Blog Posts by HybridHer

There are times when we must tell our spouses (and other loved ones) what they don't want to hear. We know they don't want to hear it, so we get nervous and anxious, which, in turn, often causes us to say it all wrong. End result: someone ends up in tears. I've found that, in such moments, it helps for me to know exactly what I want to say before I open my mouth. Here are 7 ways to communicate hurtful information without overly hurting your partner:

1. Make it part of a thank you. For instance, "Wow, thanks so much for getting me this shirt. It really means a lot to me that you would go out of your way to do this. It's even in my favorite color! It is a little too big for me, though. Do you mind if I exchange it for one that fits?" Note: my husband returns almost everything I ever buy for him. He used this line on me recently. I didn't find it hurtful at all, but maybe that's because, after 12 years of marriage, I've gotten used to him returning everything? You tell me.

Because fashion trends are created far in advance of real time, we are often left running in our six-inch platform heels to buy what we'll need for fall 2011 and still be ready for fall 2012.

Summer leather was a trendsetter this year and may be something you can recycle come autumn. Shorts will remain in the fashion forefront this fall and winter, and longer pants-even jeans-are getting looser, so favor wider leg slacks to get more mileage out of your investments.

Tribal prints, metallics, and, make up shades with a more natural look have us moving away from the Lady Gaga trends now fading on the fashion horizon.

From these high fashion ingredients, trendsetting women must decide what will make a statement about their own exciting style in the seasons beyond summer 2011. Because style is ultimately personal, you too can find a way to burst onto the fashion scene by incorporating trends of the day into your personal brand with your name all over it.

7 Ways to Create Your

Few events carry as much meaning to a teenager as turning 16 years old. It represents the biggest stepping stone of their journey from childhood to becoming an adult. This occasion is not complete without taking time to celebrate with friends with a sweet sixteen birthday party.

A sweet sixteen birthday party can be a memorable and fun occasion for your teenager. It also requires a great deal of planning to make sure it creates good memories instead of bad ones. Whether your teen has a formal affair with dozens of guests (and an average price tag of $3000-$5000) or a casual get-together with a few close friends, it is vital to make this party live up to their expectations.

These tips will offer you ideas on how to make your teen's sweet sixteen especially sweet for them:

1. No parents allowed (kind of):

The last thing your teen wants to see is mom or dad hovering around socializing with the party guests or telling embarrassing stories that makes their poor child want

There are simple rules that couples who are successful with marriage follow. They seem so easy, but often are difficult to practice on a daily basis. As you go through this list, don't try to do them all. Make a mission to try following through with two of them at a time for a month. After that talk with your partner about the changes, decide on two more.

1. Talk and communicate any way you can. Being together and being friends is how all good relationships begin and become stronger. If you don't feel like your partner has your best interests at heart, you won't feel committed for life.
2. Focus on behaving in a way you wouldn't be ashamed of if your spouse was there with you. You may feel great flirting and getting attention, but if your spouse were there would they feel proud of the way you were acting? Would they respect this part of you? Don't be one thing to your partner and another in your private life.
3. Think kindness. Be kind. It's so easy to be grumpy, or irritable. It is

Food makes us feel good. It tastes delicious and it's full of surprises. For example, did you know food can actually work wonders in your body naturally? That's right. A simple Turkey sandwich on whole grain bread might be just the ticket to turning your otherwise blue, ho-hum day into a get-up-and-go, hurray day! These simple foods can make you and your family feel fabulous, lift your spirits the natural way, and keep you looking trim, healthy and vibrant without any crazy side effects.

Bean There, Done That!-Or have you? When was the last time you ate a lentil and didn't feel smarter? These little brown beans are a member of the legume family, and are an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin that appears to be essential for mood and proper nerve function in the brain. In fact, low levels of folate have been linked to depression and a recent Harvard study showed that 38 percent of depressed women are deficient in folate.

Go Ahead, Be a Wal-nut Flower-It's no secret that

More than what you should eat, be aware of what you shouldn't eat- which isn't always just the fatty stuff. Some people should stay away from dairy because it can cause bloat for those who are lactose sensitive. Salt is another stay-away-from spice if you don't want to look like an inflated balloon.

Drop Water Weight

Since it is literally impossible to drop poundage on a days notice, yet you still want to look as if you've "lost weight," your best bet is to go for a decrease in circumference… through water loss. Here are foods that can help do the trick.

Cut this out and tape it to your fridge!

"Diuretic" Foods to Encourage De-Puffing:

• Celery
• Celery Seed
• Cranberry Juice
• Green Tea
• Dandelion leaf tea (also helps in detoxification and urinary tract infections)
• Fennel
• Juniper Berries
• Lemon
• Nettle
• Parsley

High Water Foods that, yes, Help Eliminate Excess Water

Eating high water content foods is another way to increase

You're on Facebook, looking up people and, boom, there he is. Name looks right but is it really him? Do you dare send a friend request? What could it hurt? The answer is more than you think.

You've somehow survived these past years without this person in your life. What's so special about now? You weren't compelled to locate him last week. It's just, today, when his name popped up, you activated the "Remember-When" part of your brain.

The "Remember-When" part of your brain transports you to when you were years younger and pounds lighter. He represents a point in your life when things seemed simpler, as time creates its own sort of physical and emotional clutter. So, is it really him you're attracted to or the "you" you were back then?

You realize, sure, it's been a couple of years so you start wondering who he is now. The "Remember-When" part of your brain punts to the "What-If" part. The "What-If" part of your brain takes the person he was then and creates a softened

Have you ever noticed those little green nuts smiling back at you from inside their shells? Well there's a lot to be happy about! Not only are they a nutritious and tasty snack but the shells (and science) are literally piling up when it comes to their role in promoting good health and weight, too!

And, oh yes, they're NUT-ricious!

When else can you eat 49 of something and consider it one healthy and nutritious serving? Well that's how many pistachios there are in one ounce-a nearly overflowing handful when they're in the shell! For just 160 calories, one serving of pistachios offers up to 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber-both nutrients important to providing long lasting energy to keep you feeling charged up. And when it comes to vitamins, minerals and other powerful plant nutrients, pistachios are nearly 20% of your daily needs of vitamin B6 and copper and nearly 10% of your daily potassium and manganese. They're also a good source of phosphorus, a mineral essential to