2010 | 2:34 pm― Clyde Moore
- Daily Tip
-
New Solutions to Common Beauty Problems
8 Feb 2010 | 12:11 pmDull hair? Wimpy lashes? Wrinkles? Try these breakthrough products.
- Daily Finds
-
8 Chocolate Treats for Valentine’s Day
5 Feb 2010 | 1:24 pmWith these tasty confections, it’ll be love at first bite.
- Adventures in Chaos
-
I’ll Tell You Some Stories If You’ll Tell Me Some
5 Feb 2010 | 1:15 pmAs some of you know—and as my whole family knows but would like to forget, since it was a semi-obsession all of last year—I’ve written a book that’s coming out on April 1. If you’re a faithful reader of this blog, you might like my book, as they both feature the same crazy main character. I sort of look at this book as group therapy, because so many of us have the same issues (I hate my hair five mornings out of seven; my kids won’t walk the dog without being asked 10 times; I just want to eat cake all day long but women’s magazines keep telling me I need a balanced diet). And,… -
Funny Things Your Mother Used to Say That Get Stuck in Your Head. Forever.
26 Jan 2010 | 7:58 amThis morning I got to work and went into the ladies’ room and happened to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. One expression immediately came to mind: Death warmed over. Death warmed over is what my mother used to say to describe just about any appearance of exhaustion, haggardness, or overall unattractiveness in the face department. As in: “I hardly slept at all last night. I look like death warmed over.” Or: “Sweetheart, how late were you out with those girls? You look like death warmed over.” Or “I need to put on some lipstick or else I’ll look like death warmed over.”… -
Haiti: How Much Do You Show the Kids?
19 Jan 2010 | 1:06 pmEver since last Wednesday I’ve been engaging in an internal battle over how much Haiti media exposure—if any—my kids can and should handle. Eldest is 14 and Middle is 11 and although the subject of Haiti has come up at home and in school, my impulse as a parent is to shield them from the stories and images that dominate just about every media outlet this week. Why? Because they will have plenty of time as adults to see boundless suffering, to feel powerless to do anything to help, to question why horrible things happen to innocent people every single day, all around the world. And… -
Who Would You Rather Wake Up Next to: The Charismatic Rake or the Reliable, Boringish Guy?
4 Jan 2010 | 1:45 pmLike many women in my demographic, I spent an enjoyable couple of hours over the holidays watching It's Complicated. The movie was a real thought-starter for me, and left me with more than a few difficult questions: 1. Do I only like Nancy Meyers movies because the characters always have such nice houses? 2. Should I be depressed that "my kind of movie" now features middle-aged bourgeois characters with middle-aged, bourgeois problems? Does this mean I need to radically change my life? 3. How does Meryl Streep just get more beautiful by the year? Has she had plastic surgery? 4. Can Alec… -
All I Want for Christmas
9 Dec 2009 | 7:42 am• Eight hours of sleep for five days in a row. • A pill for my dog to make him stop shedding. • A pill for me to make me stop caring about shedding. • Children who do not argue when I ask them to brush the shedding dog. • Children who do not argue. Scratch that, too much to ask. • A day completely free of meetings. • A day with nothing to do but read a good book (note: I am currently reading Tracy Kidder's Strength in What Remains and would happily take to my bed to finish it). • A way to drink coffee after 3 p.m. while still being able to fall asleep at 11. • Less stuff in…
- No Obligation Book Club
-
Poll: Vote for March!
8 Feb 2010 | 10:26 amHello, Bookies:Ready to think about your March read? Real Simple’s photo director, Casey Tierney, will lead the discussion of one of the four books below. Vote for your favorite by Sunday, February 21.The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon Haddon’s acclaimed debut novel mixes the poignant and the funny, the sweet and the sad, as its main character—an autistic 15-year-old—narrates his attempts to solve the murder of his neighbor’s poodle.A Good Fall: Stories, by Ha Jin This new collection from the National Book Award winner is set in the Chinese immigrant… -
The Happiness Project: Chapters 1-3 (or Jan Thru March)
4 Feb 2010 | 10:15 amI don't know about you but I'm getting happier already. I know part of it is due to your amazing responses from my question I asked in my introduction post: "What makes you happy right now?" My heart just soared reading all of your amazing responses and knowing that we are all happy in some degree and would just like to find a little more happiness. Many of you spoke about your families, pets, travels and the perfect beverage--whether it be coffee or a cocktail. A few that particularly stood out were...Susan Holm's "spa" routine with her granddaughter at… -
Let's Do It: The Happiness Project
28 Jan 2010 | 7:00 amHello fellow Bookies, I’m beyond thrilled to serve as your February book club leader. I’m Julee Wilson, Real Simple’s associate fashion editor and I also pen (or I should say, type) the fashion and beauty blog. Although shoes and lipstick do bring me a lot of happiness, I’m glad this book won--The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin---because truth be told, one can never be too happy and I’m looking forward to discovering more ways to make that happen. Aren’t you? The book outlines the relentless year long journey of author Gretchen Rubin for the meaning and possession of… -
My Life in France: Au Revoir
25 Jan 2010 | 12:08 pmHi, everyone: It’s come time to bid adieu to Julia, Paul, and My Life in France. The pace really picked up in these last few chapters; it seemed like Julia and her grandnephew Alex Prud’homme just kind of wanted to wrap things up. I have to admit I feel conflicted about the ending—and in turn the book in general. The ground covered in the final chapters details how successful Julia became, and seems to be more honest about what kind of person she was. We’re allowed to see a more human side than we were in the earlier chapters—her frustrations with Simca, how exhausted the… -
And Your Pick for February Is...
25 Jan 2010 | 9:44 amNever underestimate the power of happiness, Bookies: Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project, an account of the RealSimple.com blogger’s yearlong quest to raise her happiness level, held the top spot to win February’s poll. Julee Wilson, associate fashion editor and a RealSimple.com blogger herself, will introduce the book to you a little later this week. Please join her.Are you reading this via an e-mail or RSS feed? If you wish to comment, please click here.
- Work & Life
-
Seven REALISTIC Tips for Boosting Personal Productivity.
4 Feb 2010 | 2:06 pmThere’s so much productivity advice that I can’t manage. I can’t touch each piece of paper just one time. I can’t return every email within twenty-four hours. I can’t maintain a clear desk at all times. I can’t go paperless. Nevertheless, I have found some realistic strategies that have made my life easier. I’ve noticed that an accumulation of tiny tasks, even if they aren’t particularly irksome in themselves, combine to make me feel overwhelmed. If I can keep little chores from piling up, I feel more capable of tackling bigger, more difficult tasks. For that reason, many of… -
Why We Should Aim At Fulfillment, Not Happiness
30 Jan 2010 | 5:27 pmSeveral years ago I published a book called Money & Happiness: A Guide to Living the Good Life. It was inspired by a recurring conversation I had with people over the years as a personal finance columnist. They would describe a goal: “I really want to change careers…go back to school…start a business...” And I would reply, “What’s the last thing you did with $500?” Inevitably, the money was spent on something that had no connection to their deepest desires. In my book I show readers how to identify their values, set goals around them and use money as a tool to achieve those… -
Quiz: Are you organized?
21 Jan 2010 | 1:41 pmIt's a real pain to be disorganized. You spend a lot of time hunting for your keys; you have to order a replacement birth certificate; you know you must have ten hammers someplace in your house, because you always end up buying a new one when you need it, because you can’t find the ones you already have. As I was doing my happiness project, I realized that life would be a lot easier if I could easily lay my hands on the little things I need, and I made a big effort to get organized. Would you know where to locate these items in your house? Take this quiz to determine if you’re already… -
Do You Hoard Your New Underwear?
14 Jan 2010 | 1:33 pmIn my happiness project, the most idiosyncratic and cryptic of my Twelve Personal Commandments is “Spend out." What does that mean? I’m a bit of a miser. By spending out, I mean to stop hoarding, to trust in abundance, to stop keeping score. One reason I need to remind myself to spend out is that I often find myself saving things, even when it makes no sense to save them. Right now I’m forcing myself to spend out by wearing my new underwear. A few weeks ago, I bought some new underwear. When I got home, I forced myself to toss out my sorry old pairs, because I could feel myself tempted… -
A Secret to Happiness? Long Underwear.
7 Jan 2010 | 1:21 pmA humbling fact about my happiness project is that many of the ideas that have made the biggest difference in my life are so...simple. For example, consider one of my twelve personal commandments: Identify the problem. There have been so many instances where I’ve been unhappy with a situation, but didn’t take the trouble to analyze what was bothering me—and therefore, couldn’t fix it. Identifying the problem allowed me to spot the solution. Take this example. I’m always cold. I’m often freezing in places other people find perfectly comfortable. My children sometimes ask me not to…
- Daily Health
-
Doctors on TV, Doctors as Writers: What's the Appropriate Role?
4 Feb 2010 | 12:43 pmDuring the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, one thing that got a lot of people chattering was about how TV reporters who are also doctors handled the situation and used their training. There was much criticism of people like CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta or NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman, for spending their time in front of the camera, talking to the camera and to in-studio hosts, as opposed to simply using their medical skills the entire time, without the time spent with a microphone in their hand. After all, there were plenty of straight-up journalists on the scene to do that… -
What Do You Listen to During Your Workout?
28 Jan 2010 | 11:30 amI've pretty much always worked out along to music—whether it was a Walkman in my palm, a Discman in my waist-pack, or now an iPod on my arm. Sure, there are days when I am happy to sweat without songs in the background, but for the most part, my runs, walks and time at the gym have all been set to a musical score of some sort.But lately this winter, I have been so bored with the tunes on my iPod, perhaps because I've listened to so much of it so often, that I've turned to something that has proven even more riveting—and thereby helped me workout just a bit more regularly, and… -
Book Review: Revealing the (Often Startling) History of Childbirth
20 Jan 2010 | 3:35 pmEven before I had a baby four months ago, I'd been fascinated with pregnancy and childbirth. Everything about it—the seemingly improbability/inevitability of the who sperm-meets-egg scenario, the wildly expanding belly, the baby's often long and difficult journey from womb to outside world, all of it.So I devoured books on the topic, as well as quizzed pregnant friends on the nitty-gritty of pregnancy, labor and delivery. (Too bad I didn't ask as many questions about life with an infant! Perhaps I had some, um, subconscious instinct NOT to ask, lest I find out just how hard the… -
How Do You Express Your Condolences?
15 Jan 2010 | 10:35 amI know a lot of people's hearts are heavy right now, what with the devastation that's unfolding in Haiti.And at the local, personal level, I know a few people who have just recently lost a family member (unrelated to the earthquake), and so I am feeling for them right now, too.In the case of the Haitian disaster, I have given a donation to a charity I think will help do some good and have the people of Haiti in my thoughts.However, when it comes to trying to do something for the individuals I know right here who are grieving a loss, I am befuddled. Yes, I can write a letter of… -
News You Might Need, Or Want, To Know...
6 Jan 2010 | 4:32 pmI keep a little file on my computer desktop for all the various press releases and studies I come across each week—articles, web links, emails, etc—and there are a few recent ones that I wanted to share, in brief. In fact, consider this a serving of ideas for "Random Things to Use as Small Talk at Your Next Cocktail Party", or something of that ilk. Herewith, your opening lines and the vital info to impart: 1. Hey, did you know that being married makes women fatter? Research has already shown that being married can help you live longer, you just might be living fatter. A report…
- Today on Real Simple
-
New Solutions to Common Beauty Problems
8 Feb 2010 | 12:11 pmDull hair? Wimpy lashes? Wrinkles? Try these breakthrough products.

