Blow Dry

White smoke came out of my blow dryer this morning after I flipped the on switch. Instead of wondering if a fire would start I was more worried about whether or not I'd get my hair dry. Smart women have spare hair dryers for times like this; I do have a cheap spare... in my gym bag which is inside a locker at the gym, not home where I need it now. I quickly dried as much as I could before it became obvious that this would be my last time using said dryer. It was no longer under warranty, so I was off the purchase a new, maybe even two blow dryers. The secret to decent looking hair is in the products. A professional hair dryer (or flat iron) can easily start at a $100 price point. No one wants to pay this, but I think it's worth it. The cheaper dryers burn out quicker and don't provide the right type of heat. Still, if a reasonable Conair is all that your budget will allow, go for it! Just try to make up for it with the styling product. Stylist products: now there's another expense in which she might opt for a less valued shampoo just to afford the mousse her hair dresser recommends. The options, costs and need regarding ones hair really can get crazy after awhile so here's a helpful site to comparison shop: www.betterbeautybargains.com

She buzz words

• Protractor
• Q-tip
• Eraser
• Backpack

Right now she could

• Planning an end of summer hurrah
• Making lemonade
• Sweeping her patio

She sites

• www.zinch.com: could be the site that gives her kid the upper hand when it comes to applying for college. Almost all colleges find and recruit students through standardized test scores. Zinch allows students to be seen for what they are-not just numbers, but people.
• Finding a restaurant with healthy eating options just got easier: she enters the zip code and price range and gets a list of restaurants and menu options at the website www.healthydiningfinder.com.

She Green

Her mailbox is consistently filled with mail she does not need.

She can avoid all this extra paper and save a bunch of trees-100 million are cut annually to produce junk mail-a few different ways. One way is to register name with the Direct Marketing Associations Mail Preference Service. For more information, log on to www.stopthejunkmail.com

She vent

"If you want to feel like you live in a big house, start cleaning it."

She diet

Bracelets are the latest goody available to help you lose weight. Wrist-A-Trac claims to help you eat better. The bracelets are color-coded and come with a booklet explaining what food group the color represents with the instruction to move the bracelet from one wrist to another after a specific food group has been eaten. No word on whether they work with eveningwear. For more info, log on to the website www.awristatrac.com

She Health

• About 38% of adults and 12% of kids in the United States use some form of alternative medicine such as acupuncture and meditation. Source: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
• About 27 million Americans are affected by thyroid disease; many are undiagnosed.

She keeps telling herself...

"The glass is half full."

• Get more She Prep at www.ShePrep.com