If you make an annual resolution to read something more substantial than celebrity gossip magazines (ah, sweet guilty pleasure!), start with this Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Wallace Stegner. Angle of Repose chronicles the lives of an American family through four generations. At 500+ pages, it's hefty enough to make you feel a sense of accomplishment when you finish it, but once you get into it, it's so involving you'll be surprised at how easily... more

From the energizing scent of rosemary to the calming aroma of lavender the use of essential oils as a health aid goes back several millennia. While we have a friend with an amazing green thumb who grows these useful plants in her yard, you don't have to maintain your own herb garden to reap the benefits of essential oils, nor do you have to spend a lot of money. These aromatherapy picks are all... more

If you can't stand the coffee served in the office, but find your post-holiday pocketbook won't cover daily trips for freshly brewed java at the local coffee shop, a French press is an inexpensive way to get your daily dose of caffeine without sacrificing taste. You don't need filters or anything special -- just ground coffee and hot water. By the third week of brewing your own delicious cuppa, you'll have recovered the costs... more

We just accompanied a coworker to Express where she tried on their PVC leggings. The verdict: Too hot. PVC does not exactly breathe. So if you're freezing this winter, maybe check those out, along with some fleece sheets. Not flannel; fleece. They're a lot more affordable than flannel sheets, and probably a lot warmer too. And if our fleece hoodies are any indication, you probably don't need to put them in the... more

Top 4 reasons not to buy a real tree (and go with a fabulous artificial tree instead):
1. The cost. $100 for something that will end up on the street in a couple weeks? In this economy?
2. The hassle of getting the thing through the front door and into that tree stand. The Christmas spirit should not involve so much swearing.
3. The mess. Your vacuum cleaner hates you. So does your garbage man.
4. Real... more