Archive for August, 2006
Scottsdale, AZ / March 9, 2006 — Number 1 selling singer/songwriter James Blunt is the latest musician to be featured on SheKnows.com as part of their “10 Questions with…” music interview series. Exclusive conversations with other artists — including Howie Day, Rob Thomas (matchbox twenty), Lifehouse, The Secret Machines, Snow Patrol and Aqualung — have previously appeared on the site, and new interviews are added regularly.
James Blunt’s first album, “Back to Bedlam,” has been a huge success all around the globe. One of the Englishman’s first coups was keeping the venerable Rolling Stones from topping the UK charts in mid-2005, and his latest achievement includes seeing his song “You’re Beautiful” hit number 1 on Billboard’s US Hot 100 singles chart after hovering just a breath below the top spot for three weeks. His album, meanwhile, is #5 on the The Billboard 200.
In the SheKnows.com interview, Blunt discusses several topics, including how such success has been a surprise, the backup plan in case his musical career didn’t work out, and why topping the charts isn’t really the most important thing to him.
And as for how he thinks he’s been able to make it where other artists have failed? SheKnows.com got Blunt’s perspective on that topic, too. “You know, I wouldn’t actually know the answer to that. Maybe my mum just was very good at buying thousands of copies of the album,” he laughs.
The article can be found only on the web at SheKnows.com/about/look/6868.htm .
What is SheKnows? Put simply, SheKnows is an information resource for women. According to a recent eMarketer research report, 91 million women used the Internet in 2005 — shopping and researching, playing games, socializing and working online. They are checking their horoscopes, finding out about new music and movies, browsing recipes and menu plans for dinner inspiration, reading their favorite blogs, debating politics, joining support networks, researching career opportunities — among other things. Now women can accomplish all of these tasks — and so many more — at one site: SheKnows.com, a one-stop, female-friendly portal destination for busy women.
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February 2, 2005 — When you think of the Super Bowl, for many people, the first player who comes to mind is former quarterback Joe Montana. But today, “Joe Cool” — who not only played in four Super Bowl games but was also named MVP of Super Bowls XVI, XIX and XXIV — is quarterbacking a different initiative. After learning in 2002 that he had high blood pressure, Montana had to change his way of eating and to start living a healthier lifestyle.
“I have a family history of heart disease,” says Montana, who spoke recently to SheKnows.com. “A little over two years ago, I found out that I suffered from severely high blood pressure that needed to be brought under control. I had to change my diet, exercise schedule and take medication to get it under control. I worked with my doctor to find a game plan that was good for me and would help me achieve my blood pressure goal.”
Montana shares one of his favorite delicious and healthy Super Bowl party recipes to help you gear up your own smart game plan.
Kick-Off Chicken Kabobs
Make your party a tasty success with this zingy dish!
Ingredients:
Chicken Kabobs
8 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 1/2 lbs)
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hot sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
6-inch bamboo skewers (about 40)
Veggies and Dip
1 3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 small clove garlic, minced
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into sticks (about 40)
4 large celery stalks, cut into sticks (about 40) — store carrots and celery in a large bowl of ice water
Directions:
1. Cut each chicken breast into 5 lengthwise strips. In a large bowl mix pineapple juice, soy sauce, hot sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame oil. Add the chicken and marinate over night or at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat broiler on high.
3. Wear gloves while skewering one piece of chicken per skewer. Line a broiler pan with foil and spray with non stick cooking spray, place chicken on skewers. Broil 4 inches from heat, 3 minutes per side.
3. To make the blue cheese dip, mix yogurt, garlic and blue cheese until smooth. Serve with chicken and veggies.
Serves 8.
Serving size: 5 skewers, 1/4 cup dip and 5 carrot and 5 celery sticks
Per serving (Kabobs): Calories 191, Fat 5.16g, Carbohydrate 2.82g, Protein 31.31g, Cholesterol 85.54mg, Sodium 193mg
Per serving (Veggies and dip): Calories 62, Fat 1.41g, Carbohydrate 8.24g, Protein 4.52g, Cholesterol 4.42mg, Sodium 137mg
== Preparation tip: To cut back on chopping time, use baby carrots or pre-cut celery and carrots.
== Healthy food tip: To create a healthy dip, start with non-fat plain yogurt. It gives the tang of sour cream without all the calories.
To read the rest of the interview with Montana and for more of his recipes, visit sheknows.com/about/look/5137.htm.
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July 26, 2005 — Whether you’re looking for jet set soybean cashmere sweats to wear on the plane or the best tote of the summer (hey, if it’s good enough for Julia Roberts and Katie Couric, it’s good enough for you), there’s something for everybody in Mary Jo Matsumoto’s round up of the latest and greatest travel essentials at www.sheknows.com.
Style expert Mary Jo Matsumoto, known lately for finding the latest breaking high tech trends in fashion and life, sheds light on the newest products that will make your summer sojourns sweet and easy. If you’re looking for a crash-proof pink laptop bag, a tiny perfume scientifically proven to take six years off your age, a milk spun sleep mask that will keep your eyes from getting bloodshot on long plane rides, an mp3 player the size of a pack of gum, or a battery re-charger that will work anywhere in the world — then you need to check out this handy list of travel essentials.
For those of you less enamored with life in the fast lane, there are also loads of charming irresistible products that you may find you can’t live without. For example, Matsumoto profiles the latest old-fashioned paisley roll-on suitcase with matching travel organizers, an all-natural skin care travel kit that fits neatly into your carry-on bag, an aromatherapy spray to get rid of “hotel smell” and lovely silk pillowcases to make your room feel like home away from home.
Even if you’re not going anywhere, you can still get the feeling of exotic romance by wearing Scent of A Woman, a new fragrance Mary Jo recommends which is based on the historical meeting of Anthony and Cleopatra.
To see recent articles by fashion and lifestyle writer Mary Jo Matsumoto, go to sheknows.com/about/Beauty_and_Style/Fashion_and_Style/Reel_to_Real.
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September 16, 2005 — With self-serve regular gas averaging more than $3 a gallon for the first time in U.S. history, everyone is looking for ways to conserve gas and save money. The editors of SheKnows.com have put together a list of 44 ways you can save money on gas. Here, find 11 of these tips. (Check out SheKnows.com/save-gas for the other 33 money-saving ideas.)
1. Drive smart: Aggressive driving (meaning quick acceleration, hard braking and speeding) wastes gas. In fact, it can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds, and by five percent on the city streets.
2. Choose wisely: Don’t assume that neighboring gas stations will have the same prices — check around. Also note that gas stations near freeways and popularly-traveled roads, as well as those in high-income areas, will charge more.
3. Just park it: Don’t circle the lot hoping for a great parking space. Take the shortest route to a free space and walk from there. Circling doesn’t just waste gas, but is usually ultimately slower than simply parking somewhere a little less convenient and walking.
4. Get pumped up: Keep your tires properly inflated and aligned to increase gas mileage by up to three percent. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by nearly half a percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are also safer and last longer.
5. Be cool: If you’re hot, don’t open the windows — they increase drag and decrease gas mileage, especially at highway speeds. Ultimately, using the air conditioner is cheaper to run, though you should try to minimize your use of the AC. When you can, use the vents to bring in outside air.
6. Go the speed limit: Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional 15 to 20 cents per gallon of gas. Is it worth it?
7. Lock it up: If your tank isn’t secured, get a locking gas cap. With prices so high, you’re more of a target for siphoners if you’re not locked up tight. Locking gas caps are available at most auto parts stores.
8. Stay in tune: Fixing a car that is out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of about four percent (though your results will vary based on the kind of repair, and how well the job is done).
9. Close the gate: It’s an urban myth that driving a pickup truck with the tailgate down will get better mileage by decreasing wind resistance. In fact, a study published by the National Research Council of Canada says that despite what you’d think, keeping it down (or using a mesh tailgate in its place) actually has the opposite effect. When the tailgate is up, a bubble of air forms in the truck bed, allowing air to flow more smoothly over and off the truck — and without as much drag. (A tonneau cover works best of all.)
10. Re-think your route: Look into lesser-traveled routes where you can travel at a steady pace instead of joining in on rush hour traffic. (Your blood pressure will thank you for it, too.)
11. Figure it out first: Check maps (especially those online) before you go to make sure you know how to get where you’re doing. You’ll avoid the hassle, time spent and gas used by getting lost — or by having to pull over for directions.
Want more ideas? Check out www.SheKnows.com/save-gas for the 33 more gas- and money-saving tips.
About The SheKnows.com Network
The SheKnows.com Network is a comprehensive source of information for women, offering ideas, advice and support on a variety of topics, including budgets, dating, cooking, health, diet, fitness, pregnancy, parenting, beauty, fashion, work and much more. Visit the web for women online at www.SheKnows.com.
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Scottsdale, AZ / March 29, 2006: The stars have aligned — quite literally — and we’re right in the middle of the biggest-ever celebrity baby boom. Where better to get the scoop on it all than CelebrityPregnancy.com? The ultimate pop culture pregnancy site features news and gossip about gestating glitterati, including all of these expectant moms and dads:
Really, who can say that it’s not just a little bit fun to see these gorgeous, skinny, famous women putting on the pounds, getting swollen ankles and going through hours of labor?
== Oscar-winning actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Weisz and Mira Sorvino
== Box-office golden boys Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe, Tom Cruise, Matt Damon
== Grammy winners Gwen Stefani, Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana), Jack White (White Stripes), Chris Martin (Coldplay)
== Television favorites Mariska Hargitay, Jennie Garth, Fred Savage, Brooke Shields and Elizabeth Vargas
== Two screen legends are even going to be grandmothers: Sophia Loren (by her son, director Edoardo Ponti, and actress Sasha Alexander) and the late Jayne Mansfield (by her daughter, actress Mariska Hargitay, and husband, actor Peter Hermann).
But CelebrityPregnancy.com offers not only pregnancy and birth announcements, but also features famous baby news, star maternity style and other pregnancy- and baby-themed tidbits. “This is a site for people who want the latest who’s who of anything related to our favorite stars’ pregnancies,” says site editor Kim Grundy. “We dish on everything from an actress’ favorite maternity jeans, to the details of their elaborate baby showers, to the must-have nursery decor.”
Nancy J Price, former editor-in-chief of two national print pregnancy magazines and editor of both CelebrityPregnancy.com and PregnancyAndBaby.com, says she doesn’t believe that the site’s main attraction is about putting celebrities on a pedestal. “If anything,” she says, “I think it really helps make these actresses and singers and models more real to us — the everyday moms. On this level, we can identify with them. It’s that whole ’sisterhood of motherhood’ thing.”
And, like most sisters, there can be a hint of cattiness between the have-nots and the haves. “Really, who can say that it’s not just a little bit fun to see these gorgeous, skinny, famous women putting on the pounds, getting swollen ankles and going through hours of labor?” she laughs.
“Pregnancy is the great equalizer in life,” agrees Ann Douglas, bestselling author of “The Mother of All Pregnancy Books” and a frequent contributor to www.PregnancyAndBaby.com. “Money can’t buy you a ‘get-out-of-morning-sickness-free’ card — nor can it guarantee that you’ll avoid stretch marks and some of the other not-so-glamorous rites of passage. Maybe that’s why we’re so fascinated by celebrity pregnancies. We wonder how pregnancy is going to play out for these seemingly perfect people.”
Having each donut and every belly bulge memorialized by the paparazzi — that’s the cost of fame. “We all love to read about these ‘beautiful people,’ but really I can’t imagine living with a camera on me all the time,” admits Price, herself the mother of four. Her take is that moms shouldn’t feel bad about looking real — love handles and all. “If we all had a couple million dollars’ incentive to lose that baby weight, I think a lot more women would be fit and toned two months postpartum,” she says. “Until that happens, though, we’ll just live vicariously.”
CelebrityPregnancy.com — part of the SheKnows.com network — is online now, updated daily, and offers a guilt-free indulgence to all. (www.CelebrityPregnancy.com)
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Updated 12/06/2007
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