Blog Posts by Woman s Day

By Laura Eckstein

Painting your home is a big investment, so you want to choose a color that will work for years to come. Exterior paint colors tend not to be trendy, but just as we've embraced organic elements in our food and clothing, there's been a shift toward earth-inspired shades. "Natural hues and textures-from the soft grays of natural stone to understated lichen gray-greens to warm red clay tones-provide inspiration for exterior color," says Melissa Birdsong, vice president of trend, design and brand at Lowe's. And people are considering more saturated colors. "There has been a shift toward browns with a deeper red undertone, and driftwood grays," says Mary Lawlor, color stylist for Kelly-Moore paints. But don't despair: Even if you stick to a "safe" color, the way you treat the trim can pull it in a different direction. Victorian homes usually have high contrast between the trim and the body of the house for a traditional look. If you want to downplay that, use a trim

Read More »from Ready to Paint Your Home’s Exterior?

By Sarah Jio

Trying to get more shut-eye? Take a look at your diet. Eating the right foods in the hours before you hit the hay may help you fall asleep faster, say experts, and even improve the quality of your sleep. Keep reading for your get-sleepy grocery list, and remember to stop noshing two hours before bedtime to give your body enough time to properly digest.

Almonds

"Almonds are a winner," says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers, and author of the bestselling book From Fatigued to Fantastic! "They contain magnesium which promotes both sleep and muscle relaxation," he says. "And they have the added benefit of supplying proteins that can help maintain a stable blood sugar level while sleeping, and help promote sleep by switching you from your alert adrenaline cycle to your rest-and-digest cycle." Try this bedtime snack: Have a tablespoon of almond butter or a 1-ounce portion of almonds to help your body relax. Photo:

Read More »from 10 Foods That Can Help You Sleep

By Woman's Day Staff

• Learn to Tailor Like a Pro

Learn to Tailor Like a Pro

If your pants aren't quite fitting right, skip the pricey trip to the tailor and take matters into your own hands. All you need are a few basic tools and the following four steps to create a new hemline in a matter of minutes. Before you start, just be sure to check the label: If your pants contain cotton or rayon, prewash to allow for shrinkage.

Step 1

Remove the original hem with a seam ripper; try on the pants with the shoe you'll wear. Standing in front of a full-length mirror, fold the fabric up inside each leg so the bottom of the fold falls three-quarters of the way down your heel. Place a pin at the back of each leg; stand up and check the length in the mirror. Adjust as needed.

Step 2

Take off the pants; turn them inside out. Starting at the pin on one leg, use a hem gauge to measure the length from the edge of the fabric to the bottom fold. Use that measurement to fold and pin the hem

Read More »from How to Hem Pants

By Danielle Braff

8 Tricks for Boosting Your Metabolism

Remember how, during your teens and 20s, you could eat practically anything and not gain a pound? Now that you're hovering around middle age, you've probably found that's just not the case anymore. Part of the problem is that your metabolism decreases as a result of other age-related factors, like decrease in muscle mass. However, there's no need to give in to a bigger pant size just yet! Read on for eight ways to rev up your metabolism and keep those unwanted pounds from your waistline.

Do Intervals
Mixing in fast-paced intervals raises your metabolic rate higher than doing a steady cardio workout, and will continue to do so up to an hour after you're done, says Kristin McGee, a trainer and Pilates instructor whose client list includes Tina Fey and Bethenny Frankel. An Australian study also found that women who did intervals while they were biking lost three times as much fat as those who worked out at a steady pace. If you're a walker, simply

Read More »from 8 Tricks for Boosting Your Metabolism

By Brynn Mannino

Have you been loyal to the rules of weight loss, but the scale still won't budge? Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there that may be throwing a roadblock in front of your dieting efforts. Below, experts clarify eight of the most common weight-loss myths-like the notion that eating several small meals throughout the day will speed up your metabolism or that you have to hit the gym to lose weight-so you can get on the right track and lose those extra pounds.

Myth #1: You have to work out to lose weight.

While it's true that a turn on the treadmill burns calories, exercising is not mandatory for shedding pounds. "Weight loss is a simple matter of calories in versus calories out," says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Karen Ansel, RD. In truth, if you already lack restraint when it comes to intake, exercising may actually contribute to overeating, since you'll inevitably feel hungrier than usual. Understanding how much you really

Read More »from 8 Common Weight-Loss Myths—Debunked

By Brynn Mannino

Each New Year's, revelers around the world chow down on specific foods to summon good luck for the next 365 days. While some traditions call for noodles and others call for fruit, all the edibles connote forward movement, prosperity and health. Whether or not you're superstitious, take a look at our list of common celebratory eats. If no luck comes your way, at least you'll go into the new year with a full belly.

Long Noodles

In China, Japan and other Asian countries, it's customary to eat long noodles, signify longevity, on New Year's Day. Since the noodles are never to be broken or shortened during the cooking process, the typical preparation for "Long-Life Noodles" is a stir-fry. Photo: Thinkstock

Pork

In some countries, including Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Hungary and Austria, pigs symbolize progress. Some say it's because these animals never move backward, while others believe it's all in their feeding habits (they push their snouts forward along

Read More »from 10 Good Luck Foods for the New Year

Navigate your computer more easily with the push of a few buttons

by Amanda Greene

Photo: © Thinkstock

Most expert computer users know the basic keyboard shortcuts, like pressing Control (Ctrl) + P on a PC to print a document. But did you know there are plenty of other useful-not to mention pretty darn cool-key combinations out there? From instantly zooming in to a larger view to quickly closing your browser window, these shortcuts will put the World Wide Web and more at your fingertips-because every second counts.

Learn about online services you'll definitely want to bookmark because they make your life easier.

1. Add a Bookmark
Tab your new favorite website for easy access by bookmarking the page with the following quick trick.

PC: Ctrl + D
Mac: Apple key (see right) + D

2. Delete Forever
When you know you want to nix a file forever-instead of sending it to clog up the recycling bin first--tap the keys below.

PC: Shift + Delete

3. Close Browser

Read More »from 15 Keyboard Shortcuts You Probably Don’t Know

Keep stress and family feuds at bay by heeding this advice

by Lambeth Hochwald

Ahh, the holidays. A time for singing carols, trimming the tree, eating turkey… and dealing with family drama. If memories of Christmases past have you dreading December 25, cheer up. With these 10 rules, you can have a happy, headache-free holiday-really!

1. Don't talk politics.

You know the saying: Never discuss religion or politics. If your relatives didn't get the memo-and you're sick of playing referee every year-be ready to nip it in the bud. At the first sign of Obama-bashing or Palin-baiting, jump in and divert their attention. "Change the subject with a remark like, 'The turkey smells terrific, doesn't it? Let's go check on it,'" says Lisa Gaché, founder and CEO of Beverly Hills Manners. And don't take no for an answer, even if it means gently leading one of the debaters into the kitchen.

If the argument continues the minute you get back, lay down your house rule. "Step in and firmly

Read More »from Have a Drama-Free Holiday