Blog Posts by Jenny Depper

It is time to achieve your New Year's resolutions.Did you make New Year's resolutions? Are you sticking to them? It is halfway through January and that's about the time when we start losing momentum on our New Year's fitness goals - by February they are usually completely obsolete, taken over by a busy schedule and Valentine's Day chocolates.

"In November and December - women, regardless of whether they're normally active or they aren't active at all -- aren't eating as well and don't have as much time to exercise because they've been focusing on things like family instead of themselves," says Jessica Sebor, editor-in-chief of Women's Running magazine. Luckily, she shared three tips to help you achieve your goal this year!

Step 1: Create a Fitness Goal You Can Achieve

Now that the holidays are in the rear view mirror Sebor suggests sitting down and asking yourself about the goals you've set and whether you've created a calendar to achieve them.

"The most important thing for a goal of any kind, whether it is a New

(Chef Richard Blais)By now you're probably starting to put together your Thanksgiving menu, but more importantly (if you're anything like me) you're trying to figure out how you can avoid wearing a pair of tight-fitting jeans on Black Friday, after packing on an inevitable extra five pounds post-Turkey Day.

Thankfully, "Top Chef All-Stars" winner, Richard Blais, shared a couple tips about how to keep the food-centric holiday as healthy as possible and enjoyable. Like he says, "I like to chow down so portion control is a big deal, I say, eat until you're full… but it is a big challenge," which is why he has a couple other healthy tricks up his sleeve.

1. Plate your meal: Most Thanksgiving meals (mine, included!) is a serve yourself affair - you know, pile your plate high with all of the mashed potatoes, stuffing and candied yams you can, and make room for seconds - but Blais says serving yourself could lead to overeating. Instead, he suggests plating your meal restaurant-style, saying, "It is a better idea

Lolo Jones is one of the many athletes competing for Team USA at the 2012 Olympic Games.Are you feeling athletically inspired after watching the Olympics? This gear will have you ready to kick your workouts into high gear faster than you can say Lolo Jones (oh and you'll look fabulous, too!).

Chris Lambton teaches easy tricks to upgrade your yard on HGTV's Chris Lambton and Peyton Wright got their individual starts on the "Bachelor" franchise, but the newlyweds who met through another "Bachelor" alum have ditched their reality roots and started to "grow" a new business. They're now the stars of HGTV's "Going Yard," where the pair transforms backyards into inviting outdoor spaces. Chris does the landscaping, while Peyton puts the finishing touches on the backyard with décor. We caught up with the cute couple to get their tips on easy backyard fixes that will transform your space from drab to fab without doling out the dollars.

Tip #1 - Treat Your Backyard Like a Part of Your Home: The pair say they often see backyards full of old furniture or things that haven't been taken to the dump yet. "I feel like most people use their backyards as a storage container," Chris lamented. "If people would clean up their backyard with the stuff that they have back there, it would add so much space to their house." Adds Peyton, "If you use your

Kris Hoogerhyde and Anne Walker, owners of Bi-Rite Creamery, share tips for making your own ice cream!Nothing says summertime like a scoop of ice cream on a warm night, but this year instead of running to your nearest grocery store in search of your favorite frozen treat, why not try making it yourself?

Kris Hoogerhyde and Anne Walker, owners of Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco, recently nabbed a notable distinction among ice cream makers - they were named one of the Top 10 ice cream spots in the United States by U.S. News and World Report. More importantly, they just released a new book, "Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones," which takes you step-by -step through making your own ice cream creations. We caught up with the masters to get the "scoop" on making the summertime treat!

Read the Recipe: This one may seem obvious, but Kris and Anne say people often forget to read the recipe all the way through before they get started. Most ice creams start with a custard base, but not all - so crack the cookbook before you start.

Don't Be Intimidated: If you've got the book, you're

Carter Oosterhouse, host of HGTV's Carter Oosterhouse is the man behind the hit HGTV show, "Million Dollar Rooms," but the Michigan-bred contractor will be the first to say that it doesn't take $1 million to make a room look like it is worth that much. The show which airs, Tuesdays 8:30 pm/7:30 central, shows the "craziness, the beauty, the extravagance of what a room looks like when someone spends over a million dollars," Carter shares. But the ultimate lesson he's learned is, "At the end of the day, even if you have $1 million… or $12 million to spend on one room, which we're going to show this season, it doesn't mean it buys you style."

As the newlywed (he just tied the knot with actress Amy Smart) points out, the mindset of someone who spends that much on a room is often bogus! "My jaw is always on the floor," he exclaimed. "This last house we went to, they literally had a Rodin [painting] in their bathroom above the toilet. And I was like, 'What? Why would you have this amazing piece of art over your

Joshua Radin is known for his lax tunes, but he is encouraging his fans to start volunteering. Joshua Radin picked up his first guitar at the age of 29, and within 9 years has quickly risen up the indie music ranks, even scoring a coveted gig playing at Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's nuptials. But the low key musician says his life isn't all tours and backstage passes, instead he likes to dedicate much of his time to charity. We caught up with the "Paperweight" troubadour to talk about his latest charity gig with Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue and why he encourages his fans to get involved.

Radin will be heading out on tour to promote his next album, "Underwater" which hits shelves July 31, and said it was a perfect time to get involved with Barefoot Wine and their beach cleanup efforts. "Most of the year I'll be in the States touring, so I figured wherever I could be to help clean up the beaches and get people having a little more fun with the cleanups would be cool."

The current California resident says he likes to kick back at Malibu beaches like Zuma Beach, but hates to

Keri Glassman talks staying slim this summer. With bikini season knocking on our door many of us are scrambling for quick fixes to slim down. We caught up with registered dietician Keri Glassman, author of "Slim Calm Sexy Diet," and a Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt ambassador to talk about healthy tips to keep you sizzling all summer long!

Tip #1: Snacks Anchor Your Health
Glassman says a common complaint from clients is that they're eating three healthy meals but they're not losing weight. She says that's often because they're starving by the time they get to their meal and they overindulge. She says it is best to anchor your meals with healthy snacks like Greek yogurt which gives you "more bang for your buck." "It will keep you from overeating at dinner…it has more protein, but it is also more satisfying because it is thicker."

Tip #2: Make Every Meal a Monday Morning
During the summer it is easy to reach for that extra scoop of ice cream or another glass of wine on the weekends, but Glassman says if you're trying to