Our home had experienced some flooding under one of its prior owners, who very responsibly installed French drains and a sump pump to reduce the risk of any future water damage. It all worked beautifully until one big storm left six inches of water in the basement. (The sump pump was unplugged!) After the water cleared we were left with a soggy mess in the basement. The next day, I ordered a dumpster. Oh my gosh -- had I known how great an experience it was I would have done it sooner!

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When asked what the #1 health problem is in America, most people say cancer, obesity or heart disease. But, in speaking with Henri Roca, MD, medical director of the Center for Integrative Medicine in Greenwich, Connecticut, last night, I learned that the number one health problem in America is... stress. In fact, eighty percent of diagnoses are either caused by stress or exacerbated by stress -- from heart disease, to headaches, to muscle pain to memory problems and even cancer.

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Have you ever been in a situation where you wished something was a little different and you thought to yourself "someone should fix that?" Well, as you probably realized, that that someone isn't coming. So, since no one is coming, what if that someone is you?

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I just attended a business luncheon for a group of women entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs. There were about 40 women in attendance. I returned to the office with a pile of business cards collected from the women I'd met. What struck me, as I reviewed them, was that only half of the cards gave any indication of what the business does.

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To save money on heating but still stay warm, my coworker Anna has rediscovered hot water bottles. Sitting with one in her lap in the evenings at home keeps her nice and toasty and unbothered by the cooler temperatures that surround her. My youngest daughter loves sleeping with a hot water bottle.

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