RANDOM WORD: Clairvoyance

Noun

1. The supposed power to see objects or events that cannot be perceived by the senses. 
2. Acute intuitive insight or perceptiveness. 

Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/clairvoyance

Men's Health: January/February 2008

What we gonna right here is go back...way back...back in time...

I do believe that Woman's Health is the best health and fitness magazine for women out there, as I subscribe on and off.  Thus, it is only logical that the Men's Health must be the best health mag for men, right? So yes, I read Men's Health whenever (and wherever) I can get my hands on it.  This time I got my hands on the Jan/Feb 2008 issue.

• About 2% of population is born with an abnormal aortic valve, and this condition is passed on within families (pg 22).
• To prevent rust, apply a light coat of petroleum jelly to screws and lug nuts before tightening.  Removal will be easier, too.  (pg 30)
• When pumping gas, set the trigger speed to slow, not fast.  Fewer vapors will translate into more gas in your tank.  (pg 30)
• Make sure that your 3-day disaster preparedness stash contains food that you will actually want to eat. Also include 3 gallons of water per person (pg 32). 
• 30% of colon cancer cases are not linked to genetics (pg 34). 
• 33% of Americans feel that they are under extreme stress (pg 36)
• Alcohol can temporarily handicap your hearing.  When alcohol content increased to 0.08, hearing threshold decreases by an average of 15 decibels - the equivalent of stuffing cotton in your ears. (pg 36). 
• 53% of average person's worst memories are directly related to a romantic relationship (pg 37).
• 64% of women admit to "sexually teasing" a man (pg 37).
• Men are less likely than women to believe that past arguments predict future problems (pg 37).  Tease on, ladies, tease on.  ;)
• Women who watch X-rated films have better sex (pg 37).
• On page 38 we discover that "eating tomatoes may decrease your risk of colon cancer", "folate keeps your mind young", "black tea reduces the glycemic index of a meal", "amaranth is higher in fiber and protein than rice", and that 18% of all home cooked meals are prepared by men.  
• "Coffee can keep your arteries from clogging.  While analyzing the cholesterol levels of 10 coffee drinkers, Swiss scientists found that LDL particles soak up java's antioxidants.  As a result, the LDL is 20% less likely to become an oxidized form of the bad cholesterol that develops into artery-clogging plaque" (pg 40).  I've always said coffee is the ultimate health food. 
• The best combination for weight loss and building muscles = lifting weights + low-carb diet (pg 42).
• The performance of NFL players decreased by 33% after returning from an ACL injury (pg 44).
• The cost of running shoes does not always translate into their value (pg 44).  
• 17% decrease in muscle power after 4 weeks of inactivity (pg 46).
• Research shows that a hearty breakfast keeps you satisfied for a long time, leading to reduced calorie consumption through the rest of the day (pg 60). 
• A to-do list for making more effective to-do lists: 1. Put it in writing; 2. Make it specific and measurable; 3. Put a date on it; 4. Phrase it positively; 5. Make it realistic; 6. Keep entries short and separate.  (pg 131)
• 53% of men have checked their email standing at a urinal (pg 152). 

The best article in this issue was "Six Women You Need To Meet" (pg 102). 

There are a couple of crazy things they put in in there tho:

• Apparently, making lists sets men apart from women.  Hello! Am I not making one right now?
• You can definitely tell stuff about a woman by her bra.  Hmmm....maybe what she is planning to wear it under? 
• Wear a cardigan. A cardigan on a men?  That's just plain wrong.  Plus, do you really want to channel a Kanye?

Source: Men's Health Magazine.  January/February 2008 www.menshealth.com

The Wardrobe Wakeup

Turns out new fashion books come out all the time.  Found a new one at the library – “The Wardrobe Wakeup: Your Guide to Looking Fabulous at Any Age” by Lois Joy Johnson printed in China in March 2013.  I don’t know if a library book can get any newer than that. 

The book is targeted towards women in their 50s-60s to help them update their closets to fit their new lifestyles, roles, and jobs.  It opens with the phrase: “Clothes are a necessity, fashion is an option, and style is your choice”.  That caught my attention, because I believe style is not a choice, but a sixth sense – you either got it or you don’t.   However, the book may not be super beneficial to someone like me, who has her own opinions regarding style, it does contain tons of great advice.  It will be useful to many ladies, not just the ones who have gone through some major changes in life.

• Top ten most comfortable items (pg. 119) – except that I only agree with like 3 of those.
• Open necklines and a tighter fit around torso – makes everyone look taller and slimmer (pg 123).
• Buy the best bag you can afford and don’t try to look richer, cooler, more successful, or fashionable with a faux, because you won’t (pg.125).
• Reject any item of clothing that feels physically or psychologically uncomfortable (pg. 132).
• Buy color in a dress or coat (pg. 142).  Yay! According to InStyle mag, bright-colored coats are “IT” for fall.
• Style is what you are, not what you wear (pg. 161.
• Fashion is an instant form of communication (pg. 164).
• The goal is to sell yourself past your age, beyond your experience, and class-A resume (pg. 167).
• Emergency Kit (pg. 207).  Who has room for that among all the junk that I am already lugging around in my handbag?
• Junk jewelry is fun and should be. You need to hit people over the head with one major faux can’t-take-my-eyes-off-it necklace, earrings, or giant cocktail ring. (pg. 212)
• Being responsible for your body pays off in health and fashion benefits (pg. 225).
• Accessories don’t all need to match but a team that works together is smart strategy (pg. 266).

RANDOM QUOTE: Unknown

Working On My Fitness

Like the song goes, I workout.  A lot.  I love lifting weights.  I love to challenge my muscles.  I love to feel my body.  And yes, I love to see the results too.  Thus, I am always looking for new exercises to try.  Gotta keep the booty tight!

According to Women's Health these are the best ones:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/best-workout-for-women

1. ABS: Mountain climber with hands on swiss ball
2. GLUTES: Hip raises
3. QUADS: Offset dumbbell lunge
4. HAMSTRINGS: Single leg dumbbell straight leg deadlift
5. CALVES: Single leg donkey calf raise
6. CHEST: Single arm dumbbell bench press
7. SHOULDERS: Scaption and shrug
8. TRICEPS: Swiss ball lying triceps extensions
9. BICEPS: Split stance dumbbell curl
10. FOREARMS: Plate pinch curl
11. UPPER BACK: Swiss ball L raise
12. LATS: Band-assisted chinup
13. LOWER BACK: McGill curlup

But the truth is - the best really are the ones you are not doing.  So when I don't have time, when I don't feel like going through a full workout, when... (fill in with any of the million excuses there are for not working out), my philosophy is "even a little is better than nothing".  Just do it!

RANDOM TIP: The Girl Code

www.elle.com/life-love/ask-e-jean/e-jean-girl-code

I love E. Jean.  Almost as much as I love Judge Judy.  Brilliant. 

• Never stay silent when a friend is falling for an asshole.
• Never favorite a best friend’s bon mot. Always retweet it.
• Never trust a girlfriend who dates a married man.
• Never refuse to write a recommendation for the offspring of a friend (no matter how big an idiot the kid is).
• Never steal your friend’s thunder at a dinner party—when she’s on, give her room! Pound the table! Bang your glass with a spoon! Laugh the loudest at her story!
• Never give your friend’s business four stars on Yelp. Always give five.
• Never agree when a friend says she’s flabby, baggy, saggy, lumpy, floppy, veiny, squishy, scrawny, etc., etc. Tell her to shut up. Tell her life is too short. Tell her to eat, drink, and be merry. And finally…
• Never treat other women disrespectfully: It gives men ideas.

Ladies, let's come up with a few more. 

www.elle.com/life-love/ask-e-jean/e-jean-girl-code

Let's Flavor Our Lives!

Oooh ma gooosh!  I’ve just read the cutest book ever, and I have to tell you all about it.  The book is “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel.   It is written in a way that is absolutely adorable.  I could not put it down from the second I started reading it at the dentist's office. There are really no words to accurately express the way it makes you feel - truly fullest range of emotions. I think everyone can relate to it one way or another.

The author calls it “a novel in monthly installments with recipes, romances, and home remedies”, but I would actually call it “the secrets of love and life as revealed by the kitchen”.  Really, she does give you advice on everything from how to do laundry to how to get rid of bed bugs.  So I highly recommend, if not for the delicious recipes and practical remedies, at least for the pleasure of experiencing how the words come together in this bankless river of gratifying enjoyment.

There is one touching passage that I really passion, and I want you all to share it.  

“My grandmother had a very interesting theory; she said that each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can’t strike them all by ourselves; just as in the experiment, we need oxygen and a candle to help.  In this case, the oxygen, for example, would come from the breath of the person you love; the candle could be any kind of food, music, caress, word, or sound that engenders the explosion that lights one of the matches. For a moment we are dazzled by an intense emotion.  A pleasant warmth grows within us, fading slowly as time goes by, until a new explosion comes along to revive it.  Each person has to discover what will set off those explosions in order to live, since the combustion that occurs when one of them is ignited is what nourishes the soul. That fire, in short, is its food. If one doesn’t find out in time what will set off these explosions, the box of matches dampens, and not a single match will ever be lighted. 

If that happens, the soul flees from the body and goes to wander among the deepest shades, trying in vain to find food to nourish itself, unaware that only the body is left behind, cold and defenseless, is capable of providing that food.”

It's amazing how much there is in this book that is left up to the interpretation and imagination.
Life is truly magic.  Great books like this make you treasure it even more.

STYLE by Kate Spade

What is fashion? What is the definition of “fashion”? Is there a difference between "fashion" and "style"? What is style?  What is the definition of "style"? Fashion is what you see in the magazine or on runway.  Style is how you interpret fashion, how you make it applicable to life, how you translate it into your wardrobe.

The new book I dug up in my neighborhood library is “STYLE” by Kate Spade.  Theoretically, I have always liked Kate Spade design. And this book is up to par. It is organized in a very capricious manner with drawings instead of photos as most fashion books fashion.  It is written in blurbs and includes information that Kate must have deemed to be helpful (such as size charts, how to care for the cashmere that I will never be able to afford, etc.). Things of note are the facts and quotes at the bottom of pages.

Don't get me wrong – I will not be following Kate’s advice anytime soon.  I mean you will not catch me wearing any vegetable necklaces or packing candles into my carry-on.  However, I really like the way she talks about style and how she has appears to have a solid grasp on the concept.  Her husband appears to be not far behind either.  Below are the things that will give a feel for the book. 

It is as much about being seen as it is about seeing. 

Always gracious, sometime irreverent STYLE.

Sometimes what you can’t see is far more revealing.

Style is innate.

True style comes from opening yourself to the world around you – to the books and movies, to art, to music and travel, and especially to other people.

Your personality is uniquely expressed through your choice of accessories. It’s the easiest form of self-declaration. Pg. 68

Sunglasses have an amazing style quotient – there is something strong and mysterious about them.  Pg. 76

Hats is just the thing for adding wit and personality. Pg. 78

Style is:

• a sum of so many things – beginning with a sense of who you are and having a self-confidence.
• wearing what makes you happy.
• following your own rules.
• clarity.
• owning pieces you cannot wait to wear.
• a little like mercury: try to put your finger on it and it moves.
• becoming aware of what makes you feel most yourself out in the world. Pg 53

Other concepts in the book that I adore:

• Pre-set color combinations (although I do not agree with most of Kate’s suggestions)
• Finding your own classics
• Being your own style guru
• Stylish movies
• Wardrobe ABCs

RANDOM FACT: Beer vs Coffee

As you may already know, coffee is one of my biggest passions.  I like to collect facts that support my conviction that coffee is a health food.  Here is something I stumbled upon that proves one more time that coffee is good for you.

https://medium.com/what-i-learned-today/f7fcb3b786b1

And below is a super cool graphic summarization of it.  I found it very creative.  How many beers, girl? ;)

Perfect Closet = Style?

New book!  Yay!  "Style" by Lauren Conrad.

Honestly, this book is written for a style amateur.  To me most of her her advise was as second nature as common sense.  This is probably rooted in the fact that the author's target audience is a high school girl (judging by the fact that she is telling stories from her cheer-leading days).  Personally, I am already using (or purposefully ignoring) most of her tips.

The only pages that I actually have bookmarked are the makeup tips. I am constantly in search of a perfect cat eye.  I like my makeup to look more or less natural, but cat-eye always seems to be too dramatic.  So I experiment with all the ways and advices that I ever come across.  It is on page 122:

• Rest your elbow on something sturdy like a bathroom counter so that you only need to move your wrist (controlling the movement of your hand is the trick to mastering liquid eyeliner). 
• Place the brush or pen at the inner corner and drag it outward, stopping at the outer edge. Less pressure yields a thinner line - you can always go back and press harder for a thicker edge, so start small!
• Once you reach the outer corner, pause: Think of your face as a clock with vertical line from the center of your eye to your eyebrow as 12 and a horizontal line to your ear as 3.  You're gunning for 1:30.  Wing the liner out a little bit for the cat-eye look, stopping where your eye crease ends (roughly the length of an eyelash). 

Now all I have to do is practice!

Another page I have bookmarked is the travel section with a list of what to pack for a city vacation.  If I am going anywhere that is not "city", it is not a vacation.  Here is what she is packing for five days:

• 2 pairs of jeans (one should be in a clean, basic wash so you can wear them out at night)
• 3 evening/party tops (which can also work during the day)
• 1 nice blouse (for daytime) - is blouse not a top?
• 3 T-shirts
• 1 cardigan (cut slightly long)
• 1 blazer or cropped jacket (crisp but easy to move in)
• 1 dress (for going to dinner or out at night)
• 2 scarves (for warmth and splashes of color) - and hopefully fountains 
• 2 pairs of flats (colorful and comfortable)
• 1 pair of heels (for evening)
• 1 pair of sneakers (just in case)
• 1 lightweight satchel (you need to be able to carry this for hours - it may sound crazy, but consider a leather backpack as another good option)
• jewelry 
• undergarments 

Another section that more of us would benefit from is Chapter Eleven: Events and Parties.  Here she is giving tips on decoding the invitation (pg 205) and posing for photos (pg 210).

Happy reading!