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When was the last time you wrote a handwritten letter? Our etiquette expert, Michelle Slatalla, took on the topic of addressing envelopes yesterday, but how often do you actually send a letter?

Meet Lauren, a New Yorker who has pledged to handwrite a letter everyday in 2011. She also posts the letters on her website: Letters from Lauren.

Take a look:

And if you want to recieve a letter from Lauren, you can request that too.

Happy weekend everyone!

As one who is constantly on social media channels such as Facebook - for both work and play - I'll admit to being a little burned out on all the sharing. Thinking of clever things to say, uploading happy photos of my kids, approving friend requests, posting updates, giving items a "thumbs up..." I'm exhausted and about ready to disconnect. But just as I found myself wondering what was the point to all this sharing and posting, enter Intel's "Museum of Me," which, with your permission leads you through a virtual museum created from the content within your Facebook Page. I'll admit, even as jaded as I've become to all things social and digital, there was something heartwarming about the presentation of my friends, photos and updates in this manner. I particularly enjoyed noting how many times the words mom, mommy, and mother appeared in one part of the exhibition....

Yesterday's unveiling of the new food guide from the USDA had diet and nutrition circles buzzing. After all, it's the first major overhaul to that familiar, if confusing icon in quite a long time. In recent years, the old pyramid has come under fire for being rather, well...unhelpful! The vertical striations didn't really help Americans figure out what to eat and were simply hard to decipher. To me, they felt like the test pattern on a TV, only with a little dude running alongside! (That dude was supposed to drive home the idea that physical activity, as well as a healthy diet, is integral for wellness.) As of yesterday, a circle is the new pyramid. Well, a circle with wedges in it, but a plate-shape nonetheless! On the plate each wedge to represents about how much of each meal should be each food group; the biggest chunk is for vegetables,...

If you have a tendency to lose things, this lens cap holder is perfect for you. Next time you're taking photos of your kids, or of all the places you visit on vacation, you can stash your lens cap on a holder on your camera strap.

Great idea, right? You have the chance to make the Camera Lens Cap Holder available by funding the project on Kickstarter. Keep reading to find out how.

A Real Simple reader named Milea Joy posted this question on the magazine’s Facebook page:

What is the proper way to address a letter/envelope to a couple where the woman has her doctorate and the gentleman does not?

Comments (19)|Continue Reading »

Health
Did You Know Music Is an Immune System Booster?
Posted on Jun 1, 2011 7:02:19 PM | By Simple Tip

Although it's not the height of cold and flu season, warm weather viruses can be nasty. So keep your immune system healthy, by singing or playing an instrument.

Keep reading to find out how these act as immune system boosters.

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Work & Life
Creating My Vision Board
Posted on Jun 1, 2011 12:07:32 PM | By ErinKane

Poster board, old magazines, ribbon, fabric, glue, markers. This reads like the supply list for one of my son's class projects, but it's actually what I've been collecting around the house for a craft project of my own. Today I'm creating a vision board.

Comments (1)

Home & Organizing
A Water-Saving New Use
Posted on May 31, 2011 7:04:54 PM | By Simple Tip

If you're looking for easy ways to save water around your home. Try this easy trick that involves a soda bottle.

Comments (4)

Food & Recipes
Get Free Donuts on National Donut Day (Yes, It Does Exist)
Posted on May 31, 2011 6:01:02 PM | By MaggieShi

This Friday, June 3, is National Donut Day—another holiday apparently invented to give us an excuse to binge on our favorite bad-for-you treats. But actually, National Donut Day—celebrated on the first Friday in June--was created in 1938 as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army to commemorate women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I. Sweet, no?

Dunkin’ Donuts is getting in on the action by offering customers a free donut of their choice with the purchase of a beverage on Friday. You can also score a free donut at Krispy Kreme this Friday, as well as at other local donut shops across the country—check your favorite neighborhood spot to see if they’re participating.

Comments (1)

Work & Life
Are Your Money Beliefs Limiting You Financially?
Posted on May 31, 2011 3:20:38 PM | By LauraRowley

A new study finds that what you believe about money can improve or hamper your wealth. Brad Klontz, financial psychologist and co-author of "Mind Over Money," and three other researchers examined the "money scripts" of 422 people, and identified three categories of money beliefs that are associated with lower income and lower net worth. The study was published last month in the Journal of Financial Therapy. If you want to boost your net worth, banish these attitudes:

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