Blog Posts by Woman s Day

By Mary Hunt

The Best Money Advice You'll Ever Get

What we all really need is the money-saving know-how that will stand strong throughout life and help us build a nest egg. So I asked some prominent experts how they save. What could we all be doing better? Their answers may surprise you. They're not complicated at all-just simple, commonsense wisdom that will have you saying, "I can do that!"

1. Money You Don't See, You Don't Miss
"Face it, once money hits your wallet or checking account, it's as good as gone. The trick is to make sure you never see the money in the first place. Then you won't have to fret about how to save it-or feel guilty that you didn't. Your employer, bank or credit union can transfer money from your paycheck automatically into your savings or investment account-or accounts you set up for clothes, vacation or a new car. Then you can relax, knowing it's taken care of."-Janet Bodnar, editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine

2. Eat from Your Pantry and Freezer Once or Twice a Month

By Larry Dobrow

Casual at-home viewers of the Winter Olympics may consider the games to be a blur of shiny skating costumes and soft-focus, personality-centric features. In reality, however, the Winter Games have been scarred by quite a bit of a scandal over the course of their history. Here are 10 of the most egregious offenders.

How's this for an unsolved mystery?: Prior to their initial run in the 1948 bobsled, members of the U.S. team noticed that somebody had tampered with their steering. They fixed the sled and nobody was hurt, but the perpetrators of the unsportsmanlike act were never brought to justice. For what it's worth, the U.S. bobsledders claimed three medals, among them a gold. Photo by Getty Images.

A Tale of Two Teams-St. Moritz, 1948

In one of those crazy mixups usually associated with sitcom high schools, the United States accidentally sent two hockey teams to the St. Moritz games. Both claimed to

By Mary Hunt

How to Splurge on a Budget

I got the biggest shock of my life the day I realized that living on a budget wasn't the straitjacket or rigid "diet" I assumed it would be. In fact, it was my life as a credit card junkie that put me in financial bondage. A budget saved my life because it allowed me to get out of debt. It gave me back my freedom. Want to know my secret for staying on a budget for so many years? I splurge. Seriously. And I do not feel guilty. I love nice things and I love to travel.

Even while I was getting out of debt, I didn't banish all of these things from my life. In fact, my occasional guilt-free splurges are what helped me stay on a budget. Since I never felt deprived, I found it a whole lot easier to stick to my plan.

Calculated splurging is not difficult. In fact, I think you'll find it makes a lot of sense. And the bigger payoff is the financial maturity that comes with delayed gratification. Planning and waiting really does make you more appreciative.

1. Make a

By Jean Nayar

Nothing energizes a room like lush, healthy houseplants. Not only do they add color and life to interior spaces, they're also natural air purifiers that consume carbon dioxide and, in turn, release clean oxygen into the air. You don't have to have a green thumb to reap the rewards that a beautiful houseplant can bring to your home. We asked Woman's Day Specials gardening editor, Peter Walsh, for his list of easy-care favorites. Here are his picks:

1. Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera)
A succulent that grows even in places that don't get a lot of sunlight, this plant is a medium to fast grower and requires watering only twice a month. "It reliably blooms-with pink, red, white or salmon-colored blossoms-in winter, just when you need the burst of color most," says Walsh. Plant it in any standard houseplant potting soil and feed it once every two years with a houseplant fertilizer.

2. Rex begonia (Begonia rex)
"Also known as fancy leaf

By Ayn-Monique Klahre

Cleaning floors and carpets may never be fun, but we've come a long way from having to push a 30-pound clunker around the room. New features-from steam-clean technology to a height-adjustable handle-are taking the humble appliance to the next level. Here are six vacuums that just may get you excited for your housework

Spa QualitySpa Quality

If you'd just like a little peace and quiet while you get the job gone, check out the Electrolux UltraSilencer Green. The high-efficiency 9-amp motor is super-quiet, and because it's made from recycled materials and uses a washable, reusable HEPA filter to trap dust, it's an eco-friendly option, too. Electrolux Ultra Silencer HEPA Canister Vacuum, $254.99; BestBuy.com

Let There Be Light

By Olivia Putnal

Ah, the Super Bowl. Most likely, it's the game the man in your life has been looking forward to all season. But even if you don't know the first thing about touchdowns, false starts and field goals, there are plenty of reasons to watch the game. Read on to find out WD's top 10 reasons to check it out this year, and your Sunday is sure to be a touchdown.

1. The Commercials
Even if you don't watch a minute of the game, make sure you catch the highly anticipated commercial breaks in which companies spend millions of dollars on 30 seconds of advertising. This year, you can look forward to ads from popular brands like Audi of America, Bridgestone, Chrysler's Dodge, Coca-Cola, Doritos, Honda, Taco Bell, Walt Disney Pictures and many more. Bonus? When you're back to work on Monday, you'll be able to chime in when all of your coworkers are talking about their favorite ads.10 Reasons to Watch Super Bowl XLIV

2. The Food and Drinks
What's better than all your favorite finger foods and ice-cold

By Pamela Acuff

Nice CubesNice Cubes
Simple Slipcovers make furniture fun. Cut five squares of felt to fit an inexpensive cube stool and blanket-stitch them together, starting from the top. Use as a portable ottoman, or tag-team two to make a contemporary coffee table.

Click here for complete how-to instructions







Made in the Shade
Made in the Shade
Pair an ordinary lamp with a Dressed-Up Shade to create a statement piece. Cut strips of felt the length of the shade, then scissor them into freehand designs, like this beachy coral motif. Attach the strips, spaced evenly around the shade, with fabric glue.

Click here for complete how-to instructions




Run-On Run-On
A Candy Stripe Runner is a treat for your table. Start with a strip of white felt cut a few feet longer than the length of the table. Then add color and dimension with bands of chocolate brown, lime green and turquoise ironed on with fusible webbing.

Click here for complete how-to instructions








Face Time
Face Time
A package of peel-and-stick red felt numbers turns a vintage

By Densie Schipani

Lisa,* a mom of three who lives in the Midwest, calls her extramarital affair mostly a matter of closeness, connection and communication. "Ninety-nine percent of it was about talking, and only 1% about sex." Why did Lisa stray from her marriage? "After three kids, I was feeling unappreciated and unattractive," she says. "I didn't feel like a sexual person anymore." On top of that, Lisa's spouse wasn't, in her eyes, fully participating in parenting. "I felt like he was my fourth child, not my husband." Eventually, Lisa's husband found out about the affair and the two of them still remain married. But is her reason for cheating the same for most women?

Turns out, there's no simple answer to the question "Why do women cheat?" But there are generalities. "Lots of women are in relationships with pieces missing: sex, affection, romance, companionship, communication-you name it," says Mira Kirshenbaum, author of When Good People Have Affairs. "At some point, the pain