Look and Feel Good Traveling

 

DESTINATION: BEAUTY!

Look (and feel) good traveling

I’m heading to Hawaii next week and already starting to pack my bags. Hey, with two kids it can take F-O-R-E-V-E-R so I start early. Deciding what to bring is not always easy. Do I squeeze my favorite hair and skin care products into small travel bottles, or pick up samples in the dollar bin at Target? Should I just bring basic makeup, or pack extra shadows in case I want to get glam for a night out? With a few 5+ hour trips under my belt, I’ve figured out what works best for me.

Here’s my smart packing plan. What’s yours?

TRAVEL SKIN CARE

Cleansing towelettes are great for travel. You can pick up them up at any domestic destination (and many international locales), saving valuable real estate in your luggage. If you’re devoted to your cleanser and it’s too large to bring, think about using a refillable bottle. Skip ones with pumps—you’ll end up with a huge mess in your bag!

On the plane: Slather your skin with moisturizer before takeoff to help combat dry cabin air…and drink lots of water!

TRAVEL HAIR CARE

I’m not super picky about my shampoo and conditioner when I travel, so I skim the travel-size bins at Target. I’m always amazed at how many quality products come in TSA-approved containers! Sephora has a great selection of high-end skin, hair and makeup products as well. I try to keep my hair styles low maintenance when away, relying on bobby pins, hair ties and clips to put my hair up in a cute top knot or braid.

On the plane: It doesn’t matter how fab my hair looks when I board. Give it 5 hours and my strands feel parched and limp. My trick? Before I leave for the airport I apply a leave-in conditioner to damp hair and braid or twist in a bun. When I land I take it out and have soft waves that feel (and smell) good!

TRAVEL MAKEUP

I find that bringing minimal makeup is easiest—less time fishing around for products in your bag. I’ll usually pack a couple neutral shades for everyday, and a jewel-tone or smokey shadow for night. Mascara, foundation, blush and one gloss round out my makeup bag.

On the plane: Makeup can make your skin feel parched on a long flight, not to mention migrate down your face by landing. If you feel naked wearing face cream alone, apply a tinted moisturizer to hydrate and even out your skin tone. I like Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer, $42, available at lauramercier.com.

 

Megan Mattes is a freelance writer, editor and mom of two based in Southern California. An ex-beauty editor at Parents magazine, she now writes “just about anything” for national publications. Got a beauty question? Contact Megan at megmattes@yahoo.com

 

Get out of the food rut with your kids

Tired of the same old four dishes every week? Do you feel like the limited number of meals you prepare isn’t helping your achieve your goal of getting the kids excited about eating healthy (or eating at all)? Is it chicken then pasta then chicken then pasta week after week…?

Ok, it’s not an infommercial and no magical chopping tool is going to help make everything taste great. Breaking the cycle is hard, and as busy parents, the last thing we want to do is slave away in the kitchen only to have the kids reject the food. It just becomes another waste of time and money or a frustrating headache.

On the other hand, not being in touch with your audience when trying something new can backfire too. I remember once as a kid, my mom spent hours on a dinner and none of us would even touch it (though stuffed cabbage is kind of gross.) But she tried…

So how do we break out of the same old, same old, while introducing new things that will appeal to your family? Here are some strategies that have worked for me (yes, even I fall into a food rut sometimes):

Challenge yourself: I have several times in the past created a food challenge for myself. For example, I will for a month make nothing but new recipes. (You can read about it here.) For most people, this may be over the top, but what about making something new once a week. As always, have the kids join in the fun. Let them help pick the challenge.

Change roles: I have talked in the past about having your kids and spouse get involved in the process. What about challenging them to find a new recipe. Or what about rotating the role of sous chef – one week one of the kids, the next your spouse, mixing it up so everyone gets involved.

Take outside cues: how many magazines do you get with recipes in them that you read and think “that looks great” but never get around to making? Force yourself to make at least one recipe from each issue. An added bonus is that you will decide that the subscription is more worthwhile or you will cancel it. Hey, you may even make two or three new dishes.

Try and try again: I have often said that it takes three times to understand any recipe. The first is usually a bust. The second you get a feel for the dish, and the third you begin to understand how to make it better. Too often we give up after making a dish once. Sometimes it takes messing things up a few times to take a dish from ho-hum to family favorite.

Learn a new dish or cuisine: take on a favorite dish that you don’t normally make at home, and take the time to learn how to make it well. Read several recipes, take a stab and go for it! Try it again in a couple of weeks with a new recipe and see if it’s better. Eventually you’ll get the hang of it and be able to incorporate it into your growing repertoire.

Ask around: find out what your friends and family are making on a regular basis, check Facebook. There might be some hidden gems out there. Most likely they will have tested the recipe and perfected it. Nothing wrong with asking for a few tips and then stealing it.

Sometimes changing things up takes an extra bit of preparation, but the payoff can be great if you find a new recipe that’s a big hit.

For more from James, check out his own blog at: www.jamesschulman.blogspot.com, follow him on twitter @jamesschulman, and find his other Chef Daddy posts at www.BlackBerryMom.com

Shop The Sales

Come Sale Away…..

I love this time of year… sales galore and forget about me, I buy mostly for my kids. Instead of purchasing things in their current sizes I always buy a ton of stuff for the next years season in the next size up sometimes even a couple of sizes bigger.

So far I have stocked up on a few winter coats for both my kids one to two sizes up. I bought some scarves, gloves and hats all for next winter that were dirt-cheap! We are talking anywhere from $3 to $10 dollars for cold weather accessories and coats on sale starting from $20 up to $50 for a really warm winter coat.

Also purchased, were some winter dresses and tights for my daughter and cute fleece hooded sweatshirts and corduroy pants for my son. I’m not brave enough to invest in shoes because you just never know about their feet (they can sprout up in multiple sizes at anytime).

Store them in your closet for next year and chances are you probably forgot what you bought anyway so it’s a nice surprise come next season. Trust me this is a smart way to shop and save yourself a lot of money. From Wal-Mart to Bloomingdales go crazy – inventory is going fast.

Read more about Alison’s Passion for Fashion at www.BlackBerryMom.com

 

Let Kids Choose To Eat Healthy Foods

As we try to feed our family in a healthful way, it can often be a struggle get the kids (and sometimes the spouse) to play along. As I’ve mentioned (here), we are all too often put in the position of either being the taskmaster and giving no choices (Soup Nazi) or quickly becoming a short order cook and making each person their own dinner. Neither ends up a winning solution.

I just read this piece by Brian Wansick about the LA schools and the troubles they’re having as they update their menu. The issue at hand, according to Wansick, is that when you remove choice, you are setting yourself up for failure. Give a kid a salad and they won’t touch it. Let them choose between carrots and celery and they often happily tuck in, sometimes choosing both.

As parents, we can use this same strategy to guide our families to better eating. Give kids choices, which empower them, but make the options good ones so everyone wins.

When making salads, go salad bar style – let them choose which items they want in or out. It’s no more work, but allows them to customize a bit.

When the choice is between items that are healthy, the eating threats we often resort to go away. How often have we all said, “you can have dessert after you finish your…”? Give them a choice and they might actually enjoy it – “before dessert you can choose either broccoli or cucumbers, your choice.” Hey, this might even work on the husband, too.

Lastly, by asking rather than forcing the issue, peace at the table is maintained. No one likes an ultimatum. By asking which veggie they would like, kids have a feeling of choice, one that doesn’t include “no.” They feel some ownership over what they are eating and perhaps learn that they do like Brussels sprouts after all.

For more from James, check out his own blog at: www.jamesschulman.blogspot.com, follow him on twitter @jamesschulman, and find his other Chef Daddy posts at www.BlackBerryMom.com

 

Post-workout Beauty Tips

Megan Mattes BEAUTY SCHOOL

Squeezing in a workout before school drop-off or during your lunch break is great for your mood and your bod—but busy moms don’t have a lot of time to go from sweaty to stylish. Try these beauty tips for streamlining your post-workout beauty routine.

Ditch limp locks in 3 steps

By far the biggest post-workout beauty conundrum: how to make your hair look great after a sweaty exercise session.

 

1. Put your hair up. Before you work out, braid your strands or twist into a bun to prevent kinks from your hair tie.
2. Do a quick blow dry. Let your hair down and blow out the dampness at your roots for a minute or two. Use a round brush for extra oomph at your crown.
3. Try dry shampoo. Spritz it on your crown to add volume and keep oil in check. Try Tresemeé Fresh Start Volumizing Dry Shampoo, $5.50, available at drugstores.

 

Simplify your makeup routine

If you’re working out early in the a.m., keep your face minimal: moisturizer and sunscreen if you’re exercising outside. My face gets embarrassingly red during cardio sessions, so I use a tinted moisturizer to disguise blotchiness. If you’re working out at lunch time, plan ahead. Opt for waterproof mascara that won’t sweat off and go easy on eye shadow. Post-workout, remove makeup and sweat with a cleansing towelette. We like Pond’s Original Clean Wet Cleansing Towelettes, $6.50, available at drugstores.

No time to shower?

When you’re crunched for time and can’t manage a shower, try body wipes—they remove sweat and dirt while leaving a light fragrance behind. Try Playtex Sport Body Wipes, $2.50, available at drugstores.

Megan Mattes is a freelance writer, editor and mom of two based in Southern California. An ex-beauty editor at Parents magazine, she now writes “just about anything” for national publications. Got a beauty question? Contact Megan at megmattes@yahoo.com

 

 

Dressing Your Age

To this day every time my mother and I go shopping together she will storm out of her fitting room and ask me, does this outfit look too young for me?

Many years I’ve been asked this same question, and time again I’ve rolled my eyes giving her the same answer, of course not you look fine.

Funny how time sneaks up on you because I was in Bloomingdales the other day trying on a really cute sweater which had a huge peace sign in a bold hot pink zebra print, and as I’m looking at myself in this three way mirror under this awful florescent lighting, I’m pondering the same question…am I actually too old to wear this sweater??? I started sweating wondering how did I get here? This wasn’t supposed to happen to me, yet here I am thinking I should be at least five years younger than I am to even consider wearing this shirt.

As I’m having my mid life crisis in the dressing room I’m asking myself where do you draw the line on age appropriate dressing? Does it really matter anyway?

Well my opinion on the subject is yes it does matter to a… certain degree. As a woman entering my forties I should not be dressing like I’m in my 20’s. This means no more short skirts or shorts, sheer tops with my bra showing through. I certainly can’t wear any sweatshirts that say “I like boys” or “It’s all about me”. However, there are some things that I’m not prepared to give up such as sequins or bling of any kind, peace signs or even sweatpants that have the word “PINK” across my behind! As long as my body parts are covered up and I combine a fun piece with a more conservative one, I feel like I can still get away with a few things and look hip without looking like a teenager.

I’ve also realized that accessories are a great way to add some fun without going overboard. Example, feathers are a big trend now so I bought a pair of feather earrings I wore out this past weekend with a simple black sweater and jeans. I felt current and not overdone, simply comfortable in my own skin.

When I feel like breaking out my Mickey Mouse t-shirt I can wear it to bed…I know my kids won’t make fun of me.

Aging shouldn’t take the fun away from dressing young or trendy so yes, I did purchase that sweater with the peace sign and I love it!

 

Read more about Alison’s Passion for Fashion at www.BlackBerryMom.com

 

ACT or SAT

SAT vs. ACT

If you are the parent of a high school junior, you are hopefully thinking about the standardized tests your child will be taking this spring. If you haven’t thought about it until now—no worries. It’s not too late.

The deadline to sign up for the March 10^th SAT is February 10^th. (I encourage students who play spring sports to take this test.) The deadline to sign up for the May 5^th SAT is April 6^th. There is a June test as well. Visit http://sat.collegeboard.org/home for all the details.

The deadline to sign up for the April 14th ACT is March 9th. The deadline to sign up for the June 9^th ACT is May 4^th. Visit http://www.actstudent.org/ for all the details.

Which test to take? Well, that depends on the type of student taking the test and the colleges that student will be applying to. While choices do not need to be set in stone, students should have an idea of what their dream schools require for consideration. It doesn’t hurt to be overprepared—as long as it shows the student in the best possible light.

From my experience, and a quick Google search, the differences between the SAT and ACT are:

The SAT is a logical reasoning test.

The ACT is more practical and related to high school content.

The SAT questions often require more than one read for the reader to understand what is being asked.

The ACT questions are often understood after the first read.

The SAT requires knowledge of big, scary vocabulary words.

The ACT does not require knowledge of words that aren’t used by real people.

The SAT Critical Reading section focuses more on making inferences.

The ACT Reading section focuses more on finding answers in the text.

The SAT Math section requires good reading skills.

The ACT Math section tests more difficult math concepts (but they are presented in a straightforward fashion).

The SAT Math section provides formulas.

The ACT Math section does not provide formulas.

The SAT Essay is required and usually on an abstract topic.

The ACT Essay is optional (but most schools require it) and usually on a content-related topic.

The SAT has 10 sections, eight of which are in random order. This may distract or confuse students.

The ACT keeps each topic together and has only four sections.

The SAT questions increase in difficulty as you move through most sections.

The ACT questions are not in order of difficulty.

The SAT is more popular with private schools and schools on the West and East coasts. Keep in mind that all four-year colleges in the United States accept the SAT.

The ACT is more popular with public schools and schools in the Midwest and south. Keep in mind that all four-year colleges in the United States accept the ACT.

The SAT allows you to mix and match your highest Math and Verbal sub-scores from different test dates.

The ACT does not allow you to mix and match sub-scores. What you get on a particular test date is the score that colleges see.

More information on how to prepare for these high stakes exams to come in future posts. In the meantime, sit down and talk to your student about the tests and how they feel about the differences between them. Begin researching prep courses and private tutors. Think deeply about the type of student you have. And of course, register for the exams so you don’t have to pay late fees!

 

Michelle tutors students in Orange, Rockland, and Bergen counties in reading, writing, study skills, and general organization. She also prepares students for the verbal portions of the SAT and ACT, and assists families with the college application process. Michelle can be found online at www.michellesale.com. Don’t hesitate to get in touch for virtual sessions if you live too far away.

 

 

Yoda and Yoga

As a child of the 1970s/80s, I grew up watching Star Wars.  I wanted to be Princess Leia, weird hairdo, and all, and I had a huge crush on Hans Solo (I’ve always liked the edgier guy, but no need to discussthat here).  I remember being so excited to see Return of the Jedi, who didn’t love the cuddly little Ewoks, and I was simultaneously repulsed and intrigued by Jabba the Hut.

Fast forward years later and, as a girlfriend and then wife, I watched Episodes I, II and III with waning interest. Last year my husband introduced the original trilogy to our son, who was 3 at the time, and let’s just say that Star Wars has been huge in our house ever since.  My daughter’s “boyfriend” (their relationship blossomed as infants in day care) even “broke up” with her because he “is a Jedi” and having a girlfriend would make him turn to the dark side.  Thankfully, they remain good friends.  But as you can see, Star Wars is kind of everywhere in our family life. The other day, as I was reading my son’s newest Star Wars book to him, I saw something that I hadn’t noticed before.  Many of the themes within Star Wars are based off Eastern religions and philosophy.  Numerous are the parallels to yogic philosophy.  Ding, ding, ding…..okay, now Stefanie’s interested…..

The concept of the Force plays a large part in Star Wars.  It’s described as an energy that surrounds all living things and the Jedi knights, the peace keepers of the galaxy, get their power from it and learn at a young age to control this power and use it for good.  Prana is a central concept in yoga.  Prana is believed to be a life force.  It’s an energy that flows through channels in the body, predominately in breath.  Yogis use pranayama, or breathing techniques, to control the flow of prana throughout the body.  Pranayama has many benefits, both physical and mental, one of the biggest is helping to foster the mind body connection, which is one of, if not the main, goals of yoga.

The dichotomy between the light and dark side of the force are analogous to the Yin and Yang found in Taoism.  Yoga, as well, which literally translates to “union”, is always about marrying opposites, finding balance between strength and surrender.  In Star Wars. the light side of the force represents the good, peaceful side that uses rational thought, self-discipline and meditation as a means towards enlightenment.  The dark side is based in violence brought about by fear, jealousy, and anger that lead to hatred.  Jedis live by a strict code and do not seek material possessions.  Modern day urban yogis, such as myself, tend to seek material possessions, perhaps a bit too much so at times (hello Lululemon)…..but one of the niyamas (part of the 8 limbed yogic path) is tapas, or austerity.  Others are self-study, self-discipline, and purity….  Yoga also stresses Ahimsa, or nonviolence.  One of the main goals of yoga is letting go of the ego and realizing the true, collective soul, the divine spark, or “the good” that resides within all of us.  In Return of the Jedi, Luke tries to convince Darth Vader to turn from the dark side continuing to believe that there is still some good left somewhere in his father.

Master Yoda is the wise, sage guru of the Jedis.  The Jedis seek his council and always seem to feel better after talking to him.  In the book I was reading to my son, Ahsoka, the young Padawan, or Jedi apprentice, meditated after her session with Yoda and was able to see the truth that lied within her.  Hmmm, I know for many yogis, myself included, coming to one’s mat can often make you feel much better and perhaps, on occasion, help uncover truths that were inside you all along.  And, just to further prove my point, I saw a picture of Yoda sitting in Baddha Konasana (soles of the feet touching, knees splayed out wide, although, I’m not quite sure Yoda has knees….)

And thus renews my interest in Star Wars and sparks my desire to re-watch the movies, this time with a different, slightly more mature intention.

May the force be with you….

 

Namaste,

Stefanie

 

Take one of Stefanie’s classes at CorePower yoga studios throughout Chicago corepoweryoga.com.  She is on the schedule as Stefanie C. She also works with private clients in their homes so think of her for your next party or corporate event. Either write her a note on the blog, or call her directly at 646-642-3391.  Catch up on Stefanie’s prior posts at www.BlackBerryMom.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Godfather

I love the line from “The Godfather,” “It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business,” though I must confess, I didn’t hear it in that movie, I heard it paraphrased in the film “You’ve Got Mail,” as “It’s not personal. It’s business.”

I used to think it was absurd, because something being related to business does not preclude it from being personal, too. But lately I have been thinking about how easy it is to take something personally, when it is anything but. And I have been thinking about how much happier I am when I don’t.

I understand that for teenagers, it’s crushing to be passed in the hallway without being acknowledged. A boy not calling quickly enough or not being invited to a party can be earth-shattering.

The more “mature” (read: older) take it personally when you approach two people having a conversation, and the person you know fails to make an introduction to the person you don’t. It’s easy to personalize it when someone doesn’t extend an invitation to be in a carpool or a professional association.

And when your husband doesn’t call when he is going to be late for dinner, AGAIN, clearly he must think you sit around eating bonbons all day, right?

If I am fired from a job, it must be personal, right?

Wrong.

Maybe the needs of the organization changed and your position is now obsolete. Maybe because of the crummy economy, management decided to divide your responsibilities among other employees and reduce head count. Maybe the needs of the organization changed, and while you performed your previous responsibilities beautifully, you don’t have the skills necessary to accomplish the new needs of the organization.

Maybe your spouse didn’t call when running late because he was focused on getting through a particularly busy day, to come home to you, for dinner. And maybe the person who didn’t introduce you forgot the other person’s name, and therefore “couldn’t.”

Why is it, with a million possibilities having nothing to do with us, our first instinct is to make it personal? If we can just realize that life isn’t all about us, we just might be able to give our children the gift of recognizing that they live in a world that fortunately isn’t all about them. It’s a world in which being picked last for a team doesn’t say anything about what someone thinks about them as an individual, just that the child isn’t great at a sport. That boy who didn’t call? Maybe “he’s just not into you.” Or maybe he is grounded and lost telephone privileges. The person passing by without acknowledgement could be lost in thoughts and didn’t see you.

The possibilities are endless. And by teaching this to our children, they will hopefully become adults who grow from employers’ constructive criticism, rather than personalize a negative performance review and crumble. And, just maybe, we will raise children who will have the self-confidence to let it roll off their shoulders when it is personal.

Allison Berman, an artist and mother of two, hand paints custom accessories for interior designers and private customers. View her collection at www.withlovealib.com and her blog atwww.blackberrymom.com. She can be reached at info@withlovealib.com. Her column appears Sundays.

 

Paula Dean Type 2 Diabetes

In case you missed it this past week, Paula Dean, the queen of home-style southern cooking (and all things fried), announced that she has Type 2 diabetes. (Remember when it’s was called late-onset diabetes, because it was a disease people got later in life…no more.) This news is of course very sad. Diabetes is a life-altering disease, and anyone unfortunate enough to develop it surely must make some difficult life changes.

That being said, much of the uproar with Paula Dean’s announcement comes from things that happened (or didn’t happen) since she learned this news. First, she waited several years to publicly announce that she had the disease, while still pedaling her heart-stopping, and arguably Type 2 diabetes-inducing foods, without any seeming care. She should be ashamed of this.

Second, before announcing this news, she scored a sweetheart deal with a (questionable) diabetes drug manufacturer. One of the best ways to manage Type 2 diabetes is with diet. For example, cutting out the high-fat, high-salt crap that she is pushing. The implication that we can eat what we want and then a drug company will save us is irresponsible. It’s one thing to not tell anyone, that’s her business, but to wait to shill for a drug company seems selfish and somewhat dangerous to the public.

In an interview shortly after the announcement she said, “Honey, I’m your cook, I’m not your doctor. You are going to have to be responsible for yourself.”  Yes, we must all be responsible (even you, Paula), and one of the most responsible things that we can do as parents is provide healthy and nutritious meals for our families. And these, Ms. Dean, do not include burgers sandwiched between donuts. If you want to stay away from the doctor, eat better, and avoid Paula.

For more from James, check out his own blog at: www.jamesschulman.blogspot.com, follow him on twitter @jamesschulman, and find his other Chef Daddy posts at www.BlackBerryMom.com