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Thursday, November 26, 2009

Gemini wants to stay friends after romantic fling

Is it possible for men and women to be friends after having an intimate relationship?

Arthritis myth: skip potatoes, tomatoes

I have arthritis, and I read somewhere that I should not eat green peppers, potatoes or tomatoes with this ailment. Then I read an article that said this is a myth. Which is correct?

Loving thy neighbor, even on long flight

The middle seat is not choice on a long international flight, but it's what I was assigned, and I settled in between two large men.

Ex-Kiss drummer: breast cancer not just for women
Lying in bed one night in 2007, Peter Criss felt something strange: a small lump on his left breast. "I thought, 'It's a nodule, I'm a guy, I don't think it's anything more than that,"' he said. "The more I messed with it, the bigger it got and the more it hurt, and that started really scaring me."

Put food safety on Thanksgiving menu

With visions of turkey dancing in our collective heads, families across the country are preparing their Thanksgiving Day menus.

Author urges giving 'entitled' teenagers responsibilities

Is there an ungrateful teenager living in your house?

Bullies not just on playground

It often is assumed that the schoolyard is where bullies go to make other kids miserable, but a new study suggests that classrooms are another popular site.

Cute, fluffy bichon-mix turns into beast

My 7-month-old bichon frise-mix puppy, Leo, has turned into a little beast. He is chewing things he's never chewed before, digging in the garden, and most annoying of all, he's barking at us while we eat, work on the computer, talk on the phone etc. He has recently been neutered. He is house-trained and crate-trained. I do use the crate to give him some cooling off time when he gets too nutty. We give him two to three good walks a day. My husband works from home and I work part-time, so he's getting plenty of time with us. Can you help us make it through the puppy teenage years?

Log homes open on Morris tour Friday

Visitors to the Grundy County Corn Festival often have noticed a distinctive log home during the ride out to the country. That log house -- plus a home converted from a barn -- will be among the residences opening for touring on Friday during a housewalk in south suburban Morris.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

How to (carefully) handle family at holidays
For many people, 'tis the season to be grumpy owing to family conflicts that explode during bird day gatherings and boil over again around Hanukkah and Christmas. But there are ways (healthy ways) to avoid -- or at least endure -- the grief. "Try not to talk too much," says Chicago student Dan Zavorotny. "Eat and go in the living room and watch TV. Or hang out with the younger kids."

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Does anyone go a-courtin'?
What is it you want, Mary? What do you want?" Jimmy Stewart asks Donna Reed in the timeless Capra classic "It's a Wonderful Life." They're standing outside on a moonlit night after tumbling into a swimming pool at Mary's school dance. Love is in their eyes. The courting and cooing continue. "You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down," Stewart exclaims. He jabbers on some more before asking, "Am I talking too much?"

Is your car prepared for winter?
There's nothing worse than being stranded -- except being stranded in bad winter weather. Colder months are tougher on cars, and a little preventive care now will go a long way toward keeping your car running smoothly in the face of snow, sleet and freezing temperatures.

Capricorn's Internet chat turns to travel

I met a guy (born March 4, 1958) on an Internet dating site in 2007. We chatted mostly about sexual topics. I flew to California to meet him. We met in a public setting and had dinner and drinks. He was very polite, talkative and sexy.

Lending a hand to stop swine flu

Hospitals, churches, firehouses and even taxi companies are loading up on hand sanitizer, changing behavior and taking other steps to prevent the spread of swine flu.

Food poisoning, stomach flu get same treatment

How can you tell whether you have a stomach virus or food poisoning? What do you do for each?

'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan in Rosemont

The Dog Whisperer is headed this way.

Life is short, infidelity's harm isn't

'Life is Short. Have an Affair." So reads the catchphrase for the Ashley Madison Web site, a business devoted to helping married men and women sexually hook-up with different partners. Recently I debated its creator, Noel Biderman, on the "Laura Ingraham Show."

Mutt's total joy at every arrival

As long as we've had our 4-year-old mutt, she yowls with joy when my wife and I come home from work or from a 10-minute outing. She greets us like we've been gone for days. Why does she do this?

Social networks can help academics: study

Social-networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter can help community college students become more engaged in their academics, a report out this week finds.

Hard Rock Hotel takes the wrap

Downtown shoppers can have their holiday gifts wrapped in exchange for a charitable donation on Nov. 27 at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Apartment industry takes a bow

The Chicagoland Apartment Marketing and Management Excellence Awards -- billed as the "Academy Awards" of the Chicago area's apartment industry -- recently were presented to winners in all facets of the business.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Holiday shopping without the financial headaches
You can have fun shopping for holiday gifts without overspending. One west suburban husband and wife talk about their strategies, which include sticking to their budget and writing down what they've purchased for everyone. “We still have a really nice Christmas, but at least I feel like it’s in control now,” says Cindi Duncan.

Small donations yield big results

When Wendy Smith was a teenager, her family sponsored a child from Cambodia who was about Smith's age. The experience, she says, had "a very big impact on me."

Fruit's sugar won't cause weight gain

Recently, one of my co-workers said that eating too much fruit can make you gain weight because of its high sugar content. Is this true?

Gemini has wasted Capricorn's time

I am a Capricorn born Dec. 28, 1965 at 11:31 a.m., who has been involved for 15 years with a Gemini (born June 8, 1966). Our relationship is one that "ebbs and flows" and it makes me crazy.

Cougars are hot in Hollywood but endangered in real world

Darin Riggio has a thing for older women -- he dated his first "Cougar" when he was a 19-year-old college student. She was 43.

Beauty at home tops desire to save energy

Consumers are willing to watch their energy bills go up 70 percent before feeling forced to make energy-efficient home improvements.

What's so bad about yelling at kids?

Mine has to be the most guilt ridden generation of parents that has ever existed.

How to get best Yule pet photos

Pet owners love to take photographs of their pets, and often the photograph ends up as the family's Christmas card.

Dogs visit with Mr. Scrooge

How about taking the family dog for a photo with a touch of drama?

What if every product had alarming alerts like medicines?

"Do you have NOPQ? If so, ask your doctor about Nopquease." I can't tell you how many times I've watched commercials for medicine on TV without ever figuring out what malady it is supposed to cure.

Family feud sends dogs packing

Q. Do you know what happened to the two shepherds, Shoka and Nala, on "Jon and Kate Plus Eight?" The dogs have vanished.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Elmo teaches kids swine flu's nothing to sneeze at
Mention swine flu to a young child, and odds are pretty good you'll get a blank stare. But an increasing number of kids can tell you that the Sesame Street character "Elmo" sneezes properly into the crook of his arm, and if they sing the whole "ABCs" song while washing their hands they'll get them really clean. They're also well acquainted with hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial wipes -- and their germ-fighting abilities.

Want to donate that coat you rarely wear anymore?

As Old Man Winter readies for another cold winter, several Chicago area organizations are hosting coat drives to warm the needy and homeless.

11.09 Easy does it calendar

6 Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey and newcomer Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe star in the thought-provoking "Precious," opening today.

New gizmos for seniors at Idea House

A therapy-based entertainment system -- designed to encourage wellness and social connectedness that can help prevent memory loss -- will be among the new technologies to help seniors showcased in the Idea House, on display next week at McCormick Place.

Suzanne Somers' new book dispels cancer treatment

Suzanne Somers is at it again. Less than a year after the former sitcom actress frustrated mainstream doctors (and cheered some fans) by touting bioidentical hormones on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," she's back with a new book.

Striking a balance

When things get out of control and you momentarily lose your emotional balance, there are any number of little things you can do to regain it.

Limits of automatic 401(k) plans

Automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans, which is on the rise, appears to significantly boost participation in the plans, but the process may leave some workers with too little in savings when they retire.

Gimme a break, Mr. Landlord

Two-thirds of independent landlords will reduce rents to help tenants remain in their homes. And one-third of these landlords say they have lowered rents over the past 18 months, according to a new survey.

Back to nursery basics

Once upon a time, the ideal for a child's room was a cozy haven filled with sturdy push-pull toys, handmade dolls and a few baskets of dress-up clothes.

What's hot right now

New York City makeup artist and La Prairie Colour Ambassador Raychel Wade talks cosmetics:

Helicopter parents set new track record

This weekend I forgot my cell phone when I went out to do a few errands. It was fantastic! My kids couldn't bug me every eight minutes with "Where are you, when are you coming home, and can you please get to the store for 'fill in the blank?' "

Hospice dog kept working in old age

As a therapy dog, Baxter comforted hundreds of hospice patients in their final hours. This year, old age caught up with Baxter.

1970s baby bottles have mom worried

My children are grown now, but back in the late 1970s I would mix their baby formula with boiled water and put it into the plastic liners of disposable baby bottles, which I now know contain bisphenol A (BPA). My children haven't had any problems, but I am still concerned about the danger I've put them in. Is there anything they need to know to minimize their cancer risks?

Capricorn 'tests' lady charmer's ways

I have been casually dating a man born Oct. 5, 1974. In his job, he is constantly meeting women. I like him a lot and feel that he likes me. I have tested him in my own little ways and he passed. Can you advise if I should take this to the next level? I was born Jan. 10, 1971 at 5:11 a.m.

Remodeling tough on couples

Seventy-eight percent of home remodeling professionals witnessed an argument between a couple in the last year, according to a new survey. The disagreements were either in the planning stage or during the remodeling work.

Obese, pregnant and now worried about weight gain

Probably few women can imagine not gaining weight while pregnant.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Lonely after divorce, she wonders if a dog is the answer
A reader wonders, what kind of dog would be a good match for a newly single 58-year-old woman?

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