kaylafrazerau@gmail.com

Sofia Vergara has been called a lot of things: comedic genius, bombshell, businesswoman. But football fan? Not exactly. The Colombia native is more likely to comment on a squad's uniforms than its interceptions. But when Joe Manganiello told the Modern Family star he simply had to experience his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers' January 3 playoff game in person, she flew to his Pennsylvania birthplace, donned team colors and cheered enthusiastically, even as the home team lost. "She was all for it," says a Manganiello pal. "She's been awesome about getting into the games with him."

She's pledging to take him too, after all, in good times and bad. While celebrating Christmas with her family on Hawaii's Kauai island, the Magic Mike hunk, 38, proposed - with a 7- carat rock - to the woman he publicly declared his crush prior to their meeting in May. The pair's union started as a summer romance, but quickly turned serious as they realized they shared more than good looks. "They're both passionate about what they do and are very family-oriented," says a Manganiello source. Six months were enough for Vergara. "She knows they haven't been together long," says an insider. "But she's convinced she's found her soulmate." And the father of her future children. Vergara, already mom of Manolo, 22, and Manganiello, who became an uncle last summer, are ready to expand the family, say friends. Thanks to Vergara's forethought, they have a head start. The 42-year-old froze her eggs in 2013, telling Good Morning America, "I wanted to take advantage of science." Whether she gets pregnant naturally or opts to use a surrogate, a Manganiello insider predicts quick results: "They want to have kids as soon as possible."

Inside the Proposal

Manganiello set his mind on marrying Vergara after they shared Thanks giving with his family - and his mom, Susan, encouraged him. Unimpressed with his previous model-type girlfriends, "Susan loves that Sofia is a woman with a voice," says a source.

The perfect opportunity presented itself as the duo discussed a trip to Hawaii's St. Regis Resort Princeville for his December 28 birthday. "They both love Hawaii, and he knew it would make a beautiful setting," says a friend. Still, he wasn't content to let the scenery do all the work. Inspired, perhaps, by the Emmy winner's own grand romantic gestures - when he returned home from filming 2015's Magic Mike XXL in Georgia in November, Vergara had filled his Hollywood Hills home with balloons - he phoned the five-star resort to see if its best oceanfront suite was available. It was, at up to $7,550 a night, as was champagne for toasting, and a dessert tray to arrive after she said yes. "He had everything arranged," says a source. On Christmas Eve, there was only one thing left to do: Get her alone. Though they were vacationing with her relatives, who often attend awards shows with her, Manganiello orchestrated an evening of privacy. "They're always in the spotlight," says the source. "This was one moment he wanted to himself."

The pair - who plan to wed by early summer, according to a source - soon went public with their happy news. On December 27, she flashed her oval rock - one source estimates it cost $800,000 - while sunbathing with her new fiance. He had worked hard for that unveiling: To impress the woman with her own Kay Jewelers line, he surveyed her relatives. Says a pal, "Joe only knew it had to be big!" Eventually, the True Blood alum selected a piece from an under-the-radar Beverly Hills shop. Says the source, "By then he knew what he wanted."

A Modern Family

He also knew what Vergara wanted. After wooing her with chivalrous acts - a welcome change, friends say, from the belittling she received during her two-year engagement to Onion Crunch magnate Nick Loeb - he initiated earnest conversations about their future. While he and Forbes' highest-paid TV actress of 2014 crisscrossed the continent from Mexico to Miami, they shared their desire to have a family. Everyone from his mom to her sitcom costar Sarah Hyland egged them on. And why not? As Hyland told Us, the pair "would make really hot babies!"

It would be a dream come true for Vergara, who began the surrogacy process with Loeb before stopping, says a source, "because she realized things weren't working with Nick." She told Cosmopolitan in 2013, "I will have to use a surrogate because I had thyroid cancer and lots of radiation. I don't want to wait forever, but not yet." Still, Vergara, who beat the disease in 2000, may be able to conceive naturally. "I would recommend testing," says Dr. Jane L. Frederick, medical director of HRC Fertility in L.A., but "iodine radiation for the thyroid is different from a chest X-ray. It doesn't radiate to the ovaries." And for her fiance, says the source, "Sofia would do anything for kids. It's a stronger relationship than with Nick."

Manganiello has already proven himself as a father figure, bonding with Manolo ("He loves Joe!" says a source), as well as his 5-month-old niece, Gia. But while "he definitely wants his own kids, it's most important that he has Sofia," says a source. "She's his best friend." The sentiment of a true partner, indeed.

Her Ex's Salty Reaction

Every day he's hustling. When former fiance Nick Loeb learned of Vergara's engagement, the businessman, 39, responded by hawking his product to a reporter: "I hope they use Pickle Crunch on the wedding cake." Later, he waxed poetic. "She is majestic and therefore to be loved," he told Us. "She deserves happiness, the kind only true love can bring." He's miffed she found Prince Charming, says a pal: "He thought they could reconcile."Read more at:yellow formal dresses | green formal dresses

Alene Brennan kept a revolutionary New Year's resolution: to create the career of her dreams.

"I made my decision on Jan. 2, 2014," recalls the Mount Laurel resident, 35, who had been a corporate communications professional for a dozen years.

"I gave my notice and put my house on the market. I quit, sold, and enrolled at the Natural Gourmet Institute in Manhattan. I found an apartment in Union Square and lived there for six months."

The 2002 Rowan University graduate, health coach, yoga teacher, and freshly certified natural gourmet chef returned to South Jersey last summer. She's since become a consultant with "What Nourishes You" as her slogan.

Brennan says she wants to help others make, and keep, resolutions to improve their quality of life through customized plans for eating better, reducing stress, and improving sleep.

She'll offer a free workshop Tuesday at the Mount Laurel Senior Center.

"It feels fantastic," Brennan says, aglow with enthusiasm across the table from me at a Starbucks near her home.

"Having all this training, but not taking the final step, was scarier than going for it," she adds. "I could live with failure. I could not live with regret."

From 2002 until last January, Brennan worked for firms including Campbell Soup Co., Aramark, and Virtua Health System.

She loved these jobs but had felt drawn to the art and science of healthful living since childhood, when brutal weekly migraines circumscribed her life. "It was upsetting," she says. "Very isolating."

The condition eased only after Brennan revamped her diet, combining a neurologist's recommendations for "trigger" foods to avoid, such as chocolate, with her own research about foods - natural and less processed - to embrace.

At her mother's suggestion, she also began practicing yoga; later, she became an instructor and also obtained health-coach certification.

"I crave knowledge," Brennan says. "And instead of just reading a book, I got training - so I could share the knowledge."

Doing so during a Virtua event in October 2013 - when she spoke to an audience about mindfulness - provided the inspiration to make the leap to independence.

"I felt alive when I was on stage, realizing that what I was sharing was helping other people," Brennan says. "It was an incredible feeling, one of those pivotal moments. And while it's never too late, I knew that the window of opportunity to pursue my dream was narrowing."

Says former colleague Kate Shields: "The word I would use to describe Alene is courageous.

"It's not easy to leave a comfortable corporate job that has a really good trajectory," Shields says from Plymouth Meeting, where she is president of Vault Communications.

"Alene is standing on her own two feet. And she's never been better."

Anyone who's ever kept a New Year's resolution - even one far more modest than self-reinvention - knows it's no small achievement.

"You don't have to quit your job and sell your house," Brennan notes. "You can take small steps."

Particularly given her experience with migraines - helping fellow sufferers is her new professional "sweet spot," she says - Brennan also knows that positive reinforcement can be more effective than its opposite.

Meanwhile, will she be dissuaded or disheartened by those who might suggest that her new career is new age - and that those who want to boost their happiness should simply buckle down and do it?

"I think eating good food and sleeping better mean getting back to our roots," Brennan says. "And they're right about 'Lace up your bootstraps.' I know all about bootstraps."Read more at:sexy formal dresses

Juice labels are intended to inform and protect the consumer, but that only works if you speak label-ese. If you're squeezing juice into your diet, keep an eye out for these key words before you buy.

>>100 percent juice

"Start by looking for '100 percent juice' on the label—this means that everything in the bottle came directly from fruits or vegetables," said Kim Larson, a sports nutritionist and a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "If the label says '100 percent juice beverage' or '100 percent juice drink,' it could mean the product contains little or no juice, and almost guarantees there is added sugar."

>>Light or less sugar

Juice products with labels that boast "less sugar" or "light" should also raise an eyebrow. "There is no such thing as a sugar-free juice—all juices contain sugar in the form of naturally occurring fructose," Larson said. "'Light' or 'reduced sugar' juice products fool the consumer into thinking they are consuming a healthier option, but in reality these products contain more water to cut the calories and less nutrition," Larson said.

While rich in vitamins and antioxidants, juices are also calorie-dense and a more a concentrated source of sugar than whole fruits and vegetables. "Rather than looking for 'light' or 'lower-calorie' juices, buy 100 percent juice and have it in a smaller size—4 to 6 ounces per day," said Heather Mangieri, a sports nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

>>Natural or organic

Juice labels also often include descriptors such as natural or organic, and though they sound similar, they're not the same thing. " 'Natural' is a non-regulated term that may be used as a marketing ploy to mislead consumers," Mangieri said. "Anything can be natural—sugar is natural. Organic products, which are regulated, must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients [that] were grown with no pesticides or herbicides."

>>Cold-pressed

While the cold-pressed juice industry continues to expand onto grocery store and coffeehouse shelves, scientific studies supporting the benefits of this process—which is similar to pasteurization without the heat—have yet to surface in any conclusive way. "Since no high heat is used in cold-pressed juices, these juices retain more nutrients," Larson said. "There is also more fiber in these juices because there is more pulp. They do have a healthier appeal to consumers, but we don't have any studies to confirm there is more nutrient retention with this method of processing."

Mangieri stressed the importance of food safety for cold-pressed juice because they are not pasteurized and therefore have a much shorter shelf-life by nature. "Remember that, due to how they are prepared, cold-pressed juices can be slightly more associated with foodborne illnesses," she said. "Look at the expiration date, use them by that date and then throw them away."Read more at:www.marieaustralia.com/short-formal-dresses | www.marieaustralia.com/long-formal-dresses

At 39, Preity Zinta is fit and glowing. She says it's easy to be healthy as long as one checks portions of food, drinks water and controls carbohydrate intake.

The actress took to Twitter to share that it was last year that she sat up and took notice of the fact that she suffered back ache due to a lack of Vitamin D.

"I then found out that most Indians have this deficiency," she tweeted Monday.

Now she wants her Twitter followers to be fit too. Here's what she shared:

* Eat smaller portions of food and at least six to seven small meals.

* Drink lots of water.

* Avoid too much starch and carbohydrates like white bread, pasta and rice. Go for whole wheat or whole grains and brown bread.

* Avoid fruit juices and eat a whole fruit instead. Fruit juices have too much sugar in them. Too much sugar and salt are terrible for you.

* Try exercising in the morning on an empty stomach. If you cannot do any exercise then at least go for a walk. Brisk walk is amazing for you.

* Eat whatever you want in one day so it's ur cheat day. This helps you to maintain your diet for the week.

* Be happy and smile a lot. Nothing can give you better health than being happy and appreciating all the things and people you have around you.

* Eat slowly and chew a lot. Also sit down and enjoy your meal. Eating fast means eating a lot with very little satisfaction.

* Try dancing to your favourite song five times in a row...If you can bounce up and down five times in a row your cardio for the day is done.

* Drink at least two glasses of water when you wake up and eat something within the first 15 minutes of waking up. Best thing for your body.Read more at:cheap formal dresses australia

It’s turned into a cliché to make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight and get in shape after the excesses of food and drink over the holidays. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.

Actually, a healthier lifestyle is probably the best thing you can do for yourself.

Two key components to either drop that extra five or 10 pounds, or deflate the spare tire around the waistline are diet and exercise.

“Balance is they key. It has to work together,” said Lisa Kranz, wellness trainer at the Batavia YMCA.

Kranz, 46, has worked in health clubs and gymnasiums for more than 20 years and is a certified fitness trainer. A big challenge for an overweight and out-of-shape individual to lose some fat is to start the process.

“Motivation, with fitness first, then diet,” Kranz said.

Batavia resident Debbie Muchard, 60, is a long-time YMCA member whose goal for 2015 is to shed some pounds.

“After I retired I put on some weight,” she said Friday, as she walked on a treadmill in the Y’s fitness center.

Muchard worked in loading and shipping for UPS.

“I went from a very physical job to being couch potato,” she said.

Last year, Muchard took a couple of months hiatus from working out. She’s now at the Y about three days a week, trying to lose weight through exercise and diet.

“I just want to feel better. I’ve got to focus on everything,” Muchard said.

A new health and wellness program begins with an evaluation of a person’s fitness level. That determines what type of exercises are most appropriate.

“My advice would be to find something they enjoy,” Kranz said, such as biking, indoor soccer, swimming or a fitness class.

“You will be more apt to stick with it,” she said.

John Beckler, wellness director at the Y, said the evaluation includes a check of a person’s height, weight, body fat percentage, blood-oxygen level, hear rate and tests for upper body strength.

Beckler said someone who is already in pretty good physical condition may not see significant short-term improvements with a new diet and exercise regimen.

A person who is overweight or obese by 50 or 100 pounds may experience a large weight loss. Beckler said it would not surprise him if one of those out of shape individuals lost five pounds a week.

Someone who starts from scratch on a fitness regimen should ease into it on simple cardiovascular equipment such as a treadmill or recumbent bicycle, then work up to more intense and more challenging exercises, Kranz said.

Eat right

Amy Miller, registered dietitian and diabetes educator at United Memorial Medical Center’s Healthy Living program, said a back-to-basics approach, portion control, is the key to a good diet.

“Eat less, lose more,” she said.

And, as almost every child has heard from one’s mother, eat one’s vegetables. Vegetables are filling, high in fiber and water, contain vitamins and minerals and are low in calories, Miller said.

A good guideline to follow is to fill half of a person’s dinner plate with vegetables, Miller said.

Miller is also one of the coordinators of the Get Fit program for local families. It emphasizes the importance of exercise, education on portion control and nutrition, how to shop and read labels on packaged foods, tips on how to prepare healthy foods at home and substitute nutritious items for ones high in fat, calories and cholesterol.

Baby steps

Losing one or two pounds per week is a good goal to set, Miller said.

Pun intended, someone who begins a new diet and fitness program shouldn’t bite off more than he can chew.

Too many changes at too fast of a pace, such as giving up all foods that give pleasure to a person, can cause an individual to backslide a New Year’s resolution. For example, a person who intends to cut out all sweets could start with giving up all sweet beverages for a month, then focus on something else, Miller said.

“These are behaviors you want to stick,” she said.

The same applies to someone who wants to lose weight and quit smoking. It may be too difficult to do both at once, she said.

Trials and tribulations

Emotional health if also important to either become fit or to stay fit, Kranz said.

Kranz said people who experience emotional trauma such as loss of a loved one or divorce often have problems that manifest in behaviors such as eating too much or too little and poor lifestyle choices such as alcohol or drug abuse.

The Y does not offer life coaching or counseling but it is a component to fitness, Kranz said.

Y member Danielle Conner, 30, can attest to that. Conner works out every day and was an exercise bike Friday afternoon.

The Rochester resident is a recovering drug addict and unemployed teacher who is enrolled in a rehabilitation program in Batavia. Conner was arrested in March 2014 and later convicted of drug-related crimes and is on probation.

She said she just celebrated nine months of sobriety.

Conner, who is thin in a way similar to a long-distance runner, said she lifts weights, takes an abs class and does aerobics.

“Trying to do some strength training and maintain my overall health. I definitely work for it,” she said.

She said she doesn’t diet.

“I pretty much eat what I want. I’m definitely not a salad person,” Conner said.Read more at:long formal dresses online australia

The Italian clothing brand La Perla is set to unveil the brand new instalment of its exquisite women’s lingerie line Atelier Collection in Paris on January 26, 2015.

According to WWD, the range featuring looks inspired from the innerwear maker’s signature style elements has been designed by the brand’s creative director Emiliano Rinaldi in collaboration with the in-house design team.

In addition to the intimate apparel showcase, the Parisian event will also present an accessory collection created in partnership with the Italian shoe designer Giuseppe Zanotti.

After the lingerie fashion showcase, the range will be later displayed at the brand’s flagship in the French capital for interested buyers. Also the innerwear specialist will conduct private sales for the collection in various international cities in future.

Some of the lower-priced pieces from the line will later be sold at the company’s flagships worldwide.

The firm’s Paris-based flagship has recently launched a new menswear space featuring its latest Spring-Summer 2015 loungewear and beachwear collection, originally premiered at the 86th edition of the international men’s apparel and accessory show Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence, Italy.

Created by the brand’s talented designer Emiliano Rinaldi, the new range was inspired from the underwater animals such as oysters, flying fish, jellyfish and seahorses. Crafted from the label’s signature premium quality materials, including silk jacquard, luxe tassels, cashmere and cotton, the line includes robes, kimonos, long jackets, pyjama bottoms, shorts, sweatpants and T-shirts.

Founded in 1954, La Perla specializes in men’s and women’s lingerie, nightwear and swimwear.Read more at:formal dresses | cocktail dresses

It seems churlish to speak ill of sequins four days before New Year, which is a big day for sequins, but the duty to speak truth to power must be shouldered at all times, even now. The sequin has a dark side, and you, the sequin-buying public, have a right to know the truth.

Here’s the thing: sequins, like drinking, turn on you when you get older. In my 20s, I understood a “hangover” to be a light headache of the type easily seen off with a couple of ibuprofen. Happy days. These days, just as drinking is ill-advised, sequins can be, too.

When I wear sequins, the images in my head are young and louche and fabulous: Daisy Buchanan or Johnny-Depp-era Kate Moss. But on a woman of a certain age, sequins stop channelling Daisy/Kate and they begin to channel less Kate and more CEO’s Wife Throws Showoffy Cocktail Party. This is less good. Much less good. In fact, it is to be avoided at all possible costs.

The good news is that it is, in fact, possible to keep the youthful spirit of the sequin alive. You may no longer be able to wear sequins with gay abandon, but you can wear them. You are older and wiser, so make the wise part work. The key is to make your sequinned look appear relaxed and nonchalant, as if you wear sequins all the time. Like when you drink loads of cocktails on school nights. (No, me neither, but we’re getting into character here, OK?) You want to look as if you got dressed after sharing a bottle of champagne in the bath, rather than after struggling into your Spanx.

Sequinned jackets, I am sorry to say, are particular villains of the middle-aged sparkly look: they’re a bit I’m The Hostess In Charge Of Fun. But a sequinned T or sweatshirt looks instantly more modern, especially if, as with my top today, the sequins are sewn on “backwards”, so they’re matt, not shiny. A sequinned dress can work, but it should be a loose slip of a thing, and worn with no underwear, ideally. Upholstered and corsetted is quite wrong. For the same reason, if you can face it, bare legs are best.

Moderation is not the answer: here, the cocktail analogy fails us. A timid sprinkling of sequins is the worst thing of all – you will look like a decorative scatter cushion – so go bold, go loose, go fabulous. It’s time to show the youngsters how it’s done.Read more at:backless formal dresses