Expert Advice: How to Reject Someone — Nicely

Rejection hurts. From job-related scenarios to sticky family/friend situations, experts reveal how to reject someone (nicely). Read my story here or in the February issue of Real Simple.

Thanks to casting agent Bernard Telsey and writer Julie Klam for taking the time to share their expert advice.

And many thanks to a handful of other experts that I interviewed for the piece: Lizzie Post, who chatted with me about how to break up with someone (tip: skip the Post-It note); career strategist Cynthia Shapiro, who shared polite ways to say no to coworkers' invitations; and career expert Nicole Williams, who talked about the importance of quitting a job with grace (Guess what? Your boss might perceive your two weeks' notice as rejection).

Though we weren't able to run all the tips, I definitely learned that there are good ways to soften the blow — and horrible, you'll-wish-you-could-take-it-back ways.

And without further ado, here's a clip from the Sex and the City episode when Carrie Bradshaw gets dumped via a Post-It note (circa 1998). Of course, these days, it probably would've been a text message.

10 Ways to Reduce Your Holiday Expenses

As the holiday season ramps up, I'm trying to follow the advice of experts like Suze Orman, who helped me come up with 10 ways to spend less during the holidays. I especially appreciated Suze's cautionary advice that sometimes gifts can become burdens -- for example, if you're spending beyond your means, that $50 sweater can end up costing a lot more if you're not able to pay the credit card balance in full. Frightening, but true if your finances aren't in order.

And though it's easier said than done, it may be worth reminding ourselves why we're giving gifts in the first place. For ideas on how to stay within your budget this year, check out this GoodHousekeeping.com slideshow featuring 10 ways to cut costs on gifts, food (entertaining isn't cheap!), and yes, even decorations.

Photo by Amy Chen

How to Weatherize Your Home: 7 Busted Myths

After living in a newly-constructed Brooklyn apartment with radiant flooring to help me get through the (dreadful) New York winters, I'm now renting a two-bedroom house in Berkeley that was built in 1926. Though the Craftsman-style bungalow has been renovated, the insulation isn't great. So what's a renter to do?

I talked to several energy experts for this Bankrate.com piece about the myths of winterizing your home -- and learned a thing or two. From getting the scoop on air vent deflectors to discovering that ceiling fans have a "winter mode," I'm relieved that to find that there are blessedly inexpensive strategies to keep my energy bills from going through the roof. No construction required.

Travel Tips for the Holidays

I know, it's not even Halloween yet and people are already thinking about the winter holidays. In this Bankrate.com piece by Dana Dratch ("9 Ways to Manage Holiday Spending"), I shared some tried-and-true travel advice.

My biggest tip would be to cough up the extra money to fly nonstop. Blizzards have a funny way of occurring the busiest travel season of the year, and you don't want to deal with the extra stress of missed connections.

As for being flexible on travel dates, I've flown on Thanksgiving Day, when the airports were empty and the TSA agents were super-friendly. Upon seeing my slice of chocolate bourbon pecan pie that I was going to hand-carry onto the plane, the TSA agent joked, "No mashed potatoes?" A jovial TSA agent, imagine that.

Photo Caption: Last year's Snowtober, when it snowed in New York City a few days before Halloween
Photo by Amy Chen

Healthy Meals for Kids: Alice Waters Partners With Hyatt

Can vegetables and fruit be beautiful? After meeting Alice Waters earlier this week at Berkeley's Edible Schoolyard, I'm utterly convinced that they can be.

Waters has partnered with Hyatt Hotels and Resorts to create a three-course organic menu for kids. Here's what full-service Hyatt properties in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean will be serving up this summer, with Waters expected to dream up a winter menu next.

Salad: Romaine lettuce hearts with carrot curls and a radish rose, with lemon vinaigrette for dipping
Entree: Grilled chicken with pesto sauce, roasted potatoes, and cherry tomatoes
Dessert: Strawberry and orange slices served in a real orange cup

Photo Courtesy of Hyatt

The Alice Waters-inspired kids' menu ($16.95) is already available at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach and the Hyatt Regency Maui, with ingredients sourced locally according to the Chez Panisse founder's vision. Vacation calories don't count, we often joke. But as Waters pointed out Tuesday at the Hyatt media lunch in Berkeley, "[w]e have done a great injustice to (our youth) by feeding them food that isn't good for them."

Maintaining healthy food habits on the road isn't always easy when kids often have the option to order burgers every day. In Hyatt's new For Kids By Kids menu, the company has removed that temptation by taking the burger off its kids' menu. Though you can still request a burger off the adult menu (at half price for kids), the option just isn't staring children in the face at each meal.

If you've ever been overwhelmed by a bottomless buffet aboard a cruise ship or at an all-inclusive resort, it's clearly not just Hyatt hotel restaurants that could use a little bit of inspiration from Alice Waters. All this, of course, leaves the adults wondering if we'll get funny looks if we start ordering off the Hyatt kids' menu.

Below are some photos taken at the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, where I could hardly believe that I was passing a bowl of hummus to the food legend herself.



Photos by Amy Chen