5 Ways to De-Stress


Ladies, doesn’t it seem that our lives get busier as each day passes?  Stress is so common to some that we’ve just learned to deal with it.  This isn’t healthy, nor is it good for us or any of our relationships!  The other day my dad told me that I need a vacation!  I guess he’s right.  He sees that I’m under stress and that I need to get away.  Unfortunately, my schedule doesn’t allow it right now, so I have to eliminate stress in a different way.  While most can’t jump on a private plane and head off to a deserted island like celebs do when stressed or tired (cough, cough, Kim Kardashian), here are a few of my favorite ways to de-stress!

READ:  I love books – so much that I might have too many books and not enough shelves.  Oops!  Not only is reading one of my favorite things to do, it’s also my favorite way to de-stress!  It’s a great way for your mind to escape into a new world and with new friends/family (characters), but sometimes finding that perfect read can be tough.  Try going to bookstores like B&N, or even try Goodreads.com.  When you pick out that perfect thing to read, you’ll be surprised at how your mind won’t be veering off track.  If you give this a try, you won’t be disappointed.  You might even find new writers you enjoy!  And of course sipping a glass of wine or hot tea while reading can help too!
 
RUN/WALK:  Imagine being pulled in different directions and all you want to do is run (or walk) away, right?  Well, do it!  Get out of the house and allow your mind to breath.  You deserve this time to take time for yourself, (I recommend at least 30 minutes).  Whether it’s around your neighborhood or at a gym, being active can revitalize you immensely!  You will feel refreshed and ready to tackle any tasks that come your way (and you’ll be burning calories)!  I love to get my iPhone, turn on Pandora and plug in my headphones – then, I’m off and into my own world!

NAP:  If you’re stressed, napping is very important.  Chances are that your mind is spinning at high-speed!  Admit it, you’re exhausted!  You think you don’t have time to take a nap, but believe me you can make time and you need it.  Even taking a nap on your lunch break can help!  Like after running or walking, you’ll feel refreshed and won’t be so blurry-eyed when trying to focus.

CRY:  Women are known to be emotional and that's okay, even when our Aunt Flow isn’t in for her visit.  Every woman needs a good cry, and it doesn’t have to be about anything at all. When I’m stressed, I’ll allow the tears to flow and minutes later, I’m back to normal.  It’s like noting ever happened, and my stress is gone.  Don’t worry about feeling weak or silly about doing this, but feel relieved that you can now move on with your day or night.

PAMPER YOURSELF:  Pampering yourself can be very relaxing.  It can make your bad days turn great!  Take time (depending on how extreme you want to go) to prepare a spa-like experience for yourself.  Fill a pitcher with water and your favorite fruit to keep your body hydrated.  Go buy all the necessary tools for a manicure, and pick your favorite color of polish (I like OPI the best because of the names).  Last but not least, one of the most relaxing way to take away your stresses is to take a bubble bath!  If you’re a mom and can’t find any bubble bath, it’s okay to use your child’s suds too.  Mr. Bubbles will work just fine.  Turn on calming music (I like Peter Cetera or Rod Stewart’s “Songbook” collection), and soak your troubles away!

How do you relieve stress? Share your tips with us! I wish you all a happy and stress-free summer!

Isabella Louise Anderson is a member of the RWA, and she is the owner of the website Chick Lit Goddess. She resides in Dallas, Texas, where she’s a housewife and mother to 12-year-old cat, Thorndike. A regular contributor at Good Humor Girl, you can read all Isabella's articles and learn more about Isabella.

Soap Opera Supercouples: The Love/Hate Relationships We Love

Back in elementary school, when my friends and fellow classmates were going to Brownie meetings or for ballet lessons after school, I rushed home to watch my favorite soap operas with my Nanny Tessie.  In hindsight, my grandmother probably should have encouraged me to play outside or at least do my homework, but she was so happy for the company, she'd probably have let me watch porn. Ok, maybe not porn, but something not quite "age appropriate."
 
We were fans of the ABC soaps, and back then, there were a lot of them:  Ryan's Hope, All My Children, One Life to Live, General Hospital and The Edge of Night.  When The Edge of Night and Ryan's Hope were cancelled, new soaps, like Loving and later, The City took its place.  My faves, however, were All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital, especially General Hospital.
 
What sucked me in were the love stories, more specifically, the love/hate stories.  Soap operas are famous for "supercouples" - those couples who are destined to be together but due to circumstances out of their control, break up, dramatically reunite months later, break up again, get back together and the cycle continues indefinitely.  Although I have never watched The Young and the Restless regularly, Victor and Nikki Newman are one of the longest lasting supercouples in soap opera history.  Last I heard, Victor was sleeping with his son's ex-wife who also happens to be his other son's ex-lover.  
 
The circumstances surrounding the breakup of a supercouple can vary but are often one of the following: a) one half of the couple suffers from amnesia, b) another woman claims to be carrying the man's child, c) the woman witnesses another woman (usually a slutty one) throw herself at the man, walks away before she can see him turn her down, ends up sleeping with another man in anger, the two make up without the woman confessing her infidelity and the woman later finds out she is pregnant and unsure which man is the baby daddy, d) one of the characters is believed to be dead but actually living on a secluded island, either in a hostage type situation or suffering from the aforementioned amnesia.  After initial grieving, the "living" half of the couple falls in love with someone else only for his thought-to-be-dead ex-lover to return, interrupt the wedding and ceremoniously faint in the church.  
 
Sometimes the only reason a supercouple is broken up to never be revived is when one of the actors wants to leave the show, for example, Laura of Luke and Laura on General Hospital.   A more infrequent occurrence is when a new character is introduced solely to instigate a temporary break-up but becomes a permanent fixture when the writers (and readers) decide the "temporary" couple has more chemistry than the original couple.  This happened on All My Children when Dr. Maria Santos was introduced to cause trouble between Brooke English and Edmond Grey and viewers ended up liking Maria and Edmund as a couple much better. (The actors who portrayed Maria and Edmund started dating and eventually married, which probably explained their off-the-charts chemistry on-screen.) 
 
Some of my favorite supercouples through the years include the following:
 
Luke and Laura - General Hospital - Remember when they ran away together and hid in Wyndahms Department store trying on all of the clothes and dancing around the aisles?  And when Laura donned the black wig in Beecher's Corners disguised as newlywed Lucy Johnson?  My friend Ronni and I cried tears of joy when the couple finally got married.  Even the late great Elizabeth Taylor was in attendance for the nuptials!
 
Tina and Cord - One Life to Live - Before meeting Cord, Tina was a classic gold digger.  Tina fell genuinely in love with Cord only to discover that he was an heir to a fortune and hence she could have it all - love AND money!  But first she'd bed down a few other people, break up a wedding, get arrested for murder and risk her life in a water fall.  No one said love was easy!
 
Mason and Julia - Santa Barbara - I don't know what it was about him, but I had a wicked crush on Lane Davies when he played brooding attorney Mason Capwell.  A lawyer as well, Julia kept him on his toes, but between alcoholism and a wandering eye (as well as other "wandering" parts), this couple did not have it easy.  When Santa Barbara was cancelled, the writers did the right thing and allowed Julia and Mason to be a couple for eternity. 
 
Jenny and Greg - All My Children - Star-crossed lovers, Jenny and Greg fell in love in High School but Greg was rich and Jenny was from the wrong side of the tracks.  Despite attempts by slutty Liza, Greg's snobby mother and Jenny's seedy father to tear them apart, the two wed.  And then the actress who portrayed Jenny, Kim Delany, decided to leave the show and Jenny was killed off.  Life's a bitch, you get married and then you die. 
 
This list is certainly not exhaustive.  I felt true agony watching many other couples get torn apart during my daily "Love in the Afternoon" ritual, including but not limited to Leo and Greenlee (All My Children), Jagger and Karen (General Hospital), Liz and Lucky (General Hospital), Vicky and Ryan (Another World) and many, many more. 
 
Today, only three soap operas still remain in first run: General Hospital, Days of Our Lives and Young and the Restless, but sadly, I do not find any of them worth watching anymore.
 
What about you other soap opera fans out there?  Who were your favorite supercouples?
 
Meredith Schorr lives in New York City and works as a trademark paralegal at a prestigious law firm. In addition to writing humorous women's fiction novels, her passions include running, spending time with friends and family and rooting for the New York Yankees. Meredith is a member of Romance Writers of America and Chick Lit Writers of The World. Just Friends with Benefits is her first novel. For more information, please visit www.meredithschorr.com.
 

She's So Write: Editing -- The Author’s Test of Sanity


When people imagine being a writer, they often have visions of an idyllic scene in which we nurture our muse, steaming cup of coffee at our elbow, surrounded by quiet and maybe a few birds chirping.

I guess this may be true for some writers, and I’ll admit that I have had my moments, but the more common reality is that we work at a desk covered by mountains of papers, balancing our tepid coffee atop the stack of school forms, bills, and catalogs we’ve been meaning to get to, praying that the cat doesn’t delete all of our work as he tramples across the keyboard in his quest for attention.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love being an author, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But there are some realities that we all must accept—and learn to embrace—in order to save our sanity and turn out quality work.

The editing, for example. I’m fairly certain that being a writer is one of the only careers in which you could literally spend the greater portion of a week deciding if you want to say The Joneses or The Joneses’, which is exactly what I did in creating the official definition for the word Momnesia in my recent novel:

Momnesia (mahm-nee-zhuh) -noun-
Loss of the memory of who you used to be. Caused by pregnancy, play dates, and trying to keep the house cleaner than the Joneses.

“What should I do (or not do) with the apostrophe at the end of Joneses?” I dissected, with the help of my online writing group. Do I want it to mean cleaner than the Joneses house is, or cleaner than the Joneses keep up with their house? And in the end, would having the apostrophe there be more of a distraction for the reader? If so, is it worth the distraction for the small nuance of having it mean cleaner than the Joneses keep up with their house?

This is only one example. The editing goes on and on! You need to decide whether or not you alwayshave to say “whether or not,” or whether you can sometimes just say “whether”; Which section to chop out because you know it’s redundant, but you love it because you have a beautifully crafted paragraph in there that you worked on for two days.

“Isn’t that what you have an editor for?” you may ask. Yes and no. The truth is, you need to turn in clean work if you expect to have your work published (anywhere!) in the first place. And unless your editor is being paid a zillion dollars to practically rewrite all of your work, these things need to be ironed out ahead of time.

“But you still love being a writer, right?” Write! I mean right. The Type-A part of me is actually okay with having to sort out these details, and it does give me great pride in my work, despite its ability to make my head spin.

What about you? How do you feel about the editing aspect of writing, whether it be an email, an article, or a book? I look forward to your comments!

Lori Verni-Fogarsi has been a freelance writer, journalist, columnist, and seminar speaker for over fifteen years. She is the author of the novel, Momnesia, contemporary women's fiction,  as well as the nonfiction book, Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs. Lori is a happily married mom of two, step mom of two more, and has two cats, both rotten. Originally a native New Yorker, she now divides her time between Raleigh, NC, and Lake Gaston, VA, where she is hard at work on her next novel. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, boating, traveling with her husband, napping, and attending her children's many activities. Lori invites you to learn more at her website and enjoy her active communities on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

My Experience With Spanx: Love 'Em or Hate 'Em, I Gotta Have 'Em!


Sarah Blakely is the inventor of Spanx, and she was also on the cover of Forbes Magazine’s special issue.  This woman is a godsend to women!

The day after I turned the big 3-0 in March of 2011, everything changed.  I began to notice things were falling – from my face to my ankles.  This couldn’t be happening, at least not yet anyway!  I’m not old enough, right?  While I’ve never minded the aging process (especially because I’m 5’0” and have always wanted to look older), it was the first time that I saw the new me – the adult Isabella.
 
From then on, I started to be very insecure about how my wrinkles looked (no matter how little they were) and began to really take note about my body image.  That December, New Year’s Eve to be exact, my husband and I were going to dinner with another couple and I wanted to get dressed up.  It would be the first time in the past two years that I wouldn’t be staying home in bed and falling asleep before the famous midnight ball drop.  While I could still fit in my favorite little black dress (LBD), I wanted to look a little more toned in my midriff area.  After shuffling around in my drawer, I found a pair of Spanx that my mom let me borrow years ago that I had completely forgotten about.  Perfect, I thought!  So, after sitting down and maneuvering myself on the floor for about fifteen minutes, tugging, pulling and arranging this magic around my body (come on, you know exactly what I’m talking about), I placed my LBD over my body. Wow!  I didn’t look too shabby; in fact, I looked better than I’d looked in awhile.  It was like everything had been snapped back into its place!  I continued getting ready, and the night was wonderful, except for one thing – going to the bathroom wasn’t an easy thing to do.  Just picture me in a small bathroom trying to pull the Spanx back where they belonged!  Besides that little incident, I felt great bringing in 2012 with my loved ones while looking good!
 
Last Saturday, I had an event that I had to go to and wanted to wear a new dress.  Now, while I looked good in this dress, I wanted to wear the Spanx again, so I decided to go buy my first pair.  What an experience it was!

After making my way to the department store, I headed right to the lingerie department to look for Spanx.  I saw a saleslady who I have known for a few years, and asked for her help.  When I pulled the dress that I would be wearing that night out of my purse, she handed me a few different styles of Spanx in my size (so she said), then led me to a dressing room.  When she closed he door, I changed into one out of the two different styles.  The first pair I tried on fit high on the waist.  It was too tight and didn’t work, so I asked her for another size – much to her dismayed expression (sometimes salespeople cane be so judgmental).  In the meantime, I tried on the other one.  Now, this one was by far the least sexy thing I’ve ever tried on.  It looked like something that a pro wrestler would wear – but I liked how it made me trim and toned in all the right places.  This was a winner!  When I slipped on the dress, the straps from the Spanx showed, but I figured that it would work with something else.  Anyway, when the woman brought back the right size of the high-waist pair, I tried them on.  They fit much better and looked great with the dress.  But you know what the best part of these Spanx are?  There's a slit so I could use the bathroom through them!  Whew!  LADIES, SPANX ARE AMAZING!

When I came home, I felt so much better about wearing my dress, but decided to have some fun with the other dresses in my closet, and by the time it was over, my bedroom was a mess!  I’m looking forward to many more experiences with Spanx!

Isabella Louise Anderson is a member of the RWA, and she is the owner of the website Chick Lit Goddess. She resides in Dallas, Texas, where she’s a housewife and mother to 12-year-old cat, Thorndike. A regular contributor at Good Humor Girl, you can read all Isabella's articles and learn more about Isabella.

Fitness Alternative: Boozercise


Swimsuit season is upon us. If your body is beach ready, congratulations. You can proudly wear a bikini and relax by the pool without worrying about everyone judging your flabby underarms or cellulite-ridden thighs.

If you are like me and have never met a basket of French fries you did not like, join me for a drink. I know it sounds crazy, but exercise and alcohol are a great mix. After a night at the bar, I discovered boozercise, and I want to share the benefits with you.

Quick disclaimer: I am not a licensed or unlicensed health or fitness professional. What I am is a twenty-something looking to shed a few pounds while remaining a regular at my favorite bar. I do not condone having more than one or two drinks before or during your workout. I also suggest avoiding heavy machinery, including cars, during and after boozercise.

Now on to the work-out.

Exercise 1: Beerlates (Beer plus Pilates)

A great introduction into the boozercise world, Beerlates is both relaxing and invigorating while working your core. Follow a standard Pilates routine, which you can find for free on Hulu or at a local library. Begin with arm exercises, and hold a closed bottle of ice cold beer in each of your hands. This adds a little bit of weight giving you a great workout. After completing these routines, open one of the bottles and sip in between sets. For a 30-minute workout, drink one beer. Allow yourself up to two during a 60-minute routine.  The number of calories you burn off will vary depending on your choice of beer and the intensity of your workout.

Calories burned an hour:Between 270 for beginner and 500 for advanced workouts.
Calories ingested with two 12-ounce drinks: Between 200 calories for a light beer and 500 for a dark beer (go light).
 
Exercise 2: Vodba (Vodka plus Zumba)

This one is super easy, and the rewards definitely outweigh any cons. Take two shots of vodka before beginning your Zumba routine. This will loosen you up and give you the confidence to shake your booty. Perhaps my favorite of the boozercises, you will burn a lot more calories than you ingest. You can do this easily at home with a dance DVD.

Calories burned an hour: 500 to 800
Calories ingested with two shots:About 110 calories

Exercise 3: Jogtails (Cocktails plus jogging)

This will sound crazy, but I never feel more motivated to go for a jog than after a couple of happy hour drinks after work. Load up your favorite bar tunes on an MP3 player and hit the trails. Feel free to sing along. Just ignore the stares from your fellow runners.

Calories burned an hour: 350-plus, depending on your pace.
Calories ingested with two drinks: This depends on what you drink. Stick to vodka sodas and you will log about 150 calories total.

Exercise 4: Walkabout-and-over (A hangover plus walking and lots of water)

This one might be the most painful, but it is ultimately the most beneficial. After a night of drinking, grab a couple of bottles of water and go for a walk. Go ahead and play some music, but select soft tunes. Sunglasses are also a must. You will feel much better after sweating out the booze from the night before.

Calories burned an hour: At a pace of 3 miles per hour, expect to burn between 250 to 500 calories. If you are faster, you will burn more.
Calories ingested with two drinks:Zero. Water is a zero-calorie miracle.

See, it all comes down to science. By burning more calories than you ingest, you are certainly no worse off. You can get a nice workout and a buzz. Now remember, drink responsibly. Two drinks in one hour is plenty.

Feel free to experiment and find your own favorite combinations for exercise and alcohol. If you find one you like, please share.

Good luck!

Laura Chapman is a journalist, blogger, book reviewer and yet-to-be published novelist. In 2010, she founded Change the Word, a blog that follows her writing career and offers book reviews, author promotions and writing tips. Based in Lincoln, Nebraska, she has two completed novels in editing and is hard at work on her third, which she is adapting for a web series. A regular contributor at Good Humor Girl, you can read all Laura's articles and find out more about Laura.