Best Gift Ever: The Gift of Reading

Sometimes I find it virtually impossible to find the perfect gift for someone. I want it to be meaningful, personal and not crazy expensive. With that in mind, my go-to gift for years now is... the gift of reading! I love giving magazine subscriptions as gifts. You can pick a title that best suits your friend or loved one, plus it's reasonably priced and best of all... someone's getting that gift from you every month for year! If you're extra thoughtful, maybe it's a subscription that comes in the mail every week. That's 52 gifts from YOU! Nice, huh? Men love GQ, Men's Health and dare we say, Playboy (it's the articles, right?), and great mags for women include Real Simple, W, People and Glamour. Get a traveler or foodie Food & Wine, Cooking Light, Travel & Leisure, or the new Food Network Magzine (just not the Rachael Ray one!).

Check out sites like overstock.com, magazinenook and barnesandnoble. If you know what you're looking for, I often find it best to google the title and the word 'subscription' to see what pops up with the best price.

Who do you have in mind for a subscription gift? What title?

Free fun: pool playdates for all

Before you stop reading this because you think pool playdates are just for stay-at-home moms (SAHMs) and their kiddies, think again! While yes, I'm now an even bigger pool playdate fan because my little girl gets to splash in the pool while I get to gossip with my girlfriends, think what happens when you remove the kiddies and add some cocktails or vino? See how this picture can quickly change? You're diggin' it, right?

If you don't live near a beach, head to a friend's pool for happy hour cocktails! Something different? Fun, right? I know whenever I do something at night -- instead of lay on my couch -- it makes work seem like a distant memory. Like a mid-week vacay! Don't relegate the pool to weekend-only activities. If you must though, invite the girlfriends over this Saturday, make sandwiches and snacks and gossip about all the ridic reality shows this summer. It's way cheaper than an innocent jaunt around the mall (we know that never ends well!) and much more fun than something like exercising. If you feel guilty, do some water exercises.

Who's with me? Pool side happy hour?