Blog Posts by Woman s Day

By Leslie Clagett

While it won't replace a full-blown home office, a desk in the kitchen can provide a handy and functional spot to manage everyday tasks. A well-organized kitchen desk is not out of reach. Here are some tips to make it work for you.

Follow our 5-day plan for a more organized kitchen.

1. Take Stock

If you position your kitchen desk near a frequently used door to your house, it's going to collect keys, cell phones and mail. Set out a basket for keys, a power strip for cell phone chargers and a holder for mail, and designate a drawer for essentials like batteries, scissors, pens and paper. Keep the desk surface free for a laptop for looking up recipes, a spot to pay bills or a central phone station.

2. Comfort Zone

You'll need a minimum counter span of 24 inches to accommodate seating at your desk. Doubling that will greatly increase your comfort, and you'll be more likely to use the desk as a workspace. There must also be adequate push-back space

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By Clara Haneberg

Ready to make over a room? Painting is the easiest and most inexpensive way to give a space a fresh look. Here's how.

1. Try out the color. Narrow down your options to three or four shades of the same color, then purchase 3-oz sample cans to test-drive them. Apply the paint to foamcore boards or repositionable adhesive Small Wall sample boards, which are designed to mimic a wall's surface ($7.99 for two 12 x 12-inch sample boards; MySmallWall.com for store locations). Let dry, and place in different areas throughout the room. See how both artificial and natural light complement the color before buying.

2. Choose the finish. "The more wear the walls will get, the higher the gloss should be," says Brian Santos, author of Painting and Wallpapering Secrets. Traditionally, "presentation" rooms, like a formal living room qualify for the more easily marked-up flat finish, which some designers think has a richer color. Choose gloss for more high-traffic areas, like

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By Amanda Greene

If you're like most people, the sight of an insect or rodent in your home will have you dialing your exterminator before it has time to scurry behind the sofa. And once pest control arrives, chances are you cover your eyes and ears until their work is done and your home is pest-free. But instead of bugging out, listen up! There's plenty to learn from your exterminator, from the best ways to prevent future infestations to how to handle the ones you already have. We spoke to pest control professionals across the country to find out what they wish you knew. Read on for their best pest pointers.

1. A tidy kitchen alone won't make your home immune to infestations.
While many insects and rodents are attracted to food, open bags of chips and dirty dishes on the counter aren't the only things that make your house a bug magnet. "Moisture, as well as food, plays a big role in the attraction and sustainability of pests," says Bob Young, a division service manager for

Read More »from 10 Things Your Exterminator Wants to Tell You

By Mandy Major

We've all been guilty of it: Flip through the pages of an old yearbook or family album and the proof of fashion crime is everywhere. From ill-fitting pants to sky-high hair, even today's best-dressed denizens are guilty of a few shameful style moments. The last two decades were particularly cruel, spawning enough bad trends for a lifetime of mockery. With that in mind, read our rundown of the very worst in '80s and '90s fashion.

Dickey

According to Merriam-Webster, this garment is "a small fabric insert worn to fill in the neckline," but don't be fooled-it's much more than that. This odd scrap of fabric made a huge impact on '80s fashion and can still be found in action. Despite its good intentions-covering up ample cleavage and creating the illusion of layering without the bulk-there's just no getting around it: The Dickey should be called the Frumpy.

Z. Cavaricci Pants

The Z. Cavaricci brand is still in business, but it certainly doesn't make pants

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By Sarah Jio

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month-a time to remember friends and family members who have battled the disease and also to consider how you can protect yourself. We sc10 Things You Didn't Know About Breast Canceroured the latest research and spoke to experts to bring you 10 important facts you may not have known about this disease so you're better prepared to detect, prevent and fight it.

1. Secondhand smoke may increase your risk.
You don't complain when coworkers blow plumes of smoke your way as you enter the office building, nor do you squawk when a girlfriend insists on going to a smoke-filled bar. But you may after reading this news. A new study of more than 500 women in Mexico found that those who were regularly exposed to secondhand smoke at their home or workplace had a three times higher risk of developing breast cancer than those who avoided castoff smoke.

2. African-American women are more likely to die from the disease.
While breast cancer affects women of all ages and races, the

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By Joy Bauer, RD

Q. I've been getting invited to a lot of parties and I'm worried about what to eat since I don't have control over what's being served. Any tips?

A. When you're not cooking for yourself (or even ordering for yourself, like in a restaurant), you have to accept that you won't be able to eat "perfectly"-but that's OK. You never want to show up completely hungry, so try eating a salad or broth-based soup, like my Skinny Veggie Soup, before you leave home. If you've already lost some weight, wearing something that's a little fitted can also help4 Dieting Traps—and How to Avoid Them you show off your new figure and remind you not to overdo it. And when in doubt, just follow the rule of one: That means one small plate of hors d'oeuvres, one reasonably full (but not overloaded!) plate of food and one sliver of dessert. Even if you do end up eating too much, remember that it's just one night. Start off the next morning on the right foot with an invigorating cardio workout and a healthy breakfast to get

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By Amanda Greene

Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis can elicit many emotions: fear, sadness and disbelief, just to name a few. And while no two women will have the exact same experience, the five women below have two things in common: They've had or have breast cancer and they blog about it. Whether they started their blog to keep family and friends informed about their progress or just as a way to sort out their emotions, each will attest it's been a life-changing experience. Read on to learn how blogging has impacted each woman's journey.

Read more true stories about how blogging changes people's lives.

Ann Silberman of But Doctor...I Hate Pink!

Ann Silberman was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in August 2009. She has undergone treatment and will be receiving Herceptin infusions until December 2010 and tamoxifen for five years, and is looking forward to reconstructive surgery this November.

Almost the first thing I did when I heard the words "You have breast

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10 Things Your Mother-in-Law Wants to Tell YouBy Denise Schipani

Poor mothers-in-law-they always seem to be the brunt of the joke (think: Marie Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond). They're portrayed, more often than not, as overbearing, meddling-or sometimes even downright evil. But being a mother-in-law (MIL), especially when you're a mother of a son and therefore acquire a daughter-in-law, can be fraught with tension. It's often said that a mother "loses" her son to the woman who becomes his wife and, while some of these by-marriage relationships are lovely and warm and others are frosty and distant, there are often things left unsaid between the two women because of this. We asked a few mothers-in-law what they would tell their daughters-in-law if they had the chance. Read on to discover their unspoken words.

1. Don't push me aside.
It's common for mothers-in-law to get a rep for being…intrusive. But even mothers-in-law who don't pop in unannounced for coffee or criticize how you're raising your kids often feel

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