by Linda DiProperzio
Go on your dream vacation
Vacations are usually the first luxuries to go when funds are low. In fact, 55% of respondents to a recent Marist College poll said they did not book a summer trip in 2011, as compared to 52% in 2010. But who says pricey hotels are your
Read More »from 7 Savvy Ways to Swap-ShopThe Gimmick: Buy-in-bulk deals, such as, "3 boxes of cereal for $10"
Your Strategy: "Consumers often think they have to buy all [the] items to get the advertised deal," says Yahoo! personal finance expert Farnoosh Torabi. But often bulk "deals" are a sneaky way of promoting product-and you can still score the same savings by just buying one item, instead of, say, three. Before you fill your cart, read the fine print-especially if the item is perishable.
The Gimmick: Rows and rows of mega-sized shopping
Read More »from How to Avoid Retail Spending TrapsBy Abigail Cuffey
woman sleeping
Whether you have a hard time re-setting your clock after a weekend of late mornings or you have chronic problems falling asleep, here's the real story behind three common sleep beliefs.
1) A glass of warm milk will help you fall asleep faster.
Maybe. But it's most likely due to the soothing comfort of warm milk, rather than the actual ingredients. Milk does contain tryptophan, an amino acid believed to help induce sleep, but there's no hard data to suggest that it really works, says Lawrence Epstein, MD, chief medical officer of the Sleep HealthCenters, an instructor at Harvard Medical School and past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Find out which foods actually help you sleep.
2) Watching TV before bed is interfering with your sleep.
Good chance. The light is stimulating, and often what you're watching is, too. "Many of my patients watch the news before bed, and then, go figure, have very disturbed sleep," says Donna
pink, yellow and orange bed pillows Think the solution to your fatigue is an earlier bedtime? Getting enough sleep is important, but it's also the quality that counts-and there's more to it than just a comfy bed. Also complicating things: As you get older, your sleep patterns change, making it harder to fall (and stay) asleep. But that doesn't mean you're destined to be sleep-deprived. You can improve your slumber without tacking on hours in bed-and it's not hard to do.
By Woman's Day Staff
Glass of red wine
RED WINE
As soon as you see it:
Pour club soda onto the stain to dilute it. Blot with a paper towel. Coat the stain with table salt to absorb it and prevent it from setting. Photo by: Thinkstock
After the party:
Rinse in cold water, gently rubbing out the stain.
If it's still there:
Apply a stain remover, like Shout Advanced Stain-Lifting Foam or Resolve Stain Stick and launder according to the care instructions on the label.
Discover 10 things you can clean in the dishwasher.
SALAD DRESSING
As soon as you see it:
Sprinkle on baking soda or cornstarch to absorb as much oil as possible.
After the party:
Apply a stain remover.
If it's still there:
Launder in the hottest water that's safe for the fabric (check the care label).
Learn 9 secrets of professional wardrobe stylists.
CHOCOLATE
As soon as you see it:
Scrape off as much as you can with a dull knife or spoon, and immediately treat with a stain remover.
After the party:
Love life a little lackluster? With the pressures of work, family and packed agendas, it happens to the best of us. "The problem is that when you slip into a relationship pattern that actually breaks down your power as a couple instead of building it up, you run the risk of permanently disconnecting from your partner," says Laurie Puhn, JD, couples mediator and author of Fight Less, Love More. "Routines are inevitable, but complacency in your relationship is not." So how do you keep a minor relationship cranny from turning into a full-blown chasm? Read on to learn about five common relationship ruts and how the experts say you can mind the gap for a more lively love life.
Rut #1: Same-Old Date Night
Can your last few rendezvous be summed up as: Dinner + Movie + Saturday? "Having a designated night out may work for some couples, but I personally loathe the term 'date night,' because eventually anything routine can become stale," says Jessica Denay,
Read More »from Break Free from Your Relationship Ruts
The more mountainous those piles of mail become and the more crowded your countertops get, the more exhausting decluttering your home can seem. But if you divide it into pieces, it won't be nearly as daunting. Here, your week-by-week plan for a clutter-free home-minus all the hassle. Photo: Image Source/Getty Images
Week 1: Attack the Obvious
Begin with the area that's motivated you to declutter in the first place. It's likely that something has pushed you over the edge: that pile of unopened mail or the heap of clothes in the laundry room. "Whatever you do, don't start with family heirlooms," says Barry Izsak, an Austin-based certified professional organizer. "Go for items that you'll feel good about cleaning out." It will give you an immediate sense of accomplishment. The goal is to deal with that one area, not the whole room. Baby steps.
Pick up 8 secrets of personal organizers.
Week 2: Bathroom
Why? Same logic: You can quickly
Now that the New Year is here, put aside your personal resolutions for a moment to focus on your relationship. Yes, we know you want to improve yourself-get more exercise, learn to knit, read the great works of literature, etc. But couldn't your partnership, as much as your health or finances, benefit from a few resolutions? Just like any new habits, it may be hard to get started, but soon you'll see improvements. "The great thing about relationship resolutions is that once you see a result, you activate reward centers in your brain, and you'll naturally want to continue," says Deborah Anapol, PhD, relationship coach and author of The Seven Natural Laws of Love. Here, seven relationship resolutions-and how to make them stick. Photo: Thinkstock
Resolution #1: Be more understanding of my partner's faults.
So, you'd like to switch off that nagging gene and let the little things slide (such as socks on the floor)? Good idea! "No man wants a partner who
Read More »from Relationship Resolutions to Make This YearWhile there's no denying that meat is a primary source of protein for many people, it's not the only option out there for home cooks. Whether you're cutting back on red meat for health reasons or have opted to follow a vegetarian diet in order to reduce your carbon footprint, today there is a great variety of alternative protein sources that you can even rely on when preparing typically meat-centric dishes, from burgers to chilis. To help increase your protein knowledge, we've rounded up some smart options that make for easy switches as you expand your culinary horizons.
Tofu
A good substitute for cubed pork, chicken and beef, this soybean-based protein powerhouse (3 ounces of extra-firm tofu has around 8 grams of protein) is amazingly tasty and versatile. You can enjoy it in some of your favorite-but typically meat-heavy-dishes, such as stir-fry, chef's salad and fajitas; you just need to prepare the tofu first. "Just as you'd do with chicken and red
By when buying state-of-the-art appliances is to do your homework and mix-and-match different brands, says Pat Ryan, a certified kitchen designer and owner of Kitchen Concepts, Inc., in Cincinnati. Why? "Very few manufacturers make great everythings," he says. Here, some must-know facts to keep in mind, as well as some terrific buys no matter what your budget.
Cooking
Know Before You Shop
• Curious about induction cooktops? Here's how they work: An electromagnetic field heats the metal pan while the cooking surface stays cool to the touch. There's no flame, so it's safer than gas.
• Convection ovens blow hot air around your food to cook it more evenly (and about 20 percent faster).
• Dual-oven freestanding ranges are now more widely available. They allow you to bake a pie in one oven and roast a chicken in the other at the same time.
Learn 8 reasons to not buy the more expensive option.
Great Buys for Every Budget
Ranges
Low: 30" electric coil
Read More »from WD’s Appliance Buying Guide
