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Thursday, November 28, 2013

Train Your Brain

We were dealing with mold in our old apt. One of the symptoms of mold exposure is a deterioration in brain functions. Our doctor recommended the website Lumosity as a way to train our brains. The brain games are pretty fun! http://www.lumosity.com/

image via lumosity.com

Who's Ready for those Post-Thanksgiving Sales?



I love eating. I love saving money. So Thanksgiving and all the zany sales afterward are a pretty good combination! I have actually never physically gone shopping during Black Friday, but it seems like the high would rival an insane narcotic bender. (Someone please confirm?) 

These are some deals that got me giddy:

Target is offering an iPad Air 16GB Wi-Fi for $479.00 AND a free $100 Gift Card! 

Walmart is also selling the iPad mini for $299 and a $100 bonus Gift Card.

image via apple.com
Deal at Target
In store at Walmart


If you prefer an iPad alternative, the Microsoft Surface 32GB HD (without the keyboard) will be on sale for $199 at Best Buy, and Microsoft stores. Walmart is selling the Surface with a black touch cover for $249, but the steal is from Micro Center for both the tablet and black touch cover for $179 (in store only)!
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Yay to Thanksgiving!

Good morning! Happy Thanksgivukkah! Thank you so much for joining me on my page + blog. I started writing in my blog 3 years ago. Even when I was contributing articles for a magazine, it was my own blog post that I most looked forward to writing. Life's little joy for me, and you guys make it even more fun! Here's a pic from one of my first posts when I was still new to NYC!



Wednesday, November 27, 2013

How to Break Down BO from Clothes

You may wear antiperspirant but still sweat onto your clothes. Or find the perfect shirt at a thrift shop and need to rid it of BO. I tested out spraying 1:1 white vinegar/water mix to remove odor, but it either didn't help or clothes smelled like vinegar! I made a paste out of baking soda and water, and this mix destroyed odor and broke down the layer of antiperspirant that can get on clothes and trap bacteria. I highly recommend baking soda!

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Getting Rid of Sweat Stains

It's the epic battle between stinking or yellowing up your shirts. Have you tried any of these sweat stain removal strategies? 


From Wonderhowto.com
Amazing stuff there!


Monday, November 25, 2013

Fashion at the 2013 AMAs


Miley Cyrus arrived in a very sleek, androgynous look. No bare midriff, underboobage, or thighs here. I loved it. And two thumbs up for keeping her tongue in her mouth!
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Riri got sleek AND vampy. The bottom half looked a bit Halloweenish (S&M?).
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Taylor Swift's choice of outfit had some media outlets nicknaming her the Golden Goddess. I usually love the sophisticated looks she brings to the Red Carpet, but this was strange to me.  Her fluffy 90s hairdo with the nude panel looked awkward. Taylor, what happened to your gorgeous hair? What do you think of this look?
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Oddly enough, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wore the same dress for a Glamour shoot with One Direction. And she looked really good in it! I think it's definitely easier to cheat to look good in a photo shoot (angles, still shots, clips in the back), but the dress probably also just works better on a curvier woman.


A big fat THANK YOU...and what happens going to Pennsylvania!

I know that I'm not the best at keeping up with this blog. And yet, many of you keep this on your reading/browsing list. So thank you!

I'm fully aware that people accidentally stumble upon this page after googling key words such as "porn" and "face of herpes". (The stats page is fun to read, y'all.) Although I'm a bit perplexed by the number of you folks still using Internet Explorer as your preferred browser. Also, aol email addresses weird me out.

And believe me, my opinion counts.

Slumber Party Joni agrees. 

Thursday, November 21, 2013

My NYC Peeps! A DELICIOUS grand opening!


My buddy Robie told me that Xi'an Famous Foods is having a grand opening on the Upper West Side on Dec. 7. And if you like them on Facebook, you get a coupon for free food that day. I love the lamb burger, and my friend Allison loves the lamb face salad. Yes, that's right, lamb face. 

Dat lamb burger tho!
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Info: http://xianfoods.com/upper-west-side-grand-opening/

And here's a pic of Anthony Bourdain enjoying some burgers and salads at Xi'an to give some cred. And because Renee thinks he looks like my husband Andrew.


image via newyork.seriouseats.com

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Let the trial begin!

I have spotties on my face. One of the sun spots is huge. And it matches my mom's and my grandmother's. Weird! Oh, even better. Their spots grew with age.  Like they were feeding the dang thangs!



Day #1 of using Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector! 3 friends of mine swear this stuff works.  Although I believe it took more than 3 months for the results to really kick in.  Anyone else have any experience with this product? I'm pretty sure I'm bleaching my face off.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The Opposite of Food Porn

Sometimes I feel bad about not being a great cook for my husband. But then I look at cookingforbae's Instagram and feel much better. #struggleplates

images via cookingforbae on Instagram

Monday, November 11, 2013

We Heart You, Philippines.

image via cnn.com
It is so heartbreaking to see the effects of Typhoon Haiyan. When I visited the Philippines over 10 years ago, I was struck by the warmth and happiness of the people.  In an email today, a Filipina friend described the situation with a positive outlook: "Surely we will weather this with hopeful spirits." This devastation, and yet, such hope.  I don't know.  I hope to see people moving forward.  But I also understand that it may be a huge struggle.

If you plan to contribute money toward the relief efforts in the Philippines, I recommend checking out Charity Navigator to make sure your money is being efficiently used toward the services in which you are interested.  It's unfortunate that you have to also be aware of scam organizations that seek to profit from disaster donations.  Charity Navigator provides information and ratings that will help you feel at peace about where your money is going. Here is a link that can get you started in your search for a charity that is a good fit for you.  Also, some companies will match employee donations to charities so check if you have that option!

I wrote a post on Memorial Day that included Charity Navigator as an important tool for determining which organizations to work with in helping families of troops and veterans. The post included several ways to support these military families, including volunteer work and item donations.  Seeing that today is Veterans Day, it seemed nice to revisit the idea of helping our military men and women in need.

PS. When I went on these charity websites, I felt overwhelmed by all the human crises around the world. Yes, there are natural disasters, but in addition to those catastrophes, there are ongoing wars and relief efforts. It's nuts to think about the comforts of my American life.  It kind of makes me feel like an asshole, but it also reminds me to be grateful.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Anker Astro 2 External Battery for My Cell Phone is My HERO

I finally made a video of my experience with my Astro External Battery for my cell phone. I LOVE it! The battery, not the video. Bloopers at 7:19...this was actually my 2nd attempt because the 1st one was so bad.