Playfulness Can Be Taught:
Research has shown that people who are playful also have a good eye for detail, easily adopt new perspectives, are good at making monotonous tasks interesting, and generally are more satisfied with their lives. But if you’re not lucky enough to have been born that way, a study of 533 people suggests that the trait can be induced through training. When participants engaged in playfulness exercises for 12 weeks, their personalities actually changed, as did their self-reported well-being. (Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.)

Clean Stained Carpets:
If you got a little excited while drinking wine and happened to spill a bit, you don’t have to bear the shame of a scarlet carpet forever! Instead, remove the stain with club soda. As soon as you notice the stain, pour club soda on the area to dilute the red wine. Blot the club soda with a paper towel or clean cloth (do not rub). Rinse the club soda with cold water and continue blotting up the stain. If the stain is especially stubborn, sprinkle the area with baking soda, and vacuum.

Shine Gemstones:
You may think your jewelry is clean, but it can probably be a little cleaner! Gemstones lose their sparkle and shine over time, so they may not be as brilliant as they used to be. Soak your diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds in club soda—the carbonation will restore their shine. For best results, let your stones soak in the soda overnight. Note: Keep your opals, pearls, and turquoise far away from this mixture. The carbonation will eat away your precious, porous stones!

Swear Off Diet Sodas:
Research shows diet sodas (not to mention the negative effects of just sodas in general) thicken your waistline, raise blood pressure, increase blood sugar, and lower HDL "good" cholesterol. They also contain chemicals that stimulate appetite and make you more likely to over eat. (Yasmin Mossaver-Rahmani PhD, RD, CDN, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York)

"Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you are climbing it."  ~  Andy Rooney.

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark."  ~  Michelangelo

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow."  ~  Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Failure is just a way for our lives to show us we’re moving in the wrong direction, that we should try something different."  ~  Oprah