We’re working on our list of fitness resolutions right now, so the American Council on Exercise’s recent predictions for 2010′s top 10 trends in exercise is timely. So what’s the no. 1 trend? Cost-consciousness. No surprise there. But we love trend no. 4: “Exer-gaming.” That means staying at home to play with our Wii (an economical choice, once you’ve shelled out for the Nintendo Sport and Fit set-ups) and cyber-boxing, bowling and golfing to our heart’s content.
Finding just the right hair stylist is hard enough — and when we’re traveling or getting ready for an out-of-town event, it’s a daunting prospect to find a suitable salon and book an appointment. If you happen to be in Manhattan for New Year’s Eve, ordering up hair and makeup can be as easy as a phone call to Hair Room Service, recently started by Michael Dueñas, who has styled such celebs as Mariah Carey and Regina Spektor. Simply book an appointment by phone or via the website, and Dueñas or one of his stylists will arrive and cut, blow dry, set — or even color — your hair in your hotel room. Men’s grooming and children’s cuts also are available, and Dueñas has two makeup artists on staff.
When making donations to worthy causes, we like to make sure our money is being used in the best manner possible. We’re grateful there are resources such as GreatNonprofits.org, a website that allows beneficiaries, clients and donors to post positive and negative charity reviews, which are then posted to the organizations’ GuideStar reports. Perla Ni — GreatNonprofits CEO, Stanford Social Innovation Review founder and “philanthropy game-changer” as voted by readers of The Huffington Post — offers some additional tips for choosing the right charity.
We’re just about partied out and yet we have one more to go … a friend is giving a bash to ring in 2010. Since we’re also just about shopped out, we have a hostess gift quandary: What to bring? A bottle of wine is fine, but not exactly original. Thankfully, celeb party planner Jes Gordon, author of Party Like a Rock Star (GPP Life, 2009), is never short of ideas. “I usually go for something unique or indulgent,” she says. “I look for the stuff people want but don’t usually buy for themselves.”
When preparing to entertain for the holidays, the following W.C. Fields quip came to mind: “I cook with wine. I sometimes even put it in the food.” Spice up the drinks you serve this holiday season — literally — with the following recipe for mulled wine from chef Emeril Lagasse’s holiday menu for his Emeril Green show on Planet Green. Other holiday recipes include a sparkling cider for kids or designated drivers and oven-roasted eggplant caponata.
As one of the estimated 40 million airline passengers this holiday season, we admit the arrival of beverage and snack carts are welcome interruptions to in-flight ennui. So we were interested to see the survey results of eight major airlines’ snack and onboard food offerings, conducted by DietDetective.com. Since airplane passengers can’t exactly pop out for a quick bite, “It’s somewhat of a responsibility of the airline to offer some healthful choices,” says Charles Stuart Platkin, Ph.D., M.P.H., founder of DietDetective.com and host of WE tv’s I Want to Save Your Life. Platkin says that public demand has brought improvement in airline food options since his first survey conducted in 2000.
Friends and relatives rarely receive a beautifully wrapped present from us — more often they graciously accept a gift in the store bag or a recycled gift bag. Until recently, we hadn’t found a satisfying green alternative to the cringeworthy amount of wrapping paper littering the floor after holiday presents have been opened. In fact, the Clean Air Council estimates that 4 million tons of waste every holiday season is from shopping bags and wrapping paper. That’s why we think BOBO Wrapping Scarves are the perfect paperless, elegant presentation for gifts this holiday season. Crafted from the fabric remnants of designer manufacturing runs, the colorful scarves are made in New York and Pennsylvania using fair labor practices. Plus these scarves are easier to store and reuse than wrinkle- and rip-prone gift bags.
It’s time for holiday office parties and cookie/gift exchanges. Since we often fall short on time to create impressive treats for our co-workers, this year we’re relying on Celebration Generation cookie mixes. Just add butter and vanilla extract to whip up chai shortbread cookies or butter, eggs and water for spiced oatmeal raisin cookies. We like having these mixes on hand for last-minute cookie emergencies, which happen with more frequency than one would think. As for those Secret Santa picks, here are some of our favorites.
Every now and then, we hear something that makes us wonder what kids are listening to these days. But instead of feeling old, we realize our taste in music has improved with age. Amazon.com’s picks for best records of the year proves that 2009, for the most part, was a pretty great year for music. If you’re at a loss for a stocking stuffer for a music-lover and already have ruled out a Weezer Snuggie, check out our guide to the top five albums as chosen by Amazon’s music staff.
It takes two to tango — and to launch a fashion label, according to the new Bravo series Launch My Line. We’re taking a break from the holiday madness to watch this new show, which airs on Wednesdays and pairs creative types from non-fashion related fields with a style expert partner who guides them through weekly challenges hosted by twin designers Dean and Dan Caten of DSquared2 and judged by Scoop co-founder Stefani Greenfield and eponymous boutique owner Lisa Kline.
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