Friday, March 9, 2012

Sex Ed 101

When's the last time we heard a good old "practice safe sex" song? "Let's Talk About Sex" by Salt-N-Pepa (if you don't know them I really feel old) is the only one that comes to mind. This song was popular in the 90's when America was trying to censor sex in the media. Talking about sex shouldn't be taboo especially now where you see the media constantly selling sex (I'm talking about you pop singing sensations).

This post isn't your mother's "birds and the bees" talk about sex. This is about facts and not feelings.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Body Rock here I come!

Being a stay-at-home mom does pose some challenges as far as getting the work-out I was used to prior to getting pregnant. I gained 50 lbs. during the pregnancy. I'm fortunate that breastfeeding shed 65 lbs. off me but it left my muscles really soft too. So I'm in the search for a great at-home workout. I think the best one for me right now is Body Rock TV because:
  1. It's free
  2. It's high-intensity workouts so they are all under 15 min.
  3. You can do them at home with little to no equipment if you get creative
They have been doing 30-day challenges so after the Spring break I'll pony up to the challenge. I need time for the gear to come in anyway. What's your exercise regimen?

Friday, March 2, 2012

Fashion Fridays: Simple Bohemian Style

The one factor that is resonating amongst all the designers this spring is color! Color has invaded all the runways for this Spring's style watch. The era of inspiration is the 1970s: think wide leg pants and maxi dresses. With the maxi dress comes full length skirts that can instantly turn your look into Bohemian chic. The Bohemian style is very laid back and comfort is key. The great thing about this style is that it transitions well from day to night.

For work, avoid jersey material please! It clings to every inch of your body. The maxi dress above  will work for any body type and is made out of cotton - breathable is good and in line with the Bohemian lifestyle of comfort. The empire waist flows out nicely from your hips down highlighting its lightweight style. It hits mid calf so everybody can see your shoe candy. Ground yourself with a neutral shoe. Accessorize with jewelry that moves like bangles, hoop earrings, and layered necklaces.

For night, simply swap out your blazer for a leather or imitation leather jacket. But even the blazer would be great for night.

Just want a hint of the trend? Wear layers of jewelry (i.e. stack your rings, stack your bracelets) that evokes the Bohemian style with jeans and a plain top.

Boho booty:
  1. Maxi Dress (Etsy)
  2. Blazer (H&M)
  3. Imitation Leather Jacket (H&M)
  4. Coin Necklace (Stella & Dot)
  5. Marrakesh Earrings (Tiffany & Co.)
  6. Sunset Bangles (Stella & Dot) 
  7. Diane Von Furstenberg Shoes (Zappos)
  8. Dolce Vita Shoes (Zappos)

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

My Sous Chef

Sydney is my little helper in the kitchen. She is always eager to do some of the steps for me. Yesterday we made Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate truffles coated with white chocolate or almonds for Daddy to bring to work. Syd crushed the almonds with a wooden mallet. As you can see, she's got the "Asian squat" down pat. I rolled the truffles and coated them while she slept in the Ergo carrier. Love that thing.

I was not the best at balling the truffles as you can see from the results. Had I had the following gadgets, they would have looked more machine-made.



Want the recipe?

Monday, February 27, 2012

A Board Game with Simple Rules

My husband, Dave, and I love playing board games. The  game on the top of our queue right now is Power Grid by Rio Grande Games which I received as an early birthday present. We favor games that have simple rules and deep strategy.  To win you have to power the most cities once the end of the game is triggered. It's designed so that the underdog gets priority over higher scoring opponents. This provides a nice balance to the game and forces players to choose between interesting trade-offs. I love the old-school graphics. We just ordered the robot expansion where you can control the turn for up to two "players" to be robots. We haven't tried it yet though so stay tuned! Power Grid increases in enjoyment with more people. We have other games we prefer for 2 players. Which board games do you like to play?