Category Archives: Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites: Polar Vortex Edition

Posted on by
1

Welcome to Friday Favorites, the Polar Vortex edition! I never imagined I’d be writing about the damn Polar Vortex in mid-November, but alas, here we are. So here, dear reader, are a few items to help you get through the fall-turned-dead-of-winter this year:

sweatshirtThug Life Shirts ‘I Am Freaking Cold’ sweatshirt
This sweatshirt is high on my Christmas wish list. I figure it will save me tons of time since I won’t have to spend every day of the next few months whining about how freaking cold I am!

hot_cinn_spice_tea

Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea
There are many winter days when the promise of a cup of Harney & Sons’ Hot Cinnamon Spice tea is the only thing that will pry me out of my warm bed in the morning. Hot Cinnamon Spice is a blend of black tea, cinnamon bark and other spices, and orange peel. It’s so naturally sweet, it’s hard to believe there’s no sugar in it. Harney & Sons supplies tea to Caribou Coffee, so you can also find it packaged under the Caribou label.

navy_leather_Uggs

Ugg Australia – Women’s Classic Short Leather in Peacoat
Maybe it’s the former Californian in me talking, but I will give up my Uggs when someone pries them off my cold, dead feet! I don’t care if they’re uncool and I don’t care if they’re ugly. They’re just so damn cozy! My only qualm about Uggs has always been that the suede ones aren’t waterproof…not so much a problem in LA, but definitely an issue just about anywhere else in the winter. That’s why I’m giddy with excitement over this waterproof leather version. The “Peacoat” and “Oxblood” colors are particularly lovely. And, just in case anyone out there is looking for the perfect holiday gift for me, I wear a size 8.

enviro-logEnviro-Log Fire Logs
I love Enviro-Logs. They’re made from 100% waxed cardboard and burn cleaner than firewood. (They emit 30% less greenhouse gases, 80% less carbon monoxide and 86% less creosote.) Enviro-Logs light easily and the 5 lb. firelogs burn for about 3 hours. I usually buy cases of Enviro-Logs at Whole Foods, but they’re now available on Amazon and ship for free using Amazon Prime.

turquoise_hootyHooty Microwaveable Plush Owl
Hooty is one of Biggie’s and Smalls’s favorite things. This little guy is stuffed with millet grains and dried lavender and can be warmed up in the microwave or chilled in the freezer. We’ve never tried chilling it, but we warm up the girls’ owls every night before bed in the winter. Hooty is super soft, smells wonderful and stays warm for about 20 – 25 minutes. We warm our Hooties for about a minute and a half because they tend to get a little “sweaty” if warmed much more than that. (OK, that just sounded all kinds of wrong!)

Friday Favorites

Posted on by
Reply

Party Down 2009 Key art

Party Down, Starz Network Original
Party Down, a half-hour comedy series that ran on Starz network from 2009-2010, is the funniest damn show you’ve never seen. Sadly, though it was a favorite of television critics, Starz cancelled the show after only two seasons due to low ratings. The series features an oddball group of aspiring actors and screenwriters in Los Angeles who work as catering waiters to pay the bills. The cast reads like a “who’s who” of some of the best comedic actors working today. It includes, Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Lizzy Caplan and Megan Mullally along with an assemblage of amazing guest stars. It is laugh-until-you-cry funny. And, lucky you, Party Down is streaming on Netflix.

L'Occitane_shower_oil

L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil
L’Occitane’s Almond Shower Oil is heavenly! Like so many of L’Occitane’s products, this stuff smells divine and the light, almond scent stays with you all day. It’s darn near magical as well. When you pour out Almond Shower Oil, it has the consistency of a thick body oil, but mix it with water and rub your hands together, and it transforms into a foamy body wash. Amazing, I tell you! It moisturizes like an oil, but doesn’t leave you feeling slimy. This shower oil is the absolute best thing for keeping your skin from getting dry and flakey in the dry winter air, so stock up now.

Vidalia_Chop_Wizard

Vidalia Chop Wizard
OK, I’m not one who falls for “As Seen on TV” gadgets and I probably would have pooh-poohed this one if a friend hadn’t recommended it to me. I love my Chop Wizard! As the name indicates, It’s wonderful for dicing onions quickly and easily, but you can really use it to chop virtually any vegetable or firm fruit. You should see how fast I can whip up a batch of veggie chili using this baby! I like to chop up a couple onions all at once and then freeze them in separate zip-lock freezer bags. That way, I always have diced onions ready when I’m trying to throw together a quick meal on a weeknight. The Chop Wizard can be thrown in the dishwasher and all the parts pack up together for storage. Good lord, have I officially turned into a housewife, or what?

BedtimeMath

Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late by Laura Overdeck
I never thought I’d see two children fighting over who gets a book of math problems next, but Biggie and Smalls both love Bedtime Math (and will argue about any damn thing, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised). Biggie is an avid reader with simply no time for math. The sight of a math worksheet is enough to throw her into an instant homework tizzy. Smalls, on the other hand, adores math and could do word problems all day long. Amazingly, I found this series of books that’s perfect for both girls. The problems in Bedtime Math are humorous and the illustrations are fun and colorful. Also, each “story” is followed by three different levels of problems, so the books work well for a range of ages.

jeni's_ice_ceam_9

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
I consider myself a bit of an ice cream aficionado. Hell, the amount of it I ate during my two pregnancies alone gives me the right to judge. And, in my humble opinion, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams are the absolute best. They’re insanely creamy and chock full of the world’s freshest, yummiest ingredients. (Sorry…I’m prone to hyperbole when it comes to Jeni’s ice cream.) Jeni’s has some amazing year-round flavors like my two favorites: Salty Caramel and Brown Butter Almond Brittle. Jeni (yes, there is a real, live Jeni) also does a range of seasonal flavors that you sure as heck won’t find in your usual grocery store freezer section. The recent “Late Summer Harvest Collection” included Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk, Backyard Mint, Sweet Cream Biscuits and Peach Jam, and Sweet Corn and Black Raspberries. I mean, come on! Jeni’s, which is based in Columbus, OH, has opened a handful of “Scoop Shops” in the US, but can also be found in gourmet stores and ordered online from Jeni’s website.

Friday Favorites

Posted on by
Reply

It’s a rainy Friday here in Atlanta, perfect conditions for online shopping and maybe even making some homemade almond milk. Do I know how to party or what? 
mally_face_defenderMally Beauty Evercolor Poreless Face Defender
Just yesterday, I was standing in front of the mirror thinking, “My skin looks pretty good for a 45 year old.” Then I made the mistake of looking at myself with my glasses on! Yikes! Apparently, there’s a damn good reason our vision starts to go downhill the same time our faces start to show some serious wear and tear. Enter Evercolor Poreless Face Defender by Mally Beauty. This stuff is magic and that’s no exaggeration. No regular pressed or loose face powder is truly translucent. It tends to settle into fine lines and make aging skin look crepey. Not pretty. Mally’s Evercolor Poreless Face Defender, on the other hand, is totally invisible, yet it leaves your skin looking dewy, but not oily, it erases large pores and imperfections and it’s light and velvety on your skin. It’s kind of like an airbrush for your face. Like I said…magic.

hanky_panky_boyshortsHanky Panky boyshorts
Hanky Panky’s boyshorts are my very favorite undies. They’re sweet but sexy, super comfortable, and they don’t show lines even under my skinny jeans. They also come in an incredible array of colors and patterns. They are, admittedly, pretty spendy, but mine have lasted years with machine washing in a lingerie bag and hanging dry. And, Hanky Panky has many different styles, from low-rise thongs to vintage-style, high-waisted briefs, if boyshorts aren’t your thing.
woolrich_whitecap_bootWoolrich Whitecap Bootie Slippers
I’m one of those people who, unapologetically, still wears Uggs. I love my Uggs. Maybe it’s the LA girl in me. I used to tell Ad Man I wanted a pair to wear as slippers in the house in addition to the ones I wear outside (we’re shoes-off in-the-house people). Unfortunately, that would be a ridiculous amount of money to spend on slippers. Luckily, I found the perfect alternative last fall. These Woolrich Bootie Slippers are cute, warm and easily as cozy as Uggs. I actually look forward to cold weather so I can pull these babies out of the closet.harvey_milk_stampHarvey Milk Forever Stamps
Harvey Milk was an American politician who became the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He was also an outspoken advocate for for the LGBT community. It is about time he be be honored with a U.S. postal stamp and take his rightful place beside other, more well-known, civil rights leaders in our country. “It takes no compromising to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no survey to remove repressions.” -Harvey Milk

homemade_almond_milkHomemade Almond Milk
And speaking of milk (har, har), I feel it’s my duty to tell you how easy it is to make your own almond milk. Stop buying the stuff in the carton! All you need is raw almonds and water. Easy, peasy. If you’re feeling a little more energetic, my very favorite almond milk recipe from Oh She Glows (a fantastic vegan cooking website) adds a bit of vanilla, a pinch of cinnamon and a few dates for sweetness. It’s absolutely delicious!

Ellie's_nut_milk_bagEllie’s Bigger, Better Nut Milk Bag
And, a bonus favorite thing today is my new nut milk bag! (The jokes practically write themselves.) The process of making almond milk and other nut or coconut milks is pretty simple. Depending on your preference, you may choose to soak your nuts overnight. You then throw the nuts, some water and any other ingredients you like to use for flavoring into the blender until everything has been mixed to a pulp. Then, you get to the only tricky part of making nut milks…straining the liquid from the pulp. I have done this with both a fine sieve and cheesecloth in the past and, while either method does the trick, they tend to be messy and a bit of a pain. To make this process much, much easier, get yourself a good nut milk bag (try to say it without giggling). With a nut milk bag, you just pour the pulp mixture from the blender into the fine mesh bag, tie it closed and squeeze out all the liquid. Homemade almond milk is less expensive and so much yummier than the almond milk you buy at the grocery store!

Friday Favorites

Posted on by
Reply

Because I really should have skipped law school and become a personal shopper instead, MommyEnnui will have a new weekly feature starting today. In Friday Favorites, I will feature a random selection of my favorite things…five favorite things to be exact because, well, it’s fun to say. Feel free to comment with a few of your favorite things. I may just include them in a future list.

Working_Hands1. O’Keefe’s Working Hands Hand Cream
I have to give a shout-out to my dad and step-mom for introducing me to this amazing hand cream. I’ve tried so many different creams, cuticle oils and even moisturizing gloves looking for something that would heal my dry, ragged cuticles, to no avail. That was until I tried O’Keefe’s hand cream. This stuff truly is magic! Also check out O’Keefe’s Healthy Feet Moisturizing Foot Cream. Ad Man swears by it.
leather_baggu_bag2. Leather Baggu bag
I’m a huge fan of Baggu’s ripstop nylon reusable bags. They come in lots of fun colors and patterns, are practically indestructible, fit tons of stuff, are machine washable and fold up tiny so you can carry a bunch of them in your purse or stuff them in your car’s glove compartment. But you know what I love even more than Baggu’s reusable bags? This luscious version they’re now making in leather! Isn’t it gorgeous? I soooo need one. Ad Man, are you listening?

Fiona Bra by Moving Comfort? - Blush/Crimson3. Moving Comfort sports bras
I’m a 34D which makes it difficult to find supportive sports bras that aren’t absolutely hideous. When I started a running program a while ago, I made do by either layering two tank-style compression sports bras or even ran with my hands across my chest at times trying to keep those babies from bouncing me right off the treadmill. Then, I discovered Moving Comfort bras. I’ve since worn a couple different styles from Moving Comfort and they’ve all been wonderful. They’re cute, supportive enough for high impact sports and don’t squash your boobs beyond all recognition.

A_for_Abigail4. A is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women by Lynne Cheney
After you’ve gotten over the shock of me recommending something written by a member of the Cheney family, hear me out. This is a fantastic book that celebrates a diverse group of history-making American women. Every girl will be able to find a hero here. Honorees include founding mothers, artists, scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs, journalists, educators, feminists and sportswomen. Biggie and Smalls love this book and I so wish I’d had one like it growing up.

duralex_picardie5. Duralex Picardie glass tumblers
Duralex’s Picardie tumblers are a French design classic for a reason. They come in a wide range of sizes from a tiny juice glass to a tumbler that’s perfect for a decadently large, ice cold beer. When Biggie was transitioning from a sippy cup to a “big-girl” glass, I bought the small size tumblers for her. Duralex uses tempered-glass, so they’re perfect for kids, they hold both hot and cold drinks, and can be thrown in the dishwasher or microwave. I brew hot tea directly in a large size glass and then dump in a bunch of ice to make iced tea. I also love that the bottoms are completely flat, so you don’t get an annoying puddle of water in each one that you have to dry when unloading the dishwasher. It’s the little things that make me happy.