When it comes to shopping for a new season, I like to start small. In August, I bought a winter beret from H&M, even though I probably won’t actually wear it for another few months (well, I’m crossing my fingers it won’t be that cold until then). And I’ve tried on some booties and found tights that I like. In other words, starting small to me means buying accessories first. While this might not make sense to everyone, it helps me ease my way into winter. Especially winter, since it’s my least favorite season.

Now I’ve got my eye on scarves. I love big, bulky scarves over fitted tops and jackets. They make a great statement and add color, texture or pattern to an otherwise plain outfit. And for me, who tends to shy away from patterns and...

I was lying on the beach on Sunday, catching up on back issues of Time magazine, when I came across an interesting article called “Point-and-Shoot Shopping.” The article talked about a relatively-new-to-the-U.S. technology that Ralph Lauren will begin using this month, wherein shoppers can literally point their camera phones at a bar code on various print and catalogue ads, snap, and be taken directly to a mobile-based website where they can purchase the product.

Sounds to good...

This week, two of my best friends started medical school. On Saturday, my youngest brother leaves for his first year of college. And no doubt, in the coming weeks, scores of Westchester kids and their thankful-for-September parents will be packing area Staples, Office Depots and Targets to stock up on everything from backpacks to pencils to Hannah Montana lunchboxes (I beg of you, don’t pick up the very last lunchbox—my first-grade bound cousin has already staked her claim on it).

But what about those local parents who can’t afford to buy their children a new pair of sneakers, or even new notebooks? Because, as I’m sure you know, although we live in an affluent suburb, there are thousands of disadvantaged families with young children. In fact, according...

So, have the Olympics been inspiring you at all? Because they’ve definitely done the trick for me—both in and outside the gym. And even though I don’t think I’ll ever have a body like Dara Torres (especially at 41 and after having a baby), there’s got to be some sort of medal for those of us who might not have any athletic ability at all, but at least make the time to get to the gym during the week, no?

Now that we’ve got the...

I’m sure by now you’ve heard of a little show called Mad Men. Well, let me tell you, I am obsessed and not embarrassed to admit that since last week I’ve managed to watch the entire first season and the first episode of the second. (I have one more episode before I’m all caught up, so no spoilers please!)

I’m not only completely engrossed in the dramas, what it says about the early 60s (read these articles about the way women are portrayed on the show—very...

I’m a sucker for department stores. All the options, the choices, the saving gas by getting everything you need in the same building. Sure, sometimes I wish I could be one of those shoppers who peruses a tiny boutique and comes out with armloads of clothes, but I’m a suburban kid at heart and much more likely to head straight to the nearest Bloomingdale’s or—who am I kidding—Kohl’s, (I recently stocked up on a ton of gym clothes for cheap), when I need to get lots of different things.

Maybe that’s why I’m really excited about a new partnership between Bloomingdale’s and Space.NK Apothecary. Announced a few days ago, the retail giant will begin housing Space.NK boutiques—one of England’s most popular beauty...

 While I love hearing about new products from nationally recognized designers—like Seven’s new jeans for shorter girls (a.k.a me)—there’s always something inherently satisfying about finding a great local company that’s making chic and stylish products.

Case in point: Miss Charm School handbags. I got an email about the company a few days ago, and loved the photos sent. Started by former Westchester couple Susan and Robert Pizzo—they spent most of their lives living in the southern part of the county, but now call Connecticut...

Knock on wood, but I think I’ve finally gotten my workout routine down. Every weekday morning from 7-8, I hit the gym and still manage to get to work on time. But whenever I reach in my pantry to grab a Poland Spring water bottle to take with me, I feel enormously guilty. I shouldn’t be using so many bottles or wasting so much plastic or even spending so much money on water bottles.

I’m aware of the alleged harmful effect of reusing plastic water bottles (they reportedly can trap bacteria and leach DEHP, which is a “probable human carcinogen”). I considered investing in a Nalgene bottle—the staple of...

I wasn’t very much into clothes when I was a kid. I imagine that wearing a school uniform almost every day for 12 years had something to do with it. But I did have one pair of overalls—I couldn’t have been more than 6-years-old—which I absolutely adored. They were white and had paint splattered all over them and, even though I couldn’t draw for the life of me, I felt so cool walking around in my “artistic” outfit.

If I were a kid today, I would have been all over this new Paint your Polo Kit from Ralph Lauren Childrenswear. There are separate kits for boys and girls, but...

Last night, Dorna, our Web Editor, and I headed into the city for Shecky’s Girls Night Out, a beauty and fashion event that takes place in various cities throughout the year. It is open to the public and features entire floors of great fashion, accessories, beauty products, etc. We spotted some great emerging designers, like Sylvie Guieysse, who hails from France and makes amazing pillows by hand, as well as designers who’ve been on the scene for awhile: former Project Runway contestant Emmett McCarthy displayed some of his creations under his EMC2 line. All the items are anywhere from 10 to 75(!) percent off. Dorna...