FitSugar

At What Point Did You Start Working Out?

FitSugar — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 07:30:00 PDT

I can remember the first time I ever hit the gym as clear as day. I was a freshman in college looking to beat the freshman fifteen at my university's fitness center. I had no idea how to use any of the machines and was absolutely terrified of the weight area. Since everyone else seemed look like they knew what they were doing, I've always wondered when they all first started working out. I never got around to polling the entire fitness center, so I am curious about you guys: When did you first start working out?

What I've Learned From Baby Number Two

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:15:00 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 Carolyn Robertson about lessons learned from a second child.

Motherhood has been a very humbling experience so far . . . which is a nice way of saying it’s knocked me on my ass many times over. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been midconversation with another grown-up and suddenly realized that (a) my breasts are leaking, or (b) I have a crusty old food stain on my shirt, or (c) I am decorated with Little Mermaid tattoos and sparkly dinosaur stickers and Phineas & Ferb Band-Aids.

I assumed, though, that I would have a much better handle on things the second time around. Sleep issues, tantrums, separation anxiety, potty training: been there, done that, bring it on. And then I met my second daughter.

Here are a few things that I’ve learned from baby number two:

Sleep training doesn’t always work: I was one of those moms who swore by sleep training. CIO works, I’d tell my mom friends. It’s not fun, but if you stick with it, it works. My oldest, after all, started sleeping through the night and never stopped after we let her cry it out at 6 months old. Well, it turns out it doesn’t always work, after all. I did everything exactly the same with Amelia, but at 21 months old, she’s still not a great sleeper.
Sometimes babyproofing really is necessary: I read in some baby book that we do our kids no favors when we babyproof the home - they have to learn limits, after all. Made sense to me! So with our first, we did the bare minimum (baby gate on the stairs, potentially poisonous stuff out of reach) and took care of everything else with a firm “no touch!” and gentle redirection. Worked like a charm. We figured we’d do the same with our youngest, but as it turns out our little angel loves to body slam the window screens and climb into the fireplace. Everything - everything - goes in her mouth. We tell her "no," we redirect, and she laughs and becomes that much more determined. Our house is now so childproofed that even I have trouble getting into the kitchen cupboards.
No two kids are the same: My first is shy and cautious - my second would run into traffic to hug a stranger. My first is sensitive and gentle - my second is a crazy little steamroller. They are different in every way imaginable, and I’m starting to see that all those tried-and-true tricks that worked for one probably won’t work for the other.

One last thing I’ve learned? You really can love another baby as much as you love your first. I harbored secret fears that I would never be able to love any other child with the depth and intensity that I do my older daughter. I was wrong.

What did you learn from your second - third or fourth - child?

More great reads from BabyCenter:
What does a stay-at-home mom do all day?
Is Strawberry Shortcake looking a bit trampy these days?
Five children's books that celebrate Black History Month
Seven adorable mobiles for any nursery
Is a 6-year-old too young for boarding school?

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "Heart"

Lizzie Fuhr — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:00:21 PST

It's Valentine's Day at McKinley, and everyone gets in on the action in this week's episode of Glee. For the lesson, Mr. Schuester wants everyone to choose a great love song to perform, which means a lot of the action takes place in the relationship department. Finn and Rachel try to get everyone excited about their upcoming nuptials; Brittany and Santana deal with scrutiny of the nature of their relationship, and Mercedes and Sam may love each other, but they just can't seem to get it together.

At first, I was pretty excited that "Heart" was going to be an episode full of musical numbers, but it feels a little plot driven for my taste. Regardless, there's a lot happened this week, so get in on all details after the jump.

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.

Handy Everyday Gmail Tips and Tricks

GeekSugar — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:01:03 PST

If you've moved to Gmail recently (congratulations!), it's possible that you could get overwhelmed with all of the options, settings, and possibilities at your fingertips. We've got a ton of tips to share, but let's start with a few basic and handy tips that you could use every day. Check them out below!

Make voice calls - You can easily make voice calls in Gmail on the cheap. In the "Chat" section, just click the "Call Phone" button and enter the digits. You'll then be able to make free calls to landlines the US and Canada, and for super cheap you can call cell phones and landlines worldwide.
Search with options - If you haven't discovered the "Show Search Options" link to the right of the Gmail search bar, you're in for a treat. Clicking it reveals a host of helpful options, including the ability to search by sender, date, attachment, subject, and more. It's extremely helpful if you are less than diligent about labeling and filing emails in your inbox.
Use rich text signatures - Tired of those boring text-only signatures or canned responses coming from your Gmail account? Take note: Gmail supports rich text signatures! Add links, colors, images, or formatting to your Gmail account signature, or any other account you've set up to send from Gmail. It's super easy to set up - just head to your settings page, scroll down to the Signature section, and design away!
Use keyboard shortcuts - First, enable keyboard shortcuts in your Settings menu. Then, use these fast and easy keyboard shortcuts to navigate!

See the rest of the list after the break.

"I Just Got Separated: Should I Stay Hopeful or Move On?"

Tres Community — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:05:00 PST

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

My partner and I separated recently, and it has been very hard on both us and the kids. Things were simply getting out of hand; too much verbal and emotional abuse on both ends. We were together four years and I was very happy and in love at the beginning, but once I began working things started to go downhill.

We were engaged to be married, but since things were not going as well as planned, I decided to give him back the ring. Between stress, work, and money troubles, we just had too many problems. When I wanted to have sex (usually at night because the kids were asleep), he would reject me, and when he wanted to have sex (usually in the mornings when I needed to get ready for work), I simply wasn't up to it. In short, I am a very independent woman and I do not like being controlled.

I had to leave my apartment to get myself and the kids out of that toxic situation. I still feel so alone and confused, but I am definitely relieved. Since we do share one child together, (2 yr old) we must keep in touch and come to an agreement on custody. Right now, he has him twice a week and every other weekend, in addition to giving me $70 a week to help support him.
One huge problem I have with him right now is that I don't want him to smoke pot when he's around his son. Honestly, I had no idea it was such a large problem until now. I knew he smoked, but I thought maybe once the baby was born, he could give that up. Clearly, I was wrong. I don't want to keep him from his son, but I really don't like that fact that he has to be under the influence with his child. Is that wrong?

I am hopeful that maybe time is what we need to appreciate each other more and maybe we will be able to get back together sometime in the future. Although it may sound ridiculous, I did love him - I was just exhausted of all the arguments. I feel so tired, damaged, and jaded. I need therapy, but it's just too expensive.
Any feedback from you readers would be greatly appreciated.

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.

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "All You Need Is Love"

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:27:29 PST

It's Valentine's Day in Seattle, which means the doctors are scrambling to get their romantic plans together on this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy. Callie plans a special surprise for skeptical Arizona, while Mark tries to get out of babysitting duty so he can take Julia out on a date. Derek and Meredith, on the other hand, just need to find somewhere to go for a little, uh, "alone time."

On the other end of the spectrum, Lexie is having a "woe is me" moment as she pines for Mark, and Jackson and Karev are also left dateless. No one's in hotter water than Owen is, though: he and Cristina contemplate some big questions about the future of their relationship, and Teddy has some choice words for him when Owen tries to rekindle their friendship. Ready to break it all down? Just

The Muppets' Music Man Bret McKenzie on His Oscar Nod and Taking a Silly Job Seriously

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:50:41 PST

Bret McKenzie is up for an exceedingly rare honor this year, with his ballad "Man or Muppet" earning one of just two nominations in the Oscars' best song category. I caught up with The Muppets' musical supervisor today at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank to chat about the awards attention and the unique experience of penning music for Kermit and company. The New Zealand native talked about fighting the temptation to use the word "motherfrogger" in his songwriting and the roundabout way he came on board The Muppets project in the first place. Bret - who previously was best known as one half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords - also shared his hopes of bringing FOC to the big screen. Check out our conversation below:

PopSugar: It's got to be an honor to be nominated for an Oscar, but also in a year when the Academy only bothered to nominate two songs.
Bret McKenzie: They barely nominated anyone! When I found out, it sounded like there'd been a mistake, and yeah, it's a huge honor. It's great and it's really exciting, and I'm not complaining that there's only two nominees the year I'm nominated. I mean, this is the best chance I'll have of winning an Oscar, ever. It couldn't have been better, unless there was just one nomination, and then it would be a very dull ceremony . . . There's a lot of legendary musicians - tunesmiths - in that list of possible nominations. So it's all very surreal to think that I got in ahead of Elton John.

PS: And Madonna. Those two had a little rivalry going on.
BM: I know. I got nervous about what Elton John's husband was going to say about me. It's crazy, and it's great for The Muppets film, because we're all really proud of the film and it wasn't ever really going to get a best actor. Hey, Jason's good, that's not what I mean, but Kermit, Miss Piggy - they can't win these awards - and comedies don't generally get recognized at these awards ceremonies, so it's kind of cool. It's almost like the film as a whole is being recognized with this category.

For more from our chat with Bret, including what he says about his plans for a Flight of the Conchords film, coaching Jason Segel, and the pressure he felt on the project, just

read more! PS: What was the biggest unexpected challenge for you writing music for the film? I know you talked about one draft of a song where you referred to a Muppet as a piece of felt and were told you couldn't do that. BM: Yeah. Little piece of felt, and you couldn't say things like motherfrogger, even though it's very tempting. There were lots of hard parts to it. The Muppets can't sing certain notes. They can't sing too high or the voice changes and doesn't sound like the right character. There were so many weird things. I spent hours recording penguins and rats, and what's weird is that it's such a silly job, but you have to take it very seriously. So I would be in the studio for days, maybe a whole day recording penguins, and then I'm like, "I'm not happy with how the penguins are sounding! Where's penguin four?" You know, getting demanding. "We lost penguin track four! I can't hear the penguin!" PS: I was watching the movie again last night and watching Jason Segel's performance of "Man or Muppet." Did you coach him on any of his rockstar moves? Because he pretty much nailed it. BM: He nailed it. That's my favorite moment in the film. When he buckles down in the rain, that was one of my favorite shots. I was so proud of what James [Bobin, the director] and those guys achieved, because I wasn't there on set, I just saw them syncing the video, and I was like, "Wow, guys. You nailed it." What we did do in the studio, as Jason and I had a technique where I would sing a line, and he'd watch me through the window, and then he'd sing it back. So we did this thing where, I was really into the drama of it. So, I was like, "Am I a Muppppettt?" [balling his hands into fists] And he'd be like, OK, record. "Am I a Muppppettt!" So we kind of worked together to get that style. PS: Did it shatter some of your childhood illusions to have the guy that does Miss Piggy's voice come work with you [in the recording studio]? BM: Yeah. Well, it wasn't Frank Oz. The guy Eric, who does it now, yeah. That was strange. And the day that we recorded Kermit the Frog doing "Rainbow Connection" - I was sort of pinching myself, because that was probably one of the real moments for me where I realized that my world had really changed. That I'd come from New Zealand, I'd grown up with Kermit the Frog, and now I was in Hollywood in a studio recording Kermit the Frog. It felt like worlds had collided. PS: Was there pressure knowing there was already this great catalog of Muppet songs? To try to add to that or top it in some way? BM: I knew I wouldn't top "Rainbow Connection," but I was very intimidated, but the way I worked on the job was it actually started with me just writing one song, so I didn't feel the pressure of writing the whole movie. I think it would have been different if I'd been hired from the outset to do all the music. So I wrote one, then another, and gradually wrote more and more, so that helped. PS: What song did you write first? BM: The opening song. That's the one they needed, that's the one James asked me to write first. The script was probably on a second draft, and they were in preproduction, so I came in quite late. And the way they were doing it was, they got 100s of demos submitted from all sorts of songwriters, and surprisingly - even though they got some really great people to do demos - people weren't quite hitting the right tone. The Muppet tone. I'd just come off the Conchords tour and I had some time, and James asked if I was interested in doing that opening song, because he had a kind of specific thing he needed from that song. He needed it to be really Muppet-y, that song, and he had a great idea for the whole town joining in, it starting off small and becoming a big musical number, and that came together really well. PS: Is this experience maybe something you want to bring to a Flight of the Conchords movie? BM: Yeah, exactly. Having done this movie now, we're in a much better place to do a Conchords film, because James is more experienced - well, we're all more experienced. Not specifically, but James Bobin - well, we're all very keen to do another studio musical, because I really enjoyed being able to do comedy musical numbers on such a grand scale, and I think next time, I really think it will just get better and better. Because it's such a fun genre, and we've done like 50 songs for TV now, and now The Muppets movie, and I feel like we've accidentally sort of become musical comedy experts. PS: What do you imagine Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords are up to these days, in their universe? BM: In the Lower East Side? That's a good question. I reckon they probably got a regular gig now. Like, at a Chinese restaurant. Photo courtesy Disney

11 Rules to Dramatically Increase Your Productivity

Wise Bread — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:35:04 PST

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

There's a problem with a lot of productivity advice out there, and it's this - your "rules" for personal productivity are often going to be different than mine. Sure, sometimes there's overlap. Sure, you can always learn from others.

But if you want to see a dramatic increase in your productivity, spend less time reading and memorizing other people's rules, and more time figuring out what your own rules are. You'll be more productive and in a way that works with who you are.

So I'm sharing a few of my personal productivity rules. Maybe some of them will work for you or inspire you to think of your own.

1. Small Daily Movements Become Big Accomplishments

I tend to think that I must have big blocks of time in order to get any forward movement. So I hesitate and procrastinate, waiting for that "open time" when I can really push and get a lot done on whatever the current project is.

Turns out, that's a waste of time. Small daily movements add up. It's just that the movements or steps themselves are so small, I think they don't count. They do.

I have to constantly remind myself that I don't need a whole day or a whole week to devote to some project. I just need to take the 10 or 20 minutes I have here and there and use them. I need to achieve a little bit of forward movement every day. That adds up, and it builds momentum, and pretty soon there's been quite a lot accomplished.

For more rules, read after the jump.

"I'm Trying to Avoid Sex With My Boyfriend"

Tres Community — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:05:45 PST

This week's confession comes from our anonymous Confession Booth group in the TrèsSugar Community. Weigh in with your advice below.

We've had so many sexual problems. I'm 24 and he's 29. We've been dating for close to four years now. He was my first sexual partner. We started having sex after about a year together, although it was very rare. We would sometimes have gaps of up to two months at a time. If I was getting laid once a month, it was a miracle enough - two was out of this world. We had lots of fights about that and he always claimed he was "paranoid" about getting me pregnant.

Earlier on in the relationship, he told me that this wasn't an issue with his long-distance ex, with whom he had been about a year. He told me they sometimes had sex twice a day. He also did many other hurtful things regarding her - i.e., it was very obvious he was not over her – and I suffered through the first 1.5 to 2 years of our relationship. Talk about a sex drive killer.

Read the rest below.