If you aren’t completely satisfied with our picks, there are two new websites you can visit for even more recommendations.All of the products recommended on Lootist.com are categorized by interests or hobbies and given by real-life specialists. Let’s say you’re buying a gift for a new mother. Click on the category “Babies and Kids,” choose who/what you’re shopping for (moms, babies, strollers, gear, etc.), and the recommended products pop up with reviews and links for where to shop online. You can also sign-up to suggest items you’ve tried and tested, or even become a go-to specialist on the site.
Buying “only the best” is simplified on 3LUXE, which only highlights its top three picks of whatever you’re looking for. The categories are broken all the way down to the type of wine you are looking for (not just the color) and its holiday gift guide lets you specify who you’re buying for AND how much you want to spend. If you’re among the highest of high rollers and are shopping for the special woman in your life, 3LUXE’s top three picks are the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, a 106 carat rough diamond necklace and a customized walk-in closet. Who says money can’t buy you love?!

Last weekend, I adopted a cocker spaniel for my parents as an early Christmas present. They are the quintessential Mom and Dad having extreme difficulty adjusting to their empty nest. Their eldest lives 3,000 miles away and the other two only make it home once a week (a month or longer, in my case). Plus, their cat died six months ago so I thought it was time for a new pet. For years my Mom expressed a desire to get a fluffy, white dog so I was very surprised at how much resistance I encountered from them in actually getting the dog.

Six months ago, everyone was so excited about a new pet. A month later, it was postponed because Mom wanted to pick out the dog herself but didn’t have time to go. Two months after that, it was postponed until after my Mom’s retirement next year. And a week ago, my Dad said he didn’t want a dog anymore because he’s actually scared of dogs. Seriously? That’s when I knew it was all a bunch of excuses. So taking advice from a friend, I went ahead, adopted the dog, drove it to my parents’ house and said, “Here, take care of her!”

I read something by John Gray that said people often resist doing things that they know are good for them, like quitting a job, starting or ending a relationship, quitting smoking, starting an exercise program or even just going to the movies – things that you might actually enjoy in the end. They come up with a million different reasons NOT to do it, like “It’ll be hard to find a higher salary,” “We’ve been together for so long,” or, “It’ll be too crowded.” Fear and laziness are the biggest culprits, and breaking out of your comfort zone, well… it’s just not comfortable! And while there is usually some degree of truth in every excuse, ultimately, all you’re doing is getting in your own way of being a happier person. Happiness is a choice you have to make.

I strongly encourage you to think about the stuff you’ve been resisting for a long time. How long has it been? What are your reasons for not doing it? How valid is each reason? Could doing it possibly have a positive affect on your life? Be honest. Then examine your possible first steps: baby steps and dramatic plunges. Sometimes being forcefully thrown from your comfort zone shows your true strength and results in the greatest success. Just have faith that you’ll figure it all out.

That’s what I did to my parents by handing them a dog and so far, it’s proven to be one of the best things I’ve done in a while. Now their energy is focused on someone other than themselves or their ungrateful children who left them alone together! They take turns walking and feeding Princess (she came with the name), Mom is going crazy buying doggy clothes, and Dad has gone home every day at lunch to check on her. In their faces and voices, I can tell they’re much happier than they were a week ago so I can confidently say it’s been a most positive change.

Welcome to our weekly column by YSN member and movie aficionado Rama Tampubolon. He runs the movie review and discussion blog, Rama’s Screen, and was featured in “United 300,” which won for “Best Spoof” at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. He’ll discuss the latest hot topics and movie reviews every Thursday on Waste Time Wisely.

Sometimes it’s good to be proven wrong. I’m definitely impressed with THE MIST because I thought it was going to copycat The Fog, but it’s nothing like that. I’ve never read any of Stephen King’s novellas or stories but this movie suddenly creates… a curiosity in me and maybe I’ll pick up the next Stephen King’s book I see at Barnes & Nobles.A small town in Maine engulfed in thick mist and a bunch of people are trapped inside local grocery store only to discover that the mist surrounding them contains creepy creatures ready to attack. The people turn against each other and someone has to figure a way out of the situation before it’s too late.

For me (and you might have a different take on it), this film is about human behavior; it’s more psychological than it is horror. It centers on what would happen if you gathered a group of people in one place and left them in the dark. The master of terror gives us a view of what fear can do to people… of what fear can do to a person when he or she gets cornered.

Director/writer Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile) carefully adapted each character to the screen to show us the changes that could happen over a period of time when freedom and hope are slowly stripped away. From the religious bigot to the cowardly soldiers who decide to take the easy way out, the audiences can study each character. You learn a lot from watching the person who seemed to be the strongest or the leader but winds up making the biggest mistake — all because he let fear get the better of him.

The special effects look believable — the things that those freaky monsters can do are downright ugly and lethal! Some scenes remind you a lot of the movie Alien and the movie Arachnophobia.

I think THE MIST is a brilliantly gripping, twisted movie and it would be a cool subject for discussion in college classrooms.

The grade I give this film is: 5 out of 5

Ah, the holiday gift exchange! It’s one of the popular seasonal traditions practiced by many companies. Some do Secret Santas while others exchange White Elephant gifts, but both can be a headache if you have no idea what to buy!Here are a few of our favorite gift ideas under $50 that are office appropriate and gender neutral (in case you’re doing a White Elephant exchange):

• iPod/MP3 player docking station (pictured)
• Digital camera keychain
• Digital photo keychain
• Dirt Devil Kone Handvac
• Gourmet food items (be sure to visit the online boutique of our colleagues at The Gilded Fork)
• Aromatic reed diffusers
• All-in-One dessert mixes (like the Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix)

Giftcards are always an easy way to deal with the pressures of gift giving but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any room for thought!

• Pick restaurants, coffee shops or ice cream/frozen yogurt stores that your coworkers frequent for breakfast, lunch or dessert.
• Buy subway or bus passes if most people take public transportation or buy certificates for car washes if you live in a city where everyone drives.
• For relaxing after work or during weekends, giftcards or certificates for a no-frills, massage-only spa, movie theaters or movie rentals are always a nice gift.
• All of these giftcard ideas can also be given in smaller dollar amounts if you want to give something to everyone in your office!

Whew, I survived Thanksgiving without gaining a pound! It wasn’t because I passed on seconds, skipped dessert or binged and purged; In fact, I celebrated Thanksgiving twice and baked cookies and pies during the break. So what’s my secret to avoiding holiday weight gain? Not being at work.

When I’m not at work, I can have toast and coffee for breakfast, a Zone bar around 2 p.m. and then not eat anything else until dinner. But when I’m in the office, I feel famished two hours after breakfast, drink two cups of coffee every day and snack on cookies, Chex mix and whatever else I can get my hands on between meals. I eat due to stress. I eat socially with my coworkers. (“Sure, I’ll go eat lunch even though I just finished breakfast!”). I eat to avoid working on a project.

Because I must work and since stress on the job is pretty much inevitable, I have to do my part to keep the weight off while also feeding my never-ending pit of a stomach. By no means am I an expert, but here are 10 tip’s that seems to work for me:

1. Drink a lot of water.
2. Bring in “healthy snacks” like fruit, vegetables and crackers to offset cravings.
3. Don’t deny yourself anything but practice portion control.
4. This one is terrible, I know, but drinking diet soda helps curb my sweet tooth.
5. Try to exercise every day for at least 30 minutes, including weekends.
6. Be mindful of calories but don’t fixate on them.
7. Keep a bag of M&Ms around (peanut or almond M&Ms work well) and have five or fewer when you need something sweet. Your goal is to make that bag last as long as possible.
8. Minimize your consumption of frozen meals. From everything I’ve read they’re just not good for you.
9. Make sure your weekly ratio of good meals to bad meals leans more toward the good.
10. Go grocery shopping and include fruit, vegetables, high fiber cereals and everything you need for a sandwich on your list.