Wine and Love

Posted on March 1, 2012 by She Wears a Red Sox Cap

It’s time for another week of Wine and Love, brought to you by Nora <3

Wine

1. It’s always a bit depressing coming back from vacation… or should I say going from sunny red rocks to gray snow…

2. It was time for parent/conferences this week. I do like my parents this year, and I like the second conference because I get to show off all the progress of the kiddos, but it just makes the work week soooo crazy that I have to wine about them.

3. My tutoring kiddos are making me crazy right now. Two of them in particular are just checked out and no matter how much time I spend planning a fun things for them to do they are just not having it. There is a LOT that I prefer about older kids, but it can be said about kindergartners especially in the group environment it is not hard to get them excited about something. Sometimes I wish my older tutoring kiddos were the same way…

Love

1. I told myself on Sunday that no matter HOW busy this week got, I had to make sure I still had time to work out at least a few times. I am happy to say I was successful with this plan even when it meant a bit of a rushed run outside on Tuesday afternoon.

2. On Wednesday I had my yearly dermatologist appointment and it was SO fast. It was snowing out so I think some people did not show up because the doctor took me on time to the minute, and I was in and out in 15 minutes. I got home so early I had time for an unplanned walk in the snow (see love 3).

3. Eric and I went for a lovely walk in the snow on Wednesday. Sure I’d rather it be a walk in beautiful spring weather, but I’ll take the walk.

4. The snow that began yesterday has continued today, so both Eric and I had class canceled tonight. I was originally a little bummed because it’s my photo class, but Eric and I decided to use a Groupon to get some Mexican food which ended up being a nice end to a long day. Plus, the Groupon was for $30 which we never spend at this restaurant so we got dessert too. Yum… my first time tasting churros!

I have to say, I was really dreading this week on Sunday night… a lot going on at work, coupled with a dentist and a doctor’s appointment- I was just not excited. I have to say, it was a lot better than I expected! Wahoo!

What are your wine and loves this week?

5 Steps to Red Lips

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Boston Mamas

Last year I engaged in a quest to find the perfect shade of red lipstick. After I found it (more on that in a second), I reserved the look for evenings, but recently started sporting a red lip periodically for day events. At BlissDom, I decided to rock the red lip every day since my makeup is pretty neutral and I feel more finished with a bold lip. And I was admittedly a little shocked by the result — I received countless compliments (including people I didn’t know stopping me in my tracks!), and also many comments such as “Oh, I could never do that,” or “I have no idea how to find the right color.” So today, I wanted to share my 5 steps to red lips. Really, I think anyone can pull this off and it looks spectacular!

1. Seek professional consultation. If you are, like me, paralyzed when it comes to picking shades at the drugstore, visit a professional cosmetics counter. Yes, the high end products are more expensive than the drugstore products, but I probably spent more money experimenting (and failing) with drugstore shades compared to what I paid for the right colors. And make sure the folks at the counter actually assess your skin tone and try the shade on you before you buy it. I had one unfortunate encounter at Sephora (a place I typically love) where I asked for red lipstick recommendations and the salesperson simply picked out the bestselling store color and rang me up. I tried it on at home and it looked terrible and I ended up returning it. I was smarter the second time around and ended up at the Chanel counter at Nordstrom. They not only advised that the deep red I was envisioning would look Goth and not great on me, but they selected a fantastic shade that works well both for night and day.

2. Invest in the tools. At a professional makeup counter, you may be tempted to skip the lip pencil to save money, but you will need the pencil to help set the lines and prevent color bleed (aka “feathering”) around the lips. Following my Chanel consult, I purchased the Carmin #14 lip liner and Gabrielle #19 lipstick. The lip liner is especially awesome because it comes with a lipstick brush built into the other side. (Note: I was surprised to see how pink and brown, respectively, these products look online — all the more reason why you should go for an in person consult and save online shopping for once you have established your colors.)

3. Budget in extra time. Because red is such a strong color, I find that it requires more application precision than my usual super quick lip pencil + gloss. Allocate 10 or so extra minutes in your routine to quickly exfoliate your lips (I simply run a warm washcloth gently over my lips), add a little lip balm to moisturize, then apply the pencil and lipstick (use the brush for nice clean lines). Once you’re done, make sure you bring your lipstick and lip liner with you, as you will probably need to touch up periodically.

4. Maintenance. Red lipstick is, admittedly, a little more high maintenance. It’s definitely an eat-with-a-fork instead of chow-down-a-burrito type of lip color. However, I did not find that I needed to build in extra stops — at BlissDom, I simply checked my color whenever I happened to use the bathroom. Later in the day, I did find I needed to deal with a little feathering — easily remedied by running a bit of tissue along the edges of my lips to clean up the color bleed then reapplying. Also, make sure you check your teeth after application!

5. Try it. Own it. Many women who asked me about wearing red lipstick said they loved the look but “just couldn’t do it” or that it would “look terrible on them.” Yet, when I asked if they had ever tried, they said no, it was too intimidating. I conveyed the importance of steps 1-2, and that knowing you have the right shade helps with the confidence-to-wear factor (it certainly did for me!). Then once you procure the red, OWN IT. Try it at an evening event first, just to get your legs under you, then try it during the day. This may take a while — I found my red January 2011 and it wasn’t until the last couple of months that I started wearing it for day events, and then BlissDom was the first time that I have ever Gwen Stefani’d it and worn red three days straight. As I mentioned earlier, I loved how it looked and was shocked by the positive response!

Will you try red lipstick? I’m curious! You can see my red BlissDom lips here, and if you’re feeling really inspired and want to share, post up a photo of you rocking your red lips at the Boston Mamas Facebook page. It would be so fun to see your lovely faces!

Image credit: Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Quick Healthy Lunch Snapshot: Put Leftovers to Use

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Healthy Chicks

Whenever you find yourself in need for a quick lunch, whether you are running late to work or rushing to get the kids ready to head out the door, it’s always a good idea to access what you already have. Before you go out and spend $15 on an over-priced salad or sub, consider putting your leftovers to use first. It may not always come out pretty, but I can guarantee you’ll save money, feel good about what you’re putting into your body, and perhaps invent a new favorite recipe. Hey, you never know!

Here’s what I concocted this afternoon when crunched for time:

{sorry, this pic was taken from my Droid. Told you, I was pressed for time}

about 1/2 c. leftover brown rice spaghetti + few tablespoons of all-natural garlic marinara sauce + steamed broccoli & spinach from last night’s meal + a few baby bella mushrooms + 1/4 c. chickpeas + touch of freshly grated parmesan cheese + dash of garlic powder & black pepper

And there you have it. A lunch made in minutes. What’s your favorite way to put leftovers to use? Have you ever created a new favorite recipe based on a leftover combo?

XoXo,

I Love Boston Project

Posted on February 28, 2012 by She Wears a Red Sox Cap

I think you guys know I love travel, right? Ha ha. I’m having one of those moments though where I realize that I cannot live from one trip to the next. So I think, what do I really love about traveling? I really love planning fun things to do, doing fun things, exploring new places and most importantly I love spending time with whoever I am traveling with. Why can’t I do these things now… when it’s not vacation, even maybe when it’s not a weekend… whoa, a school night? Seriously, I need to always remind myself to appreciate the smaller moments in life.

Enter: The I Love Boston Project. To complete this project, I will do at least one fun activity with someone I love (or at least like a lot) every two weeks and blog about it. Hopefully I’ll do it even more, but I do want to make it realistic. There is no specific end date to this project but I’d like to keep it going at least through the summer. Of course the main purpose of this goal is for me to spend quality time with the lovely people in my life, but I also hope I give you guys some good ideas of things you may want to do if you ever visit me in Boston, or maybe even give you an idea of something you could do in your own city. So for that, I hope you join me and enjoy!

Here are some of the things I have in mind:

Hiking and Walking. I think I mentioned the other day, I really, really want to do some hiking around Boston. Please make sure I start this, soon. I also really want to do at least part of the Boston HarborWalk.

Brunch and Dinners. I never need to be convinced to visit new restaurants. One thing I really want to do is a trip to the top of the Prudential to eat at Top of the Hub but the question is will I eat brunch or dinner… tough decisions!

Breweries and Wineries. Can you believe I still have never visited Sam Adam’s Brewery?

Shows and Sporting Events. Did you know Chicago’s Second City is coming to Boston in March? Awesome. Plus you know I love my Boston sports. In fact, I think a college hockey game might be first on my list this weekend!

Road Trips. Yes, I know I said Boston, but forgive me if I sometimes extend it to short trips from Boston. I’d really like to see the Portland Maine Lighthouse. As usual, I’ll use the term “Boston” liberally to mean anything you can reasonably get to from Boston.

How do you always make sure to appreciate the ordinary days and not live from one vacation to the next?

It’s all about the foundation

Posted on February 28, 2012 by La vie j'aime

I was never much of a liquid foundation person. I used Bare Minerals through high school and most of college, but the past couple of years have experimented with different powders, tinted moisturizers for summer (Laura Mercier is my fave), and now liquids. As I get older (lol), my skin has been changing, and I’ve noticed a difference in needing a liquid for dryer, winter months.

My mom started using Givenchy’s Photo’Perfexion, and when she bought a shade too light for her skin, I benefied and became hooked. I love the lightness, how it’s fast absorbing, and it has a nice smell. Without a Sephora gift card, I really can’t justify the price. I recently tried Maybelline’s Fit Me Foundation and am now hooked on a product for under $10! It seems nearly identical to me with a similar light coverage and smell.

Maybelline: $6 vs. Givenchy $47

What type of foundation do you use? What’s your splurge and save?

My New Favorite Number – 22 & My Foodie Penpal

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Run For Fun

Monday is an amazing day of the week. Don’t you all agree? Don’t you all love Mondays? Well, I am LOVING Monday today. It has been pretty much the best Monday in a while, maybe even the best day I have had in weeks so I am going to smile from ear to ear and grin happy and soak it up. Other days may have disappointments ahead but today I am hopeful, happy, and very very thankful.

So why is this Monday amazing….well there is this

Today is a VERY good day as Girl Scout cookies are involved…

and there is this…

What do you want to celebrate with post ultra-sound? I know what I want!

and this…

Running today! Doctor’s orders!

And this

This shirt

Will soon have a matching skirt like this girl’s. Janine ~~offered to make me one~~ agreed after I stalked her. Janine maybe we should go in business together, I will sell the shirts and you the skirts

BUT most of all there is this….

My excited face post ultrasound

So did you guess yet, why 22 is my new favorite number? Welp, if you have not, I will try to contain my excitement as I tell you that is the size of my follicle! 22!!! YAYYYY. This is BIG news because it means that I am really close to ovulating. We need a follicle to be about 22 before they can trigger ovulation. So this is great. The doctor could trigger ovulation now but my uterine lining is 5. They want 6. The thought is that I will ovulate on my own but just in case we go back on Wednesday and if I have not ovulated they will give me a trigger shot of hcG! I was so excited I almost cried. The doctor was so proud of me and was like “Go Steph, way to grow that follicle! You did a good job.” And I was like yay for two eggs (the actual eggs you eat I mean) a day and lots of fat and sitting around. Aaron told me “way to negative split.” It works in this context, sure. To say I am excited is a bit of an understatement lol. I am riding the up side of the roller coaster right now. Just hoping it keeps going up.

OK, in other news, foodie penpal day! Have you heard of this? The awesome Lindsay of the Lean Green Bean puts it on and it is just what it sounds like. You sign up with Lindsay (all are welcome readers and bloggers) and you get a pen pal. You then send your pen pal gifts. At the same time you are sending gifts, someone else is sending you gifts as well. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me. It is not expensive, you are not supposed to spend more than $15, but people make good use of the money. This month I received a wonderful package in the mail from Maggie. It was perfect timing. I was in a bad mood that day and needed a pick me up and Maggie gave me a great big smile. I must really display my love for PB and my big protein and fat push because Maggie hit the nail on the head with peanut butter galore and I was ecstatic

I was so excited about these. Did not even knew they existed. Perfect because I have had to give up a ton of my favorite granola bars, including the PB nature valley in favor of just protein snacks. I was so psyched for this.

Again something I never knew existed. Instant peanut butter! Really! I can’t wait to try this in a smoothie because where else.

Besides this I also got some amazing other goodies, look at this stash

Chocolate, trail mix, a mug, fruit sticks, KIND bars. IT was like Hanukah come early haha

Thank you so so much Maggie! And thank you Lindsay for organizing this great event.

That is it for me folks. I have things to do, a follicle to grow, you know how it is…

Give me some good foods I can eat on my non-fiber days and tell me what was good about your Monday.

Cuddles and Bubbles with Ben

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Downtherabbithole

Well kids, the hills are alive with the soundsof lovemaking this week on The Bachelor. It’s the creepy Fantasy Suite episode!

Tonight, I was down at Brian’s grandmother’shouse. After explaining my Bachelor blogsituation, she insisted that we turn the train wreck on immediately. Her thoughts on Bachelor Ben: “I wouldn’teven want to keep him in a closet, he looks like a moose.”

Amber, my equally sarcastic sis, guest bloggedNikki’s date for me this evening, here she is with her short recap:

Ben meetsNikki in a lovely field with goats in Switzerland. They enjoy a picnic and then a helicopter swoops in and whisks them tothe top of the Alps. I was just waiting to see Julie Andrews out of the cornerof my eye, spinning in a circle and singing at the top of her lungs, but nodice. All kidding aside, it’s freaking beautiful up there.

They landthe helicopter on the edge of a cliff (literally the edge, it looked like itwas gonna fall to a fiery death). And have yet another picnic – whatever Nikkiis super cute and bubbly and normal and Ben will probably screw it upanyway. Then they go to a log cabin andNikki gets an invite to spend the night with creepy Ben. Nikki, who nowunderstands she’s going to have to go through with this staying overnightsituation gets really liquored up and jumps in the hot tub professing her lovefor him. So I’m guessing she’s goin home…

Okay, Rhi is back…

If Ben jumped off a bridge would you?

Lindzi, who really needs to get her roots doneand fix a few flyaway hairs, trots towards Ben awaiting her next Bacheloradventure. The producers must reallyhate this poor girl because she’s in for another death defying drop! At least she’s allowed to keep most of herclothes on this time. Instead of jumping out of a helicopter, she gets torepel 300 feet down a gorge. Aren’t wepast the adventure dates yet? Oh and Benlovers, if you swooned over the beefcake in a cowboy hat, wait til’ you see himin a rock-climbing helmet with a camera mounted to the top of it.

After Lindzi makes it to solid ground she’sinstructed to disrobe and immediately get in the Swiss hot tub. After a sensual soak, it’sdinnertime, and Bennie boy is wearing a bow tie to the table. Once again, the dinner conversation isriveting. He repeatedly congratulatesLindz on being really “open” and “vulnerable”. Is this all this guy has to talkabout?

Before he lets her eat anything, Ben immediately handsher an invitation and an antique key and invites her to stay “as a couple” inThe Bachelor fantasy suite. “As acouple” is ABC’s way of teaching teenage girls watching The Bachelor to onlyaccept keys to fantasy suites if you’re going to be “doing it” as a“couple”.

Don’t you wish every one-night stand or bedroominvite happened like that? There youare, overserved and slurring outside a bar with the dude you’ve been sloppilykissing in a corner most of the night, when he hands you an antique key and aninvite to his “fantasy suite.”

While America cringes and hides under their coffeetables, Lindzi announces that she likes where this fantasy suite date it isgoing, Just when you think the camera is going to pan away and we can allimagine Ben and Lindzi making baby colts in the Swiss adventure suite, we get avoyeuristic view of Lindzi and Ben’s lovemaking.

Hey Cow!

Oh, hello! Courtney and her baby voice are onthe loose in the Swiss Alps. Ben has planneda “Swiss” date for Courtney that includes a train ride and you guessed it, apicnic! Meanwhile, somewhere on a horsefarm in Florida Lindzi is throwing things at her television.

After the train ride, while Court & Ben areenjoying their 3^rd picnic together of the season, Ben shows off his“garden gnome” jig. Ben also tells Courtabout this awesome game he and his sister used to play called “Hey Cow”. To participate in a game of “HEY COW” onemust simply scream “HEY COW” at poor helpless grazing cows and if they turnaround, you win. Ben’s evil little game kindof reminded me of a game my sister and I used to play called “sock balls”. Thepremise of “sock balls” is simple: take offyour socks, roll them into balls and throw them as hard as you can at eachother.

Forgoing their Rooms

So Ben & Court talk about her bad behaviorand then she gets handed the key to the fantasy suite. They then go back to North Conway’s log cabinAdventure Suite and make out in a barrel.

Question: Is Ben bored with thesegirls, void of a personality or just plain stupid? Maybe he’s just a perv that went on The Bachelorto have 3 guaranteed nights in a “fantasy suite” with 3 very hot ladies.

Outcome: Like the spoiler alert I read 3 months agosaid, Lindzi and Courtney get the rose. Looks like Nikki’s back to cleaning teeth.

A Three Course Italian Feast: How to Cook Your Way to a Man’s Heart

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Healthy Chicks

If food really is the way to a man’s heart, I knew I had better be making my man the meal of all meal’s this past weekend. The Boy recently had a loss in his family, and rather than buying him an Edible Arrangement or a prewritten Hallmark card, I decided to get my little butt in the kitchen. I know just how much fresh garlic & seasonings, red wine and a home-cooked meal made with TLC can really mean (far more than any cliche gift in my book), and well that’s what I wanted to do.

So I thought, and I thought and I thought and I thought.

What would be extra special? What would really show how much I care?

And alas, the idea was born. It started out with a CD my sister had given me a while back filled with authentic Italian dinner music. Italian theme it was!

And then came the menu that I designed, printed out and placed aside the table settings with the card I had written him. Ristorante Di Amore or shall I say, “Restaurant of Love.” Here’s a mini preview below:

Primi (First Course): Field green salad with assorted vegetables; wine, cheese and bread plate with olive oil dip

Secondi (Second Course): Chicken marsala served with roasted garlic broccoli & whole wheat cous cous

Dolce (Dessert): Chocolate Mousse Cannoli from Mike’s Pastry (of course!)

For starters, we snacked on New Zealand sharp grass fed cheddar cheese I had picked up from Trader Joe’s with a glass of Malbec. We also enjoyed a nice big salad with field greens, cucumber, tomato, freshly grated parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

As The Boy finished his appetizers, I got to cooking. I had never made Chicken Marsala before, but found this recipe on Women’s Health online which I decided to modify a bit. I pretty much followed the recipe with a few minor tweaks, like substituting onion for shallot (since that’s what I had in the kitchen) and replacing half the flour with almond meal as I find it a great replacement for flours when breading or frying. You can view the original recipe here. It was surprisingly super easy to make, and tasted just like the authentic meals I’ve had at Italian restaurants, while using fresh, wholesome, healthy ingredients.

While the chicken was cooking, I roasted the broccoli in the oven – just chopped it up and drizzled with olive oil, lemon, garlic and a little bit of parmesan cheese and roasted for about 25 to 30 minutes. The cous cous was the easiest to make, as it literally cooks in five minutes. I just added a little lemon, thyme and fresh parsley to season and served it as a side.

The grand results?

{I swear it tasted MUCH better than it looks…I’ve never been the best food photographer}

And then there was dessert, and more wine. Seriously, is there any better way to end a romantic “I Love You” meal with a Chocolate Mousse Cannoli from Mike’s? I think not.

XoXo,

And The Oscar Goes To….2012

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Shopsarahmac

Cameron Diaz is my pick for BEST DRESSED at the Oscar’s last night. She defined Old Hollywood Glamour in this stunning, shimmering metallic Gucci gown adorned with Tiffany gems. Perfection!

I loved the simplicity of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Tom Ford frock. It totally says movie star. Only she could pull this cape off.

Can you say diva? That is what I think when I look at Jennifer Lopez in this Zuhair Murad dress. It is glam all the way!

Rooney Mara looks beautiful as a newcomer in this Givenchy number with amazing cutouts and a flowing train. I really loved this look.

Michelle William’s has nailed the red carpet with all her looks but this in particular is exceptional. With a vintage feel, the Louis Vuitton gown is simply beautiful and I love how she accessorized with a light pink clutch. Very Marilyn!

Weekly Blueprint

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Boston Mamas

Hello, hello! For those who were off last week I hope you had a great February vacation! I enjoyed a lot of relaxed and happy time with the girls on the front end of the week and then had an amazing time at BlissDom. It was fun to share around More Birthdays (client work), speak about doing less as a life strategy (the response was overwhelming…I can’t wait to write more about this topic), and celebrate Asha and my new book deal. Meanwhile, it’s a new week and l am looking forward to tackling it! Here are some handy/fun ideas to consider in this week’s Weekly Blueprint:

February 28: It’s not feeling tremendously wintery right now, but hopefully there will still be chili!

February 28: Laurel loves examining “nature treasures” with her microscope. Enjoy this bird-inspired microscope magic.

February 29-March 4: Oh my goodness I totally want to take Laurel to this spectacle of acrobatics.

February 29-March 25: I think it’s awesome that there will be an art exhibit inspired by spring mud.

March 2: Maple sugaring season = yum.

March 2: Read, read, read in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday!

March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Free Film Fridays are back!

At your leisure: Tackle one small decluttering project. I’m going to take 10 minutes to declutter the two high-value-real-estate-yet-full-of-junk-drawers in our kitchen. I am weirdly looking forward to it!

At your leisure: If you haven’t done so already, get your tax materials together.

At your leisure: Say a heartfelt thank you to someone. When I was at BlissDom this weekend, I think my eye was very trained on all the details (and amazed by how seamlessly everything came off!). I took the time to express thanks throughout — to the food service staff, the tech staff who handled my session, the sponsors who helped support the conference, etc. After the event, Asha and I were dashing off to the closing party and I was amazed to see how fast the booth expo staff was breaking down and cleaning up. Having interfaced with these folks (on behalf of the More Birthdays booth), I was definitely tuned into how amazing they were all weekend. I asked Asha to hang on a moment and walked over and expressed my thanks to them for everything they did. The two women looked so happy and said, “That is so nice! No one ever says thank you!” Little expressions of gratitude go a long way.

Image credit: thank you cards by photospell via Etsy