THICK GOOEY AWESOME
Cotelac, one of my all time favorite brands, is a French company with two stores in NYC (Soho and the Upper East Side). It is very French, but more practical, motherly, rustic, classic than the other French brands I am in love with (Isabel Marant, Roseanna, Maison Olga, Vanessa Bruno, etc…). All of the clothes are machine washable and low maintenance. Each season, I buy a version of the tie dye jean which I can never have too many of. In addition to my new jeans, I also bought a pair of leggings which I am dying over. They are unique but subtle, versatile and comfortable, and perfect for layering in the cold winter months.
I ordered a size bigger than normal to have it baggy at the ankle
Smudging is the act of burning sage (or other dried herbs, but most commonly sage) and is an ancient art, considered one of the oldest and purest forms of cleansing a person or place. I love the hippy dippyness of cleansing a room or the spirit of a person with the strong, distinct smell of smoldering (sage) smoke.
Me getting smudged. Negative energy BE GONE!
I love my friends, and I love my friends’ friends! So it is no surprise that I now have a crush on chef / author / food expert / culinary entrepreneur, Kenny Lao, who I met through a mutual good friend, Lynn. I had the opportunity to interview Kenny, and hear more about his book Hey There, Dumpling! Take a look.
Confession: I was scared to buy this book as making dumplings seem a little “advanced” and “sophisticated,” But as soon as I opened the cookbook, I couldn’t put it down. Every page of the book was fascinating and interesting. RUN AND BUY IT. AND COOK THESE DUMPLINGS.
Super early in the morning, I tend to browse the Natori website, searching for the next addition to my ever-growing collection of Natori goodies. So when I came across Natori’s new Pure Allure Brief in its + Support collection, I immediately clicked-clicked-clicked (YUP, this homegirl loves granny panties!). While I’ve always been a fan of big undies (Feathers Undies and Bliss Undies), reading “+” and “support” made me a tad bit skeptical. But low and behold, the undies blew me away and immediately became my new favorite pair of undies EVER.
When you have a round tush like this (front and center), you need some “support.” #PolishTush #Badankadank. And yes, in this picture, I am sporting the Pure Allure Panties (and no panty lines!)
Not that any of you asked, but for the 0.5% of the people that are interested in the running aspect of my recent marathon, here it goes! (I am an over-sharer, not an under-sharer). Marathons are HARD MOTHERS, like flipping H-A-R-D. Not only is it a physical exercise, but it is also a mental / emotional / spiritual challenge. Somehow, you have to dig down into your body and make it happen — and like I said before, it is only you yourself that can make it happen….so the race recap, begins!
I am SOOOO beyond heinous in this picture ( I AM A ONE EYED MONSTER!), but I think it is a good image of what a marathon feels like (this is post marathon — notice my medal). My eye is half closed, my body hurts, I am trying to smile but I can’t. I AM A HOT MESS. But proud of it.
For someone who likes to push myself physically, I often get lazy with cooking breakfast. I have normal routines of smoothies, yogurt and granola, but I always crave more protein and less carbs. So, when I found the perfect protein packed muffin, I was instantly sold. Tastes like pure carbs (my favorite), but packed with protein (it makes you JACKED — get the name) and probiotics. CHA-CHING.
Mighty muffins by Flap Jacked.
I was fortunate enough to run the Chicago Marathon this past Sunday, and man oh man, what a rush, joy, privilege and honor it was! Sorry for so many marathon posts (YUP, fully addicted #cantstopwontstop), but here is the recap from my weekend. First and foremost, huge shout out to two special people that made this weekend possible: Michelle, my dear friend I met on the course at the Paris Marathon this past April, who hosted me and was so generous and giving; and my bestie in the whole wide world, Amy, who flew across the country to support me and my crazy habit. Thank you thank you thank you thank you. I love you! And of course, also another thank you to my running-widow-husband who allows me to disappear and do what I love… thank you!
My bib. And a ticket for a free beer after the race (didn’t use it). Notice, I was in the slowest wave which mentally handicapped me for a little bit. That said, I managed to get through it and overcome.
Seaweed Sesame Seed Seasoning (Sally sold seashells at the seashore?) is my favorite touch to any dish. My freshman year in college, I was randomly placed in an all Asian hall (maybe the reason I ended up marrying Ken?) and therefore quickly learned many Asian customs and preferences (rice cookers, chopsticks, bowls for food, etc…). One of the best take-aways from that experience (definitely not my crazy roommate) was a Seaweed topping for rice. It simply is a small canister with seaweed and spices. Currently, my favorite variety of this seasoning is Seaweed Gomasio. And man oh man, is it good!
All of Eden Organic products are healthy, original, and delicious. ESPECIALLY, this seasoning!
And so it happened……my (soon-to-be-6-year-old) son lost his first tooth this past Sunday.
Bottom tooth be gone!
Fall is in full swing and I am (incredibly) nostalgic about sunshine, bathing suits, vacation, less scheduled time, and popsicles. So throwback (#MondayMemories — such a thing, HA!) to August when we traveled with our best friends (who don’t like the internet) and all our kids to one of my favorite places to travel: Sunriver, Oregon. Growing up, we would go there twice a year for family vacations; always to ski. Winter ski trip and Spring ski trip. Only once did I go to Sunriver in the summer, when I was invited in middle school with a friends’ family. Our trip this summer did not disappoint and we thoroughly enjoyed each and every minute — activities, relaxation, and quality time all together.
An ice cream a day keeps the doctor away. A crowd favorite, ice cream (and candy) from good ‘ol Goody’s!
A couple of weeks ago when we got back to NYC after our summer out west, I knew that my schedule was going to be demanding and all-over-the-place (what’s new?). I knew that I didn’t want to eat cereal / protein bars / kids leftovers for my quick lunches, so as a solution, I ordered a kit from Urban Remedy, a new line of raw, ready-to-eat snacks, meals, cold-pressed juices and energy boosting tinctures. Not only were the meals fresh and healthy, but they were unbelievably tasty. I’m ready to place my next order!
Yes, part of my “crazy busy schedule” was me watching tennis with my father. But it is family bonding time, right? Urban Remedy turned out to be the perfect travel meals/snacks.
