2 Hot 2 Handle (week of 7/22/2013)

Naya Rivera, Vanessa Hudgens, and Selena Gomez dress to impress. 

 A week after issuing a heartfelt statement about the passing of her “Glee” co-star Cory Monteith, Naya Rivera resurfaced, in style, at the 2013 Giffoni Film Festival near Naples, Italy. The 26-year-old actress — who never disappoints in the fashion department — appeared effortlessly chic in a yummy bubble gum-pink Michael Kors frock that hugged her curves in all the right places. Matching lipstick, a simple ponytail, and mirrored Monika Chiang ankle-strap pumps completed Miss Rivera’s exceptional ensemble. less
 
   Who: Rachel Bilson

    Wearing: A strapless Oscar de la Renta dress, Casadei pumps

    Where: "The To Do List" premiere in Los Angeles
   
  Who: Vanessa Hudgens

    Wearing: Diane von Furstenberg

    Where: Ischia Global Film & Music Festival in Naples, Italy
   
  Who: Selena Gomez

    Wearing: A crocodile-embossed Antonio Berardi dress, Louboutin pumps

    Where: "Tonight Show With Jay Leno" taping in Burbank, California
  
 Who: Kate Middleton (with Prince William and baby George)

    Wearing: A Jenny Packham dress, La Pierre Imperia wedges

    Where: Leaving St. Mary's hospital in London
  
   Who: Helen Mirren

    Wearing: Jenny Packham

    Where: "Red 2" premiere at Odeon Leicester Square in London
  
  Who: Mary-Louise Parker

    Wearing: An Alberta Ferretti mini, Jimmy Choo peep-toes

    Where: "Red 2" premiere at Odeon Leicester Square in London
  
   Who: Jennifer Lopez (and Casper Smart)

    Wearing: An Alice + Olivia romper

    Where: Casually strolling around East Hampton, New York
   
Who: Vera Farmiga

    Wearing: A Calvin Klein frock, Jimmy Choo pumps

    Where: "Bates Motel" event in San Diego, California
   
  Who: Miranda Kerr

    Wearing: A Roland Mouret dress, Louboutin pumps

    Where: Cosmetics press conference in Tokyo
  
   Who: Jessica Chastain

    Wearing: A D&G dress, Louboutin sandals

    Where: 2013 Giffoni Film Festival in Giffoni Valle Piana, Italy


   Who: Ruth Wilson

    Wearing: Head-to-toe Dior

    Where: "The Lone Ranger" premiere at Odeon Leicester Square in London

 

NASA Flooded with Asteroid Exploration Ideas

AN JOSE, Calif. — A NASA call for novel ideas on how to tackle its ambitious mission to capture an asteroid and park it near the moon has paid off in spades, with the agency receiving hundreds of proposals from potential partners.

NASA has received more than 400 proposals from private companies, non-profit groups and international organizations in response to a call for asteroid-retrieval mission suggestions released last month, agency officials announced Friday (July 26). The space agency will review the submissions over the next month and plan to discuss the most promising ideas in a public workshop in September. 

"We are really excited about the overwhelming response," NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver told reporters here at the NewSpace 2013 conference, adding that the ideas were "overwhelmingly positive."

NASA put out an official request for information on June 18 to seek input on how to achieve its asteroid retrieval mission. That asteroid capture plan, which NASA unveiled in April, is known as the agency's Asteroid Initiative. [How It Works: NASA Asteroid-Capture Mission in Pictures]

The NASA asteroid retrieval mission aims to send a robotic spacecraft out to a near-Earth asteroid, snare it with a "space lasso" and tow it back to a parking orbit near the moon so it can be explored by astronauts. The asteroid mission is NASA's way of pursuing the goal set by President Barack Obama that called on NASA to send a manned mission to a near-Earth asteroid by 2025, and then aim for a Mars flight in the 2030s.

On June 18, NASA also unveiled its Asteroid Grand Challenge, an effort to find and identify all of the asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth, as well as develop ideas to defend the planet against potential impacts. The effort is one of several national "grand challenges" announced by the Obama Administration and other government agencies in recent weeks to spur scientific progress and innovation.

"Under our plan, we're increasing the identification, tracking and exploration of asteroids, and the response to this initiative has been gratifying," Garver told an audience of private spaceflight experts and enthusiasts at the NewSpace conference here. "The aerospace industry, innovative small businesses and citizen scientists have many creative ideas and strategies for carrying out our asteroid exploration mission and helping us to protect our home planet from dangerous near-Earth objects."

About one-third of the 400 proposals were concepts tied to NASA's Asteroid Grand Challenge, while the rest dealt directly with components of the asteroid-retrieval mission.

NASA's asteroid retrieval mission has sparked intense debate among members of Congress over whether the space agency should maintain its focus on manned asteroid exploration or shift instead to a moon-oriented goal.

Garver said today that asteroid exploration and lunar exploration should not be viewed as an either/or choice, but as complementary targets for future human and robotic spaceflight. But new lunar exploration missions should aim for a sustained presence on the moon, and not just be a repeat of NASA's Apollo lunar landings, she added.

"We truly have an increased focus on sustainable lunar activity," Garver said.

NASA's request for information on its asteroid plans is one of three calls for input by the agency on several space exploration efforts. On July 2, NASA launched a call for ideas from private space industry to learn more about how the agency might work with commercial moon lander missions. On July 17, NASA released a call for proposals from private spaceflight companies for unfunded partnerships with the space agency that could take advantage of the agency's expertise.

Unemployed and Older, and Facing a Jobless Future

I WAS recently talking to a friend at a party whose husband — in his 60s — has been unemployed for more than two years. While there are many challenges, she said, one of the hardest things is trying to balance hope with reality.
She wonders how to support him in his continued quest to find a job in his field of marketing and financial services while at the same time encouraging him to think about what his life would be like if he never worked in that field or had a full-time job again.
“I wanted to move to what I thought was a healthier place. I wanted to turn the page,” said my friend, who asked to be identified by her middle name, Shelley, since she didn’t want to publicize her family’s situation. “He saw it as vote of no confidence.”
For those over 50 and unemployed, the statistics are grim. While unemployment rates for Americans nearing retirement are lower than for young people who are recently out of school, once out of a job, older workers have a much harder time finding work. Over the last year, according to the Labor Department, the average duration of unemployment for older people was 53 weeks, compared with 19 weeks for teenagers.
There are numerous reasons — older workers have been hit both by the recession and globalization. They’re more likely to have been laid off from industries that are downsizing, and since their salaries tend to be higher than those of younger workers, they’re attractive targets if layoffs are needed.
Even as they do all the things they’re told to do — network, improve those computer skills, find a new passion and turn it into a job — many struggle with the question of whether their working life as they once knew it is essentially over.
This is something professionals who work with and research the older unemployed say needs to be addressed better than it is now. Helping people figure out how to cope with a future that may not include work, while at the same time encouraging them in their job searches, is a difficult balance, said Nadya Fouad, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Psychologists and others who counsel this cohort need to help them face the grief of losing a job, and also to understand that jobs and job-hunting are far different now from how they used to be.
“The contract used to be, ‘I am a loyal employee and you are a loyal employer. I promise to work for you my entire career and you train, promote, give benefits and a pension when I retire.’ Now you can’t count on any of that,” she said. “The onus is all on the employee to have a portfolio of skills that can be transferable.”
People in their 20s and 30s know that they need to market themselves and always be on the lookout for better opportunities, she said, something that may seem foreign to those in their 50s and 60s.
If a counselor or psychologist “doesn’t understand how the world of work has changed, they’re not helping at all,” she said. “You can’t just talk about how it feels.”
In response to this concern, Professor Fouad and her colleagues have drawn up guidelines for the American Psychological Association to help psychotherapists better assist their clients with workplace issues and unemployment. It is wending its way through the association’s committees.
Of course, not everyone who is unemployed and over 50 is equal. For some, the reality is that they need to find another job — any job — to survive. Others have resources that can allow them to spend more time looking for a job that might have the salary or status of their former position.
In the first case, Professor Fouad said, “You need to decide what is the minimum amount of money you can make and how to go about finding it.” In the second case, she said, it’s necessary to examine what work means to you and how that may have to change.
Is it the high social status? The identity? The relationship with co-workers? It is important to examine these areas, perhaps with the help of a professional counselor, Professor Fouad said, to discover how to find such meaning or relationships in other areas of life.
Sometimes simply changing the way you look at your situation can help. My friend Shelley’s husband, Neal, who also asked that I use his middle name, said the best advice he received from a friend was “don’t tell people you’re unemployed. Tell them you’re semiretired. It changed my self-identity. I still look for jobs, but I feel better about myself.”
He also has friends facing the same issues, who understand his situation. Such support groups, whether formal or informal, are very helpful, said Jane Goodman, past president of the American Counseling Association and professor emerita of counseling at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich.
“Legitimizing the fact that this stinks also helps,” she said. “I find that when I say this, clients are so relieved. They thought I was going to say, ‘buck up.’ ”
And even more, “they should know the problem is not with them but with a system that has treated them like a commodity that can be discarded,” said David L. Blustein, a professor of counseling, developmental and educational psychology at the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, who works with the older unemployed in suburb of Boston. “I try to help clients get in touch with their anger about that. They shouldn’t blame themselves.”
Which, of course, is easy to say and hard to do.
“I know not to take it personally,” Neal said, “but sure, I wonder at times, what’s wrong with me? Is there something I should be doing differently?”
It is too easy to sink into endless rumination, to wonder if he is somehow standing in his own way, like a cancer patient who is told that her attitude is her problem, he said.
Susan Sipprelle, producer of the Web site overfiftyandoutofwork.com and the documentary “Set for Life” about the older jobless, said she stopped posting articles like “Five Easy Steps to get a New Job.”
“People are so frustrated,” she said. “They don’t want to hear, ‘Get a new wardrobe, get on LinkedIn.’ ”
As one commenter on the Facebook page for Over Fifty and Out of Work said, “I’ve been told to redo my résumé twice now. The first ‘expert’ tells me to do it one way, the next ‘expert’ tells me to put it back the way I had it.”
Some do land a coveted position in their old fields or turn a hobby into a business. Neal, although he believes he’ll never make as much money as in the past, recently has reason to be optimistic about some consulting jobs.
But the reality is that the problem of the older unemployed “was acute during the Great Recession, and is now chronic,” Ms. Sipprelle said. “People’s lives have been upended by the great forces of history in a way that’s never happened before, and there’s no other example for older workers to look at. Some can’t recoup, though not through their own fault. They’re the wrong age at the wrong time. It’s cold comfort, but better than suggesting that if you just dye your hair, you’ll get that job.”

Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston Could Have Run-In at Toronto Film Festival

It's a small world after all. Eight years after their divorce, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston may find themselves face-to-face at the Toronto International Film Festival this fall. As revealed in the lineup, released Tuesday, July 23, both stars have movies set to premiere during the 11-day festival, which kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 5.


Aniston, 44, has the film Life of Crime, also starring John Hawkes and Mos Def. The movie will debut as the closing night film on Sept. 14, and though it's still early, a source tells Us Weekly that the actress plans to be there to support it.


Pitt, meanwhile, has 12 Years a Slave, a historical drama based on the autobiography of the same name by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C., in 1841 and sold into slavery. Costarring Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Alfre Woodward, and British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, the movie has no set premiere date but is included in the TIFF lineup.


The last time Pitt and his ex-wife had films in the same festival was five years ago, at the 2008 Toronto fest. Pitt was in town to promote his Coen Brothers flick Burn After Reading; Aniston had the quirky romantic comedy Management.


Much has changed since then. Both stars are now happily engaged to other people -- Aniston to her Wanderlust costar Justin Theroux, and Pitt to longtime love Angelina Jolie, whom he met while making Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2004.

From Reality to Woody: Ali The Bachelorette Fedotowsky Joins Cate Blanchett & Alec Baldwin in Blue Jasmine

 From "Bachelorette" to "Blue Jasmine" - Ali Fedowtowsky's cinematic journey. (Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)
Woody Allen is a filmmaker who knows how to direct actors, and plenty of stars will go out of their way (and even take a substantial pay cut) to work with him. Anthony Hopkins, Meryl Streep, Michael Caine, Julia Roberts, Leonardo Di Caprio, Sean Penn, and John Cusack are just a few of the gifted performers who've appeared in Allen's movies.
And then there's Ali Fedotowsky.
If the name Ali Fedotowsky doesn't ring a bell, you haven't been watching enough reality TV. In 2010, Fedotowsky was one of the gals looking for love (or fifteen minutes of fame) on "The Bachelor: On The Wings Of Love," and later the same year, ABC had a handful of men try to win her hand on the spin-off series "The Bachelorette." Fedotowsky ended the show engaged to Roberto Martinez, though the couple broke up (shocking!) before they could make it to the altar.
Now Fedotowsky is making her acting debut, and she's starting out in the big time: she plays a small role in Woody Allen's new comedy "Blue Jasmine" opposite Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, and Louis C.K.
Watch the theatrical trailer for 'Blue Jasmine':
According to Patricia DiCerto, Allen casting director on "Blue Jasmine," Fedotowsky won the role through her TV work, though it wasn't her appearance on "The Bachelorette" that did the trick. Since her reality TV days, Fedotowsky has spun her celebrity into hosting gigs on "E! News" and "First Look." DiCerto says she spotted Ali on the latter show.
"She fit Woody’s vision of the character both physically and personality-wise," DiCerto told the Los Angeles Times. "I knew he would think she was perfect for the role."
In the movie, Blanchett stars as a woman whose life falls apart when she discovers her husband (played by Baldwin) is a con artist. Fedotowsky has one scene in the movie, playing the couple's personal trainer. While Ali says she enjoyed working with Baldwin and Blanchett, she didn’t mention her history in reality TV.
"I wanted them to think of me as a young actress who was getting her first little role," Fedotowsky said.
Fedotowsky isn't the first example of Allen's occasionally eccentric casting choices. Elsewhere in "Blue Jasmine," R-rated comedian Andrew Dice Clay, who hasn't been close to the A-List for the past two decades, plays swaggering lottery millionaire Augie in the film.
In Allen's past productions, Carla Bruni, the singer and model who went on to become the First Lady of France, took time off from her official duties to play a museum guide in "Midnight In Paris." When Allen was casting the role of a lounge singer having an unexpected career comeback in "Broadway Danny Rose," he chose Nick Apollo Forte, an unknown Connecticut lounge singer who delivered a hilarious performance and promptly returned to obscurity. And when Allen was looking for an actress to play a beautiful but manipulative tightrope walker for "Shadows and Fog," he mentioned he was looking for someone with a personality like Madonna … and got Madonna herself to play the tiny role.

Fedotowsky says she isn't planning on pursuing a career in movies after "Blue Jasmine." "I don’t think I’m going to be winning an Oscar any time soon," Fedotowsky laughed. "It’s still mind-boggling to me – I feel like I’m lying when I tell people that I have a cameo in a Woody Allen film. I’m going to get to buy the DVD and keep it forever."
It's anyone's guess if Fedotowsky was truly looking for love or just taking a shot at fame with her appearance on "The Bachelorette," but if the latter was the case, you've got to admit she succeeded beyond anyone's expectations. Let's hope she has better luck than Nick Apollo Forte.
SLIDESHOW - Blue Jasmine premiere

5 Reasons Youre Earning More Money and Youre Still Miserable

Whether you're a millionaire or a middle-class father of two, we all make the same mistakes when it comes to money – we think the more we earn, the happier we'll be.

If you really want to buy yourself a more fulfilling life, it's not how much money you earn that matters, but figuring out the right way to spend it.

That's the idea explored in a fascinating new book, "Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending," written by a pair of renown behavioral scientists, Dr. Elizabeth Dunn and Dr. Michael Norton. 

"When it comes to increasing the amount of money they have, most people recognize that relying on their own intuition is insufficient, spawning an entire industry of financial advisors," they write. "But when it comes to spending that money, people are often content to rely on their hunches about what will make them happy."

That all ends with this book. We've combed through and highlighted five ways to change the way you think about money that will make you happier in the long-run.
  1. You're buying too many things and not enough experiences.

M. WoodruffIn a world where anything and everything can be yours with a credit card and access to the Internet, it's easy to get swept up by material things.

But if you recognized the fact that you could get more satisfaction out of a $50 dinner with friends than that big screen TV or new iPhone, it might change the way you shop.

"Research shows experiences provide more happiness than material goods in part because experiences are more likely to make us feel connected to others," Dunn and Norton write. "Understanding why experiences provide more happiness than material goods can also help us to choose the most satisfying kinds of experiences."

To help, here are four questions they suggest asking before you spend money on an experience that may not be as happiness-inducing as others:

1. Does this bring me together with other people?
2. Will this make a memorable story that I will tell for years to come?
3. Is this experience in line with who I am or who I'd like to become?
4. Is this a unique opportunity and something I can't compare to things I've done before?

 2. You're more focused on getting more money than buying more time.

itupictures / FlickrSometimes, we get too caught up in either working hard to save a buck or working hard to earn a buck to realize what really matters – our time.

"Research suggests that people with more money do not spend their time in more enjoyable ways on a day-to-day basis," the authors write."Wealthier individuals tend to spend more of their time on activities associated with relatively high levels of tension and stress, such as shopping, working, and commuting."

On the flip side, penny-pinchers sometimes take saving too far. When you trade your time for some kind of monetary payoff (saving $20 on a flight by staying up all night on Kayak.com or using your vacation to earn over-time pay), you could be sacrificing your overall happiness in the process.

Now, if you get a high from saving five cents on a gallon of gas by driving 10 miles out of your way, then fine. But most people would be happier spending a little extra money to get home 20 minutes earlier for dinner.

 3. You think a McMansion will make you happy.

Mike Groll/AP PhotoWhat could possibly be more satisfying than ditching that old starter home you and your spouse moved into during your broke newlywed years?

Two studies cited in "Happy Money" prove otherwise.

When researchers followed groups of German homeowners five years after they moved into new homes, they all wound up saying they were happier with their newer house. But there was one problem: They weren't any happier with their lives. The same was true in a study of Ohio homeowners in which it turned out they weren't any happier with their lives than renters.

"Even in the heart of middle America, housing seems to play a surprisingly small role in the successful pursuit of happiness," Dunn and Norton write. "If the largest material purchase most of us will ever make provides no detectable benefit for our overall happiness, then it may be time to rethink our fundamental assumptions about how we use money."

4. You're letting yourself have too much of a good thing.

Bryan Maleszyk / FlickrWhen you've got unlimited financial resources, it may seem stupid to deny yourself simple pleasures that you've come to enjoy, like new jewelry or an expensive bottle of wine with dinner every evening.

But when you reach that point of material over-saturation, you could be killing the potential to make yourself any happier.

"This is the sad reality of the human experience: The more we're exposed to something, the more its impact diminishes," Dunn and Norton write. "Knowing we have access to wonderful things undermines our happiness by reducing our tendency to appreciate life's small joys."

You think if the McRib were always on the menu, people would line up to get a taste every day? Probably not. Instead, try to make things you really enjoy a special treat you only allow yourself once in a while. It will pack a much happier punch.

5. You're investing too much in yourself and not enough in other people.

M. WoodruffLike love, it stands to reason that the happier you are with yourself, the more likely it is that you'll bring happiness to others. But Dunn and Norton suggest flipping that idea on its head.

Make others happier first and you'll bring yourself happiness in the process. It sound obvious, but you'd be surprised how many of us forget it.

"In [a study] of more than 600 Americans, personal spending accounted for the lion's share of most people's budgets," they write. "But the amount of money individuals devoted to themselves was unrelated to their overall happiness. What did predict happiness? The amount of money they gave away. The more they invested in others, the happier they were."

That being said, you may wonder why you don't really feel all that much happier after donating a bag of clothing to Goodwill or cutting a check to the Red Cross. The real happiness comes from seeing your money at work.

We're big fans of charitable organizations that allow donors to see where their money goes in real time. Kiva.org is a micro-lending site that employs a host of workers whose sole job is to write reports on the progress of their borrowers so donors are always in the loop. Dunn and Norton suggest DonorsChoose.org, which also lets donors see their gifts making a difference.

Wow! Christina Aguilera Reveals Dramatic Beauty Makeunder

 Christina Aguilera on July 27 (Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)Christina Aguilera is back!

All eyes were on the 32-year-old "Your Body" singer when she appeared at an NBC press event in Beverly Hills on Saturday to promote her big return to "The Voice." Not only was the show mentor showing off her slim, trim new frame, which there has been buzz about in recent months, but she also unveiled a serious style makeunder.

Wearing a curve-accentuating pink minidress with a flirty ruffled bottom, Aguilera looked like she did in her early days. The subtle, natural look (including her barely there makeup!) was a departure from how we've come to expect her on the reality series. There were no rhinestones, bustiers, hotpants, spiked berets, or other attention-grabbing fashions which have become part of her signature style on "The Voice." Just a beautiful, fresh-faced Aguilera, looking tanned, toned, rested, and ready for Season 5.

This isn't the first inkling we've had that her return (after sitting out Season 4) will bring new things. Earlier this month she rocked another more demure look at a press junket for the show. That style, which more business chic than rock star, had her in a hip-hugging black and white skirt and a black blouse that was significantly more conservative than her usual over-the-top fashions.


"I'm the type of person that I cannot live in front of the camera 24 hours a day," the singer told the Television Critics Association panel on Saturday about her hiatus from the show and new look. "I have to take breaks and stay connected with myself. I think it’s important so that I can then be [my] best on camera and find [my] own happiness with it."
Aguilera said her time off was also about spending time with her son, Max — and noted that when she's home with the 5-year-old, her personal style is stripped down and very simple.
 Aguilera, in another toned-down look, with 'The Voice' gang on July 17. (Trae Patton, NBC)
"I'm a mom and … the cameras go off, I go home, I put on sweats and a T-shirt. The red lips come off. I check out and I’m mom," she said. "I needed some time to do that. He starts kindergarten this fall. ... I wanted to also, for myself, [to] have a moment … for me. It's really important to take that time in this business, when everything’s give, give, give — especially when you’re on camera so much — you need to take it back for a second and bring it back to yourself and just realign some things. I’ve been on a really incredible journey the past six months and I just feel revived."
Well, not only does she feel revived, but she also looks it. And we can't wait to see her with Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Cee Lo Green when "The Voice" returns on September 23.

Budget-friendly all-inclusive resorts

It's a fact that all-inclusive resorts can be expensive, with the average nightly rate at some of the bigger chains running $450—per person. We love a challenge and—though it wasn't easy—we found eight beachfront all-inclusive resorts starting at around $100 per person, per night. And they really are all-inclusive: a double room, three meals a day, drinks (from soda to cocktails), and lots of activities. | By Chanize Thorpe, Budget Travel

               Krystal Cancun,
    Mexico

    This Riviera Maya resort makes the most of its location: the pool runs lengthwise along the sand, and there's even a beachfront infinity whirlpool. The Krystal, located in the heart of the Hotel Zone on Punta Cancun, has 453 rooms, and each one has a view of either the Caribbean Sea or Cancun Lagoon. The rooms were renovated in December 2011 and now feature luxury updates like marble floors, flat-screen TVs, and rain showers—perfect for washing off all that sand. less

   Krystal Cancun

    Bonus: One of the downsides of an all-inclusive resort is that you have to eat every meal on-site. Krystal includes a Discover Cancun pass that covers one dinner at a local restaurant.
    ClubHotel Riu Negril,
    Jamaica

    Head out to the far western tip of Jamaica and you'll find this lively beachfront resort in Negril. It is right on the beach, but the place to be is by one of the umbrella-shaded loungers around the two gigantic pools (both are well over 3,000 square feet). There is a party atmosphere here—the complimentary mini-bars and liquor dispensers in the 420 guest rooms are regularly restocked. If you want to go all out, head to the Pacha nightclub, where reggae is sure to be spinning. If you are looking for quiet, try the solarium terrace. less
 
  ClubHotel Riu Negril

    Bonus: You'll score extra perks like complimentary entry and drinks at the posh Pacha nightclub and a free introductory scuba diving lesson in the resort pool. From $98 per person, per night.
    Sunscape Dorado Pacifico Ixtapa,
    Mexico

    The Sunscape's budget-friendly price makes it a deal, but most people travel here for the location on a sandy beach on quiet Playa del Palmar. The resort reopened in November 2011 after a $10 million upgrade to all the rooms (including new furniture, flat-screen TVs, and fully renovated bathrooms) and restaurants as well as the addition of a new spa (alas, massages aren't covered in the all-inclusive rate and start at $68). There are only 285 rooms, but you'll find the choices typical of a much larger resort. There are four bars and eight restaurants ranging from seafood to Italian to Mexican (and the small size means no reservations are required). less
     Sunscape Dorado Pacifico Ixtapa

    Bonus: Embrace your inner Serena Williams or Roger Federer and perfect your serve at the free tennis clinics. From $150 per person, per night.
    Paradise Island Harbour Resort,
    Bahamas

    At just 246 rooms, this family-friendly resort is a fraction of the size of the 4,000-room Atlantis next door. But it's also a fraction of the price for the all-inclusive option. Paradise Island is on a private beach and has a large pool and three places to dine—a pool-side grill, a buffet, and a steak and seafood a la carte restaurant. Unwinding is the first order of business here, so you won't find the same 24/7 whirl of activity here as at the mega resorts. But that doesn't mean anyone in your family will be bored. The kids' camp keeps them busy with sand castle building and craft making, and offers fun, active sports like pool volleyball and beach bowling. less
    Paradise Island Harbour Resort

    Bonus: If you've ever wanted to learn how to dive, this is the place: the resort offers a complimentary scuba lesson in the pool. From $210 per person, per night. Check the website for specials thru 2013.
    Royal Decameron Golf Beach Resort & Villas,
 
  Farallón, Panama

    This 1,170-room mega resort 90 minutes from Panama City does things big from its spot on a mile of secluded beach. There are eight pools, 10 restaurants, and 11 bars (including one swim-up), which means you'll rarely do or see the same thing twice. Play in the Pacific with free paddleboards, kayaks, or windsurfers, or check out the local underwater residents with the provided snorkel gear. The nightlife is also big here and the party goes long after the sun sets (which probably has something to do with the open bar). less

   Royal Decameron Golf Beach Resort & Villas

    Bonus: Though the base-rate is for a garden-view room, each one has a terrace or balcony overlooking the tropical foliage. From $111 per person, per night.
    Barceló Langosta Beach,

   Tamarindo, Costa Rica

    Staying here affords travelers the best of both worlds: The resort is on a secluded beach surrounded by rainforests and a national park, but is less than a mile from the popular town of Tamarindo. This is a low-key resort, with just one buffet restaurant and one a la carte restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine (there is an additional $36-$42 fee for the a la carte restaurant) and one bar, plus a small casino and an amphitheater with daily entertainment. But the 134 rooms have views of the Pacific Ocean or the estuary of Las Baulas, part of the national park. less
    Barceló Langosta Beach
    Bonus: Tipping for the staff is included in the rate, so no need to reach for your wallet every time you order another round. From $188 per person, per night.


    Jolly Beach Resort & Spa,
    Antigua

    Set on 40 acres (including a mile of white sand), the Jolly Beach Resort & Spa is great for those who want to get out on the turquoise water. Kayaks, windsurfers, and paddleboats are all at the ready and there are also two pools. Would you rather just take in the view of the waves? The 464 rooms all have at least partial ocean views. The resort also has five restaurants ranging from a casual beach take-out place to the Italian Bocciolo. less
      Jolly Beach Resort & Spa,

    Bonus: A proper afternoon tea with scones and cucumber sandwiches is also offered every day in the courtyard—a nod to the island's British roots. From $221 per person, per night.


 
  Iberostar Costa Dorada,
    Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

    Iberostar operates six hotels in the Dominican Republic, but this resort 10 minutes from Puerto Plata gives you the most for your money. The 516 rooms (which all have either a terrace or balcony) are located in thatch-roof buildings painted cheerful shades of yellow and purple. The entire property underwent a full renovation in 2011 resulting in completely remodeled rooms, a new lobby, and a renovated kids' club. There are three a la carte restaurants featuring Brazilian, Mexican, and international cuisine, plus a buffet restaurant. If you aren't content to just sit on the beach or the massive pool, there are activities all around the resort, from archery and tennis to kayaking and diving. less
 

  Iberostar Costa Dorada,

    Bonus: While some all-inclusive resorts only serve house-brand liquor, bartenders at Costa Dorada pour from imported names as well (Tanqueray, Stoli, etc.). $100 per person, per night (three-night minimum).

 

JLos Best On-Duty Mommy Moments

Jennifer Lopez turned 44 this week, on July 24, and the past year has been a thrilling one. She turned heads with an array of musical performances and gave contestants her two-cents as a judge for American Idol's 11th season. For many of these star-studded moments, she made sure her twins - Emme and Max, age 5 - joined her for the ride. - By Marisa Okano 

      Jennifer held son Max in her arms to pose for a photo outside of Las Vegas's MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 19, 2013. The star performed at the venue for 2013's Billboard Music Awards ceremony. She lit up the floor that night in a bright crimson getup that featured feather-covered sleeves and matching knee-high boots. Her beau Casper Smart stood by her side with her daughter Emme in tow.

    J.Lo grinned for a impromptu Instagram behind the scenes of American Idol as her daughter, Emme, looked curiously on. Jennifer appeared as a judge on the series throughout its 11th season. Though it was a decision that left her "torn," as told to Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS FM radio show in July 2012, she moved on from the show to focus her time on other projects after a single-season term.
    Clad in striking gold and white, Jennifer carried her son Max while exiting the stage at Univision's Premios Juventud award ceremony on July 18, 2013. The 44-year-old opened the show with a blowout performance alongside Pitbull, whom she collaborated with on her most recent single entitled "Live It Up." The youth award show was held in Miami and honors Latin entertainers across movies, TV, sports and other categories.


   J.Lo toted her daughter Emme along to Paris Fashion Week 2012. Emme watched intently from the sidelines while looking on at the Chanel Spring / Summer 2013 runway show from her mother's lap. The star's children are familiar with the high fashion world, as she famously posed with them in a glamorous print ad for Gucci Kids in 2010. Both Max and Emme are featured in sunglasses, scarves and other fancy duds for the series of beachside photographs.
    Max and Emme got an exclusive look at the stage from the judging panel with their mother's help on one of the final episodes of American Idol Season 11. The set of the famous reality series is just one of the many destinations her twins, now aged five, have been able to make memories of.

 

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