Issue Date: March 11, 2007
5 tips for buff brides
June is the most popular month for weddings in America. Which means thousands of women now are counting down the days -- and stressing over how to look their best on their special day.
Get moving now to be a healthy June bride.
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Sue Fleming, author of the "Buff Brides" series, knows why: "The cake and flowers are forgotten after the wedding is over. The wedding picture stays on the mantel forever." Here, her tips for getting a wedding dress-ready body:
1. Don't try to do too much at the start, don't expect your body to do something it can't, and don't wait until a week before your wedding to start working out.
2. Make exercise a priority; planning a wedding is stressful, and there's no better release than exercise.
3. Create a basic home gym for when you just can't find the time to get to the gym.
4. An effective workout is a balanced workout: Include cardio and strength training, in addition to a proper nutrition plan.
5. Set realistic goals. You can't change your frame, but you can tone and sculpt your body.
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Go camping on a budget
Camping remains one of life's great bargains. A couple can outfit themselves with high-quality equipment for less than $500, says David Sweet, camping expert at About.com.
You can get years of use out of a few pieces of well-made camping equipment.
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DON'T SKIMP ON THE TENT. Look for double-stitched seams to prevent leaks and no-see-um netting on all window and door openings. Other cool features: two exits, so you don't have to crawl over each other, and tub-style flooring for extra leak protection. You can get it all in a two-person tent for $200, says Peter Olsen, of the American Hiking Society.
CHECK YOUR SLEEPING BAG'S TEMPERATURE RATING. Summer nights in mountain areas can get very cool, so you'll want a bag rated for 30 degrees and above, Olsen says. (If it's warm, unzip.) For three-season camping, invest in a separate bag for 20 degrees and above, which may be too heavy for summer. You can find good fiberfill or down sleeping bags for under $100 -- sometimes as low as $60, Sweet says. And get kids a true outdoor bag; save SpongeBob bags for indoor sleepovers. Add a mattress pad to create a thermal cushion between you and the ground.
SHOP THE DEALS. Wal-Mart usually has rock-bottom prices on basics, says Sweet, who recommends Coleman, Cabela's, Campmor, L.L.Bean and REI for more variety and good prices, guarantees and return policies.
Walecia Konrad is an award-winning consumer reporter.
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Easy, elegant dinner
It's a real powerhouse combination: salmon's brain-boosting, heart-protecting omega-3 fat and spinach's antioxidants.
Salmon on Spinach with Lemon Champagne Sauce
2 extra-large eggs, separated
4 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup dry white champagne or prosecco (Italian sparkling wine)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 5-ounce salmon fillets
2 10-ounce bagsfresh baby spinach
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Whisk in yolks and lemon juice. Transfer to a small pan and slowly add champagne, stirring constantly. Turn on low heat; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Do not boil. Remove from heat; stir in dill, salt and pepper. Makes 1 cup.
Meanwhile, coat fleshy side of fillet with black pepper, and grill or pan-fry until done, turning once. Remove skin.
Steam spinach in a large pot or in the microwave until tender. Stir in oil.
On each of four plates, place a bed of spinach. Top with a salmon fillet. Drizzle fillet with 1/4 cup sauce. Serve.
Serves 4
Per serving: 332 calories, 39g protein, 7g carbohydrates, 16g fat (3g saturated), 203mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 258mg sodium
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Scan your business cards
Shuffling through decks of business cards is no game when you need contact info ASAP.
CardScan Personal, a scanner the size of an average wallet, transforms card clutter into an easy-to-use virtual Rolodex. Linking to your PC via a USB cord (which also powers the device), CardScan not only retains images of the cards you run through it, but it also extracts the information and puts it in an address book. Entries can be synchronized with Outlook and PDA programs like Palm. And At Your Service, a free online backup server, provides remote access to saved files.
Although CardScan ($159.99 at cardscan.com) eliminates the chore of manual data entry, it sometimes misreads the fancy fonts and layouts of more creative cards, so double-check your work. Also, Mac users must download Boot Camp, a program that runs Windows, before using CardScan.
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