FitSugar

ExerciseTV: Post Flight Stretches

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 04:00:00 PST

Travel much? Try these easy stretches for when you get off the plane. They will help revitalize your travel weary body by opening up your chest and shoulders. Since the busiest travel day of the year is approaching I wanted to share this video I found over on ExerciseTV. They were generous enough to share this video with me and to sponsor this post.

You should definitely check out the extensive video library at ExerciseTV. There is no reason to ever be bored with your workout again!

Happy traveling!

Savvy Links: 4 Ways to Be Happy Right Now

Emily Co — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:24:19 PST

4 ways to be happy right now - HuffPost Women
Your career is the reason no one’s getting married anymore - The Jane Dough
15 tested tips for creative efficiency - Wise Bread
Tasty alternatives to in-flight dining - Tecca
What your jewelry says about you - DailyWorth
How to restore your holiday state of mind - Corporette
The secret to having a budget: You need to look at it - Credit Karma
Unused gift cards lying around? Sell them! - Real Simple
Save on a dinner and movie night out - AllYou

Alec Baldwin Talks His Words With Friends Dustup and Politics in the Press Room

Lindsay Miller — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:48:15 PST

Alec Baldwin made an appearance backstage in the press room at tonight's SAG Awards just after snagging the honor for outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series. True to form, the 30 Rock star wasn't shy about discussing his current political views, and he also made light of his recent in-flight Words With Friends flap. Here are the highlights:

On his opinion of the 2012 primary: "The thing about the campaign that concerns me most is, how is Gingrich going to be able to retract all the things he's said about Romney once he becomes a nominee?"

On why he feels more comfortable sharing political views today vs. when he started out: "What's changed is that, and thankfully what's evolved over time is, there are better forums to give that opinion ... when [I] started, quite frankly, entertainment journalism and these entertainment talk shows were fairly new, and they weren't omnipresent ... and during the time that they've grown, people have had to learn the lesson that that's not the best place to -that you should keep it light. CNN, The Huffington Post, are good places to air those views."

On whether he still is ever afraid to voice his opinions: "I'm still scared to speak out. I want season seven [of 30 Rock] really badly. I want us to come back for another season. When you do speak out, it does cost you. The ones that are the most successful film stars today and have the most potent careers are the ones you know virtually nothing about ... they're very smart to do that."

On whether he's still playing his favorite game: "I am still playing Words With Friends ... but now on Virgin Atlantic."

Savvy Confessions: Is It Legal For My Employer to Deny Sick Pay?

Savvy Community — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:15:18 PST

This reader posted in our anonymous Savvy Confessions group, wondering if she should report her company to the labor board for denying her sick pay. Do you have any advice for her?

So I work for an airline and we have this policy that flight attendants can take unlimited sick days due to the nature of our environment. Well I, unlike a lot of other flight attendants, haven't taken advantage of this easy-to-screw-with system. I have been employed for six years and have only called in twice, never been late or reported for anything. I pick up an extra 30 (flying) hours a month, and not once have I ever complained. BUT recently I was sick with a cold, had a cold sore, and was extremely exhausted . . . legitimately sick, so I decided to ask my team leaders if I would still in fact get my sick pay. "Ummm no," was the answer I received because apparently they only have to pay me for my base salary, not the extra hours I had picked up and unable to work. I can understand if I was doing this on a consecutive monthly basis but I haven't taken a sick day in years. So my question is, does anyone know if I should go to the labor board or is my company in the right by never owing me sick pay?

Pose your own anonymous questions or off-load your work confessions by posting in the Savvy Confessions group, and I'll find the right expert to help you out.

Group Therapy: Worried About My Friend's Online Relationship

Tres Community — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 03:05:17 PST

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

A lesbian friend of mine met a girl online about 2 weeks ago, and the two of them are both quite taken with each other. I think that maybe something serious could come of it, the only problem for them is distance. My friend wants to plan a trip to head down south to see her new online flame to meet up in person and see if they really are made for each other.

I'm stoked she found someone that she feels this way about, but am a little concerned. My concern is that my friend is 20 and her unofficial online girlfriend is 18. Additionally, they are both currently living at home and come from families who wouldn't approve of the trip. My friend wants to leave in July and is going to have to pay for everything because her girlfriend's parents will not allow her to travel, or allow my friend to stay at their place. So, in addition to the cost of the flight, my friend is also going to have to pay for her own hotel expenses for the entire week.

I want my friend to be happy and I'll even help her plan this trip, but at the same time I'm worried that this might be too serious, too soon. It's a lot of money to spend on someone she just met online and I'm at a loss for what to do. How can I tell her I'm concerned without being the bad guy? I definitely don't want to throw all this negative stuff at her . . . should I just leave it be?

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

Want to Be on Top (Of the World)? NASA Searches For Next Astronauts

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:02:51 PST

Ready for a new career with an office view seen by few humans? Start knocking on NASA's door, as the space agency posted an open call for applications looking for the next wave of astronauts to support the International Space Station and future deep space missions.

Of course, not just anyone can be an astronaut, only 330 people have been selected as NASA astronauts since the first team in 1959 called the "Original Seven." The list of NASA basic requirements for the Astronaut Candidate Program is specific. Candidates must have:

US citizenship
Height between 62 and 72-inches, as well as a resting blood pressure not to exceed 140/90.
20/20 vision, though corrective eye surgeries like LASIK are allowed.
Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics. Despite the space flight factor, aviation degrees do not qualify.
Three years of relevant professional experience or 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in a jet aircraft.

Acceptance in to the Astronaut Candidate Program doesn't even guarantee you'll see space time. The final selection is dependent on the completion of training including Space Station systems, robotics skills training, learning Russian, and aircraft flight readiness. Astronaut candidates earn between $64,000-141,000 per year.

Should you meet the basic requirements and have always dreamed of exploring the final frontier, get started on the application immediately! From the time the job posting closes on Jan. 27, 2012 candidates can expect over a year long hiring process including extensive interviews and medical examinations. Watch NASA's astronaut recruiting video, which even showcases the inevitable human exploration of Mars.

Soleil Moon Frye Shares Her Tips For Taking a Family "Time Out"

Guest Writer — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:07:33 PST

Editor's note: The following is a guest post written by Soleil Moon Frye, Target's mommy ambassador, author of Happy Chaos, and mom to Poet, 6, and Jagger, 3. This week Soleil shares her tips on traveling with kids.

I'm a huge believer in the importance of taking the occasional "time out" as a family and planning an escape to recharge and reconnect.

Last year, Jason surprised me and the kids with an impromptu jaunt to Mexico. Although it was stressful to think of dropping everything on such short notice, the trip turned out to be exactly what we needed. It was an invaluable treat to spend quality time together without the distractions that pull us in a dozen different directions every day.

Whenever I'm traveling with my girls, my carry-on always includes these essentials:

An assortment of portable activities like books, a few toys, and paper and crayons. I have the girls pick out a few of their favorite things from home to take with them - this way we're not overloaded with too much stuff, but they feel connected to what they are bringing.
A first aid kit with Band-Aids and other Doctor Mom must haves in case of emergencies.
Wipes, wipes, and more wipes. They're quick and easy for cleaning up spills and sticky fingers on the go.
A change of clothes for both girls, including a sweatshirt in case they get cold.
A stash of yummy snacks is the best way to combat the inevitable crankiness that comes with restless flights and travel delays.

A successful family trip doesn't require airplanes or lush accommodations. When I was growing up, my mom would delight us by laying blankets on the small balcony of our apartment and letting us sleep under the stars. I've inherited her passion for making an adventure out of everything and am also a big advocate of "staycations." In my house, we love to camp out in the living room and decorate the space to look like an exotic location. You can go all out and cook foods native to those places and do activities inspired by their cultures.

The idea is to carve out time to be together and create a special experience that the kids will always remember. The extravagance of a getaway isn't what will factor into the memories.

I'm always looking for fun family bonding ideas, so please share your cost-cutting travel tips and creative "staycation" plans with me on the Target Baby Facebook page!

. . . Soleil

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!

Kim Kardashian Issues Full Statement and Denies Being Paid For Wedding: "I’m Sorry If I Have Hurt Anyone"

Molly Goodson — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:44:05 PDT

Kim Kardashian got some serious thinking done during her long flight to Australia, and soon after touching down today, she wrote a full statement to her fans, which she posted on her website. Kim announced her plans to divorce Kris Humphries yesterday, and since then there have been countless stories about what went wrong in their 72-day marriage. Kim's sisters Kourtney and Khloe spoke out in defense of Kim, and her mom, Kris Jenner, defended Kim saying, "She's not the first person in the world to get a divorce or to have something like this happen to, and she won't be the last … People have to stop judging." Kris Humphries meanwhile canceled his plans to host a party in Vegas this weekend. Check out Kim's full statement below and let us know your thoughts on what she wrote. Kim Kardashian's statement reads:

"This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write. I see all of the support and I am so thankful for my fans, friends and family who are helping me through this difficult time.

I am trying not to read all the different media reports but it’s hard not to see all the negative ones. First and foremost, I married for love. I can’t believe I even have to defend this. I would not have spent so much time on something just for a TV show! I share so much of my life on a reality show, that contemplating whether to even film my wedding was a tough decision to make, and maybe it turned out to not be the smartest decision. But it’s who I am! We filmed Kourtney giving birth, Khloe getting married, break ups, make ups, our best moments and our worst moments. These were all real moments. That’s what makes us who we are. We share, we give, we love and we are open!

Everyone that knows me knows that I’m a hopeless romantic! I love with all of my heart and soul. I want a family and babies and a real life so badly that maybe I rushed in to something too soon. I believed in love and the dream of what I wanted so badly. I felt like I was on a fast roller coaster and couldn’t get off when now I know I probably should have. I got caught up with the hoopla and the filming of the TV show that when I probably should have ended my relationship, I didn’t know how to and didn’t want to disappoint a lot of people.

To read the rest just

read more. I’m being honest here and I hope you respect my courage because this isn’t easy to go through. But I do know that I have to follow my heart. I never had the intention of hurting anybody and I accept full responsibility for my actions and decisions, and for taking everyone on this journey with me. It just didn’t turn out to be the fairy tale I had so badly hoped for. There are also reports that I made millions of dollars off of the wedding. These reports are simply not true and it makes me so sad to have to even clarify this. I’m so grateful to everyone who took the time to come to my wedding and I’ll be donating the money for all the gifts to the Dream Foundation. I’m sorry if I have hurt anyone, but my dad always told me to follow my heart and I believe now that I really am."

Julianne Hough Flaunts Her Bikini Body For Self Magazine

Lauren Turner — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:32:44 PDT

Julianne Hough poses in a bikini for Self - JustJared
Whitney Houston caused a scene on a Delta flight - People
What's really behind Julia Roberts's sweet smile? - Lainey Gossip
See Glenn Close's amazing transformation to a man on set - Huffington Post
Is Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber's marriage in trouble? - D-Listed
More bikini pictures from Stacy Keibler and George Clooney's getaway! - Hollywood Tuna
What happened to Lindsay Lohan's teeth?! - The Superficial
Rob Lowe debuts a sexy new haircut - I'm Not Obsessed
Diddy's black AmEx card and other personal information leaked - Pink Is the New Blog
The Michael Jackson trial drama continues - The Daily Beast
Nick Lachey and 98 Degrees reunite in Vegas - TooFab