While I was you were watching Danielle get her extensions ripped out on Real Housewives of New Jersey, preparing for Shark Week, or wishing you were at the nuptials of Chelsea Clinton, here’s what was happening in the world of recruitment.

The month started off on a cautiously optimistic note, with CareerBuilder’s Mid-Year Job Forecast projections showing many similarities to the first half of 2010′s positive changes. And while we’re still discussing how the workplace will look at the end of 2010, we shared our thoughts about 10 predictions for the workplace in 2020.

One thing we don’t have to predict? That businesses will start taking advantage of the HIRE Act — many employers who have hired unemployed workers since Feb. 4 already qualify for a tax exemption.

Health care is an ongoing hot topic, and in our June contest, we asked all of you what you’re doing to promote employee wellness. You had some awesome ideas and programs — and we noticed seven distinct trends among the success stories. And while some of you want to do a lot of great things to promote health care and wellness at your company, you don’t necessarily have the funds to do so. Or do you? Here’s five easy ways to lower health care costs, courtesy of Steven Williams’s session at the SHRM 2010 conference.

Not convinced it’s your place as an employer to get involved in your employee’s wellness in the first place? We debated the pros and cons of employer involvement in employee health — where do you fit in? Speaking of fitting in, where do former employees fit in when it comes to rehiring? Should you rehire them?

The difference between a leader and a manager may not be what you think. At SHRM 2010, workplace engagement expert Peter Stark discussed 10 ways to get your employee to say those four little words: “I love my job” — and to make employees want to follow your example. Stark wasn’t the only one spewing sage advice this month; everyone from an executive at Dunkin’ Brands to our own CMO had some advice to offer employers regarding the importance of attracting the right talent to be successful.

On the subject of success, the new dos and don’ts of interviewing — and we told you why you might not want to make that gesture during a candidate interview.

Who needs Shark Week when you’ve got all this?