CAR CARE TOPS LIST OF THANKSGIVING PREPARATIONS
As Americans get ready for Thanksgiving, car care tops the list of pre-holiday preparations, according to a survey conducted by the Car Care Council. Both men and women say they are more likely to make sure the car taking them to Thanksgiving dinner is prepared for the trip and#40;66 percentand#41; than they are to iron tablecloths and#40;18 percentand#41; or polish silver and#40;12 percentand#41; in advance of the holiday meal. “Proper car care is important at all times, but is particularly critical during the busiest travel season of the year,” said Rich White, spokesman for the Car Care Council. “Yet, despite good intentions, the majority of motorists do not always follow through. The ‘Be Car Care Aware’ education campaign was launched to encourage drivers to perform proper vehicle maintenance. “Our survey found that 86 percent of drivers believe regular car maintenance is extremely important for their own and their passengers’ safety and 85 percent of drivers cite dependa [Read More]published November 24, 2010 at 6:04pm CST
A CHICK’S GUIDE TO STUDYING ABROAD
If there is a single person whom absolutely no one would ever suspect to study abroad, that person is definitely… me. But come September, I will be boarding a plane to London, where I will be learning to navigate the Tube and#40;the transportation system, that isand#41; and better understand British English, and also where I hope I will fatefully run into Robert Pattinson or Daniel Radcliffe. Yep, I’m scared out of my mind. But at the same time, I couldn’t be more grateful for my sudden epiphany that this might be my one and only chance to travel before I gear up for the “real world.” So, Chicks, if you haven’t already considered spending a semester abroad, I suggest you start now! Why should I study abroad in the first place? Saint Augustine once said, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” I’ve never heard a truer quote. Honestly, I’ve never been out of the US before, but I can’t believe how ignorant I was about the rest of the w [Read More]published November 24, 2010 at 6:01pm CST
A CHICK’S GUIDE TO CLEVER (OVER)PACKING
I’ve become a notorious over-packer amongst my family and friends. My bags are usually hovering on the edge of overweight when I fly and#40;or sometimes just blatantly too heavy, like when I went back to school in August this year with 3 suitcases, 2 of which were around 75 pounds eachand#41; and I always travel with multiple bags… even if I’m only going away for the weekend. I’m always scared of not having what I need, even though you can usually find anything anywhere you are now-a-days, and I like being prepared and secure and#40;Small handbags? Not even an optionand#41;. Despite my efforts - and I really do try - I can never seem to achieve the art of packing lightly. I just can’t get around my need to be prepared and#40;and I wasn’t even a Girl Scoutand#41; and even when I think I’m packing well, I always end up with a lot of stuff. I have gotten better though and#40;practice makes perfectand#41; at making it seem as if I’ve packed less - and sometimes actually doing it. I’m [Read More]published October 15, 2010 at 12:00pm CDT
A TYPICAL DAY AT GREEN MOUNTAIN AT FOX RUN
It’s been a great week at Green Mountain at Fox Run! If you have not read my earlier posts, please catch yourself up! I wanted to describe what a typical day is like here… so here it goes. You wake up and get ready for the day – workout clothes is the attire of choice as you’ll be sweating before 11 a.m. for sure! If you like your morning coffee, you can get that bright and early at 7 a.m. and breakfast will begin anywhere from 7:15/7:45 depending on the schedule of the day. This is a great time to practice eating for hunger and mindfulness while eating. and#40;I learned quickly to leave my blackberry and laptop in the room or I wouldn’t get food — how’s that for conditioning?!and#41; After breakfast you either have education classes on behavior, fitness, or nutrition or you have a workout. Each day you will do strength and cardio, with flexibility weaved in those classes. There is also yoga and pilates through the week. You pretty much learn or work until lunch, where the [Read More]published August 27, 2010 at 8:56pm CDT
CITY SERIES PART 13: HERSHEY, PA…THE SWEETEST PLACE ON EARTH
What chick doesn’t like sweets, especially chocolate? Like Willy Wonka’s factory, Hershey, PA is a cornucopia of fun for confectionary connoisseurs. From Chocolate Avenue to the Hershey Kiss streetlights, every element of his charming town has a sweet touch. For all chocolate-addicted chicks out there, Hershey may be your heaven on earth! History Hershey is in many ways a town that really was built on chocolate. The town was the brainchild of Hershey’s Chocolate founder Milton S. Hershey, who wanted to create a model town for the employees of his factory, according to http://www.hersheypa.com/. With a focus on creating what he called a “home town,” he included comfortable homes, quality public schools, inexpensive public transportation, and various recreational and cultural opportunities. Many structures were built during the Great Depression as part of a campaign by Hershey to create jobs. Travel and Accommodations The best way to get to Hershey is to fly into th [Read More]published August 15, 2010 at 4:10pm CDT
ASK PATTY BLOGHER10 NEW YORK MYSTICAL MAGICAL M.O.M. TOUR
I and 2400 other women converged on New York City last weekend to celebrate BlogHer10 and our womanhood in style.This was my 5th BlogHer Conference and Capital WOW have we grown, over 1000 more BlogHer's in attendance this year. There were a ton of major brand sponsors represented each one besting themselves creatively while attempting to capture our imagination, spoil us with swag galore and work their marketing magic to resonate with us. My Highlights Arrival late Thursday and was treated to an amazing dinner with my sponsor Motor Oil Matters at Bar Americain and#40;Food Network Chef Bobby Flay's Restaurantand#41;. Thank you M.O.M. Team! Day One: Reconnected and congratulated my dear friends Elisa Camahort-Page, Jory Des Jardins, expecting soon and absolutely glowing, and Lisa Stone the founders. These three women leaders I sincerely have so much respect and admiration for and had hugs all around with each. I am still in awe at the growth of the BlogHer the past six years. You [Read More]published August 13, 2010 at 10:47am CDT
CITY SERIES, PART 12: PITTSBURGH
While it may have a reputation as the “City of Steel,” Pittsburgh should probably consider changing its motto to the “City of Colleges.” Home to Carlow University, Chatham University, Duqesne University, University of Pittsburgh and others, the city has transformed itself into a college chick’s playground. History Pittsburgh started its life as a British fort shortly after the French and Indian War, according to Pittsburgh.about.com. Called Fort Pitt, it was named after William Pitt, who was the Prime Minister of England. A small village named Pittsborough soon sprang up around it. The village’s name was officially changed to Pittsburgh shortly thereafter. Because it was a rich source of coal, it became a center for industry, with factories for iron, rope and boat production. The most notable point in the city’s industrious past occurred in 1873, when Andrew Carnegie opened the first steel mill. Steel production became the city’s main industry, and thus, earned Pitts [Read More]published August 5, 2010 at 2:01pm CDT
RENTING A CAR OVERSEAS - GREAT TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS
For many of us, summer is synonymous with "road trip": The simple and joyful act of packing your family into your car and driving to new and exciting destinations. It gets a little less simple when you plan a "fly and drive" excursion involving a rental car. And it can be downright complicated when your destination is overseas. Our family just returned from a two-week visit to the United Kingdom, where we covered a lot of ground in England, Scotland and Wales. It was an adventure that began when we started scouting the web for a vehicle to get us around the country. That's when we discovered that passenger cars in Europe have funny names and#40;to Americans, anywayand#41;. I was familiar with Vauxhall, which is a make owned by GM... but would their Corsa be large enough to transport three adults, a teenager and baggage? And what the heck's a QashQai? Hertz "Super Agent" Berry Ross offered us some guidelines for selecting a rental car overseas. "Many European vehicles are smaller t [Read More]published August 3, 2010 at 7:41pm CDT
published July 12, 2010 at 6:53pm CDT
SUMMER SAFETY: KIDS AND HOT CARS DON'T MIX
It's that time of the year again. Warm summer temps make going to the pool, beach and parks a lot of fun. But those higher temps can be deadly inside a parked car. So far this year, twenty child deaths can be attributed to heat stroke and#40;hyperthermiaand#41; from being left in a hot vehicle and#40;sourceand#41;. About half of the deaths over the last ten years can be attributed to a caregiver forgetting the child in the car. Another third is from kids playing in an unattended vehicle. Think it can't happen to you? Leaving your child in the car for even a few minutes with the windows cracked can be fatal. A car left in the sun for 10 minutes can reach a temperature almost 20 degrees higher than outside temperatures. Wait 30 minutes and that number goes up to almost 35 degrees. Wait an hour and temps can soar to 45 degrees above outside. On a 90 degree day, your car interior could reach 135 degrees! And cracking your windows has little effect on temps. Children's bodies heat up 3-5 times [Read More]published July 12, 2010 at 6:36pm CDT