Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 434

Hydrate! Three Great Bottles for Clean, Fresh Water On-the-Go

The mercury is rising; summer is just around the corner—if not downright upon us. What better time for me to test out a few cool, newish entries to the water bottle market—three eco-minded, healthy ways to ensure that having fresh water on-the-go doesn't mean having to fork over several dollars for a tiny bottle. So you save the earth a bit, and your wallet, too.



Winning the award for best-looking: Bobble water bottle (left). Designed by famed industrial designer Karim Rashid, this softly c...

Help Protect Yourself From Harmful UV Rays With A Bracelet!

Gone are the days when a sunburn meant that your sunscreen had worn off. Ouch!

Thanks to the clever folks at UVSunSense we now have a solution: the UVSunSense wristband (or bracelet as I'd like to call it)! 

The UVSunSensewristband acts as a sun-sensitive gauge: apply sunscreen to your bodyand to the wristband before sunbathing, going to the beach, playing by thepool or just enjoying the outdoors. Watch as the band changes colors soyou know exactly when you need to reapply and avoid the...

Protect Yourself From Harmful UV Rays With A Bracelet!

Gone are the days when a sunburn meant that your sunscreen had worn off. Ouch!

Thanks to the clever folks at UVSunSense we now have a solution: the UVSunSense wristband (or bracelet as I'd like to call it)! 

The UVSunSensewristband acts as a sun-sensitive gauge: apply sunscreen to your bodyand to the wristband before sunbathing, going to the beach, playing by thepool or just enjoying the outdoors. Watch as the band changes colors soyou know exactly when you need to reapply and avoid the...

Visualize Specific Outcomes to Achieve Uncluttering Success

Before starting or when in the weeds of an uncluttering project, it's often difficult to achieve the final product. We know we'd like things to be finished and our homes to work better, but "better" might be a vague concept that seems impossible to accomplish.

One way to gain momentum and help yourself achieve the final results you desire is to map out exactly what you want before you get started. Draw an image of your well-organized and clutter-free space. Find pictures in a magazine similar ...

Great Gift for a Guac Lover

What's a Molcajete? One of the world's oldest kitchen tools, it's a mortar and pestle carved from volcanic rock. It's also the perfect gift for anyone who loves to make guacamole at home. All the great Mexican restaurants serve their guac in a Molcajete; why not do the same at your next party? So authentic and festive, it looks great on the table next to a pitcher of ice cold margaritas. 

I'm particularly fond of this one from Williams-Sonoma. They even have a helpful how-to video on their s...

Men, Manners, and Thank-You Notes

Of
all the questions submitted by my Modern
Manners column readers, one of the most frequently asked involves the
ever-changing but (thankfully) undying art of the thank-you note. When is it
necessary? When is it too late to send one? Is an email thank-you okay? The
list goes on and on, but I have my own thank-you note pet peeve that I have yet
to hear from one of my readers, so I thought I'd share it here:

Itdrives me absolutely crazy when I send a gift to a male friend, relative...

Do you have a signature scent?

Have you always wanted to find your signature scent? You know, that perfect perfume doppelganger that truly embodies your personality and spirit? The one that people whiff and say, "That's so you"? Sigh, so have I.

I'm a huge fan of more masculine-smelling fragrances packed with woodsy notes (it brings back memories of my family's wood burning stove on chilly fall evenings) like Bond No. 9 Chez Bond and Riverside Drive. But their latest creation, Andy Warhol Montauk, might just steal my...

The Link Between Fiscal and Physical Fitness

I noticed an intriguing factoid from a recent MetLife study on trends in employee benefits: 48 percent of workers who participate in a wellness program say they feel in control of their finances. That compares to 26 percent who do not participate in a wellness program. (Fitness stuff keeps showing up on my radar because I'm trying to lose the ten pounds I put on over the winter...4-1/2 down, 5-1/2 to go...)

One might conclude that exercise clears your head and therefore makes it easier to...

Desktop Wallpapers Can Help Organize Your Work

A group I belong to has recently been discussing using computer desktop wallpapers to organize working digital files. You choose an image that you like, set it as your desktop wallpaper, and use it to arrange your files on the screen in such a way that helps you to be more productive and efficient.

If you're a visual processor, a desktop image that helps you organize your files might really be beneficial. Check out these articles and wallpapers, which might work wonderfully for you:
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House Rules: The Conclusion

Hi Bookies! I hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend, and that you enjoyed the sweet relief of finishing this book as much as I did. It's one thing I've learned to count on: Jodi Picoult never fails to satisfy. I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the conclusion, so let's jump right in to our discussion...

When Henry shows up unannounced, I'm particularly proud of Emma for standing up to him and speaking her mind. I'm just as bothered as she is that he thinks he can just show up now and be t...