Monthly Archives: March 2013

Sometimes it’s Hard to Decide What to Wear

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closet

I am notorious within my family and group of friends for having trouble picking out my outfits, and hanging on to clothes that I never wear because I remember a fun night I had in outfit. Now after years of struggling with my overcrowded closet, and torturing my sister and friends to help me decide what to wear, I have science to back up my what I like to think of as “endearingly quirky” behavior. It turns out that I am not the only lady in the world who gets emotionally involved with what’s in her closet. Researchers have already proved that women tend to attach their emotions to their clothes, and use outfits that make us feel pretty to elevate mood. That’s why when you’re not feeling so hot emotionally, if you put on an outfit that doesn’t make you feel pretty/sexy/thin, it is suddenly a major catastrophe. Now further studies at the University of Queensland are underway to investigate the ways in which ladies use clothes to improve and mask their emotions. Let’s say you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, you might put on a colorful, flowery dress to make you feel a little better about tackling the day. This is using clothing to mask your unpleasant mood, making you seem bright and happy to the world while you are feeling down, and also to boost your sense of well-being or to elevate a bad mood to good.

At the same time, people use clothes as scapegoats. An outfit worn for an interview that tanked may never be pulled out again, or a slinky dress for a failed date tossed in the donation bin. This is fashion scapegoating, experiencing bad feelings that occurred while wearing a certain item. At the same time, people remember the clothes that others complemented them on, and experience that rush of good feelings each time they wear it. What you put on, and if you feel good in it impacts your performance, self-esteem, and how well you interact with people. Now do you see why picking out an outfit can sometimes be a challenge? To keep all of these complex emotions from paralyzing you when you get dressed in the morning, think about your favorite outfits that make you feel good – then get to the bottom of WHY you feel good wearing them. Buy more clothes that have those qualities. If you have an outfit you bought, had a bad experience in, and have never worn again, toss it already. It’s only bringing bad juju to your closet. Finally, don’t let your nay-sayers make you feel guilty about holding on to clothes with sentimental value. They are akin to a family photo album of happy memories, but you might want to consider moving them out of the way to a storage location, your parent’s basement, or an under the bed bin where they’re not clogging up your decision making in the morning. Now happy outfit hunting!

What helps you pick out an outfit that makes you feel good? And! Check out the article that inspired this post here!

Eat Organic, Avoid Getting Fat

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organic

So you work out, eat healthy, and still don’t seem to be losing weight. Maybe it’s time to look at the healthy foods you’re consuming and see if they might be the problem themselves. Recent research found that eating genetically modified foods can bypass your body’s “I’m full” trigger, leading you to eat more. Now data published in the Environmental Health Perspectives shows that a common pesticide could be causing weight gain. Called triflumizole, the chemical can contribute to packing on the pounds even when it is below the levels categorized as safe by the EPA. To avoid it? Eat only foods grown from non-genetically modified seed, and buy organic produce.

Don’t have the budget for all-organic fare? Environmental Working Group (EWG) recommends buying these 14 “Dirty Dozen +” organic all the time because of their high pesticide levels.

  • Apples
  • Celery
  • Sweet Bell Peppers
  • Peaches
  • Strawberries
  • Nectarines (imported)
  • Grapes
  • Spinach
  • Lettuce
  • Cucumbers
  • Blueberries (domestic)
  • Potatoes
  • Green Beans
  • Kale

Then see if it makes a difference on your waistline!

 

Good Reads

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books

Well hello! I have had a fun week packed with book club, trivia nights, fancy cocktails made by mixologists in 1920’s garb, and my favorite falafel. These are the links that caught my fancy this week!

When you love Les Mis a little too much, this is the blog for you.

Straight from the bartender’s lips – why that friend is always getting kicked out of your favorite spots. Here’s a hint, don’t take your dinner from the garnish tray.

Umm…this place has pretzel bombs filled with egg, cheese and bacon along with fruity pebbles doughnuts? Is it heaven?

Making it through the quarter life crisis

When you spend most of your day using electronics, here’s a clue on Balancing the time a day you spend looking at screens.

Another excuse for me not to watch the news – the stories you expose yourself to can lift you up or bring you down.

I knew there had to be a reason that all my friends were into guys with beards – they keep you young, healthy, and handsome!

Why being in your 20’s can be hard, in the words of your favorite female comediennes.

Ranking Disney Sidekicks – hot or not? Surprisingly, Sebastian is on the hot list.

Just another reason Martha Stewart is awesome.

What have you read this week?

Rooms with a View

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window trees

It turns out that while you thought you were just saving money by taking the room without a window, you may have been accidentally sabotaging your health and good mood. I have always loved living in pre-war buildings with large sunny windows overlooking a courtyard. Though I enjoy  turning my bedroom into a cave for sleeping with a combo of blackout curtains and blinds, there is nothing better than throwing open the shades on a sunny day and looking out to see trees, and now science (brought to me by an article I read on The Huffington Post) backs up why. A recent study completed by psychologists at the University of Illinois found that seeing nature from your windows has a positive effect on emotional health, mental acuity, and productivity. People who see green things – be it grass, trees, or flowers – felt healthier, more productive and less aggressive than people who only saw pigeons cooing in an alley, or looked straight into another apartment ‘s wall. Additionally people who had rooms with a view earned higher scores on cognitive function tests. This finding even extended to people recovering from an illness or medical procedure in a hospital. Patients with the option to see trees and  visit green spaces experienced lower pain, faster recovery, and increase longevity (read: longer lives).

 

So if you live in an urban location – like me in NYC! – I think the message is pretty clear. Get yourself to a park! And help to support even more legislation that promotes biodiversity by encouraging or requiring public spaces to use plants native to that area that will thrive and support the local animals and insects. When you’re apartment hunting, hold out for a space that looks out on greenery. Or at the very least, bring the park to your own home. Try planting ferns and wild flowers in plain view to boost your mood, and as an added bonus, house plants are shown to clean the air of harmful toxins for happier days and easier breathing.

 

Girl Scout Cookie Cocktails from Thrillist

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tagalong

As some of you may recall, I have a thing for Samoas (and girl scout cookies in general). I talked about how to make your own healthy samoas here, and my FAVORITE samoa ice cream here.  Blame it on my many years spent peddling the wares myself, or the fact that they’re seasonal so it always makes me want to snap up a few boxes before they’re gone.

Now Thrillist has gone and made my day with Girl Scout cookie inspired cocktail recipes! Finally, I no longer have to rely on my one favorite bartenders at Brother Jimmy’s to make me thin mint shots whenever I get the craving. Now I can make them all myself. And you can too! All I know is that I will be gathering up all my girlfriends, and perhaps a selection of my favorite rom coms to make ALL of these ASAP (right after my little cousin delivers my cookies!).

The Samoa by Kevin Diedrich, Jasper’s Corner Tap, San Francisco

How to make it: Measure out 2oz bourbon. Drink it. Nicely done! Okay, now measure out 2oz more of bourbon, plus 1oz cream, 1/2oz creme de cacao, 1/2oz egg white, and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Shake it all w/ ice, then top with the namesake cookie and shredded coconut (toasting coconut with flame torchy thingy optional).

The Tagalong by David Alan, Bar Consultant/Author, Austin
How to make it: Take 2oz rum, 3/4oz peanut rum creme, 1/4oz vanilla creme de cacao, and 2 dashes of mole bitters, shake it all vigorously with ice and strain it into a coupe. Now garnish with a mini-spoon scoop of peanut butter. Whatever you do, don’t Skippy that step.

The Thin Mint by Justin Fairweather, Evelyn Drinkery, New York
How to make it: Procure 1oz London dry gin, 3/4oz creme de menthe, 1oz creme de cacao, 2 scoops of vanilla bean ice cream, a handful of mint leaves, and 4 cookies. Put them all in a blender, pulse them until they’re almost smooth, then pour directly into your mouth a 16oz pint glass.

An End to all my Loose Magazine Pages in Folders

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netpage

Finally (finally!), there is a digital solution to my magazine feature hoarding. As some of you may recall, I subscribe to around 10 magazines monthly, and usually there is at least one article I want to pass along/recipe I want to cook/item I want to buy from each magazine I read. To avoid becoming one of those sad new stories where a woman is crushed to death by her massive pile of old newspapers caving in on her, I recycle my magazines every month. I either pass them along to others, or drop them in the appropriate bin in my building. Those stacks would build up way too quickly with that many magazines! To avoid losing the features I wanted to go back to, I have a complex system of organization I use when reading. When I see something I like, I fold the page in half (or if I am reading Lucky, I use one of these neat stickers), then go back and tear out the pages I want when I’ve finished the issue. The loose pages go into one of 2 folders: recipes and other, and sometimes spend some time laying around on my floor or dresser before I get the folders out. Then when I am finished with the article, I toss the loose pages. Genius right?

Well, now the wonders of technology have come to my rescue with an infinitely better system called NetPage. It’s an app that integrates with the camera on your iphone, and certain magazines (I’m looking at you Marie Claire for introducing me to it!). All you do is launch the app, point the camera at the item you like, and it stores a clipping of it in your NetPage favorites for you to go back to. It even offers suggestions of editor’s clips of the same feature that might be less blurry/more cleanly cropped than your own – especially handy if you’re taking the picture on the treadmill like me, where I do most of my magazine reading. Then you can access your favorites from the app or your web browser whenever you please, and share easily using email or most social media platforms without all the clutter of lose/poorly torn pages. I am saying sayonara to my folders and giving a big welcome to online organization! Yippee!

Roundup

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round up

I am always reading how if you have a blog, you should have a link roundup every so often, sharing your favorite things you’ve found on the internet lately. So here’s what I’ve been reading. Enjoy!

Because who doesn’t need a way (or 10) to rationalize buying tickets to the NKOTB, 98 Degrees, and Boyz II Men tour?

Try answering these questions instead of, “What’s your passion in life?”

If cheese is in the title of the recipe, it is probably delicious.

Just one more reason to have that glass of wine after work.

Now you know why people might be getting mad at your for your texts.

I should probably get paid to rep this company because I have converted so many people to this kind of sheets.  Only get the sateen, not the jersey knit.

You might be really shallow if you’re happy, or leading a meaningful life if you’re stressed. Or you might find both in happimeaningness.

I want nearly everything he makes, but I am pretty sure my life would seriously improve if I had this ring and these earrings.

I prefer to take my life lessons from hip hop songs, you?

If you’re thinking about shaving your head, you can look to these women for inspiration.

Just when you thought you had the most annoying coworkers in the world. Turns out someone else does.

Jennifer Lawrence is America’s Sweetheart, but why is everyone hating on Anne Hathaway? It’s all explained here.

Now you know why ginger ale settles your stomach.

What have you read lately that sparked your interest?