Wednesday, October 31
Careful there, don't scare yourself
I was thinking how it's getting harder and harder to scare ourselves these days. We've become numb, what with all the grizzly criminal-investigation shows on television and the gruesome slasher movies. Then I went to the mailbox and pulled out my first envelope from AARP. I screamed like Janet Leigh in "Psycho."
Wall colors, shelves can give masks friendly face
Dear Mi-Ling: I have three large masks we bought in Jamaica. I have them on a wall in our living room right now. I want to move them to the bedroom and hang them on one of the walls. It happens to be the largest and barest wall in the bedroom. What else can I hang with them so it doesn't look like three large masks on the wall?
Aged garlic might keep your heart young
Vampires reportedly are repelled by garlic, a little-tested phenomenon here because of a seemingly small supply of the blood-sucking creatures. More important is the effect of garlic on blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Flashback of the Day
Flashback of the Day for Oct. 31
Look what's new on the site this Halloween!
Don't be spooked! We've got all-new material on the site for you today ... and it's not scary at all! Click through for previews and links to whatever catches your eye.
Tuesday, October 30
Just as tart and just as sweet
Cook your cranberries with less sugar.
Flashback of the day
The Rumble in the Jungle!
Food service grounded
Whenever I fly, I pine wistfully for the time when planes flew half-empty and a person could stretch out, maybe nap across two or even three seats. We didn’t care about carbon footprints or business efficiency in those halcyon days of yore. But now more humans are wedged into smaller airplanes, and I find myself exceedingly grateful to be short.
Breath of life
We’ve taken multi-tasking to its zenith, try to pack too much into limited time frames, set impossible deadlines, and end up feeling pretty frazzled much of the time. It’s easy for me to get out of balance physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Arguments over heirlooms can tear families apart
In the best of cases, families get along wonderfully. They find ways to agreeably apportion belongings based on mutual regard, mindful of an object's financial and sentimental value. Numerous families tell tales of how this can be done successfully. But arguments over stuff can also rip apart families.
Here's what is fresh on the site this Tuesday
From a the simplicity of breathing to the sticky subject of who gets which family heirlooms, we've got something for everyone on BoomerGirl today. Read on for previews and quick links.
Monday, October 29
In search of the spirit of soul food
Life is funny how it takes you back. Despite all the places you've been. Sometimes it stops you and reminds you of the lessons you were once taught. Tells you not to forget where you came from.
A promise kept
Cancer survivor looks back on battle well fought
The realization was slow in coming. When Kim Dilldine was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago, the realization didn’t dawn on her then-13-year-old son, Tyler, until long after she began wearing a hat to disguise her hair loss.
Come to the dark side …
I am not a natural redhead. Granted, after 20 something years of being one, I probably could claim that status, and would happily. Despite what anyone would say, I would be hard pressed to change my hair color. Unless, of course it was an accident.
Look what's fresh on the site this Monday!
From food that feeds the soul to a breast cancer survival story with heart, we've got it for you on BoomerGirl today. Read on for details and links to whatever you want to read.
As boomers retire early, Social Security age may increase
Despite predictions that the next generation of seniors will work into retirement, Delores Hiroms may be more typical of what most people will actually try to do. Delores counts the days until April, when she'll retire from the mortgage company where she's worked for about 20 years. "I've watched others wait until 65 or 66 to retire," she said. "But I can't sit around that long. I've got too much living to do."
Saturday, October 27
Small wonder
Gardener gets big results in little space
Molly Mulloy can empathize with gardeners who have a petite space, but she’ll also be the first to espouse all the wonderful aspects that a limited garden has to offer.
Options improve on coverings for sliding glass doors
Dear Mi-Ling: What are the options in covering sliding-glass doors, besides vertical blinds or drapery? Have vertical blinds improved from the 1980s? I would like light but privacy in the evening.
Turn up the heat with some chili
There are hundreds of recipes for chili, be it red, white or green. Perhaps the best chili is made at home with the cook's personal preferences for color, beans or no beans, fiery spice or mild flavor, tomatoey or creamy, meat or vegetarian.
Will testers draw the line on new eyeliner shades?
Women who use eyeliner swear by its ability to transform peepers. A little and you'll look more wide-eyed and awake. A lot and you'll be all smolder and drama. While most of us pick dark brown or black as our basic, we asked three women to try three unusual shades they might not pick without prodding. What did they think of the experiment?
Weekends are for enjoying fresh content!
Put your feet up and savor our new stories on the Health, Garden, Beauty and Home pages today. Click through for previews and quick links to whatever interests you most!
Friday, October 26
Shopping & sipping
With wine and more, trendy boutiques redefine girls' night out
It's Thursday night and the music is pumping. A bartender serves up white wine and pink martinis to women who arrive in groups and cluster together to compliment one another's shoes, and cute tops and hair.
Look here for what's new on the site today
We're heading into the weekend with fresh stories on the Travel, Friends and Home pages plus a a fresh new Herspective on things. Read on for details and links to whatever interests you.
Get control of your stuff
We all know that clutter drags you down. It zaps your energy as well as the energy of your environment. But that doesn’t seem to prevent us from making it, collecting it and nurturing it.
Getting naked with strangers
The baths of Baden-Baden
It’s tough for many women to go naked at 57. The once perky parts now slope downwards. There are stretch marks and cesarean scars and droopy tummies and thighs that move at their own pace.
Thursday, October 25
Be wary of the future of adjustable rate mortgages
"I don't claim to be a financial genius, but I have worked in the underwriting department of a large mortgage loan company for the past 10 years. Based on what we were told to do when processing loan applications in the past, I can tell you that the reports you see on the news about bad loans are severely understated."
Various pieces stand in for nightstands
Every nightstand has a story. I paid $25 at a second-hand store in midtown Manhattan for a wooden nightstand that now holds some of my favorite books.
See what's up for grabs on the site today
From a BoomerGirl with a passion for the Red Sox to a hilarious complaint about all those "Complaint Free" bracelets, we've got a variety of new content to choose from today. Read on for short explanations and quick links.
Rocks or the Sox?
Fan torn between hometown loyalty, state pride in this year’s Series
This year’s World Series represents a dilemma for Val Pleasant, who lived her first 28 years a small town about 30 miles north of Boston. Pleasant has been a dedicated fan of the Red Sox for as long as she can remember. But she makes her home now in Colorado, and her husband and sons will be rooting for the Rockies.
Wednesday, October 24
For 'Better' creator Johnston, life takes a bittersweet turn
In early September, fans of the comic strip "For Better or For Worse" began to notice that some of the strips departed in style from their usual appearance and seemed situated in another time. Newspapers around the country have been fielding questions from confused readers.
When their instructors battle breast cancer, students share the struggle
There's no lesson plan for teachers dealing with breast cancer. But most teachers can find someone at their school who has gone through the highs and lows.
Here's what is new on the site this Wednesday
We've got fresh, timely stories on the Health, Home, Women in Profile and blog pages today. Read on for previews and quick links to the new material.
Flashback of the day
There she was just a-walkin' down the street ...
Tuesday, October 23
Locate your misplaced libido
Dear Susan: I’m 56 and seem to have misplaced my libido. I thought it was temporary, due to menopause symptoms, stress, getting kids through high school and off to college.
A peek into the sex lives of couples beyond 50
It used to be so easy. You've been together for a long time (could it really be more than 30 years?) and sex has generally been a reliable, carefree part of your relationship. Things have begun to change though, and it's getting you down.
Be grateful for the small things
The power of thanks goes deeper than the polite, almost automatic response you give when someone opens a door or delivers a message. Deborah Norville describes it as an active, aware process: "It's the knowing and the recognition, the acknowledgement and the gratefulness for the benefit you've received."
Here's to Tuesdays!
We've got advice for a sagging libido, a celebrity book review and lots more on the site today. Read on for details and links to whatever flips your switch.
Flashback of the day
An extravagant price hike!
Monday, October 22
A passion for social justice
"Any church that's alive and thriving involves itself in charity, which is reaching out to the community, to the neighbors, to the world. The difference for my ministry is we focus on the justice aspect. Why are the people poor? Why do we need the soup kitchens and the food pantries?"
Easing joint pain takes time and patience
October is National Family Health Month but unfortunately, as people age, one in three adults experiences some type of joint discomfort, making it difficult to participate in many physical family activities.
Look what's fresh on the site this Monday
From a new beauty regimen for your face to a renewed interest in social justice for your soul, today's BoomerGirl has a little something for almost everyone. Click through for a taste.
Flashback of the day
A tense time for the nation.
Give flavors time to blend
Patience in the kitchen can pay off.
Saturday, October 20
Comfort found in native dishes
Every fall, Christine Kramer, 56, of Wauwatosa, Wis., is reminded of her childhood when she thinks of the traditional German-Austrian plum tart her grandmother made when they were new immigrants in Milwaukee.
Taking stock, making stock
Sunny weekends in fall pose such a dilemma to the lazy home-dweller. (If you've already core-aerated and overseeded your lawn and replaced your petunias with mums, you have my deep, uncomprehending admiration.)
Scents and sensibility: Must-have perfumes
Nothing can make a woman feel as unabashedly female as a captivating new fragrance, the kind that wraps you up in a sexy embrace as you dab it on your neck, decolletage and wrists.
Reaching out with a handshake or hug
They're trained to read a visitor's body language as the person approaches the front doors, sometimes with kids in tow. Lost? They show you the way. Hurried? They clear a path. Scared? A smile puts you at ease.
Welcome to the weekend!
Kick back this weekend with fresh stories on BoomerGirl! The Spirituality, Food, Home and Beauty pages all have new content for you to peruse. Click through for the details.
Friday, October 19
Fit for fall
Autumn, winter vegetable offers wide range of tastes and uses
Janet Majure had to invent butternut squash ravioli out of necessity. This year, the local farmers alliance has enjoyed an abundance of the yellow squash. And there’s only so much soup and plain squash one can eat, it turns out.
Book reflects life with grown autistic son
Twenty-nine years is a long time to have your heart torn apart. But that's exactly how it feels to watch the autistic son you love be unfairly judged and scorned by strangers for his behavior.
A pot of gold for fondue franchisee
Like many baby boomers, Mira Selbo had her first brush with fondue in an avocado-green earthenware pot her parents owned and that her older sister would haul out for parties.
See what's cooking on the site today!
Our plates are full with fresh stories on the Books, Business and Food pages plus a new blog by Dennis Anderson (What About Me?) in the Men's Room. Read on for details and links to whatever interests you.
Thursday, October 18
Make long-term plans whether wedding bells are in the future or not
Q: I am 61 and have been divorced twice. For the last three years, I have been living with a woman four years younger who was divorced once. Each of us has grown children, all of whom are unhappy with our relationship.
Look here to see what's new on the site today!
We've got fresh stories on the Fitness, Advice, Women in Profile and blog pages this Thursday. Click through to find previews and quick links to whatever appeals to you.
Get moving to beat depression
Q: I was watching Bill Mar on TV and he said that a recent study showed exercise was just as effective for depression as Zoloft. Was he just kidding? Or is this real?
Billionaire breaks gender barriers on campaign trail
As billionaire Penny Pritzker stood in the kitchen of her Lincoln Park home in early January, she and her husband debated whether her schedule could take on another massive challenge.
Wednesday, October 17
Boomer No. 1 files for Social Security benefits
The nation's "first" baby boomer, a retired teacher from New Jersey, applied for Social Security benefits Monday, signaling the start of an expected avalanche of applications from the post World War II generation.
Sweater weather
Sweaters are definitely IN, and they’re available in more styles and patterns than you could wish for!
Rolling over your retirement plan to an IRA can expand options
When it's time to part ways with an employer, it's easy to forget about your 401(k) defined contribution plan. However, there are good reasons to put your decision about its future on the front-burner.
Here's what's new on the site this Wednesday!
We've got everything from Social Security to fall fashion to protesting Paris-style on the site today. Click through for previews and links to whatever you want to read right now!
Tuesday, October 16
Flashback of the day
An indelible image.
Ethnic condiments challenge supremacy of traditional toppings
For years, ketchup was Natasha White's condiment of choice, dressing her eggs, potatoes and anything greasy. Then she discovered someting new.
Exfoiliate your lips
Keep your kisser kissable.
Before the workout, seek the workout clothes
Q: I'm just starting to work out. I wonder whether outfitters have clothes in larger sizes or only sizes for those who are already fit and trim.
Look what's in store for you on the site today!
From Web sites that expose cheating partners to advice on how to stay fit when you've broken a bone, we've got plenty of fresh content on BoomerGirl today. Read on for quick links to these stories and more!
Exposing his cheatin' heart
Torn up that she had wasted 15 years on a pathological liar and cheat, one woman says she wasn't quite sure where to turn. So she fired up an Internet search, finding a host of Web sites that offer support, resources and, in some cases, a vindictive outlet for victims of cheating hearts.
Monday, October 15
Light up your lampshades
Let the light through but keep the dust away
A bitter inheritance
Breast cancer has crept its way through Lisa Lujan's life like an insidious, destructive weed. Her oldest sister was diagnosed at age 35 and again at 50. After her sister died, Lujan, 47, couldn't put it off any longer — she had to know if she carried a gene that increased her risk of the disease.
Spooky holiday is a bone of contention
Dear Susan: I just got off the phone with my daughter (age 26) where she told me the Halloween is the holiday of the devil, that we are honoring the devil by having our Halloween party, and that she and the grandkids (ages 4 and 7) will not be coming.
The trick to the retirement fund is making it last
As more Americans take on the job of investing and managing their retirement money, there will come a day when they face an equally challenging assignment: making it last.
Look what's fresh on the site this Monday
We've got new content on the Health, Advice, Retirement and Red Skirt/Blue Skirt pages today. Read on for quick links to whatever strikes your fancy.
Saturday, October 13
Wear ascots for a feeling of freedom, a dash of individuality
One would assume that an inaugural gathering would be an odd choice for a man to make a fashion statement.
October brings scary savings
Take a look around and note the store windows and retail shelves swathed in orange and black and coated in cotton-spun spider webs. "I don't want Halloween clothes or haunted-house furniture," you say.
Sprucing up an overgrown garden often requires gradual approach
Gardens grow and change, and that is part of their beauty, but what do you do when your garden is past its prime? You do not have to remove all of your landscaping and start over, but keep in mind that it will take some time to rejuvenate an overly mature garden.
Green tomatoes: the last pickings
I like this time in the garden — the quiet, the coolness in the soil, the musky smell of decay, the promise of a respite from the weeding and hoeing and harvesting. Those green tomatoes are the last thing I'll pick until spring's greens.
Friday, October 12
I dress my cats up as chickens, and I don't need your judging
Pets are becoming more and more like family members, but is putting them in costumes going too far?
Recipe capitalizes on pumpkin season
I tend to view the stretch from Halloween to Thanksgiving as one segment of the culinary calendar. In part, that’s because the weather in October and November is so distinct from summer and winter, which precede and follow. Those two months are their own season.
9 reasons to get up and call the doctor
When that nagging problem means you should see a health professional
Your doctor prescribes a medicine for your condition. But it doesn't help. Neither does the second. After a month of trying, the third works fine and you feel better. While you're thinking you got a miracle medicine, it's just as likely your body healed itself during the weeks you played checkers with pill bottles.
Manzanita: a secret Oregon for any season
I really didn't need life to be much better than it was at that moment along this stretch of Oregon's north coast, a place that in any season is a bit of a secret.
Check out the fresh stuff on the site right here!
We've got rock 'n' roll, pumpkin pecan pastries, and cats in chicken hats today. What more could you ask for? Read on for details and quick links!
Thursday, October 11
Book rips up luxury industry
Luxury is increasingly available to the fashion-addicted shopper who skips meals to save for those Prada shoes or the "It" handbag. But the so-called "democratization" of luxury has taken away its power.
On the rocks: Tuaca
With fall here, it's practically time for going over the river and through the wood, but this year, kick off Thanksgiving not with turkeys but with Tuaca, an imported Italian liqueur that pairs perfectly with one of autumn's most iconic harvests: the apple.
See what's in store on the site today!
We've got pink products, Tuaca cocktails, book reviews and more today. Read on to get previews and quick links to the fresh content!
Practical in pink
This year's breast cancer charity products are meant to last
It's Breast Cancer Awareness month and stores are filled with more fund-raising products than ever. What's new this year? The emphasis is on the practical — things that can be used over and over again.
Wednesday, October 10
Is there a nip and tuck in my future?
A few years back after seriously researching the pros and cons of plastic surgery, I decided that the face I had was the one I would keep. Let others go under the knife; I would just admire the results and try not to harbor any jealousy.
Divorce and downward real estate market a dangerous mix
Slumping real estate prices, coupled with tighter lending practices today by the same banks and lenders that helped land millions of Americans in a financial pickle, are serious problems for all homeowners who got caught with their britches down as the markets closed in around them. But when divorce is thrown into the mix, the difficulties multiply exponentially.
Cozy up to a warmer home in autumn
Cool fall days might draw you outside to the garden, but fall evenings call you back indoors.
Look at what's new on the site this Wednesday
From advice on how to survive a divorce when finances get tight to tips on sprucing up your home from fall, you'll find it AND our candle giveaway on BoomerGirl today. Click through for links to the fresh stuff.
Flashback of the day
"Arizona Bridge" just doesn't have the same ring.
Quick mirror clean-up
Because it's difficult to see through a haze of Aqua-Net.
Tuesday, October 9
Strike up the band
A passion can drive you to do unexpected things. Going back to college at age 47 is a daunting task in its own right. Joining the university's marching band - full of fresh-faced students in their late teens and early 20s - is another challenge all together.
Accessories play starring role
It is a fashion fact that most of us find it less intimidating to enter a new season through accessories.
25 steps to a healthy and happier workplace
How to rise above work's rigors and lighten up on the job
There are several aspects of a typical work environment that can be adjusted for an improved day and job life. We've compiled expert advice in four areas related to work life: ergonomics, employee nutrition and fitness, work station organization and design, and relaxation amid stress.
Here's what's fresh on the site this Tuesday
The candle contest rages on and there's new content on the Business, Fashion, Women in Profile and Blog pages today. Click through for links and the lowdown.
Flashback of the day
The debut of 'the music of the night.'
Tidy before bed
Wake up to a fresh new home.
Monday, October 8
Flashback of the day
"Just Another Woman In Love" helps win the day.
Paging through an Italian idyll
"If it grows together, it goes together." That adage echoes our No. 1 rule of food and wine pairing, "Think regionally," and it applies nowhere more strongly than in Italy, whose food and wine are so regionally driven.
Look what's cookin' on the site today!
Mondays are brighter with free candles and new content on the Wine, Sex, Food and blog pages. Read more for highlights and links to whatever piques your interest.
Sex is better than scotch
One of my aunts greeted her first menopausal hot flash by hosting an all-girl party. "I don't have to have sex anymore," she gleefully told the gals.
Pork & apples: Foods to fall for
To celebrate autumn, I'm sharing a recipe that calls for my two fall favorites, pork and apples, and including my favorite mashed potato recipe to serve on the side.
Saturday, October 6
Are you a filer or a piler?
There's usually a method to the madness of organizing recipes
What's your trick for organizing recipes?
Super shoppers share garage-sale strategies
A successful yard sale outing depends more on planning and less on shopping, according to the folks at Fire Finance. Using maps, power tools, paper towels and ropes, they hunt down yard sale deals for their home. Here are some of their tips!
In needlework class, leave rules and worries behind - but not your hoop
The No. 1 Embroidery Basic, even at the school with no rules: Thou Shall Not Abandon the Hoop. Without it, it's simply sewing. With it, it's art in the making.
Dig into spring
Plant bulbs now so you’ll have flowers in March
They look like papery brown onions now. But come March, April and May, the bulbs will produce the flowers of spring, like snowdrops, daffodils and tulips. So invest some time this fall to plant bulbs.
Look at what's fresh on the site this weekend
If our free Er'go candle giveaway doesn't thrill you, perhaps our new stories on the Home, Garden, Create and Food pages will. Read on for quick links to whatever you think you'll enjoy.
Friday, October 5
The new Martha is worth spending time with
It's Martha's off-the-cuff comments that keep me coming back. I never cared for her older shows; they seemed overly scripted and she came off stiff. But the new live format goes completely against Martha's innate need to control every tiny detail, and so it makes for great television.
The color purple: fashion’s bright idea for fall
Purple is ubiquitous in fall clothes, and no wonder. It’s flattering in many shades, and is friendly to most skin tones, hair colors and ages.
From virus to vaccine
Professor clears a crucial path to preventing cervical cancer
The back story of the new cervical-cancer vaccine includes, among its many twists: Warts, Italian nuns, a virus old as humanity — and a Peace Corps returnee who launched her pivotal career in sexually transmitted diseases (STD) through a chance encounter at the Seattle-area Northgate Mall.
Here is what's new on the site today!
Fridays are for candle giveaways and good, fresh content. Click through to find the new stories and blogs on everything from Martha to the color purple!
Changing seasons linked to changing mood
Ah, the changing of the seasons. The snap in the air, the gorgeous leaves, the complete inability to get your carcass out of bed and face the day. The earlier night falls, the faster your mood plummets. Have you noticed?
Thursday, October 4
Task mastering: Decide what must be done, what can wait
Ah, autumn, so happily filled with the new: clothes, sports, the latest TV shows. Then you remember the familiar cycle of fall chores: caulking windows, raking leaves, lugging in lawn furniture and wondering if the furnace will start. (Apartment dwellers can grin smugly and head off to a movie or a bike trail. Mulching? What's that?)
Affairs are relationship treason
Our popular culture teaches that an affair is just something that happens in relationships, it's really not such a big deal.
Break loose in Minneapolis
Do you need a reason to get away with your friends for a couple of days to Minneapolis? Here are a few!
Look what's on tap on the site today
From the great gray hair debate to the devastation of extra-marital affairs, our new stories and blogs run the gamut today. Click through for highlights and quick links to what you want to read right now.
Tip-top terra cotta
Keep your container garden looking like new.
Flashback of the day
Meet everyone's favorite beagle.
Wednesday, October 3
Choosing a car for your teen driver
Your 16-year-old wants a Jeep convertible. You want him to drive a Crown Victoria. How do you find a car that will let your teen face his friends, but won't make you a nervous wreck?
Rolling out the welcome mat for a better front door
Every time Edith Nettleton walked through her front doors, the ugly gold-colored bullet glass glared at her. The double entry doors of her Walnut Creek, Calif., home were original to the house and in desperate need of an upgrade.
Make sure your lawyer is working for you
Q: I am e-mailing you and asking for an immediate response because I am in deep trouble. I believe my lawyer is trying to squeeze me into a settlement to avoid two days in court. I am out of money and time.
Look what's new on the site this Wednesday!
We've got Er'go candles in our new contest and five new stories and blogs for you today. Click through to get details and quick links.
Study finds DDT, breast cancer link
Women heavily exposed to the pesticide DDT during childhood are five times as likely to develop breast cancer, a new scientific study suggests.
Tuesday, October 2
Flashback of the day
A new face on the Court.
Shine up your toaster
What to do when the bread bag gets too close for comfort.
Finding a lotion that helps men put best face forward
Do real men use moisturizers? Of course! That is, if they care at all about preserving their good looks and protecting their complexions from the daily assaults of the environment. And yes, because in some cases, the women in their lives insist upon it.
It's easy to hear what you're missing
More often than not, people put off getting a hearing aid after they first notice it's getting harder to hear.
Surprise: The hibiscus can thrive up north, too
You don’t have to speak with a southern drawl or play the Hawaiian ukulele to grow hibiscus. Some kind of hibiscus can be grown outdoors almost everywhere.
We've got another winner and lots of new features on the site today
Congratulations to Kathy Petrucelli from Morrisville, N.C., winner of the Jeff Leedy print! Read on to find out what our exciting NEW prize is for October's giveaway and the rundown of today's new stories and blogs.
Post-divorce dating is a balancing act for parents
The cell-phone calls would start a couple hours after she left. "Mom, it's 10 o'clock, when are you coming home?" And later, "Mom, where are you now, Mom?"
Monday, October 1
Seven ways to jazz up autumn dinner routine
Fall arrived Sunday Sept. 23, and brought with it a new way of thinking about food — especially when the chilly evenings finally settle in.
Check association rules before moving
Dear Mi-Ling: We now live in an apartment and it is one with many strict rules. For example, I put window boxes with colorful flowers on my window sills and was told to remove them as they are not allowed here. In any case, I've been trying to do small things inside to make it pretty, but I'm running out of ideas.
A well-heeled closet
The latest, greatest patent leather wedges are perfect for the work week and nights on the town. But chances are your shoe-storage setup isn't so chic and versatile.
This is what's new on the site this Monday
We're easing into a new workweek with fresh content on the Travel, Food, Fashion, Home and blog pages. Read more for highlights and easy links to whatever sparks your interest.
Clean to the need, not the calendar
Don't overextend yourself.
Marvelous Mendocino
Mendocino, Calif., is a laid-back, New England-esque coastal town about 150 miles north of San Francisco with nary a fast food joint or ATM in sight. Strolling the boardwalk in the tiny retail district, you get a sense that nothing here has changed in a hundred years … until the kid in dreadlocks and tie-dye cruises by on his way to the organic market.