I didn't know Mr. Rogers could breakdance!?!

Tan Tats... check this out!

Funny but kinda true....

Jessica is Photoshopped OUTTA CONTROL!

The NY Times posted this article about Jessica Simpson's new cover on Elle Magazine... I completely agree, this is ridiculous! Come on...

Ikea Hacks

I love Ikea, and they just opened a new one in Brooklyn! Before, we had to go to NJ (there's a free Ikea bus from Manhattan to the Ikea, though) Now, the Ikea Brooklyn has it's OWN FREE FERRY from Manhattan just for Ikea shoppers! Neat idea!

Here's a cool blog where people "hack" their Ikea items and turn them into something else. Check it out- it's fun to browse through!

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/

World's First BILLION dollar home!

This home is being constructed in Mumbai- it will cost $2 BILLION dollars! It includes a "snow room", which will generate snow for the family to cool off during those hot summer days in the desert. Check out the article from Forbes HERE, and see a slideshow with pictures of this home HERE.

Pretty

It’s been difficult to get myself to the gym after being on vacation- I went on Monday night, and worked out until I wanted to drop. I found a cardio routine in Fitness Rx magazine that suggests doing the following treadmill workout:

2 mins at maximum incline (my gym is 15% max incline on their machines) brisk walk
Reduce to 0% incline and do 2 min run
1 minute walk at 0% incline as a mini-rest

Then repeat 5 times for a 25 minute intense cardio session. Sounds easy, but those max incline walks are basically like doing LUNGES- it’s great for the legs and butt! Try this routine, it will wipe you out!

Then I did weights for 40 minutes to complete my workout. It felt great to sweat, and I really have missed the strength training. I need to be more focused in getting strength training in at least 3 days a week. Yesterday, however, I brought my gym clothes to work ( I always pack my gym bag the night before so there’s NO excuse not to be ready!) and I FORGOT my sneakers! So I carried my stupid gym bag to work for nothing! Then, this morning I got off the subway (carrying my gym bag again- ready for the gym tonight after work) and I realized I forgot my sneakers AGAIN! It must be subconscious, that my brain still wants to be on vacation! No excuses, though- I’m going to go home after work, walk the dogs, and then walk to the 59th st (Columbus circle) gym. It’s nice having an all access membership, so I can go to any Equinox location. Check out Equinox’s website here!

As I was leaving, I snapped this picture of the floral arrangement they had near the elevators- so cute, right? It’s a great idea for wedding centerpieces too- simple, chic, and modern.

Guess what this is?

Time to play… guess what THIS picture is!!




... it’s PAINT! I took this picture while I was waiting for the subway- it’s the steel column in the subway. I just thought it was cool how many LAYERS of paint and different colors this subway column has been. When you ride the subway often, you learn which stop is which because each stop has a distinctive “look” and color scheme. It’s kind of cool to think of how many decades these columns have been painted. Who decided what color to paint them?

Holiday... Celebrate...

No one needs a vacation more than a person that just had one. Isn’t it SO hard to get back to work? We flew home from Mexico on Friday night, and landed in NYC around 1am. I have to admit, that as much as I didn’t want vacation to end, I actually was excited to see New York City again. It’s great when you live in a place that’s such a huge vacation destination in itself! It was kinda cool that although we were going “home”, most of the people on the plane with us were actually STARTING their vacation in the Big Apple.

The dogs, of course, were ecstatic and peed all over us upon arrival (aw, that’s LOVE!) Our friend Elizabeth was our doggy-sitter for the week. She actually moved into our apartment and stayed there with them! Isn’t that great? She lives in Hell’s Kitchen (yes, that’s a REAL place in Manhattan, not just a TV show!) It’s also known as “midtown west”, near the theatre district.

ANYWAY, we let gluttony get the best of us while on vacation, so now we’re both in “detox mode” this week. Dan leaves for Miami on Sunday, and NEXT weekend, I’m going to Miami to meet him! We’re partying in Miami for my birthday (which is Saturday, August 9th, just so you KNOW!!) LOL we’re really looking forward to it, but we also don’t want to look bloated and out of shape on the beach, so it’s time to put away the cookies and go back to my cottage cheese!

Speaking of which- I had cottage cheese and an apple for lunch today. BORING! Ugh, I wish I could be on vacation forever and eat eat eat!!!

Vacation Pictures!

Bad Idea Jeans

For your garden

I think this zombie garden accessory is much cooler than those creepy gnomes. Sarah & Joe- it would look awesome in your garden! Check it out here

PAIN. Massive amounts of PAIN.

My trainer unleashed the wrath of Satan on me yesterday during our session. It's NO JOKE- I can barely move. I got off the subway at 50th street, and walked an extra 13 blocks to work just to avoid the two huge flights of STAIRS at Times Square, then 42nd street and Bryant park. I dropped my keys and it took me about 3 minutes to bend down, pick them up, and then stand back up.

I can't even tell you where it DOESN'T hurt- but the worst are my legs, butt, abs, and lower back. Oh, and shoulders. And triceps. See? It's everywhere!

I kinda thought that MAYBE he'd kinda ease me back into weightlifting, since it's been 2 1/2 weeks since I've lifted. In that time, I've been just doing cardio and abs, but abs on the mat, not on the decline bench (at what feels like a 90 degree decline!) So what did we do yesterday? Well, we STARTED off with squats- the REAL squats, people! The big bar across my shoulders with 95lbs of weights racked on! We did FOUR sets of 15!! So by now, my legs are shaking uncontrollably, and then he sets me up for DEADLIFTS. 135lbs, FOUR sets of 10, to the FLOOR this time. Usually, we set up the supports about 6 inches from the floor, and that's where I lift from. Oh dear God, this was ridiculous!

We went through a brutal assault of abs, arms, biceps, bench presses, and triceps- the longest and most brutal 60 minutes ever. I went to the showers after, and I had to bend my head down so I could lather the shampoo, because my arms were already incapable of reaching my head. That was a bad sign already, since the pain doesn't really sink in for a day, even TWO days.

My trainer said something to motivate me that I kinda like, though- he said "PAIN is the feeling of weakness leaving the body." That actually is a pretty good thought!

So, judging by the way I feel today, there must be NO weakness left at all in my body!! He really got on me for not lifting in the past few weeks- I've been doing a lot of cardio, but I have to keep up my strength- if you lose weight without building muscle, you get loose skin, jiggly arms and tummy, and saggy thighs- ughh!! I don't want THAT!

I purposely chose to do a training session right before we leave for vacation tomorrow, because now I'll be reminded NOT to overeat and keep working out while I'm in Mexico. Run on the beach, swim, all that stuff. I can't afford to come back in a week and be 10 steps behind again- it's TOO PAINFUL to catch up!

Dat Baby

I dedicate this song to Sarah Rife and Cory, who love Maury ALMOST as much as I do! I am ONE THOUSAND PERCENT sure you'll love this song!

(Thanks to Cory who text me and told me I had to google this yesterday! You were right- it IS amazing!)

Back to the trainer!

Today I'm using one of my FREE (yes, I am a CHAMPION!) training sessions as a last effort to get my body hard for our vacation in Mexico. We leave on Friday (woo hoo!) and for once, I'll be excited to be photographed in a bikini! I've been enjoying my success a bit too much recently, and the carbs are starting to fight back and mutate my body into a soft mess. Last night, I did 60 minutes on the stair monster, and I was completely drenched by the time I was done. That was a GOOD workout! I haven't really been eating BAD, just eating bread a lot- I gotta get back to complex carbs like oatmeal and brown rice instead of honey oat bread from Subway (mmmm!!!)

I haven't been able to eat chicken yet, but my trainer is telling me I HAVE to get back on the chicken routine, because that's really key if I want to keep losing weight. I weighed myself this morning, and I was down 1 lb from last week, so it's good to know that I can ENJOY foods that I like, and still lose weight as long as I continue the cardio. It's MODERATION, that's for sure! If I eat a bagel for breakfast, then no bread for lunch!

I'll update you after my workout and let you know what kind of pain I'm in :)

Office chic

I work in a conservative office, so I'm always trying to figure out a way to be chic and fun but still keep it toned down. Today I experimented with my green MAC eyeshadow- subtle but oh so fun!

Mr. Big

Cory and I have this on-going Aiden vs. Big debate on Sex and the City. I'm on team Aiden, she's on team Big. I must admit that even though I don't think Big is sexy at ALL, he's definitely looking MUCH better after plastic surgery! Before the Sex and the City movie, he had that LUGGAGE under his eyes taken care of! "BIG" improvement!

Pince Pince

Dan took this photo with my iPhone this morning- Prince (or Pince-Pince, as I've started calling him) REALLY turns on the cute factor when it's time for us to leave for work. I say, "Time to go to bed, Mamma has to go to work" and he immediately puts his tail down and slowly walks over to me and curls up in my lap with his chin resting on my arm. He is SO freakin' cute! He will try ANYTHING to not have to go into his crate!

Romeo, on the other hand, is so obedient and trained. You don't even have to tell him to go to his bed, once he sees us getting dressed and getting our shoes on, he puts himself right to bed and just waits for us to close the door on his crate.

Prince and Romie both started getting brown around their faces, and we were worried at first that it was "tear stains" that some white dogs get. Then, I finally figured out that it was because we switched their DOG FOOD, and the new food has these red pellets in it, that is staining their beards! We're sticking to LIGHT colored dog food!

I don't really have a category for this...

Take this pill and your poop will glitter like gold! I can't think of a more perfect gift for that special someone! :)

Is that... FAKE?

What do we all crave in the summer? A golden sunkissed glow, and lucky for me and all the other pale gals out there, I've FOUND the holy grail of bronzers.

I've always been apprehensive about self tanners- no matter how much money I spend, it ALWAYS gets streaky and ends up all over my hands. Ugh! BUT, I'm about to divulge my TWO BIGGEST FAKE TAN SECRETS of summer 2008!

You might have seen my "reveal" pictures, in my swimsuit after my fitness challenge, and wondered, "where did she get that gorgeous tan?" Here it is, ladies: LORAC TANtalizer lotion. You can buy it at Sephora, and right now they have a package that includes a makeup bag, blush/bronzer, eyeshadows, lipgloss AND the tantalizer lotion for just 35 Bucks! If you buy a full size lotion, it's about $32. At first, I thought the price was kinda steep, BUT if you figure that a spray tan (we'll hear more on that later) is about $29 and last for 5 days, this lotion has enough for at LEAST 5 whole body applications, so it's actually MUCH cheaper.

The lotion is NOT a self tanner, which is why it's so fabulous. It's basically a tinted bronzer lotion that has just the SLIGHTEST shimmer, so you don't look like you just got a gallon of glitter dumped on you. It smells GREAT, not like self tanners do, AND, it washes right off in the shower! So, if you're going out and just want a little color to show off your new rock hard body, this is just the ticket. I loved how easy it went on- no streaks, no mess, and it lasts all day (but obviously not if you're in the water.) If you want darker, apply a generous amount, or for just a little glow, just put on a bit. It's that simple!

I saw that they sell a MOUSSE as well, that apparently contains caffeine and reduces the appearance of cellulite. I'm not to sure about this one, since I think mousse is much harder to apply and blend in than lotion. Plus, as I said before, NOTHING gets rid of cellulite except hard work at the gym, so don't be mislead into thinking it's a miracle cure.

My SECOND sun secret is MYSTIC TAN. I tried this for the first time in LA about 4 years ago, and I was skeptical at first. I figured I'd look orange and streaky, but it actually turns out PERFECT! You choose whether you want light, medium, or dark ( I always go with light, since I AM light) strip down in a private room, step into the booth, push the button and that's it! Oh, and I would suggest you HOLD YOUR BREATH or else you breathe in the misty spray. There's a cream that you rub on your hands, elbows, knees, and feet to block the tanner, and a hair cap to keep it out of your hair. In 30 seconds, you step out of the booth, use a towel to blot your entire body and you're DONE! The tan develops over a period of about 7 hours, but it has a bronzer that gives you an immediate glow too. The down side is that it only lasts about 4 days for me since I'm working out and sweating and showering all the time. I found a place on 72nd street, right by my apt, so I'm going next week before we leave for Mexico!

If you can't bake it, FAKE IT!

Absinthe LOLLIPOPS!

Oh yes, it's true! You can buy absinthe lollipops! What a great party favor (well, not for KIDS' parties, obviously!)

Check them out at this website!

New Goals!

Hello everyone! So now that I’m feeling empowered from conquering another personal challenge, I have decided what my next goals will be. So far, I only have a list of 3:

1) Become a RUNNER. I was always the kid who was walking after a minute in gym class, with a cramp or a stitch in my side. I hated getting all sweaty and my cheeks would get red, and I’d be out of breath in no time. But now that I’m an official gym rat, I’ve decided that if I just keep running stairs (even though they’re SO great for your legs, butt, and thighs! Don’t waste your time on cellulite creams, ladies- this is the ONLY thing that truly works!) I’ll plateau eventually. So, last night I got on the treadmill and RAN. I alternated running 1 lap, speed walking 1 lap, etc. I did this for 60 minutes. Oh, and when I’m walking, I increased the incline to 8% so that I still get that burn in my glutes like I do on the stairs. Tonight I’ll increase it to run 1 ½ and and keep increasing the running vs. walking until I can run the WHOLE time! I have to be really careful of my posture and make sure I land my strides right, so that I absorb the shock to protect my jaw. My TMJ has been doing well, and its pretty manageable if I wear my splint at night like I’m supposed to.

2) Do the splits- front and side. I am always impressed by people who can do this!

3) Sing at 1 open mic night a month- starting in August. I just need to get out there and start small in NYC. Gotta pay your dues in the underground scene!

I AM THE CHAMPION!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK OK OK, so I went to Montreal this weekend, and while I was in CANADA, I got a text message from my trainer that I WON the challenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is incredible, I’m so excited! Woo hoo! I was kinda feeling nervous since they were STILL letting people weigh in right up until THURSDAY, can you believe it?! I guess I must have been beating people by SOO much that they wanted to give the other competitors a shot! LOL

I don’t know what the final numbers were, or what the closest competitor was to me, but I got a 11.7% loss so that’s pretty freakin amazing, if I do say so myself! I’m going to the gym tonight to workout, so I’ll try to find out more. All that matters is that VICTORY IS MINE!!! : )

Ugh, I HAVE to get to the gym, though- this 4th of July weekend did me in! I gained 3 lbs! I think a lot of that is water weight from the (ahem) Chinese food that me and Dan pigged out on last night! So, today, it’s back to 2 gallons of water to flush all that sodium OUT! What a glorious weekend in Montreal, though- I truly did splurge, and I have NO regrets! After all, what’s the point of working out so hard every day if you can’t ENJOY food while you’re on vacation? Crepes, cheese, sangria, gelatos, mille-feuilles, tartes, waffles, strawberries and cream, wine, and of course, maple syrup! It was worth every step that I’ll have to climb on the stair monster tonight!

I WON!!!! I WON!!! I WON!!!!!!!!!!

A sock full of nickels is a real weapon! Don't laugh!

FUNNY story! So, Sunday, when were were down in SoHo for brunch, Dan and I were walking together and I saw this woman walking toward us on the sidewalk. She was talking to herself and her hair was all messed up and I suspected she was “a crazie” as I like to call them here in NYC. She had a cup of coffee in her hand, and 2 envelopes under her arm. She walked over to the mailbox, right in front of us, and took the lid off her coffee. I knew what was going to happen, but I also knew that she’s a crazie, so I didn’t want to intervene or even say anything to her, lest she pull out a sock full of nickels and start beating me or push me in front of an oncoming bus. (These are the things you have to consider, as a New Yorker! I’m not even joking!!) You never know who has a knife or a gun, and it’s the crazies that would do it and not even realize anything happened!

So she opens the mail box, POURS HER COFFEE straight down into it, and then puts her envelopes in, and closes the lid. After we walked about a block (and I figured we were far enough away that she wouldn’t attack us) I said to Dan, DID YOU JUST SEE THAT?!!!! He didn’t notice any of it, so I told him the story and we laughed about it for a couple blocks.

You really never know what you’re gonna see here in Manhattan!

Scotty Kangaroojus is BACK!!

Who gave me this?

I just noticed this in our kitchen yesterday- how hilarious! Cory, did you bring this?