Favorite Things October

Clothes

Hanro sensual cami bra

I purchased one of these bras several years ago, and I just bought a second. 

They are expensive ($75), but the quality is amazing and when treated properly they last a long time – gotta love the Swiss.  You benefit from the support of an under-wire with the comfort of a camisole.  They are true to size, so if your regular bra size is 34B,  this will fit the same. They used to be available on BareNecessities.com, but lately I can only find them in multiple colors at Neiman Marcus.  And because I appreciate a good marketing writer, I had to include the description of Hanro on the web.  "With a 130-year history, the Switzerland-based company Hanro specializes in clever, stylish, and alluring underpinnings. Known for a superb fit and seamless design, this line blends trends with comfortable and highly practical style."  Underpinnings?  I can picture myself in the Four Seasons overlooking Lake Geneva, frolicking with my Swiss lover and in the heat of the moment he says, "Ah Darling, you are so magnificent, you must remove your underpinnings this instant!!"

While searching for this bra online to provide a photo, I ended up in the “daywear” sub section of Neiman Marcus lingerie.  Hmmm.  Daywear.  For me, daywear depends on what I am doing that day.  If I work out in the morning, then my gym clothes become daywear, if I have an appointment with a client, then I wear some office/work attire during the day.  If I’m sitting at my computer for 8 hours straight taking super boring real estate classes, I wear my pajamas.  It appears that “daywear” is garb for someone who has nothing to do during the day but choose an outfit they can lounge around in.  If I ever get to that point in life AND I can afford to buy clothing in the “daywear” category, this is what I picture myself in.

Joli

My friend Katherine just opened a fabulous boutique in SLC.  While the store space is small, the offerings are grand.  Katherine buys only the most beautiful, unique, and stylish women’s clothing, accessories, and jewelry for her clients.  There is a tasty little bistro next door, so grab a bite and do some shopping before the Holiday Season begins!  (1594 Stratford Ave, SLC just off the 1300 Sugarhouse exit) http://www.saltlakemagazine.com/blog/2012/09/shop-the-grand-opening-of-joli-boutique-in-sugarhouse/

Products

Dove Go Sleeveless deodorant

Deodorant, it seems, it like mascara these days.  The kind that I bought 3 months ago is no longer available.  Instead, there is a new and improved version that has cannibalized its sister product in the market.  Consequently,  I am forced to sample the Dove “Go Sleeveless” deodorant,  fully believing that this is just a new marketing ploy.  However, I have to say – since I started using it,  the hair under my arms grows more slowly and is very thin, so I don’t have to shave as often.  This could be a real break-through!  I’m going to try it on my legs next, then the bikini area, and perhaps even on my chin where those annoying hormonally infused hairs grow sporadically and seemingly right before big events.

CeraVe cleanser and facial lotion with spf

My dermatologist recommended this for my son who has some breakouts.  I figure what is good for the hormonally charged gander is good for the hormonally challenged mamma goose.    Both the cleanser and the lotion have hyaluronic acid, which is supposed to help skin retain moisture.  You can buy this at Walmart, Target and Amazon.

B&B products – The term B&B has been thrown around for a while and virtually every cosmetic company seems to be producing one of these B&B creations thus making it a commodity, but I do like the Loreal Youth Code lotion.  I mix it with the CeraVe moisturizer to get a bit of coverage without feeling overly made up.

It’s a 10 – leave in hair conditioner that defrizzes, detangles, smooths, conditions, etc.  There are ten things that it does but I can’t remember all of them because as we know, my memory is filled with irrelevant real estate terms, but I do know that it is available at Target and Amazon.

Apps

Food for table (my brother turned me onto this) – this app allows you to plan up to three meals per week for free and more if you pay extra for the bigger version of the app.  You can choose from chicken, meat free, slow cooker, salads, etc.  It also alerts you when grocery stores in your area are having a sale so you can plan your meals around those items.  The meals are pretty simple, so I would say this is more for weeknight meals, but it is great to have on your phone in the grocery store when your time to shop is limited  and your creativity is in even shorter supply.

Nike training app This app offers general workouts at three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.  It also has fitness routines for specific body areas such as a “better butt”.  The app demonstrates the exercise and then times the workout and notifies you when to switch to the next exercise.  Great for the at-home workout.  My only complaint is that it is a kilobyte hog.   My friend Amanda, who has a much better butt than me, gave me this app.

Books
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
This is an entertaining read, not any great classic - but very fun for anyone married and/or with kids.  Alice gets banged on the head and forgets the last ten years of her life - but amazingly she seems to only forget the bad things.  What a concept!

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova
Also a quick read, Left Neglect is actually a form of brain injury.  Fascinating and frustrating!

Movies
Argo
I was 13 when the Iran Hostage Crisis took place, so in hindsight I probably should be more familiar with this historical event, but I was preoccupied with boys, Steve miller, and other teenage distractions during 1979 and 80.  Anyway, this movie keeps you on the edge of your seat, is very well made and Ben Affleck, even with the bad early 80's hair and clothing still looks entirely sexy.  I don't even like facial hair.  I can't explain it, I think this real estate class has permanently scarred my brain.   (yes this is my new crush)

Recipes

Coconut chicken curry

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe. It is really tasty and you can make it ahead of time.  Good for a group, serve with rice (and the trimmings listed below) and steamed broccoli or asparagus.  Or a salad with toasted almonds, goat cheese and mandarin oranges.