What Did We Learn This Month?
SELF: December 2011

SELF Cover Star for December:
The original vampire slayer—Sarah Michelle Gellar is over cover gal this month and she looks lovely in a sweater by Vince and a skirt by Haute Hippie. (Kenneth Willardt is the photographer.)
Back in the 90s you could find Gellar working up to 16 hours per day on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer which at times included weekends as well. Nowadays, she prefers to spend more time with her family that includes gorgeous husband Freddie Prinze, Jr. and two-year old daughter Charlotte.
Gellar shares some of her other life strategies with SELF including turning her iPhone off at night, enjoying a little Carvel ice cream cake once in a while and coupon-clipping (really!)
So What Else is in the December SELF?
"2011 SELFy Awards"
Here we get a fun look back at SELF’s favorite trends of 2011.

"Holiday Hell? Not This Year."
My imaginary, celebrity best friend, Mindy Kaling, offers advice for surviving the holidays. Love what she has to say about handling the quandary of accidently eating an entire plate of appetizers that were meant to be shared for the whole party (Yes, I have done this. Never met a stuffed mushroom I didn't like.) “This is America, where you expect every meal to be roughly the size of a baby carriage.” Ha!

“Fab Yoga Abs”
Celebrity yoga teacher Mandy Ingber (clients include Jennifer Anniston) gives a few moves to strengthen your core.

“Healthy You, Healthier USA”
SELF went through “7,000 bits of information” to find the “Best Cities for Women.”
Winners Include:
- Healthiest Overall: Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Greenest: Des Moines, Iowa
- Healthiest Eaters: Santa Barbara, California
- Happiest: Raleigh, North Carolina
- Safest: San Jose, California (I went to San Jose State- Go Spartans!)
- Most Active: Denver, Colorado
- Longest Lives: Honolulu, Hawaii
- Healthiest Love Lives: Seattle, Washington
- Best Breasts: Bethesda, Maryland
- Best Skin: Miami, Florida

“Golden Girl”
Have you heard of this series films based on the Twilight novels? Well one of the stars, Nikki Reed, models some fun, kicky-looking party dresses.

“Winter Fun”
Did you know you could burn 1,000 calories an hour playing outside in the winter? Well, you can! Here you can find pages of really cool outdoor gear to get you in the mood.

“Tight Bod in a Tight Space”
Are you space-challenged in your home? You can still get a good workout in by just being a bit more creative as evidenced her by Gossip Girl star Kaylee DeFer in her “tiny New York City hotel suite.”

The Rest of the Best of the December SELF:
- "Why Are Vampires Are Such a Turn-On?” I know someone who spends almost all of her free time on the weekend reading vampire novels. All of them. Here writer Laura Brounstein explains her own obsession with Edward, Angel & Bill.
- "Fix a Beauty Hangover" Having a grand old time during the evening can do some major damage to your skin the next day. How to fix the biggest offenders.
- "Time to do Good!” SELF helps readers who have a desire to volunteer and help out their communities find the perfect charity to fit into their busy lives.
Overall Grade:
B+ A fun read and lots of inspiration to help get through the holidays. SELF!
You can check out SELF online at: self.com.
Ox ox,
BFC
Brooklyn Fit Chick
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