About a year ago, I stumbled across a YouTube video showing two guys and a girl holding up signs that said “Free Hugs” in the middle of a crowded downtown street. I’ll admit, my initial reaction was, “What if they have bed bugs?!” (Sadly, that’s what happens when you live in a city with an infestation problem.) But the more I ...

Considering many of us can't even remember our Friendster passwords anymore, DeleteMe is promising a lot for as little as $10. DeleteMe is a service that can help you delete accounts, search results, and other things you don't want online. Just tell us what you want removed and we'll get started. More complicated internet histories do cost a bit more ...

So, you’ve agreed to host a holiday party, and you’re excited at the idea of planning, cooking, and playing host. But now you have 50 people coming over to your house in three weeks and no idea where to begin. Don’t panic. Take a deep breath. We’re here to help. Whether it’s a low-key holiday gathering or a rocking New Year’s ...

Kelly Smith Beaty | BettyConfidential.com 2010 was filled with silent nights, and there will be no one particularly special waiting underneath the mistletoe. So while the holidays are sure to be jolly for some, we single women are often left looking for one good reason to deck the halls. Well singlelistas, have no fear! Santa’s single elves are here with 5 ...

You’re on top of things. Responsibly, you take folic acid every day and have been since you started trying to have a baby. You happily avoid alcohol and other drugs. Likely, you read one or two pregnancy books and see your doctor regularly. But you may be making avoidable mistakes that can put you and your baby at risk. Here are ...

I’ll be the first to admit that when I’m behind the wheel of my car, I become a terrible person—a cursing, mad-dogging, dangerous-driving version of myself. The same is true of my public-transportation persona—my evil twin (or, alternately, my inner crybaby) always rears her ugly head when she’s forced to endure train delays or body-to-body buses, and then she spends the ...

10. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer This classic 1964 television special featuring Rudolph and his misfit buddies set the standard for stop-motion animation for an entire generation. Burl Ives narrates as Sam the Snowman, telling and singing the story of a rejected reindeer who overcomes prejudice and saves Christmas one particularly blustery year. With many unforgettable characters, this film is just ...

Excelle created the What's Your Winter Holiday IQ? quiz to help you learn more about all the winter holidays. We're providing the answers so you can learn from the quiz, but... Don't cheat! If you haven't taken the What's Your Winter Holiday IQ quiz, go take it first. Next: The Correct Answers >> [page] 1) Why do we hang wreaths? • ...

The days are getting shorter, the sun is disappearing earlier, the mercury is falling like the multicolored leaves that have long since accumulated in crisp piles on the ground — this can only mean one thing: it is officially holiday season. Holiday season might as well be called party season, which means lots of tempting, delicious treats and drinks. Are you ...

A vacation is supposed to help you escape from the stress and chaos of your everyday life. It should be all long walks on the beach and lingering over candle-lit dinners or exploring colorful bazaars and hiking nature trails. It should not be having an IV drip inserted into your arm or hanging around a police station for two days straight. ...

The holidays, when the weather gets cold, the malls get crowded, and you spend time with your family, friends and … coworkers? It's true, even though you have a whole lot of shopping ahead of you for your loved ones, gift-giving around the office is as popular as ever these days. When you take into account holiday parties and the whole ...

"It's just another Manic Monday," goes the famous song by The Bangles. Let's face it, Mondays are a snooze. In the 24 hours that make up a Monday, there is not a single part of those 1,440 minutes and 86,400 seconds that is pleasant. Monday mornings have you struggling out of bed, leaving the comfort of your warm blankets; Monday afternoons ...

We’re faced with more tricky etiquette situations from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve than in the previous eleven months combined. At no other time of the year does etiquette figure as prominently as it does during the time of gift-giving, party-attending, dinner-serving, and houseguest-hosting. ’Tis the season for social faux pas, but Lizzie Post, Emily Post’s great-granddaughter and author of How ...

Today is a particularly frustrating day for you; in fact, you might even categorize it as a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. (Okay, maybe you’re having a great day, but for the sake of the story, just go with me.) In this situation, you have one of two choices: wallow in misery and let your grumpy mood fester, or ...

What in the world do we have to learn from Ebenezer Scrooge about protecting our identities during the busy holiday season? Plenty! Scrooge was a miserly old git who wouldn’t share anything—his coal, his wealth, his love. The ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future scared him into realizing that giving generously is what the holidays (and life) are all about. ...

It’s the middle of December, and you find yourself with a gift-giving list full of friends and family members who already have everything. You’re dreading the gift search because you can never find the right thing—the perfect combination of unique, personal, and thoughtful for each individual. You always wish you were crafty and had the time, skill, and creativity to make ...

Fame, that elusive quality coveted by many and achieved by few, almost always has an expiration date. Today’s “it” actors and actresses have a far greater chance of becoming tomorrow’s has-beens and reality-show contestants than they do of being the next Elizabeth Taylor or Jack Nicholson. That’s why so many young upstarts branch out beyond acting into entrepreneurial roles, becoming clothing ...

With Thanksgiving behind us, it’s time to start looking forward to Winter Break – once we get past those lousy finals, of course. With all of the stress surrounding the end of the semester, it can be difficult to get excited about the holidays: our days are spent cramming for exams and finishing up essays, and when we finally get home, ...

The most important source of vitamin D is sunlight, but north of the 42 degree north latitude line, you might need supplemental vitamin D. Where does that come from? Food, especially mackerel, mushrooms, and margarine. David McCandless put together this graphic that provides a good overview of the subject, coming as the shortest days of the year approach. Click on ...

When my dad turned fifty and bought a red convertible, the rest of my family congratulated him on his new cop magnet. It’s common knowledge that red cars tend to get pulled over more—the bright color makes it much more obvious when they’re shooting like a speeding bullet down the freeway, or at least that’s the theory. But a fair amount ...