*Official Rules

WIN IT ALL! Just write a comment below about Breast Cancer Awareness

Ford Warriors in Pink  (2 tees, hoodie, and travel mug – as seen in our October issue!)
Get them here!  100% of net proceeds help support Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Avon Nailwear Pro (Nail enamel in ‘Pink Power’ – as seen in our October issue!)
Get it here! 100% of net profits donated to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade

Elaine Turner (Studded leather wrap bracelet)
Get it here!  100% of the proceeds from these bracelets will be donated to the Nellie B. Connally Breast Cancer Center at MD Anderson

KitchenAid Cook for the Cure

Get it here! KitchenAid’s pink items benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure   all year long, not just October. In honor of the 10th anniversary of this partnership, KitchenAid is committing to a minimum of $450,000 in donations to Komen in 2011, supported through the sale and registration of pink KitchenAid products together with celebrity chef auctions and grass roots efforts that encourage cooks to get friends and family involved.  

Smashbox “O-gloss”
Get it here! Through the end of October, the entire purchase price will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate Bars (20 total, 4 flavors)
Get them here! Through the end of December 2011, specially marked pink ribbon packages of Intense Dark™ will carry a code inside the package redeemable for a $1 donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation

Counting for a Cause (Rose gold-dipped bracelet)
Get it here! 50% profits from each sale benefit The Karmanos Cancer Institute

Yoplait Bag with BCA products (Two coupons for FREE  yogurt, tote bag, journal, keychain, pen, and pink lid collection kit)  Get Yoplait yogurt at your local grocery store to ensure freshness! Yoplait donates 10 cents for every pink lid redeemed by December 31, 2011 to benefit their Save Lids to Save Lives campaign  {up to $2,000,000.00}

Pure Fiji Frangipani products (Hydrating body lotion, coconut sugar scrub, coconut milk bath soak, body butter, nourishing exotic oil, handmade coconut soap, and island candle)
Get them here! 10% of all sales from the Frangipani line that are purchased during the month of October will be donated to Susan G. Komen. Pure Fiji is also donating products to the survivors that participate in the Susan G. Komen race in Denver, Colorado.

Glass Eye Studio & Seattle Chocolates (Hand- blown glass white floppy bowl with strawberry crème truffles)
Get it here! Through the end of October, for every set purchased a $10 donation will be made to Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Taylor Kenney (Poppy Earrings – as seen in our October issue!)
Get it here! 30% of sales will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Susan G. Komen For The Cure’s ‘Promise Me’ (Fragrance)

Get it here! With every fragrance sold, a donation of 13.5% of sales is made to Susan G. Komen for the Cure , with a minimum guarantee of $1,000,000 dedicated to breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment.

Origins Make a Difference (Skin Rejuvenating Treatment - as seen in our October issue!)
Get it here! Through the month of October, $5 from every North American sale of this treatment will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Bobbi Brown Pink Ribbon Collection (High Shimmer Lip Gloss & Lip Color)
Get it here! (while supplies last 10/1/11 – 12/31/11) Bobbi Brown will donate $10 from the sale of this limited edition set to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Ann Cares (Pink jewel ring – as seen in our October issue!)
Get it here! 70% of the proceeds benefit Breast Cancer Research Foundation 

Emma Stine (Blush Rosette Earrings)
Get it here!  30% of sales will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure 

Sonia Kashuk Proudly Pink (5 piece purse brush set – as seen in our October issue!)
Get it here! Available for one year, 15% of this set will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation

 *Official Rules

Don’t invest money in a new camera. Invest time in the one you’ve got. “The type of camera probably won’t improve the picture very much, but your knowledge of how to use it will,” advises Jim. Save your money, and learn the different settings and features on a camera you already own – this way, when a photo-worthy moment presents itself, you won’t be stuck trying to decipher those tiny menu buttons.

Stash your flash. These days, many photographers, civilian and professional alike, are opting NOT to use their camera flash in favor of rich-looking natural light. “There are flash pictures that are done really well, but they are rare compared to the beautiful look of the natural world,” according to Jim. Digital cameras are especially adept at snapping no-flash pics since they can capture images in darker settings than film.

Worry less about lining everyone up perfectly. We’ve all been in or taken one of these shots; it’s an eternity before you get everyone lined up and looking in the same direction, and by then they might be saying words less friendly than “cheese.” While these types of pictures act as a good record of attendees, Jim’s advice is to “include the personality of real life into your pictures – the children running, or your uncle falling asleep, or the champagne spilling. Capturing the candid moments helps to preserve the real memory.”

Practice strength in numbers. One way to sharpen up your photo collections is to simply take a lot more pictures, knowing plenty will get deleted (like that random picture of someone’s shoe or the baby that turned away as soon as you clicked). Digital cameras of course allow you to do this without the added cost of film, but the principle rings true for either format. By saving the editing process for later, you can capture the full scope of the event and distill it into the images that best convey the story.

Think you’ve got an award-winning photo on your camera? Jim is a judge in the 4th Annual Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest accepting entries until June 30th, the Grand Prize Winner of which will receive the trip of a lifetime.

Photo courtesy of Jim Richardson.

Photo Courtesy HGTV

It’s Business, Not Personal: Disengage from the personal characteristics of your home by thinking of it as a product—not every potential buyer is going to appreciate the same aspects you do. Eliminate anything personal, political, or religious, which will largely be pictures and picture frames. If your rooms look sparse without them, Sabrina suggests printing black and white images from the internet to frame instead (think flowers, landscapes, and nature), but keep it minimal.

Lighten Up: To instantly brighten your rooms, “take down heavy draperies and install easy-to-clean shades or lightweight washable panels,” suggests Sabrina. “The more light you can introduce into the space, the bigger the room will feel.” If your curtains cannot be replaced, Sabrina advises they at least be dry cleaned once every two months. Also think about painting walls a light neutral, like a sage green or pale cappuccino shade, to maximize the feel of the room.  

Surprisingly, people often forget to…

Clean Everything Thoroughly, And Then Some: Your home’s particular design might not suit every buyer’s taste, but a clean house appeals to everyone. Sabrina, who also suffers from allergies and is currently working with Claritin, reminds us that if your home makes someone sneeze, they likely won’t want to buy it. And there is dust hiding in places you wouldn’t even think of, so while you’re cleaning, dusting, polishing, and scrubbing the house top to bottom, be sure to move furniture and decorations around to catch every last dust bunny. 

Remember Kitchens and Bathrooms: As homeowners try to make their bedrooms and living space as appealing as possible to buyers, they often forget these rooms, but they are still important selling points. Sabrina suggests concealing bottles and products in the bathroom by simply tucking them away in closets or cupboards, or by investing in a shower curtain with pockets – this way everything is stored and accessible while not distracting the buyer from seeing that interesting tile design in the shower! For kitchens, Sabrina recommends no more than three appliances on the counter, and in case you didn’t already guess, all food should be stored away in the fridge or pantry. If you’re in a smaller house or apartment with limited counter space, three appliances could still feel a little crowded, so try to keep countertops as clear as possible.

Preparing your house to be sold is not an overnight process but by working through these steps, you can gradually improve the product you’re showing to potential buyers—and catch any budding issues that need to be dealt with prior to listing (ie: that water spot you didn’t know about in the corner of your closet). By the time you’re done staging your home, you might not want to sell it! For more with Sabrina, catch her Wednesdays at 8:30/7:30c on HGTV’s  Get It Sold.

Mom proudly displaying her creations - the hard cast did not stop her from keeping tradition.

Happy Good Friday to all those getting ready for Easter this weekend! In the spirit of a holiday with so many seemingly random symbols, like bunny suits, fluffy chicks, and copious amounts of jelly beans, I’d like to share one that’s particularly close to my heart. For as long as I can remember (and since long before my first Easter), my mom, Linda, has made the beautiful, personalized chocolate Easter eggs that you see pictured here. She uses the same mold today that she used the first time she made them back in 1969 (it was my Grandma’s originally and suffered an almost-fatal crack during Easter 2010).

My mom starts by  making chocolate half-shells using the mold, then fills them with fluffy chocolate in the center before encasing them with another half-shell and delicately piping each seam. Then she pipes the person’s name in script, on the front. The egg looks like something out of a storybook – anyone would celebrate if they were lucky enough to get one!

That Spring season of ‘69, my mom was raising money to visit her sister Susan, who was living in San Diego at the time (a pricey airfare for a young teen in Ohio). She decided to sell these eggs, which are as delicious as they are special, to family, friends, and neighbors in order to fund her cause. Talk about a nest egg! Not only did she make enough to buy her plane ticket, but she also made enough to enjoy her time in San Diego that summer.  She fondly remembers spending some of it at the movies to see Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate — the screening of which was stopped halfway through so she and the other movie patrons could watch Neil Armstrong walk on the moon!

After the success of that first batch of Easter eggs, my mother made them every year following, and traded what was at first an entrepreneurial idea for what has become one of our most cherished holiday traditions. Mid-lent she prompts my sister and I for our ‘egg lists’ so that she can start the intricate assembling they require. And usually by the week of Palm Sunday we’ve each received an Easter-themed box from her, full of our friends’ and co-workers’ names inscribed perfectly in pastel shades on the shiny, molded chocolate. Anyone who has been lucky enough to be on my egg list in the past knows how incredible they are, whether you celebrate Easter or not, and this year is no exception.

Beyond just physically admiring these creations, I most admire what the eggs symbolize, and perhaps the symbol that gets lost in any holiday shuffle… the importance of spending that time connected to your family and friends.  It’s easy to equate the wealth of loved ones I’m fortunate enough to have when I look down at their names all in a row, penned in sugar.  So this Sunday, whether you’re at church, at home, or face-down in the food you banned yourself from eating after Fat Tuesday, remember the lesson my mom’s eggs annually remind me of: they started as a way to connect my mom with her sister, and today they still represent that connection -  between she and I, my own sister… and all the other eggs in our basket. Happy Easter, everyone!

{Top Row: Presenters L-R} Rosie O'Donnell, Linda Kaplan Thaler, Mark Burnett, Evelyn Lauder, Paula Kerger, Arianna Huffington, and Dana Tyler. {Bottom Row: Matrix Winners L-R} Cindi Berger, Robin Koval, Abbe Raven, Gina Sanders, Gwen Ifill, Sheryl Sandberg, and Idina Menzel. (Photos Courtesy of MaryanneRussell.com)

Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook): “I think the important thing for women is to feel empowered.  To be a lady is to feel that you can step forward and do what you want to do, accomplish what you want to accomplish.” 

Idina Menzel (Tony Award-winning performer): “These days, I think what makes me a lady is being able to be a mother, a wife, and a career woman at the same time and to not go crazy in the process! You have to balance it all with grace, and it’s not easy. I’m trying to figure it out moment to moment while trying to stay IN the moment.”

Robin Koval (The Kaplan Thaler Group): “I think being a strong woman makes you a lady – it gives you the perspective on when to be tough, but to do it nicely. I always practice the power of nice which means you’re not being naive, you’re not being a doormat, and you’re getting everything you want without crushing other people.”

Gwen Ifill (Washington Week and The PBS NewsHour): “People expect more of women – we can’t be too tough and we can’t be too retiring, it’s a line we have to walk. Because I was raised in a time when you had to just break through the doors, it wasn’t until I was a grown woman in this business that I realized the value of being a lady…it turns out you can get a lot more accomplished if you’re ladylike, but firm, in what you want to do.”

Gina Sanders (Fairchild Fashion Group): “Being a lady is knowing what you need to do while always being mindful of others – I think you can get to a goal in a way that everybody wins. Your moving up, doesn’t mean someone else should move down. Everyone counts.”

To learn more about the 2011 Matrix Awards and to participate in the online Charity Buzz auction  to benefit the NYWICI Foundation (open through April 27th), visit http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/nywici2011/catalog_items.

Used with permission. © Paula Deen Enterprises, LLC

The same was true of my phone conversation with Bobby and Jamie  yesterday – as I flipped through the pages of their fun new cookbook, The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up (on sale April 19th) and we talked about food, I felt like I was standing around a grill in my flip flops laughing alongside them. The only thing missing was a cooler! As the brothers, whose last name is practically synonymous with Southern comfort food, prepare to host the 2nd Annual Great Steak Challenge with Beringer Vineyards, their creative and culinary juices were flowing with ideas. When it comes to steak, “Don’t over-think it, the cow has already done the work for you,” Jamie says, “There’s nothing worse than an over-seasoned steak because it masks the beef’s natural flavor. If a steak is cooked perfectly, you really don’t need more than salt, fresh black pepper, and a pat of butter.” But when it comes to grilling, for Bobby it’s not ALL about the beef – he recommends grilling up shrimp on skewers or in a metal grill basket – “they don’t take long to cook, they’re a lighter option, and they pick up great flavor.” Bobby and Jamie don’t discriminate when it comes to what’s grill-worthy, however, charring up everything from string beans, to pineapple, and even pound cake for dessert. Their new cookbook contains 125 other ideas that work well for entertaining outdoors, and the guys are sure to see even more recipes among the home cooks competing for this year’s $25,000 prize in the Great Steak Challenge (professional cooks are not even eligible).  Entries opened today and the Final Grill-Off will be in Napa Valley this October.  To learn more about the Deen Brothers, visit thedeenbros.com.

1.  What makes you a lady? My mom was Australian and being a lady was the most important thing to her, including even having tea time for us girls to teach us manners like always saying “pardon” instead of “what.” I think being a lady is about being strong, having integrity and never being the straw that breaks someone’s back (but rather the hand that pulls them up).

2.  What is your favorite guilty pleasure? Salt and artificial sweetener. I know both are so bad for you but I can’t seem to kick the bad (yet tasty) habit!

3.  What are 3 things on your Life List?
1. To meet Oprah 2. To become a mom 3.To get my passion, MedGift into every hospital around the United States (so if you are a hospital employee or know someone who is, let them know about Medgift and help your community benefit from this resource).

4.  If you could have one super power, what would it be?
Being able to teleport! I could go from my house, to work, or even to India in the blink of an eye — No traffic, no crowds, and no airport security. Plus, how cool was Quantum Leap?!

5.  Who are ladies you admire?
I admire ladies who have changed the way we see the world! Oprah, for telling us it’s okay to express, understand and explore our feelings. Barbara Walters, for showing us you can work in a “man’s world” being strong, confident and intelligent while maintaining your femininity and elegance. And Laura Ziskin, for the work she’s done for cancer research through Stand Up To Cancer (all while undergoing her own cancer treatment).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDiujTC9sy4

1. One in, One out: If you bought something new, or you’re bringing something new into the house, something else within that category has to go. In other words, the new handbag you bought yourself won’t fit on the shelf unless you get rid of the one you haven’t used in more than a year!
2. Quality, Not Quantity: You have 10 black t-shirts, but only one that’s your go-to favorite…why keep the rest when you’re always looking for the good one anyhow? Ditch the dingy, hole-y, torn, shrunk, and lesser versions of the same thing so you can cut to the chase when it counts.
3. Keep it, Toss it, or Donate it: It’s not this easy for some. If you tend to put everything in the ‘keep’ pile, ask yourself when the last time you used this item was, when you think you’ll use it again, and then ask yourself if you’re being honest ☺. If you haven’t found an occasion or use for it so far, chances are you won’t find one next month either. If it’s a ‘keep’ only because you spent too much on the item and you feel guilty, move it to the ‘donate’ pile. Toss those items that are clearly beyond saving, and donate everything else you are purging.
4. Make it visible: Create an organized space just by making useful items more visible -- some of the ‘unused’ items in your house might be neglected simply because you can’t see them! Like #2, you have to determine your go-to’s in order to find a logical place to store and display them. This can also save you money, especially in the pantry. We’ve all bought ingredients at the store only to discover them in our cupboards later (ie: that 3rd jar of cinnamon).
5. You don’t need it, but someone else does: The only thing better than re-gaining space from excess clothes and household items is the feeling of donating them to someone who really needs them. When you’re debating over the jeans you’ve held onto for sentimental value, think of the person at Goodwill who will happily use them and your decision will not only become clear, but also cathartic.

According to research by Hanes, we only use 70% of the items in our homes, so start with organizing just a closet or a drawer, and eliminate the other 30% without turning your world upside down. For more information on how to donate to a Goodwill branch near you, visit: http://www.goodwill.org/.

What makes you a lady? I can hold my alcohol.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure? Online shopping, especially  One Kings Lane and Gilt.

What are 3 things on your Life List? 1. To swim with great white sharks; 2.To stay happy; 3.To tour the world with my husband and three girls.

If you could have one super power, what would it be? The ability to fly.

Who are ladies you admire? Jackie O, Patti Hansen, and Iris Apfel.