Iris Apfel’s new book Accidental Icon: Musings of a Geriatric Starlet is not really an accident. The 96-year-young larger than life personality has a lot to say in her latest reflections, complete with photographs and illustrations of life as an interior designer, textile expert and fashion influencer. The visionary has had a documentary made about her, has been the face of MAC cosmetics and has been the subject of several museum exhibitions of her clothing and accessories. With her signature oversized glasses, chunky jewelry, colorful clothes and furs, she is the epitome of “cool” ...and she has lots to say about her amazing experiences.

What would you say to an opportunity to make life safer? All it requires is a little bit of common sense and planning. Our region has just come through two of the toughest hurricane seasons in many years. For many, these storm seasons caused us to evacuate further inward away from the storm.

When the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) calls for a voluntary evacuation, most of your evacuation planning should have already been completed. If you wait until EMA directs a mandatory evacuation, your plans may present many disappointments and delays. This causes you to run headlong into thousands of others, who are also trying to get away from the storm at the last minute, often struggling to find an available hotel room and working through extreme heavy volumes of traffic.

Thanks to many Pink readers, questions have been pouring in and most are regarding the first meet up. The meet up should not be just a date, but about making a connection and getting the second date.

Once you have communicated within the dating site, feel confident your connection is not a scam, try to get a last name. Then you can google him/her before your meet up. Don’t give your full name too soon. Be vague about your profession, place of employment, birthplace, etc. Do not give your home address too soon either. Do not go to his house too soon. Use the buddy system. Tell a friend when and where you will be meeting, and text them when you arrive home safe and door locked. Now lets go out there and have fun.

It’s summer somewhere... and if you’re lucky enough to escape for a tropical getaway anytime soon, chances are you’ve been shopping for a swimsuit. And whether you’re suiting up for a vacation in paradise, an afternoon beach walk, or just want to find a new suit before the neighborhood pool opens, it’s a good time to test the waters and dive into a new season of fun in the sun. Here are some tips and trends to get you started:

Take a chance on new styles. If you’ve always worn that boring black one-piece, throw caution to the wind, and experiment with something new. You may not be ready for a string bikini, but a new Baywatch-inspired red-hot maillot may be just the thing to put a little sizzle back into your swimwear wardrobe. One-pieces with plunging necklines and high-cut legs are having a moment this year.

Let’s pretend we’re sitting down, face to face, and after some easy chit chat, I put on my reporter’s hat and ask you this one dizzying question: What is the single most crucial factor when it comes to living a happy, healthy life?

Take a breath. Reflect. Have a glass of something.

The número uno most important factor.

Exercising daily? Very good guess. Eating well? Nice try.

But it’s not the answer that can change your life in unexpected and remarkable ways.

Meet Phoebe Jayne Your Heart Coach and Online Dating Consultant:
I’m hoping by now, you have selected at least one online dating site, uploaded your recent photos, written your profile and selected a username you are comfortable with. I suggest a variant of your name, not your real name. Strap in…the fun is about to begin!

Think about online dating as a project. As you have fun looking at the different profiles, you must develop an investigative approach for safety. Think about this as a fantasy. Nothing is real; don’t take anything too personally. You need to be smart to keep yourself safe.

As spring fast approaches, the task of cleaning out our closets seems more overwhelming than ever. After all, we’ve still got a few chilly days ahead, right? Well, don’t let your good intentions grow cold. Here’s something to get you inspired: it’s the short list of the clothes and accessories to hold onto, to get rid of and even a few ideas of what to add to your spring shopping list.

Prove it with prints. Keep cold-shouldered tops. The off-the-shoulder looks are here to stay. The cutout sweaters made the transition to winter and the peasant blouse silhouettes will be worn by trendsetters come spring and summer. Get rid of oversized drapey knits and crinkled cottons that make you look like you grabbed them off the bottom of the laundry basket.

I belonged to a secret society. My membership was not by choice, but by chance. It included an involuntary vow of silence—not just my silence, but also that of my family, friends, co-workers and all those around me.

This was over 45 years ago and the secret society is called domestic violence. Even today, it still exists, and there are thousands, if not millions, of unwilling members. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four women and one in seven men will be victims of severe violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes.

Dear Readers, When was the last time you and your partner talked about money? To me it’s not only a good idea, it’s essential for maintaining a healthy relationship. And it’s also essential that each partner have a certain amount of financial independence. That becomes increasingly clear when you look at recent stats about financial abuse and infidelity in relationships. 

Think it can’t happen to you? A June 2017 survey by CentSai, an online financial wellness community, found that 60 percent of Millennials surveyed said they were victims of financial abuse or financial infidelity. These statistics are alarming—but not inevitable. Here are some preventative steps:

What? You’ve already failed to keep your New Year’s resolutions?

Of course you have. Welcome to human nature. And don’t feel badly. Zillions of your fellow Americans are also failing to give up nachos, sleep seven hours a night, bicycle to work, defend their souls against time-sucking small-screen devices. Great intentions, depressing results.

Why is the new-habit failure rate so high? Because changing behavior—as in developing new habits—is a skill.

Like shoeing a horse. It’s something you need to learn how to do, so when you decide to do it, your chance of success will skyrocket.

Meet Phoebe Jayne, Online Dating Guru:
I was an executive recruiter for almost 20 years, assisting clients in finding the perfect employee and candidates in finding the perfect job. Literally, I was a professional matchmaker, just on a corporate level. With all that experience of good fit and right match, I, Phoebe Jayne, have taken my tried and true career principles and put them to the test of online dating. Voila! Applying my recruiting techniques has proven to be an incredible (and successful) model to follow.

I have been an online dating consultant for two years. Of course I started by using myself as a test candidate; I had to see if my theory was on track. I kept accurate notes, timelines, research and charts. And, even with all that stuff that sounds a lot like work, I had fun in the process!

I can recall vividly—and count on one hand—the migraine headaches I’ve had in my life, all of which were before age 10. Once I turned double digits, I outgrew them ... until a couple of months ago.

With no warning at all, there I was back to my 8-year-old self, flat on my back with a raging migraine. Why now, after all these years?

In reading up on the latest findings, I discovered how important magnesium is to our overall health. Turns out that 80 percent of the U.S. population suffers from magnesium deficiency causing all kinds of health issues, one of them being migraine headaches. And here’s the problem with that: Magnesium supplements are not necessarily the answer because it is not easily absorbed through the digestive tract.

Goodbye, millennial pink. Hello to a new passion for purple. It’s a new season and time to celebrate new fashion trends. Get ready to let a few feathers fly, belt on some fanny packs and see a rainbow or two.

Here’s a rundown on the newest trends for 2018:

> Prove it with prints. Just like denim, spring’s traditional florals get the darker treatment with an edgier vibe worthy of wallpaper botanicals. Plaids lighten up in checks and tartans. And whimsical graphic prints take fashion to a whole new level of fun. And after all, isn’t that the best way to dress in for a whole new year?

The big game may be one of the highlights of every new year, so why not take some time to celebrate the iconic classics in our wardrobes that have become big winners too? These basic fashion staples are the essentials you will be cheering for year after year. (And if you don’t like football, then take a break from the game and plan a shopping trip instead...and take this list with you!)

Here are the top five fashion favorites that have become MVPs in my own playbook:

The trench. This well-known coat has come a long way since British military officers wore it in World War I. The double-breasted design with epaulets and buckled belt quickly gained star power after Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Marlene Dietrich and Katherine Hepburn introduced it on the movie screens in the 1940s. Today the trench coat has morphed into a seasonless classic in a wide variety of colors far more fun than the original khaki. A shimmering silver trench is a favorite in my own closet; ditto for a zebra print trench, too.

Sleep is the new black. It’s trending up, and if you haven’t woken up to how essential it is—for your physical and mental well-being—that’s probably because you’re not getting enough of it.

And what is enough? Aim for eight hours or more a night. WHAT? It was easier before, when humans just naturally rose with the sun and bedded down with the moon, but now we’re living in an electrified, digitized, brain-fried 24/7 world. And for many reasons, it’s getting in the way of our deepest, most restful sleep.

Dear Readers, at the beginning of each New Year, I’m filled with a sense of new direction. At the same time, I like to look back at the previous year, evaluate what worked and make a fresh commitment to keep going on whatever path proved most successful.

One of the things that was a real boost to me in 2017 was a 30-day food cleanse that left me feeling stronger and more in control of my physical health. I turned that idea of a physical cleanse into a 30-day financial cleanse with the goal of giving people a way to supercharge their financial health. The response I got was so positive that I decided this is one of those ideas that really should be repeated.

It’s pretty generally acknowledged that financial health and physical health go hand in hand. And, it’s all about stress. In fact, studies have found that financial stress leads to a whole range of serious physical problems from heart attacks to ulcers to migraines to depression.

As some of you know, I’ve written a book called All is Well: The Art {and Science} of Personal Well-Being. It was published last April, and in August it became an Amazon best-seller. Yippee! I can’t really explain how we earned that status, but there’s a sophisticated algorithm involved, and you can bet I’m expressing gratitude for it.

“Writing a book and getting it published represents about 20 percent of the effort,” my friend, renowned author Michael Gelb, told me after writing seven books. “The rest of it is...” Well, you can imagine.

It’s a common scene at any daycare, playground or birthday party: a crying child clinging to a parent who is desperately trying to convince the child to let go and join the fun. Almost all children have some aspect of separation anxiety during the first six years of life. Separation anxiety should not be feared or even wished away, as it is the most obvious and identifiable sign of your child’s love and trust in you.