GeekSugar

10 Sexy, Healthy Foods For Valentine's Day

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:01:18 PST

The search for sexy foods is an ancient pursuit, and aphrodisiacs come in many healthy forms - with skins, peels, and shells. And healthy living and romantic meals aren't mutually exclusive. We've rounded up 10 foods considered sexy for their suggestive shape, texture, or color, and found recipes so you can add them to your romantic Valentine's meal. If you're on the prowl for a healthier love potion, check out these sexy, healthy recipes that might just help you get in the mood.

30 Ways I See Love Differently at Age 30

YourTango — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:00:44 PST

We're happy to present this excerpt from one of our favorite sites, YourTango.

Writing about love is daunting. It really is.

To paint an accurate illustration of the way I felt when I first began tackling this topic, I ask you to envision me-a skinny, uncoordinated white girl measuring all of 5'3"-facing off with Shaquille O'Neal on the basketball court.

The entire scenario is silly and farcical, and that's exactly how I felt trying to form accurate conclusions about love, a force that is much like a giant on a basketball court. It's towering and intimidating and has the capacity to undo me. The challenge was intriguing, however, so I couldn't say no.

As I started brainstorming everything I’d learned about love over the short 30 years of my life, I quickly recognized that in pondering the mysteries of love, I was actually placing myself in the company of others who had sung and written and theorized about it. As I listened to their music, read their novels, and watched their films, the insights I gained helped shape my own. They bore witness to my experiences and gave voice to feelings I couldn’t otherwise articulate.

I share some of them with you here, intermingled with musings of my own.

Make a list, but don't let it rule you. It can be helpful to make a list of things you want in a romantic partner, and it can be equally helpful to throw that list away. Love asks that we remain open, and always ready for surprise.
Love doesn't require perfection. There were so many presumptions that I'd allowed to be built into my own mind about what a wife should be. I thought she should be a show-stopping cook and a brilliant entertainer, a nonstop quick wit, a wild thing in bed, an effortless nurturer . . . but, if I can be honest, my grandmother was none of these things and she still enjoyed one of the most legendary lives and marriages that I've ever seen.
Be realistic.In generations past, there was far less talk of "compatibility" and finding the ideal soul-mate. Today we are looking for someone who accepts us as we are and fulfills our desires, and this creates an unrealistic set of expectations that frustrates both the searchers and the searched for . . . In other words, some people in our culture want too much out of a marriage partner.
Let go. The more I let people be who they are, instead of cramming them into what I need from them, the more surprised I am by their beauty and depth.
Men are not from Mars and Women are not from Venus. Contrary to popular belief, I don't buy the idea that men and women come from different planets. We both live here on Earth, and in spite of a few rudimentary differences, such as personal interests, or ways of approaching the world, I see more similarities between the sexes with every year that goes by.

Find out the other lessons when you finish reading the rest of the story on YourTango: 30 Ways I See Love Differently at Age 30

Written by Christy Krumm for YourTango.

Udacity and 14 Other Free Sites For Online Learning

GeekSugar — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:51:42 PST

After seeing the success of a personal experiment offering a free Stanford University-certified artificial intelligence course (23,000 people completed the class!), Sebastian Thrun left his prestigious professor position to dedicate himself to teaching on a much larger scale. His new program, Udacity will offer free university-level computer science classes to anyone interested in advancing their tech knowledge.

The two courses currently up for the taking are "CS 101: Building a Search Engine" and "CS 373: Programming a Robotic Car." But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to free online classes. Here, a list of places to point your web browser for free classes online, so you can soak up all the knowledge your brain can handle.

Yale Open Courses - Named one of Time magazine's top 50 websites of 2011, Yale's classes allow anyone to browse through lectures and course materials in subjects including engineering, chemistry, astronomy, sociology, Spanish, history, and more.
MIT OpenCourseWare - With over 2,000 courses available at your fingertips, MIT OpenCourseWare should be your first (and maybe your only) stop in online learning.
Online Education Database - This website offers up a list of 200 free classes you can take online. Take some physics classes and learn about the phenomenon of superconductivity, or retake that algebra class you struggled with in high school.
OpenCulture - This website offers up a list of free classes from top universities like Stanford and UC Berkeley, and even some video lectures you can find on YouTube.
Harvard Open Learning - Watch videos of lectures on computer science and abstract algebra, among others
Princeton Web Media - Browse through and take in archived lectures from Princeton's math, science, and engineering departments, and lots, lots more.

See more websites to get your online learning on after the break.

10 Nice Things to Do For People That Won't Cost Much

Emily Co — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:05:26 PST

Although it's good to focus on your own happiness, it's always beneficial to spread the joy around. In fact, studies have shown that people who perform kind acts see a boost in mood. You can start today by doing some nice things for people . . . just because.

Send a postcard. Send a postcard to a friend or family member who doesn't live in the same city, updating them on your life and telling them that you're thinking of them.
Give affirmation. Praise someone about a quality that they have that you really appreciate. Make sure it's true for you or it won't sound genuine!
Help someone with their belongings. If you see an elderly person struggling with their belongings or even groceries, offer to help carry them. Perhaps you can help them load the bags into their car, or if you live in the same neighborhood, you can drop them off at their door.
Aid someone with their job search. Take some time out of your day to help an unemployed friend or family member. Go through job listings and send her a list of suitable jobs, offer to edit her resume and to prep her for interviews.
Clean your home. If you live with roommates or a partner, clean the home and do all the chores without any prompting.

Read on for more kind acts.

The Hottest Celebrities You Should Be Following on Instagram

Katie Henry — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:43:15 PST

Instagram is our latest obsession, and celebrities have likewise taken note and flocked to the popular iPhone app! If you're not familiar with using it, check out GeekSugar's helpful instructions to get started on Instagram. Don't worry Android users - it's headed your way soon.

We're cruising into the 2012 award season with our iPhones in hand, ready to share photos live from the red carpet. Click through to see who we're following and once you're signed up, be sure to find our account and stay connected with us by searching for PopSugarEditors. Happy sharing!

Group Therapy: My Best Friend Broke Up With Me

Tres Community — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:05:34 PST

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

My best female friend broke up with me a couple of months ago, to be honest I'm not really even sure what happened, only that she started avoiding me, and then when I asked her about it she just freaked out and said she wanted me out of her life. She said some really horrible things about me as a person that have really hurt me, and I've done a lot of soul searching since then, and I really think a lot of that is inaccurate, or was based on miscommunications. I know she has some personal issues she is working through, and is on a couple different mood stabilizing medications. I recognize I'm not the greatest friend (If you're wrong . . . I'll tell you that. But it's because if you are in my life, I want the best for you . . . and I'm a horrible liar), but I do genuinely care about the people in my life and do the best to make their lives better.

Anyway, I can't get over it. I don't really know if it was me, or her, or what. But she still hangs out with all of my friends (who I introduced her to), and it's pretty awkward seeing her at parties and stuff. We don't speak at all - and the couple of times we have had to, she's played completely dumb like nothing ever happened. It's baffling. And I can't just block her on Facebook and forget about her because she's still in my social circle, I'll deliberately not go to parties I know she will be at, etc. It's starting to make me feel uncomfortable in my own circle of friends, and I worry what she told them about me.

So I'm upset, and really confused, and not sure how to move forward. Any advice, points of view, etc are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

10 Low-Risk Ways to Earn More Interest on Your Savings

Kiplinger — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:15:30 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

If you need a safe place to park your money now, you have a surprising variety of options to consider - even if the returns on some of them aren’t pretty.

Don’t expect rates to move up anytime soon. In response to the still-sluggish economy, the Federal Reserve has announced that it will keep short-term rates near zero through mid 2013 - and maybe longer.

We’ve listed the top spots for eking out interest on your savings, depending on your tolerance for risk and how long you can tie up your money.

Money Market Deposit Accounts

For your emergency fund - at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses - and any other savings that need to be safe and immediately available, look to accounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., such as money market deposit accounts. Each account is insured up to $250,000.

Money market deposit accounts generally provide checks and an ATM card for withdrawing cash or to use for purchases. You can also transfer funds electronically to/from a linked checking or savings account. You are limited to six transfers per month, not including cash withdrawals at the ATM. With yields on money market deposit accounts as meager as they are -- the average account pays less than 0.3% - rate-shopping is essential.

BEST PICKS NOW: With a $2,500 deposit, you can earn 1.10% in a money market account at Incrediblebank.com, although you’ll trigger a $10 maintenance fee if your balance drops below $2,500. Other banks with good rates include AmTrust Direct ($500 to open an account) and MyBankingDirect ($5,000 to open an account). Both are affiliated with New York Community Bank, and both pay 1.15%, but at AmTrust Direct you need to maintain a $10,000 balance to qualify for that rate.

Read on for more.

Gift Guide: 10 Charitable Gifts For Architecture, Design, and Home Enthusiasts

Elka Karl — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:00:08 PST

If you're still searching for a passable gift for a friend or family member who seems to have everything she needs, put down that credit card for a moment and consider giving a charitable gift instead. There are amazing charities and non-profit organizations out there doing great work, which could definitely use your charitable gift this year.
For friends and family members who appreciate charitable gifts and have a deep love for causes related to design, architecture, and home, here are 10 gifts they'll be sure to cherish. (These gifts are tax-deductible, too, so you can feel good about your holiday giving and feel good about your taxes.) Of course, this is only a tiny fraction of the charities that need your support. If none of these seem to fit your gifting agenda, make sure to check out charities in your area, too!

Located in Boston, The Food Project turns abandoned urban lots into productive farms that make nutritious fresh produce available in former food deserts. Around 40 percent of the food grown is donated to hunger relief organizations and homeless shelters, or sold at below-market rates at farmers' markets.
The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum is the United States' only museum completely dedicated to historic and contemporary design. With over 250,000 objects, the Museum holds the largest design collection in the country. Contribute with a gift amount or a membership.
Berkeley's Ecology Center is a public resource for reliable information, tools, hands-on training, referrals, strategies, infrastructure, and models for sustainable living.
Architecture For Humanity strives to create a more sustainable future through its network of more than 50,000 professionals who lend their time and expertise to help bring design, construction, and development services where they are most critically needed across the world.
The National Coalition For Homeless Veterans provides advice and assistance to policymakers, Congress and the federal agencies involved with homeless veteran issues and service providers with the goal of ending homelessness among veterans.
The National Housing Law Project is a law and advocacy center dedicated to housing justice for the poor. For over 40 years, NHLP has used the law to increase and preserve the supply of decent affordable housing, to improve existing housing conditions, including physical conditions and management practices, to expand and enforce low-income tenants' and homeowners' rights, and to increase opportunities for racial and ethnic minorities.
Habitat For Humanity helps to provide home ownership opportunities through the building of safe, energy efficient, and stable homes, in partnership with the potential home owners through its "sweat equity" program. Habitat For Humanity seeks to "eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action."
The American Folk Art Museum is devoted to the preservation, conservation, and interpretation of traditional folk art and creative expressions of contemporary self-taught artists from the United States and abroad.
West Oakland's City Slicker Farms has been working to create food justice and improve the environment in West Oakland since 2001 through a series of gardens, workshops, and related projects for the community.
The Good Shepherd Center in Los Angeles helps homeless women rebuild their lives so they and their children will experience a brighter future. Through housing, employment and other supportive services, we offer women hope and the opportunity to achieve independence.

Do you have a favorite cause or charity that you give to each year? Leave the name and link in the comments below.

Madewell's Cheerful Spring Collection Makes Us Crave Warm-Weather Days

Hannah Weil — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:31:24 PST

With a burst of brights, cheeky prints, and covetably sweet styling, Madewell's Spring 2012 has us daydreaming of warmer days ahead, when we might just throw on its adorable polka-dotted skirts (sans tights) and kelly green flats. It's in line with the stuff we've come to know and love from the label - lived-in denim, silky dresses, staple booties and wedges, and irresistible skimmer flats in rainbow colors. The mood is, as always, fun and and fresh, this time with a hint of '70s-cool with striped knits, flared denim, button-front midi skirts, and a blast of colorblocking. If ever there was a bit of cheer to fight the Winter doldrums, this is it. Read on for our must-have pieces then click through for a glimpse of the whole Spring collection.

These skimmer flats will become an essential. The perky hue is irresistible and literally goes with everything.
This adorable knit top lends just the right dose of that vintage vibe to pair with everything from our high-waist denim to our sweet skirts and shorts.
This little striped dress ends the search for the perfect Spring frock. The shape is universally flattering and would look fantastic layered up with a little military or denim jacket in early Spring.

15 Smart Things You Can Do With $100

Business Insider — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:15:47 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Business Insider story here on Savvy!

At first blush, $100 is only $100. It's so easy to fritter away on eating out, entertainment, or booking a trip online.

But you should never underestimate how far $100 can go, even in this economy.

"It's smarter to put that money away because once it's in your pocket, it's pretty much gone," says Joel Larsen, a certified financial planner based in Davis, Calif.

No matter where you are in your financial life, we've compiled 15 tips to help you stretch that Benjamin.

Open a college savings account

"A lot of people will say, 'it's only $100,'" says Larsen, but if you were to save $100 a month over 20 years at a 7% rate of return, you would amass $52,092.67. Impressive, right?

Depending on your financial picture, you'll need to shop around to find the right plan based on investment performances, expenses, and tax exemptions.

Andrew Schrage, founder of the personal finance site, Money Crashers, recommends looking into a 529 College Savings plan set up by governments or colleges to help parents save.

"One of the primary benefits of a 529 savings plan is that it offers tax protection from the federal government," he says. "Also, you may be eligible for tax protection from the state government."

Read on for more.