Blink your eyes and the holidays will be upon us. Heck, Thanksgiving is days away. Got your holiday wardrobe planned? Buying something new to wear to that party you’ve been invited to/are hosting? No? Me neither. And that’s why I’ve come up with ten cheap tricks to make what we are wearing right now seem somewhat more festive – for far less money than a new dress. Ready?

I hear people bemoaning the high cost of "going green." And while organic food does cost more than its chemical-laden counterpart, I'm here to tell you that it's easier to spend more for healthy food when you save money in other ways. We can skip many of the green cleaners, deodorizers, and personal care products, most of which are fairly expensive. Why? Because baking soda is our friend. What's so great about baking soda?

My daughter's hair is crazy long. Like past-her-waist long. People ask me all the time if I've ever cut it (she had a bob when she was two and gets it cut every few months) and if it's hard to take care of (heck, yes). You see, I don't make her cut until it fails the toilet test.You read that right.

Sometimes, I come across a product that is so amazing, so innovative, so incredible that I SIMPLY MUST share it. And indeed, if you've had the misfortune to run into me at any point during the past few weeks, then you know all about it already, because I have likely accosted you, creepy infomercial lady-like, to rave about this item. Possibly while waving it all up in your face. Again, I'm . . . sorry about that. But not sorry enough to stop talking about it.

 Hair is one of my favorite topics of discussion. I've been in conversations where women get riled up like we're discussing Jesus Christ or John Boehner's views on health care. Understandable since hair is a woman's 'crowning glory' so we indeed take it seriously with the appointments and the coloring and the frustrated sighs in the mirror when looking at what we have to deal with come morning. Let's just say that at 6:30 AM I'm about ready to shave off my 'crowning glory' and start over again. 

Color me obsessed, but once again, I'm blogging about my salon-colored, highlighted, low-lighted, glazed hair. I love my colorist, but my hair costs me so much money, it's like I've become a vintage Jaguar; I'm ridiculously expensive, and I'm always in the shop. The most obvious problem is roots, which I've dealt with in my previous post. But there's also the issue of color fading. After all, I'm using permanent color. Why isn't it ... well, permanent?

I have a semi-personal question to ask you guys: How often do you wash your hair?I personally wash it every other day; I love the feel of second-day hair - plus it's so much easier to style, and I worry that washing every day would dry my hair out. However, if I miss a day for some reason, my hair gets too greasy and smelly for my taste. So every other day it is.

To me, one of the nicest things about the end of summer is that all those nasty French pedicures will be back hidden inside a pair of closed-toe shoes where they belong. I hate them. Haaaate them. When I think Klassy with a kapital k I think French pedicures. Which, by the way, are as French as the Croissan'wich.

During the summer months I have a hard time spending money on new stuff. Stuff like clothes. That's mostly because I have trips and vacations to plan for and also because I have two enormous growing boys who are constantly growing out of their clothes. That doesn't stop me from checking out new products and finding new favorites. In fact, I'm sort of inspired by summer fashions because it's the only time of year when I can take my time in searching for just the right color dress or lip gloss or hair product. During the school year there's just too much work I'm forced to do.

I need a hair makeover, girls. My current pixie cut is a mess (the back is uneven, for starters, and don't even ask about my color -- really, do not ask). Fortunately, I have an appointment with Sheba at Sparrow Hair in Chicago this week, and I'm planning to turn my head over to her and let her work her magic. But I'm wondering what direction I want to go.

We've passed the mid point of summer, but for most of us, the hottest days are looming ahead. That means lots of pool time, which means you can kiss your haircolor goodbye. Right?Wrong.There's no reason to let your summer fun ruin your color; take a few precautions and your locks will look just as lovely after that week at the beach as they do right now. 

It's time once again for another edition of science medley, your resource for cocktail party conversation fodder, blog posts by women of science, and--this month--one reason to embrace your gray. Yes, you read that correctly. Over at the Beauty Brains, you can learn why gray hair is good. In a nutshell: