Book Review!: Barefoot Contessa "Foolproof"

You guys.  I love Ina Garten.  My lovely family and friends even threw me a Barefoot Contessa themed bridal shower.  (I know.  I know.  It's amazing.  I should really post about that.)

So obviously I pre-ordered Foolproof, her newest book, so it would arrive at my doorstep the day it hit shelves.

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

 Is it good?  Oh, I don't know.... that's like asking "Does Ina love Jeffrey?"

:: Jeffrey!  Jeffrey!  Jeffrey! ::

Yup, that's right... dedication to Jeffrey... full page... right when you open it.  (We also learn in this book that besides roast chicken, Jeffrey loves green beans!)

Look, all you Ina fans know that she's not launching insanely innovative work, book after book.  It's a lot of re-treads, like: slightly different roasted vegetables, variations on pound cake (this one's in a bundt pan, not a loaf pan), her signature brownies, but topped with salted caramel this time.  But here's the thing: she's just good and her recipes are consistent and delicious.  It's like getting foolproof (ha!  she's so right!) recipes for all the foods you want to make, you just forgot about how much you wanted to make the recipes.

This is a great fall release -- it has a lot of roasted meats and vegetables and harvest-y desserts but, like all Ina books, it's an insta-classic just filled with all the normal yummy foods.

And sometimes she'll put a spin on something so standard, you're like "Why didn't I think of that?!"  For example, this is from a recipe for tomato soup.... but with a little somethin'-somethin' extra:

:: 2012 Ina: OMG-ing to the max! ::

I love her non-recipe sections where she just Ina-s out and lets us all into her world.  It's almost like we're best friends!

Here, she shares the gift she gave her friend Kristen:

Okay, on first thought, I was like "Whoa, Kristin is so lucky!!!" but then I thought if Ina was my friend and gave me that as a gift, I'd think:
1. Um, you just gave me something that's available on your website for free.  That ain't cool.
2. You make a gazillion dollars.  Can you give me something expensive, like a cool purse?

But I'd still just be stoked she was my friend.  And then wonder when I'd get to be a dinner guest on her show.

And what would an Ina book be without her Hamptons breeziness of making it all seem so accessible, and then realizing she's actually not at all like us?  There's a whole section about how she realized that she renovated her kitchen and picked the wrong sizes for her two ovens (spoiler alert: one is too big, the other is too small -- she would so rather have just two standard sized ones!)  And here's a great part about how she basically doesn't "do" freezing:

:: love the vodka and truffle butter! ::

And I want to leave you with what might be my favorite part of the book.... her friend pics!  I mean, obviously there's Jeffrey (obviously), but who are these other two white guys she hangs out with?  They are featured multiple times.

 

Will you get Ina's new book?  Who do you think these friends are?  Will she ever start freezing meals in advance?  What date do you think we'll meet and become close friends?  There are a million questions!!!

Tip Tuesday: Secret Chipotle Menu Items

You guys.  Did you know there's a secret menu at Chipotle? 

Apparently everyone's known about Chipotle quesadillas for a while, except for me.  But if you are the other one person on earth who doesn't know, they are delicious!  I got a quesadilla with cheese (duh), black beans, fajita vegetables and chicken, with a side of salsa and guacamole, and it was the best thing ever.

But did you also know about these secret Chipotle menu items?

• Nachos.  Yes, nachos.  They have to put them in the warmer, so they take 10-15 minutes, but you can get nachos.
• Quesarito.  You take a cheese quesadilla and then make that the tortilla for a burrito.  Probably not something I'm going to order, but amazing, nonetheless.
• Taco salad.  They will fry a tortilla into a bowl, and then put your salad inside.
• A single taco.  This isn't that exciting, but you can order just one taco.  That's kinda cool!
• Also, you can get cilantro as a topping, and you can get free "extra" of anything except for meat and guac (those cost extra). 

 Also, I think last Halloween, Chiptole's promotion was that if you came dressed as a burrito, you got a free burrito.  But this Halloween, it's better! 

Come dressed as anything at all, and your burrito is $2!  What a steal!

Great Grab-n-Go Canvas Tote

I think all of you should buy this canvas tote:

Baggu Duck Bag

I picked one up a few months ago (in this nice nutmeg color), and it's a total game changer.

I use it for weekends when I know I'll be walking for a while and want something lighter than a leather purse, but also something that can hold a cardigan and a scarf and a snack.  But then I sometimes don't bother changing back to my normal purse during the week, and I still think it's cute enough for normal wear.  It can fit a full sized notebook or laptop or iPad, but doesn't feel cavernous if you just have a few things.

Also, it comes in a variety of super-cute colors.  And it's $24.

If it's not obvious, I'm suffering from a major case of Baggu fever.  I'm eyeing this cutie as a weekend tote:

Baggu Weekend Tote

Tip Tuesday!: An Easy Response to Panhandlers

If a Tip Tuesday falls on a Wednesday... was it even a Tip Tuesday?  For today's purposes, yes!

I think it's safe to say that most people feel uncomfortable when asked for money by someone on the street.  Which is totally natural to feel.  I work in an are where there are a lot of panhandlers every day, and the two common responses I see/hear are:
1. Walking by, igoring
2. Saying something like: "Sorry, I don't have any change/cash/thing!"

I don't like either of those responses, because (1) ignoring a human being who is trying to talk to you and make eye contact with you (when he/she is not threatening you/making you feel unsafe) is rude and (2) because the second response is usually a lie, and it's weird to lie to people.

When I would go into San Francisco with my parents as a kid, my dad always had a stock response:
"Sorry, not today."

Now, as an adult, having spent all my grown-up years in cities (and a stint working with the homeless population), I can say that I think that's a solid response, and it's now my stock response to panhandlers.

Sorry, not today.  (Oh, and you have to do it with eye contact.)

It acknowledges the person, and says no, without being a lie, or getting into some long-winded thing of "I can't give you money because I give my allotted money to charitable organizations and one of them is an organization that helps the needy, so really I've already helped!" song-and-dance.

If you feel like you want to do more but don't feel comfortable giving cash, I've heard folks say they carry some granola bars/shelf-stable foods to hand out, and I also met someone who gives McDonald's gift certificates worth a few dollars, clipped together with a card with a list of local homeless services organizations.

What do you think?  How do you respond to people who ask you for money?

Hands Down, Best Kids Halloween Costume. Ever.

Okay, I have an update to my post about kid Halloween costumes.

This has got to take the cake, by far...

These two cuties are Joaquin and Gabriella, my parents' neighbors.  I've met them once in person, but I'm basically obsessed with them, for obvious reasons.

For Halloween last year, Gabriella was Frida Kahlo, and Joaquin was "a Mariachi guy."  I love her unibrow and his black moustache with his white-blond hair.  Too flippin' cute.

:: yes, they often holds hand like that. ::

Because I often like to end with a question, I'll ask one I'm sure you can all relate to: Do your parents have neighborhood kids that you are totally obsessed with? :)

Fabulous Fall Friend Getaway: San Luis Obispo

Last weekend was a super-fun girlfriend road trip up the coast to San Luis Obispo.  Jessie and I were headed up to run a half marathon, but then decided to make a central coast weekend of it, and bring along another friend (and a dog!).  I'd never been to SLO before (except for a quick stop at the Madonna Inn, en route to NorCal), so I was very excited for our adventure.

Although it involved a lot of amazing things, like jamming to 90s mixes in the car, eating BBQ, drinking wine by a creek, a yummy spaghetti feed, watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and a Santa Barbara stop with lunch, fro yo and Lululemon (I know, I know... I just outdid myself), the highlight was Cider Fest at SLO Creek Farms. 

There was live music, apple picking, a pumpkin patch, wildflower fields, and, duh, an apple pie contest.  (After the judging was done, you could just grab a fork and taste the pies.  Sort of gross in concept, but delicious in practice.)

 

:: amazing fresh cider by donation.  in a mason jar, obviously. ::

 

:: just some dudes pressing cider :: 

:: hella pastoral ::

 :: fun bluegrass band, with lots of hula hoops out for kids to go crazy ::

:: had no idea there were this many apples on a tree at a time! ::

:: classic fall farm, guys ::

 

:: "havin' a blast at cider fest!  wish you were here!  -- me" ::

:: lady scarecrow... girl power! ::

And then we had (got to?) run 13 miles the next day, which was so pretty... and an amazing surprise was that the route went right past SLO Creek Farms!  Well hello, old friend!

   

:: friends finishing races together! ::

Any California road trip suggestions?

Quintessentially October: 3 Great October-y Things

As is well established this time of year, every year, fall is the sh*t.

Here are 3 great October-y things:

1.  Baseball!  (Go Giants)
My favorite part of watching sports is developing an emotional connection with the players and the team.  So when a friend drew my attention to this blog, I basically lost my mind.

Um, you guys, it's not just any old player blog.  It's "Brandon and Brandon: A Season with Belt and Crawford" -- Giants Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford's blog.  Love.

And they talk about the game, but also about team friendships and locker room dynamics (The real scoop on Pence's Friday Night Lights-esque pep talks!), hanging out with their wives, and going to Chipotle on the road so they don't need to take forever at a restaurant.  (Seriously, Chipotle is mentioned multiple times.  I love it so much!)

:: first baseman Brandon Belt and wife!! ::

:: shortstop Brandon Crawford and pregnant wife and puppies!!! ::

 2.  Kid Halloween Costumes
It's no secret: I'm obsessed with kids and babies in costumes.  Lucky for me, Jordan at Oh Happy Day has been doing a series on the cutest kid costumes, like, ever.  Check out the whole Homemade Halloween Series here, but here are some of the absolute cutest:

 

Gaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Me, dying of the cuteness.)

3.  Seasonal Decorating

Pumpkins 'n gourds.  Gourds 'n pumpkins.  Ain't it all just grand?

Emily Henderson did a great roundup of 22 New and Creative Ways to DIY Your Pumpkins.  Check it out.  Here's just a tiny preview (there are 17 other really cool ideas too):

And, while we're talking about gourds, please laugh out loud while you read (or, for most of you, re-read) this hilarious McSweeneys piece.

What's your favorite October-y thing?

Tip Tuesday!: No More Sunscreen in Your Eyes

Do you know what the worst thing is?  Sweating sunscreen into your eyes.  Especially when you're sweating because you're exercising and you have 3 miles left of your run and the only thing you can think about is how THERE IS SUNSCREEN ALL UP IN YOUR EYES AND YOUR WICKING SHIRT ISN'T GOOD AT DRYING YOUR FACE OFF AND DISLODGING THE SUNSCREEN FROM YOUR EYES AND WHY WON'T THIS SUNSCREEN EVER GET OUT OF YOUR EYES.  GAAAAAAAH!!!!

:: Homeboy, I relate. ::

Okay, this tip is for a very specific audience, but I think it's a good one:
It's for those who exercise outdoors and wear a hat while doing so.  And wear sunscreen.  Basically, I'm writing a tip for myself.  But I hope it will resonate with some reader out there and change his or her life the way it changed mine.

Are you ready?

Only apply sunscreen below your eyes!  You can go up to the top of your nose and around your temples, but don't put sunscreen anywhere where it will sweat down into your eyes.

Because you're wearing a hat, that part of your face is covered with the hat and/or perfectly shaded.

It works like a charm.

Ta-da!

The Cutest "I'm moving!" Note of All Time. Ever.

I received The Cutest "I'm moving!" note.... of all time.... ever yesterday.

 
Wouldn't a note like this just perk up your day?  It makes me so excited for my friend's move!

Why hello there,

You are receiving this note because I will soon be shifting my coordinates by a baker's dozen of miles. At some point in history we have shared time and space together, which has in turn breathed life into the times and spaces when we've been apart. 

Telling you where to find me is the very least I can do. 

[her new address was here]

Please come by to visit so I can give you lemons and hugs and pour drinks and make snacks for you.

Or, for those of you at a distance, if you send me a letter I promise to sow wild flower seeds in your honor in my backyard. By the time you visit next, there may be a bouquet just waiting with your name on it.

Yours! Truly!

Next time I move, I am now very motivated to step it up in my "Hey, I have a new address" correspondence.  What a lovely example!

Zara Home Collection

You guys, you guys, you guys... Zara just released Zara Home in the United States and it's reeeeeally good.  (Thanks Oh Happy Day for the tip!)

Zara's clothes never fit me (and also I think they're not that cute (and sometimes tacky) and sort of more expensive than what I think Zara should be charging?), but I always like the idea of Zara and the great news is most of the stuff at Zara Home looks to be really cute and classic in a unique way.  Sort of like Anthropologie but without as much insane zaney "AAAAAAAAH A GIRL LIVES HERE AND I'M ZOOEY DESCHANEL AND I ALSO AM A KOOKY LIBRARIAN AND I LIKE BIG FLORALS AND MORACCAN THEMED THINGS!!!!!!" kind of way. 

More like in a this kind of way... subtle with some whimsy:

:: 1. Costa Throw $59.90  2.  Allan Tumbler $7.90 each  3.  Marta Flatware $9.90 per piece  

4.  Duck Pitcher $99.90  5.  Senise Towel $39.90 ::

So cute, right?!  Prices are... okay, I think.  For unique stylish pieces, it's a reasonable price point to jazz up your home a bit with these personality-ful pieces.  (Oh also, yes, thanks for noticing!  That is my first collage!)

Also, free shipping during October!  Might be hard to resist...

Oh, and in case you were thinking "Whoa, did Zara just get 100% classy and not at all Euro-tacky?", don't lose sleep!  This shirt was also featured on the site (yes, the Zara Home site):

 

 :: Leopardo T-shirt (aptly named) $59.90 ($59.90?!) ::

Please please please tell me if you buy anything from Zara Home!  Can't wait to hear all about it.

Tip Tuesday: The Easiest Face Mask Ever

Are you ready to hear about the easiest, cheapest face mask you can do any time at home?  It sounds weird, but it totally works...

Honey! 

:: Yummy! ::

Yes, just the normal pure honey that you keep in your pantry to drizzle on Greek yogurt... that honey!  (Raw, unpasturized honey is best.)

It's a great face mask to do a couple times a week.  Wash your face, slather on honey, and leave it on for as long as you can stand having a bunch of honey on your face... 10 minutes or even an hour.  Because it's so natural (and non-toxic - bonus!), you really can't overdo it.

Honey is a natural antibacterial and anti-inflamatory, so it works to gently clean your pores and help with acne/blemishes.  (Like anything that extracts the bad gunk, you might find things get a little worse before they get better, since it's drawing out all the build up at first.  Sad, I know, but a necessary evil.)

A couple things to keep in mind before you try it out:
1. It's not as hard to wash off as you think.  Apply it to your face with your fingers, and your fingers will quickly rinse off with soap and water.  (When you're done, your face will wash off easily with water, too.)
2. But honey is just as sticky as you're thinking on everything except skin, so be sure to pull your hair off your face and keep it away from any clothes.

Enjoy!

P.S. Bonus tip: If you are traveling and want a mask and find yourself at a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, bring a couple of their honey sticks back to your hotel... boom!  Insta-treatment!

theSkimm: Smart & Fun News Resource

I heard about theSkimm earlier this week over on Born and Bread and was intrigued... A daily email delivered first thing in the morning summarizing everything important that's going on in the news in bite-sized bits that make sense in layman's terms, but still smart.

I signed up right away, and I love it!  I particularly liked the bonus theSkimm's Guide to Debate #1 that came out this week.

It's a great way to stay caught up on the news, and the two women (and besties!) who run the company keep the writing fun and chatty, like you're getting the news from your favorite coworker who can tell you all about Anne Hathaway's Big Sur wedding before you knew it happened but is also a foreign policy whiz who always wears the best scarves and has a secret stash of Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Cups you are always welcome to.  (Where is this coworker?  I want her!)

Sign up!  It's super not invasive or annoying, and you have nothing to lose -- you'll just get smarter!

Revisiting Some Old Favorites

Since it's still a little warm to be cooking comfort foods (please get cool so I can make this mac & cheese!), I'm turning to some comfort reads and re-visiting some favorite self-help books I haven't looked at in years.

:: Can't wait to dig (back) in! ::

My favorites are two classics:
Live the Life You Love by Barbara Sher
I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was by Barbara Sher

And something from this decade:
Steering by Starlight by Martha Beck

Barbara Sher's books are fun (and a bit dated, but that's okay).  They're sort of like an Artist's Way without asking you to journal and do activities nearly as much, which is fine by me.  LTLYL has a great section early on that helps you understand what motivates you, and ICDAIIOKWIW helps you put ideas into action.

I don't remember a ton about Steering by Starlight except that I really liked it, and that it gets into Shaman-y stuff towards the end in a way that really jived with me during my first reading. 

If you're at all interested in checking out these books, they are all available for under $2 used on Amazon (plus shipping), so it's definitely worth a look.  (I passed along my Barbara Sher books to a family member and decided to re-buy them for myself for a grand total of $8, including shipping.)

Also, fun fact!: My copy of Steering by Starlight has an inscription from Martha herself.

My friend Kerry went to a signing and had Martha write in it for me as a birthday gift, but Kerry couldn't remember if my birthday was July 6th or July 9th (it's July 10th - ha!), and Martha said that that made Kerry a bad friend!  I almost always agree with Martha, but she is dead wrong on that one!  Hmph!

For my next self-help book, I'm thinking about:

:: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown ::

What are your thoughts on the self-help genre?  Do you have a favorite self-help book?

Navajo-Inspired Fall Fashion

It looks like it's finally starting to cool down a bit, so it's time for the obligatory "Yay, fall!" moment. 

Yay, fall!

Since LA autumns are still warm enough to go around without socks, I am excited to start wearing my newest fall shoe purchase:

:: Minnetonka Thunderbird II ::

 
Will my husband probably make fun of me for wearing shoes that look like slippers out in public?  Yes, probably.  Do I care?  Not right now, no.  Will I ever care?  If the teasing starts to feel excessive, yeah.  But will I probably ever care?  No, because I'm obsessed with my new moccasins. 


After spending a weekend in Oregon recently, I've started dreaming about having some crazy-lady big Pendleton-y Navajo-y sweater/pancho/cardigan/jacket type thing that has total throw-back style but with a nice modern fit.  I played in the Pendleton store at the Portland airport, and there were some cute things in the Portland Collection, which is basically classic Pendleton style, only with more contemporary, sleek cuts and hipper styles... and also about 75-100% more than Pendleton's normal (and already expensive) prices.  Sad.  But check out how cute the stuff is!

:: Knockabout Cardigan ::

:: Dolman Overcoat ::

:: Coos Curry Cardigan ::

:: Ochoco Pack ::

Sigh.  Something like those sweaters plus the moccasins would be a great fall Farmers Market look, right?

What are you excited to wear in fall?  Any ideas on where I can get my crazy-lady Navajo sweater for not $400?

Tip Tuesday!: Cleaning with Dryer Sheets

I saw this tip on Pinterest while I was flipping through my phone.  I never actually try the things I see on Pinterest nor am I ever excited to clean, but I was trying to take a Saturday afternoon nap and couldn't because my neighbor was blasting John Meyer, so I decided to try it out.

Basically, you can clean everything with dryer sheets!  Which is awesome because I own this:

:: Remember this post about Costco? :: 

And I'm mostly through one pack, and I think it's been open for, like, years.  Because how long will it take a household of two to do FIVE HUNDRED loads of laundry?  (A long time.)

So I grabbed five dryer sheets and went to town... wiping my blinds, ceiling fans, floor boards, bathroom sink, bathroom faucet... GUYS.  IT WORKS.  It's like... if a Swiffer and a Magic Eraser had a baby!  (Only the baby didn't inherit all the magic of the Magic Eraser parent, but still a lot of the magic.) 

For more ideas of how to use your dryer sheets, here is the full text from the Pinterest image.  (Warning: it's like... Pinterest-y crazy talk.)
dryer sheet cuts your bathroom cleaning time in half - makes mirrors & bath fixtures sparkle and cuts right through soap scum on bathtub.Use to get sticky dust right off of furniture, blinds and baseboards. Cleans up cooktops and greasy cupboards quickly. Soak paintbrushes in warm water with a dryer sheet and watch the paint come right off. Clean dead, icky bugs from the car. Wipe pet hair off of clothes and furniture. Run over thread before sewing to keep tangles away. Keeps mosquitoes off

It's pretty awesome.  Will you try it?

Book Review!: Where'd You Go, Bernadette: A Novel

If you want to talk about fast, fun reads, you want to talk about Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.

:: buy it here on Amazon ::

I was coming off a heavy and strange memoir (which I loved, but was a challenging read) and wanted a fun page-turner to read pool-side while we celebrated our anniversary.  (Aside: Turns out the SLS in Beverly Hills is not a chill-out-and-read-your-novel-by-the-pool pool scene, it's like a the-pool-is-3.5-feet-deep-so-you-can-stand-and-drink-a-drink-in-the-pool-while-you-dance-to-the-DJs-terrible-music pool scene.  Regardless, I enjoyed my extremely overpriced mojito, had fun people watching and even got some reading done, because this book is just so fun to read it captures your attention no matter how many metallic bikinis there are in your line of vision.)

The book starts with a fun narrative device, weaving different pieces of correspondence together to tell the story of Bernadette, an eccentric Seattle-by-way-of-Los-Angeles-by-way-of-Ivy-League-education woman, and her subsequent disappearance.  I don't want to say much more about Bernadette, because so much of the fun is figuring out more about our weird heroine/anti-heroine. 

Bernadette's total distaste for her Seattle life (complete with bigwig Microsoft husband and precocious daughter at a "community-minded" private school) is hilarious, and I feel like books usually aren't "funny" even if people say they are.  The sense of humor is sort of like if Portlandia were instead Seattleandia and it focused exclusively on the rich people who live there.  The book is also surprisingly sweet, especially the mother-daughter dynamic throughout.

I'd say this is a great beach read, but beach read season has passed, so instead, I'd say it's a great book to consider as an escape from intense family time during Thanksgiving.  (Shoot, too early on that recommendation too.  Just read it, okay?)

Do you have any fun-easy-but-good-reads recommendations?  Please share!