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Secrets of a Charmed Life – Less is More

February 7, 2011 by

(photo source)

As a wife, mother, full-time communications professional, and part-time writer, I barely have time to think, let alone have any time to myself. On more than one occasion, I’ve wondered how I’ve managed to get through the last few years – days, weeks, months – full of business travel, meetings, projects, family events, social gatherings, not to mention the day-to-day family interactions and housekeeping.

Unlike Europeans, Americans – me included – seem to go, go, go, 24/7, without really stopping to enjoy life. The French, Italians, Spaniards, etc, they all seem to know this lovely secret about how to live a simple yet charmed life — less is more. What that means is the less you pack into your life, the more joy you can find with the things you do.

A few months ago, I decided I was going to give up one thing that took up my time. Obviously, I didn’t want to give up running/exercising, travel, or other things that I loved. I wanted to give up something that I didn’t particularly care for or wasn’t finding enjoyment in – yet still seemed to take up my time.

What did I decide to give up? Housekeeping! Well, not exactly. I didn’t decide to give up having a clean house, but rather decided that I was not going to be the one cleaning it. Aside from taking up my time, house chores have frequently been a source for quarrels in the family. I, being the tidy, everything-in-its place, kind of  a girl, would get slightly (ok, more than slightly) perturbed when I noticed the house was messy. So, to solve the time and temper issues, we hired a twice-a-month housekeeper. Every other week may not seem like much, but when you don’t have to worry about cleaning the floors, bathrooms, sinks, wood furniture, every two weeks seems like heaven!

Now, instead of fretting over a semi-dirty counter, I spend my time playing with the kids, reading a magazine, or writing more articles. A charmed life indeed!

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: , , ,

Feel Like a Princess Every Day

January 21, 2010 by

I don’t consider myself high-maintenance (but who does, right?) nor do I think I have princess qualities. But, every girl, at some point in time, wishes she was a princess. We want to feel special, we want to have nice things, we want to appear glamorous. Then, for most little girls, the reality of not becoming a princess sets in and she must come to terms with being a regular person, just like everyone else. But, even though we can’t really be a princess, what is stopping us from feeling like a princess?

A few years ago, I discovered a very fun and rather quirky book by Jennifer “Gin” Sander. The book, Wear More Cashmere, is dedicated to helping women find their inner princess. Although some of Sander’s ideas are a bit of a stretch (who’s really going to design their own family crest?), she offers 151 ways to rediscover and pamper your inner princess. Here are a few of my personal favorites that I try to practice each day. 

  • Stand Tall – When have you ever seen a princess slouch? Standing tall like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, or even Gwyneth Paltrow, gives the allure of elegance and grace – both qualities of a princess.
  • Robed in Style – What could be more elegant than stepping out of the shower or your bath and slipping on a gorgeous robe? And, it doesn’t have to be purple velvet to feel regal – any silk robe that makes you feel beautiful will do.
  • Tea for One - Taking tea is quite an art, but it need not be reserved for British royalty. Start with a steaming teapot or kettle of water poured into a dainty teacup, then add a high-quality tea sachet or loose-leaf tea and a bit of sugar and/or cream; then sip, relax, and practice your princess wave.
  • That’s a Wrap - From silk to cotton, long to short, and chunky to thin, scarves and pashminas are becoming quite popular these days. But, even before their recent popularity, scarves were worn by Jackie Kennedy and Princess Grace, two icons with exceptional princess style.
  • Pearls of Wisdom - No need to wait for a fancy ball or even a wedding to wear those precious pearls, flaunt them during a shopping trip or a night out with the girls. Want instant glamour – add some pearls!
  • Only the Best – You may be on a budget, but that doesn’t mean you need to pinch pennies when it comes to your inner princess. Whatever it is you need or want, buy the best you can afford and enjoy every penny you’ve spent. Need a new bath towel? Buy a luxurious Egyptian cotton towel from an outlet store. No one needs to know it was only $10!
  • The Sound of Music - If there’s one thing I hate, it’s waking up to the sound of an obnoxious alarm clock. Instead, I program my alarm to my favorite classical radio station. So, each morning, I rise to the beautiful sounds of Bach and Mozart – music fit for a princess!

If you’re longing to feel like a little princess again, remember this…take time for yourself, nurturing your mind, body, and soul. And, no matter how small the gesture or behavior, whatever you do, do it with confidence and style – the tiara is optional.

Filed Under: Joie de Vivre Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Italian Food With A Side of Baseball

July 16, 2009 by

Bonjour Friends! Since my husband and I are now officially off of our restaurant diet and back to a dining-out budget, we decided to celebrate our success by doing, what else? Going out to dinner!  

Seriously, we had planned this dinner nearly a month ago. We drove into the city to meet with friends we hadn’t seen in almost 5 years and had a blast catching up with them.

Dining with a baseball legend

We dined at the famous Harry Caray’s restaurant in downtown Chicago. Now if you’ve never heard of Harry Caray, he was the long-time, and extremely beloved, announcer for the Chicago Cubs baseball team, most known for his huge black horn-rimmed glasses and unpredictable commentary. He has since passed, but his spirit lives on in the city, the baseball team, and in his Italian restaurants, all named after the man himself. We ate at the main restaurant on Kinzie St., which, according to my husband, has the second biggest collection of sports memorabilia, next to Cooperstown – but don’t quote me on that!

Harry Caray's Statue outside of Wrigley Field in Chicago

Harry Caray's Statue outside of Wrigley Field in Chicago

Hmm…Cheeeeese!

Anyway, back to our dinner. Our table split the antipasto cheese platter that included slices of fresh parmesan reggiano, provolone, gorgonzola, pecorino, and mozzarela, with an accompaniment of grilled marinated veggies. The cheeses were fantastic! I sampled all but the gorgonzola, with some of the fresh house bread and was actually quite full after a few slices. I DID take photos but they did not turn out well. The lighting was great for ambience but terrible for picture taking.

Harry Caray's Antipasto Cheese Salad: Much better than the picture alludes...

Harry Caray's Antipasto Cheese Salad: Much better than the picture alludes...

Believe me, the salad was much better than it looks in the photo!

The good and the not so good

My husband and guests ordered some form of steak/meat (I don’t eat steak so I really don’t pay attention to the names) and they were raving about what they ordered. I ordered the spinach pappardelle Italian sausage pasta and am sad to say that I was not very excited about the dish. I won’t even bother with the photo! It did not taste bad, it just didn’t seem to have that umph that I had expected. It didn’t even look good enough for my husband to try and he nearly always has some of my dish when we go out – so that’s saying a lot. I did, however, try my husband vesuvio potato and loved it! Now, I’ve been to Harry’s before – we usually go once a year – and have loved all of my meals, so I will just chalk up this mediocre entree to a bad night.

Don’t worry Harry! As the saying goes, there’s always next year!

After having a night cap at Fadó’s Irish Pub, we said our goodbye’s and headed home. We did not get home until 11:30 PM! Yikes – we were both dragging this morning as we were getting ready for work. In fact, my husband looked at me and said “we can’t do that very often, can we?”

Yawn…my sentiments exactly.

Ciao!

Filed Under: Food & Wine Tagged With: , , , ,

A Restaurant Diet Reprieve

June 30, 2009 by

What a jam-packed morning! I’ve already run 4 miles, went to yoga, and the grocery store – all before 10:30 AM! I love being on vacation!

Now, onto my post for the day. As many of you know, it has now been two weeks since my husband and I put ourselves on a restaurant diet – opting to not spend any money on dining out. But yesterday – on the first day of my staycation, we decided to use a gift card and treat ourselves to lunch. 

Let me tell you, we were so excited about going out to eat and really excited that we could do it without going off of our restaurant diet. We contemplated several outings and several different choices of restaurants. We decided to head to the Lincoln Park Zoo in downtown Chicago for a touristy vacation activity. But, before the zoo, was the main event (at least in our minds it was) – going out to lunch!  

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

When deciding on where we would lunch near the zoo, we contemplated between Mon Ami Gabi – a very nice French restaurant, or RJ Grunts, a Chicago icon known for its sandwiches and salad bar. We’ve been to both restaurants several times before and have had great experiences at both. We decided on RJ Grunts (I was so looking forward to their yummy french fries), the original Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant – as the sign says on the door.

RJ Grunts in Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

RJ Grunts in Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

Boy, did we make the wrong choice. The restaurant was so incredibly crowded on a Monday during lunch that we waited for 30 minutes for a table in a high traffic area. Next, it took us another 10 minutes for a server to even acknowledge us. And, come to find out when I finally ordered my sandwich, the server told me they no longer serve french fries but homemade chips! At this point, my husband and I were very disappointed and I even contemplated leaving. But, we stuck it out in hopes that the food would make up for our initial experience. 

My husband and I decided to split a “Mr Chicken” sandwich – similar to a beef sandwich with au jus sauce, but with chicken, peppers, and cheese. My husband also ordered a big bowl of chili to subsidize our split. When our sandwich arrived, the staff had pre-split our meal which I thought was a nice gesture.

Mr. Chicken Sandwich - my split

Mr. Chicken Sandwich - my split

The meal, including the homemade chips, looked tempting, although after one bite I concluded that the sandwich was really nothing special – another disappointment. Much to our delight, the chips were quite good, some crunchy, some soft like french fries, although you wouldn’t find me dipping then in ketchup anytime soon. 

The highlight of the meal was actually the dessert, one of RJ’s famous chocolate malts and that my friend was worth every penny of $4.50 we deducted from the gift card.

Overall, our first dining out experience after a two week restaurant hiatus was a little lackluster – leaving us feeling very unsatisfied and a bit hungry. It could have been the food, it could have been the atmosphere, or it could simply be that we are becoming even bigger food snobs. Or maybe, just maybe, our restaurant diet is helping us see that dining out isn’t all it’s made out to be. 

Check please!

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: , , , ,

Recessionista Diaries: Affordable Luxuries

January 29, 2009 by

British women buy more make-up than anyone. In fact, a new survey shows British women would spend their last £10 (about $14) on a tube of lipstick, ahead of food, clothing, and other daily essentials, suggesting that this type of purchase gives women a cheap shopping fix, especially in a tough economy. Even during times of recession, all women seem the find money to splurge – particularly on little things like makeup.

Lipstick: An affordable luxury

Lipstick: An affordable luxury

This shopping behavior, dubbed the Lipstick Effect, has become more common in recent decades with the ebb and flow of the economy. The term suggests that during times of recession, women who can’t afford typical expensive luxuries, like jewelry or designer handbags, will opt for less expensive ones like lipstick or nail polish, all to make them feel glamorous and boost their mood during times when many people are feeling the inevitable squeeze in their pocketbooks.

Ladies, our humble salaries may not afford us a Kate Spade bag or another pair of Jimmy Choos, but we’ll be damned if we can’t buy a $10 lipstick at Ulta. I mean, a girl’s gotta shop, right? If your shopaholic personality is waking up to a recessionista reality, try indulging in a few of these harmless pick-me-ups. They can provide an instant mood boost for a girl on any budget.

For less than $15 you can afford the following luxuries:

  • Under $15 - 
    • Victoria’s Secret underwear
    • A luxurious hand towel in whatever color makes you happy
    • Comfy slippers
    • A bouquet of flowers
    • Fancy bar soaps
  • Under $10 - 
    • A rockin’ hot lipstick from Sephora
    • Paperback romance novel
    • OPI nail polish
    • Jeweled hair clips
    • Tin of gourmet tea or box of candy
    • A decent Chardonnay at Trader Joe’s
  • Under $5 - 
    • Travel size Bath and Body Works hand cream or body wash
    • Scented candles
    • One wine glass from Crate and Barrel
  • Under $3 - 
    • Tall Starbucks latte
    • Magazine
    • Cool notebook
    • Pair of argyle socks
  • Under $1 - 
    • Your new favorite song downloaded from itunes
    • Shower loofah

Obviously, all of these things are those you do not have to have. But, satisfying your urge to splurge with these petits luxes may help you through the hard times. And, as Estée Lauder famously said :

“When things are bad, if a woman has a new perfume and a little lipstick, she feels like a queen.”

Cheers! I’m on off to buy a new lipstick…

Filed Under: Joie de Vivre Tagged With: , , , ,
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