Blog Posts by Woman s Day

By Denise Schipani

Photo: © Shutterstock

Solid marriages aren't born; they're made. But often, during the course of a marriage, bad habits-from slacking off sexually to talking trash about your spouse-are created. Are you guilty of any of these nine negative habits-and wondering how to break them? Remember that the key is communication, says Karen Gail Lewis, EdD, marriage therapist and author of Why Don't You Understand? A Gender Relationship Dictionary.

1. Taking each other for granted. "Couples get into ruts," says Sherry Amatenstein, a marriage therapist and author of The Complete Marriage Counselor: Relationship-Saving Advice from America's Top 50+ Couples Therapists. "We tend to try to push our partner down like a jack-in-the-box," she says, which doesn't give him the credit he deserves for evolving and changing.

How to break it: Talk. A lot. Go out to dinner or open up a bottle of wine and talk about the things you're interested in right now. You may find yourself

Read More »from 9 Marital Bad Habits—and How to Break Them

By Amanda Greene

Just because you bought bargain furniture doesn't mean you have to live with a lackluster look. It's easy to upgrade plain pieces with rich detail and add-ons. Plus, that DIY touch is a great way to showcase your personal style. Here, we'll show you how to enhance basic items, from giving a patio table a mosaic top to creating a luxe finish on a simple footstool. Paying less never looked so good!

Cut It Out
Making your bargain bedside table look like you paid full price is easy. Give it rich style with a warm paint color, beautiful paper and pretty wallpaper cutouts. This vintage technique is also an elegant way to spruce up smaller items, like jewelry boxes or lamps.

1. Remove drawers and hardware from nightstand and lightly sand all surfaces.

2. Use a flat brush to apply several coats of paint to all surfaces, including fronts of drawers. Let dry after each coat.

3. Measure side panels of nightstand and cut two pieces of decorative paper to size.

Read More »from Transform Furniture from Cheap to Chic

By Arianne Cohen

You know the drill. You say something to your family like, "Guys, could you please clean up the living room?" Nothing happens. You ask again. Still nothing. Sooner or later, guess who ends up cleaning the living room…and the whole house? You. No more. Instead of begging your family for help, try these 10-minute cleaning games that everyone will love.

If You Have Preschoolers…

The Strategy:

Engage them in an activity so that they don't even know they're cleaning.

Ideas:

Bin It Set up colored bins in children's rooms, one for each category: dolls, books, Legos, etc. Then sit with them and see if they know which bin each toy goes into. Clap when they do it correctly. They'll think it's fun, and the new system will be easy for them to manage on their own.

Alphabet Have kids spot things that need to be put away, in alphabetical order: Animals! Board games! Chairs! Dolls!

I Spy "I spy something blue that's not in its home!" Enough said.

Read More »from How to Get the Whole Family Cleaning

By Crystal Tate

Everyday Things You Need to Know
Woman's Day has always been committed to helping women "live well every day." And while that saying applies to the big things in life, it's knowing how to tackle the little tasks that keeps your day-to-day running seamlessly. That's why we're introducing a new series, All's Well That End's Well, where we'll give you the tips and tools you need to know for solving daily dilemmas. First on our list of things to teach you? How to sew a button. Use these step-by-step photos and tips from Erin Bried, author of How to Sew a Button and Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew if you ever need a quick fastener fix.

Everyday Things You Need to Know

Step 1
Gather your supplies- the button, a needle, about 2 feet of matching thread and a pair of scissors. (Tip: To make needle-threading easier, cut the thread at an angle.)

Photo: © Jonny Vali

Step 2Step 2
Thread the needle. Knot the ends together by making a loop and pulling the ends through. Knot once more.

Photo: © Jonny Read More »from How to Sew a Button

By Denise Austin

All photos by Hilmar Meyer-Bosse
20 Minutes to SlimThe fat-burning routine I've created for you here has 10 moves, each of which you'll do for 2 minutes. (You can use your cell phone or a stopwatch to keep tabs on time.) Do this workout three days a week and you could lose up to 5 pounds in just three weeks!

Warmup/Power March with Arm Firmer—AWarmup/Power March with Arm Firmer-A

March or jog in place, keeping your abs in tight, back straight, for 40 seconds.

Warmup/Power March with Arm Firmer—BWarmup/Power March with Arm Firmer-B

Keep marching as you pump and curl your arms toward shoulders (like a bicep curl) for 40 seconds.

Warmup/Power March with Arm Firmer—CWarmup/Power March with Arm Firmer-C

Continue marching and repeatedly press your arms behind you for 40 seconds.

Punches DownPunches Down

Stand with right leg slightly bent, left leg extended to side with toe touching ground. With hands in fists, pull right elbow back toward ceiling and extend left arm down toward the ground. As you shift your weight to the left foot, bending left knee, pull left elbow back and up

Read More »from Workout Routine: 20 Minutes to Slim

By Lori Erickson

Not long ago, I realized something as I stood in front of the mirror. Even if I squinted hard, even if the light was just right, even if I was wearing makeup and a flattering outfit, no one was ever going to think I was young.

I saw that the lines around my eyes didn't disappear when I stopped smiling. I admitted to myself that I am now the sort of woman who looks perfectly at home in a minivan.

And as I stood there, contemplating the changes that had somehow snuck up on me, I felt a twinge of sorrow for my lost youth (Where did it go? Where did I go?)-and then I began to appreciate how wabi-sabi my face looked.

The concept of wabi sabi is one that I think every woman should have in her mental bag of tricks, particularly when time's winged chariot is pulling into the driveway. Wabi sabi is a term that describes the beauty to be found in imperfection. It originates in Japan, where artists will often leave subtle fractures in the glaze of a vase or a rough

Read More »from Wabi Sabi: Making Peace with Imperfection

By Woman's Day Staff

Photo: © Shutterstock

How you arrange your art makes as much of a visual statement as the art itself. A free-form approach gives off a creative vibe. For a crisp look, go with a grid. And to be casual and modern at once, the ledge is a trendy option.

Free-form

This is your best bet when you have a variety of styles and sizes you want to display together. Select your largest piece first and decide whether you want it to be at the center or off to the side. Then, arranging all of your artwork on the floor, place your other pieces around the largest one. Keep the same distance between each frame. When you're happy with the arrangement, transfer it to the wall.

Gridlock

If you have four or more paintings of equal size, go for the striking, graphic look of a grid. Precise measuring is essential with this arrangement-if one painting is slightly off, it throws off the crisp look of the composition. Keep the same distance between each

Read More »from How to Arrange Multiple Picture Frames

By Angela Ebron


Take the Stress out of Organizing If just the idea of getting organized makes you feel overwhelmed, think on the small side. Micro-organizing gives you the same sense of accomplishment-without all the hassle. Here's how it works: Instead of spending hours tackling the entire house, pick one small thing that you can put in order in a fraction of the time. Who knows? It might just spur you to do more.

Glove Compartment
Admit it: You're really not sure what's in there. Well, now's the time to find out. "Have a trash bag handy when you empty the contents so you can quickly toss old maps, stale gum and anything else you don't need," says Regina Leeds, author of One Year to an Organized Life. Once you have it cleared out, give the inside a quick swipe with a moist towelette to pick up any dirt and dust. Then neatly put back only necessary items. "The glove box is really meant to hold the car manual," says Leeds. "But you may also want to store your registration and any repair receipts in there as well." Add

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