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30 Days of Makeovers (30 posts) Back to Life Lift Home
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. #19: A sweet way to enjoy leafy nutritious veggies.
Photo: Gregor Halenda
Photo: Gregor Halenda

Whether you're a lettuce freak or salad-phobe, you'll want to try blending greens into your next fruit smoothie. Tossing in a large handful of spinach, kale, collards, Swiss chard, parsley, or romaine along with fruit and milk makes for an emerald-flecked glass of liquid sunshine, full of chlorophyll, fiber, and nutrients. Trust us, the fruit is a master of disguise—you won't even taste the greens.

For recipes go to greenmonstermovement.com.

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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. #18: Three readers share the traditions that help them savor time with family.

Photo: Thinkstock
Photo: Thinkstock
"For Friday dinners, I had a vase stuffed with folded Post-it notes, each with a conversation topic on it, like 'What do you love most about the person sitting next to you?' When my kids were young, we'd all pick one and take turns answering. Mixed in were bonus coupons for a kid's-choice meal or free ice cream." —Lisa Rowsell, 45, Falmouth, Massachusetts
           
"It's so easy to crowd the calendar with activities, but last year we decided not to enroll our son in anything on weekends. Instead, we have Explorers Day—we take turns picking a destination. We bike or drive with grandparents, which feels leisurely because we're not racing back for other things on the schedule."  —Anne Medved, 33, Boston
           
"Deciding which movie to watch as a group used to take forever. Now my sisters and I play a game we call 3-2-1. One of us picks three movies to watch, the next narrows it down to two options, and the last person makes the final choice. It's a fun bonding game—and now no more bickering if the movie is lousy."  —Jamie Spitz, 24, New York City

Tell us: What's your favorite way to create quality time with your family?

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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. #17: If you never want to hear the words "Please enter your password then press pound" again, we have a solution.

Photo: Thinkstock
Photo: Thinkstock
The last time you dialed in and listened to a voice mail was... when, again? Delete the hassle of message retrieval with Google's free voice mail service. After a quick setup, it automatically transcribes incoming messages and sends them to you as e-mails or text messages. Do a quick read and get on with your 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. #16: Raise your heartbeat in a whole new way.

Illustration: Marcos Chin
Illustration: Marcos Chin
To change up your sweat routine, give your yoga mat a break and try these new classics.

SoulCycle
Fans of this thigh-quaking class lift hand weights, do modified push-ups, and work their core with crunches—all while furiously peddling spinning bikes.
(soul-cycle.com)

Physique 57
Favored by celebrities like Kelly Ripa and Emmy Rossum, Physique 57 shifts between isometric exercises, like leg scissors and pulse squats, and deep stretches.
(physique57.com)

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. #15: An easy DIY to keep your jewelry knot-free.

Photo: Gregor Halenda
Photo: Gregor Halenda
The best way to solve jewelry box woes? Ditch the box. Organizing whiz Peter Walsh offers this how-to: Start with a picture frame, fill the opening with cut-to-fit wire mesh (available at hardware stores) or a fabric-covered cork board, and staple or nail it in place. Earrings hang from the mesh; necklaces dangle from hooks. To keep rings and bracelets equally visible at a glance, Walsh recommends clear drawers or jewelry trays.
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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. #14: Spend time with someone you don't agree with.

Illustration: Marcos Chin
Illustration: Marcos Chin
Looking past divisive politics and differing views to the person on the other side of the issue may be challenging, but it's not impossible. Elizabeth Lesser, cofounder of the Omega Institute and author of Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow, suggests starting with lunch.
           
"Otherising" is the dangerous act of turning someone into the enemy just because he or she looks different, prays different, speaks different, or thinks different. Some of history's most tragic events—wars, genocides, terrorist acts—began with ordinary people demonizing other ordinary people.

I noticed a remarkable amount of otherising during the 2008 presidential race. And there was one woman doing it who bothered me the most—me!

Keep Reading to find out to open your mind


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. #13: Introduce yourself with style.

Photo: Thinkstock
Photo: Thinkstock

News flash: You are not your job. So why, at social events, should you be stuck swapping business cards? Instead, go retro with a calling card—a stationery statement of personality through art, color, and a simple presentation of contact info. Browse crisp letterpress at Suitor and Page Stationery or a riot of colorful motifs at Crane & Co.

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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. #12: Ditch the Internet slang.

Photo: Thinkstock
Photo: Thinkstock
Yes, we live in a 140-character world, thumbs furiously tapping out terse missives. But consider an e-mail received recently by O magazine's editor in chief: "susan: hows it goin?? Annny chance you might know some peeps that could get a screenplay 2 production?"

The chances of this e-mail being taken seriously, of course, are south of zero. Literacy speaks volumes; all these disposable little messages themselves send messages—about you. So we humbly suggest: When faced with the choice of writing "because" or "becuz," "for" or "4," opt for elegance. Spell out words, end sentences with periods, consider the comma. Oh, and one exclamation point will do.

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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. #11: Sip on a new kind of cocktail.

While some poor souls may think cachaça is limited to the caipirinha—Brazil's national cocktail—mixologists are finding increasingly creative combinations for the Latin spirit, made from fresh-pressed sugarcane juice. We asked three to craft new cocktails starring this lesser-known liquor.
Photo: Gregor Halenda
Photo: Gregor Halenda
Get the recipes for these cocktails here

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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. #10: Shake yourself awake tomorrow.

Photo: Courtesy of LARK
Photo: Courtesy of LARK
Billed as the "un-arm clock," LARK is a sleep system in which you program wake-up times into your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, slip on the wireless wrist band, and then hit the sack. When it's time to rise, the band wakes you with gentle vibrations. The best part? If you and your partner are on different schedules, it rouses only the person who needs to get up, as there's no audible alarm.

Available at lark.com
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