What would it take to change your life for the better? It may be less than you think—we've got mini-makeovers to help you upgrade everything from your workout to your weekend. #30: 3 smart ideas for expanding your social circle.
Don't play hard to get.
"Friending" is not befriending.
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| Photo: Thinkstock |
You moved, you switched jobs, you lost your best pal to a new romance. Now what? Rachel Bertsche, author of MWF Seeking BFF, on how to solidify a new friendship:
Don't play hard to get.
You might need to make the first move, and the second, and the third. People are busy in their routines. If you wait for reciprocity, you could be waiting forever.
Be confident.
Be confident.
Skip the dissertation-length explanation of why you've got time to burn. A simple "I'd love to get together sometime; are you available for lunch or coffee this week?" should do the trick.
"Friending" is not befriending.
It's easy to get caught up in a virtual friendship, but monitoring her Facebook is not a real relationship. If she posts, "like" it—then meet IRL (in real life).
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What would it take to change your life for the better? It may be less than you think—we've got mini-makeovers to help you upgrade everything from your workout to your weekend. #29: Bold lipcolor transforms your look in a single instant.
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| Photo: Thinkstock |
A sheer peach gloss is lovely, and a soft pink stain has its place. But for an under-a-minute total transformation, you can't beat a bold, bright lipcolor. Here's how makeup artist Denise Markey says anyone (including you) can pull off a poppy red or fuchsia mouth: Use a brush to apply lipstick in the center of the lips. With your finger, tap the color out to the corners of your mouth. This ensures that the color isn't opaque, which can make it too intense and likely to migrate beyond the edges of your lips. Limit the rest of your beauty routine to tinted moisturizer, mascara, and a sheer cream blush.
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What would it take to change your life for the better? It may be less than you think—we've got mini-makeovers to help you upgrade everything from your workout to your weekend. #27: Exercise your brain along with your thumbs.
You can zone out with another round of Angry Birds—or kill time with these apps that work your brain.
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Unblock Me
A frustrating yet addictive puzzle game in which you manipulate rectangles to free one from its blockade. iTunes, free; full version 99₡. Android, free.
7 Little Words
Each puzzle consists of seven clues that lead to seven mystery words made from 20-letter groups—let the brain racking begin! iTunes; free.
Simple Physics
Design sturdy structures—a skyscraper buffeted by hurricanes, a roof bearing a mountain of snow—without breaking your project budget. iTunes; 99₡.
Trixel
You have a limited number of moves to navigate this visual puzzle, flipping tiles to match a set pattern. iTunes; 99₡.
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What would it take to change your life for the better? It may be less than you think—we've got mini-makeovers to help you upgrade everything from your workout to your weekend. #26: Impress your guest list with personalized invitations.
Punchbowl.com: Customized invites and add-on perks like potluck checklists and a polling tool to help pick the date.
Cocodot.com: Thousands of contemporary invitations to satisfy design snobs and typography geeks.
Pingg.com: Artists upload images, creating a bank of more than four million themes you can personalize with photos or video.
Paperlesspost.com: The virtual version of high-end stationery, these pack the luxe look of letterpress.
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| Photo: Thinkstock |
Online invitations don't have to be so cheesy—or cluttered by ads.
Punchbowl.com: Customized invites and add-on perks like potluck checklists and a polling tool to help pick the date.
Cocodot.com: Thousands of contemporary invitations to satisfy design snobs and typography geeks.
Pingg.com: Artists upload images, creating a bank of more than four million themes you can personalize with photos or video.
Paperlesspost.com: The virtual version of high-end stationery, these pack the luxe look of letterpress.
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What would it take to change your life for the better? It may be less than you think—we've got mini-makeovers to help you upgrade everything from your workout to your weekend. #25: Thank your host with style.
Wine and flowers are nice but not noteworthy. We asked frequent hosts to recall gifts that made an impact.
"Slate and Chalk sounds like something from a Dickens novel, but you can serve cheese on the slate and write the name right next to it."
—Jayma Mays, actress
"My most memorable hostess gift was a trampoline... though I promptly flew off it and broke my arm. That was unforgettable!"
—Cynthia Rowley, fashion designer
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| Photo: Brooklyn Slate & Green Depot |
"Slate and Chalk sounds like something from a Dickens novel, but you can serve cheese on the slate and write the name right next to it."
—Jayma Mays, actress
"My most memorable hostess gift was a trampoline... though I promptly flew off it and broke my arm. That was unforgettable!"
—Cynthia Rowley, fashion designer
What would it take to change your life for the better? It may be less than you think—we've got mini-makeovers to help you upgrade everything from your workout to your weekend. #24: Bargain shop in a whole new way.
Quit clipping coupons! Thanks to the popularity of sites like Groupon, flash sales (limited edition deals) are oh so of-the-moment. Four sites to suit any shopping style:
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| Photo: Thinkstock |
Fashionistas
At MYHABIT, the new designer sale site from Amazon, shopaholics enjoy up to 60 percent off—and free shipping—from high-end and boutique brands like Alberta Ferretti and Dogeared jewelry.
At MYHABIT, the new designer sale site from Amazon, shopaholics enjoy up to 60 percent off—and free shipping—from high-end and boutique brands like Alberta Ferretti and Dogeared jewelry.
Techies
Get an Android smartphone, iPod nano, or LCD monitor on the cheap with the daily deals at CowBoom, a Best Buy offshoot that offers new, used, and refurbished electronics.
Get an Android smartphone, iPod nano, or LCD monitor on the cheap with the daily deals at CowBoom, a Best Buy offshoot that offers new, used, and refurbished electronics.
Foodies
Daily Gourmet dishes discounts on high-quality eats from around the world (think: cask-aged premium wine vinegar, small-batch gluten-free granola, and hand-crafted coffees).
Daily Gourmet dishes discounts on high-quality eats from around the world (think: cask-aged premium wine vinegar, small-batch gluten-free granola, and hand-crafted coffees).
Social Butterflies
LivingSocial secures savings of 50 percent or more on local products and getaways. Convince three of your friends to purchase the offer as well and you get the deal for free.
LivingSocial secures savings of 50 percent or more on local products and getaways. Convince three of your friends to purchase the offer as well and you get the deal for free.
What would it take to change your life for the better? It may be less than you think—we’ve got mini-makeovers to help you upgrade everything from your workout to your weekend. #23: Yes, your iPad can be in the kitchen while you're cooking your messiest recipes.
Tired of gunking up your iPad screen with tomato sauce while trying to follow a recipe for spaghetti Bolognese? The Chef Sleeve is the splatterproof, smearproof, and smudgeproof answer: The thin, food-safe film encases your tablet but doesn't interfere with touchscreen functions. Reusable (but also recyclable when they get too gross), the sleeves are sold in packaging that doubles as a convenient countertop iPad stand. (chefsleeve.com)
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30 days of makeovers
Bolognese sauce recipe
Get the O magazine iPad app
| Photo: Gregor Halenda |
Tired of gunking up your iPad screen with tomato sauce while trying to follow a recipe for spaghetti Bolognese? The Chef Sleeve is the splatterproof, smearproof, and smudgeproof answer: The thin, food-safe film encases your tablet but doesn't interfere with touchscreen functions. Reusable (but also recyclable when they get too gross), the sleeves are sold in packaging that doubles as a convenient countertop iPad stand. (chefsleeve.com)
Keep Reading
30 days of makeovers
Bolognese sauce recipe
Get the O magazine iPad app
What would it take to change your life for the better? It may be less than you think—we’ve got mini-makeovers to help you upgrade everything from your workout to your weekend. #22: Some follow-up suggestions for couldn't-put-it-down books you've already read.
Follow Freedom, Jonathan Franzen's stunner about life as we know it, with Julia Glass's Three Junes, another great American novel. Or try A Small Hotel, Robert Olen Butler's shorter but no less encompassing tale of love and loss.
6 more terrific reading suggestions
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30 days of makeovers
18 books to pick up this month
What's on Christina Ricci's bookshelf?
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6 more terrific reading suggestions
Keep Reading
30 days of makeovers
18 books to pick up this month
What's on Christina Ricci's bookshelf?
What would it take to change your life for the better? It may be
less than you think—we’ve got mini-makeovers to help you upgrade
everything from your workout to your weekend. #21: Giving back has never been easier.
Figuring out where to put your philanthropic energy can be surprisingly daunting. Enter All for Good, a service-based Web site that does the sifting for you. Inspired in part by Craigslist founder Craig Newmark and developed with the help of Google engineers, the smartly designed site is a centralized search engine for volunteer opportunities, culling more than 150,000 postings from matching sites like Idealist, Catchafire, Truist, AARP's Create the Good, and United Way. Filter listings according to your interests, skills, neighborhood, and time frame, whether you're seeking a one-day project building a playground or a weekly soup kitchen gig. (allforgood.org)
Keep Reading
30 days of makeovers
Skip the beach for a volunteer vacation
5 ways to use your professional skills to give back
Ways for children to volunteer
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| Photo: Thinkstock |
Keep Reading
30 days of makeovers
Skip the beach for a volunteer vacation
5 ways to use your professional skills to give back
Ways for children to volunteer
What would it take
to change your life for the better? It may be less than you think—we’ve
got mini-makeovers to help you upgrade everything from your workout to
your weekend. #20: Try decorating upwards.
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| Photo: Gregor Halenda |
If you're tired of cramming your stuff into tight quarters, start making the most of your square footage with a new kind of bookshelf.
Sure, bookshelves provide efficient storage, but they make reading book titles a pain in the neck—literally. Keep your head upright with the Paperback Wall System by Studio Parade, which has skinny little laminate slats for holding books horizontally.
Paperback Wall System, Studio Parade, Available at SUITE New York, suiteny.com
Check out 2 more ingenious ways to decorate small spaces
Keep Reading
30 days of makeovers
Tame your overstuffed bookshelves in 48 hours
5 rules for decorating like a pro
6 ways to make the most of your small kitchen
Paperback Wall System, Studio Parade, Available at SUITE New York, suiteny.com
Check out 2 more ingenious ways to decorate small spaces
Keep Reading
30 days of makeovers
Tame your overstuffed bookshelves in 48 hours
5 rules for decorating like a pro
6 ways to make the most of your small kitchen
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