TipSheet

Correspondents’ Picks: Jávea, Spain

2008-08-21T19:56:43Z

By Zach Kussin

First considered a home to Roman fishermen in the 2nd century BC, Jávea has since evolved from a small port town to one of Europe’s most popular Mediterranean destinations. Today, visitors can learn about Jávea’s vivid history while enjoying a variety of fun summer activities, especially at the many beaches that dot Spain's Costa Blanca—known to be one of the country's most beautiful coastlines. Located an hour’s drive from downtown Valencia, Jávea gives tourists the opportunity to simultaneously experience traditional Spanish life and southern Europe’s most active outdoor culture.

EXPLORE El Pueblo, Jávea’s old quarter. Previously enclosed by a formidable stonewall to protect Jávea’s inhabitants from troops of marauding pirates, El Pueblo is now open to visitors from all lands…as long as they don’t thieve Jávea’s treasured collection of gold jewelry and precious gems from past centuries on display at the Soler Blasco historical museum. All of El Pueblo’s narrow and winding streets lead you to the Church of Sant Bartolomé. Dating back to the 14th century, this impressive structure made of tosca stone hewn from Jávea’s rocky shores forms the geographic, spiritual and cultural center of Jávea. Besides holding Sunday mass, communions, conformations and festivals honoring the saints, a variety of outdoor concerts, traditional Valencian danzas and plays take place in the church’s plaza for all of Jávea’s residents to enjoy.

CLIMB the Montgó Massif. Standing at 753 meters high, a hike up Montgó’s steep façade gives breathtaking views of Jávea’s entire shoreline, its neighboring towns, Denia and Jesús Pobre, and even the Balearic island of Ibiza on clear days. A variety of guided tours explaining Montgó’s diverse species of flora or exploring its many caverns are also available.

EAT near the port, a lively neighborhood that has a number of bars and restaurants that all serve Valencian delicacies at reasonable prices. The money-conscious traveler can taste bar tapas of ensalada rusa, a spicy potato salad; pa amb allioli, bread served with a garlic mayonnaise dipping sauce; or chorizo for less than 10 Euros. Visitors should also be sure to try a sip of sweet horchata, a tiger nut milk. For an evening out, however, try El Pósito restaurant. Here, such treats as fresh, saffron-rich seafood paella, jamón Serrano with melon and prawns in Armanac are cooked to perfection and served to you as you sit feet from the port’s pebble beach (96 579 3063).

SIESTA at La Sella spa, located inside the Marriott hotel. Inspired by both the Roman and Oriental baths, La Sella spa offers a pleasant escape from the summer heat with its whirlpools, massage sessions, therapeutic mud baths and tropical showers. The siesta hours, typically from 2:00-5:00 p.m., are also well spent at any one of the chiringuitos that line La Avenida del Mediterráneo. These beachside huts are oases for visitors trying to escape the summer’s high temperatures. Relaxation is a certainty if you purchase a cold beverage, sit atop their comfortable sofas and hammocks and admire the undisturbed view of the blue Mediterranean water in front of you.

SUNBATHE in the late afternoon Mediterranean sun at La Granadella, Jávea’s best kept secret. Located far off the beaten, touristy path, in between two of Jávea’s southernmost capes, La Granadella is a refuge for those who seek natural beaches. Visitors have the choice of lying atop La Granadella’s snow-white blanket of sand or enjoying the cool waters of its rocky tosca grottos located close by.

DANCE at El Arenal, Jávea’s main beach, the best spot for nighttime entertainment. El Arenal’s finest nightclubs, such as Octopus and Champagne, offer live music played by local groups and DJs, inexpensive beverages and finger foods and stay open until the very early hours of the morning.

Help Kids Overcome Picky Eating

2008-08-09T18:37:35Z

Remedy: No need to limit yourself to sneaking puréed vegetables into foods or battling over broccoli
Illustration: Michael Klein for Newsweek

By Anne Underwood

Kylee Smith, 5, of Richmond, Va., loves cheese—grilled cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese, cheese quesadillas. It’s what she doesn’t like that has her mom worried. Kylee won’t eat meat, other than chicken nuggets. Her vegetable consumption is limited to tomato sauce—but only on pizza, not spaghetti. Most nights, her mother has to prepare a special dish just for her. “If we’re eating something she doesn’t like, she won’t even sit next to us,” says her mother, Jean-Marie.

If this sounds familiar, take heart. Children can be notoriously picky eaters—and today’s snack-food culture makes it even harder to channel their tastes in healthy directions. But research is shedding new light on how food preferences are formed—and what we can do to promote healthy eating. The good news: your choices aren’t limited to sneaking puréed vegetables into foods or battling it out over broccoli.

One of the most surprising findings is that it’s never too early to start—not even during pregnancy. Flavorful compounds from a mother’s diet cross the placenta into amniotic fluid, which babies in the third trimester swallow at the rate of a quart a day. “Babies develop preferences for these foods long before they actually eat them,” says Julie Mennella, a biopsychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. Similarly, during lactation, flavors pass from the mother’s bloodstream into breast milk. Mennella has done studies showing that babies whose moms drank carrot juice or ate fruits while breast-feeding liked carrot and peach baby foods better than formula-fed infants did.

But picky eating is not always about the taste of food. Often it’s about texture, such as pulp in orange juice, nuts in brownies or gristle on meat. This doesn’t have to be a huge problem—it’s easy enough to cut off gristle. In fact, some of what passes for finicky eating is just normal development. Humans, being omnivores, are biologically programmed to be wary of new foods until they know they’re safe to eat. This “food neophobia” peaks between 2 and 5, when a newly mobile child would otherwise be at greatest risk of ingesting, say, colorful but toxic berries. The degree of caution varies greatly among children—and a recent study shows it is largely genetic. But everyone has it to some extent—even adults. Not surprisingly, it applies mainly to bitter foods (think vegetables), since bitterness often indicates poison.

The quickest remedy may be that of Missy Chase Lapine, author of “The Sneaky Chef,” who conceals puréed vegetables in a wide range of foods. “If you can get eight vegetables, all hidden, and wheat germ and whole grains in a tasty meatball, why would you ever not do it?” she asks. Most experts approve of the tactic, saying it can boost the nutritional content of meals and take the pressure off mealtimes. But they also say it shouldn’t be the only approach: parents should also serve whole veggies so kids will acquire a taste for them. “If you want your child to like spinach, that won’t happen by sneaking it into brownies,” says Tina Tan, a pediatric-feeding specialist at New York University Langone Medical Center’s Rusk Institute.

So what’s a parent to do?

• Be persistent. Psychologist Leann Birch at Pennsylvania State University has shown that children often need to try a new food 10 to 15 times before they will accept it. Most moms give up after three to five times.

• Don’t force kids to eat. When introducing a new food, give a very small amount. Let the child spit it out if she wants. “Children have to get accustomed to the taste and texture of a food before they feel comfortable swallowing it,” says family therapist Ellyn Satter, author of “Child of Mine: Feeding With Love and Good Sense.”

• Take kids’ tastes into account. Children generally have a higher preference than adults for sweet and salty tastes. But you can work with that and still have healthy meals. Dietitian Elizabeth Ward, author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Feeding Your Baby and Toddler,” suggests putting grated cheese on veggies. The salt in the cheese counteracts some of the bitterness. Serve carrots, which are sweet, for snacks. Purée cauliflower; it looks like mashed potatoes.

• Don’t fix separate meals. It’s hard to resist when kids are refusing to eat. But it only reinforces their biases. Instead, each meal should contain some foods the kids like and some the adults like. Serving meals family style lets the child choose and gives her a sense of control. Eventually, most kids will start eating many of the same foods as the parents.

• Don’t bribe kids. Promising ice cream as a reward for eating broccoli only fuels the suspicion that there’s something wrong with the broccoli. “It serves a short-term goal, but in the long run, it makes kids like broccoli less and ice cream more,” says Birch.

• Find a role model. If your child has a friend who’s a good eater, invite her to dinner. In one study, Birch sat children who hated peas with kids who were eating the veggie happily. After a week of this routine, the pea haters started eating peas, too.

• Involve kids in cooking. It will help get them used to the smell, feel and texture of foods. And having a stake in the meal will make them somewhat more likely to eat it.

• Relax. If meals become a power struggle, you’re likely to lose. “Along with potty training and sleeping, eating behavior is one thing kids can control,” says Tan. “And it definitely gets a reaction out of Mom and Dad.” Just remember: as long as the kids are getting some kind of fruit, vegetable and protein, they’re probably doing fine.

With Anna Kuchment

Do Statins Help Overweight Children?

2008-08-09T18:35:56Z

Statins used to be for aging boomers and their parents. Now the American Academy of Pediatrics says the cholesterol-lowering drugs can help kids as young as 8 who suffer from extremely high cholesterol levels. (The FDA has approved most statins for kids as young as 10, and pravastatin for those as young as 8.) Doctors stress that these guidelines do not mean that all obese kids should take statins.

In a recent clinical report in the journal Pediatrics, Dr. Stephen Daniels, pediatrician in chief at the Children’s Hospital in Denver, said kids between the ages of 2 and 10 with a family history of early heart disease or those with an unknown family history or other cardiovascular-disease risk factors, such as obesity or diabetes, should be screened with a fasting lipid profile. For overweight kids with a high triglyceride concentration or a low HDL (good) cholesterol concentration, weight management is the main treatment. For overweight kids with an LDL (bad) cholesterol reading of 190 or greater, even after trying diet and exercise, doctors should consider medications. The side effects of statins: mainly the elevation of liver enzymes and muscle inflammation. But Daniels says fewer than 1 percent of adolescents get a meaningful side effect that makes them want to stop taking the drugs. Dr. Frank Greer, chair of the AAP’s committee on nutrition, says, “If your father had a heart attack at age 27, and you have the same lipid profile as your dad, what’s the greater risk?”

Still, some doctors question the benefits of starting so young, especially when the risks are largely unknown. While statins may lower cholesterol levels, they don’t necessarily reduce kids’ risk of heart disease later. Doctors say it’s most important for kids to control weight through diet and exercise, though diet typically reduces cholesterol levels by only 15 or less. “Some kids have levels that are high enough that you’re still left with cholesterol that’s higher than you would like,” says Daniels. No amount of oatmeal, leafy greens and soccer practice will change that.

Kids, Cell Phones and Brain Cancer

2008-08-09T18:32:57Z

By Kurt Soller

Recent headlines have reported new concerns about the links between cell-phone use and brain cancer. Last month the Toronto Department of Public Health advised teenagers and young children to limit their cell-phone use, and Dr. Ronald Herberman, the director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, sent out a memo urging his colleagues and their children to do the same. “It’s not wise for us, at this point, to just assume this is a safe device,” says Dr. Keith Black, the head of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He does not let his kids use cell phones without a headset, and won’t until he sees the results of long-term studies exploring whether there is a connection between cell phones and tumor growth. The American Cancer Society says it does not yet have enough information to issue guidelines on the subject. What researchers do know is that the microwave radiation emitted from cell phones penetrates a child’s brain more deeply (younger skulls are thinner and less protective). The most detrimental effects come from long-term, frequent use: an hour a day of talk time over more than 10 years. Radiation rates vary by phone, each of which is assigned a number called the Specific Absorption Rate. Herberman suggests users choose a phone with a lower SAR rating, especially for kids. CNET.com has posted a list of phones with the lowest ratings; smartphones generally emit more microwaves as they search for a signal. With all phones, the threat of damage decreases as the device is moved away from the face, so consider buying your child a headset or wireless Bluetooth device (which emits less radiation than the phone itself). The Jabra BT3010, which comes with decorative covers, and the Samsung WEP310 both retail for less than $30, making them sensible options for teens, says Nicole Lee, a CNET cell-phone reviewer. And text messaging is among the safest ways kids can stay connected—unless, of course, they’re behind the wheel of a car. But it shouldn’t take a brain surgeon to figure that one out.

Time To Decaffeinate Your Kids?

2008-08-09T18:28:03Z

By Tina Peng

Caffeine is the world’s most common mood-altering drug, and more kids are consuming it in higher quantities. About a third of 12- to 24-year-olds chug energy drinks, which are often marketed to teens. How much is too much? The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate Americans’ caffeine intake, but Health Canada recommends that children ages 4 to 6 ingest no more than 45mg of caffeine a day (one cup of tea or one can of cola); kids ages 7 to 9 no more than 62.6mg, and those ages 10 to 12 no more than 85mg. Teens ages 13 and up should not exceed 400mg, the same as a healthy adult. An 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains about 135mg of caffeine; an 8-ounce Red Bull has about 76mg.

Because children weigh less than adults, they’re more susceptible to the chemical’s effects, says child psychiatrist Elizabeth Burger, a spokes-person for the American Academy for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. As with adults, caffeine can keep young children up at night and contribute to higher blood pressure, a racing heart rate and a grouchy or overly excited mood. During the summer, caffeine can quickly make your child dehydrated.

Make sure caffeinated beverages don’t replace more nutritious drinks, such as milk and water. “Kids become mildly addicted to soft drinks, which are empty calories that contribute to obesity,” says Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. It’s all a matter of balance.

Giving Your Baby Enough Tummy Time

2008-08-09T18:21:48Z

By Christina Gillham

First, the good news: The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Back to Sleep program, which teaches parents to put their babies to sleep on their backs instead of their stomachs, has helped reduce cases of sudden infant death syndrome by 40 percent. The bad news is that babies are now spending too little time on their stomachs, a position that helps them strengthen their back, neck and shoulder muscles so they can roll over and, later, crawl. In a survey released last week, two thirds of occupational and physical therapists reported seeing an increase in early motor delays in children. The American Physical Therapy Association is now urging parents to give babies more “tummy time” while they are awake and supervised. TIP SHEET’s Christina Gillham spoke to Judy Towne Jennings, a pediatric physical therapist and spokesperson for the APTA. (Readers can get more tips by clicking on “Tummy Time Tools” at www.apta.org/consumer.)

Gillham: Why is tummy time important for babies?
Jennings: All development comes from the tummy position. If a baby doesn’t develop the core strength—the muscles of the chest, the tummy, the back, the neck—they also don’t have those muscles to use for breath control, for the tongue moving back and forth and for the ability to form their mouths to do speech. Babies don’t have to use their muscles if they’re sitting in a car seat. They don’t have to use muscles if they’re in a swing or a bouncer seat.

What kind of motor delays are you noticing in infants?
Six-month-old babies are looking like 2-month-olds. They don’t have any control on their bellies, they don’t have the ability to lift their head, they don’t have the ability to pull their eyes horizontal so they can see far and near or interact with toys on the floor.

How often should a baby have tummy time?
Tummy time needs to be scheduled just like diaper changes, feedings and naps. Babies should have one to two minutes of tummy time after every nap, diaper change and feeding, throughout the day.

What are the best ways to give your baby tummy time?
For the first couple of weeks, have the baby lie on your tummy or on a pillow over your legs. Encourage play on the side, where the baby is lying on either the right or left side and has gentle stimulation with different noises and toys that they can interact with when they’re on their side. Positions need to be varied throughout the day so that all four sides of a baby get stimulated.

What about babies with reflux or babies who don’t like to be on their stomachs?
A good position is inclined on the mom’s chest. If they really hate being on their tummy, then they should start off in that position also. Eventually the neck muscles will develop so that the baby can be flat on the floor. Varying the baby’s position through the course of the day will allow the baby to enjoy any position he’s placed in.

Should Older Men Screen for Prostate Cancer?

2008-08-09T18:19:01Z

Several new medical studies are reopening the debate over which men should be screened for prostate cancer, at what age the testing should stop and how doctors should interpret the test results, especially in obese men. What the news means for you and your family.

• The background: Prostate cancer, the second most common cancer in men after skin cancer, kills about 29,000 Americans a year. To detect the disease early, many doctors give men 50 and older an annual screening test for an elevated level of a protein called prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Higher-risk patients, including African-Americans and those with a family history of the disease, should get screened at 40 and again at 45. Traditionally, most doctors have considered PSA readings above 4 as the cutoff for performing another screen and then a biopsy, but they are now moving toward looking at how PSA levels change over time as a better predictor. “PSA is very inexact,” says Dr. Durado Brooks, director of prostate cancer for the American Cancer Society. “You can have a very low PSA and still have cancer.”

• The news: In the Aug. 5 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against routine prostate-cancer screening for men over 75. The reason: concerns that the risks of cancer treatment would outweigh the benefits. (Many men can live with prostate cancer for years). Meanwhile, in studies published in the current issue of the British Journal of Urology International, researchers report that obesity is associated with an increased risk of prostate-cancer recurrence after surgery. The authors speculate that’s because obesity contributes to aggressive cancer.

• The bottom line: Obese men may want to consider getting a biopsy at a lower PSA level—3.2 or 3.5, says Duke University’s Dr. Stephen Freedland, coauthor of the obesity studies.

Many doctors say that men should be offered screening for prostate cancer only if they have at least a 10-year life expectancy. Men with a family history of longevity may want to ignore the new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations. Freedland says, “Certainly any 75-year-old man who comes in with his parents is someone I want to screen!”

Checklist: Our Top Picks

2008-08-09T18:16:29Z

Rent “Smart People.” Dennis Quaid heads a terrific cast (Ellen Page, Thomas Haden Church, Sarah Jessica Parker) as a monumentally self-absorbed widower and college professor in this sharp indie comedy about a dysfunctional family that’s, well, too smart for its own good.

Hear “This Is the Life” by Amy McDonald. This Scottish singer has hit our shores with an album that is exuberant in its folksy energy. Her quick guitar and fast-paced lyrics make for a debut that is sure to leave a bounce in your step. Standout track: the title song ($13.98).

Visit Philadelphia for “Bug Fest” at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Watch a roach race, touch live insects and sample creepy-crawly cuisine at the Ace of Arthropods cookout that’s sure to please the kids, even as it grosses them out (Aug. 16–17; ansp.org).

Go to Fisherman’s Feast, the oldest continuous Italian festival in Boston’s North End. Celebrating the devotion of Sicilian fishermen to the Madonna del Soccorso di Sciacca, the event includes processions, entertainment, kids’ activities and cooking demonstrations (Aug. 14–17; fishermansfeast.com).

Surf repairpal.com. Be in the know on your next trip to the mechanic. This new site offers a comprehensive explanation of what typical repairs should cost based on car make, model, year and ZIP code. Now you can visit the shop with enough ammo to talk your way out of any scam.

Correspondents' Picks: Atlanta, Georgia

2008-08-08T19:57:58Z

By Elisa Mala

The city that dubs itself "Hotlanta" has far more to offer than gimmicky sobriquets. Long before hosting the 1996 Summer Olympics, A-town has been setting global records, so eat well and drink heartily, because traversing a town that satisfies all five senses requires more energy than running a marathon.

Born and bred in the Big Apple, NEWSWEEK'S Elisa Mala had never been south of D.C. until this spring. But Southerners were so hospitable that she soon found herself tossing out the occasional "y'all."

EAT at the world's largest drive-in, the original location of The Varsity diner (thevarsity.com). Before taking any order, servers bellow "What'll ya have?" Answer back with the eatery's established lingo: Order a "glorified steak" (burger with mayo, lettuce and tomato), a "ring one" (one order of onion rings) or a "bag of rags" (potato chips). Have to eat and run? Then "walk a dog" and take that frank to go. Southern comfort food like Brunswick Stew, creamy grits and mouthwatering Pecan Pie are on offer at Food 101 (food101atlanta.com).

For modern takes on classic Asian dishes, try Spice Market (jean-georges.com), the first Atlanta outpost from three-Michelin star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, or Straits Atlanta (straitsrestaurants.com), the brainchild of hairstylist-***-chef Chris Yeo and Grammy winner Ludacris. For a white-cloth experience, Joël (joelrestaurant.com) offers some of the most indulgent French fare in town and Bacchanalia (starprovisions.com) lives up to its name with organic dishes that evolve with the seasons.

DRINK at Front Page News (frontpagenewsrestaurant.com), which with two stories, a spacious patio and a lively crowd, is fit to print. The Twisted Taco draws a more laid-back crowd, which matches its charmingly dive-y environs (twistedtaco.com). For an uplifting experience (literally), try the rooftop bar at the Glenn Hotel (glennhotel.com), where the views are as fresh as the drinks.

SEE the entire city through floor-to-ceiling windows at the rotating Sun Dial Restaurant, located on the 73rd floor of the Western Hemisphere's tallest hotel, the Westin Peachtree Plaza. Watch yourself on TV or observe broadcasters in action during the CNN Center Studio Tour (cnn.com/studiotour), which requires an eight-story ascent via the world's tallest freestanding escalator. For a blast from the past, check out the Louvre Atlanta display at the High Museum of Art (high.org) which features a rotating collection from the venerable French institution.

SMELL victory at the Olympic Centennial Garden (centennialpark.com), the site of the 1996 summer Games. The manicured lawns, fountains and playgrounds invite athletes of all ages for a stroll or a run. Fragrant flowers abound at Atlanta Botanical Garden (atlantabotanicalgarden.org), which features many rare plants and the largest orchid collection in the country.

HEAR Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech at The King Center (thekingcenter.org), which chronicles the life and times of the human rights activist. Listen to the latest hits at Opera nightclub (operaatlanta.com), which draws some of the biggest musical acts in the world (like Tiesto, the globally-renowned DJ).

TASTE Krest Ginger Ale from Mozambique, Delaware Punch from Honduras, Melon Fanta from Israel and about 60 other beverages at the Taste It! lounge in the World of Coca-Cola (wocatlanta.com)

TOUCH stingrays, bonnethead sharks and anemones at the touch pools of the Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest. Sleep over with the fishes ($100; dates vary) or swim and dive with Earth's most gargantuan ones, whale sharks ($195 and up) (georgiaaquarium.org). Those who are a bit less fish-friendly can observe jellyfish, starfish seahorses and hundreds of other creatures from a safe distance.

Vacations: Good Deals Close to Home

2008-08-02T17:13:24Z

Alvis Upitis/Getty Images
Fore!: Play golf free Thursday through Sunday at any of the Hilton Garden Inn’s 260 resorts

Aug. 11, 2008 issue
Tara Weingarten

Maybe you’ve noticed that traffic in your town hasn’t thinned out this summer. If so, you’ve identified a trend. High fuel prices are keeping American families at home, clogging local streets rather than heading to the airport for that exotic faraway trip. Hoteliers eager to tap into our frugality are offering enticing deals to locals that include comped room nights, heavily discounted spa treatments and gratis tickets to local attractions. Dubbing it the “staycation,” resorts are begging their neighbors to give them a try. It’s working.

Michael Gereboff, a 32-year-old health-care management executive, and his girlfriend Lori Cohen, a 31-year-old Ph.D. candidate, last week made a two-hour drive from her home in Arlington, Va., to the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay (chesapeakebay.hyatt.com). The couple bought the hotel’s Chesapeake Bay Experience package (summer rates from $235), which included a $25 gas card, a s’mores kit to prepare at the resort’s outdoor fire pit, a kite to fly on the bay and two passes to nearby Blackwater National Wildlife Preserve. “We’ve gone to the hotel’s spa, we went to the nature preserve, we’ve taken a catamaran tour of the bay and we’re about to rent a speedboat. We could have had the same vacation in Mexico but it would have cost us a whole lot more,” says Gereboff.

At Miramonte Resort and Spa in Indian Wells, Calif. (miramonteresort.com), book a standard room (rates from $155) and get four free passes to Knott’s Soak City. And, kids eat free at the resort. In Austin, Texas, the Crossings destination spa (thecrossings austin.com) has cut rates 35 percent through the end of summer; packages begin at $126.75 and include unlimited fitness classes, three meals daily and use of the infinity-edge pool overlooking Lake Travis.

Southern Californians and drivers from the Phoenix area can hit the super hot Las Vegas desert this summer on one tank of gas. Wynn Las Vegas’s Midsummer Night’s Dream package (wynnlasvegas.com) is a steal at $185 per person for a three-course dinner for two at Daniel Boulud Brasserie, a bottle of Mailly Grand Cru champagne and two premium seats to Wynn’s show Le Rêve. Every Thursday throughout the summer at the Mandalay Bay (man dalaybay.com), Nevada locals get rooms for $109.99, plus 10 percent off food and beverages, two free passes to Mix lounge, two passes to the Moorea Beach Club and two free cocktails at the Eyecandy Sound Lounge.

East Coasters have it made, too. Guests at the newly opened Regent Bal Harbour resort outside Miami (regent hotels.com) get half-price spa treatments, cooking classes and poolside cocktail tastings. The resort’s Cordon Bleu operated restaurant One Bleu serves three-course French dinners for $25 to $35 and all rooms are half price through the end of summer, from $295 per room.

Forget gas. How about a free round of golf? Stay Thursday through Sunday in one of the Hilton Garden Inn’s 260 resorts and play golf free at one of 400 courses nationwide (hiltongardeninn.com). This midpriced hotel chain has kitchen facilities in every room and a swimming pool at every property. Rates vary by property. Now put on that Hawaiian shirt, pack the sunscreen and hit the highway.

Getting Cash for Jewelry after a Breakup

2008-08-02T17:11:46Z

Aug. 11, 2008 issue

By Oscar Raymundo

Breaking up is hard to do. But you don’t have to walk away from a relationship empty-handed. Two new Web sites allow you to cash in on all that jewelry you got from your ex. For a $5 listing fee, a $50 appraisal fee and a small commission, Ex-cessories (ex-cessories.com) figures out how much those David Yurman earrings are worth and guarantees their authenticity. Ex-Boy-friend’s Jewelry (exboyfriend jewelry.com) doesn’t charge a posting fee or take a cut of the sale. It does encourage women to vent about the breakup behind that 14-karat white-gold engagement ring now selling for $9,000. Both sites also feature other listings to sell off that PlayStation or other toys he might have left behind. Boys come and go, but diamonds are forever.

Checklist: Our Top Picks for the Week

2008-08-02T17:09:22Z

Aug. 11, 2008 issue

Go to the New World Flamenco Festival in Irvine, Calif. Featuring performances by Spanish dancers María José Franco and Juan Ogalla, the event also has film showings, courses and an exhibit by flamenco photographer Daniel Muñoz (Aug. 8–17; thebarclay.org/festivals).

Hear “The Airborne Toxic Event.” This self-titled debut album from the L.A.-based band will rock you with energetic guitars, haunting violins and melodic hooks at every turn. Song you’ll want stuck in your head: “Sometime Around Midnight” ($12.98).

Visit Rome. American Airlines is offering round-trip fares from $750 for travel in September, October and early November (book by Aug. 7). Log on to smartertravel.com or aa.com for details.

See “Hail to the Chief: Images of the American Presidency” at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Timed to coincide with the Republican National Convention, the exhibition includes presidential portraits, photos, handwritten letters and campaign materials (through Sept. 21; artsmia.org).

Subscribe to mPassport, a service for travelers that allows you to access a database of English-speaking doctors on your cell phone from anywhere in the world. The list covers more than 4,200 doctors in 180 countries. For details visit mpassport.com.

Correspondents' Picks: Oaxaca City, Mexico

2008-07-29T18:02:03Z

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By Sarah Garland

Just two years ago, the restaurants and shops in this colonial Mexican city were closed off to outsiders after protesters and soldiers briefly turned it into a battleground. Now, peace has returned, and so have the tourists.

One of the most diverse places in Mexico, the city and its surroundings are a treasure trove of indigenous crafts and a destination for history buffs seeking a firsthand encounter with ancient civilizations. But one of the main reasons to go is the food.

VISIT the capital of the "cloud people" -- the ruins of Monte Albán on a mountain over the city. Look down over the valley from atop pyramids and explore fields where the ancient city’s inhabitants once played a mystical ball game (monte-alban.com).

EAT mole, the rich chocolate and chili sauce that is the region's signature dish, in the tiny dining room of Maria Bonita (52-951-516-7233). Buy some at the Benito Juarez Market to take home.

SHOP for whimsical wooden sculptures known as alebrijes that are inspired by the artists' dreams, and black clay pottery from nearby villages along Alcalá, a pedestrian street lined with galleries and cafés.

SAMPLE delicate shaved ice in flavors like rose, tequila and burnt milk sold by vendors in the shady plaza next to one of the city's many stunning churches, La Soledad.

LISTEN to live music and sip smoky shots of mezcal, liquor made from cactus, at outdoor cafés in the city's main plaza, the Zócalo, or grab a table in the balcony of El Asador Vasco overlooking the scene (asadorvasco.com).

COOK some of the Oaxaca’s famous dishes yourself at one of several new cooking schools that have sprouted up around the city. At La Casa de los Sabores, the chef will share family recipes handed down for generations (laolla.com.mx). At the Casa Sagrada in the village of Teotitlan del Valle, on the outskirts of the city, take a cooking lesson and then learn how to distill mezcal to wash down the meal (casasagrada.com).

EXPLORE the villages around the city, each with a unique craft to offer. Visit the town of belts, Santo Tomás Jalieza, or buy brightly dyed wool rugs from artisans in Teotitlan (teotitlan.com).

CELEBRATE with the locals during one of several annual festivals that transform the city into one big party. The Guelaguetza brings traditional dancers from around the state to perform during July. Elaborate altars decorated with flowers and filled with food line city streets in preparation for the Day of the Dead on November 2. At Christmastime, see displays of small sculptures carved out of radishes on the Noche de los Rábanos, December 23 (oaxacainfo.com).

SEE the works of contemporary Oaxacan artists in an airy colonial building downtown (museomaco.com). An eclectic collection of pre-colonial art from around the country gathered by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo is housed in another museum nearby.

STAY at the Hotel Las Golondrinas, a quiet retreat in a colonial style building that makes the bustle of the lively city outside seem miles away. The rooms open into a courtyard bursting with flowers, and the massage center beckons those exhausted after a long day of eating (hotellasgolondrinas.com.mx).

RELAX in the hands of indigenous healers at a traditional spa known as a temazcal, where treatments include an herb-infused sauna (lasbugambilias.com/temazcal.html).

TASTE chapulines, the crunchy roasted grasshoppers that legend says will bring tourists back to Oaxaca for a second visit. They can be found at stands in the central market, at the bottom of mezcal shot glasses in downtown cantinas and even in upscale restaurants like El Refectorio in the Camino Real Oaxaca hotel (caminoreal.com).

How to Plan Financially for a Divorce

2008-07-26T17:23:03Z

Illustration:Chris Gash for Newsweek
Committing to Separation: Divorce decrees increasingly include ‘disaster scenarios'

By Linda Stern
Aug. 4, 2008 issue

It’s been more than a year since Janette Chamberlin and her husband decided to divorce. To save money on lawyers, they’ve been negotiating their own settlement and are ready to draw up the papers and finalize the deal. She even has a new boyfriend. The catch? The Chamberlins still live together in their house outside Philadelphia. The couple just sold their home, and, as a result, neither has been able to afford to move out.

The economy is taking a toll on marriages, but it is tough on divorces, too. Couples can’t unload their houses for enough cash to pay off their mortgages and home-equity debts, but job losses and tougher mortgage standards make it harder to afford splitting them, too. “I’m seeing many people who lose jobs and just don’t have the money to pay their alimony and child support,” says Jill Brooke of the online community First Wives World (firstwivesworld.com). Here’s how troubled couples can extricate themselves during troubled times.

• Deal with the house. Couples can hang on to a house until the real-estate market improves, but it’s usually not a good idea, says Stacy Francis, a New York financial planner who deals with divorce issues. “You’re binding two people together financially who don’t want to be bound in any way,” and if one stops paying on the mortgage, it can cause housing and credit problems for the other. It’s better to transfer the house to one spouse, if that spouse can qualify for a mortgage on his or her own.

Couples who can’t afford to do that and find themselves “upside down”—owing more on the home than they can sell it for—are negotiating short sales, in which the bank agrees to cut the loan amount to the sale price the couple gets. Richard Zaretsky, a West Palm Beach, Fla., lawyer, says he is negotiating two or three short sales a week for divorcing couples.

• Plan for disasters and windfalls. Newly divorcing partners are more reluctant than ever to agree to long-term alimony arrangements, because they are afraid their jobs won’t last as long as the divorce deal, says Francis. Many are asking that their divorce decrees include “disaster scenarios”—automatic adjustments to their payment schedules if they lose their jobs. But job loss adjustments should be temporary, and spouses who agree to big alimony deals and then opt for income-slashing career changes shouldn’t be let off the hook so easily, she says.

• Mediate for the long haul. Only one in 10 divorces actually end up in court, with more splitting couples negotiating their own financial arrangements. That’s good, as long as you don’t expect one settlement to handle everything forever. Call in a financial pro to make sure the technical details are covered (find experts at divorceandfinance.org), and expect to return to mediation as your separate lives unfold. “The divorce is not just one moment,” says Brooke. “Life goes on and you’ll always have a relationship with this person.” Even if you eventually stop living together.

Make Your Backyard a Wildlife Habitat

2008-07-26T17:21:27Z

By Christina Gillham
Aug. 4, 2008 issue

Years of suburban development and unsustainable gardening practices have led to vanishing wildlife populations. The National Wildlife Federation has stepped up its efforts to promote its Backyard Wildlife Habitat program, which certifies homeowners who provide friendly environments for small mammals, birds, butterflies and reptiles.

The program asks residents to raise native plants and trees, which provide animals with food and shelter, and to put out water in the form of a birdbath or small pan for birds to drink and bathe in. Homeowners should also practice sustainable gardening by reducing lawn size, removing invasive plants and keeping rain barrels to collect water that can be used in lieu of the hose. (See nwf.org/ backyard for more details.)

David Mizejewski, a naturalist at the NWF, says that the certification, which costs $15, does not have to apply to your entire property. “The idea is to create a movement to get gardeners to adopt some of these principles,” he says. And, listing your home as a certified “wildlife habitat” can’t hurt its value.