How to be Smarter: If you are buying a new Dell computer, you can now customize the color with one of 26 OPI shades! OPI is a popular nail polish brand. Just click on “Colors”.

How to be Prettier: Continuing with the nail polish theme, doing one extra coat of polish more than you usually do will help your nails to last another few days, and lower chipping rates.

How to be (less) Awkward: In my experience, the more defensive someone is about something, the more likely they are to be lying to you.

How to be Smarter:  Use half-birthdays as a chance to evaluate if your year is going as you planned, and if you have accomplished your goals for your year yet. Only six more months til your next birthday–what do you have left to do during this year of your life?

How to be Prettier: A very cool designer, and her very cool headbands. My favorite are the ones with flowers!

How to be (less) Awkward: Sometimes, if I feel a little sad, I smile and look at myself in the mirror. Somehow seeing my smile tricks my mind into making me think I am happy, and I feel just a little bit better instantly.

How to be Smarter: I highly recommend this book to everyone–knowing about the economy–and terms that are used to describe it–is so important for being a productive citizen. This book is long, but is broken into easy to read short sections–throw it in your bag and read a section or two on the subway each day.

How to be Prettier: Winter coats are on sale now despite there still being two or three more months of cold weather–give yourself a mid-winter boost and pick up a new one on sale today.

How to be (less) Awkward: When you must cancel plans, tell the other party as soon as possible. And don’t commit to things that you think you may have to back out of.

How to be Smarter: Particularly interesting article on women and their labor force participation.

How to be Prettier: This is a precious heart ring, and it is on sale.

How to be (less) Awkward: Be gentle with yourself. You’re trying. That’s all you can ask for. If you don’t get it today, you can try again and get it tomorrow.

How to be Smarter: People worth being in relationships with will want to make you happy because they like you. If you are expressing what you want and need from a partner–in a cool, rational way–and not getting it, it may be time to move on.

How to be Prettier: There isn’t always time to spend an hour at the gym. But there is usually time to do 30 jumping jacks during Teen Mom, or 20 sit-ups while you are on hold on the phone, or squats while you floss your teeth. Fit in what you, where you can, as often as you can.

How to be (less) Awkward: I found this blog about braces adorably awkward and very endearing.

How to be Smarter: I like listening to “Life is Beautiful” by Amy Correia when I’m working on my computer. Just nice, easy, upbeat music.

How to be Prettier: I think a nice low-scoop neck in the back of your dress or shirt can be a little more tasteful, but just as trendy, as a a low-scoop neck in the front.

How to be (less) Awkward: A nice way to stay connected to best friends that are far away is to text about your outfits for the night. Even if you won’t see each other, I always love getting the text at 8pm on a Friday: “should I go with the white tank top dress, gold necklace and the black heels?” from friends in other cities, and I am always texting questions like, “should I wear that navy AA skirt with that tank top I wore on my birthday with or without the embellished headband?” I love my friends, and I like knowing what they are hitting the town wearing. And more than once, on workdays, I open the email chain for the day with, “what is everyone wearing today?”

How to be Smarter: Everyone needs some time off from each other. Nobody, no matter how social, wants to be around other people 24/7. Everyone will still love you just the same if you take one or (gasp) two nights off from hanging out. This is especially important in relationships.

How to be Prettier: This has never dried my skin out in the many years I’ve been using it in the winter months! And you can buy it at any drugstore.

How to be (less) Awkward: When you go to a nice hotel, be sure to bring some smaller bills to tip the housekeeper, room service people, doormen, etc.

How to be Smarter: People are either telling you about their problems because they want solutions, or they want sympathy. No one who wants a list of ways to fix it (solutions) will be happy with just a hug (sympathy), and no one who wants ice cream with sprinkles (sympathy) will be happy with a membership to an online dating website (solution). Knowing what people are actually asking for is key to being a valued friend.

How to be Prettier: These are on sale, they are purple, and they are peep-toe. Yes, please. Perfect pretty purple peep-toes.

How to be (less) Awkward: When people offer you unlimited food and/or drinks, only eat or drink as much as if you were paying for it yourself. This is especially true on first dates and business meetings, and a little less true when it is your parents visiting you on Parent’s Weekend.

How to be Smarter: Getting a large, analog clock hung in my room was the best thing I ever did for my running-late problem. And the quiet tick-tock is also really lulling late at night.

How to be Prettier: Coolest shower curtain I’ve ever seen.

How to be (less) Awkward: If you are a “normal,” attractive person, who online dates, there are other “normal,” attractive people who are also online dating. If you are a fun, outgoing person looking for love and are at a bar, there are other people in the bar who are fun, outgoing, and looking for love. If you are a smart person looking for someone special, there is another smart person out there looking for you.

How to be Smarter: Make sure your goals are far enough away to be challenging, close enough to be reasonable, tangible enough to be measured, and something meaningful enough to your heart that you will follow through.

How to be Prettier: Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday this year; you do not have to worry about looking presentable for work. Instead, slide into these, a red mini, an oversized white tee tucked in, and black flats. And while you are buying the tights for yourself, why don’t you buy an extra pair and slip them into the mail for a friend? Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to send care packages.

How to be (less) Awkward: Exercising gets a whole lot easier when you have workout clothes you enjoy wearing. One new workout piece for each fitness goal you achieve sounds reasonable to me.

How to be Smarter: Love the deals on this site – just click on your city and see the daily deal of the day.

How to be Prettier: It is good to freshen up the day of a date–but no waxing your eyebrows, as you might get red.

How to be (less) Awkward:  I think in general, girls spend a lot of time thinking about their wedding and the table settings and the flowers and the bridesmaids. But remember not to spend so much time focusing on the one-day event, and more focusing on the concept of being married to someone–the right someone– forever.

How to be Smarter: Regardless of your feelings about astrology, it is always a good idea to get some new ideas for ways you can improve yourself in 2010.

How to be Prettier: When you first buy a bra, never put it on the smallest setting the first times you wear it-it will stretch out over time anyways, and then you will have no way to shrink it back down.

How to be (less) Awkward: Such a great, wholesome site, full of my favorite,  baby animals.

How to be Smarter: Ask a nice, good guy friend that looks out for you for advice about dating. Sometimes have a perspective from someone other than your girlfriends is really helpful.

How to be Prettier: Floss your teeth regularly to avoid recession of the gums.

How to be (less) Awkward: If you don’t have nice, good guy friends that really look out for you–boys that you don’t kiss, boys that you don’t date, boys that don’t hit on you–just nice, good friends–work on cultivating some this year. The more diversity of friends you have–the bigger your network of people you can ask questions to and go to for advice and have fun with-the better.

How to be Smarter: Learning how to ask questions in a respectful manner is just as important as learning how to answer questions in a sweet way. Instead of phasing it, “Why are you acting like a total brat?” try “Are you upset about something? You are not yourself today” (this works for both children and bosses). Or, instead of “If you don’t get me flowers for our anniversary THIS is over!” try “I loved the flowers you got me last year–you were so thoughtful to remember purple was my favorite color! I hope I am as lucky this year.”

How to be Prettier: Dressing up a little for the first day of classes shows everyone–most importantly yourself–that you take your schoolwork seriously. There will be plenty of other days you can snuggle to class in leggings and Uggs.

How to be (less) Awkward: Mondays are hard for everyone–so why wouldn’t you send out a silly mass text to your friends wishing them a happy start to their week and giving them a laugh with a inside joke?

How to be Smarter: If you are not married yet, be sure to find someone that matches the kind of life you want to have– because most people don’t change all that much. I really like this poem on the subject.

SPOTS AND STRIPES
By Patti Woosley

When you marry a Tiger
You gotta love stripes
Cause it’s his stripes you will see
when you climb into bed very night
No, you won’t ever change ‘em
no matter how hard you try
and your Tiger will have stripes
till the day that he dies

But if you married a Leopard
He will always have spots
So you had just better learn
to love what you’ve got
Cause you won’t ever change ‘em
no matter how hard you try
and your Leopard will stay spotted
Why would you ask why?

If you fantasize a soft kitten
curling up in your lap
the Porcupine you married
Will never do that
But if you try to change him
you surely will cry
So love your little Porcupine
and kiss the fantasy goodbye

Stop always wanting
What he ain’t got
and stop trying to change him
into something he’s not
Just be sure that you love him
the way that he tis
Tiger, Leopard, or Porcupine
He is, what he is.

(Source).

How to be Prettier: The best floral watch. Just what I need to make January more lovely–and to keep up my New Year’s resolution of being more on-time.

How to be (less) Awkward: I like songs that sing about sad things in an upbeat way. I recommend “Breakin’ Up” by Rilo Kiley for break-up music with a kick.

How to be Smarter: There are ways to have serious conversations without yelling. If you don’t know any of these ways, this might be a good year to learn them.

How to be Prettier: New year, new hair brush. Stylists recommend that you get a new hair brush at least once a year to keep the bristles strong and hair product build-up down.

How to be (less) Awkward: Everyone–from your grandmother to your brother to your co-worker–likes to know when they are missed. “I miss you!” is one of the most under-valued, sweetest things to say. Other variations can include: “I missed you at the event last night!” “It was fun but everyone kept asking me where you were!” “Starbucks coffee tastes better when I drink it with you!”

How to be Smarter: Don’t be embarrassed if you have to make a mid-course correction. A mid-course correction is the moment when you realize the current “flight path” you are on is heading to the wrong “airport” and you need to change direction in the air. There is nothing worse than knowing you are going to land at the wrong destination and lacking the confidence to create a new plan mid-air.

How to be Prettier: New year, new make-up bag. I think this collection is really pretty, but I like clear makeup bags because you can see what’s inside with less digging.

How to be (less) Awkward: If you mention that you saw a movie that happens to be slightly embarrassing to have watched, just cover it up by saying you were “forced” to watch it on a plane because “they were showing nothing else.”

“Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right” — Oprah Winfrey