Home sweet home.
The glut of happy-faced kids during the day outside (not to mention the ones milling about in your own home!) can only mean one thing — Spring break is here, which hopefully means a week of relaxation and fun for your tots. Which, of course, can mean the exact opposite for you. Keeping kids happy and occupied while they're off can be a full-time job! Some moms concede on certain rules to keep Read more
In addition to learning about two of the leads in the CW's Body Politic, there's plenty of other casting news making me smile today, including: Ugly Betty's Ashley Jensen is jumping to the CBS comedy Accidentally on Purpose, which stars Jenna Elfman as a woman who finds herself suddenly pregnant after a fling with a younger man. Betty producer Silvio Horta confirmed that Jensen won't be a Read more
While I don't mind the smell of cigars quite as much as I do the smell of cigarettes, I'd still never allow either to be smoked in my house. The smell seems to invade every fabric-covered surface, and if someone smokes in a home long enough, the wood surfaces and walls will even absorb the scent. Sometimes, though, you have to make exceptions for a particularly stubborn relative with a passion Read more
Do you have what it takes to buy a home? Consider this exhaustive guide from Kiplinger. Tired of renting? It could be a great time to buy your first home. In many cities, home prices have bottomed, and rents have risen. Mortgage rates are still superlow. In fact, homes haven't been as affordable since 1971. On the downside, in many cities, buyers have fewer homes from which to choose and more Read more
We're happy to present this article from one of our favorite sites, Yahoo! Shine: When basketball star Shaquille O'Neal was still a kid, he knew that he had to get good grades before he could to play sports. "In our home we had a rule: No pass, no play," his mother, Lucille O'Neal, told Yahoo! Shine in an interview. "If you didn't pass the grade, then you weren't allowed to play the Read more
Lots of moms like to think out loud, and Jo Aaron is one of them. Here is one of the latest posts to her Mommy Brain blog. While innocently looking for a restaurant suggestion online the other day, I stumbled across an anti-parent, anti-child blog entry that just annoyed me. It was an angry (and narrow-minded, in my opinion) piece about how awful it is when this particular person has to dine with Read more
Be savvy about your retirement. Kiplinger gives eight compelling reasons for getting a Roth IRA account now. Smart young savers know to participate in their companies' 401(k)s as soon as they join the workforce to benefit from as many years of saving and compounding as possible (see Why You Need a 401(k) Right Away). But really smart young savers — including all of you who read Starting Out, Read more
Buying a wedding dress that someone has only worn once will help you save plenty of bucks, and although it sounds like a great deal, you need to be aware that there are some risks involved. To reduce the chances of a purchase gone wrong, make sure you ask the seller these questions before whipping out your credit card. Dress Care: Ask the seller what her method of cleaning and preservation is. Read more
Brian Atwood's chic shoes have been spotted on a bevy of stars, like Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Trachtenberg, and, most recently, Jennifer Lawrence at the Hunger Games premiere, to name a few, so we're predicting that his gorgeous new handbag line, only available at Gilt.com, will garner an equally star-studded crowd. Last night, Gilt hosted a beautiful event at The Standard hotel in NYC to Read more
I'm excited to present a post from guest writer, eco lifestyle expert, and all-around awesome guy Danny Seo. As a former magazine editor, I produced and styled dozens of decorating and entertaining stories for a number of publications including Country Home, Better Homes & Gardens, Elle, Everyday With Rachael Ray, and InStyle. Every shoot was different than the next one in terms of style Read more
