Tis the season… so as an online dating coach and consultant, I’m sharing frequent questions I get this time of year from singles…  

Is December a Good Month to Date or Should I Wait?

Ohhhhh, go for it! There is not a bad month of the year to begin dating – truly! With over 25 years of dating experience (as the founder of Its Just Lunch and Thirty-Three Thousand dates), I love December. It’s festive. Holiday parties. Good cheer. Good moods. Lighting of Christmas Trees. Hanukkah. Christmas cookies. Mistletoe. Oh wait, this is probably the happiest month of the year to date!

My Friends Told Me to Wait Until January to Try Out Online Dating. Thoughts?

Nope. When YOU are ready, you are ready. Many of my clients get invited to holiday parties after the first two dates – why not show off that new sparkly dress? There also seems to be a plethora of Ugly Christmas sweater parties this year – why wait? You can still date in January but think of the potential fun Christmas friend and work parties with a date you may have missed out on!

I Just Met Someone I Like – Just One Date so Far. How Many More Dates Till I Invite Him to a Holiday Party?

Well, since we are under a time crunch, normal rules don’t apply. Assuming that you have a second date planned this week, that’s the time to ask him! No need to be shy – it’s a likely yes, as who doesn’t like holiday parties, especially since last year we had none?

When Do You Subject Them to Your Family?

The word subject here makes me nervous. Is it generally a happy time with your family, or is it a dysfunctional once-a-year get-together? Also, it depends on logistics. If it’s a fun family holiday, and they live in the same geo area (one that doesn’t require flights, hotels, etc.), why not? Then again, if you are miserable during this family day, don’t share your misery.

I’ve Had 3 Dates with a Guy I Really Like. How Many Dates Till I Buy Him a Gift?

Let me use a graphic instead of long explanations.

Should I Purchase Gifts (Albeit Small) for the Kids/Grandkids of a Man I’ve Dated for a Few Months?

This is a thoughtful question. If the kids are in their 20’s, no. If you’ve never met the kids, no. Why confuse them? Now, if the kids are in the 12-17,18-year-old range, a small gift is a sweet idea. A $25 Starbucks card would be appropriated.

If the kids are very young, no. If you are partaking in their holiday festivities, a box of chocolates or gingerbread cookies will go over well with the little ones.

Should I Be Jealous (Or Annoyed) If My Boyfriend of 4 Months Prefers to Spend the Holidays with His Ex-Wife and Their Kids?

You’ve been dating 4 months, not 4 years. This is your first holiday season with this new man – I recommend picking another day (say, December 26) to celebrate together. Jealous? That will get you absolutely nowhere in a relationship, alienate him and kudos to him for an amicable relationship that he must have with his ex… and he cares about his kids!

Keep the questions coming, ladies. It’s not too late ever to date.

Have you wondered about any of the above questions? What answers have you received to date? Do you have a question (or more) of your own?

You may have seen the recently released report from the Stanford Center on Longevity titled the New Map of Life. It is written not only with longevity of us, the baby boomers, but more futuristically recommends a policy path that will benefit our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

We are only the beginning of the expected 100-year-olds. Those grands and great-grands today have an even greater likelihood of hitting that 100-year mark.

This path created by the Center was developed by an interdisciplinary team of fellows and faculty in nine domains. The team has expertise in all the fields explored.

Here are the primary areas that the Center studied and offered recommendations for how society can benefit from longevity of the next generations.

Age Diversity as Net Positive

The increase in American families living in two- or three-generation homes is expected to increase. While part of this trend can be attributed to financial circumstances, multigenerational households can solidify family bonds and provide additional family members to assist with finances, childcare or continued educational opportunities for younger generations.

As well, we need to recognize the need for age diversity in the workforce and get rid of stereotypes of older workers. Currently, seniors continue to work in technical positions, and their reliability and competence benefit their employers and serve as an example to younger workers.

Investment in Future Centenarians

This report questions the wisdom of rushing students through high school and college and suggests that the concept of life-long learning be established early in education whether it occurs in or out of a classroom.

Children born now will have a much longer life to learn and be productive. The researchers also recommend early education development of a strong foundation of play, and creative and physical activities.

They point out that encouraging the early development of resilience and curiosity at an early age prepare children for the events, negative and positive, that can occur over a lifetime.

Health Spans = Life Spans

Health care coverage and access throughout the life span across the board for all communities will be essential for the coming generations. Some of the tools that have been implemented recently is the use of telemedicine.

Continued use can provide greater access but will also require broadband availability for rural and vulnerable communities. The same is true of smart wearable devices that can monitor health issues such as diabetes and some heart issues.

The Future of Aging

The Stanford Center expects even the five-year-olds of today to be amazed at their ability to remain mobile longer with transportation devices such as e-bikes that will be sensitive to the user’s capability. They also expect the area of geoscience to offer interventions to disease before advanced damage can occur. Later years for the now five-year old will likely be more vital and offer far more independence.

More Years of Work/Employment – Greater Flexibility

The inequities and issues in the work environment became clear during the recent and ongoing pandemic. Our grands and great-grands will likely work more years but will have more flexibility.

Adequate childcare for the offspring of those now-children will be even more meaningful given the expected long work life. All of the above will need to be executed in the most profitable way for families and communities.

Tax changes, as well as changes to the way retirement, Social Security and Medicare are structured will need to be explored and reconfigured.

Learn Throughout Life

I feel like I, along with most of my friends, have continued to learn throughout my life and continue to do so. I think we have frequently referred to it as reinventing ourselves. As this paper suggests, reaching out in new areas of learning and new ways of thinking will become a natural part of a longer life span.

The Center makes a distinction between learning and education. They also find that two areas of challenge are the inequities in the existing formal education system and the creation of new paths to learning not so closely tied to that formal education system.

In this world of longevity, institutions will need to adapt to students who have varying background and ages as they transition in life at different times. A more open understanding of what trades, skills and apprenticeships are on offer for the benefit of society can exist as a more equal option to a college degree.

Longevity-Ready Communities

We could use this now. The next generations and their government(s) will need to seriously tackle climate change, as well as any threats to our air and water, the basic needs of those long lives. What kind of housing will families be demanding as multiple generations continue to be alive at the same time?

There is so much to consider in this report. I have barely hit the highlights and recommend reading the report in its entirety. It is clear and to the point and would be a pleasure to read if the issues didn’t seem so daunting.

An additional issue that comes to mind is the overcrowding of our planet as generations live longer. This is already an issue for some nations.

Have you thought beyond our expanded life spans to those of our younger family members and friends? To you agree with the points raised by the Stanford Center?

When Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause hit the 2021 People’s Choice Awards red carpet at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, jaws dropped. Her SoCal blonde hair was gone and a deep brunette shade was in its place. But Stause’s brown hair isn’t exactly what it seems. If it looks really real, that’s because her hairstylist Bradley Leake didn’t just throw on a wig. Instead, the detailed process is actually fascinating.

Stause loves to switch up her look for the red carpet. Remember her blunt bangs at the 2020 People’s Choice Awards? Leake was responsible for those too — which were also temporary. This brunette color is, as well. You didn’t think the blonde would be gone forever, did you? Leake showed the behind-the-scenes process and it’s not at all what we expected.

“There are so many great options to change up the hair color without long-term commitment!” he wrote on Instagram. First, he had to prep his client’s own hair for the transformation. He applied Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray ($28 at Amazon) to smooth and seal the cuticle. He blew dry her long hair with the Boujee Beauty infrared blow dryer and used the brand’s 1.75-inch curly iron to add soft waves to her ends. Hidden Crown Hair’s Extra Long Curl Bar 1.25-inch wand helped create more defined waves.

Source: Instagram

Here’s where things get interesting. Leake used L’Oreal Professionnel Hair Touch Up in Dark Brown ($17.80 at Walmart). You can also use L’Oréal Root Cover Up in Dark Brown ($10.99 at Ulta). You can these for bigger areas than just your roots! He clipped on matching extensions, and finished with Color Wow Extra Mist-ical Shine Spray ($29 at Sephora) and a root concealer powder “to refine the hairline.”

The result is a rich, shiny brunette shade that washes out at the end of the night. Genius!

Kyle Richards’ Black Tulle Dress at The People’s Choice Awards

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 2021 Instagram Fashion

Our feeds are filled to the brim with PCA content today. And I’m sure I speak for us all in saying that we ain’t mad about it. For instance, the RHOBH ladies because they D E L I V E R E D. One look we loved was Kyle Richard’s black tulle dress. It was simple yet chic and she looked absolutely gorg. I think it’s safe to say she is always our top choice for fashion inspo.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here to Shop Her Bronx and Banco X Revolve Dress

Photo Credit: @bravobybetches

Originally posted at: Kyle Richards’ Black Tulle Dress

It’s always a good day when The Ordinary rolls out a brand-new product. It doesn’t happen very often, which is why it feels like a holiday gift just for us. And this one is especially great for stressed-out skin. The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution is a more gentle alternative to the brand’s cult-fave salicylic acid-infused products. It’s perfect for those who have sensitive or dry skin or are new to the world of beta hydroxy acids like salicylic acid.

Here’s how it works. The water-free formula exfoliates the skin and helps decongest pores, removing all that dirt and oil that can lead to breakouts. This can also lead to dry and flaky skin, especially on those with dry skin already. But The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution offers a more mild approach with less chance of irritation (though you should always do a spot test first!) That’s thanks to the use of an emollient (vegan squalane in this case), as well as hydrating polyglycerides derived from sunflower oil.

The Ordinary.

Those with oily and breakout-prone skin shouldn’t worry about the addition of hydrating ingredients. Squalane is non-comedogenic so it’s less likely to clog your pores. Instead, this solution aims to smooth texture, banish blackheads and reduce the appearance of pores. It’s similar to the OG, discontinued The Ordinary Salicylic Acid Solution, but with a new, gentler formula that’s less likely to cause excess dryness and overly sensitive skin.

As usual with The Ordinary skincare, Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution is vegan and cruelty-free, as well as free from gluten, fragrances, parabens and mineral oil. It’s likely to be the next TikTok-viral cult-favorite so you should probably grab it before it takes off online. And at this affordable price, it’s worth a shot for even just once-in-a-while congestion. Head over to Sephora now — it’s in stock!