Day 22: Layering chains

I know, I know, this trend has been around for a while. But I can't help but love this new combination of chains I've put together!

Let me rewind. My mom drilled into my head that a girl/lady/woman should always wear a necklace.  

And you know how the things that our moms say echo in our heads for decades to come? This is why my neck feels naked if I leave the house without one. It doesn't matter if it's gold or silver, delicate or bold.  It can be whimsical, or a basic monogram. It can even be a plain simple chain with no pendent, but chances are if I'm walking out the door I've got something metallic dangling around my neck.  

With the recent trend of layering two or three (maybe even four?) chains, I added this new "free" chain I got from Scotch and Soda with my gold Tiffany's key pendent. Could there be a greater juxtaposition of chains?  One was literally free, like the kind of necklaces that come attached to a shirt you buy at high end stores, and the other was a push present for my second child! The chain I usually wear is longer, but I've recently started wearing it at a shorter length.  The seashell necklace is gold in color, but I'm not even sure what the material is.  And frankly, I could care less.  I just know that it won't last long, and I will wear it until it goes green! Matched with a grey Levi's tee and a wool BCBG Maxazria royal blue sweater, the seashell brings a bit of the beach to my winter gold. 

Day 20: New workout clothes for a New You!

So I have a confession to make. It is Day 20 of the new year and I still haven't been to the gym yet. This very unlike me! I usually hit the gym really hard the beginning of the year, and it counteracts all the poor food decisions of the previous month. Maybe I'm still recovering from the holidays, but this week I have no excuses.  

You want to know why? Because I just got a new workout wardrobe!  

I just couldn't resist a sale, and with it I got enough fun pieces to ensure that I go to the gym more than once a week. Sometimes you just need that extra push, that extra motivation like a workout buddy, a new playlist you can't stop listening to, or some light as air printed leggings from Reebok and Addidas.  

Need something more casual yet warm to wear when you run outside? Try a pastel colored retro Addidas sweatpants. Pair these bottoms with a few coordinating tees, along with a geometric Puma sports bra, and you're "Ready ta ga!"

Day 17: Doing something for you and yours - Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

This week started off on a tired note. After coming back from a two week trip that had eight flights, six hotels, one cruise, and two kids, we were beyond exhausted. As I passed by the flower shop on the way home from picking my little one up from school we decided to pick up a bouquet. For no special occasion, just for us.  I guess we were celebrating being home for an entire week, so that we could enjoy a bouquet of flowers! When we got home my little one asked if we could make cookies. Not wanting to disappoint him, I obliged. I found a simple recipe on allrecipes.com and halved it (I didn't want to be forced to eat my way out of a pile of cookies) and we both got to work.  

I really like this recipe. It is a no frills, very simple recipe to follow. It also gives perfectly crispy on the outside - soft and gooey on the inside cookies. I did make a few changes however, add a 1:3 whole wheat flour ratio and added some flaked coconut. I like having that subtle crunch in there instead of using nuts.  Feel free to omit the coconut, change to 100% all purpose flour, or add nuts. Another note is to let the cookies out just before they harden on the outside.  Keep them on the pan for about ten minutes instead of transferring them to a baking sheet.  This will let them bake the rest of the way giving you that soft and chewy inside.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose white flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels
1/2 cup flaked coconut (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).

2.  Cream the butter with the sugars.  Beat in the egg followed by the vanilla extract.

3.  In a small bowl mix the baking soda with the hot water.  Add to the batter.  Add the salt and the flour, followed by the chocolate chips and coconut.

4.  Spread parchment paper onto baking sheets.  Drop spoonfuls on to the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Makes about 20 servings.

Day 351: Lotion on the go!

With winter and dry weather fast approaching, keeping your skin well hydrated is important. And nothing takes more damage than your hands. I've gotten into the habit of tossing one tube of L'Occitane hand cream into all my bags. It is part of my on flight carry bag I take with me as well. They also make good stocking stuffers!  

Day 297: Hot journals

I am obsessed with journals. I don't know what attracts me to them. Maybe because a new one is like a blank canvas, the endless white untouched pages just waiting to be used. I collect them, and have them in all shapes in sizes. Hard covers, soft covers. Lined, unlined. Large ones that rival newly released books, and small ones that can fit in the palm of my hand. In fact these smaller ones are great because I toss them in my purse in case I need to make a note of something, or keep never ending grocery lists.  

When I travel I use them to make notes both before I depart. Any research I've done pre-trip like places to go, restaurants to try, and other must-sees. During the trip, I still jot down things I've discovered or epiphanies I've made. I tend to shop for them too when I travel. Airports and museum gift stores are my favorite spots. On my latest trip I picked up a Dan Bennett Magneto Blank book at the Dusseldorf airport. I was attracted to the colorful cover. I had picked up a planner with his art in 2010 from the San Francisco art museum store. This airport by the way had many notebooks to chose from, and I even saw them a new Moleskin store set to open up as well!  

One of the smallest notebooks that I have, and incidentally the most expensive one, is from Smythson in London. This featherweight paper that was copyrighted in 1916 is so elite that each page is watermarked. The patent leather covers come in many colors and you can even get one with a cheeky phrase. I chose one in a hot pink color that said "Supermum" in bold, gold embossed letters. When I got it packaged the cashier asked me if it was a gift, and I said "Yes, it's a gift for me."  

Day 266: Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

"Fresh" from my trip to the French and Italian Riviera, I fell in love with yet another European breakfast staple. When you order the drink, the bar keeper will pull out fresh oranges and make the juice right on the spot. You can't get more fresh than that!

When I got home, along with croissants, I longed for the sweet tang of those morning juices. Packed away in the back of my kitchen cupboard is a simple manual squeezer with a glass jar attached to it. I pulled it out of it's retirement and put it work!Though it looks very nice, I found that my wooden lemon squeezer and a good old fashioned fork were more effective.  

I got four large naval oranges and cut them in half, not along the core but perpendicular to it. With the four oranges I got about 12 ounces, or a serving and a half. It was juice enough to quench my thirst, but to enjoy more I may have to resort to buying it from the grocery store!

Day 245: You do you

Happy September! With Fall right at our fingertips, it's a great time to take inventory of your wardrobe. I'm someone who doesn't follow trends, though I like to window shop and gather ideas from my favorite fashion magazines. I came across this in the latest issue of Marie Claire. This is so true for me, even from when I was a teenager.  It's so important for you to do you!