Aug 2010
AN ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY
Husband is right! My face make-up never seems to match my body color! Shocked he EVEN notices! I only can admit this after looking through the Hawaii pics. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to match my face make up to my body spray tan color. Think of it as an unmatched carpet and drapes situation. I refuse to spray my face because it blotches as soon as I do the nightly cleansing ritual. I can’t stand the thought of purchasing summer make-up due to the cost. Instead, I spent many a summer doctoring up combos of extra bronzer powder or blush. Bad idea! I am always a walking experiment of self-tan products; no part of my body is ever the same color. Unless I am going on a vacation and plan to wear a bikini, I forego the full body spray down and stick to chest, arms, and legs. This is a horrifying visual for my husband, but hey, I am his “sure” thing. Recently, I was going through a bag of swag and discovered a curious looking product by Cargo. The “multi-mix bronzer” tag line had me at “mix!” Damn, I wish I had been made aware of this product earlier. It is pretty life transforming (on a shallow level). Imagine being freshly sprayed, just mix some of the paraben and oil free bronzer into your tinted moisturizer or foundation and you are a match. As the body tan begins to fade, mix less of the bronzer product. A match again! Somehow, the chemist in me has managed to make this combo work. Love it! www.cargocosmetics.com
Aug 2010
OBSESSION WITH THE HOLISTIC NUTRITIONISTA
Except for cake frosting, frozen yogurt, and gummy candy, I am a very healthy eater. I have grown to love the taste of Kale (no lie) and get excited for a bowl of Quinoa. My glass of Cabernet seems to accompany steak as well as it does tofu! I recently had the pleasure of meeting a lifestyle nutrition/ wellness guru named Marlyn Diaz aka THE HOLISTIC NUTRITIONISTA. I was blown away by her knowledge and personal journey. She is a certified Holistic Nutritionist and Lifestyle Educator with many years of training behind her as well as various degrees and certificates in health and nutrition. More importantly, Marlyn practices what she preaches and can speak and demonstrate from experience. ”Back in the 1970’s, while in high school I was young, struggling with my weight and unhappy. Physicians, fad diets and conventional medicine couldn’t “fix” me. Through my own searches I discovered books on health and wellness that approached, from a unique perspective, how one’s body actually works. I learned the truth about how different foods, vitamins & minerals, and lifestyle choices affect your health. Attending medical conferences, studying holistic nutrition, and learning about functional medicine and alternative health therapies has helped me to form more than a base level of knowledge. I’ve learned from some amazing and highly educated people – Physicians, Acupuncturists, Chiropractors, Energy Healers and other Holistic Nutritionists, like myself. I’ve put into practice the knowledge that I have absorbed from so many studies – learning how to enhance health, balance nutrition and affect the aging process with the right foods, supplements and lifestyle choices.
This journey brought realization that natural and permanent change is within reach for all us, and that it can be done without chemical-laden diet drugs, weight loss surgery, and fad diets. I’ve learned that our bodies were designed to help us help ourselves. I’m so grateful that I have gained the knowledge and tools to help not only myself, but also others.”
How authentic and sincere is that?
Whether it is an interview with an exercise professional (i.e the man behind the beloved Cardio Barre) to the benefits of cinnamon beyond a yummy taste, to creative yet delicious recipes (some peppered in chia seeds) to healthy cleanse tips, Marlyn provides her followers with a clear cut and proven healthy lifestyle journey. As she promises, her team is “there to support you on your road to looking, feeling and being your best! Their mission is to educate, inspire, elevate and make nutrition FUN. All while sharing our passion for good food, good friends and a healthy lifestyle. Let us help empower you to reach your wellness goals and create balance from the inside out!” I swear, Marlyn is no joke and I have become such a fan. My kids are eating Chia seeds and do not even realize it. holisticnutritionista.com
Aug 2010
NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN
As my girlfriends can attest, I have always had a penchant for satin/silken materials. Beginning with a hideous purple satin quilt given to me by my first boyfriend, I got used to sleeping with a material that keeps the body warm but has cold refreshing spots as well. I dragged that blanket to college and it became a sorority wide joke. I won’t even repulse you with the scarce number of times I washed the blanket as I was on a college budget. Post college, the infamous blanket took up residence in my first apartment. I even think it might have scared away the booty calls. I did not care as my blankie loved me unconditionally. My first acting client I ever signed somehow heard about the blanket; She must have been in collusion with my roommate. For my birthday, she gifted me with a brand new hot pink satin blanket. I was touched and closed my eyes as I let my roommate remove the tattered purple blanket from the premises.
Years later, I became engaged to Husband. I enlisted my ten besties as bridesmaids and for thank you gifts, I surpised them with matching personalized champagne colored satin blankets. I swear, I could have kept the blanket maker in business forever. (if you are reading this RR, please start making blankets again….)
Ten years later, I am married with kids and I get a weekly blow dry. Hair texture changed dramatically after pregnancy and I simply have no control over my hair. I always read that sleeping on silk pillowcases was like a nightly facial and the best life preserver for blow drys. I spent months researching these magic pillow cases but was never satisfied with the ones I tried.
Until BEAUTY SILKZ…..Two brilliant girls researched and invented the best silk pillow case I have ever used. Did they recover my purple blanket from some dark abyss and cut it into pillowcases? Pretty damn close! After much effort, the girls created a pillowcase made of 100% silk charmeuse which is the “best kept beauty secret in the world.” Comprised of natural proteins and essential amino acids and a natural cellular albumen (whatever that is), the skin and hair is magically nourished. The pillow case does not absorb moisture or night creams. ”Instead, it acts as a natural barrier hydrating skin and hair while you sleep, unlike cotton, which absorbs moisture. You wake up with a smoother, more radiant skin and softer hair.” Additionally, it prevents hair breakage and thinning. Finally, the case is affordable ($19.99), hypoallergenic, machine washable, and does not slip around the bed because one side is made of cotton.
Intrigued? I was! I have been sleeping on this pillow case for the last month and I am hooked. Clearly, I was onto something back in the 80′s with my satin blanket. www.beautysilkz.com
Aug 2010
ALOHA
As summer winds down, we take our annual trip to Hawaii. It is a trip that the kids start packing for in July. Today, as I type this post, we are halfway through the trip and I have taken notes on some anecdotes worth sharing over the next few days.
The first few days of any vacation can start rocky as the children need to get over the time difference and Husband must shed his work armor and climb into vacation mode. I always seem to forget this, shame on me!
Night one– dressed in our vacation best of Lily Pulitzer meets Tommy Bahama, the family starts walking to the shuttle to meet our friends and relatives for dinner off site. Visions of Mahi Mahi, Mai Tais and sunsets danced in our heads. Our younger Son awoke cranky from a much needed nap, and his mood went from bad to worse (actually inconsolable). We assumed that he would get happy once he saw his cousins. Not so! As we hit the lobby, 5 year old hit an all time low and Husband and I quickly recognized that one of us would be sipping a pina colada in our hotel room. As we attempted to lift our son’s arching body to carry him back to the room, he went ballistic. Not wanting to get on the shuttle or go back to the room, he hit the lobby floor on all fours, shrieking and kicking. ( Before I continue, I have to interject that this is abnormal behavior for our son). As each strategy to calm son failed miserably, he became more agitated. Suddenly, a golf cart pulled up with a security guard who had been called to assess the situation. Were we kidnappers in the middle of an abduction? I was horrified! As I assured the security guard that, in fact, we were the parents, husband arrived on the site with a snow cone. So much for no sweets before dinner, El Diablo instantly calmed down. Desperate measures! We grabbed son, jumped in a cab, and fled the scene. We arrived at the beach front restaurant just as the sun was setting. We smiled and began to relax from the disaster, eager to enjoy what remained of the evening. As Husband reached for the camera to take a shot of the family in the sunset, he accidentally knocked the snow cone out of my son’s hand. You can only imagine what happened next! Needless to say, I was rattled and in desperate need of a cocktail.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Aug 2010
YOUR UPCOMING SATURDAY NIGHT COULD BE WITH STANLEY SILVER
Looking for something new and cool to do this upcoming Saturday night? You are in Luck! The talented Stanley Silver will be showcasing his unique works of art this Saturday night in Culver City (invitation below). I was recently introduced to Stanley’s spirited paintings which celebrate pop culture and celebrity in a provocative, edgy, and mesmerizing way. ”Silver’s contemporary abstract style is juxtaposed with exquisite renderings of iconic figures stirring nostalgia, timelessness and pride in American culture.” The attention to detail and the way in which Stanley captures the personality of the subject through the mediums of oils and water colors is awe-inspiring. His interpretation of “The Glamorous Life” through his art is poignant, vibrant, and chic. Pay attention to details as there are hidden messages and symbols among the different layers. Don’t forget to make a dinner reservation for after the preview. Culver City is home to some of the hippest restaurants.
Aug 2010
LOVE IT
The Husband Store
A store that sells new husbands has opened in New York City , where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates:
You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the value of the products increase as the shopper ascends the flights. The shopper may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!
So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads:
Floor 1 – These men Have Jobs
She is intrigued, but continues to the second floor, where the sign reads:
Floor 2 – These men Have Jobs and Love Kids.
‘That’s nice,’ she thinks, ‘but I want more.’
So she continues upward. The third floor sign reads:
Floor 3 – These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, and are Extremely Good Looking.
‘Wow,’ she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.
She goes to the fourth floor and the sign reads:
Floor 4 – These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Good Looking and Help With Housework.
‘Oh, mercy me!’ she exclaims, ‘I can hardly stand it!’
Still, she goes to the fifth floor and the sign reads:
Floor 5 – These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous, Help with Housework, and Have a Strong Romantic Streak.
She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor, where the sign reads:
Floor 6 – You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.
PLEASE NOTE:
To avoid gender bias charges, the store’s owner opened a New Wives store just across the street.
The first floor has wives that love sex.
The second floor has wives that love sex and have money and like beer
The third, fourth, fifth and sixth floors have never been visited.
Aug 2010
MR. SWAGGER WEIGHS IN
(PS. Mr. Swagger is not HUSBAND. I have many male followers and one of them has generously offered to add perspective as a regular correspondent.)
About 10 years ago I was walking down the street in New York with a friend of mine who I have a tremendous amount of respect for. He literally would say “good morning” to nearly every person we walked by on the street. It was effortless, not strange, and it didn’t seem like he was going out of his way to do it either. I said “ do you realize that you’ve said “good morning” to almost every person that has walked by us today? He said, “Hmm, I guess I have, I don’t know… IT’S NICE TO BE NICE”… This is a tough dude too. In the same sentence, he can smile at you, he can smack you in the mouth. That said, an amazing man. Now that was probably the most simple thing I’ve ever heard but it’s also stuck with me more than anything I’ve heard since. Is it that hard to be nice to people? Don’t get me wrong, I can be a real prick, but I believe if I’m good to people, people are going to be good to me. Now.. what does this all mean? Imagine if we all took a little bit more time to be nice to people…. Say “good morning” when you walk by someone on the street, be nicer to the waiter making minimum wage, When you are at a red light and someone is standing there selling fruit.. Buy some! It doesn’t matter if you like fruit or not, its not about you, actually tip the person well that is washing your car (FACT: most people don’t at all), call your mom, help someone get a job, be happy for someone else’s success, feel badly for someone else’s misfortune, tell someone you appreciate them, say “have a nice night” to the garage attendant you usually walk by every evening and ignore as you are going to your car after work, Tell someone they look nice. I mean how basic is all the above? Truth is, nobody really does it, but we’re supposed to. We’re too focused on our blackberries, our ipads, our cell phones -OURSELVES. It’s something to think about. It can be contagious too. It doesn’t mean you don’t have an edge or are soft. I’m telling you…. IT’S NICE TO BE NICE- makes sense. Hope it does to you too or we’re all in trouble.
Aug 2010
SOCCER MAMAS
Big day at UCLA today! To the left were the coeds practicing cheers. To the right was the future of Soccer— our seven year old sons sweating their skull caps off in a week long Soccer camp hosted by UCLA. As I walked towards the field to attend the end of the session casual awards ceremony for camp participation, I was questioned by an imposing security guard. At that moment, a swarm of paparazzi appeared! Nearly trampled, I remarked to my friend that this camp sure knows how to make a kid feel good! And then lightning struck as we discovered that the crowds were not for our talented kids, but for the arrival of the Real Madrid team due to play a match on that same field. Sitting on the bleachers, the Soccer Mamas cheered for our children as they got their awards. I craned my head to check for the arrival of the Soccer god, Cristiano Ronaldo. My fellow hot mama and I were teasing each other and begging the security guards to send the soccer babes over to get some inspiration before the big match. No such luck and they whisked us all off the field before the arrival of the players. To top it off, neither of our boys were awarded top honors- no matter how low cut my friend’s shirt was.
Aug 2010
I SUCK AT EBAY
Husband worships EBAY and has had great success in finding suits, watches, and jeans. If there was ever an item that I coveted, he would place a conservative bid on my behalf under his account name. I had never explored EBAY solo until one fine day last week. I was sitting in the camp carpool line playing on the IPAD, specifically, the EBAY app. I stumbled upon an item that I HAD TO HAVE. After failing to encrypt husband’s pay pal account (and sneak a purchase), I tried to set up an account under my email. I was blocked immediately and informed that there was an existing account under my name. Odd right? Not only did husband refuse to share his passwords, he had also used my name to set up an account, thereby blocking me entirely from joining the ranks as an EBAY shopper. I was ticked off and then decided to go undercover with a new email account. HA! I was in! Let the games begin. I was hooked and spent many late hours of the last week surfing for vintage designer costume jewelry. (Husband is out of town) With time on my hands and no need to fear his budget conscious footsteps, I discovered the perfect necklace. Suddenly, I could not imagine my future outfits without this treasure. I had to have it. Now at this point, my EBAY experience had been limited to “buy it now items”. I had never been in a bidding war and was not prepared for the challenge. My strategy was to watch the screen like a hawk, keep my fingers poised over the keyboard, and bid aggressively. For three long days, I played the game. So much for instant gratification! There was several bidders but one real opponent. It was head to head every second. At this point, it no longer was about the necklace but about winning (kind of still about the necklace). I was way above my maximum but could not stop. I was an animal. Thank god husband was not in town witnessing this out of control behavior. The seconds were ticking, the kids were watching, and suddenly, the green turned to red. I had lost and was dumbfounded. The piece that was going to define my future look was no longer. As I licked my wounds, a new email popped into my inbox. I perked up, hoping it had been a mistake? Was I the winner? No such luck! It was Husband forwarding me the outbid notice that had been sent to his email. Oops, I forgot that I had convinced him to bid in the early stages. WTF were you thinking? He demanded when he saw the sold price? I was caught red handed and had nothing to show for it. Hoping one of my loyal followers won the coveted necklace. Losing to one of you would be okay but please share some pointers in mastering EBAY.
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Aug 2010
HUSBAND IS THE NEW BACHELOR
NOT! This vision about killed me! Last night as I sat on the edge of my bed, anticipating who Ali was going to choose, Husband was teasing incessantly. ”you are dumbing yourself down, look at you- acting like you are about to be kissed for the first time…get a life!” I must say, I have always loved Roberto but Chris was beginning to make headway with me. I could see how torn Ali was and I felt her pain. Ultimately, her instinct won and she chose Roberto- may their love last a long time. As the show re-ran clips of their journey, I found myself salivating out loud about Roberto’s body. OMG! what a hottie- tall, dark, handsome, sick abs! I was hooked! Suddenly, I sensed movement to the left side of my peripheral vision. Mind you it was 11:00 pm at night! The lights were off and I was prepared to go to sleep once the show finished. I felt a whoosh of air and could not believe my eyes. Husband was standing upright, shirtless, and doing bicep curls. At this point, I was hysterical. ”honey, you are a babe, tire and all…. you are better than Roberto. In fact, forget Chris as the next Bachelor (spotted Chris and Bachelor producers and Chris Harrison at the Dodger game last week.) I think you should throw your hat in the ring.
