FitSugar

Top 10 Most Stressful Cities

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:30:00 PDT

Feeling stressed? It could be a sign of the times or it could also be a sign of where you live. Some cities are more stressful than others, and Forbes has outlined the top 10 most stressful cities in the US. They are:

Chicago, IL
New York, NY
Detroit, MI
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Diego, CA
Cleveland, OH
Salt Lake City, UT
Providence, RI
Philadelphia, PA

Unfortunately, my beloved city by the bay is number five, and at times I can feel the pressures in the air. Do you live in one of the top 10 most stressful cities? If so, you may want to check out a few of my relaxation techniques to keep yourself cool under pressure.

Source

5 Easy-to-Make Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Skin

Miriam Lacey — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:27:40 PST

It's an almost-universal experience: your complexion has been fine for a while, and then one day, almost out of nowhere, you're in breakout city and your skin looks worn out and defeated overnight. You're cleansing and using a daily regimen, so what could be wrong? Well, if it's not stress or hormones, it could very easily be one of several smaller, less obvious culprits. See a list of the usual suspects below.

Travel Tips For the Upcoming Holiday Weekend

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:45:22 PST

Traveling this holiday? Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday this year, which makes one big mess at the airport. If you can't take a car or a train, be sure to check out these packing and travel tips to make your life easier while booking flights, getting through security checkpoints, and beyond.

Booking Flights

TripIt - Once signed up for the free service, forward travel confirmation emails to TripIt, which will automatically create a master itinerary of an upcoming trip accessible through the web or a mobile device. The itineraries even include the tidbits we seem to forget like weather updates, local maps, and directions.
Google Flight Search - Book that plane ticket before prices rise any further! Google's flight search engine incorporates travel basics like price point, maximum number of connections, and preferred airline with an easy-to-use interface.
Hotel Tonight - If there are too many relatives in one house, scan the last-minute hotel deals at Hotel Tonight for a chic getaway at a discounted price. Every day three hotels in a city reveal their discounted rates starting at noon, and you then have until 2 a.m. to book the deal and take advantage of a peaceful room.
My TSA - Can homemade fruit cakes go through security? How early should you show up to the airport for a flight on the eve of Thanksgiving? Answer the pressing travel questions that could otherwise cause delays or stress by adding the TSA's free iOS app to your device. The app's airport security line estimator may become the most crucial feature on your phone when planning your airport arrival.
HearPlanet ($3) - Take the time to discover the cultural side of your holiday destination. This interactive app highlights attractions in over 300,000 locations and uses geolocation features so that you don't miss any of the nearby fun, plus it's a great excuse to get out of the house and move around in fresh air.
GasBuddy - Hitting the open road instead of the air? Use the free GasBuddy app to locate the cheapest fuel on the interstate. Show your fellow travelers some love and share the low-price gas station you discover within the app.

Gadget Essentials

iPad or Tablet - If you have the luxury of spending upwards of $500 on a tablet, it's probably the only gadget you'll need to tote during travel season since it can hold your ebooks, surf the Internet, and keep you connected.
eReader - If you're sans tablet, pack up your favorite ereader. Whether it's the latest Kindle or the new Nook Simple Touch, you can read the entire Game of Thrones series without all the paper weight.
Compact laptop - Though the MacBook Air is arguably the most popular lightweight laptop out there, there's plenty of compact PCs and ultrabooks to choose from as well.
Chargers - If you're toting all these gadgets, you're going to (obviously) need some chargers to keep things juiced. Thankfully, many airlines are offering charging stations in the terminal and even seat-side outlets on board, so you can stay 100 percent charged throughout your trip.
Headphones - Keep the roar of 35,000 feet at bay with some nice sound-isolating headphones. If you're going over-the-ear, consider Skullcandy Aviators ($149), which offer great sound and deep bass and are even comfy for those geeks who wear glasses.

Get more tips on how to pack your bag and save some dough after the break.

Make the Skies a Bit Friendly With These Holiday Travel Tips For Families

BabyCenter — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:33:09 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Kristina Sauerwein about making holiday travel as smooth as possible.

No doubt you've noticed the tinsel, twinkle-light Christmas trees in stores and heard carols on the radio. Although it does seem early to get decked out for the holidays, the season is rapidly approaching and it is not too early to plan holiday air travel.

To help you avoid hassles and extra costs associated with holiday air travel, here are 10 tips from Christine Frietchen, Editor in Chief of ConsumerSearch.com, a site that helps consumers make informed purchasing decisions in everything from electronics to home and garden goods to health and beauty items to cars.

For booking air travel, start yesterday. This year is going to be tough for snagging the choice Christmas flights. With Christmas falling on a Sunday, there's already a scramble for Friday-to-Monday (or Tuesday) trips. Start looking and booking now.
Be as flexible as you can. It's hard during the holidays to be flexible, but if you can depart on Thursday, for example, instead of Friday, you can save $100 per ticket in some markets.
When booking flights with connections, be mindful of the connecting city. Winter weather in popular connecting cities like Chicago or Minneapolis can throw a big wrench in your plans. Though a nonstop flight might cost more, it could be worth it if the only connection options are dicey delay-prone cities.
Don't forget to check nearby airports. Although it can be a hassle to drive an extra 50 or 100 miles to a more distant airport, it can be worth checking. For a family, saving $50 per ticket will more than make up for the extra gas.
Check in at home. Most airlines now allow you to check in via computer or smartphone as well as print your boarding pass. If you don't need to check bags, that means you can head straight for the security screening line.

Keep reading for more holiday travel tips!

6 Websites and Apps For Painless Holiday Travels

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:42:40 PST

If preparing for holiday travel season makes your heart race just at the thought of busy terminals and crowded roadways, take comfort in bits of tech salvation by bookmarking these sites and apps to help prepare for the coming craziness while preserving your sanity.

TripIt - Once signed up for the free service, forward travel confirmation emails to TripIt, which will automatically create a master itinerary of an upcoming trip accessible through the web or a mobile device. The itineraries even include the tidbits we seem to forget like weather updates, local maps, and directions.
Google Flight Search - Book that plane ticket before prices rise any further! Google's flight search engine incorporates travel basics like price point, maximum number of connections, and preferred airline with an easy-to-use interface.
Hotel Tonight - If there are too many relatives in one house, scan the last-minute hotel deals in Hotel Tonight for a chic getaway at a discounted price. Every day three hotels in a city reveal their discounted rates starting at noon, and you then have until 2 a.m. to book the deal and take advantage of a peaceful room.

Check out three more apps your phone must include for this traveling season.

Alton Brown Plays a Bigger Role in The Next Iron Chef Than You Might Think

Susannah Chen — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:14:49 PDT

Since day one, Alton Brown's been host of the competition The Next Iron Chef, and this star-studded season, which premieres tomorrow night at 9 p.m., the Food Network favorite will be back and bigger than ever.

Earlier this month, I ran into Alton at the New York City Wine & Food Festival, where he talked about what makes The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs different from previous seasons, and why he's not just any old TV host.

More on the show - including his opinion of the final outcome! - when you read ahead.

DIY or Not: Wills and Estate Planning

LearnVest — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:15:07 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

When it comes to the people you love, you’d do almost anything to ensure they’re taken care of.

Even fill out forms.

And if you have loved ones, there are a few crucial financial forms you will need to fill out to protect those you care about.

Luckily, you don’t always need to see an attorney - or pay expensive fees. Some forms are so simple you can download them and fill them out yourself within minutes, at no cost.

Then again, some forms-and some family situations-are complicated enough that you definitely should enlist professional help. We spoke to Yana Feldman, an estate planning attorney based in Garden City, New York, who told us when to DIY and when to call an attorney.

One thing she did tell us definitively: Never entrust your estate planning to online services like LegalZoom. These services still cost money . . . and don’t provide the eagle eye of an attorney to ensure you cross every last T just so.
Here’s when Feldman says you should call a lawyer like her - and when you can easily DIY for free:

Don’t Call Me If . . .

You’re looking for a living will.

And you should be. Regardless of age and health, every adult in the U.S. should fill out a living will, health care proxy and HIPAA authorization. A living will specifies the medical treatment you want, in case you can’t voice it yourself. This would prevent an expensive and heartrending experience for your family (think Terry Schiavo). Also, designate someone you trust as a health care proxy who can carry out your medical wishes, and sign a HIPAA authorization form, which would provide her with access to your medical records in case of emergency.

How to DIY:

Learn the regulations for living wills and proxies for your state here.
Search online for your state’s living will and proxy forms (search “[your state] + living will form”).
Fill out the forms and have them signed by the proxy you’ve chosen as well as any witnesses your state requires.

Read on for more.

Whitney Port Works Wine Country, Shares Her Sensible Style Tips For Fall

Brittney Stephens — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:00:15 PDT

Whitney Port has been on our style radar for quite some time now - we love her effortless appeal and inventive mix-and-match skills - and even though the star of The Hills and The City is "relieved to not have to dress [up] for the cameras anymore," it doesn't mean she's slowing down. Whitney has been hard at work designing the Spring '12 collection for her line Whitney Eve and recently teamed up with Chandon and the National Breast Cancer Foundation for a night of fashion, sparkling wine, and charity on a gorgeous evening in Napa. We headed to Domaine Chandon to check out the Whitney Eve presentation and talk to the style star about her work with the NBCF, her design inspiration, and her plans for Fall dressing.

FabSugar: What inspired you to get involved with the National Breast Cancer Foundation?
Whitney Port: I have family members that have been affected by the disease, and I really want to stress the importance of early detection. It's so crucial to go out and get tested, because the earlier they find something, the better chances you have of survival.

FS: You've lived in NYC and Los Angeles - how do you differentiate East Coast vs. West Coast dressing?
WP: When I lived in New York, I was inspired to dress up a lot more, and look more sophisticated. But when I'm in LA, I prefer to keep things casual - most days when I go to the office I'm in cutoffs, a t-shirt, and Converse sneakers. I'm so relieved to not have to dress up for the camera anymore. It's fun to go out and do events and get dolled up, but most of the time I'm just at a bar with friends, totally dressed down.

Click through to read more quotes from Whitney and see the ladylike, quirky-cool Spring collection for Whitney Eve.

Photos courtesy of Drew Altizer Photography

Piyo, Piloga, Yogilates: Any Way You Spell It, They're a Perfect Mix of Yoga and PiIates

Heather Dale — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:06:11 PDT

New to Pilates and yoga, but can't decide which class to take? Or maybe you love yoga and Pilates but can't squeeze both into your hectic schedule? These fitness dilemmas can easily be solved thanks to a new wave of Pilates- and yoga-fusion classes popping up all over the US. Reap the benefits from both practices in just one class. Wondering where to start? Here's a rundown of some yoga-Pilates combo classes.

Yogilates
Created in 1997 by certified Pilates instructor and personal trainer Jonathan Urla, Yogilates includes no less than 40 poses, including leg lifts, back lifts, Sun Salutation, Downward Facing Dog, and meditation poses. Urla notes how Yogilates may feel like yoga in the beginning since it includes lots of pause with the poses, but toward the end - especially with the abdominal work - you will notice the Pilates because of the intensity. His class focuses on being present, breathing, moving, and enjoying the beauty of your practice.

Here are more hybrid classes to look out for in your city.

5 Meditation Styles For Beginners

Heather Dale — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 03:08:32 PDT

Quiet the mind. Slow down your breath. Awaken your chakras. It's time to meditate! I'll be the first one to admit that I used to be like Ms. Paltrow, in that I didn't have the slightest idea how to meditate. I would dim the lights, make sure the apartment was quiet, and try to focus on my breath. Problem was, I was so focused on "conquering meditation" that my mind couldn't relax and just "be." After hearing about all the health perks associated with meditation - including stress reduction, a heightened self awareness, and being able to tune out distractions - I knew I couldn't give up. The good news is, I realized that there are many different types of meditation. This is key, because once you explore the various meditation styles, you can choose one that suits you best.

Keep reading to find out what they are.