This week Danielle Steel offers some advice on how to cheer yourself up when you’re feeling down.

As many of you know, SFLuxe.com’s Damion Matthews is a supporter of the Bay Area Allergy Advisory Board (allergysf.com), which was founded by local parent Mireille Schwartz, who is featured ocassionally on this site.
We have seen how difficult it can be for parents during the holidays who have children with food allergies (over 3 million nationally, according to Centers for Disease Control), which is why we were delighted that the San Francisco Chronicle’s Karola Saekel wrote an article this week featuring Mireille’s special list of candies that are safe for …

Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Sloan Barnett and Roger Barnett
Sloan Barnett went to New York this week to publicise her new book, “Green Goes With Everything,” and in attendance at her book party: Donald and Melania Trump! We never really thought of any of the Trumps as “green” (although money is green.)

Also at the party at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park to show their support for former New Yorker Barnett: Caryn & Jeff Zucker, Doug Liman, Josh Berstein, Carol Mack, Danielle Ganek Sandy Golinkin, Steven Mnuchin, Heather Mnuchin, Mark Gilbertson, …

It was the book party to end all book parties.  Last week Melanie and Larry Ellison opened up their Pacific Heights home to celebrate the publication of “Green Goes With Everything,” by Sloan Barnett, bringing out some of the most impressive names in technology, philanthropy, business and entertainment.

Sloan Barnett, Melanie Ellison, Allison Speer
Sloan has spent the last year-and-half researching and writing the book — her first (and surely not her last!) — and was clearly excited to be able to share it with her closest friends and other well wishers.
Among …

Joel Goodrich (right) with Maria Ehmer, chatting with Manolo Blahnik at Neiman Marcus this week.
Today we are pleased to see that Miss Olive, of Olive and Friends, has published Joel Goodrich’s unique recipe for his daily morning shake.  One of San Francisco’s leading realtors (TRI Coldwell Banker), and our favorite man about town, he is known for his unflagging energy and optimism. We’re not saying he owes it all to his magic SuperShake… but if this drink is responsible for a tenth of his energy and health, it’s something you …

There’s an intriguing profile of yogi Cameron Alborzian in this month’s “Elle.”  One of the major male models of the ’90s (he even appeared as Madonna’s muscled worker drone in the “Express Yourself” video - see below), he now travels the world teaching yoga and Ayurveda.

Cameron is truly an international man.  Born in Tehran (Iran), schooled in Ayurvedic medicine in Kerala (India), and currently maintaining residences in Madrid, London, Los Angeles, New York and Paris — he will be in San Francisco this month for an appearance at the Green …

“You know the movie ‘The Sixth Sense,’ where the kid says ‘I see dead people?’” asks Lonna Corder, the highly respected Montessori teacher.
“I see bad parents. Everywhere.”
But there wasn’t a bad parent in sight at a recent gathering to celebrate the launch of her new business venture, LIPP (Lonna’s Individual Parenting Plan.)

Peter and Debby Magowan opened up their home for the occasion because they’ve personally experienced the benefits of working with Lonna.
“Our precious grandson, Alexander, needed a preschool. Ann Getty told me we needed to go over and meet …

“The moment you have to negotiate with a toddler, you are done.”
Those words of warning come from Lonna Corder, who runs the Montessori preschool at Ann & Gordon Getty’s Pacific Heights home.
Corder believes that children should stop using pacifiers at around 6 months of age. “Take it away when your child’s brain can handle it,” she recently told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “If you wait too long, getting rid of it becomes a bad struggle.”
Jenny Thomas, an occupational therapist at the Getty school, agrees.  She said, “I know 3-year-olds who …

Cut the sugar!

Cynthia Kenyon, based at UC San Francisco, is widely regarded as one of the leading scientists studying aging. So when we learned what she does to keep herself youthful, we took note!
Her advice is simple, but not so easy to follow. Eat plenty of peanuts and drink red wine for their high levels of resveratrol, and never (repeat, bolded in italics!!!) never consume sugar or high-glycemic carbs. Insulin, it turns out, is the great enemy of youth– and sugary foods cause the body to produce it.
Says …