Key Winter Health Tips by Dr. 911, Robert Glatter, MD

Robert Glatter is an attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, New York. He also has a medical house call and wellness practice in the city called Dr. 911, which operate 24/7. Dr. Glatter does medical exams for Manhattan filmed movies, is a doctor on Gossip Girl and other television shows on the CW network. Dr. Glatter is on the editorial board of Medscape Emergency Medicine (WebMD), a contributor of NBC and CBS networks, and an active member of children’s foundations like Stop Caid Now and the Worldwide Children Foundation. Here are some of his key tips for maintaining your health during the chilly winter months.

1. Avoid holiday weight gain. Before you start filling your plate at a party, scan the selections to make healthy choices. Even though it is a holiday, the rules should still apply when selecting your meal. Try to choose low fat turkey (white meat), lightly dressed green salads, and plenty of whole grains. Your attention to portion control will help minimize weight gain during the holidays. Always remember to drink plenty of water prior to eating, which limits the amount of calories you consume. It’s unreasonable to completely avoid all sweets, alcoholic beverages, and fatty foods, but it certainly helps to have a sensible plan for eating in a smart, portion controlled, and responsible fashion.

2. Take a vitamin D supplement. Up to 80% of people do not get enough vitamin D, especially due to reduced sunlight during winter days. Studies have demonstrated that if patients increase their intake of vitamin D, they can reduce their risk of cancer and heart disease by up to 25%. Vitamin D specifically helps to reduce risk of breast and colon cancer. When you can’t enough sun, you can also eat foods which are known to be rich in vitamin D. This includes oily fish such as salmon and sardines, or vitamin D fortified foods such as milk, oranges and cereal. The main issue is that it’s difficult to obtain enough vitamin D from these foods to fulfill daily requirements so a supplement of 1,000 units per day would be highly recommended. If you are already taking a multivitamin, you may want to reduce your dose accordingly.

3. Make sure you exercise- even indoors during winter. Walking, using an elliptical trainer or treadmill for at least 30 minutes a day will help to promote blood flow and boost your metabolism during the winter days. Other alternatives can be to practice yoga, utilize resistance bands or routine stretching, to elevate your heart rate and break a sweat.

Filed under Living · Tagged with CW, Dr. 911, Dr. Rob Glatter, Exercise, Frostbite, Gossip Girl, Hypothermia, Layers, Melatonin, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Snow, Stop Caid Now, Vitamin D, Weight Gain, Winter Blues, Winter Health Tips, Worldwide Children Foundation, Yoga

Edit New York: Melissa’s Fave Upper East Side Shopping Spot (and one of Leighton and Blake’s, too!)

One of my fave places to shop on the Upper East Side is Edit New York – I live in all the clothes I buy there! They carefully “edit” the best styles from designer brands like Alexander Wang, Rag and Bone and Phillip Lim and offer great personalized service. One of my favorite go-to dresses is a T by Alexander Wang black dress that I bought there last season. I paired it with a the cutest fur vest by Rebecca Taylor, also from Edit. For fall, I love this gorgeous Proenza Schouler dress and the sand-washed ruffle side dress from Thakoon, two of my favorite designers. Shopping in Edit’s gorgeous and townhouse is just divine. I am not alone here–Gossip Girls Blake Lively and Leighton Meester were just spotted shopping there recently!

Filed under Ask Melissa, Blog, Fashion · Tagged with Alexander Wang, Blake Lively, edit New York, Gossip Girl, Leighton Meester, Melissa Meyers, New York, Phillip Lim, Proenza Schouler, Rag and Bone, Rebecca Taylor, Shopping, Thakoon, Upper East Side

Mother’s Day Gifts for Every Mom

By Melissa Meyers

Mother’s day is approaching fast which brings with it the task of finding the perfect gift for Mom. There are plenty of new products out there that are sure to suit even the pickiest of mothers. I have something unique and special for every type of mom:

1. Foodie Mom Gwyneth Paltrow’s New Cookbook – “My Father’s Daughter”
I went to Gwyneth’s book signing at Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago to pick up a copy of her new cook book to review. Thanks to Glee, we all know superstar celeb Gwyneth can sing, but did you know she can cook? In “My Father’s Daughter” she shares her recipes that celebrate family and togetherness. With a foreword by master chef Mario Batali, you know the recipes must be delicious! They are also remarkably easy for even the most gastronomically challenged Mom. Plus, there’s something for every palatte from the exotic tuna and ginger burgers to chicken and dumplings to wood oven pizza. I literally want to try every recipe in this book.
Buy Now – $30

2. Fashionable Mom
Rich Rocks Jewelry
Rich Rocks is a fabulous costume jewelry line with a celebrity following that appeals to women of all ages. The cast of Gossip Girl certainly loves their baubles–Blake Lively, Leighton Meester and Kelly Rutherford to name a few. The selection is carefully edited and there is something for everyone. For the classic mom, I love the elegant pair of silver clover hoops (very Van Cleef). The boho Mom will adore the leaf earrings with champagne crystals and the hip Mom would enjoy the oversized hanging smokey dangle earrings. Also, all of the jewelry looks luxe and the pieces have a nice weight to them.
Buy Now – Clover hoops – $75
Buy Now – Leaf earrings – $40
Buy Now – Smokey dangle earrings – $75

Jennifer Miller Jewelry
Another great costume jewelry line and designer who is always on trend is Jennifer Miller. I am crazy about their dog tag necklace engraved with the sentiment, “LUV U MOM.” I like this one for the cool Mom who lives in jeans and t-shirts. It also has a yellow gold-plated cut out heart charm disk to add to the style. Made of sterling silver on a 30” stainless ball chain, the necklace looks very substantial and is the perfect Mother’s Day gift for Mom from the kids.
Buy Now – $175

3. Pampered Mom L’Occitane Sparkling Verbena Skin Care Set
If you’re mom loves the spa, pamper her this Mother’s Day with this Sparkling Verbena set from L’Occitane. This kit has everything Mom needs to relax including shower gel, body lotion, a delicious verbena scented sachet, shea butter hand cream and shea butter soap in milk and verbena scent. It even comes with a Mother’s Day card. I am a huge fan of these products and use them regularly. It is SO nice when someone buys them for you!
Buy Now – $55

4. Beauty Junkie Mom “All About My Mother” Make-up Gift Pack
Celebrity make-up artist Napoleon Perdis “All About My Mother” gift pack comes wrapped and ready to go in a lovely gift box. The make-up kit includes a cute vintage-inspired coin case with universally flattering shades of eyeshadow, cream blush and lip color. I love the lip color because it is shiny but not sticky and the four color eye shadow palette has the hottest colors of the season. Cream blush is super easy to use and all of the makeup in the kit comes with “how to” instructions (available in two different color palettes).
Buy Now – $49 ($100 value)

5. Techie Mom PhotoOp Ipad Case
If your Mom is anything like me, she never goes anywhere without her iPad. Luckily, PhotoOp makes an iPad case that you can personalize with an adorable photo of the kids. All moms appreciate personalized gifts! Just email PhotoOp the picture you would like to use as a jpeg, and they will send you the ipad case. Available in leather or fabric.
Buy Now – Leather – $150, Fabric – $120 (Call the studio at 212-362-1911 to place an order)

6. Eco-Conscious Mom Recycled Windshield White Wine Decanter from Gifts.com
A sophisticated and modern wine decanter made from recycled auto-glass is the ideal gift for the eco-conscious Mom. What’s really cool about this decanter is that it has an open ice chamber that chills wine without diluting it. Every decanter is unique and handmade in Colombia making it a special gift that any Earth-friendly mother will love to have in her home. I would use it as a decorative piece and for chilling ice tea or lemonade!
Buy Now – $55

7. Sentimental Mom TinyPrints.com Personalized Mother’s Day Cards
A refreshing break from the ordinary drugstore greeting card, TinyPrints.com offers personalized cards that they even send for you. No need to remember to mail a card on time or waste time trying to choose the right card. TinyPrints custom-made cards are heartfelt and special. Choose the photos, colors, fonts and text to create a card Mom will cherish. Tiny Prints also offers personalized stationary as a gift for Mom. Celebrity fans of TinyPrints include Gwyneth Paltrow, Kelly Ripa, Rachel Zoe, Reese Witherspoon and Brooke Shields.
Buy Now – $1.99 – $3.99 per card

8. Organized Mom (or one who wants to be) PurseN Purse Organizers
Whether your Mom loves to be organized or if your Mom is the type who can’t find anything in her purse (sound familiar?), the PurseN purse inserts are a fashionable and functional gift. These organizers make it easy to change from purse to purse without leaving behind any of your go-to items and keep bags clean. The inserts make Mom’s life easier with compartments for everything from her phone to her lipstick and wallet–and the rest of the “stuff.” Good-bye black hole!
Buy Now – $58

9. Charitable Mom Love Quotes Scarves
Loved by celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Hudson, and Jennifer Aniston for their luxe fabric, chic colors and charitable cause, Phyllis Wiener’s “Love Quotes” scarves make a perfect gift for the chic Mom who wants to give back. The scarves, available at lovequotesnyc.com, come in an array of gorgeous colors and can be worn around your neck, as a shawl, or on the beach as a cover up. They also happen to be the perfect size and are amazingly soft. I want them in every color! Plus, 10% of the proceeds are donated to international children’s charities. Each scarf comes with its own special quote, making it a truly heartfelt gift. P.S. Did you see Sofia Vergara in the new Pepsi commercial sporting the Regatta blue one as a pareo?
Buy Now – $75

Filed under home_featured-NOT-USED, Living · Tagged with Blake Lively, Cookbook, Decanter, Dog tag, Gift Guides, Gossip Girl, Gwyneth Paltrow, iPad, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Miller, Jewelry, Kate Hudson, Kelly Rutherford, L'Occitane, Leighton Meester, make up, Mom, Mother's Day, Napoleon Perdis, Personalized Cards, Rich Rocks, Sarah Jessica Parker, Scarves, Van Cleef

Fendi Launches New Children’s Clothing Line!

By Melissa Meyers

Check out Melissa Meyers’ exclusive video covering the event with hosts Lyss Stern, Founder of Divalysscious Moms and Kelly Rutherford, our favorite mom on Gossip Girl.

The event took place at the Fendi flagship store on Fifth Avenue in NYC to celebrate the launch of their new clothing line for kids. Many of New York City’s socialite moms and tots were in attendance. Little 4-6 year old boys and girls strutted down the runway sporting mini-me versions of the Italian Luxury brand—think sweet pink and yellow dresses, liberty print tops and printed leggings for girls and fun plaids, bomber jackets, and tailored pants with a nautical look for boys. The fabrics were made of linen, silk and cotton. All of the Fendi clothing was for sale that evening (with a 10% discount thanks to Divalysscious Moms). I was happy to see an additional 10% of all sales donated to benefit the American Red Cross of Japan.

Filed under Fashion, home_featured-NOT-USED · Tagged with Children's Fashion, Fendi, Gossip Girl, Kelly Rutherford, Kids Clothing Line, Lyss Stern

All My Favorite Things at the Charlotte Russe 2010 Holiday Collection Cocktail Party

Yesterday, I went to the Charlotte Russe Holiday 2010 Preview with my colleague Daniela and we had such a great time! As soon as we walked down the stairs at RDV in Meatpacking, I knew that the event would be a success. From the romantic ambiance with touches of pink to the fashionable crowd, the whole aesthetic of the party was amazing. Everywhere I looked, there was fashion eye candy! From vintage chandeliers draped with jewelry to random touches of sparkle, I died.

The 9 dresses designed for this particular holiday collection were displayed, fully styled, throughout the room. The dresses were not only beautiful but they are all set at a retail price under $50.00. The 5 handbags designed for the collection retail at under $25. In addition to the new collection were the holiday jewelry and shoes. Don’t get me started on those as they were a free for all, which to any fashionista basically means that you have died and gone to heaven. Yes, faux fur lined booties, sequin flats, neon pumps, all free.

As if the night could have not gotten better, Daniela and I got the chance to meet Charlotte Russe Creative Director and Gossip Girl Stylist, Eric Daman. All I have to say is that he is just as amazing and fashionable in person as his new holiday line which launches October 24th!

Before we could leave, we had a few hors d’ oeuvres, schmoozed, and enjoyed the French macarons, which are personally one of my favorite treats. I had the pistachio while Daniela opted for a piece of chocolate candy. But before we could exit the door, we were gifted metallic-wrapped packages filled with even more goodies.

After last night, we are definitely looking forward to Eric’s spring 2011 collection also featuring 9 dresses under $50 set to hit stores January 23, 2011.

Filed under Blog · Tagged with Charlotte Russe, Eric Daman, Gossip Girl, Holiday 2010 Preview