During the workweek we are constricted by our workplace attire. Toss away the corporate noose, and fling off those blister-forming pumps! Style and comfort can most definitely be paired together. Let your body ease into a pair of SIAMS pants.

Carley Stenson, the founder of SIAMS is truly proud of her creation. SIAMS main goal is comfort, and that is exactly how you will feel when you get these on! These pants come in a multitude of vivid colors such as army green, pink, bright blue, orange, and many more! They range in value from $14.00 to $32.95.

 These pants are unique in every sense of the word, and even have a special way of being tied around your waist. Learn how to properly wrap your pants at the SIAMS webiste, www.abhdesign.com. You can wear these pants anywhere and absolutely everywhere! Take comfort everywhere you go. What we wear should make us feel good about ourselves. Whether you wear your SIAMS to the beach, strolling outside, to a yoga class, out with your friends, to lounge around at home in, out dancing, or wherever you please, you will feel relaxed.

  Get a pair for your honey and one for yourself, so the two of you can step out in style and feel liberated in your SIAMS!

Honeycat Fishnet Gift Basket

 Is your bath time in need of some sprucing up? Well, Honeycat has just the remedy! Get the bath water warm and steamy to your liking, and drop in a Frisky Kitty Bath Time Fizzy. These bath bombs come in scents of oatmeal, cocoa butter, lilac and honey, and rose and lemongrass. After the long grueling workweek, what could be better than treating your woman to a gentle and body soothing bath? ($10)

Frisky Kitty Bath Time Fizzy

 Scrub it all around! You’ll have her meowing in the shower, once she gets a whiff of this peach, brandy, and brown sugar shower gel. Shower time should be filled with peace and comfort. Get that washcloth all soapy, lather all around, and have her body smelling divine. ($16, 120z) 

Honeycat Shower Gel

Blossom Crown With Tassels

What woman doesn’t love being surprised with a stunning floral arrangement? If have ever felt that your vase, full of beautiful  flowers was missing something, you’re in great luck! Blossom Crown, invented by Anne Cork, is a simple yet beautiful wire grid flower arranger that goes above the top of a vase, and gives any room and home a tasteful feminine touch. Blossom Crown comes in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit your vase, whether round or square.

Easy To Use Directions

Don’t let those precious floral stems go limp. With the Blossom Crown you can place the flowers where you please in each slot. Since the grid is reusable and bendable, you have authority on how the final look will be presented. The floral arranger itself is perfect to give to your girlfriends as a gift, your mom, sister, grandmother, and for anyone who loves flowers and is looking to add character to the bouquet in this vase. The holidays are coming up quickly, so don’t forget those women in your life that love flowers! You can even place a Blossom Crown floral arranger greeting card as a stocking stuffer for $8.00. Blossom Crown is sure to uplift and add class and grace to any party, as a present, and within a home.

Greeting Card Styles

All Blossom Crown products and gifts can be purchased at www.bellenoel.com. Find out more about Anne Cork, the woman behind Blossom Crown and about how you can start dazzling your guests and friends with the easy to use floral arranger at www.blossomcrown.com.

I used to detest Forever21, but as of late I have noticed that their clothing has gone from tacky to what’s in. Or maybe I’m just happy about what’s in, since I wasn’t so content about the trends that were going around for about a long time.

Anyhow, Forever21 isn’t only putting out items that are currently in, they are also reasonably priced. Hm, correction, they are cheap. There I said it….Cheap. And although the quality of the fabric isn’t as durable in comparison to the more expensive items, and you may quite possibly may see ten other people wearing your T-shirt on your way to work, the quality of fabric has increased over the years, and who cares if someone else is wearing the selfsame printed T as you are…? Maybe you two or three can get together for a coffee, cuz you probably have more in common if you chose the same T-shirt..no?

Right now I’m really into printed T’s with funny sayings on them. I like to rock them under blazers, it’s sort of my personality breaking through the bland colors of tan, grey, brown, all those – I belong in the world of suits –colors.

Does the evening at Forever21 mean that I have a closet stocked full of Forever wear? No. I still  believe in shopping at locals where each item is special, or close to it, but it’s good to do a little of everything, too much salt, it just too much salt.

Check Forever21 out and get back to me if you do. And no, I’m not even going to go into the meaning of their name with you…But think about that one for a minute.

This is how I went about the whole business: (It was only slightly tortuous.) I splurged on a dress from Roni, (An Nyc shop) $150.00. This dress required a belt for it to appear it’s best, so instead of purchasing a belt for $50 that I would wear, what three times, I ran to a fabric shop and got myself a thin spool of ribbon for $2.67.

When I called around to various nail salons, I found out that it would cost nearly $50 for a manicure & pedicure. I initially thought it’s graduation, a little pampering won’t hurt, but one must remain realistic about these things. Because that pampering will hurt at the end of the month when the mailman hands over the pampering bill. So, I purchased my own nail polish for $3.99,  soaked my feet in the tub, and made my own toes attractive. It was actually quite relaxing since the part of my brain that usually moves from one thing to the next, had one focus only, and it being a simple task, it was vacation from the thinking.

When it was time for the hair I called Maria Bonita, a salon that I invariably turn to for special occasions, and booked an appointment for a blow-out for $45.00.

(I have a decent variety of shoes, so I didn’t have to worry about that. Thank goodness.)

In total, new outfit and look: (My hair is usually curly.) $201.66. It’s not bad considering how put together I looked. The trick is to spend where you need to, and not to spend when you don’t, or when creativity would be an even better option, do that.

Here are the best SPF 30’s around. Added bonus—they’re tinted! Wave bye-bye to foundations and primers during the dry and sticky months. All available at Sephora.

LORAC ProtecTINT SPF 30 Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer

Used In The Buff (the second lightest), Tahitian Tan (the darkest shade), and Beach Bronze (a sheer bronzer for any skin tone). Dare To Bare, their lightest shade, is normally the only one I could use, but there is something special about Lorac’s shades. The colors are so sheer, that when blended thoroughly, virtually any shade can look like your own. Tahitian Tan actually looked like a real tan on me! So effortless to blend, there was no tell-tale foundation line anywhere—very impressive, Lorac! Light coverage, excellent for layering, leaves skin dewy. Can get shiny a few hours after application, so pack some blot sheets. Great for sensitive skin!

5 sheer shades to match any skin tone. 1.3 oz for $32, found at Lorac Cosmetics.

Numbers 2 & 3 after the jump!

The number 2 best tinted SPF is:

Josie Maran Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30

Thick enough to replace your everyday moisturizer, this tinted SPF has a lightweight feel and a coverage that reduces the appearance of fine lines. Apply sparingly, a small dab on just one area of the face at a time. Best applied with fingers—a blending sponge can wipe it off entirely. Can layer for heavier coverage. Because of the natural ingredients, shake vigorously to prevent the oils from running or clumping. Shades appear darker on skin; try one lighter.

Maran’s signature ingredient, Argan Oil, can be used on both oily and dry skin. The antioxidant repairs skin cells damaged by free radical exposure. Organic grape seed, jojoba, pomegranate, avocado, flax, olive, and coconut oils are mixed with organic extracts from papaya, passion fruit, chamomile, ginseng root, and aloe, olive, and rosemary leaf. Cocoa and mango butters are blended in for year-round to skin conditioning. The line is paraben, sulfate, petro-chemical, phthalate, synthetic dye, and cruelty-free.

5 shades for fair, medium-light, tan, medium-brown, and deep, rich brown skin tones. $38 for 1.7 oz. Sold at Josie Maran Cosmetics.

And number 3 best tinted SPF is:

Tarte. Smooth Operator SPF 20 Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer

This would have made the #1 all time best tinted SPF if it had an SPF 30 in it. Because it’s only a 20, it made #3. So, if you want to use the best tinted moisturizer around, use this, but wear a makeup primer with an SPF 30 or higher underneath, I love Make Up Forever’s UV Prime SPF 50/PA+++. It’s a moisturizing primer with an SPF of 50 all in one go-to product. Added bonus—it’s only $30, and saves you thousands on lessening wrinkles later with dermabrasion or laser surgery.

The easiest blending ability of all brands tested. The reason: the moisturizer instantly absorbs and dries into the skin, leaving an almost powdery finish. Doesn’t smear or smudge. Goes on incredibly smooth, hence the name. So lightweight, just a few dabs around my nose lessened the appearance of broken capillaries. One layer made my pores soften instantly, and it gave my skin such a radiant and healthy finish.

You need not worry about a shine attack from this product. Blot sheets should be more than adequate, and you can probably skip the powder.

For those with sensitive skin: it leaves a slight tingling sensation on the skin and you may want to wear an SPF 30 lotion underneath to really prevent the aging process brought on by the sun.

Contains apple, lemon, gingko billoba root, camellia, chamomile, ginseng root extracts and vitamins A, C, and E. Formulated without gluten, parabens, mineral oil & petrolatum, sodium laurel sulfates, phthalates, and is cruelty-free.

9 shades to flawlessly match each skin tone. Used Agent 00 for porcelain/fair complexions with pink undertones. $36 for 1.7 oz. at Tarte Cosmetics.

When cooking a meal for a number of friends, the want to impress is a given, yet you aren’t exactly on a budget that will allow you to purchase oysters & fillets of salmon. If this is you, there is hope. There is my stroganoff.

Since my mother was never a fan of cooking, (Yes, there was a pizza Friday and a Chinese food Sunday. I am still trying to blot out those Mondays-Fridays.) I took to experimenting on my own. Sure, there were many times when the recipes I cooked were inedible because I would invariably linger away from the directions or the needed ingredients, but due to that exploring I have created a few beautiful eats. Shall we?

The following can be applied to beef or chicken. (Go with chicken if you’re going for cheap. But I tend to prefer beef.) Now bear with me, the strategy I use for measurements could be comparable to an Italian grandmother.
~
You should have at least two handfuls of beef (chuck) or chicken for each person. (We don’t want to send anyone home hungry.)
Ketchup (Plenty)
Lea & Perrins The Original Worcestershire Sauce
1 Large Spanish Onion (Chop. Don’t dice.)
Mushrooms (I like to mix the white caps with two large portabellas. Slice please.)
2 small containers of sour cream (But you’re only using 1 1/2)

Sushi Rice (Sushi rice soaks up the sauce in a good way.)

Romaine Lettuce

Ruffles Potato Chips

Salt & Pepper for taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

First things first: You want to start sauteing the onion on a low flame in a nice pour of oil. Then tenderize the meat/chicken while the onions are on the flame. When the meat has been sufficiently roughed up, place in large pot to brown, also salt & pepper please. (At this point the heat should be at medium to low.) Once the meat is brown add ketchup, when it seems like you should stop, keep going, then stop. Lea & Perrins should follow directly after this with 6/7 good shakes over the pot. (Stir) Then add a container of sour cream. At this point, take note of the color, aim for dark orange. Then place the lid on the pot and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes. After that time, add the mushrooms, then allow the pot to simmer for another 10ish minutes, or until the meat is cooked. But pay attention to it because you don’t want it to get tough.

While simmering, get the rice into action. (If you do that, side and main should be timed up.)

I tend to plate the first serving  for guests,  since presentation will also cost you points. (Top Chef anyone?) The way I go about is by draping the plate with lettuce, then placing a scoop of rice into the center, then ladle the stroganoff atop and around the rice. (We want to see the rice. Remember the presentation.)

Enjoy.

(O, and the chips will be your utensils when eating out of the fridge at 2 A.M.  It’s really great cold.)

A few options on how to loosen that money belt so one can ahhh breath again are:

Um, stop purchasing those water bottles at every street corner. Those stainless steel canteens are around $10, which will pay itself off in two weeks’ time. Also, I hear all that plastic is bad for the environment. “We are the world.” What happens to us when the world is super dirty?

Please purchase a coffee maker, and if you have one, use it! Now I am willing to go halfsies on this one, because there is no way a simple coffee machine can accomplish the magic that is Starbucks (Or a favorite coffee spot.). But, if you were to make your own coffee at least three times a week, that is a weekly $10 savings. Do the math. (Also a Starbucks secret: Refills for coffee are free, that is, the no frills coffee, which hello, is also good.)

For those who are jonesing for a girls night out, start the evening at a friend’s apt/home. It’s called pre-gaming. Although this sounds like a college student activity, anyone can do it. This will save you cash on drink number one, and dare I say number two. When times are rough, a gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do.

For some reason doing these small things tend to make me feel better. When I think of more, and I will, I will post them on here. P.S. Let’s pretend the pretty girl in the picture is holding a quarter, instead of a Euro.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5-6 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach (in a bag)

1 8 oz container of low-fat cream cheese, softened

1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Combine ingredients in microwave safe 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Nuke on high for 5-6 mins. Remove dish from microwave, stir mixture until blended. Serve with oven-baked tortilla chips! 

This is a recipe for tomato chipotle fennel seed hummus.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans

1/2 cup tahini

1 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1 teaspoon (1/3 palm full) ground chipotle powder

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

1/4 cup chopped onion (optional)

black pepper to taste

cayenne pepper to taste

salt to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Place garbanzo beans, tahini, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, and maple syrup in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add in fennel seed, nutritional yeast, and onion; blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.