Today, Consumer Reports came out with their list of the 10 best cars on the road.  Since I am finally a car owner again after years of living in the city and relying on the subway, taxis or my own two feet to get around, I found this list to be very informative.  There are definitely some surprises as to which cars are on list and which ones aren’t.

According to the magazine’s report, the 2008 10 Best Cars include:

1. Hyudai Elantra:  a well rounded small car with good fuel economy, a comfy ride and a quiet, roomy interior.
2. Hyundai Santa Fe:  Said to perform better than the Honda Pilot, this model has a quiet and roomy interior, excellent fit and finish, a refined powertrain, a relatively good ride and an optional third-row seat.
3. Cheverolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab: the perfect mix between work and truck capabilities and day to day usage according to the magazine
4. Lexus LS460L: A smooth ride and quiet, quick acceleration and good fuel economy. It is chock full of high-tech electronics but easy to use.
5. Honda Accord: Considered the ‘best family pick’, the Accord is a well-rounded roomy sedan with a comfortable ride, agile handling and smooth, refined powertrains.
6. Infiniti G35: Perfect blend of sportiness and luxury.  A great interior and handles the road well.
7. Mazda MX-5:  Performed equally as well as the Porsche Boxter at half the price. 
8. Toyota RAV4: According to the report, the V6-powered version accelerates to 60 miles per hour almost as quickly as the Mazda MX-5 sports car. The 4-cylinder version, is the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid SUV on the market.
9. Toyota Sienna: Consumer Reports calls the Sienna’s interior “on par with some luxury sedans” and the V6-engine is powerful and fuel-efficient.
10. Toyota Prius: The only hybrid on the list, this car averages 44 mile-per-gallon

Last night I spent the evening putting things away in our newly rebuilt cedar closet.  As I was arranging things I came across yet another bundle of old clothes that neither Darren or I have worn in almost a year.  We put these things in the closet thinking ‘maybe‘ we’d want to wear them but now almost 12 months later they have remained unworn on the shelves.  Through the years I have been a big supporter of donating my old clothes to charity.   While all the things we have given away are not necessary the most ‘up to date’ fashion trends, they are certainly wearable and in very good condition.  We both feel strongly that these clothes can still be worn and happily have given them to our housekeeper as well as many charities.  If you are struggling with what to do with your old clothes, don’t fret.  There are a bunch of really good associations that will gladly take them off your hands and it will go a long way to helping those in need. 

A few suggestions I’d recommend are: 

1. Goodwill -  Provides job training to people with special needs. They have1,950 retail stores, packed with donated clothing and other household goods to help fund their mission. They take almost anything from shoes, to pants, to suits and sweaters as long as things are in reasonable condition.  Goodwill makes things convenient by offering pickup service but you can also drop off clothing at any Goodwill location. To find a location near you use the Zip Code locator at www.goodwill.org or call 800-664-6577.
2. Salvation Army – They are one of the largest charitable organizations in the world and run a variety of programs including homeless services and disaster relief.  As long as things are in good condition, they will take anything – furniture, clothing, shoes, etc.  I have donated many items to them in the past and back in my college days it was common for anyone living off-campus to furnish their house with some good deals from the Salvation Army.  To donate, simply drop off your items at any of its 1,526 thrift stores nationwide, or arrange to have them picked up. For pickup, call 800-958-7825 or for additional information to find stores where you can drop off clothing, call 800-725-2769, or go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
3. Dress For Success - An organization that assists low-income women looking for jobs. It has more than 70 affiliates throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and New Zealand.  Annually the company I work for participates in a clothing drive for this charity which accepts business clothing, coats, shoes, handbags, and briefcases that are in excellent condition and no more than five years old. During their annual suit drive in the Spring, known as Send One Suit, or S.O.S., you can bring your suit to any of the 800 Dress Barns around the country. For more info visit www.dressforsuccess.org and click on “Affiliates” for locations near you.

I also recommend Big Brothers Big Sisters, NY Cares, and the Red Cross.  But no matter which charity or charities you choose, rest assured your things will go to people who are really in need of them.  And with ’spring cleaning’ coming up, now is as good a time as any to donate.  Make a difference!   

Last night I met up with my friend Jill for dinner down in Chelsea.  We weren’t quite sure what we were in the mood for but settled on italian and headed over to Intermezzo on 8th avenue between W 20th & 21st Street.  It was pouring last night but the rain did not keep the crowds away.  Practically every table was taken at this very moderately priced restaurant which serves up a variety of pastas, chicken and seafood dishes.  There menu also includes a nice selection of appetizers and salads but we just went for an entree.  There were many different pastas to choose from but after much back and forth I decided on the spaghetti pescatore.  Served in a light tomato sauce, this dish combined shrimp, calamari, mussels and clams.  It was a perfect size portion – not too big and not too small.  The sauce was tasty but nothing extraordinary.  Jill opted for the rigatoni with chicken which she said was very good as well.   The service was good and the waiter we had was very attentive.  We also weren’t rushed from our table while we had coffee and chatted.  The cozy atmosphere, solid food for a good value make this restaurant a nice choice – especially if you are headed to the movies on West 23rd street. 

Eastern European destinations are becoming all the rage for this summer’s travel season.  Croatia, Prague, Budapest, Poland, most of which were once off limits to most tourists during communism have seen a surge in tourism in recent years.  For many, these countries represent their family’s homeland and heritage and many are flocking to discover their roots.  Often these trips are highly emotional given the changes these countries have seen in the last decade.  All four destinations are rich in history and offer so much for visitors to do and see. 

Over the past two years, I was lucky enough to visit Prague and Budapest on business.  Given my many trips to Hungary, I was fortunate to build in sightseeing time and explored the many wonderful historic sites the city has to offer.  For regular readers of HermanWeb, you know that Budapest is the city where Darren proposed to me so it will always have a special meaning for us both. If you happen to be making your way out to Budapest – spring is the best time to visit.  The weather can be warm and seasonal, perfect for strolling along the Danube with a light jacket or sweater.  There is so much this city (and country) have to offer, so be sure to stroll across the Chain Bridge, ride the funicular up to the Castle District; stop in at Matthias Church, stroll the cobble stone streets, head over to the Parliament, the Great Synagogue and the Marketplace.  The city is very safe, so bring comfortable shoes and explore.  Don’t be shy about going to the outer parts of Budapest – you will find many wonderful and undiscovered restaurants that will give you the true flavor of the country.

Prague is another wonderful city to visit.  Small enough that you can pretty much walk anywhere, stroll across The Charles Bridge connecting the Old Town and Prague Castle.  Visit the Jewish Quarter and the Jewish Museum.  Bring along tissues as you will find the letters written by young children during World War II to be very emotional. 

Croatia is also become very trendy, especially Dubrovnik.  Ever since the Today Show went on location there a few years back as part of the “Where in the World is Matt Lauer” series, this country has been on my list of destinations to visit.  The small towns, beaches and little shops remind me of islands in Greece.  Explore the Old Town and stroll around the City Wall.  Visit Miljet Island  and Korcula.  Summer time is the most popular so it will be very crowded and the weather is very hot.  If you can go in the late spring you will avoid some of the crowds but still have good weather. 

Poland is also seeing an influx of tourists.  This country is full of history especially in Krakow, Warsaw and Gdank.   Krakow and Warsaw remind visitors of the attrocities the Jews faced during the German occupation.  It is impossible to not think of the many millions of Jews that died in the concentration camps.  Camps still remain to remind those of what happened there and to prevent the same attrocities from ever happening again.  A visit to Poland is an emotional one but a necessary one.  Winters can be especially brutal so its best to avoid this season.  Cold temperatures roll in early in the fall and stretch into the spring – so summer is the ideal time to visit. 

Wherever you travel, the best advice I can give people is to talk to the locals.  They are usually warm and friendly and will give you unique insight and perspective to life in that country.  Locals hold the true flavor of the town so take a moment and strike up a conversation with a store keeper, a host or hostess at a restaurant or even a man or woman on the street.  Their stories will be informative and inspirational. 

No matter where your travels take you this summer, enjoy them!  You will carry the memories with you for a lifetime. 

In two hours from now Starbucks will be closing their doors for three hours to offer in-house training to it’s employees.   What is Mary Kate, Britney and all the hollywood caffine addicts going to do to get their fix??  And what about the rest of us???? 

Dunkin’ Donuts is taking advantage of Starbuck’s three hour closing and has been offering a 99 cents promotional offer since 1pm this afternoon.  So, if you are in need of a coffee fix this evening head over to your local Dunkin’ Donuts.  They seem to be popping up everywhere lately so I’m sure there is one nearby.  Personally, I prefer Dunkin’ Donuts coffee to Starbucks anyway and who can resist those delicious munchkins?!

We are 14 days away from Darren’s first book being released.  I couldn’t be more excited for him or more proud.  Coloring Outside the Lines is the first of what hopefully will be many books he authors.  The book is a peek into the world of digitial media through Darren’s first hand experiences and encompasses the passion, drive and enthusiasm by which he approaches everything he does.  From the moment we met, I was captivated by his energy and drive and those same qualities are evident in his book as you read through his experiences and see the world through his eyes.  His insights and perspective are unique as he started as an entrepreneur in an adult world while still a teenager.  Balancing school, friends and a hockey schedule, he built several companies and has received numerous accolades for his achievements.  He is brillant and so are his accomplishments.  His innovative and creative thinking is what sets Darren apart from others.  As a foward thinker Darren pushes the envelope and challenges everyone around him, including me, to think broadly, question the status quo and go against the grain at times.  It is no surprise that the title of his first book is Coloring Outside the Lines.  It captures the essence of Darren’s thinking – be different, be unique, and don’t be afraid to push the boundries.   The book is a wonderful read for any entrepreneur and I feel fortunate to have had an early preview – there are some perks to being married to the author :)

To read more about the book, the author or how to purchase a copy when it is released, click here.   

The days are already getting longer, the sun is out more and before long Spring will be here.  Soon there will be buds on the trees and flowers blooming in the yard.  I just love Spring.  To get ourselves in the mood, we started our ’spring’ cleaning yesterday with a rebuild of our cedar closet.  Darren and his dad did an amazing job ripping down the old closet and rebuilding a new one in prepartion for storing our winter clothes.  Along with the typical ’spring cleaning’ for the house it’s also time to start sprucing ourselves up and get into the spirit of Spring.  A perfect way to do this is with this week’s makeup event at Macy’s. 

The Clinique counter at Macy’s is offering free lessons on how to spruce up your look and do your makeup in five minutes flat.  The event is called Clinique Express Looks and is sure to be a winner especially since after your consultation you walk away with travel sizes of their Moisture Surge Extra Thirsty Skin Relief and Colour Surge eye shadow in your choice of three shades.

I have been using Clinique products for years.  My skin is fairly sensitive so I find their products to be perfect since they don’t cause breakouts and aren’t too heavy.  If you have never tried Clinique before, now is the perfect opportunity especially with this special event.  To check it out, head over to Macy’s from February 21-March 1 and put a little spring in your make-up.  

It’s been a while since I blogged over here on HermanWeb so I thought what better day to say hi to everyone than a lazy Sunday? Well, over at the Herman household, it was anything but lazy.

After a great evening over at the Ritz Carlton in White Plains, we had plans for my father (Edwin) to come over and help us re-do the cedar closet in our home. This was not a last minute decision however, as we had been planning this since the holidays when the Kepner’s gave us a very generous gift certificate to Home Depot to purchase the supplies. My father has a knack for building custom closets – not sure where he learned to do it, but he’s been fairly on par with closet building. Not only has he been building closets for the home we grew up in, but he’s even been known to help out a family friend or two. I’ve previously spent time building closets with him because we ALL know that Kenny isn’t much help around the house (sorry Kenny). Trivia question: what happened to all of the fine china my parents had from their wedding? Leave your answer in the comments section of this blog post.

Anyway, back on track. We ripped out the entire cedar closet and started essentially from scratch today. I estimate we started at 10:45am and we didn’t finish until 9:00PM this evening. The closet is a nice size, but what took the most time was fixing the cedar and measuring/cutting/installing the bars for where the clothes hangs. Sherri cooked up a wonderful feast this evening of meatloaf, peas, and potatoes which she knows is my favorite… and it came at a time when we needed a break from the grueling work.

We listened to a Dave Matthews Band concert on the iPod stereo, a little Status Quo (Matchstick), and ended with the Beatles (Love album). It was a great bonding time with dad- and Sherri’s been nursing the cuts and splinters that are in my hands as I type this.

For pictures of the day’s events, click here.

The BLT restaurant group is all over New York City including BLT Prime, BLT Steak, BLT Fish and BLT Market. Darren has eaten at Fish before but I’ve never dined at any of their restaurants. Since this weekend is our six month wedding anniversary, we thought a great night out was in order. Darren thought ahead and we made reservations at BLT Steak which just opened in the Ritz-Carlton in White Plains. We were very excited to try this steakhouse and see if it lives up to its reputation. We called over a month ago for a reservation. Surprisingly the night was fairly booked but we secured an 8:45pm reservation. This is still early by city standards but a bit on the later side here in suburbia.

From the moment we arrived at the Ritz, we were greeted with spectacular service. The valets swarmed our car as we drove in and whisked it away to an underground parking garage. This was the first time either of us had been in the White Plains Ritz-Carlton and we both thought it was beautiful, although somewhat out of place in the heart of downtown White Plains. The lobby was open with light wood paneling, hardwood floors and some nice art deco on the walls. A moderate seating area for cocktails and lounging is available for residents and guests. The lobby was peppered with people waiting to assist you and that certainly reflects the high quality service that the Ritz is known for. Still I have trouble with the hefty price tag of $800K-$10MM to live there especially when there are gorgeous homes and estates within 10 minutes from the building.

From the lobby area we walked down a long corridor leading to the restaurant. We checked in with the hostess but our table wasn’t ready yet so we had a drink at the bar while we waited. Looking around the crowd seemed to be mainly in their 30s or 40s and most were dressed like you would find at the city hot spots only most guys wore a jacket with their jeans or pants. Drinks were very high priced – $32 for two glasses of Pinot Noir. That’s even steep by city standards. About 15 minutes later, the hostess came to find us since our table was ready. As we walked into the dining area it reminded both of us of many different restaurant’s decor all rolled into one. The white curtains and lighting reminded us of Asia de Cuba, the tables and chairs were just like Ruby Foos and the open air kitchen and blackboard could have been any restaurant in Manhattan. We had a table near a window so we could gaze outside but who really wants to see the streets of White Plains and the movie theater. Within moments of sitting down, our waiter was at our table to take our drink order and to give us menus. The menu had an excellent array of choices. Appetizers included salads, shrimp cocktail, oysters, tuna tartare and beets with goat cheese. For entrees they had a large selection of steaks including hangar, fillet mignon, porterhouse, strip steak and sirloin for two. There was also a nice selection of fish for those that don’t want red meat.

We started off by sharing the oysters and the tuna tartare. The oysters were a combination of half a dozen shells from the west coast and east coast and served with cocktail sauce and a signature oyster sauce. Delicious. The tuna tartare is their signature appetizer and it was outstanding. A generous portion of fresh ahi tuna chopped and seasoned with the right mix of wasabi, soy sauce, honey and other flavors to tempt your palette. Served with potato crisps we thought this dish was tasty and wonderful. We also munched on delicious fresh popovers that were brought to the table in lieu of traditional bread – a signature trademark of BLT’s. For our entree we shared the sirloin for two cooked medium rare. The 32oz portion was precut and served with the bone. It was excellent although a slightly modest portion but still plenty for the two of us. We ordered the three mustard dipping sauces for the side and all were very tasty and brought out the flavor of the meat. To accompany our steak we had hash browns that came in its own skillet and cut into four large servings as well as a portion of sauteed spinach which was also delicious. For dessert they were out of our first choice – the peach crisp so we went with chocolate chestnut sundae instead. Darren being the huge sundae lover, thought this was the best sundae he’s had. When the bill came we were not shocked at all…in fact it was slightly lower than what we had expected. The prices were very on par with a NYC steakhouse give or take a few dollars. Overall, we really enjoyed our meal and loved going out and having a city experience only 10 minutes from our home. I am sure we will be back for another special occasion or with friends when we want a great meal and a suburban trendy experience.