LOTD: Patriotic Pennsylvanian

Shirt: Cambridge | Dress: Anne Klein 

Necklace: Long Strand of Pearls (wrapped thrice)

So it normally takes some sorts of patriotic day you know like 4th of July or Election Day for me to realize that I have very little red clothing in my closet. Blues & whites galore, red - one pair of red skinnies recently acquired and clearly not Tuesday cubicle appropriate. Even though the red lip could have been enough of a statement, my red and blue striped scarf from last year's Homecoming at Penn felt like the perfect addition. After speaking on a panel last night for prospective English majors, I was feeling a bit nostalgic. My plaid cape completed the look and was the perfect background for this pretty little sticker I got.

Did you vote today? Because I did. :) 

Just a few hours left before the polls close...Exercise your right to vote, because someone probably fought for it. And even if something shady happens to you while you're there, like having your registration card in hand and them saying they don't see your name in the binder which means you have to cast a "Provisional Ballot" which may count or be rejected if your voter eligibility isn't verified (SIDE EYE!!!)...Recklessness all over the country with stuff like this...see this list by the Washington Post of "Voter Irregularities". My vote will count. I'm speaking it into fruition...hmmph!

And thank God for an end to these awful ads, tonight the real work begins...and fun for those having Election Night shindigs! A Pinterest Success or Fail post to come after tonight's try at a few tasty appetizers.

xox

First Impression: Bella Rocket Blender vs. Magic Bullet

So part of the whole clean(er) eating thing included incorporating multiples of fruits & veggies the easiest way ever - juices & smoothies. So getting a juicer/blender/food processor of sorts has been on my to-do list for some time now. But ever since some fancy friends got a Vitamix as a wedding present, I've been turning my nose up at the standard blenders. I'm a one extreme or the other kind of gal. All in or not at all. Top notch or super chill, no big deal. So when I stumbled upon the Bella Rocket Blender 12-piece set on sale for $19.99 at Macy's, it kind of piqued my super chill, no big deal interest...

For those of you who use or own the "Magic Bullet", you know that it retails for anywhere between $50-$80, depending on if you get the 17-piece express or the Deluxe with like 80 some odd pieces. I personally don't really see the need for a bajillion pieces that I have to hand wash if I want them to last, cluttering up my limited cabinet space, so the 12 pieces the Bella offered were just enough for me. 

           

There are 3 jars, two different sized blades, then a few lids, strainers and rims to convert the blending jars to cups. Just enough pieces for me to feel like there's variety, but not an overwhelming amount tumbling on my head when I open the cabinet. 

I took it for it's first whirl last night. Feeling hungry with a plethora of random fruits & veggies in my refrigerator  I decided to make a simple green machine with about 1 cup spinach, one granny smith apple sliced and a whole banana sliced.

                      

 

At this point, I realized the jar might actually be a little smaller/narrower than those of the Magic Bullet, because I really didn't anticipate getting to the top so quickly. So I blended a little before adding some ice and splash of water. Then blended again and voila! A yummy simple healthy Green Machine smoothie.

                       

 

Yum! Now that I've broken the seal, I'll see what other concoctions of smoothies, sauces and salsas I can make with this thing since clean up is such a cinch! 

But seriously for $19.99, this was quite the steal, and definitely gives the Magic Bullet a run for it's money. I think it was much quieter, and I personally think it's much prettier too :)

Oh I also used my new Martha Stewart knives, but cutting fruit doesn't give an accurate evaluation of sharpness. I'll wait until I'm cutting up some meat to give the run down.

xox

It's Halloween! Terror Behind the Walls...to go or no??

So in the wake of Super Storm/Hurricane/Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy, not too many people are thinking about celebrating Halloween. You're probably more likely to be wondering when your power is coming back on, or when you can possibly get to and from if your public transportation system is down. Luckily, we weren't hit too badly here in Philadelphia, and I had the bright idea of maybe, just maybe going to Eastern State Penitentiary for their annual Terror Behind the Walls haunted tour. Yep, the girl who doesn't even watch scary movies is thinking of spending Halloween night in a prison being scared by crazy actors in gory ghoulish makeup.

(Google Image)

The Yelp reviews are mixed. I'm nervous the line will be atrocious since it's actually Halloween and it's the best way to spend a Wednesday night of course. Any one ever been? Is it worth the $30 ticket?

Maybe I'll just do a daytime tour...for $12...lol

Happy Halloween!

xox

My Kitchenware Goodies have arrived!!

So, I was quite the excited little camper when I got home for lunch last week and this big box from Macy's with my name on it was waiting in the lobby!!

Yes, I had a little trouble getting it into the elevator and down the hall, but I mustered the strength some way some how because 3 of the 4 things I've been pining for were inside...

A Slow Cooker/Crock Pot..a set of decent knives...and a multi-faceted, but compact blender..!!

I'm still waiting on this super cute Martha Stewart Collection mixing bowl set to arrive.

(macys.com, Reg $29.99, Sale $24.99 (plus the 10% off that day!))

I'm slightly nervous it will soon make me want a hand mixer...the stand one can wait until I've got a real home/gourmet kitchen lol.

I'm so excited to make my first slow cooker meal! I've been pinning them since Fall tried to sneak up on us. I think today is the last day we'll see the 70 degree mark for the rest of the year. Any recommendations? I've got one for Chicken Tikka Masala...

or maybe a Lamb Tagine...

or a hearty Texas Chili!

There's just so many options! Very glad I recently learned about the Reynolds slow cooker liners that make cleaning up a cinch. Especially because I'm not sure how well the pot would have fit in my baby kitchen sink.

I'm even prouder of the fact that I got all four of these items for less than $130! Between sale items and free shipping. And because I had a few gift cards, I came out of pocket a mere $40 for these life changing gadgets.

Had I been a little more prepared, I would have given everything a whirl during Super Storm Sandy's showdown, but I quickly packed a few things and got a little further out of the city to the beau's bigger apartment, since we'd be stuck inside for a few days.

Can't wait to try them out this week though! Recipes to come.

LOTD: Shades of Grey

Sweater: J.Crew | Skirt: Banana Republic Shoes: Me Too | Necklace: Henri Bendel

A boring (read: bad) hair day doesn't have to rain on the chic parade. But the morning overcast did inspire my shades of grey. Whenever I wear my hair in a bun during the fall, I tend to reach for turtlenecks like this classic one from J.Crew. Comfy, warm, and with just the right bit of stretch, paired with a fitted wool pencil skirt (another fall staple) and some grey patent pumps. This monochromatic look is a go-to, add a little bling and the look is complete.

Happy Monday!

xox

Princess Syndrome: How Disney Sets Us Up for Disappointment

"Post-Happily Ever After"

I stumbled upon this picture on Pinterest yesterday. I aptly pinned it to my "Reality Check" board, and then remembered an idea for a post I had months ago when I first revived the blog. Having a younger sister who is obsessed with all things "Princess" has really revealed to me how much of an impact these movies have on our psyche at such a crucial age in development. Through these images and story lines, she is learning perceptions of beauty, of good and evil, expectations of others, and most prevalent in all of these films is the emphasis on gender roles. I could literally probably write a dissertation on this, but for the sake of this post, I will focus on the three biggest problems these films create as it pertains to male and female relationships later down the road:

#1) "I'm a princess and should be treated as such."

#2) "I'm waiting for my Prince Charming to come and save me."

#3) "And we will live happily ever after."

"I'm a princess and should be treated as such."

This mentality is ingrained so early in a young girl's mind, and while some have trouble believing it and self-esteem issues also created by Disney imagery and the like can overshadow it, many others wear this proclamation across their chest in "Daddy's Little Princess" labeled t-shirts and when they outgrow those, they wear it across their forehead as they enter adulthood, especially if Daddy is still paying their rent. 

My sister sometimes affectionately calls my dad "Prince Naveen" (re: Princess & The Frog). There is much truth to the idea that a father is a little girl's first love. He is the first man she sees in real life.  He is the first man to tell her that he loves her, that provides for her, that protects and comforts her, that reminds her that she is his little princess, deserving of all there is to have in this world - money, jewels, unconditional love. And if it's not her father telling her this, it's often her mother doing so, and overcompensating for his lack of presence, his lack of love, with material things. So the Princess mentality becomes even more compounded. It becomes, "If I find my Prince Charming, I will have found happiness. But having lots of pretty things can also make me happy. So until I've found him, I'll make myself happy with things." Retail therapy, anyone?

Fitness, Fun & Fall Festivals in the illadelph

Happppyyyy Frrriiiiddaaayyyy!!! Can you tell I'm excited for the weekend? In all seriousness, the week kind of flew by, but every Friday I'm ready to sing "Cheers to the freakin' weekend!" (Cue RihRih). I think the week flew by in part because I finally made my way over to The Sporting Club at the Bellevue, for which I purchased a LivingSocial deal for $30 for a month pass, which includes all access to the 93,000 sq ft facility as well as unlimited classes, and my gosh is the list extensive. Apparently, a monthly membership would normally cost ~$100/mo + a hefty initiation fee of $450. o_O...Insert happy dance here for getting quite the steal!

On Monday, I was hyped and posted this picture of my new running shoes and post-workout healthy meal.

After "The Boxer's Workout" with Clif, I was feeling good and wanted to keep it going with healthy eats, so I made a nice spinach salad with a corn/red pepper/tomato/red onion/goat cheese salad I'd made over the weekend. Because I was still hungry and kind of craving something sweet, I decided to have a brown rice cake with peanut butter for dessert. Go me!

I made it to the gym twice more this week for Vinyasa Yoga on Tuesday & Thursday. I'm excited to try all the new classes. It keeps my routine changing, so my muscles don't get used to anything, which is what I used to love about dance. There's a Zumba class tonight, but might not make it because my social life is just jumping these days. I kid I kid lol, but for real there's been a lot going on lately.