Made in the U.S.A.

What used to be a patriotic rally cry of Appalachian and Rust Belt states (having grown up in a West Virginia steel-working family, I can say that) is now the socially-responsible and eco-friendly marketing campaign for a new trend of designers.

And tonight you can...

Potluck. What's not to like about potluck?

Plenty.

For starters, "potluck" is a 40-something word. Unless they're wearing sweater vests, 20-somethings look anachronistic saying it. Thirty-somethings? Depends. Did someone die? If not, this group says "dinner party and oh-can-bring-such-and-such." Not "potluck."

The worst thing about going to a potluck...

Style is like porn. You know it when you see it. But can't always explain it. Or watch it without giggling. No wait. That's just for porn.

And speaking of porn during this busy back-to-school season, all mothers should be thinking about the F-word and how to avoid it....

The person who said it gets harder to make friends as you get older didn't have a child in her late 30s.

Because for me, becoming a mother at age 36 in D.C. has brought waves and waves of friends into my life, some becoming playful ripples, others deep...

Renew. Refresh. Regroup. Rejuvenate. Reinvent.

Spring is a time for all these "re" words. A time to shed skins. Change perspectives.

If in that mood, take the money that you were going to use on a dust-collecting self-help book that will only embarrass you in front of friends...

She bends forward, her long, silky platinum blond hair falling in waves as she secures the strap of six-inch high heels around her ankle. Flattening her back, she gives her muscular legs and ample butt, barely contained by colorful boy-shorts, a deep stretch before hitting play on the remote control....

Sure. It's great that the D.C. Council is working on Ethics Reform. That's what happens when someone gets caught with his or her hand in the cookie jar. Or at least on the lid.

But let's not forget that it's often a tenacious private citizen or internal...

In the current climate of uncertain employment (or in some cases, certain unemployment), many people are reevaluating and adapting their career strategies. But before spending hundreds of dollars on a life coach or career counselor, try recruiting your own support group.

Over a year ago, I started W.E.N.C.H. --...

If you can't be scared everyday, at least settle for being slightly uncomfortable.

For the next four Tuesday nights the Jam Cellar, a weekly party for swing dancers at the Josephine Butler Park Center in NW D.C., is offering a unique experience to challenge your comfort level...

Bring up the topic of car seats with some people in the over-40 crowd and prepare to hear stories of how they faced vehicular peril without the aid of a plush, ergonomically designed, high-priced Barcalounger. "Car seat? I never had a car seat. My parents just threw me in the...

From May to November a fabulous part of Saturday morning in my D.C. neighborhood is the Mt. Pleasant Farmers' Market, a cozy place to chat with neighbors, gush over babies and nosh on muffins. A couple Saturdays a month, I'm luckily enough to work there. Though I can't...

It's a beautiful day in Manhattan and I'm waiting on West 33rd Street for my bus back to Washington, D.C. For those who have taken the DC2NY bus, or one of the others that shuttle between the two cities, you know this spot. It's right in front of that strip...