Dish: Party In The Backyard

It should be a law: To host a Memorial Day backyard party, you should be required to either have a killer backyard or be such an entertaining host your guests forget any shortcomings.

Of course, you're both -- so why not provide an alternative to the bore-b-qs and invite everyone to a fabulous fiesta at your place?

No need for advance planning if you follow a few tasty tips. (PS: This advice works just as well as a beach or park.)

Remember Me?

You should've kept in touch with that old colleague, and you never did send a card to your former boss around the holidays. Now you're out of a job or uncertain about your career, and feeling awkward about reaching out.

Career coaches agree that even if reconnecting with stale networking contacts is uncomfortable, it's a vital part of job hunting.

"We often don't realize that we have a treasure trove of relationships we've built over the years, and that when you leave a company, you take the people you've met with you," said Liz Lynch, founder of the Center for Networking Excellence in New York. "It can be the greatest resource we have."

Here are the steps to consider when trying to reconnect ...

Cinco de Mayo Cocktails With Extra Kick

While Cinco de Mayo may be officially recognized in only select Mexican regions, here in the States, we jump at the chance to celebrate with a Margarita .. or two ... or three.

See these cocktail recipes for holiday imbibing below, and don’t forget to bring your sombrero.

Ask The Right Questions During A Job Interview

You may think you know what it takes to nail a job interview, how your cover letter should look, what to wear, how to make your greatest weaknesses sound like strengths. But just before the parting handshake, what will you ask your prospective employer?

Crafting the right questions for the interviewer will display confidence and knowledge about the company. While asking the wrong questions can make you appear unqualified or even desperate.

R U a twit if you don't Twitter?

Eily Toyama gave in after friends pestered her to join Facebook. But she used her cat's name instead of her own so she could avoid networking requests from people she didn't really want to connect to. And don't even ask her about Twitter unless you want to get an eye roll.

"I just don't think people need to know that much about my life," says the 32-year-old Chicagoan, who works in information technology.

Call it online sociability fatigue. And it's not just being felt by older folks who have lived most of their lives without the Web. As social networking grows, from stream-of-consciousness Twitter to buttoned-up LinkedIn, even some of the very young people who've helped drive these sites' growth could use a break.

Are you all about Twitter? Take our poll after the jump ...

Table For One? Tips On Dining Solo

When on the road, we've all had to face the prospect of dining out alone. Many find the experience daunting and isolating. Author Michael Kaminer says it doesn't have to be that way.

Author of four books on the subject, including Taste for Solitude: The Definitive Guide to Solo Dining in New York City, Kaminer tells us how to get the most out of the dining experience when eating alone.

Dish: In-The-Mood Food

Yes, there's a difference between vanilla and Viagra, but a sexy meal is an astonishingly effective tactic in the war of amour. Perhaps it's the wine you polished off with supper, perhaps it's the calling-all-senses approach to savoring your food. It could be that your meal was chock-full of pheremones and neurotransmitters. Or maybe the idea of being served and seduced (or of serving and seducing) was irresistible in itself. So here are a few pointers toward luscious lust ...

Cocktails with Camper: Earth Day Eco-Drinks

When you plan your annual Earth Day cocktail party this April 22 (everyone has one, don't they?) choose green drinks to keep with the theme.

Drinking ecologically should be as easy as swapping out the nonorganic cocktail ingredients with organic ones -- but in reality, there aren't that many organic types of liquor on the market with which to mix.

Form and Function: 2009 Design Awards

When you travel, do you seek out unique eye-catching architecture and design? For some, destinations with pleasing aesthetics can be a pretty important aspect of your trip. If so, this list is definitely for you.

From super stylish hotels to travel accessories that have great form and function, here are the winners of Travel + Leisure's 2009 Design Awards ...

Drink Recipes for V-Day Foreplay

When it comes to Hallmark holidays, sweet specialty drinks are the perfect compliment to a sappy V-day greeting card -- and Valentine’s Day is a great occasion for trying some sexy and sassy new drink recipes.

So, you've got the most romantic evening planned for you and yours. You got him flowers and surprised him with dinner reservations -- but now you’re back home and he's craving dessert. Before you two end up devouring each other, why not try a new cocktail to get things started? Three Olives Flavored Vodka sent us these cherry-popping recipes to get the mood just right.