Points of View

If you want to take some time away with your special someone but think you can’t afford it, you may be surprised to learn that you have more options than you think. Many of the most romantic moments that occur during a getaway don’t take place in a fancy restaurant or on a private balcony with a breathtaking view. They occur when the two of you are alone in a setting that allows you to relax and play together or encourages you to reach out for each other. Try these suggestions for five romantic getaways that won’t break the bank.

1. Winter: State Park Lodge

What could be more romantic than snuggling together before a crackling fire in a cozy rustic lodge on a cold, snowy winter evening? You may not be able to manage a ski lodge or a private cabin, but chances are there’s a state park near you that has a lodge that would be the perfect setting for a romantic weekend escape.

State park lodges often feature sweeping views, furnishings that reflect the heritage of the area and romantic fireplaces made of local stone. Depending upon the park, you may be able to eat an expertly prepared meal, enjoy seasonal outdoor activities and even swim or relax in a Jacuzzi before heading to your private room for some extended reconnection.

2. Spring, Summer, Fall: Primitive Camping

Springtime is a great time to enjoy the outdoors. In many parts of the country, spring temperatures are pleasant and wildlife is bursting forth at every turn. It’s a great time to try primitive camping. Primitive camping offers the opportunity to intimately experience the romance of the natural world.

Because primitive campsites have no electricity, they offer an escape from many of the electronic gadgets that distract couples from one another. When there is no television, no internet and no microwave oven, there is nothing for you and your love to do but start a fire and cuddle together as the frogs peep and the stars slowly come out above you.

3. Summer:The Beach

You would be hard put to find a romantic movie that didn’t involve an intimate walk on the beach. Even short beach vacations tend to be expensive, however. That’s because they usually involve oceanfront resort accommodations, dining out and costly entertainment. While all of these things are nice, for a romantic getaway you only really need the beach and the two of you.

Chain motels located a few blocks away from the waterfront are usually available for a fraction of the price you would pay for oceanfront or even ocean view accommodations. Finding a room with a kitchenette will allow you to have romantic meals in your room, and with the sparks flying, you shouldn’t have to look elsewhere for entertainment.

4. Summer, Fall: Festivals

Every year, thousands of communities across America hold festivals, fairs, celebrations and other events in honor of everything from the year’s strawberry crop to historical events. Laughing together over a sample at a local cuisine-tasting event or holding hands on the Ferris wheel at a county fair can take you back to an earlier time in your relationship. Relive for a little while the days before children, careers, mortgages and car payments came into the picture and all that mattered was the two of you.

5. Fall: Foliage Viewing

In many parts of North America, fall foliage displays are spectacular enough to draw tourists from all over to see the magnificent colors and enjoy the crisp, cool autumn air. Many areas offer tours, and fall festivals and celebrations are sometimes scheduled to coincide with the anticipated peak of the display.

Foliage viewing combines the perfect time of year with the ideal setting for a low-key, relaxed time with your significant other. Plan ahead by reserving a table at a historic New England Inn or a Midwestern country kitchen so you can sample local cuisine. A few nights’ stay at a romantic bed-and-breakfast provides the chance to let your guards down and make a few new memories to keep you both warm during the cold winter ahead.

No matter how hectic life gets or how busy the two of you become, the connection you share is always at the heart of both of your lives. All it takes to keep that special relationship healthy and vital without breaking the bank is a few days and a willingness to think creatively.

In a recent series by Business Insider, behavior scientist Dr. Susan Weinschenk highlighted 100 psychological facts (presented in two parts) that every human should understand about themselves and others.

Weinschenk, who penned the books, “Neuro Web Design: What Makes Them Click?” and “100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People,” postulates that humans have three types of brains. Those three include the new brain, “the conscious, reasoning logical brain;” the mid-brain, “the part of the brain that processes emotions;” and the old brain, “the part of the brain that is most interested in your survival.”

Based on the series, we’ve singled out 5 psychological facts that will come in hand in the real world.

	– High levels of stress are poor for your health, but did you know that it can also negatively affect your ability to perform? If you’re stressed about something, your best bet is to fix the problem before tackling your work. This lets your new brain “the conscious, reasoning logical brain;” process information better without the mid-brain “the part of the brain that processes emotions;” getting in the way.
	– People look to others for advice and stories when they’re uncertain. Always utilize the power of anecdotal stories and expert advice, both of which “talk” to our mid/emotional brain.
	– We’re hardwired to imitate and empathize with those around us. Want to get your kiddos to eat their greens? Showing them photographs or videos of other children doing the same thing may positively influence them.
	The two emotional states in which you’re most susceptible to ads and/or branding is when you’re sad or afraid. So, if you’re trying to stick to that diet and are having a blue day, steer clear of magazine, web and TV adverts touting delicious, calorie-laden goods.

– Multi-tasking is actually a myth. According to Weinschenk, there’s only one occasion in which we actually multi-task, and that’s when we’ve performed a physical task so many times in the past that we can do it without using our brain.

By Wendy Rose Gould

After being somewhat MIA over the last few years, blonde-headed Claire Danes has made a few feisty splash as of late. For example, the American TV/movie actress is featured on the May cover of ASOS Magazine broadcasting her love for a killer bargain.

“I’m a sales slut, says Danes, who currently portrays Carrie Mathison on Showtime’s Homeland.   “I’m just seduced by a sale. I go through phases where sometimes I’m a fiend and then there are dry spells that can last for months. But my wardrobe is a mixture of vintage and contemporary stuff.”

The ASOS interview also got Danes to dish about her love for the Big Apple. The actress, who grew up in New York,  gushes, “It’s home in the most absolute sense for me. I love how diverse it is and I love the pace. It’s always churning and changing and I’m always hustling to keep up with it.”

In other recent Claire Danes-related news, the 33-year-old affectionately dissed former co-star Leonardo DiCaprio about his weight gain since they filmed Romeo and Juliet together in 1996. Of the movie she says, “That was a lot of fun. If you’re going to be an ingenue, that’s the one to be — the ultimate,” she said. “I saw Leo (DiCaprio) the other day and in some ways, our dynamic is absolutely the same, but then it’s like, ‘Oh, but wait, we’re big fat grown-ups!’”

Danes  wasn’t the only person to recently comment on Leo’s current physique, though. Kate Winslet, who filmed Titanic with DiCaprio in 1997, says, “We do look very different, we’re older. Leo’s 37, I’m 36 — we were 21 and 22 when we made that film. You know, he’s fatter now — I’m thinner.”

Leo hasn’t addressed the comments, but we assume he took them in stride and humor as Danes and Winslet had intended.

Homeland, a drama based on the Israeli series Hatufim (“Abducted”),  is currently filming its second season. It’s slated to premier on Sunday, September 30th at 9 p.m. EST.

By Wendy Rose Gould

While the topic of weight is certainly a delicate subject that requires light treading, a new “love fat” movement insists that embracing the word, and the bodies the word describes, is key in body and weight acceptance.

Lesley Kinzel is a leader in the fat acceptance movement who maintains the blog-turned-book, “Two Whole Cakes“. She says that fat-shaming (causing people to feel anxiety, self-hatred, stress or in any way negative about themselves because they are overweight) is prevalent, even engrained, in our society.

Most people would probably agree that’s true. After all, study after study reports that larger people are often treated more poorly than those within “normal” BMI range. It’s not always as blatant as that, though. Fat shaming comes in the form of eyeing someone for ordering dessert or suggesting that they go on a walk or that they shouldn’t wear that particular dress. Even if intentions are positive, fat acceptance bloggers, such as Kinzel, argue that others have no right infringing on the choices another person makes.”Standing against fat-shaming ensures that everyone gets to make private decisions about the state of their body, and that everyone gets to have those decisions respected, whether they decide to lose weight, or to be contentedly fat, or to dye their hair green, or to get lots of piercings or tattoos — other people’s bodies are none of your business, not to touch, to judge, or to publicly comment upon,” writes Kinzel in an XOJane.com article titled “What’s Wrong With Fat Shaming?“

Betty’s mother-in-law lecturing her on “the problem” Mad Men Season 5. on AMC. amctv.com

So what’s one way to diffuse the fat-hatred? According to fat movement leaders and supporters, we should strive to eliminate the negative connotation associated with the word fat. To do this, they suggest using the term more frequently as a non-loaded, basic descriptor and nothing more. For example, “That fat girl is totally rocking those wedges!”

“I love the word “fat”precisely because my candid and positive use of it often shocks people,” says Kinzel on CNN. “It means everyone who hears the word ‘fat’ from me is having to take a moment to think about what I mean by it, and to resist the knee-jerk assumption that I must mean something bad.”Clearly, most agree that shaming anyone about anything is pointless. It’s hurtful and, at its worst, a destructive force that tears people down and makes them feel less than human. With that said, there is a fine line between accepting your body — at any size — and neglecting your body. After all, health and nutrition often plays a key role in happiness. Personally, I contend we should all love and appreciate our bodies, but to not forget that doing so requires us to take care of them to the best of our ability. Whether dangerously skinny or fat, being unhealthy is precisely that: being unhealthy.

Image Credit: XOJane.com

The point that fat-positive bloggers have, though, is that you shouldn’t worry about another person’s healthiness because you don’t know them at all. Maybe that 300 pound woman does yoga everyday and decided to treat herself to a venti frappe for the first time in a year. Or maybe that 250 pound man has already lost 100 pounds.

Instead of worrying about others, focus on loving — and accepting — yourself. At its core, that’s what the fat acceptance movement is about.

Regardless of where you stand on this issue, and I’m sure you have a strong opinion either way, why do you think that weight is such a segregating topic in our society, and in particular, the fashion world? Why do so many feel offended or upset by another person’s number on the scale?

By Wendy Rose Gould