Issue Date: November 11, 2007
Surprise! You can haggle on the Internet
Most people assume that bargaining is best reserved for flea markets. But these days, websites that sell everything from mountain bikes to designer fashions are willing to give shoppers big breaks -- if you're smart enough to ask for one.
Negotiating for a better price can work if you are a loyal shopper.
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Great ways to haggle in cyberspace:
* First, check comparison shopping engines (such as Shopzilla, NexTag and mySimon) to find various sellers' prices on a specific item. You can use this info as a bargaining chip.
* Play favorites. Are you a loyal customer of one site because it offers a good selection and free shipping? If so, then when you find that mountain bike elsewhere at a lower price, e-mail or call the site's customer service desk. It may match the price if asked, but many sites keep mum about such policies to avoid lots of requests.
* Already paid for the item, then found it cheaper? Some retailers will match a competitor's price up to 14 days after a sale, so keep your receipts.
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Kids, manners and Thanksgiving
In addition to fun and family togetherness, Thanksgiving can present a cornucopia of opportunities for your children's manners to fly out the window. To ensure your holiday isn't for the birds, chart your way to better behavior:
| CHALLENGE |
HOW TO HANDLE IT |
| Kids arrive cranky and crumpled. |
Comfort is key for a lengthy car trip. Don't dress the kids in their party clothes at home. Plan a pit stop a few minutes from your destination to change, or wait until you arrive to trade PJs for petticoats.
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| Kids either aren't hungry or are starving when the bird lands on the table. |
Schedule dinner as close to their normal mealtime as possible. If your family's tradition is to serve the Thanksgiving meal at 3 or 4 p.m., feed the kids a snack around their usual lunchtime. Tell them they're expected to sit at the table and taste a few things even if they're not very hungry. |
| Picky eaters exclaim "Yuck!" at the sight of your sister's broccoli casserole. |
Forget the "clean plate club." Don't ruin dinner by arguing over every bite. If you're worried about offending the chef, tell your kids ahead of time to hold their tongues regarding the food, eat what they want and leave the rest. Explain to your host that you have an unadventurous eater on your hands. |
| Children are abandoned at the "kids' table." |
Advocate for togetherness at the table. If you're hosting, set two tables with mixed generations. Ask guests to bring photos of Thanksgivings past to share with their young table mates. |
| Aunt Muriel comes at the kids with her bright red lipstick. |
Don't mandate hugs and kisses. Explain to your kids that although they don't have to kiss every cousin, they are expected to shake hands, maintain eye contact and smile. Sulking on the couch is not OK. |
| Your shy child stays glued to your lap. |
Give slow-to-warm-up kids specific scripts and activities to use during the day. Try role-playing ahead of time to give your child practice at breaking the ice. Arm him with a favorite board game he can play with his cousins. |
Parenting expert Ann Pleshette Murphy is a contributing editor.
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Curb that charley horse
The severity of a muscle cramp can vary -- from a nagging pain to an unbearable tightness that stops you dead in your tracks. Also known as a "charley horse," the cramp is a sudden, painful, involuntary contraction of skeletal muscles. It can strike in the middle of exercise, during an athletic event or in the middle of the night. There's no cure, but there are ways to manage and even prevent them.
"Stretching of the affected muscles is an effective initial therapy for cramps," says Javier Maquirriain, M.D., director of the High Performance National Sports Centre in Buenos Aires.
Stretching can help to prevent muscle cramps during exercise or at night.
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The key to avoiding cramps during exercise is to "prevent premature fatigue," Maquirriain says, by "maintaining a well-balanced diet, including carbohydrates and electrolytes, and routinely conducting periodic stretching." In the case of cramping during exercise, he recommends stopping the activity.
However, if you suffer repeated episodes of muscle cramping that aren't alleviated by stretching, see your doctor. It "may be a symptom of serious conditions such as diabetes or vascular problems," Maquirriain says.
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