Survival Guides

Good Nutrition for a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy

Maybe you have decided to try to get pregnant, or have found out you already are. Congratulations! Your first step is to educate yourself about how to be the healthiest you possibly can be before and during your pregnancy. Your body goes through many changes during pregnancy. To support these changes, you must modify your diets nutrients and energy.

Survive Online Dating

Thanks to Web 2.0, finding dates online no longer carries any stigma. In fact, surfing for potential mates makes good sense, considering how much time we spend on the ‘net, and how much work we put into fine-tuning our online presence. Here’s how to maximize the experience.

Are You Done With Debt?

Gail Vaz-Oxlade, star of ‘Til Debt Do Us Part and author of the forthcoming Debt-Free Forever, has 5 fantastic tips for getting out of the mess you might have made with that credit card burning a hole in your wallet.

Survive a Diet and Lifestyle Re-Vamp

“You are what you eat.” Those famous diet words ring true for Roland Semprie, fitness and nutrition expert on Slice’s Re-Vamped.

Surviving Friendships – The Real Housewives of New Jersey Style

Looking for some new friends to hang out with? Your timing couldn’t have been more perfect! Welcome to the drama-filled world of the Real Housewives of New Jersey. Five expensively coiffed women living the champagne lifestyle – endless shopping on hubby’s tab, palatial palaces they call home, and an attitude to match. Nab yourself an influential spouse, a coveted black Amex credit card and maybe, just maybe… this quintet will take a glance at your application for membership into their condescending clique.

Survive Toronto Fashion Week

There’s no eating, no sleeping, and no time to breathe: Fashion Week (Toronto Fashion Week begins October 19 2009) is the pivotal time of the year and where next season’s looks are revealed (in Fall, Spring and Summer looks are revealed and in Spring, Fall and Winter looks come out).

Survive the Mom-mobile

I recently blogged about the ever-sensitive issue of minivan moms. As in, you're a mom and you've chosen to embrace this style of domestic travel. Or conversely, you're a mother and the mere thought of driving a family van makes you squirm uncomfortably.

Surviving Your Teenage Adventure

A lot of the time, teens don't realize the reasons and influences behind why they do what they do. Here, two teens talk about navigating the wilds of adolescence and making the most out of those complicated years.

Survive a Trip With the Women In Your Life

Women-only trips and girlfriends' getaways are more popular than ever, and many women are choosing their daughters, mothers, aunts or even grandmothers as their travel partners. If you are thinking about planning a trip with the most important women in your life for the sake of girls-only bonding, here are a few tips to help make sure your getaway is a success.

Survive Long-Distance Friendships

It's a fact of life that as we get older, our lives often move in different directions from our loved ones. Maybe your friends are leaving the town where you all grew up, or maybe you're the one that moved, for school, or a job, or a romance. Add the constraints of children, or elder care, plus the actual time difference between the places where you live, and the next thing you know it's been weeks—or months—since you bonded with your girls.

Survive Your Worst Parenting Moments: Part 2

Sometimes our kids make us bust with pride at how well they're turning out, while other times we wonder how we could have gone so far wrong as parents. Family therapist and author Jennifer Kolari has been working with families and children for 20 years. She's also the mother of three children. Her book, Connected Parenting, will be published by Penguin Canada in May 2009.

Survive Your Worst Parenting Moments: Part 1

Sometimes our kids make us bust with pride at how well they're turning out, while other times we wonder how we could have gone so far wrong as parents. Family therapist and author Jennifer Kolarihas been working with families and children for 20 years. She's also the mother of three children. Her book, Connected Parenting, will be published by Penguin Canada in May 2009.

Survival Guide: The Calm After the Storm

You’ve laughed, you’ve cried, and you’ve even honeymooned but now it’s time to settle in on this trip called marriage. What happens now? Where do we go from here, you ask.

Survival Guide: Wedding Checklist

When it comes to planning a wedding Rich Bride, Poor Bride planners agree that time is of the essence. The more of it you have, the less stressed you’ll be leading up to your special day.

Plan a Wedding in a Tanking Economy

The Rich Bride Poor Bride planners are finding that wedding trends in 2009 will be heavily influenced by the economy. Their upcoming weddings have scaled back the opulence and are going for more natural, relaxed events with the focus being on friends and family.

The First Year of Being a Parent

The first year caring for an infant ranks right up there with some of the greatest challenges known to humanity. It can even hold its own against other firsts, such as your first year living on the space centre or your first year as president of the United States.

Survive Winter Skin

It’s not officially winter yet but if you save your skin nurturing for when you’re already dry and flaky, it’s too late, ladies. What you need is a perky pre-emptive skin strike!

Survive a Walk Down the Beauty Aisle

I am a beauty product expert and addict (check out my perfume collection featured on HGTV.ca’s decorating blog). And while I love many products, there’s a select group that actually live up to the glamorous promise inherent in cosmetic marketing. Today, I’m going to share my list of must-haves, some of which are literally life changing!

Help! My Friends Are All Having Kids!

After surviving the mega-year of pocket-draining weddings (everyone’s got that one season where the wedding invites just won’t stop coming) comes the next milestone in the lives of your best girlfriends: the baby boom. And though all your girls are beyond proud and beaming with joy, you’re feeling slightly jilted because you’re missing the quality time and daily talks with your BFFs.

Green Your Beauty Routine

Now we all know that going green is better for the planet, but with what seems like a million different certifications and terms like “biodynamic” and “organic” versus “natural”, shopping green beauty products is enough to make any beauty junkie want to ditch her regime and go au naturel.

Money Talks (Part Two)

Gail Vaz-Oxlade shares her common sense path to financial bliss

Money Talks (Part One)

A lady who knows what it's like to be a mom, work in a job she hated and still have a little left over at the end of the month, Gail Vaz-Oxlade didn't just fall into financial success - she created it.

The Job Interview

You’ve landed an interview for your dream job. After putting together a portfolio, you’re ready to meet your potential future boss. But before you head off to that important interview, consider Slice.ca’s tips to leaving a great first impression.

Period Peace

Slice helps you survive that time of the month

Pack It In

While travelling Europe as a young(er) scholar, the first thing I learned was, “You will not look good when you travel.” And, after careful inspection of digital video of me in Germany, I can attest that I did not, in fact, look good. I’ve since changed my travel philosophy to, “Look good, but be smart about it.”

The L Word

After clearing my six-year-old son of lice, my two girls came home with the same problem two weeks later – and we've been waging war ever since. We have the head lamp with the magnifying glass and we use a LiceMeister comb, which is excellent. We've even used one of the lice shampoos (Resultz), which kills the lice but not the nits. This really is where the fight begins and ends.

Hot Summer Hair

Last week, while discreetly gazing at my reflection in the mirrored elevator in my building, I noticed something disturbing: split ends! If you look closely, under the right light, you can actually see dry, split ends in the section of hair I flat iron the most! Horror of horrors!

Surviving The Loss Of A Pet

When a cherished pet dies, it becomes clear that society is not all that comfortable on how to handle such a passing. The death of a human has many rites and traditions, and those around us know how to behave. Sadly, the same cannot be said for when a beloved animal companion dies.

Guide to the Vagina

Because having one doesn’t make you an expert

Guide to the Penis

Okay, so you’ve got the basics down: penis and balls. But there’s obviously more to a man than that. Without getting all medical on your ass, here’s a breakdown of the male anatomy.

Survive Being Fired

Sure, it seems like the end of the world, but being fired just means the beginning of a new stage of your life. Who needs a dumb job, anyway? Okay, you do.

Better Left Unblogged

I started blogging in 1999, when most people hadn’t heard of blogs. We called them online journals and we used sites like diaryland.com to get the word out.

Get Back in the Game

Newly single and perhaps not quite ready to mingle. I’m gonna give it to you straight, being recently singled isn’t the best feeling in the world. There are all sorts of things going on in the mind of someone coming out of a long-term relationship.

Best Friends Vacay

Just because you want to take a romantic jaunt to a tropical paradise, it’s not mandatory for you go with your significant other. It could be even more fun to visit with a small group of your social crowd, or your BFF. Here are some tips to help you arrange a trip that you’ll remember and cherish always.

Decorum on Vacation

You’ve worked hard and earned your vacation but sometimes, even though you’ve planned your precious away-time down to the last detail, it’s ruined by thoughtless yobs that apparently were raised by monkeys.

Take It Like a Woman

We’ve all been there: you made a mistake on the quarterly report, you put cyanide in the coffee, and you shredded an important contract. One of your cube mates ratted you out and the boss wants to have a few words.

Getting through ALL the December holidays

While Christmas is the most widely celebrated in Canada, there is no shortage of other holidays to commemorate in December. If you want to be inclusive, here’s a primer on other religious and non-religious holidays that occur during the month (in chronological order).

Emergency Fashion Fixes

You may think that your well-planned ensembles, high-quality clothes and conscientious laundering make you immune to fashion disasters. Rest assured, clothing malfunctions can happen anytime – and are most likely to occur at the worst possible times, like right before a hot date or job interview.

Shop It Till It’s Hot

For those of us who have jobs, kids, and a bunch of other commitments, staying on top of current trends might be at the bottom of our lists of things to do. That’s why the demand for personal shoppers across Canada has increased significantly over the past few years.

Fashion Sampler

If you’re not familiar with sample sales, you’re missing out on a wonderful world of discounted designer clothes, shoes and accessories. A sample sale is held either by a designer or a clothing distributor. The merchandise sold is either a production sample or last season’s overstock.

Survive the Beginning of a Relationship

Men are strange creatures (we all know this) so it’s surprising that so many women expect relationships with men to be easy or normal—whatever that means. Women, in general, also tend to be very results-oriented so we have trouble enjoying the roller coaster that is love…or like, or lust, for that matter.

Survive a Break Up

You’re a perfectly competent, assertive person living a fairly sane, successful existence and then one day, BAM! The man in your life decides he’d rather not be in it anymore.

First Year of Marriage

Your wedding was the ultimate dream day and the honeymoon was even better, but now your real marriage is beginning. As every newlywed knows, the struggles during the first few months of marriage bring their own set of challenges.

Long-Distance Relationships

Trying to have a long-distance relationship can be as easy as trying to maintain an elaborate updo in a windstorm. The reality is that you’re in for a lot of effort so get off on the right foot if you want to keep this relationship standing.

Kids and Money

Before children can learn to manage money well, they need to be able to get their hands on the stuff. Most people have no problem with that concept. But when it comes to what you should ask of your children in exchange for that allowance, the debate rages.

Survive Online Dating

Everyone keeps telling you that you can meet that nice guy on the internet. Your mother is desperate for you to get married and make her a grandmother. What have you got to lose?

Twenty-Something?

Oh, the quarter-life crisis. We’ve heard a lot about it over the past few years as the age range for the crisis has steadily increased. So, something that was very Reality Bites has become more Thirtysomething.

Surviving a Bad Boss

When I saw The Devil Wears Prada, there were some things I could relate to: I enjoy a good bagel in the morning, I have very little money with which to buy designer duds and I’ve had a boss who left a few things to be desired.

Planning Your Wedding

A head start on planning can quell wedding day mishaps and help you avoid hiccups along the way. Here are some survival tips to help get you get started.

Dating Dress Code

Many of you ladies might think won’t need help primping for a first date, as you’re already impeccably dressed and would never think of committing any fashion crimes. But when it comes to impressing someone you’re sweet on, even the most stylish among us can lose our way.

Skin Myths Revealed

Every time you open a magazine, you’re apt to read yet another “great secret” for perfect skin. From crèmes to vitamins to drinking water, there’s so much advice—but what really works?

Wedding Guest Survival Guide

Being a bride is stressful. There’s so much to plan, do, eat, et cetera. But you know what else is stressful? Being invited to three or four weddings a summer whilst pondering why you (who is, frankly, smarter and hotter than these brides-to-be) are still living single.

Survive a Bad Date

Even when it’s going well, dating can be awkward. When you combine that nervous energy with absolutely no chemistry, a bad attitude or a psychopath, a date can go from pleasantly clumsy to total torture.

Dating As A Single Parent

Dating can be an awful experience at the best of times. Trying to do it with a child in tow can be even tougher. While you may be “Holding out for a Hero” as Bonnie Tyler once said, there are all those other less valiant fellas to get through first.

Surviving a Hangover

A hangover, as you know, isn’t the glamorous experience sometimes portrayed on film (such as Audrey Hepburn in the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s in her oversized sunglasses, drinking coffee, and eating a croissant as

Beach Body Countdown

Yeah, yeah, you should always be thinking of your health. But let’s face it, if you’re looking ahead to summer or you’ve got a hot beach vacation planned, you’re probably fretting about the dreaded unveiling on the beach. Whether you already have a sweetie

Classy vs. Trashy Dressing

A recent water cooler debate at my office revolved around underwear trends for 2007. I was cruising the American Apparel website hunting for briefs and boy shorts to dress some models for a photo shoot...

Survive Stupid Coworkers

If Freaks and Geeks is another way of describing the people you work with, odds are you often wonder if you’re working in a corporate building or a nuthouse. If you’re living in a bad rip-off of The Office or you’ve memorized every line in Office Space, then it’s time to take action.

Say Bon Voyage to Crappy Vacations

Ah, the romantic notion of that first vacation. Sunny beaches. Fun couples activities. Romantic suppers watching the sunset. How very Harlequin. If you have expectations of sexual interludes on the sand with classic soundtracks playing through your head, drop them now. Does the idea of having sex on sandpaper sound like fun?

Deal with His Emotional Unavailability

Okay, you love him, but he doesn’t show any signs of emotional commitment to you. He’s great at avoiding discussions that use words such as “love” or “marriage” or even “shacking up.” Why is it you’re in this relationship again? ...

Surviving Bridesmaidhood

The dress, the shoes, the flowers, the showers; bet that when you agreed to being a bridesmaid, you didn’t expect to end up a veritable wedding planner...

The Slice Guide to Getting Knocked Up

So you’re taking the plunge and accepting the notion of swollen ankles, a swollen abdomen, and nine months of mood swings. Why are you doing this again? Oh, yeah, right. Bundles of joy. Until that package arrives, however, you’re going to want to keep a few things in mind...

Charm the Pants Off Anyone

When it comes to etiquette, mother really does know best. “My mother always taught me to look a person in the eye when you meet somebody new and never give a limp handshake,” says Debra Goldblatt, president of Rock-it Promotions in Toronto...

Win Every Argument

Disclaimer: This article should be used for good instead of evil, especially if you’re one of those annoying people we get stuck talking to at parties who insist you’re always right. Some of these suggestions are mucky, so use the force responsibly...

Less Stress

You’ve had a doozy of a day at work: your boss was breathing down your neck about that client report; you and your “perfect” new boyfriend had your first spat; and to top it off, you just opened up your credit card bill to discover you not only reached your credit limit, but surpassed it...

Deciphering Dress Codes

Nothing beats the giddy feeling of opening up your mailbox and spotting an envelope that’s too small to be a phone bill, too sparkly to be a belated birthday card and, therefore, must be a party invitation. You rip it open as your brain swims with thoughts of your awesome popularity. You fantasize about getting sloshed, ending up with another invitee’s tongue down your throat and recounting the tale of your night’s conquest to your buds around the brunch table the next day.

Dressing for Success: Not So Farfetched

Whenever someone tells me that I should dress for the job I want, I think about the day when I will actually have the cajones to wear my leather pants, guitar, and tattoo shirt to work. But it does make sense to look your best and project a successful image at work, especially if you’ve got your sights set on an office with a door. We interviewed some fashion experts and fashionable professionals to see what they had to say.

The First Year with the Little Whippersnapper

So you survived 40 weeks of pregnancy, sailed through the birth au naturel, and are settling into perfect maternal bliss, right?! Even if that’s all true (and if it is, I’m really very happy for you, honestly!),...

Online Stalking

Now, before you get all mad and tell me how wrong it is to stalk someone, I’m not talking about threatening someone or being creepy-like. I’m just doing a bit of snooping...

Wow His Parents

You’ve been dating for a while now, he makes moon eyes at you and you finish each other’s sentences. One day he turns to you and says, “My mom wants to know if you’d like come over for dinner.” Cue scary music. Heart palpitations, sweaty palms – this is cause for nervousness. Why? Well, if it’s serious enough to meet the guy’s parents, then you’re probably pretty serious about the guy. And if you’re serious about the guy, you want the guy’s parents to like you. So how do you get through that first meeting without eventually having those parents ask your beau, “Whatever happened to that cute girlfriend of yours?”

Survive on Little to No Money

Of course you needed that leather purse/pair of designer jeans/Sex and the City DVD box set last week. But now you’re a little low on cash and by a “little low,” we’re talking call-your-parents-for-a-loan territory. Put down the phone. You can make it through the next week with a virtually empty bank account; you just have to be shrewd with your cash.

Big Boob Survival Guide

Bazoongas, hooters, boobs, breasts, knockers, whatever you want to call them, a lot of us have them. And a lot of us (including me) have ample bosoms. I love my breasts, but along with the privilege of having big breasts comes vast responsibility...

Find Your Signature Scent

It seems like every actress-turned-popstar and spoiled heiress has one, so why shouldn’t you have an eau de, well, you?

Be a Manicure Master

Ever notice how a manicure makes just about any woman look more polished? Unless your weekly routine also includes lunch at the country club, you probably have neither the time nor the cash to spare on weekly nail appointments...

The Emergency Beauty Guide

You wake up hung over, slightly sweaty and about 20 minutes late for work. You were too busy partying last night to do laundry and you passed out without ...

The Break Up Survival Kit Shopping List

“Breaking up is hard to do” is kind of an understatement. It’s more like “breaking up feels like someone ripped my heart of my chest for sport, kicked it across the room, leaving it to splatter on the wall...

Look Fab Even When You're Not Feeling It

So that after-work martini turned into a few too many and you didn’t fall into bed until 2 am. Unlucky you, it’s a school-night, and you have to be at the office, primed and ready for a first-thing meeting at 9...

Bathing Suit Shopping

You have to be in a bathing suit in two weeks and you’d rather get a mammogram than see your pasty, dimpled bum under fluorescent lights. At least that flesh-squeezing...

In Line With the In-Laws

If you’re one of those people who regularly says, “But I get along fine with my in-laws” and means it, go away. Find other perfect people to talk to. For the rest of us, dealing with in-laws is about as comfortable as an hour-long Pap test...

Curls with Confidence

As someone with dry, curly hair, I’ve tried every tip, every product and every treatment I could get my hands on. I’ve had my hair thinned out, layered, highlighted and I’ve straightened the bejeezus out of it...

The Walk of Shame

If you haven’t heard of the walk of shame, either you’re one of those brazen people who doesn’t consider it shameful or you’ve never performed it. If the latter is the case, Robin Anderton and Jay Desario, offer this advice in their book,...

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