News

Does this woman look like a spy to you?

It has just been publicized that Julia Child was indeed a member of an international spy ring during WWII. Along with 24,000 others, she worked for the Office of Strategic Services, an early version of the CIA. The list of all 24,000 spies comes out today. I wonder when she found the time…
Read more here.

Fashion

Amazing New Bra from Victoria’s Secret

I don’t know about this one…
This bra is supposed to “tighten, firm and enhance the appearance of your skin”. How? I can’t tell if it’s the fabric or the actual design or what? It doesn’t cost much more than a regular Victoria’s Secret bra, so it might be worth trying. Your thoughts?

Beauty

Nordstrom Beauty Gift

Nordstrom has a great beauty promotion right now. Purchase $100 in beauty or fragrance and receive this fabulous tote filled with fun samples. Might be a good time to stock up on some makeup…

Recipe

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients: 1/2 onion diced, 1/2 bell pepper diced, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 pepper diced, 2 chipotle peppers diced, 1 potato cubed, 1 squash cubed, 1 cup carrots diced, 1 can black beans, 1 can kidney beans, 1/2 small can tomato paste, 1 can corn, 1 can hominy, 1 cup vegetable stock, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper.
Directions: Boil potato in water until soft. Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic, and pepper until translucent. Add chipotle peppers. Add squash and carrots. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add black beans, kidney beans, tomato paste, corn, hominy, and vegetable stock. Do not drain canned goods. Season with chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add drained potatoes.
Add cheese, chips, cilantro, etc. Or, eat alone.
Easy and yummy!

Here’s another recipe from Whole Foods.

Fitness

Plank

Plank is a great exercise for strengthening your core. It looks pretty simple, but is pretty intense. Your whole body will feel this one!
At Home or At the Gym: On your stomach, lift yourself so only your forearms and toes are touching the ground. Legs should be straight and your back should be parallel to the ground. Hold that pose for as long as you can. Multiple reps of 1 minute holds are best. Once you get this down, there are many variations you can try!
Here’s a YouTube video demonstrating.

Home

Ethan Allen’s Modern Collection

When did Ethan Allen get cool? I remember shopping there with my parents and thinking how ‘old lady’ their furniture was. But, the other day at the gym, I saw a commercial for their new line…they must be trying to market to the young hip crowd because they have some super modern, super cute pieces. And, on their website, they have a feature where you can place their furniture in a virtual room to see how it would all look together. Pretty cool!

Shopping

Barneys New York Warehouse Sale

So, unfortunately, we don’t all live in New York or LA. But, if you do, you should definitely check out this sale! Barneys has a warehouse sale twice each year with crazy discounts. I bet it’s nuts on opening day!

News

Is He Kexin really 16?

He Kexin, one of the gold winning Chinese gymnasts, was in a Chinese news article in November that listed her as being 13. Now, that article is ‘missing’. Gymnasts competing in the Olympics must have been 16 at the beginning of this year. On He Kexin’s passport, her birthday is listed as January 1, 1992. Sound fishy?? Read more here.