Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 410

Jonathan Adler: Show Your Style

If you are a fan of Jonathan Adler then you may want to check out the Show Your Style page on his website. It's where you can find photos submitted by some truly Adleraholic customers who have shared images from their nest showing how his products look in real spaces. This is a nifty feature on the site -- here are a few peeks to inspire you today.

If you'd like to see more from Show Your Style, please hop on over to the JA website. And if you feel like doing a little shopping now like I do, ...

Exclusive 20% off Elemis Skincare for RS readers!

Elemis, a British skincare line that merges natural ingredients with cutting edge technology, is now offering their Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial and Exotic Lime & Ginger Salt Glow at all 15 Bliss spas across the U.S. And, for Real Simple readers, they're giving 20% off all the products included in these two treatments for the next 30 days!

I personally experienced the full body Salt Glow treatment; it was otherworldly. To get my circulation going and smooth out rough patches, my therapist...

Snapshots From New York Fashion Week

Fashion Week is almost over, but the inspirations live on...

New York Fashion Week happens twice a year--September for the Spring/Summer collections and February for the Fall/Winter collections. And twice a year I'm able to run around the city soaking up all the amazing designs and trends that will be filling our closets and our would-die-for wish lists!

Another reason I love Fashion Week is all the amazing people-watching. Everyone breaks out their best clothes, shoes and bags. The fashion...

Is it rude to add onto someone else's tip?

Recently, my old boss took me and another former colleague out to lunch; when the bill arrived, he insisted on paying and we thanked him profusely. But after resuming our conversation, I noticed he'd left a shockingly low tip for what was excellent service.

 

I didn't know what to do. Obviously, I didn't want to appear ungrateful for the generous meal he'd just treated me to. Worse still, I didn't want him to feel I was criticizing him, or judging his tip. But I felt really bad for our waiter, ...

Can I get rid of our car chargers?

Stuck in the car for 5+ hours, I started to count the car chargers required to keep our technology fully juiced when we are on the road. The final tally was seven chargers - 2 phones, 1 Nintendo DS, 1 Nintendo DSi, 2 DVD players, and 1 laptop.



They make for a jumble of cables that would give Unclutter Erin Doland hives.



Looking through the chargers, I realized we could reduce the number slightly by using the Griffin USB car adapter I bought for my iPhone and the USB cables that came with our o...

Can You Read Your Pet's Mind?

More often than I'd like to admit, I'd answer affirmatively to this question, no matter how foolish that might be. But the other night, my answer would have been a declarative "no."  I could not for the life of me figure out if my dog wanted to go outside for a walk, play indoors, or have something more to eat.  All I knew was that he needed something from me and was desperately trying to communicate that.

The truth is, our pets seem to understand us a lot better than we do them.  Anyone who h...

Is Pink the New Red?

From Cleopatra to Marilyn Monroe, powerful and influential women have been painting their lips red for thousands of years, according to the book, Read My Lips: A Cultural History of Lipstick.

Red will always be classic and romantic. It reappears every season in new shades, finishes, and textures. But what if you just don't like crimson colors or think it may be too bold for you? Try red's edgy sister shade: saturated pink. It's just as eye-catching, but a bit more flirty and fun. Plus, with...

Your Money Questions, Answered

During the month of September, our Real Simple Family financial expert, Farnoosh Torabi will be answering a few of your family financial questions. If you have questions for Farnoosh, share them in the comments of this post: Your Money Problems, Solved with Farnoosh Torabi. And you can read more of Farnoosh's advice for Real Simple readers in the article from our 2010 issue of Real Simple Family: What Does It Cost to Raise Your Family?

 

Here's the second set of questions and Farnoosh's...

To Thine Own Self Be True

One of my favorite aspects of childhood was that who I was could change on a dime. One minute I'd be an astronaut and the next a tight-rope walker. I could decide to be a kid who sings in the grocery store, and a few seconds later decide I was a kid who touched every piece of produce.

Unfortunately, the downside of changing who you are constantly means that you're a pretty lousy decision maker. I certainly was. How do you know if you want macaroni and cheese for dinner if it's not yet dinner t...

New Question, Bookies

Hi, everyone:

The real-life calendar says we haven't even cracked fall yet, but down the hall, our friends on the print side have already moved on to the new year, January 2011. And for that issue, they would like to know: What book has changed your life? Answer below, with the title of the book, its author, and a little bit about why it was so influential, and you may see your reply in print. Thanks, Bookies!

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