Blog Posts by Woman s Day

By Woman's Day Staff

Eye Candy

Like pumpkins, ghosts and witches, candy corn just screams Halloween. Sure it satisfies your sweet tooth, but the tasty confection's visual appeal also makes a great decoration for the holiday. (And with over 35 million pounds of candy corn manufactured each year, there's plenty of it to go around!) The seven decorating ideas below-from stringing the candy into garlands to using it to decorate tabletops--are proof that sometimes playing with your food is more fun than eating it!

Photo: © Shutterstock

Ear Buds

At this time of year, it seems candy corn does grow on trees. Pick a few clean-looking branches from your yard and hot-glue kernels onto them in clumps of twos and threes in various spots, concentrating on the ends and the Vs where the twigs branch off. Wedge the trunk of the branch into a small Styrofoam or floral square (available at crafts stores) and rest it in the base of a vase. Fill the vase to the brim with corn to

By Shelley Wolson

Adventurous Ensembles

There's something about the story of Alice in Wonderland that's perfectly suited for Halloween. Perhaps it's the fantastical nature of the story's adventure, or maybe it's the iconic nature of the four main characters' costumes-but we didn't need a special reason to recreate the signature looks of Alice, Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter and White Rabbit. Using just a few basic clothing items and craft supplies, it's easy to reconstruct Alice's magical world. Just don't forget to watch out for that rabbit hole!

Alice in Wonderland

Every costume is an adventure, and this one is no exception. To transform yourself into Alice, start with a lightblue puff-sleeve dress or shirt and skirt combo. Add a white bib apron edged with light-blue rickrack, white flats and white headband, and you'll be down the rabbit hole in no time!

Click here for how-to instructions

Photo: © Tamara

By Kimberly Fusaro

Photo: © UpperCut Images/Getty Images

Wondering why you can't get your budget on track? Chances are, you're making at least one of the money mistakes that follow. Whether it's a tiny misstep, like buying your kids new Halloween costumes year after year, or a major no-no, like ignoring your credit score, these faux pas can keep you from achieving financial security. Below, experts share the nine most common cash flubs and their savvy solutions for them, which will help you get a handle on your finances once and for all.

Bad Habit #1: Setting a budget that's too strict.
Like a super-strict diet, a super-strict budget will eventually lead you to "cheat."

Savvy Solution: Start by cutting back in just one area. Debt management expert Clarky Davis (a.k.a. The Debt Diva) suggests looking for ways to trim your grocery bill-you might try shopping with coupons and adding some store-brand items to your cart. Once you're comfortable with your new supermarket

By Woman's Day Staff

Salt & Pepper Shakers

You'll Need

Garment bags
Black construction paper
Styrofoam peanuts
Black pompoms
Stainless steel colanders
Shoelaces

1. Enlarge the hole at the top of two clear garment bags so they're big enough for your kids' heads to fit through.

2. Cut holes on the sides and bottom for arms and legs. With double-stick tape, attach an "S" cut from black construction paper on one and a "P" on the other.

3. After the kids have stepped into the bags, fill the "S" with Styrofoam peanuts and the "P" with black pompoms.

4. Top with colanders tied with black and white shoelaces.

Goldfish
Let your toddler stand out in a sea of Backyardigans.

You'll Need
Cupcake liners
Hooded sweatshirt
Ping-pong ball
Permanent marker

1. Cut orange cupcake liners in half and hot-glue them in layers, with the curved edges facing downward, to an oversize orange hoodie (for a toddler-size costume,

By Joy Bauer, RD

Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday season-a fun time of year for enjoying friends and family, but also filled with edible booby traps! Candy for trick-or-treaters is everywhere, and pretty soon we'll be seeing Thanksgiving pies and Christmas cookies, too. But that doesn't have to mean you're destined to herald the new year with extra padding. All you need is some coaching on how to handle the temptations.

Halloween

Let's start with Halloween, because it's right around the corner. This holiday may be marketed to kids, but grownups often use it as an excuse to indulge in their favorite sweets. Not a problem if you limit yourself to Halloween night itself, but that can be difficult, since the candy onslaught begins well before the 31st and often lingers for days (sometimes weeks) after. You can survive the caloric nightmare with these three simple guidelines:

1. Buy the bare minimum of candy you think you'll need for trick-or-treaters.
2.

By Sarah Jio

In our hyper-connected world, we sometimes get disconnected-from human contact and touch. For instance, when's the last time you gave someone a hug, or got one in return? Can you remember the last time you called the women in your life and had a heart-to-heart chat? In our busy lives, keeping up relationships-and reaching out to the people we care about-can sometimes be a challenge. But connectedness is so important-and it's so good for your health. Here's why.

1. Giving a massage-and getting one-can have mega health benefits. What may seem like a splurge or a luxury is quite good for your health. And getting your husband to rub your back not only increases your connection as a couple, it could also boost your health in very real ways. Research has linked massage with stress and pain relief, blood pressure control, help with symptoms of depression and immunity boosting. "Massage can increase levels of oxytocin, which is also dubbed 'the cuddle hormone,' and

By Danielle Braff

Most of us are just too busy to hit the gym for hours or make a nutritious meal from scratch. But luckily, you don't have to spend the entire day exercising or cooking in order to be healthy. We've found ways you can sneak in time for your wellness, whether you've got 15 spare minutes-or just one.

15-Minute Tasks

Grab some water.

It doesn't matter if you're picking up your kid from school or racing on the treadmill-for every 15 minutes that you're out of breath, you need to be drinking 4 to 6 ounces of water. If that walk to work takes you 15 minutes, do it briskly and carry along a bottle containing a premeasured amount of water. You may have thought that sipping water whenever you're thirsty will do the trick, but sweating away even a few drops of your body's water weight can make it harder for your heart to beat faster, which will make you feel tired more quickly. Photo: Thinkstock

Make over your workspace.

Most people spend hours in front

By Olivia Putnal

Nutrition in the KitchenNutrition in the Kitchen

Healthy cooking can be a lot of work, which is why so many of us resort to prepackaged foods. But cooking light doesn't have to be labor-intensive-if you've got the right tools. You can save calories with portion-control plates or whip up a meal of veggies and lean protein in a matter of minutes with a microwavable steamer. For healthy meals that are (almost) as easy as heating up a frozen entrée, check out these 10 culinary product must-haves.

Photo: © Justin Lewis/Getty Images





Pop Till You Drop
Pop Till You Drop

Skillet popcorn can be pretty fattening when you take into account the cooking oil, and the corn in microwavable bags is often loaded with preservatives. This hot-air corn popper is the perfect alternative for a lowfat, high-fiber snack. Using hot air lets you skip the added calories of oil and keep your kernels au naturel. Presto PopLite Hot Air Corn Popper, $19.99; Amazon.com.

Photo: © courtesy of Amazon.com

Get Steamed

Get Steamed