Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are alone.

    Place friendship in the first place. Find the time to be with friends even if it means letting the lawn go unmoved or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can't get together, use the phone to keep in touch.

    Open up to close friends. Keeping a deep friendship requires a level of “heartfelt” intimacy (亲密). Don't be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems, but offer advice only when it's wanted. Help raise friends' self-esteem when they are sad about a job loss, or other such events.

    Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies, singing in a choir, and joining in a bowling league.

    Don't wait for a friend to ask for helps. When a friend has the flu, offer to go to the store or drive his or her children to their after-school activities.

    Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage, friendship needs care and patience. Become a joiner. Find a group that matches your interests.

    Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores can lead to firm friendship.

    Enroll in an adult-education course. A classroom is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests.

    Friends play an important role in our lives, and although we can't be more familiar with the fact of friendship, we often don't clearly understand how we make friends, especially with Americans. Here are some pieces of advice on making friends with Americans:

    ⒈Visiting places Americans enjoy: parties, churches, restaurants, parks and sports clubs.

    ⒉Be willing to take the first step. Don't wait for them to get close to you. Americans in China may not know you speak English. They may be uncomfortable if they can't speak your language.

    ⒊Use small talks to open the conversation. Ask them where they're from, why they come to China, etc.. Remember: Be careful not to ask personal questions about age, salary and so on.

    ⒋Show an interest in their culture, their country or their job. Americans like to talk about themselves!

    ⒌Invite them to join you for dinner or just for coffee or tea. Try to set a specific(明确的)time. Americans sometimes make general invitations like “Let's go out for dinner sometime. ” Often this is just a way to be friendly. It is not always a real invitation.

    ⒍Don't expect too much at first. Maybe they're being friendly. But maybe they want to be your good friends. It will take time to tell.

    When I was a little girl, I remember that when my dad was repairing something, he would ask me to hold the hammer, so we would have time for a conversation with each other. I never saw my dad drinking or taking a night out. All he did after work was taking care of his family.

    I grew up and left home for college and since then, my dad had been calling me every Sunday morning. And when I bought a house several years later, my dad painted it by himself in the fierce summer heat. All he asked was to talk to him, but I was too busy in those days.

    Four years ago, my dad visited me. He spent many hours putting together a swing for my daughter. He asked me to have a talk with him, but I had to prepare for a trip that weekend.

    One Sunday morning we had a telephone talk as usual. I noticed that my dad had forgotten some things that we discussed lately. I was in a hurry, so our conversation was short. Several hours later that day I received a call. My father was in the hospital. Immediately I bought a plane ticket and on my way I was thinking about all the occasions I missed to have a talk with my dad. By the time I arrived at the hospital, my father had passed away. Now it was he who did not have time for a conversation with me. I realized how little I knew about my dad, his deepest thoughts and his dreams.

    After his death I learned much more about him and even more about myself. All he ever wanted was my time. And now he has all my attention every single day.

    Not sure what gift to get your loved ones? Think technology! You may even find something special for yourself!

    Mini Quadcopter

    Would you like to have a flying toy, but lack space to fly one? Consider a Mini Quadcopter that is small enough to fit inside your hand. This Mini Quadcopter can be controlled to fly in any direction with its remote control. The Mini Quadcopter is available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $39.95.

    Selfie Toaster

    Does your sweetie like taking selfies and eating toast? Well, why not combine the two with the Selfie Toaster? The Selfie Toaster crates an image on the piece of toast so you can smile at yourself every morning. The Selfie Toaster is available from Etsy for $10.95.

    Amazon Echo

    Give the knowledge of the world with the Amazon Echo.

    The advice can answer questions, tell you about weather conditions, tell jokes, play music and more. The Echo also acts as a Bluetooth speaker so you can connect your phone and listen to your favorite songs. The Echo is available from Amazon for $179.

    Indoor Snowfall Light

    Get into the spirit of the holiday season in your home with the Indoor Snowfall Light. The light shows snowflake shapes in your room to give you the feeling of a winter snowfall. You can control the speed of the snowfall, unlike the real whether. The Indoor Snowfall Light is available from Sharper Image for $59.99.

    Dr. Michael Prager, a leading Botox expert, said that a growing number of women are developing something called "computer face". He also mentioned that professionals who worked long hours in front of a screen were ending up with saggy jowls(颚骨下垂),"turkey neck" and deep-set wrinkles(皱纹)on their forehead and around their eyes.

    The Botox expert said that, of all his clients, office workers were most likely to show premature (过早的)signs of aging. " If you are one of the unfortunate people who frown(皱眉)while you are concentrating on the screen then, over time, you will inevitably(不可避免地)end up with frown lines.'' Dr. Prager said. "What is perhaps more surprising is the number of women with saggy jowls because they are sitting in one position for so long. If you spend most of the time looking down then the neck muscles shorten and go saggy, eventually giving you a second neck."

    Dr. Prager, who has a practice near Harley Street in London, said he encourages his clients to put a mirror next to their computer so they can see if they are frowning at the screen. "When people are stressed or thinking hard about something, then they will often put on a grumpy(脾气暴躁的)face' without even knowing what they are doing. When my clients put a mirror next to their desk, they are often shocked by the angry, frowning face which stares back at them."

    He said, "The women I am seeing at the moment have only been using computers at work for the last decade or so. But women in their 20s have grown up with them and use them for every single task. I think the problem is going to become much, much worse. In another ten years, they could be looking quite awful."

    Dr. Prager said there were several simple steps which could avoid "computer face" such as regular screen breaks and stretching the neck muscles. And, of course, there was always Botox(肉毒杆菌). He said that, after a couple of sessions of Botox, the habit of "grumpy face" could be broken.

    In our increasingly fast-paced, technology-driven world, most adults do not get the 8-10 hours of sleep every night. Things are even worse for those with young children. A recent study showed that 86% of parents in the UK complain of tiredness and about 26% get less than 5 hours of sleep every night. To give tired parents a little relaxation from their tight schedules (时间表), David Lloyd Clubs, a chain of gyms and fitness centers in Europe, has introduced a napping (小憩)class!

    As the name suggests, the hour-long group class, described as a way to " refresh the mind, improve moods, and even bum the odd calorie (卡路里)", does not involve any hard exercise. Instead, the members are guided through 15 minutes of light stretching (伸展)to help them relax. Then, they are encouraged to lie under the blankets of a comfortable bed, cover their eyes with an eye mask, and take a nap for 45 minutes. With music playing in the background and the room set to the perfect temperature, they can be assured of the best possible sleep. The class is now being offered at just one place. If popular, they will be expanded (延伸)to other David Lloyd Clubs.

    Do you know the good points of nap? A study conducted by Pennsylvania's Allegheny College found that midday naps not only help participants feel well-rested, but also enable them to deal with stress better. A follow-up study carried out at the University of California at Berkeley concluded that a 45-minute nap in the middle of the day helps to improve the learning abilities. The good news is that you do not have to make a trip to the U. K. to join this latest exercise fashion. You can get involved with the comfort of your own bed. So, go ahead and encourage your entire family to try a napping class.