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

Lanvin Fall 2012

FabSugar — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 07:23:04 PST

Feminine opulence pervaded the Lanvin Fall 2012 collection, and how gorgeous it was. Elbaz has always stressed the importance of designing for women, and in this collection, women's curves took center stage, with the focus on the waist. The defining factors? Peplum, balloon sleeves, and lots of belting and draping, which weaved themselves mostly into dresses, but outerwear and richly-hued furs as well. The show opened with a series of jewel-hued pieces - sleek shifts with ruffled details at the neck or down the back, peplum tops paired with slim pencil skirts - then moved through a sexy series of black outfits of leather and fur fit for the edgy city chick. The final act was the most theatrical - dresses were embellished with lace and jewels, or done in rich velvet, or layered with ruffled, jewel-toned furs and accessorized with opera gloves. Finally, the jewelry: statement necklaces fit for a queen, but sure to decorate the necks of fashionable girls everywhere next season. Click to see the whole collection, as it's a beauty.

Trends: Bejeweled dresses, peplum, ruffles, opulent dressing, belting, elbow-length gloves.
Colors: Purple, blue, red, hunter green, gold, gray, black.
Key Piece: Bejeweled, curvaceous cocktail dresses; the peplum tops, the jewelry.
Accessories: Big, fit-for-a-queen statement necklaces.
Who Would Wear It: Fashion-forward glamour girls - Natalie Portman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Moore.

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

How to Enjoy a Hot Summer Fling

Annie Scudder — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 02:00:16 PDT

Forget romantic couples getaways. With its long days, hot nights, and opportunities to take time off for an adventure, Summer might be the best season to be single. Whether you plan to plop on a beach with your best girlfriends, explore a European city with your sister, or even have a full-on family vacation scheduled with the whole clan, there's always hope for a steamy Summer romance. Relaxed and free from everyday stress, you'll be open to letting fate run its course as you get to know someone you never would have met in your normal life. And without the pressure to determine the relationship, you can keep things light and fun. Below you'll find six tips to help you make the most of a Summer vacation fling.

Test out the local delicacies. If you're headed to the south of France or a beach town in Spain, take a Summer fling as a chance to practice your foreign language skills between make-out sessions. Even if you're staying stateside, hooking up with the local in your vacation destination will give you an inside experience a tourist could never have.
Find friends with benefits. While on a vacation with your girlfriends, find a group of guys you can all hang out with. Even if there isn't a love connection with everyone in the gang, it will make your romantic adventure more fun for everyone and might spark lifelong friendships, or at least some Facebook friendships.
Go outside your comfort zone. Do you refuse to date bartenders in your own city? Maybe you have a strict six-foot height requirement for your potential mates. Ditch your long list of dating rules and regulations while you're on vacation, since the relationship has an expiration date anyway. You'll probably realize how silly they were and never go back to them!
Keep your priorities straight. Finding someone to hold hands with on the beach or cuddle with back at the hotel should not be the purpose of any single girl's vacation. You'll want to have quality time with your friends, family, or whomever you traveled with in the first place. If you do meet a special someone, keep in mind he was a complete stranger mere days ago.
Stay realistic. You might think your Summer fling is handsome, funny, smart, and sexy, but that doesn't mean you're meant to be together forever. Think of it like the TV show The Bachelorette - sure it's easy to fall in love in paradise when you're not faced with any of life's real challenges, but once you get back to the real world you might realize there were a lot more details you needed to know about this person. Remembering that should help you keep some perspective and manage your expectations postvacay.
Be safe. This goes without saying, but if you end up having sex, be sure to use a condom. If you're going to a remote resort or don't plan on having access to a car or store, pack some ahead of time just in case!