I was born an uncommon person with a common last name. If you’re thinking, Smith? You’re in the ballpark. When my mom married my French step-dad, he came with a coolio French name, which garnished many suck up comments like, “Oh French! I ate a croissant once.” I know. Mind, this was before “Freedom Fries”. […]

by lccarson Did you ever have one of those really busy decades? You know, the ones where an old friend says, “So when did you start teaching at the university?” and even the synopsis takes five minutes and it turns out your husband isn’t in it? Oops. Just me then? The coming-apart part was mostly […]

by Kim Kuhteubl I was a vintage store hunting, Goodwill shopping teenager before it was hot (and necessary) to be green and since I don’t have a sister’s closet to raid, I’ve found another solution for my wardrobe deficits and budget constraints, friends. I’ve inherited some of my best outfits from friends who have lost […]

by Carolina Smart “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” I’m sure that Alexander Graham Bell was talking about opportunities, but this quote can also sum up what happens when we […]

by Deborah Collins Stephens, Michealene Cristini Risley, Jackie Speier and Jan Yanehiro You can do one of two things: just shut up, which is something I don’t find easy, or learn an awful lot very fast and stand up for yourself! – Jane Fonda, Actress (1937 – ) Peggy Klaus, a workplace communication expert who […]

by Christine Arylo If you’re like most people on this planet, whether you’re single, married, or partnered, there’s a good chance that there is something about your relationship that isn’t giving you what you want. There is something more that you think you should be getting from your guy or gal, but no matter how […]

The Mafia Don by J. M. Kearns As far as the ego is concerned, nothing is more dangerous than risking your heart out there in the big, bad world. That’s because losing at love, in the ego’s view, is a reflection on our whole worth as a human being—not just on our performance in that […]

by Susan Van Allen Lucille Ball lifting up her skirt, jumping into a barrel, and stomping grapes with the peasants might be the first image that comes to mind when you think of Italian women and winemaking. As entertaining as that is, cut to the new millenium’s more sophisticated and inspiring phenomenon: Italian women have […]

A new year is a great time to look at how you organize your financial paperwork. Like organizing your closet, organizing your receipts can make you feel great and can also pay off, literally, at tax time. The IRS recommends that all individual taxpayers keep these for at least three years: • Bills • Credit […]

By Erika Enigk Clair Boone has not paid for toiletries in eight years. No, she’s not part of a shampoo and toothpaste theft ring. The founder of mummydeals.org is simply a smart shopper. On her site and through live workshops, she teaches others how to save – and even make – money, simply by buying […]