I'm all for shopping as a form of therapy, but sometimes mall traffic, parking, crowds, music and even lighting can do more harm than good. When my best friend called with a bad case of the blues, she needed a shoulder and a good shop-til-you-drop day. But I was in no mood for the buzz-killing mall experience, so I made a pot of tea and fired up the laptop instead.

Google "retail therapy" and you'll get a ton of definitions from Wikipedia to the Urban Dictionary. Some are funny. Some are true. Some are both. In a nutshell, retail therapy is shopping to improve one's mood. Sometimes you buy things for yourself. Sometimes you buy gifts for others. Sometimes both. Either way, a few "comfort buys" can go a long way on a blue day. So can a pot of tea, peace and quiet and a long talk at a friend's kitchen table.

Your "Shop, Don't Drop" Gift Guru
Linda

AppyCouple is the new Big Thing for wedding season. Yep, it's another smartphone app. But this app isn't just another map app or an amusing time waster; it's a tool to help guests remember every important date from the bacherlor/ette party to the rehearsal dinner to the big day itself.

The Events feature is quite useful. The bride and groom can invite selected guests to specific events and only those invited will be able see them. For example, the wedding party can see the details of the rehearsal dinner while the rest of the wedding guests might only see wedding and reception information. The coolest feature is the Gallery. Everyone can share photos so the happy AppyCouple sees their wedding pictures - from professional photos to candid snapshots - all in one place. Guests upload pictures directly from their phones even while events are in full swing for an immediate, shareable wedding album.

It's still in development, so the app is free by invitation only. Eventually the bride and groom will pay anywhere from $50 - $200, depending on the design they choose, but invited guests will always be able to download the app for free. Since I go to about a dozen weddings a year, I can't wait until everyone is using AppyCouple. It might not help me choose a gift or a dress, but at least it will get me to the church on time.

Your "Happy-Appy" Gift Guru
Linda

My mom brought me an early Mother's Day gift yesterday: a hand-embroidered pillow she found at a garage sale. It says, "Daughters are little girls who grow up to be friends." It's sweet. And true. My mother and I really are friends. We shop, see movies, travel together - we do things I never wanted to do with my boring old mom when I was a kid. The things my tweenage daughter doesn't want to do with her boring old mom now.

I don't think anyone needed this study to know that moms and daughters get closer as we get older. It's pretty simple: when I was younger, I didn't have much in common with my mother. During what Mom affectionately calls my Drama Days, I would tell her she was just too old to understand life or love or heartbreak or high school. But now I'm a mom and a wife and a personal shopper and a maid and a chauffeur. Just like Mom was.

So when my daughter rolls her eyes and insists that I just don't get it ("it" meaning "anything and everything") I can be philosophical. Someday she'll grow up just like her mom did. In the meantime, I'll hang out with my mom and I'll hang onto that pillow. So I can give it to my daughter when her daughter is a tweenager.

Your "Happy Mother's Day" Gift Guru,
Linda

Are you an optimist? Or a pessimist? Never thought about it? Turns out, your answer could have a lot to do with your health. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health says that happiness and optimism can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Since heart disease kills one person every 39 seconds in this country, the study suggests we should all get serious about being happy.

How does an overall positive outlook on life affect your cardiovascular system? Optimistic, happy people tend to exercise more, eat healthier and sleep better. Which means we're less likely to suffer from high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity. It's also believed that a "happy-go-lucky attitude makes people more resilient to stress..." I don't think anyone needs to read a study to know what stress does to your body; you can feel it.

Bobby McFerrin is known as much for his positive outlook on life as he is for his vocal acrobatics. According to one reporter, just being around the singer can make you happy. "He radiates with joyful energy even when he's just having a cup of tea," she says. So is McFerrin's signature tune "Don't Worry, Be Happy" the best prescription ever written? It just might be. And unlike other prescriptions, it's free and there are no side effects -- other than humming the upbeat melody for the rest of the day.

Your "Take two verses and call me in the morning..." Gift Guru
Linda

Thomas Kinkade, the Painter of Light died peacefully in his sleep on April 6. At only 54 years old, the "spiritual heir" to Norman Rockwell was one of the most recognizable and collected American artists ever.

His work touched the hearts and minds of a nation awash in technology. Computers, cell phones, email, the internet, video games -- none of it existed in Kinkade's idyllic world of country cottages and peaceful mountains. He created a place where you could escape the beeps and flashes of gadgets for a while. A place of peace and light.

His work decorates millions of homes, businesses and churches throughout the country. Though Thomas Kinkade will never paint again, he will never be forgotten. To quote a statement issued by his company following his death, "his art and powerful message of inspiration will live on." Indeed.

Your "Forever In Light" Gift Guru
Linda