Amanda Knox’s To-Do List

To-do ListI’m a news junkie — there I said it. Big news happens and immediately my heart starts pumping and I get that “news feeling.” Once a newsy — always a newsy. Years in a control room will do this to you. This is exactly what happened to me when the Amanda Knox verdict was read.  She was set free and cleared of murder charges. Whoa — no matter what your feeling on the case — it’s shocking.

Immediately I put myself in Amanda’s shoes — if I were being released from prison after four years…what would I want to do?  What did I miss? Who should I visit? How do you take all that in?  So I made a list of to-dos that Amanda Knox should consider:

1. Get an iPad: I tell everyone I know that it’s the thing that you don’t need but that you have to have! She should immediately download Angry Birds.

2. Get Twitter & Facebook accounts: Twitter was just a baby when Amanda Knox was first imprisoned and perhaps she had a Facebook page as a co-ed…but things have drastically changed in four years.

3. Catch up on Movies, TV & Music: Avatar, Betty White’s comeback, Michael Scott’s exit, Oprah’s farewell season, Modern Family, Mad Men, Anything on Food Network, Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse.

4. Eat Foods You Can’t Get in Prison: Green tea, dark chocolate, Pop Chips (so delish,) Pinot Grigio (I had to.)

5. Update Wardrobe: Buy skinny jeans immediately. Read more

Spice Up Your Wedding Shoes

Jay and I have two weddings to attend next month. I’m reminded of the stresses that a bride will go through to make her wedding “different.”

My good friend Arianny Rodriguez, is the owner of Bridal Shoe Style and thinks that your shoes are a great way to make your big day unique. So she’s given us a checklist with some ideas.

Wedding Shoes Your Guests Will Never Forget

by Arianny Rodriguez

We’ve heard it before – people saying “I have 5 weddings in the next 6 months!” They are more annoyed than excited for each of the couples entering a new and happy stage in their life. Wedding after wedding, they all start looking the same.

If you are a bride and want to stand out, why not do it with your shoes? They are hidden under your dress but it doesn’t mean they don’t get noticed. As soon as the formal ceremony is over, your dancing feet will pop out from under that mountain of satin or tulle and the guests will surely take notice. Make a memorable moment out of it with these simple ideas for shoes: Read more

Never Go Clothes Shopping Without A List

How many times have you stared into your closet thinking, “I have nothing to wear!”? It used to happen to me quite often but then I figured out a system for stocking it. You guessed it — a list! Everybody seems to think that clothes shopping is an incredibly difficult task, but does it really need to be? You may have heard of a service called Stitch Fix that helps you gain some new wardrobe options based purely off your own style choices. If this idea interests you, you can find more info out about Stitch Fix by having a look at a review for the service.

I was fortunate to share this secret with the readers of Bneato.com — thanks to Beth Zeigler, the site’s founder. It’s a wonderful site with tips for organizing just about anything. Check out my guest post “Clothes Shopping With A List.”

Must-Have Pregnancy Clothing List

It must be pregnancy season or something — I know a whole bunch of ladies having babies lately!  Some women use this time as an excuse to “let it all hang out.” Well, my friends – it is not. You should take pride in your look at every point in your life. I know that this can be hard, as sometimes things happen that you have no control over so you don’t always want to wear your best.

Maternity clothes can be expensive but there are tricks for stretching your existing wardrobe and cost-effective ways to add to it. Marisa Moss, founder of MineForNine.com, gave me these secrets to share with all of you.

Save yourself a lot of time and stress by “editing” your closet ASAP in your first trimester.

1. Neatly fold and store all the pants without any stretch

2. Put all the dresses you already have to “suck-in” to wear in the back of the closet

3. Hide all your tailored tops Read more

The Ultimate Magazine List

I love reading magazines. It’s my guilty little pleasure and has become a borderline obsession. My husband makes fun of me because our coffee table is always overflowing with the last few months of my favorites. But I have to have them all and reference them to take notes. Eventually I give them to my mother-in-law because she also has this magazine addiction.

As a self-proclaimed magazine connoisseur – here is my list of favorites that you must try:

1. Health Magazine: It has the perfect mix of mind, body and soul – and recipes too! They have great contests and events for their readers. One of my favorite features is the “To-Don’t List,” which highlights tasks overwhelmed women don’t have the worry about. Perfect! I also like the “What the Yuck” column by Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa – I worked with her briefly when we were both at WPIX in New York City. Read more