Valentine's Day Tip List

Valentine's Day is basically my favorite holiday. I know most people do not share that feeling, so I thought I'd share my Valentine's Day rules to live by, so maybe you'll feel some of the love, and avoid some of the annoying.

:: cute closet filled with surprise balloons, via oh happy day ::

Do something sweet 'n crafty
I love the picture above of a surprise avalanche of heart balloons falling out of the closet. Here are a ton more cute ideas like that.

A bajillion years ago, I hand cut out a bunch of tiny little hearts from pink and red paper. (I have no idea why I decided to do it, but I distinctly remember that this took place at work. I can't believe I got away with that.) Every year, the confetti hearts come out to decorate the breakfast or dinner table, and they're just a silly and sweet gesture.

Send Valentines to your friends
Valentine's Day is all about saying "Hey! I totally like/love you! You're a real sweetheart! Did ya know that?"... so why not send a little love in the mail to people who deserve to hear that?

I had high hopes of making cards again this year, but it just didn't happen, so I broke down and bought some cute cards. These guys are a really cute inexpensive option that I highly recommend. (The envelopes are a pain, so I would recommend just using other envelopes.)

Bake some heart shaped cookies
It's a verified fact that hearts are the cutest shapes in the world. Give me anything heart shaped or with a heart on it, and I love it. Except for a sterling silver necklace with tiny diamonds in it that a high school guy buys for his girlfriend. That I do not want. So, cute classy hearts only, please.

I want to bake some heart shaped shortbread and top with red or pink sugar. But I only want to eat two cookies, so I'll bring the rest to work.

Don't make it about gifts
Gift exchanges make the day stressful. If you're going to do a gift, make it sweet and inexpensive. Or free and thoughtful. (I think I'm going to tell Travis that I'll run the errand of returning something to Home Depot as a gift, because I know he really, really doesn't want to. Shh... don't spoil it!)

Wear red and/or pink and/or hearts on February 14
Just do it. Because it's fun. Yes, it's a little Zooey Deschanel-y precious, but do it anyway. I'm probably going to wear this sweater so, yeah, I'm all in, guys. 

Don't try to go to a restaurant
Don't even think about it. One year I thought it would be fun to do the whole Valentine's Day thing and go to a not cool steakhouse. It was a disaster. We were seated 60 minutes late and the service was terrible. Don't get cute and think low-key will be better: I've also been to In-n-Out on Valentine's Day, and it's crazy crowded. If you're ordering pizza or Thai food (THAI FOOD YUMMMMM), be prepared for it to take way longer than normal.

Call your mom
Wish Mom a happy Valentine's Day! Because as I said earlier, it's just a day to be a real sweetheart.


What do you like to do on February 14th?

Some noteable articles this week, plus a tip for reading content for free

Guys.

I have some stuff you should read, for various reasons.

:: this whole issue is really, really good ::

1. The Carefully Cultivated Soul of SoulCycle from this week's New York. This is my favorite article I've read in a while. I love the specific kind of nuts it is. I hope this quote piques your interest, but maybe it only really is entertaining in the context of the whole article:
"Favored riders may be pulled to the coveted front row or even asked to ride the instructor bike, which was “the scariest, most thrilling experience of my life,” according to one SoulCycler."

But whatever - it's a fast fun read. Please do it.

2. While you're over at New York, you might as well check out Elizabeth Wurtzel's essay, which has the internets all worked up. (Here is one notable response. You can also read the comments after the article if you want to hear people get riled up.)

3. If you like reading about naughty Hollywood (which is basically everyone), then you simply have to check out Here Is What Happens When You Cast Lindsay Lohan in Your Movie from The New York Times Magazine. I mean, pretty self explanatory from the title. (Thanks for the nudge to read this, Halie!)

4. And just because everyone's talking about it, there's this The End of Courtship article from the NYT Style section. I mean, these trend pieces are always fun to read, but really: is it a "trend" if it's just an obvious thing that everyone has already talked to death?

And, as promised, here's my tip for reading online content for free:
If you go to a source and the url looks like this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/magazine/here-is-what-happens-when-you-cast-lindsay-lohan-in-your-movie.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

...and you find yourself locked out because you've already read too much free content...

Simply delete everything after the "?". You're welcome.

Tip Tuesday: Holiday Tipping

This is the time of year when a bunch of articles pop up about holiday tipping etiquette.

These always freak me out at first, because there seems to be a really long list of people who I supposedly owe $100, until I realize I don't have many service providers who are the tip recipient type. (Uh, no Emily Post. I don't have a regular massage therapist, physical trainer, pool cleaner, or doorman.)

:: image via pinterest ::

If you do have regular service providers, the standard guide seems to be "pay an extra time". So, ideally, you'd tip:
- your housekeeper: whatever you pay for a cleaning visit
- your hair stylist: double the tip your normally leave
- your regular babysitter: what you generally pay for a night of services

Pretty straight forward. And expensive. Sigh.

Also, it seems like every year I hear people talk about tipping mail carriers. Heads up, folks: they are federal employees. They can't accept cash or gift cards. (Only gifts clearly under $20 in value or a snack/treat.)

Remember: be a sweetheart of a tipper -- always include a handwritten note with your tip expressing gratitude for services provided throughout the year.

Emily Post's full tipping guide is here.

Who will you be tipping this season?

Tip Tuesday: A New Way to Think About Holiday Eating

Every internet visit this time of year seems to feature a lot of articles about ways to avoid gaining weight over the holidays.  ("Make a plan before you go out!", "Only allow yourself one dessert!", "Station yourself near the veggie platter!", "Eat before you go!")

I recently read an interesting tip that was initially about weight loss generally, but I thought could be a good intention to set for the month of December.

Instead of making rules around what you can't eat, just make sure to eat 6 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Back when I was doing my cleanse last February, I followed the same standards, and I noticed that it kind of forces you into healthy choices because it takes effort to eat 6 servings of produce.  If it's 3pm and you realize you haven't had any fruits or vegetables that day, you're going to reach for a piece of fruit instead of a holiday cookie because you've got numbers to hit!

I'm sure this concept wouldn't work for everyone, but I know I'm much better motivated by positive choices rather than deprivation rules.

What do you think?  Would this work for you?

Tip Tuesday: Make This Amazing Hot Spiced Cider

Okay, this isn't a tip, in the traditional "quick 'n easy tips!" sense, but this is a tip that will change the way you are seen by others this holiday season.  (Namely, you will be seen as the person who makes the best hot spiced cider ever.)

You guys: next social gathering this season, you must make this awesome hot spiced cider from the really great ladies over at Apples & Onions. 

:: yum! pic from apples & onions ::

I've made this three (three!) times in the last month, and it's a massive hit.

Warning: Don't even think about making this if you don't want the house to smell amazing!

You can follow the recipe as written at the link, but I've made a few adjustments and made it a double batch, so my version is as follows:

Hot Spiced Cider
(serves a small crowd)
1 gallon fresh pressed apple juice (I get two of the half gallons of the refrigerated apple juice from Trader Joes -  yum!)
2 organic apples*
2 organic oranges*
juice of two lemons
4 cinnamon sticks
a palm-full of whole cloves
+ some booze to have on the side

* Since the rind of these fruits is simmering into the cider, it's good to get organic.

Begin to gently heat the apple juice on the stove.  Add the lemon juice and cinnamon sticks.  Zest one of the oranges into the cider mixture.  Stud the apples and oranges (including the one you zested) with the cloves by pushing the pointy narrow end into the fruit.  Add them to the cider.  Once it is hot and delicious smelling, you're good to go!

You can add in the alcohol, but I prefer to leave it to the side of the stove so people can self-spike and it's a kid/non-drinker friendly beverage.  (I left a bottle of whiskey and dark rum out at Thanksgiving.)

Tip Tuesday!: Remember Where You Parked

Here's a confession: every Tip Tuesday, I worry that my tips aren't tips at all, but just things that everybody in the world already knows and does.  I have such a concern for today's tip.  But whatever.  Maybe you don't do it.  You should.

When you go to the airport this Thanksgiving (or the mall this holiday season) (or anywhere, anytime, really), take a picture of where you parked.

Like this.  My phone is always handy at that point, and I don't need to worry at all (while I'm also worrying if, by some bizarre turn of events, I left my drivers license in my living room) about remembering where I parked when I return.

Fun games you can play, using the picture above:
1. Can you guess where I went to school using only the clues in the picture?
2. Come up with three nice ways to tell me my legs don't normally look that stubby in colored denim.  (Challenge version: You can't use "it's just a weird reflection" as any of the ways.)

What To Do If You're Being Followed

This weekend, I finally started watching Law & Order: SVU.  Friends, I should have been listening to you all along.  It's great.  (The first episode I saw was a 2008 re-run guest starring Luke Perry and Julie Bowen as a married couple who are foster parents.  Turns out, Julie Bowen had been raped shortly before she met Luke Perry... but it turned out... Luke Perry was her rapist.  Aaaah!)

Shortly after my new addiction started, something semi-creepy (and ultra "lite" Law & Order: SVU) happened.  I went to go run some errands on foot in my neighborhood, and noticed a weird guy following me.  I took note of him right away, because he was strange looking, and wearing a black tank top and sunglasses (and it was fairly chilly out) and saw that he started walking my way.  Yucky, but it was a normal street, and lots of people walk.  I went into a store to run an errand, and a minute after I'd left, noticed the guy was right behind me again.  He'd waited while I was in there and was following me.  Gross.  I went into the next store and saw that he was dawdling outside.

:: cutest creepy image ever! ::

So.  I began to think about what to do...  I wasn't fearful for my safety, really -- it was broad daylight and there were people about, but I was about to walk back to my apartment, and I certainly didn't want this person following me.

I thought about calling a cab from the store, but that seemed kind of over the top, and my apartment was six blocks away.  I also thought about turning around and yelling: STOP FOLLOWING ME!, but that made me nervous, too.  Before I got much further, I noticed that the store had a back exit, so I left that way and, for good measure, made one more errand-stop before I went home.  It did the trick.

But I wondered: what should you do if you feel you are being followed?

I'm sure Gavin de Becker's The Gift of Fear would have some good advice, but I have tried to read that book four times and find the intro way, way, way, way, way too scary to keep reading the book.  Fortunately, the internet has lots of good advice.

So, here's what to do if you feel you're being followed on foot by someone who is also on foot:
1.  Trust your instinct.  We all have a safety-based sixth sense.  If you think someone is following you, someone probably is.
2.  Stay calm.  Try not to freak the f out.
3.  Check out your follower.  Looking back to see if you're being followed is totally allowed!  It's good to let the creepy person know you're onto them.
4.  Get around other people.  If you're in a public place, get around other people (and light, if it's dark out).  Walk with a crowd, go into a business or restaurant, etc.  Depending on how unsafe you feel, this would be a good time to call authorities/ask for help.  Usually, this will get your follower to leave you alone, but if you're still being followed...
5.  Make a scene.  Yell something!  Good ones are "LEAVE ME ALONE!" or "STOP FOLLOWING ME!" or "FIRE!"  (Apparently, it's much more effective to yell "FIRE!" than "HELP!")  If this doesn't fix it...
6.  Run.  Get distance between you and your follower.  If you're still being followed (sorry!), call the police and...
7.  Drop your purse.  But hang on to your keys (good weapon) and phone (for safety).  Hopefully this is all your follower wants.  If not (oh no!  This is terrible!), call the police and...
8.  Fight back.  Scratch, kick, scream, aim where it hurts.  If you get forced into a car, do whatever you can to force a car crash and try to escape in the confusion.
9.  Don't go straight home.  Try to go to someone else's home, if you know they'll be there, or stop elsewhere first.

There you have it!  What do you think of this list?  Anything seem crazy?  Anybody have any scary stores to share?

Tip Tuesday: How to Keep Bagged Salad Fresh

Sometimes I go through phases where I buy all my produce at the farmers market every week.  But mostly I go through phases where I don't do that, and buy food at Trader Joe's, even though it's been packaged for a long time and isn't as fresh. 

During one of my good phases, a farmers market vendor taught me to store the lettuce I was buy from him with a paper towel in the bag.  As moisture gets in, the paper towel soaks up the water and keeps it off the lettuce, keeping it fresher longer.  Awesome.

But normally I buy bagged salads at the grocery store, and they spoil sooooo easily once they're opened.  So I applied my farmer trick:

It works like a charm.  Hooray!

Tip Tuesday: Allow Extra Commute Time This Week

Guys.  Traffic be bad these days.

:: traffic in Los Angeles, 1949 ::

So here's today's tip: Allow extra time on your commute this week.  (Or, just know that you'll be running late for work -- either works for me.) 

Did you know that traffic is always bad the week after a time change?  Traffic slows way down, and there's some evidence that shows that the accident rate goes up.

The cause is two-fold:
1. Circadian rhythms get thrown off in a time change, which basically gives everyone the effect of mild jet lag, which makes us all feel less alert and a little more crazy.
2. The sun/lighting falls in a different place than we are used to on our drive, and it's a big adjustment, usually an adjustment of a ton of sun being in your eyes.

Sigh.  Just another reason to hate the time change... I'm already prepared for the fact that I'm going to get really depressed soon... stay tuned for an inevitable post about beating the dark-days blues!

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!

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?

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!

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!

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?

Tip Tuesday!: Labeling Wine Glasses

I recently learned the coolest way to label wine glasses at a party!

And it doesn't involve these:

 

:: barf ::

Did you know you can write on glass with a Sharpie, and it washes right off with soap and water?!  It's amazing!  Next time you have people over for drinks, you can write their names on the glasses, or pass around a Sharpie and have folks write their own messages.

:: like this ::

 

:: or like this ::

Or you could even put out a variety of colors and draw pictures!  The opportunities are endless!  Just make sure you write below where you'll put your mouth so you don't eat Sharpie.

It washes off with warm water and soap very easily -- no scrubbing needed!

If you do want your messages to stick, I hear using paint pens works pretty well.

Have fun!

And because I'm loving tips this Tuesday, check out this neat way to catalog party pics from the lovelies over at Apples & Onions!  Hint: The tip at the bottom of the post... above the adorable fat baby that I'm going to eat.

 

Tip Tuesday!: Cleaning Jewelry

When it comes to cleaning jewelry, I am the laziest.  Lazier even than I am with car washes (which I get every 3-4 months).  A jeweler acquaintance taught me this trick that makes it pretty darn easy to clean your jewelry.  (Although I still only do it every 6 months, maximum.)

Take a little bowl, put some 409 in it, and soak your jewelry for as long as you can stand to be apart from it.  (After 10 minutes you'll see a difference, but it's good to leave it in over night.)

:: soaking in a little prep bowl ::

Some notes:

• Yes, I realize 409 is totally not non-toxic.  I'm still working on personal care... haven't made it to cleaning supplies yet.
• Supposedly this works even better if you microwave the 409 for a few seconds first.  (The 409 only -- not with the jewelry in it!)
• The jeweler suggested I do this every week.  (Never gonna happen... but good to know you can't really over-do it.)
• The amount of weird tiny debris floating in the 409 when I went back in the morning was gross.  Ew.

Tip Tuesday: Freezing Herbs

Did you know you can freeze fresh herbs in olive oil?  Cool, huh? 

Freezing the herbs in oil reduces the browning and weird texturizing you can get when freezing herbs directly.

This is easy in an ice cube tray!

This works best with herbs you would cook into a recipe (rosemary, thyme, oregano), rather than garnish herbs (parsley, basil, mint), because (a) you're going to need to also use that olive oil they're frozen in and (b) the process probably won't keep delicate finishing herbs very well.

Here are some groovy pictures of the process (from The Kitchn):

:: filled ice cube trays ::

:: finished product! ::

 Have you ever tried this?  How did it work?