Why do so many people have difficulty losing weight and keeping it off? What most people don’t realize is that dieting is not just a matter of willpower. What we found is how successful a person is on a diet is directly related to their personality type or what we call their “Diet Type.” 

How is personality type directly related to dieting success? We each have our own set of unique personality characteristics that make up who we are. Some of these characteristics we’re born with, others come as a result of our upbringing and life circumstances. For example, one person may tend to be very disciplined and organized, while another might be free-spirited and spontaneous. In our research, we found that personality characteristics are directly related to the ability to lose weight and keep it off. 

Where did you come up with the idea to link personality with dieting? Over a million people each year take personality tests to help them find the right job or career match, it is used online to help find the right love match, we decided to use this proven method to help women find the right diet approach. 

You conducted your own research on personality type and weight loss. What was it and what did you find? Besides actual case studies, ten years of patient research from Dr. Redard, and focus groups, we created an online survey and collected over 8,000 responses. The results were astounding. We found distinct patterns correlating personality type to diet success. 

So how does your personality affect your ability to lose weight? In our research, we identified four different personality Diet Types: The Player, the Feeler, the Planner, and the Thinker. I’ll give you an example of one of the most common – the Planner. The Planner is the type of woman who is ultra responsible. She’s the first person in the office in the morning and the last to leave at night. Her house is spotless, her kids are well-behaved, and her schedule is organized. Now, of course this personality type definitely has its benefits – Planners are often accomplished, both in their careers and personal lives. However, the lifestyle of a Planner can also sabotage her diet because she’s too busy to exercise and make healthy diet choices. 

Can people be a combination of diet types? Yes. We all have each of the Diet Types in us to varying degrees. It is most common to relate to one of them the strongest. However, some women find that they are a combination of two types, others relate strongly to 3 of them and on occasion a woman will struggle with all four equally. We provide information in the book so you know what to do for your unique combination. 

In your book, you mention that different personality types are motivated to lose weight for different reasons. What are they?
Feeler: Feel better about herself, improve her self esteem, feel good emotionally and physically. 

Thinker: Decrease health risk factors like lower blood pressure, cholesterol. 

Player: More energy, look fantastic, participate in more activities. 

Planner: Better health, fit into her clothes again, it’s the right thing to do. 

What are some things to look for in a diet program for each type?
Feeler: Support from others; sharing feelings, issues and ideas; journaling; self-development – finding my path/purpose; understanding that self-love is not selfish. 

Thinker: Information and resources regarding diet and exercise from competent sources so I can study independently. 

Player: Quick results; impulse control; flexibility, competition, a variety of physical activities; easy ways to grab a healthy bite to eat. 

Planner: Preparing ahead; having a plan and sticking to it; routines for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, being accountable. 

How can we tell whether a diet approach is right for us? If you find that you are “fighting yourself” you are not on track. You know a diet approach is right for you when you forget to stress about it. Start now to figure out what you are going to do with the extra time you used to spend worrying about your weight and have fun following your personality to the weight you love. 

For more information, visit www.MyDietType.com. 

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Survey results also reveal renters do not feel as safe as they have in previous years. While more than 66% of renters said they feel extremely to moderately safe living in their current neighborhood, a 2006 Apartments.com survey on apartment safety and security shows this figure has dropped by 12% and the number of renters who said they do not feel safe has increased by 8%. 

Renters are looking out for themselves by keeping a pulse on the neighborhood. A quarter of respondents who have been living in the same neighborhood for more than a year said there has been an increase in crime-related activity compared to the previous year. To safeguard themselves in their apartments, renters are taking preventative measures including never buzzing in strangers or allowing anyone they do not recognize inside the apartment community when coming and going. Renters are also installing deadbolts, owning dogs and using timers for lighting, radios and the television when they are not at home. 

In addition to taking safety matters into their own hands, renters are looking- and willing- to pay more rent for specific safety features. The top five safety features renters said they would pay more to have, when asked to choose all that apply, are: 

1. In-unit security alarm system: 49%
2. 24/7 building security patrol guards and a doorman: 45%
3. Security cameras on the apartment community property: 42%
4. Mandatory background screening for all residents: 30%
5. Cylinder deadbolt locks on windows and doors: 29% 

To answer the apartment safety needs of their residents, many professionally managed apartment communities and private landlords are doing their part to keep renters’ minds at easy by providing peepholes on apartment doors, securing windows and doors with locks and running background checks on potential residents. 

For those who do not have an alarm system in their apartment or security guards patrolling the grounds, there are cost-effective ways renters can secure their apartment. Many break-ins can be prevented with mini-entry alarms, wireless door chimes, sensors and motion detectors. Decals that read “Beware of Dog” or announce the apartment has an alarm system or a neighborhood watch in effect can raise doubt among intruders, turning them away from the apartment building. 

For more information, visit www.apartments.com. 

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Eat In More and Out Less
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service found that spending on food away from home accounted for nearly half of every American food dollar, or $565 billion, in 2008. While they require more planning, home-cooked meals are an excellent way to minimize your grocery bill and they are typically healthier than the options you may find when dining out. 

To save money while cooking at home, try some of these tips:
-Make at least one meal meatless. Choose recipes that utilize eggs or dried beans – like pinto or northern beans – as the main protein.
-Double your recipes and freeze leftovers or extra amounts of meat, bread, and cooked vegetables. Bring to work for lunch or use the excess ingredients as inspiration for future meals.
-Eat dinner as a family, or consider having a weekly potluck with neighbors to reduce the cost per person of your meals.
-Clip coupons, avoiding “new food” coupon gimmicks that often are low in nutritional value.
-Subscribe to a healthy cooking magazine, or peruse recipe books for healthy ideas.

Plan Meals for the Week in Advance
-A meal planning chart or simple shopping list for the week are great tools for the budget-minded, health-conscious consumer. Knowing what you already have in the pantry and what you intend to make ahead of time reduces impulse spending, saves time, and improves the nutritional value of your meal.
-Take part of one day a week to plan the upcoming week’s menu. Search “meal planning charts” on the Internet for a variety of templates and convenient shopping tools.
-Read the supermarket circulars in your local newspaper, or look online for weekly specials that can help guide your meal planning.
-Post meal plans on the refrigerator door where the entire family can see it and refer back to it throughout the week. This also helps avoid the dreaded question, “What’s for dinner?”

Only Shop Once a Week
In addition to shopping at grocery stores, try local markets and even dollar stores. Shopping once a week makes it easier to avoid unnecessary purchases and encourages you to stick to your weekly menu. Have a snack before you visit the grocery store. Shopping on an empty stomach can lead to impulse buying. If fresh fruits and vegetables are cost-prohibitive, try the frozen or canned versions. Frozen produce is often flash frozen at the source, locking in nutrients. Rinse canned vegetables before cooking to reduce the sodium content. Buy generics, which are often less expensive than name-brand items. Choose prepared foods with short ingredient lists and minimal additives or artificial ingredients.

Use Unit Pricing to Get the Best Value
Savvy shoppers know that using unit pricing can maximize their purchasing power. Commonly listed in small print below or to the side of the total price and as dollars or cents per unit of weight – such as pounds, ounces, or grams – unit pricing can be a valuable tool that helps you make an informed choice about your purchases.

Grocery stores don’t always post the costs on sale items; bring a calculator with you to the supermarket, or use the calculator on your cell phone. Buying “economy” or “family size” containers is sometimes, but not always, a better buy. Larger packages that have a lower cost per unit than their smaller counterparts are only going to save you money if you will truly eat all of the food in the package. If it spoils and has to be thrown away, it could just be a waste of your money.

Packaging Gets Downsized
Be cautious of stores’ shrinking food packages and their content while prices stay the same. Common changes include packaging redesign that holds fewer ounces by way of indented container bottoms, cartons that hold 1/4 less of a quart, and boxes that remain the same size but actually have smaller bags of product inside.

For more information, visit www.tops.org.

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Prevention goes well beyond the mammograms, prostate screenings or blood tests that we can get at the doctor’s office. It’s the little steps you take that can keep you healthy. 

“Ideally, prevention should also emphasize healthy lifestyles, a practice that isn’t only health-conscious, but is inexpensive,” said James Pivarnik, president of the American College of Sports Medicine. Here are 10 easy ways to get started. 

1. Take a walk. Humans are designed to be on the move, Meller said. “Walking triggers all of our bodily systems: digestion, stress relief, thinking and preparation for sleep.” It’s easy, simple, free and confers the benefits of exercise without the risk of damage from more energetic pursuits, Meller said. Walk every day—barefoot is fine—and get a pedometer to track your steps, shooting for a minimum of 10,000. Stay committed by setting walking dates with a friend. 

2. Keep a food journal. Writing down everything you eat can double your weight loss, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. “The more food records people kept, the more weight they lost,” said lead author Jack Hollis, a researcher at Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research. Scribble down your dietary transgressions on a note pad, use an online food journal or send yourself text messages. 

“It’s the process of reflecting on what you eat that helps us become aware of our habits, and hopefully change our behavior,” said Dr. Keith Bachman, a member of The Kaiser Permanente Care Management Institute’s Weight Management Initiative. 

3. Stop drinking soda. Soda and other caloric, sugar-sweetened beverages have contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. But there’s also evidence that drinking diet soda leads to weight gain. Researchers suspect that tricking the brain—getting sweetness without the calories—makes you crave more sugar than ever. Your best bet is to stop drinking calories altogether, said obesity specialist Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, founder of Ottawa’s Bariatric Medical Institute, a multidisciplinary weight-management center. His most confused patients seem to be doing everything right but may have two glasses of milk, one glass of juice and one glass of wine a day. “That’s roughly 40 pounds of liquid calories per year,” he wrote on his blog, Weighty Matters. Freedhoff’s advice: Don’t rely on beverages for nourishment. “A well-balanced diet replete with fruits, vegetables and proteins should satisfy all of one’s nutritional needs,” he said. “Liquid calories are not satiating and in studies tend only to add calories to a meal.” 

4. Strengthen your muscles. If you want to keep your muscles from weakening as you age, start strength training. It’s “the only style of exercise that maintains and increases lean muscle tissue and burns between 22 and 36 calories per day,” said personal trainer Jim Karas. He suggests starting with push-ups for the upper body and lunges and squats for the lower body. “Move slowly, and think about the muscles you are engaging. One slow set of 10 is all you need, but make sure to fail,” which means you can’t perform another repetition. 

5. Chill out. Stressed-out people are more vulnerable to colds and other viruses, they take longer to recover from illness, and they gain more weight than their relaxed counterparts, research has shown. We also know that “the inability to feel in control of stress, rather than the stressful event itself, is the most damaging to immunity,” wrote Joan Borysenko in “Mending the Body, Mending the Mind.”

Another stress expert, Debbie Mandel, likes to lift weights when her stress levels creep up. “Then I’m ready to reframe negatives into positives to turn stress into strength,” said Mandel, the author of “Addicted to Stress.” In addition to exercise, deep-breathing techniques, meditation, tai chi and yoga are proven stress relievers. 

6. Eat out less. We often use restaurants in the same way our parents used supermarkets, one of the main reasons for the dramatic global rise in chronic diseases such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, Freedhoff said.

“Nutrition and calories aren’t intuitive,” he said. “When restaurant salads can have more calories and fat than a Big Mac, you know you’re putting your health at risk. You’ll save more than your money by eating meals in. You might even save your life.” 

7. Be a social butterfly. Human beings are social creatures, if only because we need to reproduce. But research has shown that joining a club or sports team, belonging to a church group or keeping in contact with friends creates a sense of social identity that can help significantly reduce your risk of having a stroke, dementia and even the common cold. 

8. Get some sleep. Sleeping well is the single most overlooked factor critical to good health, especially during the flu season, said sleep specialist Dr. Rubin Naiman, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine. But because focusing on doing all the right things before bed can make it harder to sleep, Naiman suggests lightening things up, perhaps by watching comedy on television before bed. 

9. Eat whole foods. Whole foods—fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, eggs and whole grains—are unprocessed and unrefined and typically don’t have added sugar, salt or fat. They often have a low glycemic index, which means they don’t raise blood sugar and insulin levels as quickly as processed foods. 

10. Find your passion. Do things that bring meaning to your days, said Patricia Boyle, a neuropsychologist in the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, whose research has shown that having a higher purpose can reduce the risk of death among older adults. 

(c) 2009, Chicago Tribune.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 

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Design elements that pop or surprise can be the most delightful. A pulled-together room should have an unexpected element to create some visual interest. And, sometimes, we need to break a few de-facto “rules” to achieve that effect. 

Here are the best rules to break to create something unexpected: 

Rule No. 1: Seek symmetry - Yes, a symmetrical display looks balanced, but it can also look boring, especially on a mantle or a display shelf. Mix things up by creating a different unifying line or idea and find a new way to group items. Wall art and mirrors should be hung in symmetrical balance, but accessories need not be arranged that way. Often, less is more when decorating. Try taking a few things out of a room and see how the remaining pieces come together. 

Rule No. 2: Place settings should match – Pick a unifying element in your table decor, such as a color, theme or texture, and have fun with it. Matched place settings instantly create a formal mood, but mixing up place settings can be perfect for a hip get-together. It’s visually interesting, creative and a conversation starter. Adding a piece of your grandma’s blue china with your stark white Crate and Barrel plates will be much more memorable. 

Rule No. 3: Large furniture does not work in small spaces - While some say large furniture will crowd small spaces, small pieces tend to work against a small space. An oversized sofa adds heft and substance to a smaller room, as long as the rest of the furniture is kept in scale. Choose pieces that can multitask, like a dining table that doubles as a desk or an ottoman that can be used as a cocktail table or for storage. Use other visual tricks to make the room appear larger, such as monochromatic colors, see-through or reflective surfaces. The most important tip in decorating a smaller space: Eliminate clutter. 

Rule No. 4: Don’t mix contemporary and traditional furnishings – When the mixing is done right, it creates a layered look, which is much more visually interesting and inviting than sticking too closely to one type of style. It is important to decide which look you prefer and will dominate the space. That way, eclectic pieces can serve as an accent. Exposed, unfinished wood furnishing can warm the cold, sleek lines of a modern space. Similarly, clean lines can be paired with more traditional fabrics and prints, giving more pop to that style element. 

Rule No. 5: You cannot have substantial art in the kitchen or bathroom – Too often, kitchen and bathroom knickknacks are caricatures of real art, cartoonish or homespun, but it doesn’t have to be this way. One of my favorite pieces of art takes up an entire wall in our kitchen. It’s a stark, black tree against a cream canvas. It’s a modern piece and not in the least cutesy or kitschy. There is no need to save serious art for serious rooms, such as living and dining rooms. So much of our gathering and entertaining happens in our kitchens, that it’s a perfect place to display beloved and serious artwork. 

(c) 2009, St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 

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Cruising can be rife with misconceptions: You get sick, seasick, bored, overfed or overindulged with drinking, gambling, shopping. While all of these things can be true, what happens to you is up to you. What and how much you eat, drink, gamble and shop is your decision. 

If you get bored seeing new places, well, that might be a problem. With the size of today’s ships and their sophisticated stabilizers, however, you are very unlikely to get seasick. Setting those concerns aside, consider that a cruise can be a wonderful experience, an easy way to relax, visit new destinations, enjoy free entertainment, catch some rays and meet a multitude of fellow travelers. 

For first-timers, the trickiest part of cruising is finding the right ship at the right price. You can shop the Internet all you want, but ultimately, you probably will be confused and overwhelmed by the many choices of ships and itineraries. You need to find a knowledgeable travel agent, perhaps a cruise specialist, to help you navigate the sea of options. “There are no advantages to booking directly with the cruise lines — none,” said Nancy Kelly of Kelly Cruises in Oak Brook, Ill. (Travel agents sell 90% of all cruises). 

Kelly offers these tips for first-time cruise shoppers: 

-Have an approximate departure date in mind and, if possible, a second or third choice. Rates can fluctuate from week to week and by the type of accommodations — outside cabin, inside cabin. Opt for flights that get you to your port with ample time before sailing, allowing for potential delays.

-Have a destination in mind- Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, something more exotic, as well as how long a cruise you want. If, for example, you are interested in Alaska, be aware that May and September are “shoulder seasons” when rates are lower, but the weather is cooler than in June through August.

-Be honest about your budget for the trip. You need to factor in airfare, gratuities, shore excursions and beverages that are not included.

-Make sure you have a valid passport. If you do, check it to be sure it won’t expire for at least six months after your cruise. Make sure that the legal name on your passport matches the name on your airline ticket and cruise document.

-Buy travel insurance to protect your vacation investment should you have to cancel. Buy from an independent company, not the cruise line. 

As you warm up to a cruise vacation, know that you have 23 cruise lines and 130 new ships (since 2000) to choose from. If you like big vessels, you can choose ships that carry 2,500 passengers and have more restaurants, rock-climbing walls, skating rinks, spas, shopping arcades, casinos, fitness centers, Las Vegas-style nightclubs and entertainers than most people can handle. You can scale down from that to the 500-passenger range, many of which are no less posh but just less amenity-laden. 

(c) 2009, Chicago Tribune.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 

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“Kids are surprisingly aware of what’s going on in the world,” says Tyson, author of Personal Finance For Dummies®, 6th Edition. “And if they don’t know that times are a little bit tough and that mom and dad are having to watch their spending, it’s time to tell them. Sheltering kids from financial realities does them no favors.” Indeed, the opposite is true, says Tyson. A good grasp of personal finance is one of the most valuable life skills a person can have. And while previous generations may have been raised with the constant admonishment that “money doesn’t grow on trees,” too many of today’s parents neglect that lesson. It’s time to change that—and the severe recession we’ve been through provides a great incentive for doing so. 

Tyson offers the following tips to help you teach your children about money:

1. Tell them the truth. Kids are perceptive. If you’ve been acting anxious and on edge lately, they’ve noticed. Rather than let them wonder why mom and dad are working so much lately or constantly talking about money, explain (on their level) what’s going on in the family’s financial world. 

2. Explain to them how much things cost. Some parents are surprised to find out that their kids don’t have a very good grasp on what things cost. A great hands-on way to open their eyes is to take them on a “money tour” around the house. For example, kids might not understand that hot water costs more than cold water, or that bumping up the heat results in higher power bills. This exercise will teach them how they can conserve and thus help the family save money. You can also pile up all of the bills for the month and have them look at the amount on each one. Show them what the family’s cost of living is and again reiterate the areas in which they can play a part in reducing the costs. 

3. Realize that kids learn what they live. It may sound like common sense, but you—mom and dad—are your kids’ most influential teachers. When you ring up a barge-load of credit card debt, take out exorbitant mortgages or car loans, and fail to save anything, that’s what your kids come to see as normal. If you are modeling unhealthy financial habits, you can’t realistically expect your kids to “do as I say, not as I do.” 

4. Deprogram them. Kids are constantly bombarded with information about what things cost, whether it’s the fancy sports car they like or the wardrobe of their favorite athlete or actor, not to mention the 40,000 commercials that the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates the average American child sees each year. What they aren’t bombarded with is knowledge concerning how to manage money effectively. And while schools are increasingly incorporating money issues into the existing curriculum, the broader concepts of personal financial management still aren’t taught. Frightening though it may be, some schools rely on free “educational” materials from the likes of VISA and MasterCard. 

5. An allowance is a great teaching tool. You don’t have to break child labor laws to find great ways to help your kids earn their allowances rather than just have the money handed over to them. A well-implemented allowance program can mimic many money matters that adults face every day throughout their lives. From recognizing the need to earn the green stuff to learning how to responsibly and intelligently spend, save, and invest their allowances, children can gain a solid financial footing from a young age. 

6. Start them saving and investing early. It’s never too early to start saving, and the sooner you can instill the importance of saving money into your kids, the better. After they start earning allowances, have your kids save a significant portion (up to half) of their allowance money toward longer-term goals, such as college (just be careful about putting money in children’s names as doing so can harm college financial aid awards). Tyson recommends that children reserve about one-third of their weekly take for savings. As they accumulate more significant savings over time, you can introduce the concept of investing. 

7. Reduce their exposure to ads. The primary path to reduced exposure to ads is to cut down on TV time. When kids are in front of the tube, have them watch prerecorded material. You can direct the television viewing of younger children in particular toward videos and DVDs. And for older kids, if you use digital video recorders (DVRs) such as TIVO, you can easily zap ads. But when an ad does sneak under the radar and set the kids to begging, address it. Explain to your kids that there’s never a good time for frivolous impulse spending—but it’s especially harmful when money is tight. 

8. Find entertaining ways to teach good money habits. You’ll probably face an uphill battle when teaching kids about personal finance. That’s why it’s so important to find entertaining ways to instill good financial habits in them. For younger kids, Tyson recommends age-appropriate books like The Bernstein Bears Get the Gimmies. For late-elementary-school-aged kids, Quest for the Pillars of Wealth by J.J. Pritchard is a chapter book that teaches the major personal finance concepts through an engaging adventure story. You could also get them a subscription to Zillions, a kids’ magazine from the publishers of Consumer Reports, which covers money and buying topics. 

9. Teach them how to shop wisely. Family shopping trips, whether for groceries or something else, are likely to be your kids’ first encounters with spending. They’ll see you make decisions based on what the family needs, watch you use coupons when possible, and observe how you pay. These trips are a great time to teach them lessons about money and the value of product research and comparison shopping. 

10. Introduce the right and wrong ways to use credit and debit cards. Those plastic cards in your wallet offer a convenient way to conduct purchases in stores, by phone, and over the Internet. Unfortunately, credit cards offer temptation for overspending and carrying debt from month to month. Teach your kids the difference between a credit and debit card, explaining that debit cards are connected to your checking account and thus prevent you from overspending as you can on a credit card. 

11. Encourage older kids to get a job. An allowance doesn’t have to be the only way for your kids to earn money. Your child’s initial exposure to the work-for-pay world can start with something as simple as a lemonade stand. Depending on age, he or she might do yard work for neighbors or offer babysitting services. And the fact that we’re in a recession makes it all the more appropriate for older kids to “help out” by getting a part-time job—especially to fund unnecessary purchases like DVDs or cool clothing. 

Besides the learning opportunities it presents, there’s another positive to the recession, says Tyson. It forces families to be more thoughtful about how they spend their time—and this often leads to the stunning realization that money really doesn’t buy happiness. 

“Often, all those unnecessary things we buy for ourselves and our kids are simply distractions from the people we love,” he says. “They send the message that it’s necessary to spend a lot of money in order to have a good time. It’s not, of course. The best things in life—friends, family, quiet evenings at home just being together—really are free. Sometimes it’s good to be reminded of that.” 

About the Author
Eric Tyson, MBA, is one of the nation’s best-selling personal finance book authors and has penned five national bestsellers. His work has been featured and quoted in hundreds of local and national publications and media outlets. He was also a featured speaker at a White House conference on retirement planning. 

For more information, visit www.erictyson.com. 

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A sign of the times surely, distracted driving is another reflection – and consequence – of our ongoing romance with all things digital and mobile and the enhanced capabilities they provide. While it may be easier and quicker to feed our multitasking habits now, it is not always safe, and many jurisdictions are formalizing that position by making it a crime to text or otherwise use a cellphone while driving. In other words, Blackberry users beware, lest a charge of DWD (driving while distracted) or DWT (driving while texting) stain your record, not to mention endanger yourself and others. (CrackBerry – the mocking term for the BlackBerry and its “addicts” – was the 2006 Word of the Year. One wonders if distracted piloting will be on the list in 2010). 

The term distracted driving is also a linguistic catch, note Webster’s New World® editors. As with drunk driving, it is not the driving that is drunk or distracted, but rather the driver. The target of the modifier distracted has been changed. Called hypallage, this twist is frequently seen in poetry, but as terms like restless night, juvenile detention center, and careless remark attest, such semantic inversion is not limited to the heights of language use. 

Among the runners-up:
-cloud computing- computer operations in which documents and data are created, edited, and stored remotely on servers and accessed by the user via an Internet connection (a beta definition, but this term is so well established that it will likely be added to the annual update of the College Dictionary in 2010).
-wallet biopsy- an examination, before medical service is provided, of a patient’s ability to pay, enabling the health care provider to decide whether free or discounted medical care is appropriate; a term probably fueled in part by the debate on national health care. 

Choosing the Word of the Year is a pleasant exercise that the editors and language researchers (called citation readers) of Webster’s New World® look forward to each year. “We survey the emerging English of the past year,” says Editor in Chief Michael Agnes, “and choose one word or phrase that captures our imagination – whether with its intrinsic linguistic attributes or by the way it expresses how language reflects changing realities.” 

“In most cases,” says Agnes, “the word chosen is a new one and thus hasn’t yet found its way into the dictionary. As we do not try to predict the future of language change in English, the choice does not reflect an opinion that the term will eventually be found in the dictionary. In short, it’s merely one that made us chuckle, think, reflect, or just shake our heads. In any case, it is a product of our language monitoring program, by which we collect examples of emerging new English – to the tune of nearly 3,000 new examples per month. Our citation files now hold approximately 2 million such examples.” 

For more information, visit www.wiley.com. 

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One new product on the market is trying to address that – known as “TrekDesk,” this desk/treadmill offers the first affordable solution that gets employees up and moving, garnering national attention at a time when health care costs and obesity rates are spiraling out of control. 

Benefits derived by walking during work hours include: 

-33-70% reduction in the rates of most cancers (National Institutes of Health)
-90% reduction in the number of initial heart attacks (American Heart Association)
-50% reduction in the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes (American Diabetes Association)
-70% reduction in the risk of stroke (American Heart Association) 

According to the product announcement, nearly 2/3 of our nation’s population is overweight with 50% of this number classified clinically obese. At a time when our nation is turning their attention to health care reform, a few strong voices are rallying the cry for workplace and lifestyle reform as a critical piece of the puzzle. 

TrekDesk says it has designed and is currently selling a unique, affordable solution that has been proven to help employees lose weight, restore health, prevent disease, improve mood and boost productivity: all without ever leaving the office. 

TrekDesk is a full sized, height adjustable work station which attaches to existing treadmills allowing employees the opportunity to walk slowly while they work without sweating. Sound bizarre? The human body has evolved with the ability to walk 30 miles per day and its internal health systems are dependent upon walking to keep it in top form. Most American walk on average only 2 miles per day, not allowing the body to maintain health or proper weight levels. Sedentary jobs and lifestyles are the main culprit and treadmill desks offer a solution. 

Treadmill desks are already in use by major corporations such as GlaxoSmithKline, Humana, Mutual of Omaha and Best Buy. 

For more information and to see the TrekDesk, visit www.trekdesk.com. 

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Want a hearty breakfast for the family without breaking the bank? Store brand breakfast cereal and refrigerated orange juice cost only $4.91 in the store survey compared to a whopping $7.13 for the same national brand products. 

How about lunch? You can save $3 by choosing the store brand. Hot dogs and hot dog buns, along with a 12-pack of soda costs $10.53 for the national brand items, but only $7.52 for the private-label products. 

But store brand savings go beyond the food aisles. When kids bring home the germs, the survey shows that shoppers buying cold and flu medication, hand sanitizer and nasal spray could spend $18.47 for national brands, but only $10.65 for the same products sold under the retailer’s brand. 

The research, conducted by the Private Label Manufacturers Association, tracked the pricing on grocery and household items at a typical supermarket. The results indicate that consumers buying the store brand would save $32.93 on average on the total market basket, representing savings of 35.3% when compared to weekly purchases of national brands in the same categories. 

Included in the survey were food items such as fruit cups, peanut butter, grape jelly and juice boxes in addition to non-foods such as vitamin C, cough drops and facial tissue. Savings on individual products ranges from 13% (hot dogs) to 66% (nasal spray). 

A leading national brand product was compared to a similar store brand product in each category and prices were adjusted to account for all known discounts, coupons and promotions available for each of the weeks included in the study. The survey was repeated on a weekly basis during a recent 4- week period in a suburban supermarket located in the northeast. 

Annual sales of store brands have climbed to $85 billion in 2009, according to the latest industry statistics, and the products accounted for an unprecedented 23% of items sold in U.S. supermarkets. Rather than a temporary effect of the economy, there are indications that retailers are winning new adherents to their brands- even among die-hard national brand loyalists- as more and more shoppers give them a try and find satisfaction with the high quality of the products. 

For more information, visit www.pmla.com. 

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On a quest for the most candy with the least amount of walking and minimal safety risks, Zillow created their Trick-or-Treat Housing Index because of the common belief that wealthy neighborhoods are the Holy Grail for harvesting the most Halloween candy. However, to provide a more holistic approach to Halloween trick-or-treating, the index was calculated using four equally weighted data variables: Zillow Home Value Index, population density, Walk Score and local crime data. 

Top 5 San Francisco Neighborhoods to Trick-or-Treat
1. Presidio Heights
2. Noe Valley
3. Richmond
4. Haight-Ashbury
5. Sunset 

Top 5 Boston-area Cities and Neighborhoods to Trick-or-Treat
1. Cambridge
2. Somerville
3. Brookline
4. South End
5. Charlestown 

Top 5 Chicago Neighborhoods to Trick-or-Treat
1. Bridgeport
2. Albany Park
3. Logan Square
4. Rogers Park
5. Lake View 

Top 5 Los Angeles Neighborhoods to Trick-or-Treat
1. Venice
2. Los Feliz
3. Westwood
4. Silver Lake
5. Beverly Hills 

Top 5 Seattle Neighborhoods to Trick-or-Treat
1. Wallingford
2. Queen Anne
3. Magnolia
4. University District
5. Capitol Hill 

For more information, visit www.Zillow.com. 

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1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Legend has it that several ghosts reside within the walls of the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, often cited as one of the most haunted hotels in America. During construction, a workman fell to his death from the roof, landing on the future site of room 218, considered to be the most haunted room. In the late 1930s, Norman Baker leased the property for use as a hospital and health resort. Despite his lack of formal medical training or maybe because of it, many of his unfortunate cancer patients made the establishment their eternal resting place. 

Bower’s Harbor Inn, Traverse City, Michigan
Built in the 1880s and remodeled in the 1920s, this restaurant was originally a summer retreat for Chicago lumber baron J.W. Stickney and his wife Genevive. The establishment has since gained notoriety as the home to Genevive’s ghost. While Genevive inherited the property on her husband’s death, he left the remainder of his wealth to the nurse hired to care for Genevive, driving her into severe depression. She eventually hung herself from the rafters of the elevator shaft and, since her demise, lights have suddenly turned on, mirrors and paintings have fallen off walls, and guests have reported the appearance of a blurry female figure in their vacation photographs. 

Buxton Inn-1812, Granville, Ohio
Among the many owners of this former stagecoach tavern was Major Horton Buxton who owned the inn from 1865 to 1902. He is said to still make an occasional appearance, favoring a chair by the fireplace on a chilly evening. The tavern is also haunted by the ghost of a former owner’s cat. The spectral figures may be spotted by guests enjoying dinner. 

The Fairmont Algonquin, St. Andrews, New Brunswick
Winter guests at this hotel have repeatedly mentioned seeing an older gentleman dressed like a bellman who greets them at the elevator to help with their bags. However, the hotel does not employ a bellman in the winter and the gentleman doesn’t match the description of anyone on staff. Perhaps he is an employee from long ago. 

The Golden Lamb Restaurant, Lebanon, Ohio
The Golden Lamb Restaurant is a red brick structure that opened as a stagecoach tavern in 1803. Its many celebrity guests over the past two centuries have included Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and various presidents. One guest in permanent residence is the spirit of a little girl believed to be Sarah Stubbs, niece of former manager Isaac Stubbs Jr. Sarah grew to be an adult, but some say her ghost remains in the building. Sarah’s room, located on the fourth floor, is the recreation of her childhood bedroom, named in her honor. 

Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio
This hotel, originally opened in 1931, is reputedly haunted by the “Lady in Green” who wanders through the ornately decorated Hall of Mirrors and the Mezzanine. The lady’s husband was allegedly killed in an accident during the construction of the hotel. His body was never found and her mournful spirit still seeks his remains, according to the story. 

Hotel Bothwell, an Ascend Collection hotel, Sedalia, Missouri
Built as a 119-room hotel in 1927, this establishment was the hub of society in Sedalia for many decades. In the 1980s the property was converted to an assisted living facility for 10 years before it was closed. It reopened in 1999 as the Hotel Bothwell with some challenges in the haunting department. Many occurrences of unexplained noises and sightings of objects have been reported, including the occasional apparition. The elevator has been known to operate on its own, and guests often mention missing items from their rooms. While most of the experiences happen at night, nearly every staff member has a story to tell. If a truly spooky stay is what you want, request a room on the third floor where many sightings are centered. 

Hotel Provincial, New Orleans, Louisiana
Located in the French Quarter, this hotel was a hospital during the Civil War and there have been reported sightings of Confederate soldiers. Additionally, linens have been found to have blood stains that vanish as curiously as they appear. Some people have claimed to hear wounded soldiers cry out for help. Building Five is recommended for those wanting to experience paranormal activity. 

Le Pavillon, New Orleans, Louisiana
Built in 1907 and located in the heart of downtown New Orleans, this hotel is often called “The Belle of New Orleans.” The hotel has had many guest and staff sightings of unexplained movement. Paranormal experts have counted anywhere from four to 100 friendly spirits that want to have fun. Where else can you find ghosts and complimentary evening peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? 

The Mayflower – A Renaissance Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Strange occurrences reported at The Mayflower appear to be linked to the inauguration of President Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge did not attend his own inaugural ball in 1925 because he was mourning the death of his 16-year-old son. Every year on January 20, the lights dim and flicker at 10 p.m., the time the first guests were announced at the ball. One elevator stops on the eighth floor and refuses to move to the lobby until 10:15 p.m. – the approximate time Coolidge would leave his room to attend. 

Menger Hotel, San Antonio, Texas
The Menger Hotel was built in the 1850s and is located next to the Alamo mission, site of a bloody battle for Texas independence. The hotel is renowned for several infamous guests who refuse to check out. Theodore Roosevelt, who makes an occasional after-hours visit to the bar, first visited the Menger in 1892, returned in 1998 to recruit his Rough Riders, and was back in 1905 for a banquet. Sallie White, a hotel employee murdered in 1876, continues to make up rooms. And the irrepressible Captain Richard King, founder of one of the world’s largest ranches, is said to be seen late at night writing the memoirs he began in the late 1880s on learning of his impending death. 

Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Two mysterious deaths occurred in what is now referred to as the “Ghost” suite. The first, in 1930, was executive housekeep Juliette Brown, who apparently awoke at 4 a.m. feeling ill and died while reaching for the phone. The second was the hotel owner’s adopted child, Helen. Witnesses report seeing housekeeping carts move and televisions and lights come on suddenly at 4 a.m., while guests in adjacent rooms have heard loud noises coming from the suite while unoccupied. 

Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado
This hotel is most famous for inspiring Stephen King to write The Shining after staying at the near empty hotel with his wife the day before it closed for winter. They stayed in room 217, which they later discovered was said to be haunted. Although the Kings did not experience any paranormal activity, other guests report hearing piano music and party sounds from the empty ballroom, children running in the empty hallways, and awakening to the sight of a man standing over their bed. If you feel adventurous, stay in room 217, 401, 407 or 418, which report the most ghost sightings. 

For more information, visit www.AAA.com. 

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Think it out
The worst mistake that people make, says Karen Okura, manager of behavior and training at The Anti-Cruelty Society (anticruelty.org), is impulse adoption.

Don’t pick an animal because it reminds you of your old dog, she says, or because you pity the animal, or because you lost your job and need to feel loved, or because the kids want one, or to save a marriage or relationship. 

There are plenty of good reasons to adopt. “The No. 1 objective is to save a life. People don’t realize the number of amazing dogs being euthanized,” says Rochelle Michalek, executive director of PAWS Chicago (pawschicago.org). “Dogs make great companions. They’re great from a social perspective. Nothing breaks the ice like a dog when you’re out meeting people.” Once you have a good reason to adopt, use your head. “People should look at practical things,” Okura says. “Does someone in the home have allergies? How prepared are you to do a minimal amount of grooming?” Also ask yourself: Do you have the time to feed, train and exercise a new dog? Okura figures a puppy needs two years of intensive training; older dogs, a year. Can you afford the financial investment? Even routine medical care isn’t cheap. Does the entire family approve, not just one or two members? Everyone will need to pitch in. Will a new dog get along with other pets in the home? 

If you’re looking at a puppy, know how big it’s going to get. If it’s from a shelter or one of those “free-to-good-home” ads, take your best guess and be prepared for an adult dog that’s 10 to 30 pounds plus or minus that estimate. 

Choosing a breed
Figure out what you want: big, small, male, female, energetic, laid-back, etc. Every factor should be considered. Is there a purebred that appeals to you? Study up and learn more about that breed’s dogs, from how big they get, to their temperament, to how much they shed. Talk to a rescue group that deals in that particular breed. They can tell you a breed’s quirks, and they might even have an animal that would be a good fit. 

If you have no particular breed in mind, consider a mutt. There are a lot more mixed-breed animals needing homes. They also tend to be less prone to breed-specific health problems and they’re also going to cost a lot less, in most cases.

“And their personalities might tend to be a little more diverse,” Michalek says. 

Go for the perfect fit
Don’t rush it. Okura says to do your homework and find the perfect fit. Not an OK fit, not a good fit. The perfect fit. “One of the things I tell people is to be picky. Lots of people feel guilty in a shelter, looking at homeless animals. ‘It’s bigger than I wanted,’ or ‘Look at all this hair.’ We actively advise people who say, ‘He’s just not right’ to keep looking. Because somebody will take the dog you said no to.” 

(c) 2009, Chicago Tribune.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 

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Specifically, the report revealed:

-57% of young Americans consider their financial situation to be the biggest concern in their lives.

-66% rate their own financial situation as fair to poor and almost half (43%) expressed concerns about their ability to make sound financial decisions.

-Nearly eight out of ten young people (78%) have debt of some kind. Credit card debt (36%) – considered “bad debt” by most financial experts is by far the most prevalent form.

-68% of respondents admit that finances have caused stress in a relationship or friendship.

-While in many cases social media sites (e.g. Facebook) have lowered or eradicated the social boundaries around certain topics, finances remain a taboo subject. In fact, people are more likely to discuss relationship status (61%), politics (43%), their health (23%) and their weight (20%) than their financial situation.

-Among those young adults who have sought advice online, 85% report being more confident about their ability to manage their finances.

“The findings of this report perfectly illustrate the reasons why LifeTuner was created,” said Diane Ty, AARP senior vice president. “We worked closely with over 400 young adults who helped us shape the vision and content of LifeTuner. Our aim is to demonstrate to young adults that many of the financial decisions made in their 20s and 30s, particularly those around saving for the future and avoiding harmful debt, can affect the rest of their lives.”

For more information, visit www.LifeTuner.org.

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Fine’s advice to people who’ve gotten out of the fitness routine? Find an open-aired, attractive place to exercise. “We tend to perk up in the sun,” says Fine, who is sometimes a consultant to fitness trainers. “On the scientific side, it has been proven that the sun generates endorphins in our bodies that give us energy, give a boost. In times of depression and worry, if we can’t continue a routine, the best thing is to try that routine in a cheerier location.”

Fine says the economy’s also to blame. “So many people are depressed or worried about the state of the economy that they find themselves almost paralyzed with fear and unable to do all but the most necessary things for survival. Personal fitness, at times like these, is often one of those casualties. You just don’t feel like working out.”

Chauncey and Pauline Williams have been training clients in all sorts of locations for more than 10 years, through their Body Preference Total Fitness & Personal Training Center in North Miami Beach, Fla. “We’ve had them running stairwells, working out in a traditional gym setting, outdoors in wooded park areas, everywhere you can think,” Chauncey says. Lately that’s included more outings to the beach. “When we take them to the beach it’s to get them outside and in a bright, upbeat place, because we know that could be the trick to really get them feeling positive again.”

Taking Fine’s advice, on a recent Saturday morning, fitness trainer Marquel Wimbley led a small group through exercises on the sands of South Beach in a class she organized for the nearby Z Ocean Hotel.

Vance Sams says the beach boot camp is the thing that got him back on the fitness wagon. “It’s tough times right now,’ said Sams who juggles three jobs—personal security work, private investigating and property management for wealthy snowbirds. “Because of two out of my three jobs, I have to stay fit. But for a little while I just wasn’t motivated to go to the gym. Being inside the gym is same old, same old.” Heather Murphy, who works in real estate sales also joined Wimbley for the beach boot camp to shake things up. “It’s sort of like one of those things you do every so often to throw off your routine and keep yourself on your toes. Except in the past I’ve done that as a way to simply alter my workouts. Now? I’m doing it because I don’t want to work out, period.”

Marquel led the group through 90 minutes of sprints, push-ups and calisthenics, with some yoga for a cool down. “I like to think of this as a kickoff to get back into exercise,” Wimbley said. “It’s mental. You workout. You get endorphins. And you feel good. It covers everything. Being on the beach—especially a beach in the Miami area, and having the sun above your head? That should be enough motivation for anyone.”

(c) 2009, The Miami Herald.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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The national survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive reveals that even though Americans continue to strive for the ultimate life balance, which includes juggling work and personal priorities, approximately one-quarter of people in the U.S. actually have achieved this goal. However, the survey shows that there is a prevailing sense of hope, even in today’s tough economic times, with more than 53% of respondents saying they believe they will achieve life balance in the next five years.

“Princess Cruises launched this barometer because we believe we offer Americans the perfect escape from their busy, frenetic lives; a way for people to break away from their everyday routine to refresh and relax,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “Through the survey, we hoped to determine if people were feeling out of balance, and if so, what they need to get back on track. While it’s clear from the results that many people do not have life balance, we were pleased to see that one of the key enablers to living a balanced life was taking a vacation. In fact, we discovered there is a direct correlation between taking vacations and having a balanced life, as 64 percent of people who say they have attained life balance have taken a vacation in the last year.”

According to the Barometer, the top-five things Americans feel will help them achieve better life balance include realizing financial success, improving physical fitness, getting organized and taking more breaks and vacations. However, when it comes to doing what it takes to create more life balance, Americans aren’t taking their own advice, with one in four Americans not planning to take all their vacation days this year. Of those not planning to take all of their vacation days, 40% of those respondents cite work-related reasons.

Renowned stress expert and founder of The Stress Institute, Dr. Kathleen Hall, believes learning how to deal with stress is one of the most important things Americans can do to lead more balanced lives. “Life balance is all about having time for work, relationships, relaxation and fun, but when people are stressed out, it can be hard for them to focus on the priorities that will help get them back in balance,” said Dr. Hall. “Stress can manifest itself in many different forms, both mentally and physically, so it’s important to know how to identify our key stressors and learn to make positive choices that help manage stress every day. A crucial element to maintaining life balance is taking breaks and vacations. Research shows it’s important to allow yourself time to get away and disconnect from it all so that you can return to your everyday life rejuvenated and ready to deal with challenges head on.”

The Princess Cruises Life Balance Barometer uncovered issues and trends regarding life balance both nationally and in 25 cities. For more information, visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

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Homemade Halloween costumes are cheap, easy and eco-friendly, since they often feature recycled clothes, props and accessories. Plus, most of the materials for the perfect costume can be found around the house or at your local thrift store. 

Here are some frighteningly fun costumes that simply scream “Happy Halloween!” Although none of them require sewing or heavy lifting, little witches and warlocks may need adult supervision. 

Fairy
You’ll need: a prom dress with a full, poofy skirt (look for formal dresses with lots of layers of tulle and netting); artificial flowers, feathers, beads, ribbon, etc. and fairy wings 

This sweet, simple costume is perfect for full-size fairies and petite pixies alike.

Using large, sharp scissors, cut through all the layers of the dress at or just below knee level. Now use your scissors to create a zigzag edge along the bottom of the dress. For best results, cut one layer at a time. (For a more modest look, keep the bottom hem past the knee. Flirty fairies can go shorter). 

Attach artificial flowers and other embellishments to the top layer of fabric with needle-and-thread or glue. You can purchase wings or make your own using wire hangers and pantyhose. 

Pirate
Men will need: a loose button-up shirt, preferably white; black or brown trousers; belt; bandanna and an eye patch. Women will need: loose, ruffled blouse, preferably white; long, full skirt; shawl and/or bandanna; belt and boots. Get ready to sail the high seas in a swashbuckling outfit inspired by “Pirates of the Caribbean.” 

Guys can channel their inner buccaneer with homemade pirate pants. Using large, sharp scissors, cut pant legs just below the knee. Make small cuts at 1-inch intervals. Then rip the bottom of the pants into strips about four to five inches deep. Pair your pirate pants and shirt with a long vest or make your own by cutting the sleeves and collar off an old shirt. A wide leather belt, bandanna and eye patch complete the look. 

For women, becoming a pirate is as easy as donning a ruffled blouse, long skirt, wide belt and boots. Tie a shawl over one hip and accessorize with hoop earrings, gold necklaces and rings. 

Swords, daggers and stuffed parrot toys make great accessories. 

Vampire
You’ll need: black clothing; a cape and vampire teeth. Vampires are hot this Halloween, thanks to the popularity of “Twilight” and “True Blood.” The possibilities for vampires are practically endless. 

Gals, choose dark-colored clothing with a Gothic feel. Velvet, satin and lace are a plus. Guys, channel your inner Dracula with a tuxedo-style suit and cape or go for a more romantic look with a loose, button-up black shirt and pants. 

Mimic vampires’ deathly pallor with pale makeup and a trickle of fake blood. You can purchase fake vampire teeth at most costume shops and drug stores. 

Five more easy-to-make costumes
-G.I. Joe and Jane: Military surplus stores are a great source for camouflage clothing, uniforms and more.
-Harry Potter: Dress up as everyone’s favorite wizard with an old black graduation robe, a white button-up shirt, black pants and a gold-and-red striped necktie. Wear glasses and use makeup to draw a lightning-shaped “scar” on your forehead.
-Princess: Pair a prom dress with a toy tiara and scepter. Or add a sash to become a beauty pageant winner.
-Witch: Already have a black outfit? Add a witch hat and collect your Halloween candy in a cauldron.
-Zombie: Take any outfit- an old suit, a Western shirt and Wrangler jeans, a Hawaiian shirt and board shorts- and destroy it. Rip out seams. Fray hems.
Finish with fake blood and ghoulish makeup. 

(c) 2009, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 

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“We discovered that an impressive number of U.S. travelers seek out cultural and heritage experiences,” said Helen Marano, director, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, U.S. Department of Commerce. “With 78% of all domestic leisure travelers participating in cultural and heritage activities, their expenditures confirm that this is a strong market and they are contributing significantly to our communities during these challenging economic times.” 

The study is the first to segment cultural and/or heritage travelers, showing the diverse groups that exist within this broader category of traveler. The segmentation analysis uncovered five different types of cultural and heritage travelers: passionate, well-rounded, aspirational, self-guided, and keeping it light. Three segments- passionate, well-rounded, and self-guided- were more serious about their travels and said that cultural and heritage activities had a greater impact on their destination choice. Together, these three segments represent 40% of all leisure travelers and contribute nearly $124 billion to the U.S. economy. 

Cultural and heritage travelers as a whole are more frequent travelers, reporting an average of 5.01 leisure trips in the past 12 months. They are more frequent business travelers and are more likely to have taken an international trip in the past 12 months than their non-cultural/heritage counterparts. They are also more likely to travel farther to get the experiences they seek: about half of most recent overnight leisure trips were 500 miles or more from home. More than a third say they traveled between 100 and 300 miles for a day trip. 

The study found that cultural and heritage travelers are more likely to participate in culinary activities, such as sampling artisan food and wines, attending food and wine festivals, visiting farmers’ markets, shopping for gourmet foods and enjoying unique dining experiences as well as fine dining. Other cultural and heritage activities identified by travelers include visiting historic sites (66%); attending historical re-enactments (64%); visiting art museums/galleries (54%); attending an art/craft fair or festival (45%); attending a professional dance performance (44%); visiting state/national parks (41%); shopping in museum stores (32%) and exploring urban neighborhoods (30%). The vast majority of these travelers (65%) say that they seek travel experiences where the “destination, its buildings and surroundings have retained their historic character.” 

For more information, visit www.mandalaresearch.com. 

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While each Jack-o-Lantern is different with its own unique size and style, they all share one thing in common – on November 1, the carved pumpkin is immediately out-of-season and soon replaced by fall and Thanksgiving decor. Many people even wait until the last minute to do their carving to help ensure their pumpkin stays as fresh as possible for Halloween. 

If you are looking to prolong the life of your pumpkin this year, you may want to think about using duct tape instead of the traditional carving method. Using duct tape as a decorative element for your pumpkin allows you to start on your design earlier, then change or remove it completely after Halloween, making it versatile enough to use throughout the fall. And styling your pumpkin in duct tape will eliminate the mess left behind from carving, while allowing you to be creative and colorful all at the same time. 

Here are a few examples of how you can use duct tape to decorate: 
Deck it out. Make an entire costume for your pumpkin. If you’re crafty and have some time, turn your pumpkin into a witch with a duct tape cape, hat and broom. For a quick and easy look, wrap your pumpkin in white duct tape for the perfect mummy motif.

Show your pride. With so many colors to choose from, it’s easy to pick a theme or use your pumpkin’s design to demonstrate your patriotism, celebrate your favorite sports team or pay tribute to your alma mater.

Go abstract. Step away from the traditional Halloween look- choose your favorite combination of duct tape colors and cover your pumpkin with some bright stripes, zigzags or polka dots.

Be a little two-faced. Can’t decide on a favorite design? You don’t have to- decorate both sides of your pumpkin and rotate it throughout the Halloween season. Try playing off dueling themes for inspiration, such as comedy and tragedy, day and night or cats and dogs.

Stuck on the Jack-o-Lantern face? Use pre-made stencils or make your own to use as guides to create the eyes, nose and mouth of your pumpkin’s unique expression. 

A little imagination and a few rolls of duct tape are all you need to make your pumpkin stick out from the rest this Halloween. Using duct tape is a fun and creative project for the whole family, resulting in a one-of-a-kind decoration that will last throughout the season. 

For more information, visit www.duckproducts.com. 

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The vaccine to fight seasonal flu is already widely available to people of all ages and health conditions, although some areas have reported supply delays or shortages. But a new vaccine to protect against the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, is just starting to make its way to schools, public health departments and doctors’ offices. Because of an initial limited supply, the first doses of swine flu vaccine are earmarked for people at high risk of serious complications from swine flu and those at risk of spreading it to them. States have ordered about 8 million doses so far, with the potential for up to 250 million total doses, depending on demand, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Public health officials say everyone who wants a swine flu vaccine eventually will be able to get one as more come on line. 

The first question many people are asking is if they need one or both of the vaccines. Nearly all Americans, or 88% of the population fall into a group that’s recommended to receive the seasonal flu vaccine, said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner. About half the population fits into a category deemed high priority for the swine flu vaccine. “People who are recommended to get those vaccines need to plan to get both of them,” Skinner said. 

While some flu cases involve only several days of misery, others go on to become life-threatening or even fatal. Since the swine flu emerged in the U.S. in April, more than 800 people with flu symptoms have died, including 28 pregnant women and 86 children. Most of those children had an underlying condition, but 20% to 30% of them were otherwise healthy. The seasonal flu sends an average of 200,000 Americans to the hospital and kills 36,000 of them every year. People who’ve come down with a flu-like illness recently may think they had swine flu and that they no longer need a vaccine to prevent it. 

But there are hundreds of other respiratory viruses circulating with symptoms that often overlap, and people with mild cases of suspected flu aren’t sent for laboratory confirmation of the H1N1 virus, making it impossible to know for sure if they’ve built immunity, said Dr. Greg Poland, director of the Vaccine Research Group at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “Because there’s no harm in getting the vaccine even if you think you had swine flu, we err on the side of caution and say you should get the vaccine,” Poland said. 

While vaccination doesn’t confer 100% protection against the flu, it’s still the most effective way to prevent it or mitigate its harm to the body, according to the CDC.

Clinical trials of the H1N1 vaccine showed it has many of the same side effects as the seasonal variety, chiefly a sore arm at the injection site. People with a known allergy to chicken eggs and those with suppressed immune systems should talk to their doctor about whether flu vaccination is an option for them. 

The swine flu vaccine is manufactured the same way as its seasonal counterpart, and the H1N1 strain may have been included in this year’s seasonal vaccine had the virus emerged a few months earlier when planning for the seasonal vaccine was under way, said Dr. Paul Offit, chief of infectious disease at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 

The seasonal flu vaccine has been used for decades in formulations that change every year to reflect the three most dominant strains of virus that scientists believe will be circulating when the vaccine goes into production in the spring. The swine flu virus makes up the vast majority of flu bugs now going around and people in high-risk groups are urged to get a swine flu vaccine as soon as they become available. The groups who are first priority are pregnant women, children and young adults age 6 months to 24 years old, people who are around children too young to be immunized, those age 25 to 64 who have underlying chronic medical conditions such as diabetes or asthma, and health care workers. 

More people are recommended to be vaccinated against seasonal flu since, unlike swine flu, it tends to hit the elderly hard as well. About 82 million doses of that vaccine have shipped, and manufacturers are expected to produce about 114 million doses total this year. 

“The reason to get both is you want to be protected from the strains most likely to circulate,” Offit said. People who want one or both vaccines may have to be patient until more supply arrives, and they’re wise to call ahead to see if the vaccines they want are available. They also should ask about price and insurance coverage. Some employers and health insurers offer discounts or full reimbursement for flu vaccines. Medicare beneficiaries can receive both vaccines free of charge after satisfying their Part B deductible. The swine flu vaccine is free for anyone who wants it, though health care providers may charge an administration fee. Uninsured and underinsured children may receive free vaccines through the government’s Vaccines for Children Program. There is high demand for seasonal flu vaccine at Walgreens stores around the country, said company spokesman Jim Cohn in Deerfield, Ill. This year Walgreens is offering the seasonal flu vaccine seven days a week either by appointment or on a walk-in basis. The cost without Medicare or private insurance is $24.99 for the shot and $29.99 for the nasal-spray version. 

“I would strongly encourage people interested in getting a seasonal vaccine to do so as soon as possible because we’re hearing about shortages or locations that are out of the vaccine already,” Cohn said. 

“We now have the industrial capacity to make a lot of vaccine efficiently and quickly, and that’s good,” Offit said. “But what we don’t have yet is the distribution method to allow for easy, quick and efficient vaccination.” 

For people who choose to get either or both flu vaccines, the next questions are often what form they should pick—the shot or the nasal spray—and how far apart the immunizations should be if they get both the regular and swine flu vaccines.

Only healthy people ages 2 to 49 who aren’t pregnant can receive the nasal-spray versions. People who fit that criteria and are looking to avoid needles for both flu vaccines need to wait four weeks between the two nasal-spray versions, said the CDC’s Skinner. Children ages 6 months to 9 years who have never received a flu vaccine before are recommended to receive two doses of both the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccine about a month apart, Offit said. People age 10 and older need only one dose of swine flu vaccine, according to the CDC. 

(c) 2009, MarketWatch.com Inc.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 

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