Blog Posts by Oprah.com

By Stephanie Schomer

Photo: Getty ImagesBy Leigh Newman


Love Is Location
You might have learned this one before, when you were off in college in California and your high-school love was off in college in Maine. Sooner or later, somebody got lonely and fell for a more conveniently located mate. Long-distance adult romances have similar issues. Yes, you have a job, a car and a condo with a reasonable mortgage. So does he. But sooner or later, one of you is going to have to move if the two of you want things to work. Skype doesn't let you e-cuddle or e-go-to-the-movies (where you find out that you both crack up during the supposedly scary scenes). I'm not saying you should pick up and relocate two weeks into the relationship. But then again, two years can be too late. All of us fear being the ding-dong who gave up her whole life for some guy. But that guy probably fears the same thing. Nobody talks about it, but love requires bravery--and the kind of closeness that's not just in your minds.


No Expectations are Not Low

Read More »from What Every Woman Needs to Know About Love by Age 30

Illustration: ShoutBy Marcia DeSanctis

If I've served pasta twice a week since my 17 1/2-year-old son, Ray, first gummed solid food, that comes to roughly 1,768 pots of the stuff. So one evening last summer, when I asked him for help with dinner, Ray's response surprised me: "What's a colander again?" he said.

I could only blame myself. I was never one for "attachment cooking." Nobody's hands went in the sauce except my own. But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn't prepared Ray for. I felt confident that I'd raised a self-reliant boy, as we all try to do. But could he boil water? Sew on a button? Wash his clothes without turning them pink? No, no, and no. Suddenly it hit me like a ton of boiled rigatoni: He'd be leaving the house in a year to attend college. No way was I going to unleash a spoiled princeling into the world.

As parents, while we focus on our child's confidence and character, we perhaps don't always

Read More »from 4 Rules for Teaching Your Son to Keep House

Photo: ThinkstockBy Corrie Pikul

You Forgot Your Water Bottle at Home
Even mild dehydration (1.36 percent loss of normal water volume in the body) can slow your mental gears and make you feel woozy, concluded the authors of a study published last year in the Journal of Nutrition. But the sensation of thirst doesn't usually kick in until you're about 1 or 2 percent dehydrated, so a dry mouth isn't a reliable gauge. In addition to drinking plenty of water, you can stay hydrated by snacking on raw fruit and vegetables, yogurt or soup.


Your Thyroid Has Turned into a Slacker--or an Overachiever
You know the connection between fatigue and hypothyroidism, when an underactive thyroid doesn't produce enough metabolism-regulating hormones, so you may already be on the lookout for an unexplained weight gain and a slower-than-average heart rate. But you can also feel wiped out by hyperthyroidism, the opposite condition, says Sandra Fryhofer, MD, an Atlanta internist and past president of the American College of

Read More »from 8 Reasons You're Still Tired

Photo: Anna Williams

By Lynn Andriani

If you've got 30 minutes...

Let preseasoned sausage do the work. Sweet or hot Italian links may be a summertime grilling staple, but they also deserve kudos for how easily they transform into flavorful patties. Since the meat is already seasoned, all you have to do is remove the casings, form the pork into burgers, brush with oil and grill over moderate heat until browned and crusty, about 5 minutes per side. While the burgers cook, sauté a bag of baby spinach with garlic in olive oil for a fresh-tasting topping. Toasted ciabatta rolls will soak up the juices.

If you've got 20 minutes...

Make Oprah's last-minute pasta. Her lemony, herby spaghetti calls for staples such as lemon juice and zest, butter, olive oil and Parmesan, plus a rotating cast of fresh herbs-Oprah suggests basil, lemon thyme and oregano, but parsley, tarragon, chives and mint work well, too. If you happen to have a bag of frozen peas on hand, add a cup or so to the pot Read More »from The Exhausted Woman's Guide to Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less

Illustration: ThinkstockBy Leigh Newman

Nice Thing #1: "The way you handled that huge, hairy spider on the wall of the shower was hot."
This is also known as "the way you handled that insane toddler temper tantrum was hot" or "the way you handled that endless grocery list was hot." The most joy-inducing aspect of each of these examples is that you're not being cute or indulging in flattery in order to make your partner feel good. Completing these kinds of trying tasks do have a nugget of honest-to-God sexiness. Bravery, even in the face of bugs, is sexy. So is self-control and patience in the face of a furious child throwing blocks around his room. So is grit and determination in the face of 76 aisles of glittering food products and a cashier who won't take coupons. So your other half didn't save a kitten from a burning house this week. Recognizing his everyday acts of heroism makes those acts--and him--feel spectacularly unordinary, if not extraordinary.

Nice Thing #2: "You smell like the day I met you."

Read More »from 5 Insanely Nice Things You Can Say to Your Partner (Right Now!)

Photo: Michael SmithBy Karen Valby

Her back quivering in plank position, 17-year-old Danielle looks ready to give up. "Don't you quit!" says China Smith, Danielle's dance instructor and founder of the Austin dance studio Ballet Afrique. Smith's youth company is nearing the end of its rigorous class warm-up of barre stretches and pliés. With her hand on Danielle's back, Smith turns her attention to the other teenagers in the room, exhorting them to push themselves to their limit: "I want you to know that feeling where you're so tired, just beat down physically and mentally--and still you trust in your power."

RELATED: Women Who Create Gifts That Give Back

If Smith demands a lot of her students, it's because she knows they're working against enormous odds: the presiding belief that classical dance is the exclusive privilege of white girls from the well-to-do side of town. "I wanted to dance more than anything as a child and didn't have access to it," Smith says. "My idea of ballet didn't include anybody

Read More »from How China Smith is Changing the Face of Ballet

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio DSpice Boys

Even if the main men in your life don't usually wear cologne, they'll be game to try Molton Brown's Black Pepper scent. It's bracing and clean and never overwhelming.

Polaris Holiday Set, $85; Barneys.com

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio DFlower Girl

If your cheerful friend credits her rosy outlook to the fresh flowers that fill her home year-round, give her this rich floral fragrance, an intoxicating mix of orange blossom, rose absolute, tuberose, and musk.

Houbigant Paris Orangers en Fleurs Eau de Parfum, $180 for 100 milliliters; BergdorfGoodman.com

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio DA Dynamic Duo: Part 1

If your sister is a sucker for red accessories (shoes, bags, and, of course, lipstick), she'll be thrilled with this shiny crimson gloss...

Laura Mercier Lip Lacquer in Laque Rouge, $24; LauraMercier.com

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio DA Dynamic Duo: Part 2

...And her eyes

Read More »from 9 Gifts for Beauty Lovers