FitSugar

In Her Shoes: April Beyer, Matchmaker and Relationship Coach

Anna Monette Roberts — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:05:36 PST

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, April Beyer, expert relationship coach and matchmaker, gives SavvySugar an insider's look into her unique career. Helping men and women find lasting relationships for almost 14 years, she is the founder and president of Beyer & Company, a matchmaking and relationship consulting firm. She's frequently interviewed and has been seen on Dr. Phil, 20/20, and Good Morning America. Beyond her weekly clients, April writes on her blog, conducts seminars, and is working on a book to help women prepare for love and romance. April tells us what it's like to assist other people on their journey to finding love and happiness.

SavvySugar: Can you tell me about your career path and how your business has grown throughout the years?

April Beyer: I started out in the high-end matchmaking industry nearly 14 years ago. I had worked with a matchmaking company and was there for about six or seven years. I was responsible for many marriages there. In 2003, I decided to venture out on my own and start a relationship coaching and consulting business. Now, I still have my matchmaking company. I work with a handful of highly successful marriage-minded men. I am also a coach and a writer.

Now my passion is to help women better understand themselves first so then they can naturally attract the man of their dreams. I am a little bit more of a holistic dating and relationship coach, but I think of myself more as is a communication and authenticity coach. For me, it's not about teaching people dating skills, it is teaching them relationship skills.

Click here to read more about April.

Do You Track What You Eat in a Food Journal?

Leta Shy — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:53:01 PST

No matter how much you exercise, if you're looking to lose weight, changing your diet should also be a priority. And watching what you eat has become so much easier with the availability of iPhone apps, websites, and fitness monitors that can track exactly how many calories you're consuming every day.

Most food trackers have vast databases that make inputting every single thing you eat relatively simple: just search for the specific brand or type of food and add how much you've had (there are several good sites to choose from; FitSugar editor Michele recommends My Fitness Pal). But while being aware of what exactly you're eating is an important aspect in any weight loss plan, food trackers may not be for everyone. It can be hard for some to remember to log every single thing they eat, or it can even turn all-consuming if tracking your food leads you to obsess over every calorie.

What's your take on food journals - do you track your food?

Valentine's Day Lingerie For 10 Types of Couples

Tara Sharp — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:25:25 PST

Tomorrow is the sexiest of holidays for serious and not-so serious couples alike. And whether your V-Day date involves staying at home with a movie or a weekend in wine country, the best way to set the sexy mood with your partner is by donning some hot lingerie. So depending on the type of pair you're in, be it friends with benefits or long-time marrieds, we've got 10 different Valentine's Day lingerie recommendations. Get your sexy inspiration now!

Sisters of DC Cupcakes Share Valentine's Day Baking Tips and Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:16:28 PST

What's sugar and spice and everything nice? Cupcakes! And no one knows more about our obsession with the lil confections than Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake and stars of TLC's DC Cupcakes. The sisters, who learned their kitchen skills from their grandmother ("We followed her around the kitchen and always begged to help"), have been known to bake up to 10,000 lil cakes a day, much to the delight of the patrons who line the block of their Washington DC store. The duo - who just opened their first outpost in New York City - gave me a few minutes of their time to discuss their tasty desserts.

LilSugar: Cupcakes have moved from kiddie birthday party staple to a favorite of adults and kids alike. But kids aren't always willing to try new flavors. Which are most popular with kids?
Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis: Our Vanilla Birthday (vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), Chocolate Birthday (chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), and Milk Chocolate Birthday (vanilla cupcake with milk chocolate buttercream and rainbow bobbles) are the most popular with kids. We think it's the color rainbow bobbles!

LS: Moms are busy; what shortcuts can you recommend to making delicious, beautiful cupcakes without spending the whole day baking and decorating them?
SL and KK: Try to keep a stash of baking staples - butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, all purpose flour, baking soda/powder, salt, and cocoa powder/chocolate on hand in your kitchen at all times and you can make almost any flavor! Our recipes are very simple - we don’t use cake flour or pastry flour - just all purpose - we find that works best. Also, we're big fans of chocolate ganache icing. It's so easy - just two ingredients - chocolate chips and heavy cream. You just melt them down (two cups of chips to one cup of cream), and dip your cupcakes in and you've got a super fast and unbelievably delicious frosting.

LS: Do you ever make "healthy" cupcakes for those who want to skip some of the sugar? If so, what goes into it?
SL and KK: We have a carrot cake cupcake, which has fresh carrots and fresh apples grated in it. We skip the walnuts, to save on calories, and it's a light and delicious cupcake!

The new season of DC Cupcakes begins on Feb. 25, but if you're looking to create their Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes for Valentine's Day,

This Blockbuster Gift With Purchase Lets You Be Your Own Valentine

Miriam Lacey — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:13:11 PST

If you'll be doing some department-store beauty buying today or tomorrow, we highly recommend that you check out Barneys, because the "Love Yourself" gift with purchase it's currently offering is one of the best we've ever seen. It has everything a beauty fanatic could want, including a full-sized Deborah Lippmann nail polish, Lipstick Queen lip color, and Sunday Riley lip gloss. There are also a ton of substantial sample-sized goodies from the likes of Kiehl's, Nars, and Frederic Malle. To get it, you need to spend $200 on beauty online or in a store through Saturday, Feb. 11 (and shipping is free, too). So if you were thinking about stocking up, now's the perfect time to treat yourself.

Host an Anti-Valentine's Day Soiree

Camilla Salem — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:01:12 PST

Even if Valentine's Day really isn't your thing, there's no reason to sit inside and sulk on Feb. 14. Use this day as an excuse to get a bunch of really fun people together and have an anti-Valentine's Day party. Watch a couple of Judd Apatow comedies, play board games or cards, and munch on the richest, messiest, most unromantic foods you can think of because, well, who cares if you enter a food coma later? Here are a few of our recommendations.

Get Romantic With Books About Legendary Love Stories

Tara Sharp — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:00:00 PST

Not in the mood for Valentine's Day? Well, get romantically inspired this February with some of the most famous love stories in history. It doesn't matter if you're single or coupled up, no one can resist a juicy story of passion, glamour, and tragedy - especially if it's true! So here are some of the books we recommend you dive into to learn more about history's most fascinating love stories.

Pretty Ways to Spice Up Your Valentine's Day Makeup - Red Lipstick Excluded

Jaime Richards — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:41:50 PST

Red lipstick has become synonymous with Valentine's Day, but crimson-hued lips don't have to be your only option. "I like a flushed cheek," says Mark celebrity makeup artist Mai Quynh, who recommends getting the look with the brand's Just Pinched Blush Tint in Cheeky or Spicy, depending on your skin tone.

Another way to give your complexion a fresh, fun finish is "to incorporate a pink-toned eye shadow to pop up the eyes in the crease," Quynh explains, recommending Custom Pick Eye Shadow in Sugar Sugar. "Or, you can use pink lips instead of red ones."

And for a brightened effect, finish with a highlighter, such as Touch & Glow Shimmer Cream All Over Face Palette, above your cheekbones and on your brow bone. For something a little warmer, try Glowdacious Illuminating Powder on your forehead, cheeks, and chin. Then all you have to do is watch your suitors line up.  

A Doctor Dishes: Which "Superfoods" Are Worth the Cost?

LearnVest — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

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

Most people you speak to these days are trying to stretch every dollar as far as possible - even the ones they spend buying apples and oranges.

Food prices are expected to increase yet again this year, and food manufacturers are making portions smaller without reducing prices. Not surprisingly, a recent Rasmussen poll found that 93 percent of adults report paying more for groceries now than they did a year ago.

So how can we supercharge our grocery dollars and get them to do overtime for us?

Yes, some foods are obviously a better nutritional deal than others (think apples vs. potato chips), but there’s another class of foods that blows the rest of the field away in terms of nutrients and health-protecting qualities: superfoods.

Superfoods can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, repair damage to your body’s cells, and more. But before you go piling them into your cart, know that some superfoods are better nutritional bargains than others. As a doctor and a mom, I’ve sleuthed out which ones are worth the extra cost in terms of their long-term health benefits. Below is the scoop on which ones may help you age better, ward off cancer, and more.

What to Know Before Buying Superfoods

Before we dive into what to buy, there are a few important things to remember about consuming these foods:

Eating foods fresh and in their natural state, especially fruits and vegetables (rather than in pill or powder supplement form), usually allows us to absorb the greatest amount of their nutrients. The way a superfood is processed or cooked can significantly lower its antioxidant content.
If the superfood can’t be eaten fresh, look for easy and appetizing recipes containing it. No matter how “super” a superfood may be, if you don’t know how to cook it, you’ll probably let it go to waste.

Are Superfoods "Good Buys" If I’m Shopping on a Budget?

Read on to find out.

3-Layer Nails Make For the Ultimate Polish Trifecta at Costello Tagliapietra

Jaime Richards — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:27:00 PST

What do you get when you sandwich a classic red polish in between a deep, rich brown and a heady black-brown? Why, the ultimate trifecta of cool nail polish palettes, of course. At Costello Tagliapietra's New York Fashion Week Fall 2012 show, models donned manicures featuring a clever "stacking" of three different richly hued shades: Essie's Carry On, followed by Bordeaux, and Little Brown Dress, respectively.

The result was "beautiful, elegant, and warm," according to Essie founder Essie Weingarten (for Beauty.com), who also recommends experimenting with mixing and matching the above colors to create your own unique formulation. The key, however, is to allow two minutes of drying time in between each layer. And while you wait? "Have a glass of bordeaux in between," she quips. See more of the rich red manicure up close now.