The source told the site that Rihanna's team “asked Topshop a number of times to stop selling her image.” However, the fashion giant owned by billionaire Sir Philip Green told the 25-year-old singer that it would continue selling the T-shirts. “[Topshop's owners] buy the pictures from a photographer, but they do not pay the artist licensing fees. Unfortunately, U.K. law does not protect the artist,” the source said.

“What is most offensive for Rihanna is that they basically told her, 'Go to hell. We don't care; we are going to continue selling you.' Topshop is now in the United States. They set up in Manhattan and Nordstrom, but they know better than to do this in the U.S. because they would get in trouble,” the source continued.

“Even though the U.K. laws don't protect the artist, she has decided to move forward and sue Topshop. She has spent almost $1 million in litigation at this point. She says it's the principle, and wants to make a statement about it. They are taking advantage of artists. It is just exploitation. What they are doing is wrong,” the source added.

Rihanna has reportedly hired international lawyer Reed Smith to file the suit in London. Rihanna and Topshop haven't commented on the case yet, but a Topshop insider said that the issue was “related to a T-shirt provided to Topshop by a third-party supplier.”

The reasons for your dull skin may vary, but the end result always leaves you looking a little…blah. Fix it fast with these tips.

1
Exfoliate
The surface of your skin is covered in dead skin cells. No matter how hard you try, you can’t moisturize dead skin – so get rid of it! Exfoliate your skin regularly to dispose of the flaky cells that dull your glow. The tool you use is up to you, exfoliating creams and cleansers work well, but so does a rough washcloth. Too much exfoliating can be damaging, so cut it back to about twice a week.

2
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a brightening agent that does your skin good, and we’re not talking about chugging a glass of OJ. Rub some vitamin C oil on your skin each day to keep that complexion glowing.
Tip: If you have dark spots on your skin, look for skin brightening products, made to reduce pigmentation of the skin.
3
Wash at night
Too much washing might make your face squeaky clean, but it’ll also dry it out, giving it a dull look. Stick to a thorough cleanse at night to remove all the dirt and grime from the day. In the morning, just do a quick rinse with water – no soap – to freshen up. You haven’t gotten dirty and gross while you slept, so a quick rinse is enough.

4
Moisturize
Moisturize your skin twice a day – once after the morning rinse and again before you go to bed. In the morning, use a lighter moisturizer with added SPF protection. At night, use a moisturizer formulated for nighttime. It will be thicker, so it will stay on longer and work harder on your skin.

5
Hydrate
There are a million reasons why you should drink more water, and brighter skin is one of them. Drinking lots of water increases the blood flow to your skin, creating pinker cheeks and an overall healthy glow.

6
Minimal makeup
Why would you do all this work to make sure your skin is bright and healthy, only to dull it with a layer of makeup? Go as light as you can on makeup so you can keep that glow shining through.

Stress does a lot more than make us feel awful — it can wreak havoc on your skin. We're getting some expert insight into just what it does to your complexion and how to reverse the effects.

Acne breakouts
Acne breakouts are stressful enough — especially when they happen the day before a date or other big event, but it turns out stress itself could be causing those pesky blemishes. “Overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol sets the stage for acne flare-ups by promoting oily skin and interfering with your body's ability to regulate inflammation,” explains Borcau. So what's a girl to do? To calm your complexion, she suggests using an organic skin cream that contains natural anti-inflammatories such as green tea and chamomile, as well as the natural mineral sun block zinc oxide, which reduces oiliness.

Dehydration
Dry skin? All those long (stressful) days at the office could be to blame. “Stress interferes with the ability of the skin to retain moisture,” says Borcau. If you’ve been dealing with more stress than you'd like — and it shows, switch to a rich cream that contains plant-derived moisturizers such as aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, shea butter and avocado oil, suggests Borcau. “These will help hydrate and lubricate the skin, improving not only the appearance of the skin, but also its ability to function as a natural shield against bacteria, irritants and toxins,” she explains.

Reduced collagen production
Stress can also be the enemy of youthful-looking skin, so if you want to turn back the clock, you'll need to find a way to minimize stress. “Increased levels of another stress hormone, epinephrine, constricts blood vessels, reducing the flow of oxygen and nutrients that skin needs to manufacture collagen,” says Borcau. If you want to combat the effect of stress on your skin, move your face, she advises. “One of the best ways to restore healthy circulation is a program of facial exercises that incorporates aerobic techniques.”

Wrinkles
No one likes to talk about wrinkles, let alone face them in the mirror. Ensure your skin stays smoother, longer by minimizing stress. “Cortisol also causes blood sugar levels to spike. The excess sugar molecules in your bloodstream can bond to the proteins in your skin's collagen fibers causing them to harden and crack and resulting in loose skin and deep wrinkles,” explains Borcau. To maintain proper blood sugar levels and keep skin looking youthful, she recommends avoiding refined carbohydrates (e.g. white bread, junk food) and eating more vegetables, whole grains and beans.

Neglect and abuse of skin
If you're overloaded with frustrating demands and a never-ending to-do list, you may find yourself going to bed with your makeup on, not bothering to moisturize and even indulging in bad habits like picking at your skin, notes Borcau. To get your skin back on track, treat yourself to a professional facial. “Make sure the salon you choose provides a soothing atmosphere and plenty of TLC. With a little pampering to reduce your stress level and a revitalized complexion, you'll feel motivated to resume a disciplined skin care routine.”

Picking the Venue

You don’t need to reserve a private room. Most restaurants are able to put together a table to accommodate groups ranging from six to twenty people. This leaves your options open since most restaurants do not have private rooms. Contact locations and see who will work with you to develop a set menu. Put together a three course meal (I love adding a cheese course at the end before dessert) and let the restaurant know that you will bring your own cake. Make sure to request that the table is setup at least a half hour before guests arrive so you have plenty of time to add your decor.

Invitations

For invites, you can go traditional or digital. For a small group of 6-12 people it doesn’t take too much effort to handwrite invitations and mail them, which is a nice touch these days since we really don’t receive many invitations in the mail anymore! If you want to go digital, my new favorite resource is Paperless Post. Their designs are adorable and have a reach-out-and-touch kind of feel to them.

Table Decor

Here’s where you can really shine as a hostess! Order small arrangements from a florist or make them yourself using low vases (read my other blog post on how to create floral arrangements). Buy bunches of the same type of flowers and create a corridor of flowers down the center of the table, or if transportation becomes an issue, have a florist deliver one beautiful arrangement to the restaurant. Remember to ask them to keep it low and full. To ensure conversation flow, plan on using place cards. It may seem old fashioned, but it’s an added touch of formality that adds to the sense that the evening ahead is well thought through and planned to every detail. Here’s how to make simple floral place card holders (that double as party favors!).

1. Purchase small, inexpensive clay pots.

2. Buy a flat of flowers.

3. Plant small sections of the flowers in each of the pots.

4. Have a glass of wine.

5. Use the cork as the name tag. Write the attendee’s name on it using a permanent marker. Repeat.

6. Collect some forks from a local flea market or home goods store.
7. Put end of fork in soil and place cork on tines of fork.

And don’t forget to bring your own candles! Usually restaurants have one per table and by bringing your own you’ll make the table extra special.

Be the Hostess

To create the atmosphere, greet guests as they arrive. Make sure they are served the signature cocktail for the evening and direct them to where they are seated. Throughout the evening it is your job as the hostess to make sure everything goes smoothly – from toasts to the birthday cake.

Party Favors

Party favors can be incorporated into stunning table decor or planned as a fun end-of-the-night treat. Here are some ideas for party favors:

Small silver frames, each engraved with the attendee’s name (another place card that doubles as a party favor).
Candles at each place setting.
Funny gifts like made-for-tv items.
Pretty memo pads with the initials of the birthday girl or guy. Quick tip: Wrap them in beautiful paper to match the flowers.
Oversized and/or personalized stemware. At my shop we engrave names, sentiments and beach names on wine glasses. They look fantastic on any table and are a sweet keepsake from the dinner.
It’s a Wrap

When the party starts wrapping up, thank everyone for coming and provide them with their party favor packed in a special bag for them to take home. If all the details seem like a lot of work, share the hostessing job with a friend. Restaurant birthday parties really are a great way to entertain. And the best part? No cleanup!

Step 1: Rinse everything

If you’re rocking a detachable shower head, this can actually be fun! If not, you might need to put a little more work in. Soap and dirt can accumulate in corners and on your shower curtain liner, so when you’re done rinsing yourself, give the whole shower the ‘ole up-and-down rinse. It will prevent soap scum from getting in hard-to-clean places like faucets, plus it will help any dirt and grime that came off of you go down the drain.

Step 2: Wash yourself, wash your shower
You want to make sure you do this in the correct order to make sure both you and your shower stay sanitary. First, clean yourself as normal with a washcloth. Make sure you clean yourself first, because scrubbing yourself with soap scum sounds less than appealing. Once you’re done, use the same washcloth to wash in the corners where dust, dirt and soap gather. Lift up those shampoo and conditioner bottles to make sure you get a good clean. Do this daily, and time-consuming tub scrubs will be a thing of the past.

Step 3: Squeegee

Water spots can ruin even the deepest cleaning job. Whether you’re fresh out of the shower or working on giving the tub a hard scrub, make sure to squeegee away water before it dries. When combined with soap, water spots can be a pain to get up. You might as well take preventative measures!

Store a squeegee in your shower for occasions just like this. Many squeegees come with a rubberized suction cup that will fix to your shower wall, reminding you to squeegee every day. Once you’re done with your shower, give the walls and glass a good squeegee, flicking off excess water as you move along. When it comes to actually cleaning the shower, use your standard cleaner, rinse and add squeegeeing as your final step. No more soapy spots for your house! Your shower is now a no-spot zone.

WINTERIZE YOUR SKIN
Winter's just around the corner, and with the chilly temps inevitably comes the dreaded dry skin. Why? A combination of the temperature change, dry air, and exposure to wind will sap your skin of moisture, leaving you with parched, itchy or sensitive spots on your face. But the good news is that there are steps you can take to protect your skin from the elements this winter – and prevent wrinkles that may form as a result. So here are some ways to save your skin!

YOU MUST MOISTURIZE
This may seem like a given, but moisturizing is a must all year round. So slather on the moisturizer as soon as you step out of the shower, to trap water in the skin. Having trouble deciding which product is right for you? If you've got sensitive skin, skip the creams containing fragrances or lanolin, which may trigger breakouts or adverse reactions. Always look for products with glycerin and hyaluronic acid, two elements that are excellent skin hydrators.

SLATHER ON THE SUNSCREEN
If you're planning to spend a lot of time outdoors this winter, coat your face with a cream that contains SPF 15 or higher to keep your face protected from harmful sun rays and potential wrinkles. And don't forget to cover up with a hat and sunglasses when you hit the slopes or go for a run outside. You can get just as bad of a sunburn in the winter as you can in the summer!

WASH IT RIGHT
Washing your face is just as important as moisturizing it, but you've got to be sure you're doing it right. Scrubbing too hard can just strip your skin of its natural moisture, while some cleansers are way too harsh for the winter.

Find a gentle cream cleanser (or cleansing milk) that'll nourish your face without leaving it parched (try Olay Total Effects 2-in-1 Anti-Aging Nourishing Cream Cleanser). And while you're washing, use lukewarm water (hot water is hard on your skin) and pat your face dry as opposed to rubbing it with a towel.

DRINK UP
While staying hydrated hasn't been scientifically proven to reduce wrinkles, experts say it certainly can't hurt. In fact, drinking about two cups of water increases blood flow to the skin, which may improve your complexion. To maintain the water balance in your body, drink the suggested eight (8-ounce) glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters).

MOISTURIZE YOUR INDOOR AIR
The outdoor elements aren't the only dry skin culprits. The dry air in your home can sap moisture from your skin, too. Keeping a humidifier in your bedroom at night can help maximize moisture in your skin while you sleep.

Many people in Canada express their gratitude towards mothers and mother figures on Mother’s Day. Mother figures may include step-mothers, mothers-in-law, guardians (eg. foster parents), and family friends. It is the time for people to thank mothers and mother figures who took the time care for them and help them through life’s challenges. Father’s Day is also celebrated in Canada on the third Sunday of June, when people thank fathers and father figures for the positive contributions they made.

Some people give cards, flowers, or chocolates, and/or make handmade items or special meals on Mother’s Day. Others take their mothers or mother figures to the movies, a restaurant, café, or a day in a park. Some mothers and mother figures also receive special gifts such as jewelry, clothing, accessories, and gift vouchers for services or products.

Public life
Mother’s Day is not a federal holiday but it is on a Sunday, when many organizations, schools, and government offices are closed. Public transit systems run to their normal Sunday schedules and restaurants may be busier than usual as some people take their mothers out for a treat.

Background and symbols
Early celebrations of Mother’s Day originated from Canada’s neighboring country, the United States. Carnations are a popular Mother's Day symbol in both Canada and the United States. Some people may choose to wear a carnation as a brooch on Mother's Day. However, other flowers are also given to mothers or mother figures to symbolize one’s love and appreciation for them.

When you lather up with antibacterial soap, you are most likely rubbing pesticide all over your skin. Really. Triclosan, a chemical used in antibacterial products, was first registered as a pesticide in 1969, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And researchers at the University of California at Davis say that triclosan could be hurting your body — by making your muscles not function as well.

In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America in July 2012, UC Davis researchers found that triclosan, which is found in a variety of products including hand soaps, deodorants, toys, trash bags and bedding, causes muscle function to decrease. “The effects of triclosan on cardiac function were really dramatic,” said Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, professor of cardiovascular medicine at UC Davis and a study co-author, in a UC Davis release.

Researching triclosan
To delve into how triclosan may impact the human body, researchers conducted a variety of experiments mimicking daily triclosan exposure that humans experience. They found reduced heart function and reduced muscle strength, among other effects, in their experiments

“We were surprised by the large degree to which muscle activity was impaired in very different organisms, and in both cardiac and skeletal muscle,” said Bruce Hammock, a study co-author and professor in the UC Davis department of entomology, in a release. “You can imagine in animals that depend so totally on muscle activity that even a 10 percent reduction in ability can make a real difference in their survival.”

More research needed
The Food and Drug Administration and the EPA are delving deeper into the chemical and its risks, through new assessments. Meanwhile, researchers say that the use of it needs to be greatly restricted going forward.

The EPA, which last assessed triclosan in 2008, is undergoing what it calls “a comprehensive review of triclosan,” specifically taking into account new studies on the effects it has on the endocrine system. including thyroid and estrogen hormones. The “EPA and FDA are collaborating on research projects that will help both agencies to better characterize the endocrine-related effects of triclosan, including toxicological effects, human relevance and the doses at which they occur to determine if levels of human exposure are safe or not. The agency will pay close attention to this ongoing research and will amend the regulatory decision if the science supports such a change,” says the EPA in a recent online fact sheet.

What should you do?
Although no formal action has been taken to curb the use of triclosan in hygiene products and products for the home, it's important that you consider what the research suggests and make an informed decision about the products you use. There are alternatives available that do not contain triclosan — something you can determine by giving product labels a close look.

LEARN CPR
Did you know that effective CPR, provided immediately after cardiac arrest, can double a victim's chance of survival? Since 75 to 80 percent of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, knowing CPR can save the life of someone you love. Visit AmericanHeart.org to find a CPR training course near you.

LIMIT YOUR ALCOHOL
Though the risk of heart disease is lower in people who drink a moderate amount of alcohol (one drink for women, two drinks for men per day), drinking too much can raise blood pressure and actually lead to heart failure or stroke as well as contribute to high triglycerides, heart palpitations, obesity, alcoholism, suicide and accidents. Stick to one to two drinks per day for optimal heart health.

GO FOR A WALK
Simple, convenient and free, going for a 30 minute walk can improve your heart health as well as ward off obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis. Step it up to a jog and you'll reap even more health benefits. And on the days you aren't in the mood for walking, consider a swim, hike or even a home exercise video. Just move and do your heart good.

TURN AWAY TRANS FAT
Trans fat, found in many fried foods, baked goods and margarines and shortenings, can raise your bad ( LDL) cholesterol and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol. Avoiding trans fat can reduce your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Trans fat is listed on the nutrition labels on packaged goods – avoid the products that contain trans fat.

If you're stumped on what to get mom this Mother's Day, we're here to help, especially if mom is style savvy. For her, we're sharing some fashionable gift picks to really show you care.
1
Cute and colorful clutch
No woman we know can ever have enough purses so why not add to mom's collection with a chic tri-color Diane von Furstenberg leather clutch (lindeleparis.com, $244)? The gray, orange and bold red bag may be a style splurge, but mom is totally worth it and who knows, maybe she'll even let you borrow it.

2

Easy-wearing scarf
Gift your favorite lady with a sophisticated scarf she can wear with anything. We're currently coveting this pretty silk scarf in an eye-catching Aztec-inspired print (nordstrom.com, $68). The sheer scarf is framed with a subtle fringe and can easily be dressed up or down depending on where mom decides to wear it.

3

Printed iPad case
Help ensure mom's favorite piece of technology stays in near-pristine condition by gifting her with this elegant yet whimsical Kate Spade iPad case covered in bold red dots on a cream background (piperlime.com, $85). Half the fun of carrying your iPad around is being able to dress it up in chic and cheerful cases so we're pretty sure mom will appreciate this useful gift.

4

Elegant scented candle
Still not sure what to get your mom? If clothes and accessories aren't making the cut, we suggest buying her a lightly scented display-worthy candle she can put on a coffee table, mantel or side table. Our new favorite is the Illume Spring Eden Candle (anthropologie.com, $20), which comes in four pleasant scents, including wild honeysuckle, coconut milk-mango, apple blossom and mango-jasmine.

5

Summer-ready
statement necklace
One of the easiest ways to spice up a neutral outfit is with the help of a standout statement necklace. Your stylish mom already knows this, but why not add another covet-worthy piece to her collection by wrapping up this beautiful bronze Pamela Love banner necklace that would go well with anything from a white tee to a scoop neck cocktail dress (shopbop.com, $230).

Do you wash your hair every day? We’re here to tell you why you shouldn’t. That’s right — it’s time to get dirty! Daily shampoo sessions aren’t always necessary and we have the scoop on why.

Don’t wash your hair every day — here’s why:

It’ll be easier to style
If you’ve ever washed your hair prior to going to the salon to get an updo or another more formal look, you likely got a talking-to from the stylist. Freshly washed and dried hair isn’t nearly as easy to work with as hair that was washed a day or two ago. Squeaky clean hair can slip out of pins and is notorious for not cooperating. Even creating a braided or more intricate look at home will be a lot easier to manage if you do it on a day you haven’t washed your hair.

Your color will last longer
If you color your hair, whether it’s your whole head or just regular highlights, washing daily can dull your color and lead to more frequent trips to the salon. Keep your locks looking bright and freshly dyed by only washing every other day (or less if you can swing it). When you do wash your hair, do so with a shampoo formulated for color-treated hair so you ensure color doesn’t fade.

It’ll be healthier
The more you wash your hair, the more you’re stripping your strands of their natural oils. That’s right — too much time with the shampoo bottle can actually mean less-than-lustrous locks. Over-washing can actually dry hair out, which isn’t ideal. Keep your tresses healthy and looking their best by avoiding daily shampoo sessions.

Dry your nails.

Make sure your nails are completely dry before applying nail polish (whether at the salon or at home). Polish adheres better to a dry surface. To remove old polish, use an acetone remover and lint-free cotton pads.

Bring your own nail polish with you to the salon.

This way, if you do have a chip, you will have the color on hand to fix it.

Apply polish to edges.

Apply polish to the edge of the nail tip (so that it almost looks like it is being painted on under the nail tip).

Avoid heat and water for 12 hours.

Nail polish can take up to 12 hours to dry, so avoid extreme heat (Jacuzzis, saunas, etc.) and try not to take a bath or do the dishes without gloves.

Apply oil.

Apply oil to your nails and cuticles on a daily basis. The oils made for nails contain vitamin E and other essential ingredients that are designed to add moisture back into your nail beds and help prevent chipping and splitting.

Try the new gel-polish hybrid manicures.

Treatments such as CND Shellac or OPI's Axxium Gel Lacquer are applied like regular polish and “cured” under UV light. They're about double the price of a regular manicure but are designed to resist chipping and stay shiny. They are also hardened and completely dry before you even get out of your salon chair. Both last two to four weeks (depending on how you use your hands).

They both also show a “root line” as the nail grows. Both take 10 to 15 minutes to be removed; each nail is wrapped in an acetone “shellac remover wrap” and OPI Gel Lacquer is lifted by filing the nails and soaking them in remover. Although the new gel nails are not as damaging as acrylic nails, they still have a weakening effect. Give your nails a break every other month so they stay strong and healthy.

Hot heels to match: Calvin Klein Gracen heels (zappos.com, $76).

2
Dark and dramatic
In the mood to make a bit more of a statement? Trade pale polish for something darker — another must-try nail trend for warmer weather. Look for navy blue with gray undertones or ultra-deep purples that look almost black. This summer we'll be snapping up a few bottles of RGB Nail Color in Deep (beauty.com, $16).

Hot heels to match: Kenneth Cole platform pumps (kennethcole.com, $79).

3
Rich red
Oxblood was fall's go-to hue but this rich shade of red can also be a summer stunner if you opt for something with lighter undertones. Sophisticated yet still playful enough for summer, we're crushing on Butter London Nail Lacquer in Saucy Jack (threadsense.com, $15).

Hot heels to match: Patent open toe wedge heels (lorisshoes.com, $125).

4
Mega metallic
Deck out your nails with something that's sure to get noticed this summer. Metallic polish is poised for popularity as the weather warms up and we're not surprised. It's fun, it's fresh and it's sure to add a stylish twist to whatever you're wearing. Pick up a bottle (or two) of TheBalm Don't Metal in my Business (nordstrom.com, $10).

Hot heels to match: Metallic leather platform pumps (nastygal.com, $155).

5
Make it minty
Light green nails are another on trend choice to make when you get your next mani (or pedi). The cool, elegant shade is ideal for hot weather and makes a bright yet understated statement perfect for the office. Try Le Metier de Beaute Nail Lacquer in Mint Bliss (neimanmarcus.com, $18).

Hot heels to match: Pointed toe ankle strap heels (heels.com, $135).

6
Pretty in pink
You can't go wrong with pale, blush-pink nails, especially in the summer. This season choose a pink that's light and rosy but not overly pastel. We're planning a mani and a pedi with Essie Petal Pink, which is just pink enough without being overly feminine (essie.com, $8).

Hot heels to match: Pink peep-toe pumps (aldo.com, $80).

Getting a tax refund can seem a bit like winning a small lottery. In 2012, more than 120 million taxpayers got $322.7 billion in refunds, according to the Internal Revenue Service. That worked out to an average of $2,860 per person.

A refund can be tempting to spend — in fact, one-third of Americans planned to shop with their 2013 refund, according to a Capital One Bank survey. Of those, 30 percent are putting it toward everyday expenses; 23 percent, a vacation; and 15 percent, electronics. But there are ways to use that money that can improve your financial situation now and for the future.

Pay Down Debts

If you’re past due on an account, the best use of refund money is to make payments and get back in good standing, says Gail Cunningham, the vice president of membership for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Then, pay down high-interest debt.

This would seem to be a good idea since the average household had $7,122 in credit card debt according to January 2013 figures from the Federal Reserve. Yet only 37 percent of those surveyed by American Express said they would use a refund to pay down debts.

Paying off credit cards with typical interest rates effectively makes an investment that returns 20 percent or more per year, says Kevin Gallegos, the vice president of Phoenix operations for Freedom Financial Network. He says you should start with the cards with the highest rates or the lowest balances.

Invest in Yourself

You can invest in yourself by improving your job skills or seizing new opportunities, says Steve Siebold, author of the 2010 book “How Rich People Think.” Business seminars, workshops, and coaching and mentoring programs can all help. If those work-education expenses add up to 2 percent or more of your adjusted gross income for 2013, they may even qualify as an itemized deduction.

You could go more formal and take a college class or two. A refund of nearly $3,000 “represents a good part of the cost of an associate's degree,” Gallegos said. That, in turn, can lead to tax credits for next year. The Lifetime Learning Credit offers up to $2,000 for an unlimited number of years, while the American Opportunity Credit awards up to $2,500 per year for up to four years.

Boost Emergency Savings

An American Express survey found that 26 percent of consumers plan to save their refund in 2013. That's up from 22 percent from 2012.

“It’s a good idea to have six to nine months’ worth of expenses set aside for unforeseen emergencies,” said Lule Demmissie, the managing director of retirement at TD Ameritrade.

Most people don’t follow that advice. In fact, only 25 percent have six months of savings according to Bankrate.com.

Having a financial safety net in place might help with a one-time issue like an unexpected car repair. It could even keep you afloat if you're laid off and must hunt for a new job. Cunningham says you should keep the money in a savings account or other liquid investment for easy access.

Fund Future Goals

Today's tax windfall might be tomorrow's savings if it funds a child’s education or your retirement. Contributions to a traditional individual retirement account may be deductible on your 2013 taxes, Demmissie said. That doesn't count for Roth IRAs, but the extra money will help it grow and can be withdrawn tax-free once you reach retirement age. The maximum contribution for 2013 is $5,500, or $6,500 if you’re 50 or older.

When it comes to education, some 529s and Coverdells have tax benefits depending on what state you live in, Demmissie says. Both have tax-free withdrawals as long as the money goes to qualified education expenses. The IRS caps Coverdell contributions at $2,000 per year, and 529 plans at $13,000.

Improve Your Home

If you own your home, a refund could pay for needed maintenance, Gallegos says. That could head off bigger and more expensive problems in the future.

“These capital improvements also can sometimes create additional equity,” Gallegos said.

There are also tax credits if you complete energy-efficient improvements before the end of 2013. A refund could pay for such a project, and you could get up to $500 back next year. Adding qualifying windows and doors, for example, is worth a credit or 10 percent of the cost up to $200. New insulation is worth 10 percent of the cost, up to $500.

Our everyday activities can really add up to a lot of burned calories. Learn how you and your family can burn those calories and have fun at the same time!
Being active as a family is important, not only for good health, but also to form strong bonds, set good examples and have fun, too.

Start good habits that last

According to fitness expert Christine Lusita, staying active also helps create long-term, healthy habits for kids. “If we create healthy habits like exercising through a sense of play, we help kids cultivate good habits, think for themselves and give them a good quality of life,” says Lusita.

“People sometimes have the wrong idea about calories,” says Lusita. “Many think that to lose weight, you only need to eat fewer calories.” While you do need to eat fewer calories, exercise is also a key factor.

Bring on the fun

What can families do to get in more exercise? “Keep workouts fresh and fun,” notes Lusita. “Have an open mind and create a fun environment. Try all sorts of activities and pick those that give you a positive experience. If you have fun, you’ll repeat the activity.”

This also applies to daily activities that aren’t workout-specific. “If you’re doing chores, crank up the music to create an energetic environment,” she suggests. “When you’re at the grocery store, do lunges down the aisles. As your cart gets heavier, push it down one aisle and pull it up the next. Go to the park and instead of just walking around, create exercise stations: run in place at one station; do pushups at another; bounce a ball as high as you can; and add a station for planks or sit-ups.” You might try out the monkey bars, too.

Add it up

Just how many calories can we burn during our chores and other activities? Consider these numbers from Lusita:

Washing windows – 336 calories an hour
Sweeping – 240 calories an hour
Vacuuming – 215 calories an hour
Scrubbing the floor – 325 calories an hour
Group fitness classes like Zumba or spinning – up to 400 calories an hour
Pilates – 150 calories per hour
Hill walking – 500 calories an hour
Rollerblading on the beach or a path – 430 calories an hour
There’s more. The American Council on Exerciseprovides numbers for the following activities (based on a person who weighs 125 pounds):

Playing with your pet, which includes running, squatting, bending – about 204 calories an hour
Dancing – 442 calories an hour
Playing Frisbee – 170 calories an hour
Sledding – 396 calories an hour
Bicycling (11-15 mph) – 454 calories an hour
Mini golf – 170 calories an hour
Ping-Pong – 226 calories an hour
Snow shoveling (light snow) – 362 calories an hour

Pick your favorite activities from the list (along with the chores), and you’ll easily hit 3,000 calories in a week. These things really add up!

SUGAR
Sugar is a fantastic exfoliant. It gently sloughs away dead skin cells and rough patches to reveal super soft, radiant skin underneath. Look for natural scrubs at the store, made from sugar, or create your own sugar scrub at home.

Mix 1 part white cane sugar with 1 part glycerin or other oil. You can add a little aloe vera gel for its skin-softening and healing properties, along with a few drops of essential oil for fragrance.

Mix the ingredients in a bowl and then scoop a little of the scrub into the palm of your hand. Massage gently onto your skin in a circular motion. Leave on for five minutes before rinsing. You can use sugar scrub all over your body — from your face to your feet. Also check out this homemade brown sugar scrub that you'll love.

OATMEAL

Raw oats (not the pre-cooked, instant variety) make a fantastic natural scrub for your skin. Mix 3 teaspoons of raw oats with a teaspoon of pure honey and a 1/4 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Add more honey if needed.

Apply this sticky scrub to your face in circular movements and leave on for 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water. If it's too messy to make an oatmeal scrub at home, you can find a variety of facial scrubs on the market that contain oats as well.

Cornmeal is another natural exfoliant that can be used instead of oats. It promotes cellular turnover and regeneration, while leaving your skin feeling fresh and smooth.

SALT
Salt is a staple in the kitchen and can be an integral part of your beauty routine as well. Invigorate your body with a natural scrub containing sea salt.

Sea salt scrubs gently remove dead skin cells, improve circulation and smooth your skin. You can create a basic salt body scrub by mixing one cup of sea salt with one cup of olive oil. Add five drops of essential oil (we love orange or apricot). Apricot oil is known for its hydrating properties, making it a great addition to any homemade scrub recipe. You can also find apricot facial scrub at your local drug store.

If your sea salt scrub is a little runny, you can add more salt to get it to the right consistency. Store the mixture in a sealed container for later use.

WALNUTS
Ground walnuts mixed with yogurt makes a fantastic facial scrub. You can often find walnuts already ground in health food stores, but if you can't, use your food processor to grind 1/4 cup of walnuts and mix with 1/4 cup of plain yogurt. The walnuts have exfoliating properties, while the yogurt is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal — leaving your skin clean and refreshed. Yogurt is also high in lactic acid, which is known to treat dry skin and fight wrinkles.

Massage the walnut-yogurt mixture into your skin and allow to set for 10-15 minutes before rinsing with cool water.

GREEN TEA
Green tea isn't just good to drink, it can also be a fantastic ingredient in natural body scrubs and other skin care products. Because green tea is rich in antioxidants, it helps nourish and protect your skin. Green tea also possesses anti-inflammatory properties, making it a good choice for sensitive or acne-prone skin.

Look for skin care products containing green tea, or add a little green tea to one of the aforementioned skin scrub recipes.

BANANA HONEY FACE MASK

Ingredients

1 ripe banana
1 Tbsp honey
10 drops of lemon juice
Directions

Smash banana with honey in a small bowl.
Add lemon juice and combine well.
Apply mask to entire face and leave it on for 15 minutes.
Rinse with a warm washcloth.
GENTLE OATMEAL MASK
Ingredients

1 Tbsp honey
1 egg yolk
oatmeal
Directions

Mix honey and egg yolk in a small bowl.
Slowly add enough oatmeal to create a thick paste.
Smooth mask over face and neck. Leave it on for 15 minutes.
Rinse with lukewarm water.

YOU MUST MOISTURIZE
This may seem like a given, but moisturizing is a must all year round. So slather on the moisturizer as soon as you step out of the shower, to trap water in the skin. Having trouble deciding which product is right for you? If you've got sensitive skin, skip the creams containing fragrances or lanolin, which may trigger breakouts or adverse reactions. Always look for products with glycerin and hyaluronic acid, two elements that are excellent skin hydrators.

SLATHER ON THE SUNSCREEN
If you're planning to spend a lot of time outdoors this winter, coat your face with a cream that contains SPF 15 or higher to keep your face protected from harmful sun rays and potential wrinkles. And don't forget to cover up with a hat and sunglasses when you hit the slopes or go for a run outside. You can get just as bad of a sunburn in the winter as you can in the summer!

WASH IT RIGHT
Washing your face is just as important as moisturizing it, but you've got to be sure you're doing it right. Scrubbing too hard can just strip your skin of its natural moisture, while some cleansers are way too harsh for the winter.

Find a gentle cream cleanser (or cleansing milk) that'll nourish your face without leaving it parched (try Olay Total Effects 2-in-1 Anti-Aging Nourishing Cream Cleanser). And while you're washing, use lukewarm water (hot water is hard on your skin) and pat your face dry as opposed to rubbing it with a towel.

DRINK UP
While staying hydrated hasn't been scientifically proven to reduce wrinkles, experts say it certainly can't hurt. In fact, drinking about two cups of water increases blood flow to the skin, which may improve your complexion. To maintain the water balance in your body, drink the suggested eight (8-ounce) glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters).

MOISTURIZE YOUR INDOOR AIR
The outdoor elements aren't the only dry skin culprits. The dry air in your home can sap moisture from your skin, too. Keeping a humidifier in your bedroom at night can help maximize moisture in your skin while you sleep.

1
Normal to dry skin
For skin that starts to become drier as the seasons transition, look for a cream that is powerful, highly absorbable and hydrating. Try Snowberry Beauty Nourishing Rich Day Cream. Containing coffee bean oil, strawberry seed oil and cloudberry seed oil, this cream is a rich fusion of the purest and finest active ingredients from New Zealand. It is a powerful and highly absorbable, anti-aging formula that nourishes, smoothes, moisturizes by up to 39.64 percent and revitalizes.

2
Cleanser
Shed that flaky summer skin to improve cell turnover with Murad’s AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser ($35). It smoothes skin's texture while cleansing impurities with a trio of gentle exfoliating acids. Salicylic, lactic and glycolic acids provide clarity and brightness by dissolving dead skin cell buildup. Jojoba beads further polish and smooth skin to reveal younger-looking, more radiant skin.

3
Anti-wrinkle
Prevent those wrinkles!!! Yves Rocher, the creator of Botanical Beauty, helps quench your skin's thirst with moisture capture botanical saps in their Hydra Vegetal Instant Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer ($27). By using Canadian Maple Sap and organic Mexican Blue Agave, these two ingredients act as a barrier to lock in moisture deep within the skin and provide an immediate reduction in the appearance of wrinkles by nine percent.

4
Severely dry
Renew parched, dry summer skin and moisturize and protect with Sia Botanics Desert Aloe and Jojoba Cream ($18). This super hydrating cream packs in the power of concentrated botanicals from the Sonoran Desert like aloe (a skin quencher with magnesium, zinc and 20 amino acids) and jojoba (to restore and balance, hydrate and speed cell repair).

5
Dry body skin
Slough that parched summer skin away with Beecology Dry Skin Fighter Dead Sea Mud Soap ($6). For centuries, this mud has been known and prized for its essential minerals that tighten and balance, drawing impurities from the skin and providing effective moisturizing from essential oils, beeswax and shea butter with no perfumes, dyes or anything else to get in the way of pure, natural cleansing. After that cleansing, don't forget to moisturize! Try Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Lotion ($17) — a natural renewal lotion with organic pomegranate seed oil and shea butter to stimulate cell renewal and protect skin from damage while firming and leaving skin velvety smooth. Smells amazing as well!

6
Serum
Serum should be used when you feel like your skin is in a rut and you’re not getting the results with your basic products. For one of the best, I turn to Dr. Oscar Hevia. His Potent Repair Serum ($275) contains the super antioxidant Red Mangrove Extract to help repair + Ferulic Acid to protect cellular integrity + Thiotaine to help improve oxygenation of cells + Laminaria Algae to nourish the skin, leaving skin brighter, more even-toned, softer and smoother.

7
Hands
Protect those hands and prevent cracking and irritation! Archipelago Sugar Creme with Sugar Cane and Coconut ($24) is a rich, yet non-greasy cream that leaves hands feeling hydrated and soft. Pure coconut extract is blended with jojoba, some of the richest oils available and sugar cane — used for centuries as a skin care ingredient — provides alpha hydroxy acids to protect the skin and gently moisturize.

8
Enlarged pores
Enlarged pores are a common concern for oily and blemish prone skin types, as well as skin showing loss of firmness or sun damage. Untreated, enlarged pores can age one’s appearance. Perricone Intensive Pore Treatment can help! ($75) This treatment is non-clogging, oil-free and with ingredients alpha lipoic acid and salicylic acid, it effectively and dramatically reduces the visibility in pore size. Skin is firmer, tighter and softer, giving you an overall more refined skin texture.

9
Body scrub
Alleviate dry skin and flakiness, so that your skin is baby smooth with Metropolis Soap Company’s Balsam of Peru and Pumpkin Exfoliating Sugar Scrub ($38). With vitamin rich pumpkin, balsam of Peru to increase circulation and shea butter to moisturize, this vegan scrub will gently, yet effectively, exfoliate. It smells heavenly too!

10
Eye cream
As the seasons change, allergies, temperature and other environmental factors can cause dehydration and irritation in the delicate eye area. An eye cream can help! One of my favorites is Mario Badescu’s Glycolic Eye Cream ($20) — it is skin smoothing, rich and high in antioxidant vitamin E and a blend of oils. It’s great for skin that is showing signs of wrinkles and sun damage. Use for a soft and more youthful looking eye area, as well as around the delicate lip area as an emollient treatment.

“Surgery a success! Dr repaired 3 hernial tears (fun pain). Superman is on the mend.. #WeFallWeRise,” he wrote of the Hulk-like snapshot. Johnson sustained the painful injury during his recent WrestleMania battle with John Cena, and shared some grisly pre-surgery details with his Twitter followers.

“Saw my Dr who had to push my intestines back thru the tear in my abdomen. Kinda romantic.”

The procedure meant that Johnson had to bow out last-minute for Monday's Hollywood premiere of his new flick Pain and Gain, in which he costars with another muscle-bound star, Mark Wahlberg.

He first reported the excruciating-sounding injury via Twitter on April 8, one day after the bout with Cena. “In the middle of last night's Wrestlemania match I tore my abdomen & abductor muscles off the bone. Just part of the job.”

“Jenelle was brought into the courtroom [yesterday],” Sullivan told Us of the single mother to son Jace, 3. “She didn't have regular jail garb on, they had just brought her from virtually off the street. They did a bond hearing and set her bond and then set the court dates. Her bond was set at $10,000 for simple assault and $10,000 for possession of heroin.”

“She was crying,” he continued. “You could hear her crying in court from the other side of the courtroom.”

On Tuesday, cops were called to the 21-year-old mom's residence in Brunswick, North Carolina, in response to an alleged domestic dispute. When they arrived, however, they found 12 bindles of heroin at the scene, as well as several other illegal substances and drug paraphernalia.

In addition to the drug charges, the MTV star was also charged with multiple assault counts for reportedly striking Rogers, 27, with a piece of furniture during their argument. Court orders will prevent the pair from getting into any more physical brawls for a long time, however.

“Courtland and Jenelle are not allowed to have any contact with each other whatsoever, even as husband and wife,” Sullivan told Us. “That is going to stay in place until the case is resolved or unless the judge changes that order. And I'm confident that there will not be any judge to change that order.”

If either Evans or her husband violate the court order, they could face up to 30 days in jail, Sullivan added. The ban may even extend to the online realm, where the couple often duke it out on Twitter (“It could be argued as such. My instructions were no contact,” Sullivan said.)

A hearing for Evans' drug charges has been set for May 14 in the Brunswick County District Court, and the reality star will go to court again on June 3 to address the assault charges. Until the case is completely settled, Sullivan said, the two will continue to be cut off from communication with one another — or face the consequences.

“It could be months,” he said. And if the couple decides they want a divorce, which “has not been discussed,” it would be a difficult route to take, Sullivan explained. “In North Carolina, you have to have a one-year separation period before you're eligible to even become divorced.”

The reality TV couple tied the knot in December 2012 after just a few months of dating, but decided to pull the plug on their short-lived marriage in February after Evans accused Rogers of cheating on her.

One month prior, Evans filed five assault charges against Rogers, who denied her claims.

1
Drink more water
Are you getting enough H2O? If not, your skin could look dull and sallow. The remedy is simple: Drink more water. Keep a reusable bottle at your desk so you remember to sip regularly, and trade one of your daily coffees or sodas for herbal tea. Remember, if you feel thirsty, you’re likely already dehydrated.

2
Add some shimmer
Adding a touch of shimmer (using a highlighting product) to the inner corners of your eyes, cheekbones and brow bone can do wonders to give you a quick beauty boost. The slight shimmer has an almost-optical illusion effect that helps hide the stress of the day.

3
Refresh with a spritz
Refresh your makeup or just wake up your skin in an instant with a mist of spray toner. They come in a wide variety of formulations, so choose the one that offers the beauty benefits you want (hydration, antioxidants, etc.). A little spritz can go a long way in breathing new life into your makeup.

4
Get more sleep
We know, it’s easier said than done, but if you feel tired you likely look tired, too. Aim to get to bed 30 minutes earlier each night (or an hour if you can swing it), and avoid doing anything stressful before you hit the sack. They don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing — it’s restorative to your whole body and being well-rested means a much healthier complexion.

5
De-puff
Stash an eye roller in your purse or desk to instantly de-puff and refresh your peepers. These products are also cooling, which will help you look more alert. We like First Aid Beauty Detox Eye Roller ($24), which smoothes and brightens the eye area, while minimizing dark circles.

6
Improve your posture
Your mother was right when she told you not to slouch. By standing up straight you’ll not only look more confident, your clothes will hang better and your circulation will be improved, meaning an all-over body and face improvement.

7
Open up your eyes
Mascara is a girl’s best friend when it comes to looking better in a snap. Seriously, if every other product was taken from our makeup bag, we’d survive with only mascara to enhance our look. Curl your lashes to further lengthen them and do a double coat of mascara to really make your eyes pop.

8
Put on some lipstick
Feeling a bit blah? Fix it fast with a swipe of your favorite lipstick. We suggest red for a mega-watt beauty boost, but if that’s a bit outside your comfort zone, choose a more pinkish hue. We’re partial to Josie Maran Magic Marker Lip and Cheek Stain ($19) in Fox Trot, a deep berry-inspired pink.

Sign-up for newsletters and e-mail lists

Be the first to know! Signing up for e-mail lists and newsletters is a great way to get exclusive discount codes and coupons. For example, discount beauty site FragranceNet.com recently sent an e-mail offering free shipping with no minimum purchase by using a special code at checkout. Most beauty sites will offer you the chance to sign-up for these lists on their homepage.

Follow your favorite beauty brands on Twitter

Many beauty companies will also offer special deals or giveaways to their loyal Twitter followers. Beauty expert and blogger Laura Carson Miller says she's seen a lot of tweets promoting contests recently, such as “be the 1,000th follower and win free loot!”

Ask for free samples

It's all about paying your dues, even when it comes to looking beautiful. According to Laura, it's a good idea to make friends with the beauty artists at your favorite cosmetic counters and shops. “Go by and try out new makeup shades, ask questions about the formulas and ask what the coming trends are. If you seem interested and willing to talk about the brand, you have a better chance of walking away with a bag full of free samples.”

Buy the big one

Bigger is typically always better, especially in the world of hair care products. Mike Van den Abbeel, stylist and owner of Mosaic Hair Studio, recommends purchasing the largest size available when it comes to shampoos and conditioners. “The price difference per ounce between the normal size and large size can be huge. If your favorite brand doesn't sell large sizes or if you want a bargain, ask your salon if you can buy the back bar size (1 liter to 1 gallon) for big savings,” he says.

Be a guinea pig

If you can put up with an audience during your next beauty procedure, you can expect big savings. Leslie Blanche, Senior Account Manager at IF Marketing, recommends inquiring at local medical spas and with plastic surgeons about teaching days. “Many plastic surgeons are affiliated with universities and have designated preceptorship days for students and other medical professionals to shadow them as they treat patients. Often, the patients being treated are given a discount for allowing the students and visiting physicians to watch their procedures.”

Don't be afraid of drugstore makeup

According to Jessica Stout, founder of FAB Shows, “There are some true hidden gems in the world of drugstore makeup.” Her new go-to mascara, for example, costs just $7, and has worked “leaps and bounds better than any department store stuff I've used.”

Concealer

Need to hide under-eye circles or a blemish that just popped up? It only takes about 30 seconds to apply concealer. You can use concealer before or after your foundation — experts are split on which is best. Experiment and find out what works for you. Use a very small amount of concealer (you don't want the product to get cakey) and pat it into your skin, rather than rubbing. You can use a brush, sponge or your fingertips. Pick a shade that is very close to your natural skin tone.

BB cream

BB cream is a multipurpose product that should be part of every busy woman's makeup routine. Popular in Asia for years, BB cream is now all the rage in America. This product can illuminate, hydrate, nourish and even out your skin. The coverage isn't heavy, but generally not as sheer as tinted moisturizer. With some BB creams, you can skip the foundation, concealer, highlighter, sunscreen, anti-aging serum and moisturizer. It can cover pimples, minimize the look of pores, hide fine lines and wrinkles, smooth your complexion and brighten your skin. BB cream can be worn on its own or in conjunction with mineral makeup.

Eye liner or shadow

Pick one — you don't need both when you are in a hurry. If you want a simple, natural look, just sweep eye shadow in a neutral tone over your lid. If you want your eyes to stand out, apply eye liner instead. Line just your upper lashes. Apply just one coat of mascara so you don't have to wait the time between coats. Doing your eyes shouldn't take more than a minute or two.

Bronzer or blush

Get your glow on with a little bronzer or blush. This is especially important if your natural complexion is a little pasty. Use a light hand — you don't need much color to make a difference. When it comes to bronzer, make sure it's not more than a shade or two darker than your natural skin tone.

Lip gloss

Put the finishing touch on your face with a dab of lip gloss. It takes just a few seconds to apply lip gloss and you can do it while you are heading out the door. If you prefer lipstick, take the time to use liner, too. Before applying lipstick, line your lip then fill them in entirely with the pencil. This will give your lipstick a nice base and make it last much longer.

Get organized

To get out the door with ease in the morning, get organized and stay well groomed. Pluck or wax your brows regularly so they aren't unruly in the morning. Touch-up your roots every few weeks and get a trim every two months in order to avoid last-minute hair dilemmas. Organize your bathroom with all your makeup and beauty essentials — products, brushes and applicators — right on the counter in a convenient location.

2 – CHOOSE A HAIRSTYLE THAT IS EASY TO MAINTAIN
The shorter your hair the more often you will have to get your hair cut, which means you can spend up to twice as much a year on haircuts. However, if you have a hairstyle that is medium to long in length, you can usually stretch your haircuts for two to three months with occasional trims in between visits.

3 – GET TRIMS BETWEEN VISITS

Some salons will offer to trim your hair for less than a regular cut between visits. If your salon does not offer that service, go to Great Clips or Cost Cutters for a cheap trim. This will keep your hair looking healthy and keep you from heading back to the salon and paying full price for another styled cut.

4 – BEAUTY SCHOOLS ARE ANOTHER GREAT ALTERNATIVE FOR CHEAPER HAIRCUTS AND MANICURES
Although we are often skeptical about being guinea pigs, especially when it comes to our hair, beauty schools charge far less than salons and they are required to have you leave satisfied with your hair cut/color. With the money you saved on your hair, you can get an inexpensive manicure as well.

5 – BUY IN BULK
Beauty stores like Ulta or Sally Beauty Supply usually have sales on their large bottles of hair products (usually buy one get one sales); this is the time to stock up on your favorite products.

6 – LAY OFF DEPARTMENT STORE BRANDS

We all have certain products that we swear by and are willing to buy, no matter the cost (well, maybe), but for your other make-up and skin care needs try to find cheaper alternatives at Target or Walgreens. You can find great make-up at drugstores for a fraction of the cost. Mascara at a department store can cost you more than $25 but at a drugstore, you can find mascara for $6.

7 – BUY YOUR NAIL POLISH AND EYE SHADOW ON SALE
If your favorite make-up or nail polish goes on sale, buy it! Usually products that are seasonal or trendy are the only ones that go on sale; however, if you receive coupons or see that your favorite staple items are on sale or are in a gift set, you should take advantage of the sale price, even if you stock it away until you need it.

8 – INSTEAD OF PEDICURES, GIVE YOUR FEET SOME EXTRA LOVING
Pedicures usually cost more than $35 and can be skipped during the winter months if you take better care of your feet. A pumice rock, Sally Hansen Spa Peppermint Foot Crème and your favorite polish color will cost less than $15 and will keep your feet looking great without the expense of hitting the salon.

9 – BUY ALCOHOL FREE SCENTS
Perfume that contains alcohol usually loses the scent faster than scents containing oil, which causes you to spritz yourself more often and go through your perfume faster. Try to buy scents without alcohol to help extend the use of your perfumes.

10 – SPEND THRIFTY
Thrift stores are great for finding deals; they are great for purchases that you only plan on wearing once or a couple of times. You can also bring in your old clothes and make a bit of money or trade them for something you find.

Things You’ll Need

In order to create these adorable creatures, you'll need: scissors, cardboard tissue or paper towel tube, brown craft paint, paper plate, small piece of sponge, scraps of orange and brown craft paper (solid or patterned), 2 black buttons, 2 bottle caps tapped flat with a hammer, glue dots and a glue stick.

Shape and Paint the Tube

Trim the cardboard tube to a height you like (the one shown here is 4 inches tall). Fold down the upper front and back edges so that the tube top resembles ear tufts. Then, sponge-paint the tube brown. If you like, use two different shades of brown to create a mottled effect.

Prepare the Parts

Create owl eyes by using glue dots to stick a button to the center of each bottle cap. Next, cut a small diamond-shape beak from orange craft paper. For the owl’s wings, cut a strip of brown craft paper that’s nearly long enough to wrap around the lower half to two-thirds of the tube. Trim the short ends to resemble curved wing edges.

Glue on the Wings

Spread glue on the unprinted side of the wings paper with a glue stick. Wrap the wings around the lower portion of the tube so that the curved edges are in front.

Add Eyes

Use glue dots to stick the eyes to the face of the tube, positioning them just above the wings.

Attach the Beak

For the finishing touch, fold the beak in half vertically to give it a little more dimension. Use a glue dot to attach it to the tube, tucking the upper portion behind the eyes.

Taking kids on food-shopping trips can be educational for your children and fun for you all (yes, really), as long as you do some activity planning. Turning the grocery-store visit into a game gives you the opportunity to teach kids basic math and reading skills, introduce them to different foods and help them understand the value of a balanced diet.

Weights and Numbers

For younger children, merely counting the number of items on the grocery list or in a certain area of the basket occupies and amuses them. As they grow older, ask children for a count of items in groups, such as oat cereals, soups with vegetables, varieties of apples or types of cheese.

Many scales in supermarket produce departments are low enough for kids to use and provide an excellent opportunity for them to learn about ounces and pounds as well as how scales work. Teach multiplication and division by helping children figure out how much two or three pounds of potatoes cost based on the per-pound price.

Food Groups
Before heading to the store, show your children the USDA's new nutritional guidelines (choosemyplate.gov) and explain the different food groups. Then, when you're at the store, ask your children to recite those food groups — fruits, vegetables, protein, grains and dairy — and point out a few foods from each group.

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Thought Development
Develop a child’s reasoning processes by asking him what ingredients he thinks are in a favorite cake or casserole. As you explain how the components work together to develop different textures and flavors, find the items together on store shelves.

Ask children to put together a simple menu for lunch or dinner and develop their food-matching skills by pointing out the benefits and drawbacks of each choice and how they work together to create a balanced meal (or not).

Search and Find
Make a photocopy of your shopping list and give one copy to each child. Have them read the signs above the grocery store aisles and pick where they think each list item will be located and why. To give children a sense of accomplishment, cross items off the lists together as they are placed into the shopping cart and ask for a countdown of how many items are left until the task is completed.

People aren’t simply happy or sad, we’re both.

Sometimes at the same time.

Happy and sad are momentary experiences, just as hunger, melancholy, joy, grief or clarity are things you experience in a specific moment.

These things define a moment, not a person, so while happiness isn’t something you possess as you do with a shoe size or eye colour, it is something that you can cultivate more of.

Happiness can surely get you into trouble if you go about it in the wrong ways (by padding life out with the accumulation of stuff rather than filling it with moments of value, for example), but at its core, happiness can remind you of all that’s good in the world, rather than focusing on all the bad things.

This is why it’s worth bothering about, because happiness adds to your perception and lends you perspective, always lending you a better, simpler way of looking at things.

We’re not setting out to be part of an inane, smiling, delusional cult of happiness here. I can’t think of anything worse or more irritating.

But if happiness feels like something you’d like to experience more of, here are 12 things happy people do differently that you can start with.

1. Practice gratitude

Being grateful and thankful doesn’t turn you into the kind of simpleton who would say “Thank you, I love ducks” right after being pushed into the boating lake. It does however, create thinking that tunes you in to the good things you have in your life rather than becoming more and more blasé about them.

Practicing gratitude focuses you on what life brings rather than what it doesn’t, and that’s where happiness comes from.

2. Prioritise nourishment

Nourishment is more than eating your vegetables and getting a decent night’s sleep. It’s about making sure your head, heart and body are kept topped up with the stuff they need not only to function, but to flourish.

If you’re not taking good care of yourself little else will matter.

3. Don’t pursue status

Your brain is wired not only to figure out where you sit in the professional and social pecking order against others, but to reinforce your position in that pecking order.

Yeah, we’re hardwired to be assholes sometimes.

When you get wrapped up in establishing or maintaining status, the moment your place in the hierarchy drops you’re going to feel pretty horrible, like you’ve screwed up, that you’re no good or that others are better than you.

Don’t get into the status game – there are no winners.

4. Separate success and specific outcomes

Your level of happiness is not dependent on reaching a goal or objective.

Your success and happiness have nothing to do with what happens, and everything to do with how you perceive your achievements, your value and how you’re engaging with your life.

Every time you make your success and happiness conditional on something happening, you’re missing point entirely.

5. Don’t reject or bury the bad

If you’re in the habit of brushing the bad stuff under the carpet, sooner or later you’re gonna trip up over that small hill that’s grown in the middle of the room and end up smashing your ego all over the place.

You can only ignore or shut out the bad stuff in life (and there will always be bad stuff in life) for so long.

Respect it. Integrate it. Welcome it. Learn from it. Accept it.

6. Stay out of the drama

Happy people don’t spend their time whining about how hard they’re having it, how everything’s going wrong, how everyone just needs to stop screwing everything up for you and how life would be so much easier if it wasn’t for everyone and everything they do.

Getting into all of the “he said she said” of the world will keep you down in the detail and drama and you’ll be excluding all the beautiful and extraordinary stuff that’s right there in front of you.

7. Strip away expectations

Inside that noggin of yours, your brain is doing its best to figure out what will happen next so that it can make sure you’ll be safe and sound.

So it starts creating expectations for how things will go, what you’ll do next and how you’ll do it. It creates expectations about what others will do and what that means for your world. It even creates expectations about what other people might expect of you, just so you can fit in, not draw attention and keep on staying safe, secure and certain in your environment.

Only, those same expectations will drastically limit your quality of life and resultant levels of confidence and happiness. So get rid of ‘em.

8. They know what makes them tick

It’s redundant to talk about happiness unless you know something about what makes you happy. So what are the things that make you tick – the stuff that matters to you enough for you to do something about?

You’ll experience more happiness from doing the things that foster meaning, flow and contribution, so doing a little leg work to see what makes you tick goes an extraordinarily long way.

9. Don’t fight against their environment

So many people waste time and energy flapping their wings against the bars of the cage they think they’re in, they never figure out a better way to use that same energy.

If you struggle against your environment, your environment will win. Instead, put in some effort to create an environment that’s congruent with what matters to you – an environment that brings what matters to life.

10. They’re connected

Feeling isolated is pretty darn sucky. It’s a bit like being alone in an attic while the zombie apocalypse happens in the world outside. You end up scared, stuck and listening out for sign of an undead brain-eater heading your way.

Okay, so it’s mainly the scared and stuck thing.

Feeling connected (to others, a project, a community, a family, a cause, etc.) gives you a sense of belonging, a sense that your life and your world are bigger than just you and that you’re part of a network that counts for something.

11. Notice the small things

I talk a lot about doing stuff that matters to you, making a difference and creating extraordinary change, and the temptation is to think that this is some big, grand, oh-so worthy endeavour.

Truth is, there’s wonder in the tiny things too. Holding hands. Sunlight through trees. A steamed-up bathroom.

The way someone smiles. That song you love. Squirrels playing in the park. A car letting you cross the street. The first page of a book. Laughing out loud.

The small things matter massively.

12. Leverage natural confidence

Natural confidence is being able to choose your behaviour with implicit trust in that behaviour. It’s knowing that you can get on, make choices and do stuff, and deal with whatever happens.

Natural confidence is freeing, simple and powerful, and it’s the quality that allows you to get out there and do what matters.

13. Know they don’t need to be happy all the time

Happy people don’t bank on feeling happy all the time. They know that it’s transitory, and they know that there are moments when it’s a choice.

Thinking that you need to be happy all the time or that you’re owed happiness will put you on the road towards Missingthepointcompletelyville.

Happiness is as much an intention – a precursor to a moment in time – as it is an outcome.

Many people would love to improve their homes with major structural changes, but often they can’t afford such costly renovations. An easy solution can be to make cosmetic changes instead.

Cosmetic modifications stretch far beyond slapping a new coat of paint on a wall. From pillows to posters, chairs to curtains, there are plenty of ways to put on a new look without breaking the bank, whether you're staying put or planning to sell your house.

“If you can handle a paintbrush and you’re not afraid to get a little dirty, you can do it,” said Jill Valeri, president of The Welcome Home: Interior Design Solutions in Maryland.

Identify the Issues

The first, and perhaps the most challenging, step is to look at your home with a fresh eye and think about how you really function in this space.

Many people have formal living rooms that they never set foot in, but they could really use a craft room, for example. Or they’d like to switch the living and dining rooms because the sizes or locations would make more sense that way.

“You can’t get hung up on what the rooms are ‘supposed’ to be used for,” Valeri said. “Think instead about how you actually live in your home.”

But for some people, even such cosmetic changes can appear to be an overwhelming challenge. Just going to the store to buy supplies can be difficult when you’re not prepared.

“If you walk up to the color paint wall in the home-improvement store, it’s overwhelming, the sheer number of colors,” said Valeri.

There are ways, however, to defuse such obstacles.

Make a Plan

First, don’t try to do everything at once, advises Kathy Passarette, owner of the interior decorating firm Creative Home Expressions on Long Island, New York.

“This becomes not only overwhelming, but you get to a point where you want to just get it done, and most often you won't be happy with it,” Passarette said.

Another way to face down the challenges, Valeri says, is to find an “inspiration piece,” whether it’s art, an area rug or a curtain fabric. Choose something that inspires you because it contains all the colors that you hope to have in that space, and use it to narrow down your color options.

Once you’ve figured out a color scheme, a logical next step is to take on the walls. Most homes have beige or white walls, which leave homeowners with a lot of options. Paint? Wallpaper?

Keep your color scheme in mind. Many people decide they want an accent wall but pick a color that doesn’t relate to anything else in the room. “They’ll have this fabulous burgundy wall in this beige house, and it feels overpowering because there’s nothing to balance it out,” Valeri said.

An easy trick for handling a large, empty wall is to make picture frames with frame molding and fill them with either an accent color or wallpaper. “It’s a nice, easy way to put a lot of interest to a really big space without spending a lot of money,” Valeri said.

Once you have the art, you have to hang it. Most people position art too high, says Lauri Ward, founder of Use What You Have Interiors in New York. Hold the art where you think it should go, she suggests, and then lower it 3 inches. “It works every single time,” she said.

Ward also advises leaving one wall in a room blank to rest the eye.

Finally, add architectural interest to the room. You can create new touches or build on what’s there, for example, with trim or molding. Most of this is basic carpentry that even a novice can handle, Valeri says.

Let There Be Light

Lighting is one of the most important aspects of a room. By changing your fixtures or adding recessed lighting, you can give a room an entirely different feel.

“If a room isn’t properly illuminated, it’s never going to feel as welcoming as it should,” said Valeri. She advises adding dimmer switches so you can control the level of light for different functions.

Instead of buying just one lamp, Ward suggests purchasing two. Pairs of lamps can help tie a room together, as well as help with functionality. “I would like a dollar for every single home that I’ve been to where there was one lamp on one side of the sofa, and people pretty much took turns reading.”

The concept that using two of a kind helps tie a room together applies to anything else that comes in pairs. “Really, you can’t have too many pairs,” Ward said. “You need as many pairs as possible in one room.”

Tweaking Furniture Can Help

Another easy way to update your living room is to get new slipcovers for your throw pillows or couch, says Ward. Cotton slipcovers on throw pillows will lighten up a darker couch for the summer months.

“Keep a throw on the arm of your favorite chair or sofa for cozying up with a good book or late-night movie,” said Passarette. It will add a burst of color in addition to being functional.

Simply cleaning out the clutter in a home will make a huge difference, Passarette emphasizes. “Bring in some baskets to corral things like remotes, books, DVDs or CDs,” she said. That will add texture as well.

Also, group similar things together instead of spreading them all over the house. “If you put all the pieces together in one area, it looks important,” Ward said.

Finally, buy furniture that comes with built-in storage, such as ottomans and coffee tables.

“Psychologically, they can breathe when they come home,” Ward said about homeowners returning to a decluttered house. “They don’t feel suffocated with stuff.”

Less is More

When it comes to battling rainy weather, less is always more. “It is much easier to keep your makeup and hair simple so touch ups are minimal and easy,” says Phillips. For hair, a classic ponytail wrapped in a beautiful scarf or chic hat is always timeless. You'll be happy you skipped the dramatic makeup, as well.

Use Primer and Setting Powder

You should use a primer and setting powder/spray any time you want your makeup to last, but they're especially important on days when inclement weather's expected. A primer underneath your foundation and setting powder over the finished look will keep makeup in place even amidst falling raindrops.

Light Coverage

Avoid heavy foundations that can run and turn messy in the rain. Thick, waterproof foundation isn't always your best bet, either, since little drops can form as they would on a freshly-waxed car. Phillips suggests a lighter option, such as BB cream, CC cream or a tinted moisturizer that evens out your complexion.

Cream/Gel Blush

Powder-based blush can run and get streaky when wet, similar to thick foundation. Always opt for a light cream or, better yet, gel blush that absorbs into the skin instead of sitting on top of it.

Waterproof Eye Makeup

“Waterproof makeup is key,” says Phillips. “Everyone should own a tube of waterproof mascara for special occasions.” A few applications of waterproof mascara and/or eyeliner will keep you from sporting raccoon eyes at 2 p.m.

Long Lasting Lip Color

“A long-wearing lip color is also a must have in the rainy weather,” notes Phillips, who insists that a beautiful lip makes anyone look polished and sophisticated. Try a lip stain or lipstick that doesn't smudge and lasts for hours.

Pack a Touch-Up Kit

When you know you're going to deal with rainy weather, make sure you have all the essentials. “Pack a small touch-up kit consisting of a little concealer, a touch of powder, your lip color, a few cotton swabs, a little brush, hair tie, hair pins and hair spray,” says Phillips. Touch up as necessary throughout the day.

Carry an Umbrella

Lugging an umbrella around may feel like a burden when Mr. Sunshine is warming your back, but you'll be happy you have it once the raindrops start falling. A clear or nondescript umbrella will keep you dry and won't clash with what you're wearing.

We all have fear.

Fear is as normal as breathing.

The problem is that most people cling to their fears, and therefore are unable to move forward in their lives with necessary change.

I have learned a lot about fear in my life as a professional musician.

And I've learned that the only difference between people who achieve greatness and those who do not is that the former ditched their fear.

Many of the methods I have used to prepare for huge performances have helped me to conquer fear in other areas of life.

Here's how you can start overcoming fear:
Be aware of fear in your life. Before you can begin overcoming fear, you have to admit that you have it. Perhaps fear is your “normal,” and that is quite a bit to overcome all at once. Write down some aspects of your life where have fear. Getting your fears down on paper is important, because trying to simply think them through never works.
Stare at fearless people. Fill your brain with images of what you want your “future self” to look like. Connect with as many role models as you can, whether in person, through a book, or online. Use these examples as an energy source to combat your fear.
Be objective. Take an interest in investigating your fears. Ask yourself about what thoughts generate your fear, where you feel the fear, and how you react to it. Try to be an objective observer of your own life.
Be willing to look stupid. Remember: Wayne Gretzky fell on his tail a ton; Itzhak Perlman has had horrible performances. But once you are willing to risk the emotional pain of making mistakes, you will shed more fear than you ever imagined. Know that making mistakes will help you obtain information you use to create the correct behaviors. Everyone who has ever done something great has failed more than once.
Adopt a mindset of gratitude. Whenever you feel fear, instead try and feel grateful. I have been performing a lot of solos recently, and it is scary! Instead of freaking out, I have decided to be grateful for the opportunity to communicate musically with so many people, and I know that they are there to genuinely listen to me play and root me on.
Seek out teachers. It's never too late to have a teacher; we are never done learning. Seek out someone who scares you a little, not a polite person who makes you feel warm and fuzzy always. Seek out someone who watches you closely, is brutally honest, and who gives clear directions on how you can get better at whatever scares you.
Share. How often do we hold the negative in because we are afraid of how others might react? Sharing helps, because you will realize that many people feel the same way as you do, and have stories to share as well. Do you have a fear of success, or a fear of failure? Sharing with someone can help you examine what you truly want from life, and where your fears come from.
Embrace struggle. Most of us instinctively avoid struggle, because it feels like failure, and that scares us. But the term “no pain, no gain” holds true. To develop our skills, it is a necessity that we struggle, so we must embrace it. Once we struggle, fear slowly disintegrates.
Read. My personal favorite. Reading a good book related to your specific fear can open new doors on how you can get rid of it. I constantly fill my world with a lot of motivational and inspirational books on and around the topic I’m dealing with.
Use visualization. Imagine yourself in a scary situation without fear. Watch people do things fearlessly that would normally freak you out. Visualize yourself as that person. Create a very clear picture of fearlessness in your mind.
Put things in perspective. Putting your negative thoughts in perspective is a huge way to overcome fear. In the big scheme of life, why are you afraid of something? While you are freaking out about something, life is moving on without you. It helps to remember this sometimes.
Release control. Of course we want to be in control, but when we relinquish it we tend to free ourselves up. Allow yourself to make mistakes. After all, that's where the learning and growth really happens. We learn from our failures, but to fail we need to release control.
Think about worst case. What’s the worst that could happen? I have crumbled on stage in front of hundreds of people. My wife still loved me; I lived. Life goes on.
Look within. What is the root of your fear? Meditate on it. Look inside and ask yourself when the fear started. How far back does your fear go? Did you have an early failure that has stuck with you? Explore it. That's what life is all about.
Overcoming fear requires a growth mindset; an attitude that we can grow and change if we choose. Nothing is “locked in” forever; we can change.

It takes time and practice.

Hopefully the tips above will help you begin your journey to ditch fear.

Of course, in this fantasy world, a large pizza would serve an entire softball team.

I don’t know about you, but I can polish off an entire pizza by myself, with room left for bread sticks.

So, what’s changed?

Have our stomachs expanded to hold more?

Have we developed a new intestine we didn’t know about?

Any way you look at it, we need more to be satisfied. Yes, that means more soda, popcorn, and fries, but it also means more sex, booze, television, information, and noise. More from our spouses, families, friends and employees. More from ourselves, too. More to be happy. Successful. Fulfilled.

It’s no wonder more people than ever are embracing minimalism, the simple idea of needing less and living more. A call to go without.

Personally, I find it long overdue, especially now that I have my iPad and the new iPhone 5, proving that minimalism is much more inviting when we already have what we want.

Of course, the truth is, most of us are more likely to embrace minimalism when times are tough, which is why recessions are such fertile recruiting grounds for new minimalists. As soon as we lose our jobs, or the bank account empties, we all start running for Walden Pond.

And that’s not a horrible thing. It’s how life often works. With struggle comes the opportunity to turn misfortunes into a path toward greater meaning.

However, I will argue that minimalism shouldn’t be a knee-jerk response to tough times. It’s not just Plan B for the next financial crisis.

In fact, minimalism is the new Plan A. The new rallying cry to live life more consciously.

But, make no mistake. I’m not talking about a “get off the grid and make your own cheese” kind of minimalism. This is the all new and improved minimalism. It’s softer, gentler and doesn’t care if you keep your iPad.

Here are three suggestions to get you started today.

Tip #1: Keep The Ferrari. Lose The Attachment.

“The secret of happiness is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” – Socrates

The New Minimalism isn’t about going without, scaling down, or denying our selves. And if that means you want a Ferrari or a hundred dollar pair of underwear, go for it.

The new minimalism is about being able to own stuff without the stuff owning us.

Our possessions aren’t good or bad. It’s only our attachment to the possessions that brings us suffering. And that’s true whether we’re talking about a one-room studio or a mansion on the beach.

Most of us can’t define attachment, but we know the feeling when it hits.

It’s that wince of pain you get as you see a scratch on your new car. The way your eyes swell when you drop your iPhone in the toilet. It’s buying what we can’t afford, chasing what we don’t need, believing we need to own “something” to feel complete.

It’s a nasty maze to be caught in, and there’s only one way to escape.

We need to prove to ourselves that our “things” won’t bring us happiness. We all know it’s true. Intellectually, at least. But, deep down, most of us don’t really buy into it.

It might look good on a bumper sticker, but it’s tough “to live”, especially when we know how awesome those silver studded Prada shoes would look on our feet. How much our golf game would improve with that new set of clubs.

Cars. Vacations. Gigantic TV’s. We like our stuff.

Now, don’t panic. I’m not suggesting we put up the garage sale signs just yet, or join the nearest Amish community. We don’t need to get rid of our possessions. We just need to prove we can live without them.

Grab my hand and we’ll do it together. Cold Turkey. For one month.

We’ll begin with that time honored minimalist pledge to stop buying or using anything new, expensive, or shiny. That means it’s time to put away all the good stuff. The gems. The showpieces.

But, don’t stop there. Once you’ve done that, find cheap alternatives to take their place. I’m talking about using the crappiest, oldest, ugliest, most out of date stuff you can find. The stuff you’re embarrassed to admit you own.

While this will be different for each of us, it’s all essentially the same thing. Use much less than you’d like to use.

Use your grandfather’s cell phone, drive your kid’s car, take rapid transportation. Wear old clothes or beaten up shoes, use broken golf clubs or last year’s equipment. Drag out that old TV that’s sitting in your garage. Lock up the iPad, put away the jewelry, and swap out that expensive bottle of wine for the 4-dollar twist-off they sell at the gas station.

Get creative.

And, remember, this isn’t a punishment. It’s liberation. We’re trying to feel what it’s like to not need anything. It’s a challenge to live life differently—to declare that it’s not what we own that makes us happy, but what we do with what we own.

It’s Kryptonite for the recession, as well as a path to a simpler life.

Tip #2: Consume Less

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.” – Will Rogers

The new minimalism doesn’t just ask us to lose attachment to our possessions, but to become less needy of all life. We can do this by simply consuming less of the resources around us.

This doesn’t mean we have to dismantle our heaters, or start filtering our urine for drinking water. But, we can certainly lower the thermostat 4 degrees and put on a sweater. We can turn off the water when we brush our teeth. We can use less paper towels, plastic, and electricity.

Shorter showers. Larger laundry loads. We can finish the last drop of shampoo. Scrape the bottom of the peanut butter jar.

We can put less on the plate, less in the head, and less on our schedules. We can cut down on television, newspapers, movies and maybe even stop buying books until we’ve finished the one we’re reading.

There are so many areas in our lives where we can consume less. Find your own ways. But, don’t look at it as flogging yourself with deprivation. The idea is to simply ask yourself what you need to get by, and to feel happy and fulfilled.

Choose the least amount possible and a fraction more, and you’ll officially become a member of the new minimalism movement. Please join us at the all-you-can-eat minimalist buffet, where they’re serving absolutely nothing.

Tip #3: Fill Up Your Space With More

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

This is the big one, my friends.

There are a lot of things we consume in this world, but none is bigger than space. Now, I realize logic would suggest that we all take up roughly the same amount of physical space. But, the truth is, we each take up different amounts, depending on what we do with the space we’re given. How we live our lives.

Sure, we may support our family, pay our taxes, or even volunteer once in a while, but that’s not always enough. Sometimes we need to do more.

And, yes, finally there is a “more” we can embrace. A “more” that will free us from all the other “mores.”

The ultimate challenge for the new minimalist is to stop sucking up priceless oxygen without giving anything in return. It is a challenge to fill the space we’re given with positive energy, and our own unique brand of enthusiasm, compassion and love.

It’s our challenge to start living a life where we will continuously look for new ways to contribute to the world. Is there a neighbor who needs a hand? A cause we could join? A friend who needs a shoulder to lean on?

How can we give more of our time, talent and skills, our hearts, minds and spirits, so that we can make this a better world?

This is the new minimalism. Giving more than we get. Putting in more than we take out.

Live this way and our lives will become more rich and meaningful than we could have ever imagined.
Oh, and guess what…go ahead and keep all your toys as a parting gift from the universe. Enjoy to your hearts content.

Just don’t be surprised if you wake up one day and realize they don’t mean as much as they once did.

Don’t be surprised if the next time you drop your iPhone into the toilet, you just stand there and smile.
That’s the feeling of freedom.

It’s the face of the all new and improved minimalism.

Of course I made an effort during the election season to be fully aware of both sides of the agenda, Democratic and Republican.

But it amazes me just how many hours of political banter is aired on multiple networks daily.

It’s enough to leave even the most informed person overwhelmed.

One subject seems to be a recurring theme and is still echoing throughout our country – jobs.

People are concerned not only with stabilizing the employment rate, but also creating more jobs.

With this concern looming over most of the working class, it is more important than ever to address the debate on when to quit your job and pursue your dreams.

Many think you would have to be crazy to leave a position with benefits to take a risk on a new startup venture. Others feel the economic climate couldn't be riper to launch out into the deep unknown. After all, our great country was built on the innovative spirit.

Regardless of your way of thinking, I want to share the basic principles that will help in the transition.
In 1981, an English punk band named The Clash penned a catchy tune called, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” that quickly caught fire.

To this day it is galvanized on VH1's Top 100 rock songs list. What made it so popular was the hook which says, “Should I stay or should I go now? Should I stay or should I go now? If I go there will be trouble. And if I stay it will be double. So come on and let me know.”

I see the dilemma facing so many people today. How do I decide to walk away from a job? If I go I may be unhappy, but the fact remains that I am not happy here anyway. Decisions, decisions. Here are some tips to help:
Be honest about your motives: I once told a client that being unhappy at a job is not enough reason to launch your own business. The truth is, everywhere you go there is the potential to be unhappy. And not liking the people you work for isn't enough reason. When you start your business you will be working for customers too. The motive for leaving is to release your own potential, not escape management.
Include your family and close friends in the process: Many spouses have become bitter because the other did not confer before walking away from the job. They feel betrayed when decisions are made that affect the entire family structure and their opinion wasn't valued. These are giant steps and we all need the balance of our family's feedback to help us.
Develop a strategy and timeline: Since you have decided leaving is what you should do, next ask yourself: how? Allow yourself a minimum of eight months to a year to transition out of employment. Be as upfront with your job as possible so you won't burn bridges. Meet with professionals to evaluate your business plan and prep your family for any adjustments that will be made to the finances. This should be a gradual blend, not a sudden rip.
Keep your head and heart in sync: Be careful of the daydreamer's illness. That's when you are sitting on your job so overwhelmed with ideas you forget you still have current responsibilities. This can be a time that will test your integrity and ability to multi-task. The object is to keep both sides from slipping as you maneuver through this transition. You don't have to compromise to be successful.
Deciding what to do with your future can be intimidating. Questions surround the safety of staying at a job only to be laid off in a year. Maybe you'll step out to launch your business only to go broke.

Either way there are risks involved. One thing is for sure, both decisions require a plan.

No one can answer this for you, but the tips I shared can at least make the transition a little smoother.

Every single thing you are not satisfied with in your life is a result of a bad habit compounded over time.

If you don’t have enough money, it’s because bad habits kept you from taking action and making money.

If you are not as fit as you would like to be, it’s because of bad habits that kept you glued to the couch.

Bad habits are like viruses that spread into all areas of our lives.

Would you like to change that?

The only thing that separates successful people from failures are successful habits.

Whether you are training for an ultra marathon, starting a business or running a successful blog, cultivating good habits is the key to mastery.

But this is easier said than done.

Most of us go through our entire lives under the control of external circumstances, as opposed to being at cause for creating the life we want to live.

We find it near impossible to build good habits because we spend every day floating down the river of life with no oars.

Empowering habits allow us to take charge of our destiny by controlling our daily activities so that we no longer have to be a victim to the roller coaster of our feelings. The compound effect of those actions over time leads to the life of our dreams.

Follow these 9 steps to transform success from uncertainty to inevitability.

1. Take 100% responsibility for your life

Our only true freedom is to choose our response and our attitude to the events that occur every day, especially when those events are outside of our control.

To practice 100% responsibility, choose to create an empowering meaning to any event, find the value in it and move forward in a manner that improves the quality of your life. This is as opposed to being a victim that blames, complains or whines about circumstances.

2. Define a compelling why

Without a strong reason to drive you in changing your habits, it is near impossible to do so. Viktor Frankl once said, “Those who have a why to live for, can bear with almost any how.”

I have adapted that to say “those who have a why to live for, will create almost any how.” The purpose behind your desire to change a habit is the fuel that will keep you going when things get tough. It is the driving force for change.

3. Believe in your ability to succeed

Henry Ford said it best, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

Belief is the root of change. The strongest force in human behavior is the need to act in line with our self-identity or our belief of who we are. To change a habit, you must believe that you can actually do it.

One way to create this belief is to log all the successes you have ever achieved in your life. From first learning how to tie your shoelace to graduating high school, whatever it may be, celebrate your successes to show yourself that you are capable of greatness.

Prove to yourself that you can do anything you put your mind to. Anchor in that state of unstoppable confidence and then condition the anchor over time.

4. Become aware of your habit cycle

MIT researchers have found that all habits consist of three elements: a cue, a routine and a reward. If you find yourself drinking a few beers every day after work and you want to change that habit, figure out how your actions fit into the habit cycle.

The cue could be coming home from work at 6:00pm. The routine may be taking off your shoes and your coat, sitting on your couch, kicking up your feet and opening up a beer. To figure out the reward…

5. Experiment with different routines that meet the same reward

Using the above example, the reward could be a variety of things. It may be the high from the alcohol, or it may be a release from the stress of work, or it may be relaxation. The key to breaking bad habits is to keep the cue and the reward the same, but change the routine.

To gain awareness on your individual habit cycle, write down your cues, routines and rewards while you are in the cycle. Then, experiment with different routines that offer the same reward. The reward may not be what you first think it is, so be sure to get very clear on the reward by writing it down every time you engage in the habit. Once you are clear on the pleasure from the behavior, then…

6. Interrupt the old patterns

Often our habits are so conditioned into our being that we move through those patterns without any thought or consciousness as to what we are doing. Interrupting the old patterns creates a space for new ones. A few ways to interrupt your pattern are to shock yourself or say something outrageous that makes you laugh or interrupt it through some physical action.

One woman put a can of dog food next to her fridge to interrupt her pattern every time she reached out for some junk food. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. The goal is to get you out of a preprogrammed way of being by engaging in a behavior that shocks you, so as to change your state and facilitate the transition into another pattern.

7. Celebrate the little successes

No matter how small or large, celebrate every single victory. We are no different from Pavlov’s dogs; it is just as easy to condition an associated response to an event in human beings as it is in dogs.

By celebrating the little successes, we are simply conditioning the association between a positive emotion and the desired habit, thus reinforcing to our subconscious mind that this new habit equals pleasure. The emotion then starts to drive our actions, which in time leads to a new habit.

8. Build a team

Success is a team sport. No one does it alone. That is why programs like AA are so successful in aiding the recovery of alcoholics. That is also why some of he most successful people in the world, from Henry Ford to Tony Robbins to Napoleon Hill, all created mastermind groups.

The reason why most people fail to change a bad habit is because they have no one holding them accountable for it. Find people to support you, or use stickk.com, and you will exponentially increase your chance for success.

9. Condition the new habit for at least 30 days

NASA researchers have found that it takes an uninterrupted period of 25-30 days for the brain to create a new neural pathway. In one experiment, NASA had a group of astronauts wear convex goggles that made everything appear upside down for 30 days. Much to their surprise, they found that after 25-30 days, all the astronauts started seeing the world the right way up, even with the goggles on. In a follow-up study, half the astronauts took off the goggles for one day after wearing them for 15 days in a row.

It then took another 25-30 days for their brains to form the neural pathway that made the world look the right way up again. To condition a habit for long-term success, practice the new habit for 30 days in a row without any interruptions. Focus on one habit at a time to reduce overwhelm and increase your chance for success.

Many people would love to improve their homes with major structural changes, but often they can’t afford such costly renovations. An easy solution can be to make cosmetic changes instead.

Cosmetic modifications stretch far beyond slapping a new coat of paint on a wall. From pillows to posters, chairs to curtains, there are plenty of ways to put on a new look without breaking the bank, whether you're staying put or planning to sell your house.

“If you can handle a paintbrush and you’re not afraid to get a little dirty, you can do it,” said Jill Valeri, president of The Welcome Home: Interior Design Solutions in Maryland.

Identify the Issues

The first, and perhaps the most challenging, step is to look at your home with a fresh eye and think about how you really function in this space.

Many people have formal living rooms that they never set foot in, but they could really use a craft room, for example. Or they’d like to switch the living and dining rooms because the sizes or locations would make more sense that way.

“You can’t get hung up on what the rooms are ‘supposed’ to be used for,” Valeri said. “Think instead about how you actually live in your home.”

But for some people, even such cosmetic changes can appear to be an overwhelming challenge. Just going to the store to buy supplies can be difficult when you’re not prepared.

“If you walk up to the color paint wall in the home-improvement store, it’s overwhelming, the sheer number of colors,” said Valeri.

There are ways, however, to defuse such obstacles.

Make a Plan

First, don’t try to do everything at once, advises Kathy Passarette, owner of the interior decorating firm Creative Home Expressions on Long Island, New York.

“This becomes not only overwhelming, but you get to a point where you want to just get it done, and most often you won't be happy with it,” Passarette said.

Another way to face down the challenges, Valeri says, is to find an “inspiration piece,” whether it’s art, an area rug or a curtain fabric. Choose something that inspires you because it contains all the colors that you hope to have in that space, and use it to narrow down your color options.

Once you’ve figured out a color scheme, a logical next step is to take on the walls. Most homes have beige or white walls, which leave homeowners with a lot of options. Paint? Wallpaper?

Keep your color scheme in mind. Many people decide they want an accent wall but pick a color that doesn’t relate to anything else in the room. “They’ll have this fabulous burgundy wall in this beige house, and it feels overpowering because there’s nothing to balance it out,” Valeri said.

An easy trick for handling a large, empty wall is to make picture frames with frame molding and fill them with either an accent color or wallpaper. “It’s a nice, easy way to put a lot of interest to a really big space without spending a lot of money,” Valeri said.

Once you have the art, you have to hang it. Most people position art too high, says Lauri Ward, founder of Use What You Have Interiors in New York. Hold the art where you think it should go, she suggests, and then lower it 3 inches. “It works every single time,” she said.

Ward also advises leaving one wall in a room blank to rest the eye.

Finally, add architectural interest to the room. You can create new touches or build on what’s there, for example, with trim or molding. Most of this is basic carpentry that even a novice can handle, Valeri says.

Let There Be Light

Lighting is one of the most important aspects of a room. By changing your fixtures or adding recessed lighting, you can give a room an entirely different feel.

“If a room isn’t properly illuminated, it’s never going to feel as welcoming as it should,” said Valeri. She advises adding dimmer switches so you can control the level of light for different functions.

Instead of buying just one lamp, Ward suggests purchasing two. Pairs of lamps can help tie a room together, as well as help with functionality. “I would like a dollar for every single home that I’ve been to where there was one lamp on one side of the sofa, and people pretty much took turns reading.”

The concept that using two of a kind helps tie a room together applies to anything else that comes in pairs. “Really, you can’t have too many pairs,” Ward said. “You need as many pairs as possible in one room.”

Tweaking Furniture Can Help

Another easy way to update your living room is to get new slipcovers for your throw pillows or couch, says Ward. Cotton slipcovers on throw pillows will lighten up a darker couch for the summer months.

“Keep a throw on the arm of your favorite chair or sofa for cozying up with a good book or late-night movie,” said Passarette. It will add a burst of color in addition to being functional.

Simply cleaning out the clutter in a home will make a huge difference, Passarette emphasizes. “Bring in some baskets to corral things like remotes, books, DVDs or CDs,” she said. That will add texture as well.

Also, group similar things together instead of spreading them all over the house. “If you put all the pieces together in one area, it looks important,” Ward said.

Finally, buy furniture that comes with built-in storage, such as ottomans and coffee tables.

“Psychologically, they can breathe when they come home,” Ward said about homeowners returning to a decluttered house. “They don’t feel suffocated with stuff.”

When I was a kid, we had one of those “Simon Says” games where you held this little black box with four different colors.

They would light up in sequences, progressively getting faster and faster.

The goal was to tap the colors in the exact same sequence, a game of memory-testing.

I would play that game for hours until I mastered it.

The same went for Tetris. Nowadays, I’m hooked on Brain Age.

I’ve been a gamer practically my whole life, but I never realized that I was, in a sense, training my brain, memorizing those light sequences, getting the Tetris blocks to line up in a millisecond.

It’s nice to be good at something but I’m always looking for the next thing to occupy my brain for training.

When I train my brain, I believe that I’m doing something good for me, as opposed to sitting stagnant, watching reality television.

I firmly believe that training your brain is just as important as training your physical stamina. Increasing one’s intelligence is never a bad idea, and there are many ways to do it.

1. Patterns, exercises, puzzles

Your brain thrives on patterns. When listening to music, do you ever notice the syncopation of the drum beat and work it out in your head?

Do you ever organize your spare change according to denomination and then chalk it up to OCD?

You’re actually exercising your brain. Routinely playing brain teasers such as Sudoku or cross-word puzzles can increase your intelligence as well as your deductive reasoning.

2. Master a talent (or at least attempt to)

Some of the smartest people I know are musicians or artists. Finding an outlet for your thoughts and emotions can help you sort out the more subconscious thoughts and bring them up to the surface.

To master anything, it takes a LOT of practice. Practice usually involves repetition and that’s just what the brain needs.

3. Jogging makes you smart?

Everything in the body is connected. If you are usually sitting down, not really doing much physical exertion, your brain isn’t going to get much action, so to speak.

A healthy heart can mean a healthy brain. The endorphins your body releases from exercise are also good for your brain.

4. Forever a student

Education is usually the first thing people think of when intelligence comes into question. Obviously, the more you know, the smarter you become.

Learning something new is a no-brainer (pardon the pun) to becoming more intelligent, but the most important thing is what you do with that education and applying it in your life.

5. Get out there and experience life

You won’t absorb very much new information if you only stick with what you know.

You will learn so much more on a vacation to the cottage or a backpacking trip in the wilderness than you will staying home. Life experience is better than related experiences.

Taking a break to sort your thoughts can greatly benefit your intelligence. You take something away from every experience, good or bad and you learn from them.

Never give up on your intelligence, and never be afraid to try something new.

Between your daughter’s dance lessons, your son’s soccer practice and hours of homework and housework to wade through, your hectic schedule may lead to exhaustion and even resentment as you are consumed with your ever-changing role as a parent.

But, according to Dr. Robin Siebold, a Florida-based psychotherapist, becoming a parent does not mean you should give up on your own personal goals and your pursuit of happiness. “The stronger we are as persons, the stronger we are as parents and as a couple, and the stronger, more self-reliant children we raise,” she said.

Parents who are happy ultimately teach their kids how to be happy. Finding a secure mental and physical balance that includes much-needed mom-and-dad time may help parents find the energy to share the joys of life with their children.

Facing the Changes

Children bring love, companionship and undeniably precious moments into our lives. The look in your infant’s eyes when he sees you or the gentle hug of your toddler can provide the greatest joy. Children do, though, bring about changes to the household.

The introduction of a child dramatically alters the dynamic of any couple’s relationship, according to Dr. John Duffy, a Chicago-based clinical psychologist. Often, the needs of a child trump the needs of the partner.

“I’ve had many an ashamed husband or wife on my couch admitting to a modicum of bitterness at the loss of attention and affection from their spouse,” Duffy said. “I’ve heard more than once the fear that the child will 'take my place in the heart of my partner.'”

Balance is critical, Duffy warned. “The more the relationship is tended to, and the more solid the foundation is, the smoother and easier the parenting process will be,” he said.

Addressing the added pressures of parenting is also necessary to achieve balance. Decisions about child care, school activities, financial obligations, vacations and work scheduling can easily overload even the most organized parent.

Ideally, parents should anticipate these changes and discuss plans of action before their first child is born. “With both parents usually working today, it is important to talk about the roles each party will play in raising the child,” Siebold said. “Parents need to continue talking to each other openly as they experience their frontier of parenting so adjustments can be made as they go.”

The Downward Spiral

Nurturing a family requires energy and creativity. When a parent feels drained and exhausted, the entire family feels the effects. More commonly, parents find themselves depleted, short-tempered and less productive at work and home, Duffy said. “They feel brittle emotionally or feel that they are losing some critical part of themselves to the role of parent,” he explained.

Depression and anxiety are often the result. Early signs of stress may include headaches, stomachaches, decreased energy, sore muscles and lowered immunity. In addition, parents might notice changes in appetite, disruptions in sleep patterns, moodiness or irritability, said Lanea Miller, licensed marriage and family therapist.

“When there isn’t enough positive self-care that occurs in someone’s life, they can become overwhelmed, and burnout can happen,” she said. “It is easy for parents to get into superhero roles, where they feel as though they have to do everything, and be there for everyone else.”

When the daily grind feels like a never-ending downward spiral, it’s time for parents to act as a team, Siebold advised. “When one is needing a break, the other takes over,” she said. “If one made dinner, the other gets the children ready for bed.”

Tackling parenting tasks together can ease exhaustion and frustration. “Know when you are already upset and ask your partner, family or friends to step in and help when you get to that point,” Siebold suggested. “Parents can give themselves ‘time outs’ when they realize they need the break.”

The Upward Slope

Climbing upward from a downward spiral requires parents to manage self-care strategies on a regular basis. “When we take positive self-care time, whether it is a 10-minute walk or a lunch with some friends, we are helping to release the stress from our bodies and allowing ourselves to better focus on our children and being the parents that we want to be,” Miller said.

Prioritizing tasks and creating a sense of community within the family will also help ease the pressures of ‘superhero’ parenting. Miller suggests creating family team to-do lists to maintain household chores and responsibilities. “This will not only help set up the family as a team,” she said, “but helps children feel included and successful when items are accomplished.”

It’s also important to let go of the vision of perfection. “Let go of little things like cleaning and laundry — nap if you need to,” said Tammy Gold of Gold Parent Coaching. “It is crucial for parents to force themselves to get the same care their children get because they are often overlooked.”

Making time for your relationship with your partner should be at the top of the priority list, too, Siebold said. “Parents always have to have date nights and time with their friends doing the things they used to do before the children,” she said. “Otherwise, you begin to feel like less than a human, and resentments will build toward the children, your spouse and life in general.”

Unfortunately, though, many parents battle guilt when taking care of themselves, Duffy said. “It’s astonishing to me how reluctant and often ashamed parents feel at the wish for ‘me time'” he said. “But it is important for recharging the batteries so that parents can recoup the energy to parent.”

Just as wizards need their wands, every home cook requires the right utensils and cookware to create culinary magic in the kitchen.

Hundreds of gizmos and gadgets are available to help everyone from the domestically challenged to the chef extraordinaire, but the selection can often be overwhelming. No matter the size of your kitchen, the quality of your recipe, the breadth of your cooking experience or the weight of your wallet, preparing food can be simple. All you need is to arm yourself with the essential tools.

Dale McKay, “Top Chef Canada” contestant and proprietor/executive chef of Vancouver's Ensemble Restaurant, and Toronto's Theresa Albert, a nutritionist, food coach and author of “Ace Your Health: 52 Ways to Stack Your Deck” and myfriendinfood.com, got a chance to to choose just five to eight utensils or pieces of cookware for their kitchens.

Their five suggestions included implements to prepare the food — a knife and cutting board — cook it — pots and pans, spoons and spatulas — and save it for another meal — storage containers..

While hitting the fast-food restaurants might seem more appealing than slaving over diced vegetables and a hot stove, Albert stressed that healthy eating starts at home.

“You can't even approach a healthy diet if every meal is eaten out,” she says. “And the money spent could buy you a mighty fine vacation. There is nothing like the satisfaction of producing something delicious yourself and enjoying it in your track pants slumped over your sofa.”

A Chef's Knife

“You need a good, sharp, 10-inch chef's knife,” Albert said. “It is the most useful knife.”

Any brand will do, Albert said, but the higher the quality, the better. “You could get away with a series of cheap paring knives, but this one should be forged steel with three rivets. It will last a lifetime.”

MacKay was more specific. “If I was setting up my kitchen, for me, a good Victorinox serrated knife is necessary because it's got a slope to it,” he said. A sloped edge allows for smoother, speedy chopping, while a serrated edge can pierce thicker and harder foods. “It's like a French knife because it's got a serrated edge to it for vegetables and all that kind of stuff.

“I think most people at home have pretty crappy knives, and even if they do have a decent knife, it's so dull that it becomes more dangerous. That's why they don't seem to be able to cut anything,” McKay said.

Cutting Boards

“Get a proper cutting board,” MacKay stressed. “People always tend to get those cheap dollar store cutting boards where they're not even big enough to cut an apple, or the knife glides into them.”

If you decide to go with an inexpensive cutting board, Albert warned, it won't stand the test of time. “Plastic goes in the dishwasher but looks like crap quickly. Wood is nicer to look at, but wood eventually needs to be replaced.”

MacKay agrees. Rubber cutting boards don't chip or splinter, preventing bacteria from getting between the cracks. “We have these rubber ones. Just don't buy too hard of plastic ones, because your knife just scratches the board rather than the board absorbing the cuts.

“You just end up with a really gross film on top, because it's almost like it's hard plastic being scored,” he said.

Albert recommends at least two cutting boards, one for fruits and vegetables and another for raw meat, to prevent the meat from contaminating the other foods. Bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella can easily transfer from raw meat juices to fruits and vegetables, which are not usually cooked to the extent of meat so the bacteria can more easily survive and possibly cause a health issue.

Pots and Pans in Various Sizes

“I think having a 6-quart, a 4-quart, a 2-quart and a 1-quart is all you need for pots,” MacKay said. “Just make sure you buy ones that have a good guarantee. But don't go spend $10,000 on pots and pans.”

For him, Teflon pots and pans are must-haves. The Teflon coating makes them nonstick, so food doesn't burn on the bottoms and dishwashing is a cinch.

Albert swears by iron enamelware pots. “Iron enamelware pots like Le Creuset or knockoffs are the 'magic pot.' They normally have a grooved lid that encourages evaporation and retains flavor. The heavy cast iron holds heat and turns out beautiful food with no effort at all.”

Albert also prefers cast iron for a skillet. “Nonstick [coating] emits a toxic gas. Cast iron holds heat and, with proper seasoning, is just as nonstick.”

Bamboo Spoons and Silicone Spatulas

“Wooden spoons, like bamboo, are a more eco-friendly option that lasts forever but is affordable for easy replacement,” Albert suggested.

As for spatulas, she recommended staying away from plastic. “A silicone spatula is great for making omelets and/or baking. Plastic melts and chips, while silicone lasts forever.”

Glass Storage Containers

If you're pressed for time, Albert suggested making big batches of food and storing it in glass containers. Plastic is often associated with health concerns, stemming from chemicals that are thought to leach out during the heating process.

Glass is more durable and allows you to heat up a home-cooked meal in a variety of ways, making it easier to eat healthfully when your hectic schedule gets in the way of culinary adventures.

“Glass containers with lids are great for the stovetop to freezer to microwave cooking. You can store [your meals] in glass containers in the freezer and reheat at whim,” Albert said.

Pick the Right Colors

Pastels can include any range of colors and shades, but some of the most popular and flattering include lavender, sky blue, yellow and pink, says Claire Atwood, makeup artist and beauty expert for CITY Cosmetics. To fit the trend, make sure you’re wearing shades that are soft and light — like the blue actress Ginnifer Goodwin wears here at the 2011 Met Ball in New York City — instead of bold, smokey or heavily pigmented colors.

Match Your Skin Tone

One of the most basic keys to pulling off a pastel shade is to make sure it matches your skin tone, Atwood says. Yellow, for example, can look beautiful on some skin tones — like those that are tan, olive or beige — but can wash out ladies with blue undertones, she explains. Warm skin tones also look great in greens and oranges, while cool skin tones (ladies with fair or pale skin, like actress Jessica Chastain, shown here at a fashion show in Paris) look best in pinks, blues and purples.

Keep it Tasteful

Though the idea of pastel makeup might feel daunting for many women, Atwood says it doesn’t have to be intimidating. “The key here is to just not go overboard,” she advises. For example, don’t match a pastel eyeshadow to your lipstick, like singer Nicki Minaj does here at an event in West Hollywood; instead, pick a complementary color. “That much pastel will leave you looking more cartoon than in bloom,” Atwood says.

Start Small

If you want to test out the pastel trend without diving in headfirst, Atwood suggests beginning with one shade in a small dose, like actress Emma Watson does here at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards with just a bit of pastel eyeshadow. “A fun nail polish or eyeshadow in a pastel hue will help you get over any trepidation right away,” she says.

Accentuate the Eyes

While eyeshadow is the most common way to wear pastel on the eyes, the shades also look gorgeous in a liner or even a bit of mascara. Atwood suggests pairing a full-on pastel eye — like the one TV personality Nicole Richie is wearing here at the 2013 Golden Globes — with just a swipe of clear gloss on the lips to keep it from going overboard.

Pop with Pink Cheeks

One of the simplest ways to perk up your look with pastels is by adding a pop of soft pink directly onto the apples your cheeks, like actress Emily Blunt does here at the 2010 Golden Globes. For a more saturated shade of pink that will keep you from looking washed out, opt for a cheek tint or gel blush for last-all-day color.

Love the Lips

Make that same shade of pastel pink work overtime by adding the hue to your lips, too, like singer Katy Perry does here at the 2012 Grammy Awards. And if you're a lady who likes to push the envelope, don't be afraid to try out a shade of pale orange or lavender, which looks especially beautiful against dark skin. When you go for a pastel pout, Atwood says it’s smart to pair it with a neutral or slightly shimmering eyeshadow to keep it from becoming overwhelming.

Make it Work (Appropriate)

Pastel makeup can work with any outfit on any occasion, and even in the workplace, when worn correctly. To get an office-safe look, steer clear of dramatic shades on eyes — like a full mint-green eye — and stick with hints of pastel on lips, cheeks and lids instead, like actress Tika Sumpter does here at a movie premiere in Westwood, California.

For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

As I watch the incredible development of my little ones and reminisce about all the mischief I got into as a youngster, it causes me to wonder where our imaginations went.

Somewhere between 4 and 14 we are talked out of a land filled with endless possibilities and talked into a land of restraint, compliance and normality.

Not that being orderly is wrong, but a life sentenced to “ordinary” can be mind-numbing. Mankind was created for something much greater than carving out a meager existence.

What happened to the days before technology? The days when we could entertain ourselves by going outside with one of our mother's towels wrapped around our necks and for hours we engaged in the battle of the Super Friends.

Where a stick was King Arthur's sword or a water pistol made us the Lone Ranger. We didn't need a Facebook or a Twitter account because our day was filled with playing tag.

We felt carefree when we allowed our minds to run free with the moment. But something happened. Life became complicated. We matured and decided with the assistance of society that “playing around” was simply kid's stuff.

The truth is, we still have that desire to put on our cape or grab a cowboy hat and flee outside to meet with our friends.

But between bills, pressures, status quo and deadlines, we shrug off the notion and bury our heads back in our laptops until we fall asleep. But what if this was never the way it was meant to be?

Have you noticed the people we celebrate as innovative or successful seem to almost do it in a playful way? They tapped into a part of themselves that found passion and joy in their so-called work. While others dread another day, they bounce out of bed with vibrancy that makes us jealous.

These are the adults who found the secret to it all – their imagination. They aren't working as much as they are playing make-believe. And the world is their playground.

Here are some benefits of playing make-believe as an adult:
There is an element of fun in all they do. When you see someone who is engaged in their imagination, they are able to flow through a task with a smile on their face. Unlike others, they even see challenges as an opportunity to learn something new.
It seems very little gets you upset or off-center when you play. When we were kids, hardly anything could spoil our fun. If something broke, we would make something else. If we didn't have all the pieces to the game, we would make up new rules. Today, get back in touch with the part of you that just felt happy to have this moment, and enjoy it.
With imagination, everyone is a potential playmate. Have you ever watched kids play? Things like stereotypes, judgments and biases are not in their makeup. These entire hangups are taught to us as we grow. But those who are in touch with their imagination see everything and everyone in a different light. As kids we just wanted to play, no matter who it was.
I know we can't abandon our jobs and family responsibilities to hang out all day in a club house. There are things we must take care of as we work to support and provide the best for our loved ones.

But what we can do is take moments out of every day to engage in proactive imagination where we give ourselves permission to dream big, fly high and reach mountain tops.

What could happen if we launch our minds higher than the dull noise level we currently operate in? Imagination will give our hopes new meaning and release us to conquer the world.

Incandescent Bulbs

Incandescent bulbs produce light by heating a thin filament wire until it reaches a temperature that causes it to glow. As a result, these bulbs expend most of their energy in the form of heat, not light. This heat-driven way of producing light causes this little bulb to burn out quickly, so even though an incandescent bulb may cost only about $2, it only has a lifespan of about eight months. Soon, this inefficient bulb will be a thing of the past. As of January, 2012, 100-watt bulbs will no longer be imported, manufactured or sold in the United States, and by 2014 all incandescent bulbs will be phased out.

Fluorescent Lights

Fluorescent bulbs use electricity to excite Mercury vapor in order to produce UV waves that cause a phosphor to fluoresce and produce light. The original T-12 fluorescent bulbs only cost about $3 per bulb, but produce cool, somewhat harsh light. As a result, they are commonly used in warehouses and commercial settings. However, newer T-8 bulbs produce warmer light that is more conducive to residential use. Low energy costs typically offset the initial installation costs, as fluorescent bulbs require ballasts in order to regulate the electrical current through the lamp. There are environmental and health risks associated with fluorescent lights due to the Mercury vapor that they contain, so use caution when recycling and installing these bulbs.

Compact Fluorescent Lights

CFLs, or compact fluorescent lights, are similar in shape, size and light emission to incandescents, but they use up to one-third the electric power and last up to fifteen times longer. “CFL prices vary with size and wattage, but the most commonly used household CFL is 13 watts,” says Benjamin Rorie of 1000Bulbs.com. They cost around $5 and last up to 7 years.” One disadvantage to these bulbs is that they contain small amounts of mercury, so handle them with care.

The CFL Family

“CFLs come in the well-known spiral shape as well as just about any shape associated with incandescent or Halogen: A-line, globe, candelabra, reflector, PAR, you name it,” Rorie says. “All of these CFLs actually have a spiral CFL within the outer shell.” CFLs are very versatile and can be used in anything from desk lamps to chandeliers.

Halogen Bulbs

Halogen bulbs are modified versions of incandescents. “Halogen is a very big family; however, in a residential setting the most commonly used Halogens are PAR30 and PAR38 bulbs (shown), which cost about $3 to $5,” Rorie says. Because they operate at very high temperatures and the filament is so close the the surface of the glass bulb, halogen bulbs pose fire and burn risks. These risks require that lamps are well equipped to handle the heat and to protect the people who come in contact with them.

HID

HID stands for “High Intensity Discharge,” and HID bulbs definitely live up to their name. HIDs have very long lifespans, especially in comparison to standard incandescent bulbs. While one incandescent bulb might produce 1000 hours of light, an HID bulb can produce 20 times that– 20,000 hours of light. HIDs should not used in residential settings due to the fact that they produce significant amounts of UV radiation and require UV-blocking filters to prevent UV-radiation induced deterioration of lamp fixtures. HIDs are commonly used when a large amount of light is required to light a large area, like a parking lot.

Hybrid Halogen CFL

GE recently combined three technologies – CFL, halogen and incandescent – to make a “hybrid” bulb. It recently received the “Energy Star” qualification, meaning it passed through both the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy with flying colors. These bulbs have a lifespan eight times longer than standard incandescent and cost about $9 each.

LED

LED, light-emitting diode, technology has been around for a while but simply hasn't been affordable for the average consumer. Thanks to recent innovations, LED prices are slowly coming down, but as the price goes down, efficiency goes up. Current LED bulbs can last from 25,000 to 50,000 hours, which equates to17 to 34 years.

LED – Pay Now, Save Later

An LED alternative to the standard 60 watt incandescent bulb uses only 12.5 watts and lasts up to 25,000 hours. According to Home Depot, that equates to roughly 80 percent energy savings a year. This lamp, from Rejuvenation.com, is compatible with dimmers and contains no mercury, so the only disadvantage that it cannot be placed in an enclosed lamp shade. Prices start around $60 dollars but rebates are often available.

User-friendly LED

LEDs have been expensive and unattractive, but this petite 8 watt LED is shaped to fit under a lamp shade. It costs about $39, but that's for 25,000 hours of light at 8 watts. Still not sure which LED is right for you? “For a residence, most people will need a dimmable A-line LED of roughly 10 watts, which replaces a 60 watt incandescent,” Rorie says. The new L Prize LED bulb from Philips is another example of this and can be purchased for as little as $25 after rebates.

Easter… it’s my favorite time of year in Malibu. The sun is spreading its warmth over us and spring is in the air. For me, Easter weekend signals that the beginning of a new beach season is just around the corner, which is great because I love early morning walks on the beach. On Easter Sunday, many Malibu residents gather for the yearly sunrise service at Zuma Beach to connect with each other and nature. The gorgeous ocean, fresh air and the sun rising on the horizon… there’s no better way to start the day.

Because our lifestyle in SoCal is so casual and inspired by the nature around us, I didn’t want to plan a heavy sit-down dinner this Easter. Inspired by our summer picnics, I decided that a moveable feast would be much more fun and allow us to gather and celebrate on Zuma Beach.

The Feast

Since it’s Easter, I don’t want to do a traditional picnic basket… I did say moveable feast, right? Nothing says Easter feast like lamb. According to some beliefs, lamb symbolizes rebirth, rejuvenation and sacrifice, so it’s no wonder lamb is the perfect choice for a classic Easter dinner. When serving lamb, the quality of the meat is imperative, so order from a butcher if you can or go to Costco — they usually have terrific lamb. Instead of preparing traditional leg of lamb, I’m doing lamb chops since they are easier to prepare and grill outdoors.

Here’s my classic lamb chops recipe:

3 tablespoons of finely minced garlic
3/4 cup of fresh chopped rosemary
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
12 loin lamb chops 1 1/2″ thick
1. Marinate the lamb chops in the garlic, oil and rosemary overnight in a covered container. Turn twice if possible.

2. Whether you are using a gas or charcoal grill, make sure you have a hot grill to sear the meat. Set temp to high.

3. Remove the chops from the marinade and let excess marinade drip off before grilling.

4. Grill the chops over high heat for 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare results.

5. The chops can be transported in a covered dish when you’re ready to travel.

This next recipe is from a great Malibu hotspot, Tra Di Noi. My dear friend and the owner of Tra Di Noi, Antonio Alessi, serves his clients the best food under the Malibu sun. His shaved artichoke and arugula salad is a perfect accompaniment to the lamb made by his fantastic chef Francesco. (You can find the recipe for his salad on my design blog here).

If you’re eating nearby, then bring out your good china — mixing some elegance into the outdoors makes the experience more memorable. If you need to schlep it, then pack the salads in Chinese containers that you can buy online or at a local craft store.

Drinks

Hiking makes me thirsty and for cocktail inspiration I look to the beach… Malibu Beach Inn that is. They have the best Bloody Mary under the sun and I’m delighted to be able to share that recipe with my readers. Last time I was there, I asked the bartender for their actual recipe for my blog and he was kind enough to share it with me. This is my favorite Bloody Mary recipe!

For transportation purposes, pour the Bloody Marys into individual mason jars. They travel well and are so cute to drink from — no need for plastic cups!

Final Preparations

Pack all the prepared food and drinks into a few backpacks along with napkins, plastic forks and quilts to sit on or spread on a picnic table (don’t forget to bring bottled water, too). If you want to create a special surprise, make a morning trip to the site and spread out the quilts and decorate so that the party can get started as soon as everyone arrives. Unpack the Marys while you fire up the grill and get the party started. With friends and family celebrating outdoors, it will feel like spring has arrived. Happy Easter!

The Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters actor told Eva Longoria about his baby news at the Golden Globes on Jan. 13, as exclusively reported in the Jan. 28 issue of Us Weekly. Renner, 42, was overheard saying, “'I'm going to fly in when her water breaks,'” two witnesses revealed. “Then Eva said, 'I'm so blown away.'”

Another insider told Us that Renner was being “ultra-secretive” about the pregnancy. But a pal said he'd have no problem stepping up. “Jeremy will make a great dad!” the friend told Us.

Griffiths died Thursday at University Hospital in Coventry, central England from complications following heart surgery, his agent, Simon Beresford, said. He was 65.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe paid tribute to the actor Friday, saying that “any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence.”

“I am proud to say I knew him,” Radcliffe said.

Griffiths won a Tony Award for “The History Boys” and appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows. But he will be most widely remembered as a pair of contrasting uncles — Harry Potter's Uncle Vernon Dursley and Uncle Monty in cult film “Withnail and I.”

Griffiths was among a huge roster of British acting talent to appear in the Harry Potter series of films released between 2001 and 2011.

'A license to be horrible to kids'
His role, as the grudging, magic-fearing guardian of orphaned wizard Harry, was small but pivotal. Griffiths once said he liked playing Uncle Vernon “because that gives me a license to be horrible to kids.”

But Radcliffe recalled Griffiths' kindness to the young star.

“Richard was by my side during two of the most important moments of my career,” said Radcliffe, who in 2007 starred with Griffiths in a London and Broadway production of Equus.

“In August 2000, before official production had even begun on 'Potter,' we filmed a shot outside the Dursleys', which was my first ever shot as Harry. I was nervous and he made me feel at ease.

“Seven years later, we embarked on Equus together. It was my first time doing a play but, terrified as I was, his encouragement, tutelage and humour made it a joy.”

Uncle Monty
Earlier, Griffiths was the louche, lecherous Uncle Monty to Richard E. Grant's character Withnail in Withnail and I, a low-budget British comedy about two out-of-work actors that has become a cult classic. Years after its 1987 release, Griffiths said people would regularly shout Monty's most famous lines at him in the street.

“My beloved 'Uncle Monty' Richard Griffiths died last night,” Grant tweeted Friday. “Chin-Chin my dear friend.”

A huge stage presence, Griffiths created roles including the charismatic teacher Hector at the emotional heart of Alan Bennett's school drama The History Boys. He won an Olivier Award for the part in London and a Tony for the Broadway run, and repeated his performance in the 2006 film adaptation.

National Theatre artistic director Nicholas Hytner, who directed The History Boys, called Griffiths' performance in that play “a masterpiece of wit, delicacy, mischief and desolation, often simultaneously.”

Griffiths also played poet W.H. Auden in Bennett's The Habit of Art, a hugely persuasive performance despite the lack of physical resemblance between the two men.

Deaf-mute parents
Griffiths was born in northeast England's Thormaby-on-Tees in 1947 to parents who were deaf and mute — an experience he and his directors felt contributed to his exceptional ability to listen and to communicate physically.

“The first language he learned was sign. And therefore his ability to listen to people with his eyes as well as his ears is incredible,” Thea Sharrock, who directed Equus, told The Associated Press in 2008.

Griffiths left school at 15 but later studied drama and spent a decade with the Royal Shakespeare Company, making a specialty of comic parts such as the buffoonish knight Falstaff.

On television, he played a crime-solving chef in 1990s' British TV series Pie in the Sky, and he had parts in movies ranging from historical dramas Chariots of Fire and Gandhi to slapstick farce The Naked Gun 2 ½.

Known for his sense of humour, large store of rambling theatrical anecdotes and occasional bursts of temper, Griffiths was renowned for shaming audience members whose cellphones rang during plays by stopping the performance and ordering the offender to leave.

Griffiths' last major stage role was in a West End production of Neil Simon's comedy The Sunshine Boys last year opposite Danny DeVito. The pair had been due to reprise their roles in Los Angeles later this year.

Griffiths is survived by his wife, Heather Gibson.

“Very few people know, and she isn't wearing her ring publicly yet,” a source says. The “Nashville” actress and her beau, who reconciled in January after breaking up in 2011 after two years of dating, are now planning their nuptials. “Looks like a summer wedding!” so the source claims.

Panettiere, 23, and Klitschko, 37, couldn't keep their hands off of each other when watched the Miami Heat taking on the Charlotte Bobcats in Florida March 24. He, at one point, was caught on camera leaning in to kiss her on the lips and she returned the gesture by putting her hand on his neck.

This will be a first marriage for Panettiere. She previously dated “Heroes” co-star Milo Ventimiglia and “One Tree Hill” actor Stephen Colletti, and was in a relationship with NFL player Scotty McNight before getting back together with Klitschko.

The actress admitted she felt more comfortable dating athlete. “It's been a really cool thing, because they're in similar circles, where they understand the schedule, the work ethic, the social aspect, but they're not exactly in your industry, so it works out well,” so she explained.

Gordon was in The Jordanaires alongside Neal Matthews Jr., Hoyt Hawkins and Culley Holt. Their vocals are featured in songs that belong to Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Loretta Lynn, Rick Nelson and many others. Gordon, who joined the group in 1949 as a pianist, later took part as a tenor singer for the group.

An aspiring young singer, Elvis admired the group's vocal when he saw them performing in Memphis. “If I ever get a contract with a major company, I want you guys to back me up,” Elvis pledged at that time. In June 1956, Elvis, who was signed with RCA, recorded many of his songs with The Jordanaires as the backing vocalists. The Jordanaires were also featured in soundtrack of his movies in 1960s. The group worked with Elvis until 1970.

The group's voice can be heard in many songs, such as Presley's “Don't Be Cruel” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” Ferlin Husky's “Gone”, Reeves' “Four Walls”, Tammy Wynette's “Stand By Your Man”, Kenny Rogers' “Lucille”, and George Jones' “He Stopped Loving Her Today”.

“They were on Grammy-winning recordings in six decades. That started in 1959 with (Johnny Horton's) 'The Battle of New Orleans' and continued through 2007 with an album by Ray Price and Willie Nelson,” said Gordon's son, Alan, who is a curator at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

“The group is over. It was a wonderful run. My father lived a great life, and left us a great legacy,” said Alan. Gordon Stoker is survived by his wife Jean, sons Alan and Brent, daughter Venita and daughter-in-law Jeanne, five grandchildren and one great grandchild.

She said while Gosk keeps telling her to “hurry up” and deliver already, she thought it was important to tell her story first.
“This is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to us,” the beautiful brunette known as Today’s resident daredevil told People. “But I don’t want to bring my daughter into a world where I’m not comfortable telling everyone who I am and who her mother is.”
Gosk, 40, called the announcement “a spectacular moment for us.”
“The beauty is that we live in a time where there’s no need for secrecy,” Gosk, who's reported from war-torn countries, told People.
The expectant parents said they do plan to tie the knot eventually, but for now the focus is on their baby.
“For a long time I had feared I would never have a child,” Gosk admitted.

Wolfe also used the first installment of her new Today show blog to express newfound respect for all women who’ve experienced morning sickness.

“This baby doesn't care that I was in phenomenal shape before getting pregnant. She doesn't care that I had a near perfect diet. She made the first four months brutal for me … B-R-U-T-A-L,” Wolfe blogged.

“There were days when all I could eat were Saltine crackers, Apple Jacks dry cereal and plain pasta,” conceded the fearless newscaster who’s swum with killer sharks and jumped off buildings.

She admitted she’s never changed a diaper before and doesn’t understand what a breast pump is, but she’s happy to learn.

“As a kid, I would have chosen raising my adrenaline over raising children any day of the week. But then a funny thing happened on my way to adulthood … I grew up. I ran smack into the old nursery rhyme: “First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes Jenna pushing a baby carriage,” she blogged.

She said while her life “didn't quite unfold as rhymed,” the result is “awfully close.”

“She was 100 percent completely blindsided. Friends are trying to contact her but she's not picking up her phone or returning texts,” a pal tells Us Weekly of Porsha, 31, who wed the former NFL star, 40, back in May 2011. (TMZ broke news of Kordell's March 22 filing, with WetPaint reporting that Kordell skipped the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion taping, which all of the husbands typically attend.)
“Mrs. Stewart is disappointed about her husband's recent filing for divorce,” a rep for Stewart tells Us. “Mrs. Stewart had held off on filing for a divorce herself and remained committed to the marriage because Mr. Stewart promised to work on the marriage with her. Instead, he misled her and she found out about the filing in the media. Mrs. Stewart hopes to resolve these personal issues privately with the support of her family, friends and strong faith.”

During the couple's first foray into reality TV on season five of the Bravo smash, viewers got a taste of the dynamic between husband and wife: Struggling to conceive, Porsha argued to Kordell that she longed to continue her charity work while being a mom; during a girls' trip to Las Vegas, Porsha told fellow castmates that her hubby “allowed” her to go on the getaway.
“Her whole identity is about being a happy, obedient wife,” the pal continues. “The other women criticized her for not having a backbone but she was like, 'A real marriage is about honoring your man, your king.' She is really upset.”

Another insider paints a slightly different picture: “She felt like a prisoner . . . She's young enough to find someone that's really right for her now.”
Porsha has yet to directly address the split but tweeted an optimistic post on Tuesday morning: “Morning Dolls Today is the 1st Day of the rest of your Life! Make It GREAT!”

She's getting support, meanwhile, from the most unlikely of places. On-air enemy Kenya Moore tweeted her support after the news hit. “Even though @porshadstewart and I have had our differences, I would never want to see anyone in pain. I wish her well,” former Miss USA, 42, wrote.

In one picture, the couple stand at the altar, flanked by DeJoria's lavender-clad bridesmaids. Seated in front of them are James' youngest daughter, 9-year-old Sunny, and DeJoria's daughter, 10-year-old Bella, who served as flower girls. “They were giggling throughout the ceremony,” an eyewitness told Us Weekly of the new stepsisters.

Another shot shows the suit-wearing motorcycle mogul dutifully carrying the train of his wife's strapless, embroidered ball gown. “Jesse couldn't stop kissing Alexis over and over,” a source told Us of the groom, who “had tears in his eyes” as they exchanged vows. “Even when they were posing for pictures, he kept kissing her.”

The outdoor event featured huge white and purple floral arrangements that included “a lot of white orchids and roses,” another insider said. “Alexis walked down an aisle lined with rose petals.” When the ceremony ended, “everyone cheered and whistled.”

Among those who watched the Austin-based couple tie the knot were pals Courtney Force, a race car driver, and Carrie Rudy, a professional piercer. They and other guests celebrated the new union with a “very fancy” party after the vows. “The reception was in a big tent that had tons of chandeliers and twinkle lights,” the source revealed.

Prior to dating DeJoria, James was engaged to tattoo artist Kat Von D. He was also famously married to Sandra Bullock; the couple divorced in 2010 when he cheated on her with a reported four women. The Oscar winner was his third wife, following failed marriages to Sunny's mom, Janine Lindemulder, and first wife Karla James, with whom he shares daughter Chandler and son Jesse Jr.