Dear Diary…

Over the past couple of weeks I couldn’t help noticing that things with Josh were beginning to get weird.

Practically everyday was filled with dumb little spats–I was being too picky about where we were going to dinner or he was always on his cell phone. Spending time together felt more and more like work.

Then-it happened…the dreaded return of old Josh.

It all started during one of our date nights. For the past couple months Josh and I had been going out for dinner and drinks at the same cozy little wine bar every Thursday. While we never formally proclaimed it “date night,” it was just a given. At least that is what I thought! 

After battling an hour of traffic I rushed into my apartment to quick get cute for the night. In the middle of curling my eyelashes and taming my frizzed out hair, the phone rang. It was Josh.

“I’ll be right out,” I said, expecting that he was waiting for me in his car.

Instead-an already slurring Josh told me that he was downtown grabbing some drinks with the guys. My shock soon turned to rage, which I unloaded on him before hanging up the phone.

A little immature and dramatic? Probably, but I couldn’t stop the surge of old memories of being blow off the first time we were dating.

The next day I was still fuming and not about to call an undoubtedly hung-over Josh. Midday I finally gave into my desire to check my phone. Bad idea. Seeing no missed calls, I ended up feeling worse than ever.

I didn’t talk to Josh until he called three days later. He told me that he was going to be swamped with work during the week. If that wasn’t an excuse not to see me then it sure felt like it.  

After talking for a few minutes the conversation awkwardly ended without us making plans to see each other.

While I wasn’t sure what exactly had happened with our relationship in the last couple of weeks it seemed pretty clear that things were over.

Safe and Sweet Holiday Treats That Will Have Your Pets Begging For More!

The thousands of pet lovers and pet professionals on zootoo.com - the leading networking site and resource for all pet lovers - know the holidays can be a hairy time. To make the season a little sweeter, pet expert and avid zootoo.com member Arden Moore shares a variety of veterinary approved recipes from her top selling doggie cookbook, Real Food for Dogs, to send pets everywhere into a tailspin.

The following recipes are fit for pets and people! For more recipes, go to www.zootoo.com.

Marvelous Mutt Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (or ground sirloin)
2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 carrot, finely chopped or grated
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, whisked
3 tablespoons tomato paste (low sodium)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Scoop out by the spoonful and roll into mini-size meatballs. Place meatballs on a cookie sheet sprayed with nonfat cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool and store in refrigerator in a container with a lid.

Peanut Butter Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup cottage cheese
1/3 cup honey
1 apple, cored, peeled and diced
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Mix flour and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients except cottage cheese. Pour into greased 8-inch round cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool. Puree cottage cheese in blender for icing. Decorate with dabs of peanut butter and carrots.

As your family gathers to celebrate this holiday season, it’s time to whip out the digital camera and practice your sharp shooting skills. Ted Spiker of Women’s Health Magazine has some helpful hints on how to take better pictures (not just your run of the mill Flickr uploads) and make the most of your moments. With a little tech help, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to imitate the pros! Your relatives will be so impressed!

Here are his tips:

Find Your Center

To instantly make your shots more eye-catching, apply the rule of thirds, suggests William Wiley, associate professor of art at the University of Virginia. As you frame your subject, picture the image broken down into thirds, both horizontally and vertically (like a tic-tac-toe board). Position the focal point where you imagine one of the four lines intersect.

Edit For Free

Instead of paying for a retouching/altering program like Adobe Photoshop, download Gimp (gimp.org) for free. It has the same functions big-name apps have.

Save a Step

Eye-Fi cards (eye.fi) are memory cards that automatically and wirelessly upload photos to your home wireless network and your photo-sharing website as soon as the camera gets in range. The Wi-Fi-rigged cards, which cost $79 to $129 depending on functions, work with any camera that uses an SD card. The high-end geo-tagging card will even note where the photo was taken.

Keep It Clean

To wipe your memory card clean after saving or uploading your shots (rather than deleting every photo individually), go to the menu item “Format” on your camera. This will delete not only the pix but also other unnecessary bits of data that crud up your memory every time you click the shutter.

Landing a good doctor can seem as improbable as snagging the man of your dreams. Take the experience of Lifetime Online community member Auntie M: “I have yet to find a doctor who’s really interested in finding the cause of my ailments. All [she] seems to do is prescribe pills.”
We asked Edward Krupat, M.D., director of the Harvard Medical School Center for Evaluation and a leading expert in the study of physician-patient relationships, for some suggestions. Here’s what to do before you slip into that skimpy paper gown.

Pick Your Priorities.

Think about what’s important to you in a doctor and write it down. (Don’t skip the little stuff — every detail is important.) Do you feel most comfortable with a woman? Do you prefer someone with a particular type of training? Maybe you think older and more experienced is better, like the Lifetime Online community member who writes: “I like my doctors to be in their late 40s with some gray hair.” Once you’ve defined your “ideal doctor type,” you’re ready to start your search.

Ask Around.

One of the easiest ways to find a good physician is to get a vote of confidence from someone you trust, such as a close friend, family member or co-worker with the same health insurance. Just be wary when people tell you that their doctors are “the best.” Says Dr. Krupat, “It can be tough to tell what ‘best’ means. Is the doctor ‘the best technician’ or ‘the best at spending time with a patient?’ Make sure that the person you’re getting a referral from has the same priorities that you do.”

Take Your Search Online.

Use the Web to find out where a particular doctor did her residency, what her specialties are — even what she likes to do in her spare time (see “Where the Doctors Are on the Web” at right). Also, look into patient referral services provided by hospitals and your health plan. Many insurance companies offer information about their member doctors, but you often have to ask to get the listings.

Audition The Doc.

Once you’ve found a potential candidate, set up an office visit to meet the doctor so you can find out whether or not your interests mesh. “I like to interview my doctors,” says Lifetime Online community member Selene. “Many people don’t realize that they are allowed to have expectations of their doctors beyond their simply showing up and writing a prescription.” Dr. Krupat agrees. “The first meeting is like a first date,” he says. “You can size each other up and find out whether or not you work well together.” During the meeting, tell the doctor what you’re looking for in terms of the relationship and ask him to tell you the same. For instance, Dr. Krupat has found that some patients get frustrated when physicians offer a number of treatment options, rather than just telling them what to do. Others prefer docs with a more give-and-take style.

* Be alert to these warning signs. If any of the following occurs, find another physician:

1. She gives you orders, rather than discussing options.
2. She doesn’t give you an opportunity to ask questions.
3. She rushes you, without an apology.
4. She interrupts you while you’re voicing a concern.

While many Americans continue to struggle with the blow of the shrinking economy, Melinda from One Green Generation is taking a proactive approach by offering up some helpful money-saving tips that could help to ease financial headaches.  This is what she has to say:

First, take a look at your bills from last month. What were your highest monthly costs? Was it electricity? Water? Cable? Whatever it was, you should work on that first. Then, here are some things to think about:

1. Cut the Cable Television

Whoa, you say. But don’t stop reading. You can do it. I haven’t had cable television in six years. And I’ll let you in on a little secret: I work in the film and television industry! How do I keep up with what’s going on? Well, the internet helps a lot. I also check out movies at the library (you can reserve them online and wait until you receive an email that they’re ready for you), rent dvds at the local video store (it’s so great to watch a television series all the way through without commercials!), when there’s something we really want to watch we just get together at a friend’s house, but mostly we read and we talk instead.

Don’t worry about your kids making the transition - they’ll handle it. The library is full of good books, and you can even read a book out loud together as a family. Our family used to take turns each reading a chapter of the book - a great bonding experience. You can also play good old fashioned board games, which can be loads of fun - pick up a few at a local thrift store or garage sale (or your parents’ basement).

2. Reduce Your Electric Usage

As you cut your cable, you can turn off our television: the biggest energy guzzler in the house. As your incandescent bulbs wear out, replace them with CFLs - they are more expensive up front, but they will last many months longer and will save you a lot of money in electricity. Turn off lights unless you are in the room. Minimize your A/C or heater usage as much as you can - turn the A/C up a few degrees, turn the heater down a few degrees. Use a laptop rather than a desktop computer, if you can. Plus turn off the computer when you’re not using it. Turn down your hot water heater to 120F. And spend less time in the shower, which uses a lot of electricity (or gas) to heat the water.

3. Reduce trips in the car

Now is a good time to finally learn that public transportation system, or really carpool with your coworker who lives nearby. You don’t need to keep your kids from after-school activities, just arrange with other parents to carpool. Or even arrange an after-school bus - check into it with your school and find out who to call. Consolidate your errands for the week to one or two days when you’re already going out. And if you live within a mile or two, think about walking or biking instead.

4. Replace Junk Food With Good Food

For some reason, when we have to cut costs often the first thing we do is stop buying good food. Does that make sense, when this is the stuff that nurtures our bodies and helps our children grow up strong and healthy? Cut out the soda and alcoholic beverages and drink water instead, but don’t stop buying fresh fruit and vegetables as these are important.

Forgo eating out for a simple, home cooked meal instead. Bring your lunch to work and school rather than eating out. Rather than buying granola bars and other processed foods, make them from scratch - you might find it’s a lot easier than you think. Plus it’s a great after-school project for the kids to help make. And by all means, grow a fall and winter garden, or help a friend grow theirs in exchange for some of the goods.

If you’re really hurting economically and just can’t afford fresh fruit and vegetables, don’t be afraid to visit the local food bank. That’s what it’s there for.

5. Hang in there and reach out to others

In many other parts of the world, it is normal and customary to help one another when times are tougher. If you are lucky to be doing well, invite some friends over for dinner, or do something else to help (gently and respectfully, of course, as it is tough to ask for and accept help). If you’re not doing so well, don’t be shy about accepting a kind hand. Barter! My juicy backyard plums for your 6x hand-me-downs, for example. Now is the best time to start building your community by just living and being local, through and through. Together we are stronger.