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Cold Days, Hot Tea and Good Books
My formula for cold winter days is cuddling with Jacob with some lemon tea and reading a good book! We dream about California, the sun and the beach. We read and read and hug and hug. Winter seems to go by faster but we are counting the days. He is so bundled up and PAWS balloon booties are a must in NYC.
Here are some dog books we have been reading lately and highly recommend:
1. Ambassador Dogs by Lisa Loeb
Dogs are ambassadors to the world and our own local communities. They come to serve and love us as only they know how. Accompanied by 175 color images, discover the remarkable connection between dogs and humans through the inspiring stories of 24 dogs and the owners whose lives they have made better. Meet Paddington, the official greeter at Thorncroft Equestrian Center, and Cody, a search and rescue dog. Learn the story behind Pals for Life, an organization that provides therapy animal visits, and Francisvale, a safe haven for abandoned dogs. The stories range from service dogs that make life easier for those in need to much-loved household pets that offer love and companionship each day for family members. Dog lovers everywhere will delight in these wonderfully witty and entertaining stories.
2. Inside of a Dog – Alexandra Horowitz
The answers will surprise and delight you as Alexandra Horowitz, a cognitive scientist, explains how dogs perceive their daily worlds, each other, and that other quirky animal, the human. Horowitz introduces the reader to dogs’ perceptual and cognitive abilities and then draws a picture of what it might be like to be a dog. What’s it like to be able to smell not just every bit of open food in the house but also to smell sadness in humans, or even the passage of time? How does a tiny dog manage to play successfully with a Great Dane? What is it like to hear the bodily vibrations of insects or the hum of a fluorescent light? Why must a person on a bicycle be chased? What’s it like to use your mouth as a hand? In short, what is it like for a dog to experience life from two feet off the ground, amidst the smells of the sidewalk, gazing at our ankles or knees?
3. Help Your Shy Dog – Deborah Wood
Fifteen to twenty percent of dogs are born with a tendency towards introversion and fearfulness, leading to behaviors like uncontrolled submissive urination, fear-aggression, and inability to bond with humans. With understanding and the right training, fearful dogs need not be condemned as bad pets; rather, they can become some of the happiest and most deeply bonded dogs around the epitome of great pets.
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Simple Tips for Day to Night Beauty
Since moving to our Bleecker Street apartment, I had to really downsize my makeup collection. It is not a good idea to keep makeup over 6 months anyway and I had blush and lipstick from way earlier than that. So when I put these in the trash, I was left with just a handful of makeup essentials. Simplifying your makeup collection doesn’t mean less beauty looks… See this fun infographics below for an easy way to change your look from day to night from our friends at Macy’s.
This post is sponsored by Macy’s. I was invited to this opportunity by Blue Polo Interactive and received a Macy’s gift card for my time. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
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Keep Your Resolution with @TheAthletesclub
Everyone’s resolution is to be healthier, work out more and lose some weight right? Yup! There is a new site you should check out if you want to keep your resolution. The all new Athletes Club (www.athletesclub.com) is a subscription based service that nets members exclusive discounts to various gyms, gear shops, and other health and fitness related business in their city.
Members can go for a workout at a gym one day and then have a spa day the next. Need some gear to pick up a new sport? Stop by one of the club’s partner shops for discounts on a wide variety of products. On top of these discounts, Athletes Club members also gain access to exclusive content and special events around their city.
Introductory rates for membership to the site are $19 a monthly or $129 annually. Discounts never expire and vary from partner to partner. Here’s a quick sampling of what will be available to members in NYC:
· 6-Pack of Private Training Sessions for $450 (Usually $900) at The Fitness Cell
· 50% OFF 1st Group Class (Normal Class price $30) at Body Space Fitness
· 20% OFF Gym Membership (Annual Price is $3,000) at SuperStar Gym
· Beginner Package – 50% OFF Enrollment, 15% OFF Personal Training Packages, Gloves, Wraps & T-Shirts With A One-Year Membership at UFC Gym
· $75 OFF a New Bike and a Bike Fitting Together at Bicycle Habitat
The site is user friendly to navigate. I found some really cool deals in NYC like 1st class free and a cool gym, spa packages and deals at juice bars! Partners include Clay Health Club, Hu Kitchen, Finish Line and Bicycle Habitat. With informative blog entries, premium videos and a really user friendly system – you can discover new motivations to keep your resolution for 2014.
Sign up, do 10 squats and tell a friend about Athletes Club! https://athletesclub.com/
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A New Generation of Reds @GarnierCan Olia
Garnier Olia is the very 1st oil powered permanent haircolor for maximum color performance.
This is a real breakthrough for at home hair dye lovers like me. I am a DIY-er and I also love changing up my hair. When I receive the Olia dye kit from my friends at Garnier, I loved the packaging and concept of this product! I am no stranger to dying my hair but coming up for spring… what color would you pick?
The oil powered technology propels colorants deep into the hair, without ammonia, giving you pure, vivid, long-lasting color. Olia visibly improves and restores hair as the oils help to reverse roughness and dullness for more brilliant, dimensional color and softer, shinier hair with more bounce. Unlike traditional haircolor, Garnier Olia uses an exclusive 60% oil blend with natural flower oils to achieve maximum color performance while visibly improving and restoring hair.
When Lex came to visit!
I spent most of my early 20’s at as a blonde or a red head!
Mom and I at the Fuze Trend Report
Jesse Jones from TEN81 Lifestyle Inc
I had a lot of fun in my 20’s at a redhead now with only 5 months left until I turn 30… I wonder, ahould I do it again?
Look for these boxes next time you are at the drugstore!
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Smooth it Over with @CEZANNEHair @ButterflyNYC
The next-generation hair smoothing treatment is finally here with 100% formaldehyde-free Cezanne Perfect Finish Keratin Smoothing Treatment. This treatment makes hair smoother, straighter and frizz-free hair while both restoring natural shine and strengthening the hair. Instead of formaldehyde, the formula uses a proprietary blend of keratin, silk protein, botanical extracts and vitamins that actually leaves hair healthier and more manageable than before the treatment. Other key attributes of Cezanne Perfect Finish include that it:
· Can be used on any hair type and texture, whether the hair is colored, damaged, bleached, or highlighted.
· Will last for months – as long as or longer than any formaldehyde systems on the market – minus the dangerous chemicals.
· Has no “down time” after treatment. Hair can be washed or colored immediately, and unlike other smoothing systems, hair can also be curled with a curling iron.
On this very snowy Wednesday, I ventured to Butterfly Studio Salon in the Flatiron District to get my complimentary Cezanne Treatment. Have you heard of a transformational & safe treatment that brings hair to its ideal, most beautiful condition without damaging the hair or using dangerous chemicals? Definitely worth going out in the cold for! Since I have poker straight hair, I have never considered a Keratin treatment as a beauty ‘must’. But with this dry winter static, my ombre fading, I knew that I was in desperate need this protein boost.
First of all, Butterfly Salon is a huge salon that specialized in making you look and feel beautiful. The choice salon for NY beauties like Rebecca Minkoff, it has whimsical decor, friendly and knowledgable staff and a panoramic view of 5th Avenue. I was first greeted and offered refreshments by my stylist Maisha. She is one of the 4 stylists at Butterfly Salon trained in Cezanne Treatment. If you can’t get to Butterfly Studio Salon, call 1-888-316-6250 to find additional salons to get the treatment.
My service began with a shampoo and conditioner and a rough blow-dry. Then the Cezanne treatment is applied to my hair and left on for 30 mins. During this time, I had a mini facial with Cristina Marroquin, the fabulous in-house esthetician. I also had a bang trim with stylist Taylor Brock. Maisha told me when clients come in trying to butcher their own bangs, the stylists get ‘bang-ry’!
I am really happy with the results! My hair is remarkably straight, shiny and soft after the Cezanne Treatment.
Before/AfterButterfly Studio Salon:
149 5th Avenue
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10010Telephone 212-253-2100
**Cezanne’s Perfect Finish Keratin Smoothing Treatment and complete line of hair care and styling products are currently available in more than 10 states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida and expansion will continue through the spring of 2014. Salons or distributors can learn more about Cezanne’s products by visiting www.cezannehair.com, www.facebook.com/CezanneHair orwww.twitter.com/CezanneHair.
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Spice it up with @TheChiliLab
One of the many perks of living in New York City are the incredible food options. The Mexicue food truck has been making rounds in the city for quite a while now, serving up a delicious fusion of Mexican and barbecue. The folks at Mexicue have recently expanded their footprint by opening a brick and mortar store in Manhattan, and now co-founder Thomas Kelly has created a brand new spice line of pepper-infused essential salts and oils called The Chili Lab.
“Where would we be without salt?” –James Beard I’ve been dabbling with the Pequin Chili Salt, adding it to many dishes from scrambled eggs to salads to cast iron grilled steaks. The flavors brought out from Pequin are a light smoke and citrus. It’s very unique to get such rich flavors from one spice, but The Chili Lab delivers. For fans of heat and flavor, such as myself, I’ll be continuing to experiment with these salts.
Other salts include Piri Piri (herb and citrus from Africa), Chipotle (red berry smoke), Cascabel (seasonal pumpkin and nut), Aji Amarillo (Seasonal light berry fruit), Dandicut (Citrus and fruit), Habanero (Seasonal floral and fruit), Pasilla (Raisin and wood), Guajillo (Smoke and tomato from Mexico). That’s a total of nine flavors to help bring new flavors out of your favorite dishes.
The Chili Lab salts are available online and at select gourmet grocers in Brooklyn and Manhattan. http://thechililab.com/
