It’s barely noon, and I’ve already had a fantastic day: I was lucky enough to hang out in the audience on Anderson Cooper’s live show, Anderson Live, and live-tweet and live-blog the show for SheKnows while it was taped. Talk about multitasking!

I also got to meet and take a pic with Anderson himself after the show — the guy is a force of nature. All I could think to tell him was that I loved his coverage of the Colorado shootings. Because I did. His newscasts made me want to be a better reporter, a better listener, a better everything.

For fun, click through to see my bio on the Anderson Live site.

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How gorgeous and grown-up is Rosario Dawson on this cover? I had such a good time choosing and writing about the cosmetics for “You Glow, Girl,” for USA TODAY’s Hispanic Living Fall/Winter 2012 magazine.

But the achievement I’m perhaps most proud of is that the hed and the dek for this story were my suggestions. Love it.

Peruse the PDF here!

When I was writing this new piece, “10 Restaurants That Started a Food Movement,” published just recently on BudgetTravel.com, I’d find myself suddenly starving, no matter what time of day it was. Why? Because I mentioned a slew of my favorite legendary restaurants in New York City (and some in far-flung locales like Norway I’m dying to try) and wished I could have a plate delivered directly to my desk.

If you’re pinching pennies, no worries: I give recommendations for what to order when you’re on — naturally — a budget. (Although you might fantasize about ordering every dish on the menu. I always do.)

The link to the story online is here; click here for the PDF!

Here’s a fun, new-ish piece I haven’t mentioned yet: I wrote a story about how to have a fantastic time between the sheets no matter how long you’ve been together for USA TODAY’s American Life: Guide to Women’s Health magazine (Spring/Summer 2012 issue).

The story’s title: “A Lifetime of Good Sex.” Now that’s something we can all agree we want! (Unless you’re reading this, Mom and Dad, in which case, I got the idea for this story based on other people’s experiences. Ahem.)

Enjoy! A scan of the PDF is here.

Hello, wanderlust! My first story for BudgetTravel.com, “Vacation Ideas: One-Tank Escapes for 8 Cities” just went live. Whatever part of the country you call home, hopefully one of these cool getaways is nearby.

Oh, and I just have to re-emphasize: The chocolate doughnut from Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, California, that I mention in the story is to die for. Totally worth the trek to get a gooey mouthful of that rich chocolate filling.

Link to the story on the BT website is here!