<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Lifestyle &#187; Advice</title>
	<atom:link href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/advice/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle</link>
	<description>The latest Lifestyle news and blog posts from ABC News contributors and bloggers.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 02 Jul 2013 12:45:03 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Man Gives $500 Tips as Brother&#8217;s Last Wish</title>
		<link>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/07/man-gives-500-tips-as-brothers-last-wish/</link>
		<comments>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/07/man-gives-500-tips-as-brothers-last-wish/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jul 2013 12:05:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chelsea Griswold</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/?p=102798</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A man&#8217;s dying wish for an act of unexpected kindness has blossomed into a year&#8217;s worth of donations and giving on his behalf. A year ago, Seth Collins and his parents began a mission to fulfill the dying wish of Aaron Collins &#8211; Seth&#8217;s younger...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<script src="http://a.abcnews.com/javascript/portableplayer?id=19550417&autoStart=true&mainVideo=true&pageType=blog&size=inpage"></script>
<p>A man&#8217;s dying wish for an act of unexpected kindness has blossomed into a year&#8217;s worth of donations and giving on his behalf.</p>
<p>A year ago, Seth Collins and his parents began a mission to fulfill the dying wish of Aaron Collins &#8211; Seth&#8217;s younger brother &#8211; to leave a stranger a $500 tip. After the video for the first tip went viral, money from donors started pouring in for Seth Collins to do it again. And the one-time act of kindness developed into something much more.</p>
<p>One unsuspecting server at Thre3e Wise Men Brewing Company in Indianapolis received a $500 &#160;tip Monday&#160;afternoon, the 54th tip given in Aaron&#8217;s memory.</p>
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 618px"><img src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Lifestyle/ABC_tip_lpl_130702_33x16_608.jpg" alt="ABC tip lpl 130702 33x16 608 Man Gives $500 Tips as Brothers Last Wish" width="608" height="298" title="Man Gives $500 Tips as Brothers Last Wish" /><p class="wp-caption-text">ABC News' Indianapolis affiliate WRTV</p></div>
<p>&#8220;It couldn&#8217;t have come at a better time in my life,&#8221; server Beth Foster&#160;told ABC News&#8217;&#160;Indianapolis, &#160;affiliate <a title="WRTV" href="http://www.theindychannel.com/">WRTV</a>. &#8220;I&#8217;m a teacher just looking for a job and it&#8217;s kind of hard right now.&#8221;</p>
<p>Seth Collins has collected $60,000, and plans to travel to all 50 states and give out a $500 tip each week until the money is gone. Indiana was the 17th state Seth has traveled to as part of his mission. Seth <a href=" http://aaroncollins.org/">chronicles each tip on a blog</a> dedicated to Aaron&#8217;s memory.</p>
<p>&#8220;It never gets old. I knew about the third one that it was never going to get old,&#8221;&#160;Seth&#160;Collins said.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/07/man-gives-500-tips-as-brothers-last-wish/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Can You Fold a T-Shirt in Two Seconds Flat?</title>
		<link>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/can-you-fold-a-t-shirt-in-two-seconds-flat/</link>
		<comments>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/can-you-fold-a-t-shirt-in-two-seconds-flat/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jun 2013 15:01:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ABC News</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fashion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/?p=102392</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Consider folding the laundry a tiresome, time-consuming chore no more. In a video posted to YouTube, &#8220;how to&#8221; expert Dave Hax shows you how to fold a T-shirt or short-sleeved shirt in two seconds, or even less. The video opens with Hax folding a shirt...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<script src="http://a.abcnews.com/javascript/portableplayer?id=19445040&autoStart=true&mainVideo=true&pageType=blog&size=inpage"></script>
<p>Consider folding the laundry a tiresome, time-consuming chore no more.</p>
<p>In a video posted to YouTube, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/davehax">&#8220;how to&#8221; expert Dave Hax</a> shows you how to fold a T-shirt or short-sleeved shirt in two seconds, or even less.</p>
<p>The video opens with Hax folding a shirt in a flash and then goes into a nearly one-minute, step-by-step demonstration from Hax, a native of England.</p>
<p>First, Hax instructs, lay the shirt out on its back.&#160; Next, create an imaginary line halfway between the top and the bottom of the shirt, and another line halfway between the shirt&#8217;s center and outer edge.</p>
<p>The point where the lines meet, Hax says, is point A, while the top point is point B and the bottom of the shirt is point C.</p>
<p>Then it just comes down to a matter of pinching, Hax says.&#160; Pinch point A with your left hand, and pick up the shirt at point B with your right hand, he instructs.&#160; Then cross your right hand over to pick up point C.</p>
<p>The last step is to just uncross your arms and use the table to &#8220;fold the shirt back on itself,&#8221; Hax says.</p>
<p>Voila.&#160; If you can follow that, you&#8217;ll have your laundry done in a flash.</p>
<p>Hax has posted videos to his YouTube channel on everything from &#8220;How to Make a Light Bulb Vase&#8221; to &#8220;How to Make a Mini Bow and Arrow.&#8221; But it&#8217;s his T-shirt video that&#8217;s proving a hit, garnering nearly 3 million views since it was posted June 12.</p>
<p>Give it a try and let us know.&#160; Were you able to master Hax&#8217;s two-second fold?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/can-you-fold-a-t-shirt-in-two-seconds-flat/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Mantiquing&#8217; 101: Turn Trash to Treasure for Father&#8217;s Day Gift</title>
		<link>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/mantiquing-101-turn-trash-to-treasure-for-fathers-day-gift/</link>
		<comments>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/mantiquing-101-turn-trash-to-treasure-for-fathers-day-gift/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:32:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ABC News</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/?p=102212</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Good Morning America&#8217;s&#8221; Lara Spencer loves flea markets, antiquing and &#8220;D-I-Y&#8221; projects. For Father&#8217;s Day, &#8220;GMA&#8221; sent Spencer to the Brimfield Antique show with a mission: to find great pieces to refurbish with men in mind. Call it &#8220;mantiquing,&#8221; Spencer commissioned the help of expert...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<script src="http://a.abcnews.com/javascript/portableplayer?id=19381626&autoStart=true&mainVideo=true&pageType=blog&plist=19369420,&size=inpage"></script>
<p>&#8220;<a href="http://gma.yahoo.com/" target="_blank">Good Morning America&#8217;s</a>&#8221; Lara Spencer loves flea markets, antiquing and &#8220;D-I-Y&#8221; projects. For <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/topics/lifestyle/fathers-day.htm" target="_blank">Father&#8217;s Day</a>, &#8220;GMA&#8221; sent Spencer to the Brimfield Antique show with a mission: to find great pieces to refurbish with men in mind. Call it &#8220;<a href="http://gma.yahoo.com/video/mantiquing-refurbishing-junk-dad-mind-134940928.html" target="_blank">mantiquing</a>,&#8221; Spencer commissioned the help of expert David Dall of <a href="http://creativedesignforums.com/activity.php" target="_blank">Creativedesignforums.com</a>, to go treasure hunting and help transform her flea market finds into great gifts for your guy, just in time for Father&#8217;s Days.</p>
<p>Check out Dall&#8217;s step-by-step tips below to do these restoration projects on your own.</p>
<p><strong>David Dall&#8217;s How-To Tips</strong></p>
<p>Anyone with basic do-it-yourself skills can easily tackle these types of projects. You can do it, you just need to get started!</p>
<p><strong>Chandelier Project</strong></p>
<p>For the <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/fathers-day-gift-19369420" target="_blank">chandelier project</a>, find something that catches your eye like the industrial wheel Lara and I found. This project took approximately 30-45 minutes to complete. <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/fathers-day-gift-19369420" target="_blank">Click here to watch</a>.</p>
<p><em>Tools and accessories needed:</em></p>
<ul>
<li>Drill</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Adjustable wrench</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Wire cutters</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Hot glue gun or adhesive</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Light sockets, wire, mounting kit and your choice of hanging chain.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Drill holes, install light sockets, connect wires and run up the chandelier chain.</li>
</ul>
<p>All lighting parts are available at your local hardware or lighting store. The only technical part of this project is the wiring. High voltage is nothing to experiment with &amp; professional help is recommended if you are not experienced. Any local lighting repair store can easily wire any project for you!</p>
<p><em>Need a Father&#8217;s Day gift idea? Check out these <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Business/minute-fathers-day-2013-gift-guide-budget/story?id=19384435#.UboM_PKEtOc" target="_blank">last-minute Father&#8217;s Day gift ideas</a> for every budget.</em></p>
<p><strong>Tennis Racket Mirrors</strong></p>
<p>This is about the simplest project one could take on!</p>
<p><em>Items needed:</em></p>
<ul>
<li>Vintage tennis rackets</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>A local glass/mirror store</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Construction adhesive or &#8220;mirror mastic&#8221; found at your local hardware store</li>
</ul>
<p>Cutting glass is very simple, but for circular glass and mirrors, you will have to go to a glass store. &#160;Once you have the glass fit for the rackets, a simple bead of adhesive on the back of the mirror is all you need. Set the mirror in place right onto the strings and give the adhesive time to cure. The rest is as simple as hanging a picture. Beware: never use hot glue on glass or mirrors. The heat will likely crack the glass!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Man Cave Chair</strong></p>
<p>Refinishing a chair in this manner is another very easy job that anyone can do. It&#8217;s just a matter of getting your material of choice and wrapping it around the frame. Affix the material on one side using 4-5 furniture tacks, available at a local hardware store.</p>
<p>Next, pull the material tight around the other side and tack that end in place. Continue the process with each strip of material right next to the other running in the same direction. Next up, affix the intersecting rows and weave the strips under and over the first rows. Pull the loose end tight and tack in place.</p>
<p>If you end up with a space on the edges or would like accents or boarders, use something like the rope (or any material) that I used to hide the tacks. Use a hot glue gun to affix in place.</p>
<p><em>For more tips, ideas and help with step-by-step instructions, visit David Dall&#8217;s interactive website/forums <a href="http://creativedesignforums.com/" target="_blank">www.creativedesignforums.com</a>. Show off your flea market/estate sale finds, your projects, ask questions, buy &amp; sell, and have fun with others who love finding and transforming wonderful pieces!</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/mantiquing-101-turn-trash-to-treasure-for-fathers-day-gift/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sleep and Relationships: An Inside Look</title>
		<link>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/sleep-and-relationships-an-inside-look/</link>
		<comments>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/sleep-and-relationships-an-inside-look/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:51:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr. Jennifer Ashton</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/?p=102113</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Full disclosure: When I began this couple&#8217;s sleep experiment, I would say my home sleeping situation was, in some ways, in critical condition. On the good side of things, my family has always been committed to good sleep hygiene because we know how important sleep...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<script src="http://a.abcnews.com/javascript/portableplayer?id=19372376&autoStart=true&mainVideo=true&pageType=blog&size=inpage"></script>
<p>Full disclosure: When I began this <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/sleep-study-mans-snoring-lessens-wife-19372376" target="_blank">couple&#8217;s sleep experiment</a>, I would say my home sleeping situation was, in some ways, in critical condition.</p>
<p>On the good side of things, my family has always been committed to good sleep hygiene because we know how important sleep is for good health. We are so committed, in fact, that we have allowed a very easygoing attitude toward the logistics of our sleeping habits (i.e., who sleeps where).</p>
<p>On the bad side of things, our house was like&#160; a cross between musical beds and &#8220;Goldilocks and the Three Bears.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/05/20/sleep-and-couples-for-better-or-worse-day-and-night/" target="_blank">Sleep and Couples, For Better or Worse</a></strong></p>
<p>This all started when I was an intern.&#160; My daughter was 6 six months old at the time, and not the best sleeper as an infant.&#160; My husband, a fellow physician, was also used to being &#8220;on-call&#8221; and being awakened during the night.</p>
<p>He was also a realist who knew he needed sleep. And despite an infant and a beeper that often went off at all hours, he was determined to get it. Answer: He brought our daughter into the bed with him when I was working nights, and she would cry at 2 a.m.</p>
<p>The result was that both daddy and baby slept like logs.&#160; My daughter became quite accustomed to sleeping with one or both parents and this habit took<em> years</em> to break.</p>
<p>The next problem in our increasingly dysfunctional sleep situation came when we got two dogs. We are a dog-loving family and so were used to having pets in the bedroom. At first, there were no issues. But as the dogs got bigger, so did their nocturnal noises: dreaming, scratching, licking, breathing and barking. All this woke me up at the drop of a dime.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Sleep/health-hazards-linked-lack-sleep/story?id=16524313" target="_blank">5 Health Hazards Linked to Lack of Sleep</a></strong></p>
<p>Finally, the snoring kicked in. My husband began to snore. While his snoring did not stem from something medically serious such as sleep apnea, it certainly had a serious effect on me. I awoke multiple times a night. And, like many women (and men, too), once I was up, I found it very difficult to fall back to sleep. What was happening here?</p>
<p>For most of my life, I have always been a good sleeper. I fall asleep within seconds of closing my eyes, and usually have no trouble waking up at or before my alarm the next morning.</p>
<p>Then, I became a mother.&#160; Suddenly, I felt as if I were sleeping with eyes wide shut, so to speak.&#160; I could swear that I heard a cry or call from my children in milliseconds.&#160; In speaking to other mothers, this is commonly accepted fact.</p>
<p>Next, I became an obstetrician.&#160; For nine years, I woke up at all hours of the night to deliver babies.&#160; I was trained and conditioned to be able to think clearly and perform surgically immediately after awakening.</p>
<p>So when I started having sleep problems at home, I was perplexed.&#160; Rather than really think about what was causing the problem, I, too (like my husband had done a decade prior), took the path of least resistance and just slinked off to a different room to get my precious sleep.</p>
<p>The good news is that I did, indeed, get a good night&#8217;s sleep in another room. Incredibly good, actually!</p>
<p>But the bad news is that I missed sharing a sleep-cave with my husband. I felt embarrassed that this dysfunctional sleeping situation had infiltrated our family, and worried about how people would judge our habits. But I was determined to get good sleep no matter what, because I had sacrificed sleep for so many years taking care of my own babies, and delivering the babies of others.</p>
<p>The ABC News sleep experiment we did taught me a completely new way of approaching our sleep problems and habits. We made substantive changes in our bedroom environment based on the recommendations of our sleep expert, Dr. Wendy Troxel of the Sleep Medicine Institute at the University of Pittsburgh.</p>
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 488px"><img title="My husband and me during the sleep experiment. (Image credit: ABC News)" src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Lifestyle/abc_gma_ashton_130611_wblog.jpg" alt="abc gma ashton 130611 wblog Sleep and Relationships: An Inside Look" width="478" height="269" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The sleep experiment. (Image credit: ABC News)</p></div>
<p>We got a king-size bed (we had been sleeping in the same queen-size bed since we got married 17 years ago) and put blackout shades on the windows (we never sleep late, so we never had <em>any</em> shades or drapes on our windows because we never needed them for privacy in the suburbs).</p>
<p>We taught our dogs to sleep with our teenage son (who loves having them in his room and&#160;isn&#8217;t&#160;disturbed by their sounds) and, best of all, my husband trained himself to sleep on his side (a position in which he does not snore).</p>
<p>The data from our sleep study showed that my husband slept better with me by his side, and that I slept almost as well next to him, as I did alone.&#160; I had misjudged the entire situation.</p>
<p>For some people, however, insomnia and snoring can indicate serious medical problems like sleep apnea, depression, medication side effects or other physical issues.&#160; If your poor night&#8217;s sleep is leaving you moody, distracted or drowsy at work or behind the wheel, seek proper medical evaluation.</p>
<p>Other important tips for good sleep hygiene include: setting a consistent sleep-waking schedule and sticking to it; avoiding caffeine or alcohol; &#8220;unplugging&#8221; from smartphones, laptops and the TV at least 30 minutes before bedtime; and making sure your mattress is comfortable and the temperature in your room is right for you. I recommend 65-67 degrees).</p>
<p>Sleep is important for your health, and can also affect your relationship, whether you sleep together as a couple, or apart.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/sleep-and-relationships-an-inside-look/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Finnish Moms Get Supply Box for Newborns</title>
		<link>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/finnish-moms-get-supply-box-for-newborns/</link>
		<comments>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/finnish-moms-get-supply-box-for-newborns/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:00:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gillian Mohney</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/?p=101975</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Expectant parents often get plenty of presents from friends and family members, but in Finland even the government sends a gift. The Finnish government regularly distributes maternity grants to help expectant parents care for a fussy newborn. Parents can pick between the maternity package, a...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 488px"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/images/Lifestyle/ht_finnish_baby_supply_box_tk_130605_wblog.jpg"><img src="http://abcnews.go.com/images/Lifestyle/ht_finnish_baby_supply_box_tk_130605_wblog.jpg" alt="ht finnish baby supply box tk 130605 wblog Finnish Moms Get Supply Box for Newborns " width="478" height="269" title="Finnish Moms Get Supply Box for Newborns " /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The Finnish maternity package comes with plenty of supplies to care for a newborn. (Photo by roxeteer/Flickr)</p></div>
<p>Expectant parents often get plenty of presents from friends and family members, but in Finland even the government sends a gift.</p>
<p>The Finnish government regularly distributes maternity grants to help expectant parents care for a fussy newborn. Parents can pick between the maternity package, a colorful box that is filled with baby-related goodies such as reusable diapers &#160;and colorful onesies, or a cash grant of 140 euros<strong>.</strong></p>
<p>The &#160;maternity package wasn&#8217;t designed just to be a fun gift, it started as a way to help promote healthy habits for new parents. The grants started in 1937, when the Finnish government passed the Maternity Grants Act to help counteract a high infant mortality rate. Before the act was passed the infant mortality rate was extremely high with 65 deaths&#160; for every 1,000 births, according to the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22751415" target="_blank">BBC</a>.</p>
<p>Today it is 3.38 for every 1,000 births, according to the<a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html" target="_blank">&#160;CIA World Factbook</a>.</p>
<p>Mika Gissler,&#160;a research professor for the Finland National Institute for Health and Welfare, said nearly all first-time moms take the maternity package over the cash. In total the Finnish government dispenses approximately 60,000 maternity grants every year. According to Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland that dispenses the grants, 40,000 of these grants are in the form of maternity&#160;packages.</p>
<p>Gissler said that even the small cardboard box, which can be used as a crib, was designed to promote good health by providing a safe sleeping environment.</p>
<p>&#8220;The maternity box promotes [having a separate] bed for the newborn instead of sleeping in the same bed with other siblings and/or parents,&#8221; said Gissler in an email.</p>
<p>While having a baby sleep in a box may seem hazardous, Dr. Dennis Rosen , the associate medical director of Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Boston Children&#8217;s hospital said&#160;the maternity package box can help promote healthy sleep habit,s which can lower the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.</p>
<p>&#8220;One thing we know about baby&#8217;s sleep patterns [is that] there&#8217;s a connection between [Sudden Infant Death Syndrome] and sleep environment,&#8221; said Rosen. &#8220;You want to keep the baby on relatively firm bedding. You don&#8217;t want to cover the baby up too much&#8230;you want to keep the baby on their backs.&#8221;</p>
<p>Gissler said at first the act helped by providing low income mothers with supplies and encouraging women to seek prenatal care.&#160; By 1979, 100 percent of new mothers were receiving prenatal care in the country up from 20 percent in 1940.</p>
<p>&#8220;[The box] can be seen as a symbol of transformation from a poor agriculture country to a [richer] industrial, welfare state,&#8221; said Gissler. &#8220;It also highlights that the government&#8217;s will to increase the fertility in Finland and thus it can be seen&#8230;as a guarantee for future of the country.&#8221;</p>
<p>The box has not only provided new mothers with key essentials, it provides the essentials key for living in Finland including a tiny snowsuit and sleeping bag perfect for a newborn&#8217;s first winter.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/finnish-moms-get-supply-box-for-newborns/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Extreme Weight Loss&#8217;: Teacher Meredith Prince Loses 159 Pounds</title>
		<link>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/extreme-weight-loss-teacher-meredith-prince-loses-159-pounds/</link>
		<comments>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/extreme-weight-loss-teacher-meredith-prince-loses-159-pounds/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:28:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ABC News</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/?p=101940</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For most of her life, Meredith Prince has struggled with her weight and her identity. The 24-year-old from Rochester, N.Y., was adopted. &#8220;I always knew I was adopted,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They&#8217;re small and I&#8217;m not at all. &#8230; I just never felt like I fit...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<script src="http://a.abcnews.com/javascript/portableplayer?id=19329664&autoStart=true&mainVideo=true&pageType=blog&size=inpage"></script>
<p>For most of her life, Meredith Prince has struggled with her weight and her identity.</p>
<p>The 24-year-old from Rochester, N.Y., was adopted.</p>
<p>&#8220;I always knew I was adopted,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They&#8217;re small and I&#8217;m not at all. &#8230; I just never felt like I fit into my own [adoptive] family.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/chris-powells-summer-slimdown-tips-120131162.html"><strong>RELATED: Chris Powell&#8217;s Summer Slimdown Tips</strong></a></p>
<p>After years of yo-yo dieting, Prince, a kindergarten teacher, tipped the scale at 314 pounds.</p>
<p>She reached out to fitness expert and <a href="http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/extreme-weight-loss">&#8220;Extreme Weight Loss&#8221; host Chris Powell</a>, and he got her into weight-loss boot camp. Over the course of the year, she pushed herself. She lifted weights, ran and ate well. She even finished a marathon.</p>
<p>&#8220;At the heaviest, I was over 400 pounds,&#8221; Prince said today on &#8220;Good Morning America,&#8221; as she held up an old pair of her jeans in front of her newly slimmed-down frame. &#8220;And here we are today at 155 pounds. It&#8217;s been such a journey.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/extreme-weight-loss-chris-powell-helps-obese-twins-125531449.html"><strong>WATCH: &#8216;Extreme Weight Loss&#8217;: Chris Powell Helps Obese Twins Get Fitter</strong></a></p>
<p>Prince&#8217;s goal weight of 155 pounds meant so much to her, she even had the pledge to the lose weight tattooed on her stomach.</p>
<p>&#8220;She actually tattooed her goal on her body. That shows dedication,&#8221; Powell said. &#8220;But one of the most important things we can all do is we need to know where we are going. We need to have that purpose. And sure enough, that&#8217;s what she did. She got there.&#8221;</p>
<p>For the first 90 days of her program, Powell asked Prince to lose 80 pounds. She lost 84, and continued to lose weight.</p>
<p>At her final weigh-in, Prince got on the scale and weighed exactly 155 pounds.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/extreme-weight-loss-teacher-meredith-prince-loses-159-pounds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Author Says More Moms Embracing &#8216;New Domesticity&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/author-says-more-moms-embracing-new-domesticity/</link>
		<comments>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/author-says-more-moms-embracing-new-domesticity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:38:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ABC News</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/?p=101925</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Generations of women have debated whether to stay home and raise their children or climb the corporate ladder. In the new book, &#8220;Homeward Bound: Why Women Are Embracing the New Domesticity,&#8221; author Emily Matchar said more and more mothers were staying home and embracing old-fashioned...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Generations of women have debated whether to stay home and raise their children or <a href="http://gma.yahoo.com/video/gma-sheryl-sandberg-women-sabotage-080000293.html">climb the corporate ladder.</a></p>
<p>In the new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Homeward-Bound-Women-Embracing-Domesticity/dp/145166544X">&#8220;Homeward Bound: Why Women Are Embracing the New Domesticity,&#8221;</a> author Emily Matchar said more and more mothers were staying home and embracing old-fashioned domestic values.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s what I called new domesticity, which is the re-embrace of old- fashioned or lost domestic skills and activities, like knitting and crafting and jam canning &#8230; chickens in your yard and growing your own vegetables,&#8221; she said.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://gma.yahoo.com/facebooks-sheryl-sandberg-says-women-must-lean-060502557--abc-news-topstories.html">RELATED: Facebook&#8217;s Sheryl Sandberg Says Women Must &#8216;Lean In&#8217;</a></strong></p>
<p>One supposed trigger behind the new trend is the recent economic downturn.</p>
<p>Ali Rudel and her husband, Ben, were struggling to pay their bills when they gave up their big city, corporate dreams and moved from Manhattan to North Carolina two years ago. She freelances in design and also has taken to canning, gardening and making pies from scratch.</p>
<p>&#8220;I consider myself a feminist, but I&#8217;m also a stay-at-home mom,&#8221; Ali Rudel said.</p>
<p>Erin Branch holds a day job as a college professor, &#160;but she also sews her own drapes and knits in her spare time.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://gma.yahoo.com/video/gma-sheryl-sandberg-women-sabotage-080000293.html" target="_blank">WATCH: Sheryl Sandberg on How Women &#8216;Sabotage&#8217; Their Careers</a></strong></p>
<p>&#8220;So I approach a lot of domestic tasks or new cooking things as sort of a challenge. &#8230; When I throw a party, for instance, all of my things are made from scratch,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t get it catered. I don&#8217;t buy the party tray at the grocery store.&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition to the economy, another factor behind modern domestication is more awareness about the environment, Matchar said.</p>
<p>Branch is definitely aware.</p>
<p>&#8220;I want to know what&#8217;s in my food. I want to know where it comes from,&#8221; she said.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/author-says-more-moms-embracing-new-domesticity/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Epic Breakup Letter Goes Viral</title>
		<link>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/epic-breakup-letter-goes-viral/</link>
		<comments>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/epic-breakup-letter-goes-viral/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Jun 2013 18:25:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ABC News</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/?p=101908</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When it comes to the end of a relationship, there is the type of woman who stays friends with her ex, the type who wipes her hands clean and calls it a day and then there is the type who writes a breakup letter so...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<script src="http://a.abcnews.com/javascript/portableplayer?id=19313124&autoStart=true&mainVideo=true&pageType=blog&plist=19042576,18182412&size=inpage"></script>
<p>When it comes to the end of a relationship, there is the type of woman who stays friends with her ex, the type who wipes her hands clean and calls it a day and then there is the type who writes a breakup letter so epic it goes viral.</p>
<p>That &#8220;type&#8221; might just be only one woman, and so far she is anonymous.&#160; The letter she wrote to her cheating man, however, is making headlines.</p>
<p>In the letter<a href="http://imgur.com/SxGIhRx">, viewed more than one million times on Imugr</a>, the woman busts her partner of two years for leaving his Facebook page open and receiving a message from a woman named Kelsi.</p>
<p>Instead of just throwing his stuff out the windows like they do in movies, the woman takes revenge to another level by creating a treasure hunt for him, &#8220;Since I know you like looking for things (like other girls),&#8221; she writes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Your clothes are where we first met,&#8221; reads the first clue.</p>
<p>&#8220;Your video games are where we first kissed!&#8221; reads another.</p>
<p>The final clue leads her cheating partner full circle.</p>
<p>&#8220;Everything else, including pictures of the last 2 years of our lives, is at Kelsi&#8217;s house,&#8221; it says.</p>
<p>The letter concludes, for the woman at least, on a happy note. &#160; &#8220;Have fun! Oh, and while I didn&#8217;t break or damage anything, I can&#8217;t guarantee anybody else won&#8217;t find it! Happy hunting!&#8221;</p>
<p>The letter has already generated more than 600 comments on Imugr but, so far, no one from the purported love triangle has come forward.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/06/epic-breakup-letter-goes-viral/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Real Money&#8217;: Save Hundreds of Dollars on Tickets to an MLB Game</title>
		<link>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/05/real-money-save-hundreds-of-dollars-on-tickets-to-an-mlb-game/</link>
		<comments>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/05/real-money-save-hundreds-of-dollars-on-tickets-to-an-mlb-game/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 May 2013 22:07:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ABC News</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/?p=101844</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ABC News&#8217; Paula Faris reports: Baseball is a family affair for the Rodrigueses. Danielle Rodrigues plays softball and her husband, Pedro Rodrigues, coaches their 5-year-old son Maxx&#8217;s T-ball team.&#160; Their daughter, Madi, 3, loves cheering from the sidelines. Maxx loves the sport so much, he...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>ABC News&#8217; Paula Faris reports:</em></p>
<p>Baseball is a family affair for the Rodrigueses.</p>
<p>Danielle Rodrigues plays softball and her husband, Pedro Rodrigues, coaches their 5-year-old son Maxx&#8217;s T-ball team.&#160; Their daughter, Madi, 3, loves cheering from the sidelines.</p>
<p>Maxx loves the sport so much, he even sleeps with his glove.&#160; But Maxx and Madi have never seen their favorite team &#8211; the Red Sox &#8211; play in historic Fenway Park.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a little expensive,&#8221; Danielle Rodrigues told ABC News.&#160; &#8220;We have day care and lots of other expenses, so it hasn&#8217;t been a priority yet &#8211; but we really want to do it this year because he&#8217;s really into baseball.&#8221;</p>
<p>For many Americans like the Rodrigueses of Amesbury, Mass., the rising cost of tickets and other expenses related to attending a baseball game is keeping them out of the stadium.</p>
<p>According to the April 2011 <a href="https://www.teammarketing.com/public/files/2011_mlb_fci.pdf">Fan Cost Index</a>, a family of four spends an average of $207.80 to go to a Major League Baseball game. That&#8217;s totaling the cost of tickets, parking, snacks and a few souvenirs.&#160; In some cities like New York and Boston, that price can easily top $300 for a night at the ballpark.</p>
<p>The Rodrigueses planned to go to a game as a family, but didn&#8217;t want to settle for bleacher seats or obstructed-view seats.&#160; They figured they&#8217;d need to spend $500 or more to get seats and pay for all the extras like parking and food at the ballpark.</p>
<p>To help the family score good seats for less, ABC News&#8217; &#8220;Real Money&#8221; team brought in &#8220;pinch hitter&#8221; Jack Groetzinger, the founder of the website&#160;<a href="http://seatgeek.com/">SeatGeek</a> and an expert on big league deals.</p>
<p>SeatGeek searches dozens of ticket sites and puts the pricing information in one place.&#160; The site even ranks tickets with what it calls a &#8220;Deal Score,&#8221; helping users determine whether they&#8217;re getting a good price.</p>
<p>Thanks to some help from Groetzinger and the &#8220;Real Money&#8221; team, the Rodrigues family knocked it out of the park.&#160; Just three hours before a game, they landed $130 tickets for almost 60 percent off face-value.</p>
<p>In the end, the Rodrigueses, armed with the following tips, found $360 in savings &#8211; a real home run of a deal.<strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>Below, find some tips to help you save money at the ball park:</strong></p>
<p><strong>1. &#160; &#160;&#160;If you can wait, buy your tickets at the last minute online. &#160;</strong>Tickets drop big time in the three days before a game, way below box-office prices.&#160;<a title="SeatGeek" href="http://seatgeek.com/">SeatGeek</a> searches dozens of ticket sites for deals. You can even log on the day of the game and look for green dots that signal great deals. In some cities, tickets go for $2. &#8220;Tickets drop off by as much as 30 [percent] to 40 percent in those last three days,&#8221; Groetzinger said.</p>
<p><strong>2. &#160; &#160;&#160;Pay for parking ahead of time. &#160;</strong>Some parking garages near a stadium charge as much as $40, even $60. Pre-paying online at sites like&#160;<a title="ParkWhiz.com" href="http://www.parkwhiz.com/">ParkWhiz.com</a>&#160;could save you big time.</p>
<p><strong>3. &#160; &#160;&#160;If it&#8217;s allowed, bring your own food. &#160;</strong>Most teams let you bring food and water to the game. Check your team&#8217;s website or call security to be sure, but if it fits in a gallon-size bag, you can usually bring it in.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/05/real-money-save-hundreds-of-dollars-on-tickets-to-an-mlb-game/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Jennifer Aniston Touts &#8216;Yogalosophy&#8217; for Stunning Figure</title>
		<link>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/05/jennifer-aniston-touts-yogalosophy-for-stunning-figure/</link>
		<comments>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/05/jennifer-aniston-touts-yogalosophy-for-stunning-figure/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 May 2013 14:58:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ABC News</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/?p=101777</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Jennifer Aniston is one of the hottest stars on the red carpet, whose every haircut is documented, her easy sense of style emulated and her stunning silhouette always envied. But now, the big secret out on how Aniston stays so beautiful, being revealed in &#8220;Yogalosophy,&#8221;...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<script src="http://a.abcnews.com/javascript/portableplayer?id=19278810&autoStart=true&mainVideo=true&pageType=blog&size=inpage"></script>
<p>Jennifer Aniston is one of the hottest stars on the red carpet, whose every haircut is documented, her easy sense of style emulated and her stunning silhouette always envied.</p>
<p>But now, the big secret out on how Aniston stays so beautiful, being revealed in &#8220;Yogalosophy,&#8221; a 28-day program by Aniston&#8217;s longtime friend and yoga instructor, Mandy Ingber.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s yoga paired with toning exercises, so people who were bored with yoga might try it, or people that were really into yoga might get a little extra workout,&#8221; Ingber told ABC News.</p>
<p>Aniston and Ingber practice the exercises about three times a week, which Ingber says is &#8220;a good baseline for anything that you&#8217;re wanting to do regularly.&#8221;</p>
<p>The tree pose is Aniston&#8217;s favorite.</p>
<p>&#8220;She&#8217;s really good at it,&#8221; said Ingber. &#8220;It&#8217;s the ability to be able to find your sense of focus in the middle of a lot that&#8217;s going on. It runs right through the center of the body.&#8221;</p>
<p><em>At the core of Ingber&#8217;s fitness philosophy are five objectives:</em></p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> Love your body.</p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> Set short-term goals.</p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> Make healthy choices.</p>
<p><strong>4.</strong> Visualize your best.</p>
<p><strong>5.</strong> Give and receive support.</p>
<p>&#8220;The thing about yoga is that once you start, developing that mindfulness and that sense of connection to your body, you just want to make healthier choices,&#8221; Ingber explained.</p>
<p>And although yoga is obviously very helpful, Ingber doesn&#8217;t consider it a replacement for cardiovascular exercise.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think that&#8217;s important, too,&#8221; she notes.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2013/05/jennifer-aniston-touts-yogalosophy-for-stunning-figure/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss