Take A Night Off.

Lord knows I do. If you think that I am in the kitchen every night creating new gourmet creations, you'd be wrong. Sure, I love cooking. But not THAT much.

So take my example. Find quality take-out sources and rely on them for your periodic night off. Now I'm not talking national chains or (God forbid) drive-though. I'm talking about the neighborhood pizza joint. The taco stand. Quality Chinese (or even better, Thai). Or, if you're as lucky as we are, the Italian place around the corner that makes the best fettucini alfredo you've ever tasted.

Phone it in, pick it up and enjoy. On your own plates and with your own wine, you'll be glad you did.

After all, the Life Should Be Beautiful philosophy has simplicity as one of its core tenets. Go to it.