On the 3rd day of Christmas…
Submitted by Lisa Steadman on December 16, 2007 - 9:00 am
Be honest — do you have a great business idea, product, or brand that you’d love to devote energy to in 2008? If so, now’s the time to commit your energy and enthusiasm to bringing it to life next year. Getting started is pretty simple. In fact, here are some great books that may just help motivate and inspire you to creative action in the new year:
Rules for Renegades: How to Make More Money, Rock Your Career, and Revel in Your Individuality
by Christine Comaford-Lynch
High school dropout turned self-made multimillionaire and five-time CEO, Christine Comaford-Lynch presents an upbeat, irreverent business book for entrepreneurs, free spirits and eponymous renegades. If you’re looking for inspiration from someone who’s written her own rules for life and career, check this book out! For more info, visit MightyVentures.com.
Ladies Who Launch: Embracing Entrepreneurship & Creativity as a Lifestyle
by Victoria Colligan, Beth Schoenfeldt, Amy Swift
Ladies Who Launch is the first company to define the feminine approach to launching a business and to make the connection between starting a business and bringing creativity into your life with self-esteem and happiness. Available for the first time in book form, the 4-step incubator process, using self-tests, inspiring stories, and practical information, gives women the courage to dare to follow a cherished but unfulfilled dream. For more deets, visit LadiesWhoLaunch.com.
On Becoming Fearless: …in Love, Work, and Life
by Arianna Huffington
Veteran TV commentator Arianna Huffington has an outstanding grasp of the many ways young women doubt themselves, fear conflict, and shrink from feeling more competent in their roles at home and in the community. Her take on embracing fear and living your best life is refreshingly honest and inspiring! For more info, visit HuffingtonPost.com.
Isn’t it time you invested in yourself? Whether you pick up these books or not this holiday season, give yourself permission to go for it in 2008! You will be happier and healthier as a result.
“Do I announce my breakup?” (Great advice from a couple of ex etiquette experts!)
Submitted by Lisa Steadman on December 15, 2007 - 10:29 am
“Do I announce my breakup?”
It’s a question I hear a lot, and my answer varies depending on the circumstances. While you should never use a breakup announcement as a way to trash your ex or play the blame game, reclaiming your single status by updating your profile on your social networking sites when you’re ready is a healthy first step towards moving on. And of course, I’m a big believer in throwing yourself a Movin’ On party when the time is right. In my opinion, that’s a healthy way to let people know about your breakup without putting the emphasis on the past and instead focusing on the future.
Having said all that, I recently came across some great advice about breakup announcements from two women who know a lot about ex etiquette. Jann Blackstone-Ford, M.A., and her husband’s ex-wife, Sharyl Jupe write about the subject for the Dallas News. Here’s their take on breakup announcements…
We are often asked if an “end of it all” announcement is appropriate. In our opinion, it’s not. It’s rather tacky and may prompt even more questions. If you are looking for a way to avoid gossip and answering questions, don’t send out an announcement of any sort. The people about whom you care and who care about you already know what happened. It’s just a waste of your time and energy. To read the rest of their advice on breakup announcements, click here.
On the 2nd day of Christmas…
Submitted by Lisa Steadman on - 9:37 am
Once upon a time, single women everywhere dreamed of one day getting a Tiffany’s blue box with something sparkly inside from Mr. Right. But this holiday season, why not spring for your very own yellow box filled with the latest and greatest sparkles? Introducing Yellow Box Beauty, a makeup delivery service that brings cutting edge beauty brands directly to your door every month. For (probably) less than you spend at Starbucks on a monthly basis, you can sit back, relax, and wait for your new eyeshadow and lip gloss, fizzy bath bomb, or other beauty product(s) to arrive. Amen, Sister!
Founder/self proclaimed beauty junkie Nicole Jaffe has her finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the beauty industry. She seeks out not what everybody’s already wearing, but what they will be wearing six months from now, and delivers it directly to your door before anyone else has it! What better way to feel refreshed and fabulous all year long than with a new beauty product every month?!
Lucky Magazine calls YBB “ingenious.” Good Morning America even featured YBB on their show. Find out why everyone’s going gaga for Yellow Box Beauty!
Orders start at three months, but if you join Yellow Box Beauty for an entire year you get a significant savings. Happy holidays!
On the first day of Christmas…
Submitted by Lisa Steadman on December 14, 2007 - 8:20 am
To kick off The 12 Days of Christmas for the Savvy Single Gal, I’d like to tell you about the Well Heeled Society, an online gift registry that celebrates being a single woman all year long. Here’s what the Well Heeled Society is all about this holiday season…
Cashmere or cookware? Ballet flats or stilettos? 400 thread count or four DVD shipments per month? Whatever your individual style, express it with your Single Girl’s Holiday Wish List. Co-workers, family, and friends will no longer have to play the guessing game when it comes to purchasing gifts for you. And seeing you are a prosperous, definitive, and elite woman of the technology era, there is no need to drop subtle hints anymore. To put it simply – Ask for what you want.
Ladies, on this first day of Christmas, I invite you to create your very own single and fabulous gift registry and send to friends and family. Go ahead – ask for what you want this holiday season!
10 Powerful Principles For A Lasting Relationship
Submitted by Lisa Steadman on December 13, 2007 - 9:07 pm
I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Ava Cadell, Loveologist and sexpert,  for her Loveology TV show. Here’s why Dr. Ava is so fabulous.  Just as I’m passionate about helping people through their breakups, Dr. Ava’s all about showing people how to have healthy relationships and super-satisfying sex lives. Amen, Sister!
After spending a morning with Dr. Ava, I got to thinking about what it takes to have a happy and healthy relationship. Having just gotten engaged to Mr. XY, it’s my current obsession to keep things happy and hot (for the rest of our lives). I did a little research on Dr. Ava’s website AvaCadell.com and here are Dr. Ava’s 10 Powerful Principles for a Lasting Relationship:
- Communication
Communicate your needs positively & politely. - Courage
Forgive mistakes; have the courage to say “I’m sorry†first. - Contentment
Share your contentment and gratitude for what you have together. - Consideration
Always be kind and considerate of your partner’s feelings. - Collaboration
Collaborate together to form a stronger bond and create lasting memories. - Curiosity
Show curiosity in your partner’s daily life, goals, and dreams. - Compliments
Compliments are the bedrock of romance so give them daily. - Commitment
Build trust by reviewing and renewing your commitment together. - Contribution
Find as many ways as you can to contribute to each other’s lives. - Celebration
Celebrate your love and life by laughing every day.
Sounds like a formula for happily ever after to me! What do you think?
The 12 Days of Christmas for the Savvy Single Gal
Submitted by Lisa Steadman on - 12:44 pm
Calling all single gals! Let’s face it — the holidays can be a trying time of year. It’s all about toys for tots, misteltoe for happy couples, and family gatherings where you may just be the only single person there. Instead of just trying to merely survive this holiday season, let’s thrive with 12 days of groovy gift ideas just for you! That’s right. Just in time for the holidays, I’m introducing a brand new feature called The 12 Days of Christmas for the Savvy Single Gal. Each day for the next 12 days, I’m going to feature a new product, service, or idea that’s dedicated to celebrating being a fabulous single woman. They’ll encompass:
- Health and wellness
- Beauty
- Wardrobe/Accessories
- Business/Career
- Going green
The 12 Days of Christmas for the Savvy Single Gal is meant to pamper, inspire, and celebrate your fabulous single gal life. After all, there’s plenty to cheer about – this holiday season and all year long! In case you need a reminder, check out the Top 5 Joys of Being Single During the Holidays. And stay tuned for 12 days of gift ideas, starting tomorrow!
Tis the season…for a sex strike?
Submitted by Lisa Steadman on - 10:27 am
Diana writes: I get really stressed out around the holidays, with all the shopping, parties to throw and parties to attend. I’m just not in the mood for sex, but my man is. I want to tell him, “Sure, it’s easy for you … I’m the one who does all the work!” but I also feel like I should just give in and force myself to get in the mood. What should I do?
Should Diana go on a sexual strike? Warm up to her hubby in hopes of getting in the mood? Or should she just say “Ba-humbug!” and celebrate her inner Scrooge until the new year? Before you consider going on your own sexual strike, find out what The Lifetime Love Panel (myself included) has to say about how to put the ho-ho-ho back in your holidays!
Most Shocking Celeb Split of 2007?
Submitted by Lisa Steadman on December 12, 2007 - 5:27 pm
Tis the season to reflect on the year that was. Or in this case, to reflect on the Tinseltown twosomes that were no more. While some years are more scandalous than others when it comes to celebrity splits, IMHO this was a pretty mellow year for Hollywood heartbreak. That’s not stopping insanely addictive site PopSugar.com from asking which 2007 celebrity split you find the most shocking:
Justin and CameronÂ
Rachel and Ryan
Kate and Owen
Kate and Pete
Kim and Diddy
Dita and Marilyn
The Divorced Girl’s Guide to Getting on with Life
Submitted by Lisa Steadman on December 11, 2007 - 5:48 pm
On my recent trip to New York in October, I had the pleasure of meeting an extraordinary woman named Debbie Nigro. Debbie is an award winning radio personality, champion of women, author, speaker and business executive. She also happens to be the Chief Executive Girlfriend of First Wives World, an amazing online community for women following a divorce. FWW recently got a facelift and the new site is so fabulous! If you’re a divorce survivor, I definitely recommend you check it out. Here’s just a sample of what you’ll find on FWW:
And just in time for the holidays, FWW offers a series of webisodes featuring Spiritual Divorce Coach Debbie Ford that are devoted to surviving the holidays as a divorcé.
This Week’s Advice (12/10/07)
Submitted by Lisa Steadman on December 10, 2007 - 10:12 am
animeqt13 writes: I had this boyfriend for about a year, but he is completely split personalitied and it caused A LOT of drama. We kept breaking up and then he kept wanting to come back. Each time I always gave in, but now I’m involved with another guy and I think I like him more. Of course, now my ex is trying to get me back and I want to end this thing once and for all but I also want to be friends with him. Help!
Lisa says: Uh-oh. Torn between two lovers? Sounds like you’ve gotten yourself into quite a pickle. Truthfully, a lot of the drama could be avoided if you just said no to your ex. But since that hasn’t been your pattern in the past, you may have some resistance to saying Sayonara now. So let’s dissect the situation and deal with it issue by issue…
Issue #1: Save the drama for your mama
In describing your ex, you’ve painted a picture of a dramatic personality. The question is, why are you drawn to someone who’s so chaotic? Relationships already take work. Why would you want to be in one that requires so much more effort on your part? Clearly you have your limits because you’ve broken up in the past. But then again, you seem to always go back. What are you getting out of this vicious cycle?
Issue #2: The ex vs. the current b.f.
Do yourself, your ex, and your current boyfriend a favor by not pitting them against each other. Only you can decide who you ultimately want to be with. Don’t string either one along. Make your decision and stick with it.
Issue #3: Staying friends with the ex
How many people do you know who actually stay friends with their ex immediately following a breakup? It’s really difficult to do, especially if you’re dealing with a dramatic personality like your ex. If you don’t want to date him, you have to accept the fact that he may not want to be friends with you right now. And that’s okay. If you’re meant to be friends you can do so down the road. But for now, you both may need some distance to heal your hearts and move on.
