Posts from — June 2012

A week of swirling rumors and speculation came to a close yesterday when Ann Curry announced she was leaving the TODAY Show after 15 years on the morning news program. While she will still be with the network as a special national and international correspondent, many (myself included) suspect that she was pushed out because of the TODAY Show’s declining ratings, and NBC thought a quick fix would be replacing Ms. Curry. More shockingly, she was on for the first hour or two, had 15 minutes to say goodbye, then didn’t come back. Even Meredith Vieria got a two hour farewell episode when she left after being on for only five years, which makes Ms. Curry’s leaving so suddenly all the more suspicious. But I digress.

One of the many things I’ll miss about Ann Curry’s absence is her style. She was, by far, the best dressed anchor on the TODAY show and I always found myself inspired by her outfits. She always wore bold, bright colors, trendy shoes, and took risks (the yellow dress, on the right, apparently had a pretty high slit in the back…).

Here’s just a sampling of what she’s worn over her 15 year tenure with the TODAY Show.

Personally, I can’t wait to see what amazing things Ms. Curry does in her new role. Wherever she goes and whatever she does, she brings class, professionalism, dedication, and style. I hope she takes comfort in the fact that many viewers see right through NBC’s decision. I know I do.

[Photos via CBS, TODAY, E!]

Today is the last day of my Special K 2 week challenge with SHAPE! It’s been a great 2 weeks and I think I did pretty well for myself, based on my original goals. I did fall off the wagon a bit this past weekend [graduation parties, birthdays, etc...ugh!], but I think I learned a lot throughout the challenge. I will definitely be stocking up on my favorite Special K snacks and cereals to keep me full throughout the day.

Among my favorites are: the chocolate and fruit and yogurt cereals, the chocolate chip cereal bar, the chocolate pastry crisps, the chocolate peanut butter meal bar (can you tell I like chocolate?), and the multi-grain crackers.

The next time I do the challenge, I have to remember to use the Special K challenge iPhone app. It definitely looks like a great way to keep up with your challenge on the go!

Thank you Allie and everyone at SHAPE for giving me this opportunity!

Last week was the first heatwave of the summer on the East Coast. While I don’t mind a few days of hazy summer weather when I’m down the shore or on vacation, it can be a nightmare trying to get to work when it’s already 85 degrees out at 8 am. Sweating before you get to work is not cute.

I polled my friends in the U30Pro community on Facebook and Twitter about how they beat the heat when going to work. Check out their tips and my suggestions below!

FYI, these suggestions are all based on business casual work environments.

Ladies

• Stick to dresses (maybe even a maxi dress on casual Fridays) or skirts and cute sandals or wedges. Pumps- whether open or closed toe- can make your feet sweat a lot. If it’s really hot, wear flip flops or flats until you get to the office, then change into your work shoes.
• Be prepared for anything by keeping a light sweater or blazer in your office, just in case you have a surprise client visit or the AC is especially cold that day.

Men

• It’s a little more difficult for men to dress for the extreme heat because, well, the only other thing to wear would be shorts. Since many offices might not allow that, try to dress as lightly as possible. Nice pants and a work-appropriate shirt with the sleeves rolled up should help.
• I’m also a sucker for boat shoes, so I’m going to recommend a pair of those to finish off your look.

It’s officially been a week since I started the Special K challenge with SHAPE. I’ve done a good job at sticking to my one meal replacement instead of two (except for Father’s Day, when you have a biological father and a step-father, that’s a busy day and all meals are out of the house…). I also tried a new cereal: the fruit and yogurt kind, and I forgot how much I love that one! It’s just the right hint of sweetness without being too much.

My favorite snack, however, are these crackers.

They are simply delicious. I love eating them by themselves, or with a little bit of cheese and peanut butter. The best part? 24 crackers (which is one serving) is only 120 calories, meaning each cracker only has 5 calories. Awesome.

I only have one week left, so check back for another update on Saturday!

Now on to today’s post.

I love it when two of my passions collide. Thanks to Giada De Laurentiis, that is happening more and more. The petite chef cooks up authentic Italian cuisine on the Food Network and Cooking Channel, serves as a mentor and judge on Food Network Star, and has her own line of products at Target. She also has some great style.

I guess Giada knows we all want to know where her clothes and accessories are from, because her team started posting her different outfits from Food Network Star on her website, which I think is a brilliant idea. I find her style to be easily accessible, laid back (must be from living in California) and not intimidating, especially this casual outfit pictured above from the 8th episode of the competition show. She gives credit to the items she’s wearing, so you can try to find the items (or similar ones) directly with the brands she’s wearing, or you can try and dig up similar ones on your own.

Check back next week to see how I recreate the outfit above and suggestions on how you can do it, too!

[Photo via]

1. Awaken Sea Salt Scrub: A true blue favorite with a light, citrusy and revitalizing scent that is perfect for summer.  Plus, it leaves your skin silky smooth without a greasy or heavy feeling. (editor’s note: I have tried this scrub and it is insanely amazing. Just saying)
2. Seasource Detox Spa Cooling Body Gelee: I love using this product after being out in the sun; it instantly cools and refreshes, and the tingle helps ease any discomfort.  Its also great after playing sports or as used as a full body moisturizer.
3. BefoRE sun sunscreen: Did you know that only 10% of aging is genetic?  The other 90% is actually controllable.  Most aging is caused from, you guessed it, sun exposure!  Protecting your skin and preventing sun damage is so, so important for your health.  This sunscreen SPF 30 to prevent sunburn and is also waterproof.  What separates it from Coopertone?  Arbonne’s sunscreen contains the pure botanical ingredients as our RE Advanced anti-aging line to combat aging in addition to protecting skin. (For babies, see also Arbonne’s ABC Baby Sunscreen)
4. Fit Essentials Lemon Chews: New for summer, the infamous Fit Chews have debuted a new flavor to refresh and re-energize for summer.  The fit chews are great for a quick snack to keep on track with healthy weight management and a fit and active lifestyle.
5. Sheer Finish Tinted Moisturizer: In the summer I sometimes feel that a full coverage foundation is just too heavy on my skin.  I love this tinted moisturizer because it provides the coverage I need, evens out skin tone, and has a sheer finish to give you a healthy and even glow.  It’s perfect for summer because it takes no time at all to apply and is so light, you don’t feel like your wearing any makeup at all.  It also has SPF 15 for those sunny brunches on the deck.

So, the Special K challenge has been going pretty well so far. I’ve been keeping up with the one meal instead of 2, plus enjoying the snacks throughout the day. I have to say, the cereal and meal bars are pretty filling! They have come in handy during mornings when I’m running late or busy after work and don’t have time for full sit-down meals.

I’ve only tried the chocolate peanut butter meal bar, but I highly recommend it. I also love the chocolate cereal and the chocolate chip snack bar. Basically, all of the chocolate stuff is awesome!

This week will be my first full week doing the challenge so I will definitely check back in to let you know how it’s going!

First, an announcement: I’m excited to work with SHAPE and participate in the Special K Challenge! I try to eat the best that I can, but sometimes I get sidetracked or stressed at work, which leads me to make some bad food choices. While I don’t want to lose a lot of weight, I thought trying a modified version of this challenge would help keep me on track. Instead of replacing two meals every day with a Special K product, I’m just to replace one. This will come in especially handy on nights or weekends when I have to work my second job and don’t have time to eat a full meal. I will be blogging about my progress a few times over the next two weeks, so stay tuned!

[FTC disclosure: SHAPE Magazine provided me with the funds to buy the Special K products with the expectation of blogging about my experience. However, I am only blogging a few times so not to lose sight of what Fresh Squeezed is all about]

Now, on to the fashion stuff.

Threadflip, the new online consignment shop, had a huge week last week. The site not only launched a new iPhone app, but also announced the close of a $6.5M Series-A financing.

“The latest funding round was led by Shasta Venture, with participation from Lowercase Capital bringing total funding raised to $8.1M. Shasta Ventures’ Tod Francis joins Threadflip’s board of directors,” said Jessica Mullens of Mullens Public Relations in a press release.

I just had the opportunity to download it last night, and I must say it is very easy to use and streamlined. The user interface is simple and basic, just like the desktop website. I can’t wait to use it to upload new items to my closet using the app! As I said in my first post about the site, many brick-and-mortar consignment shops will charge you up to 40% to sell your clothes. You barely make anything off of that! Threadflip charges just 20% and helps you factor in the cost of shipping the item as you are pricing. The best part? Everything can be done from your home. In pjs. I love it.

I just made my first sale (woohoo!) so I will be uploading more items to replace that one. I also plan on adding more shoes and accessories as well. If you’re looking to clean out your closet and want to make a few extra bucks, definitely give site a try.

What kind of items would you buy on Threadflip?

This post is going to have very few words.

Last night was the 66th annual Tony Awards, and Broadway legend Bernadette Peters was honored for her work with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Broadway Barks! and more. The honor is well deserved, as Peters is a huge advocate for those without a voice of their own.

She stepped out in this beyond gorgeous eggplant Donna Karan gown and was definitely the best dressed last night if you ask me.

I mean, come on. This is so unfair. I’ve been a fan of hers for a LONG time, since seeing her in Annie Get Your Gun in 1999-ish, and it seems like she doesn’t age, but I’m getting older? Weird.

I’m only hoping that I can look half as good as this when I’m in my sixties.

You can check out all of the red carpet looks here. Which ones were your favorite(s)? Least favorite(s)?

[Photo]

Secretly, I am a huge make up junkie. I love trying new products, new colors, new everything. That’s why I was so thrilled when I received a sample of the PixiGlow collection, available at Target.

PixiGlow is a skin care company, founded in London, that draws inspiration from Disney’s Tinkerbell. According to PixiGlow’s website, founder Petra Strand has over 20 years of experience in the make up industry. The brand’s main objective is to create products that make you look fresh, radiant, like you just got 8 full hours of beauty sleep.

So far, I’ve tried the Fairy Face Palette Kit- one of Petra’s picks- and the Magic Tink Tint. The palette kit features gorgeous, shimmery eye shadows and blushes, and pretty lip colors. The lip tint is a cross between chapstick and lip gloss, keeping my lips nourished all morning.

As soon as I dive into more of the products, I’ll be sure to let you know!

In the summer time, there’s nothing better than a big plate of french fries to go with whatever you’re grilling for dinner, especially hamburgers. So good, right?

Unfortunately, not so good for you. When I can, I try to roast up veggies instead to satisfy that same crunch that I so long for with french fries. I cooked up some broccoli with some soy sauce, lemon zest and garlic and found myself not missing the fries at all. The broccoli stays crunchy, and the soy sauce adds that bit of salt that is so good. I find myself adding lemon and garlic to pretty much everything, and this little addition helps brighten things up. So simple, yet so delicious. Try it and let me know what you think!

Roasted Broccoli

• 1 medium head of broccoli, washed and cut
• 2-3 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Place washed and cut broccoli into a bowl and add soy sauce, lemon zest, garlic and olive oil. Put on baking sheet and roast for 12-15 minutes, checking on it once. Add salt (if desired) and serve.

For more fry alternatives, check out this list from Bon Appetit. I know I’ll be trying some this week!

Unless you live under a rock, you know that it was the Queen of England’s Diamond Jubilee celebration this past weekend. London prepared for four days of celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. She is the only other monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee, joining Queen Victoria, who celebrated her Diamond Jubilee 115 years ago.

[Photo]

The Royal family was out and about all weekend in support of these various celebrations. Needless to say, the Duchess of Cambridge looked nothing short of flawless every time she stepped out.

The Duchess wore a red Alexander McQueen dress, and Sarah Burton added sleeves to this style helping to keep her warm. Now, apparently Kim Kardashian also wore this dress sometime and now, there are more “comparison” posts between the two of them. I’m not sure why Kim wearing a dress that Kate wears makes them similar, as there are really NO other similarities between the two, but maybe that’s just me.

[Photo]

[Photo]

[Photo]

For the Jubilee concert, the Duchess went a bit more casual with this blue and purple printed Whistles dress and a black blazer.

[Photo]

And for the mass of Thanksgiving for the Queen, Kate absolutely stunned in a nude lace Alexander McQueen dress. This is probably one of favorite looks of hers, probably tied for first with this one.

Everything about this outfit is perfection: the fit of the dress, the neckline, the length, the fascinator, the heels, everything. She looks absolutely perfect.

[Photo]

[Photo]

[Photo]

Check out my Duchess of Cambridge (and Royal family) style board on Pinterest for more pictures.

And hopefully, the silly comparison posts between Kim Kardashian and the Duchess can stop, because it really is silly to compare the two. It’s like comparing…well, comparing something really trashy and selfish to something classy and compassionate. Sorry, but Kim Kardashian is NOT the American equivalent of the Duchess of Cambridge and her fame hungry family is not America’s Royal family. If it is, I’m moving to Canada.