Blog Posts by iVillage

D. WATERS/DIGITAL VISION/GETTY IMAGESBy Ronnie Koenig

Here are 10 tips on how to beat that sinking feeling you get around 5pm Sunday -- also known as the point when you realize the party's over and the work week awaits.

Don't Sleep In
In a study by Mind, a mental health organization in England, more than 26 percent of employees said they felt dread and apprehension the day before they were due to go back to work after the weekend. "Most people don't get into a true depression, but it's a sense of a loss of freedom and the burden of responsibility which leads to moodiness and withdrawal," says David M. Reiss, M.D., a psychiatrist in private practice in Rancho Santa Fe, CA.

So what do most of us do to avoid this giant bummer known as Sunday? We sleep in. And what do we do when we feel bummed during the day? We take a nap.

Sleeping is as synonymous with Sunday as reading the paper and going to brunch, but it shouldn't be. Even though it may feel good in the short term to wake up at noon it will only set you up for

BRUCE GILKAS/FILMMAGIC/GETTY IMAGESBy Ronnie Koenig

Want your life to be saner, more meaningful and more fun? Make sure these folks are in your inner circle.

The Gay Best Friend
This man (call him your "gay husband," "gay boyfriend," whatever) affirms your fabulousness, supports you in all your endeavors and helps you pick out the perfect outfit. He adds life and color to your universe and his male point-of-view offers a different perspective without the competition you might get from your female chatty Kathies. Nor do you have to worry about any best-friend-turned-lover conundrums that you see in rom-coms.

"The gay best friend gives a woman the freedom to be herself without fear that she will be hit on," says Dr. Karen Hylen, PhD, primary therapist at Summit Malibu Treatment Center. And every lady needs to let her hair down sometimes.

This is who you call to hash out a problem. She'll stay on the phone with you for hours, exploring every angle of a situation (what exactly did he mean when he

Wow! Look at These Amazing PancakesWow! Look at These Amazing Pancakes
"Pancake Dad" Nathan Shields uses a baster and hot pan to create edible works of art for his two kids and a growing number of worldwide fans who follow his blog Saipancakes.

By Amanda Hawkins

1. Dog Breeds
We're assuming that Shields' children begged for a dog, so instead he gave them six popular breeds to choose from…for breakfast!

2. Dinosaurs
Carnivores and herbivores (and a chicken?) live in perfect harmony on a breakfast plate. During the Jurassic Period? Not so much…

3. Wild Thing Monster
To commemorate the passing of Where the Wild Things Are author Maurice Sendak, Shields created this amazing Wild Thing pancake.

4. Reptiles
Here are a few (edible) reptiles you might be happy to see at the breakfast table.

5. Star Wars Characters
May the syrup be with you (or at least close by you!) for these tasty Star Wars-inspired flapjacks.

Click here to see 10 more amazing pancakes.

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CULTURA/ZERO CREATIVES/STOCK IMAGE/GETTY IMAGESBy Linda Melone

Burn More Calories Throughout the Day

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (or NEAT) refers to the calories you burn while going about your daily activities. Walking, typing, performing yard work -- even fidgeting -- increases our metabolic rate and can contribute significantly to the calories you burn throughout the day. "The average women consumes 12,397 calories per week, exercises for three to five hours a week, yet rarely reaches 2,000 (kcal)in exercise, which is the minimal amount need to lose weight through activity," says Fabio Comana, senior fitness educator with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Time to cash in on those 100+ hours you're awake to make a dent. Find activities that'll get you moving more frequently during the day. Even giving up your seat on the bus helps! Standing for 2 hours a day (vs. sitting) enables you to lose nearly eight pounds in one year.

Exercising with a friend not only holds you accountable but

Banish Blemishes, Fight Flaky Skin and 8 Other Ways to Get Gorgeous Skin This Summer! By Brenda Kearns

At least 62 percent of women struggle with complexion problems when the temperature soars -- these 10 clever strategies can erase your worst hot-weather complexion woes in as little as one week.

1. Heal Blemishes with Turmeric

Dab this popular East Indian spice on your pimples once daily, and you could tame even severe acne flare-ups in as little as one week. According to University of Texas researchers, turmeric is packed with curcumin -- an antioxidant that penetrates deeply into pores, where it kills bacteria, squashes inflammation and speeds healing.

Try it: Mix two tablespoons of turmeric with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil to make a thick paste. Spread it onto pimples, leave on for eight minutes and then rinse well. Don't leave the paste on longer than eight minutes or it could leave a slight yellowish stain. If the area around your pimple is left with a yellow tint, rub with a little lemon juice then rewash to remove the color.

2. Prevent Flakiness with Coconut

By Amy Hendel

Scale not moving? Avoid these common roadblocks to weight loss

Reason #1: You Don't Realize That Sugar Lurks Everywhere
Many foods that we don't think of as sweet, like pasta, soups, cereal, salad dressings and sauces, contain sugar and often it goes by another name like agave nectar, high-fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, fruit juice concentrate(s), glucose, dextrose, sucrose, honey, malt syrup or molasses -- just to name a few!. If your diet is high in sugar you may be missing out on important nutrients and overeating more often than you realize since sugar stimulates taste. A high-sugar diet can also cause a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar, which can zap your energy and make you feel hungry again.
Solution: Read nutrition labels and steer clear of cereals and sauces that have more than 8 grams of sugar per serving. If you need a sweet fix, choose fresh fruit as often as possible. Skip sodas in favor of water (plain or flavored with a bit of lemon, lime

Everyone has been touched by cancer in some way. iVillage teamed up with IHadCancer.com to share these photos from the group's 5Words2Cancer campaign. If you could send cancer a message in 5 words, what would they be? Tweet with hashtag #5words2cancer

Go to iVillage to learn more about surviving and thriving with cancer

Woman's transformation losing weightBy Amy Hendel

Having trouble dropping extra weight? You might be following the wrong strategies. Nutritionist and health coach Amy Hendel shares 15 secrets to lasting weight loss.

1. Establish Short- and Long-Term Goals
Your weight loss efforts will fizzle out if you don't first set meaningful long- and short-term goals. The short-term goal -- eat a healthy breakfast every morning for a week, for example -- will motivate your initial desire for change while the long-term goal -- lose 20 pounds -- will keep you on track once you pass smaller milestones. Make as many goals as you need to take you through the first six months of your healthier regimen. If, for instance, you want to exercise more, set a short-term goal of running one mile in 11 minutes and a long-term goal of finishing a 5K in three months. If weight loss is your focus, promise yourself a new pair of smaller pants in a month as your short-term goal and a new bathing suit for next summer as your long-term project. Each