Dear Mr. Ben and Mr. Jerry,
I miss my Chubby Hubby.
No, not J. He is far from chubby. I mean my other hubby, Chubby Hubby, the world’s best ice cream flavor.
Sadly, B&J, I can’t locate a pint of your vanilla malt ice cream rippled with fudge and peanut butter and dotted with fudge-covered, peanut butter-filled pretzels anywhere in Omaha. CH has always been my go-to comfort food for when I’m feeling blue, and when my hubby is deployed there are occasionally times I need a little pick-me-up in the form of a frozen treat.
I’ve tried Triple Caramel Chunk and Coffee Health Bar Crunch, but they just don’t have the same “feel good” quality as CH. They lack the luxurious combination of sweet and salty, smooth and crunchy.
So tell me: Where can a girl get some Chubby Hubby in Omaha? If it’s not available in fine retail establishments in the area, I’ll gladly accept a shipment from you that I can store in my garage freezer for emergencies.
Yours Truly,
PJ
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Two week ago I got a CND Shellac manicure, and I have to say, I’m a believer. It’s still just as shiny as it was on day one, but it didn’t stay chip-free for a full 14 days. By day 11 I noticed wear and tear along the tips and near my cuticle; you could tell where it was starting to grow out. Yesterday the polish on my right hand started peeling in a couple of places, and once it did, I couldn’t help myself… I had to pick at it. The polish on my left hand, though, stayed pretty much intact, except for a chip on my middle finger. I’m right-handed, so perhaps that’s why my left hand looks better.
This afternoon I’m heading back to the salon to have the gel-polish hybrid removed and a new color applied. But which color to choose…
Saturday morning I took Basic Flow at Lotus House of Yoga, a new yoga studio in Omaha. The class description on their website reads:
Basic Flow
A class built for the beginners and brand new yogis! Learn the foundations of a healthy yoga practice that will energize the body and vitalize the mind.
The one thing they conveniently omitted from their website is that their classes are done in extremely warm rooms. I wasn’t prepared for how hot it was going to be.
How hot was it?
It was so hot, the thermostat in the hallway read 82 degrees — but the studio must have been in the triple digits.
It was so hot, my antiperspirant clumped into tiny white balls in my armpits, rendering itself ineffective.
It was so hot, my yoga mat felt like a Slip and Slide.
It was so hot, my eyelids were sweating.
It was so hot, my arm hair was frizzing.
Did I at least have a good workout? I don’t know. I was preoccupied with how hot I felt, worrying that I may pass out or — even worse — throw up. I had trouble keeping my balance because my hands and feet were slippery. I was concerned that the instructor would be grossed out by my slimy skin and foul body odor the two times she came over to adjust my positioning. Basically I was focusing on everything but being in the moment, which is one of the primary goals of yoga.
Thankfully, my body temperature began to return to normal during Savasana. I was not able to totally relax, but I did enjoy listening to the sounds of waves crashing and recalling a day I spent on Fire Island a couple of years ago when my feet were buried in the cool sand and a breeze filled my nostrils with the smell of salt water. Then I realized I was actually tasting the salt of my sweat as it dripped into my mouth.
Will I try another class at Lotus House of Yoga? Probably. I loved how clean and modern — yet simple — the studio looked and that they offered you a cup of cold cucumber-infused water before you left. And the owner, Mary Clare Sweet, with whom I spoke for a couple of minutes after the class, seems lovely. She even offered to email me with a list of guided meditation CDs that she recommends. But next time I attend a class I will be equipped with a towel (or two) and the knowledge that I am going to sweat my ass off.
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This weekend, a childhood friend’s “hip hop, theatre, improv and stand up comedy” group, The Mayhem Poets, will take the stage at the free Omaha Summer Arts Festival. I plan to be there to show my support. Will I see you there?
This living room is totally me.
A clever way to remember Stationery vs. Stationary – one of my biggest pet peeves!
If I knew I could keep 18 potted flowers alive at once, I would consider buying this.
I agree: Why are all fashion blogs the creation of stick-skinny girls?
A steady hand + patience = a truly unique set of dishware.
(image source via Good Measure)
Loving this color combination — and the detailing on those grey heels.
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One of my goals for the summer to start practicing yoga regularly. Currently I do sun salutations and other pretzel-like poses… never. I have a couple of 10-year-old yoga DVDs gathering dust in my basement; I’m not disciplined enough to workout at home. I prefer working out with an instructor or trainer who can interact with me and adjust my posture or push me through my last set of reps. There’s also something to be said for making the commitment to getting dressed, starting your car and driving to the gym.
That’s why I’m currently in the market for a yoga studio in Omaha. I’ve been perusing the schedules at Lotus House of Yoga, One Tree Yoga, Omaha Yoga School and Omaha Yoga & Bodywork Center to see what classes look interesting. Although my schedule is pretty open (I only work out of the house three days a week), I’ve been having a hard time finding an appropriate level class at a time that is good for me. Plus, there are some classes that I refuse to take, like Bikram. I hate being sweaty.
Have any of my Omaha-based readers taken a class at any of the above-mentioned studios? I would love some recommendations. How about the rest of you? Where do you practice yoga?
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Once upon a time I blogged at Elizabeth Anne Designs Living. After a brief hiatus to deal with life, I’m back and writing about what I’ve been up to the past 4 months. Curious? Click here to check it out — and don’t forget to comment and join the conversation!
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One week into my 14-day manicure, nine nails look practically perfect. But yesterday, only six days in, the polish on the middle finger of my right hand started lifting up at the corner. Naturally, I had to pick it. I couldn’t help myself.
Truthfully, I’m disappointed. I was banking on CND’s promise of flawless edge wear for two weeks. It’s possible that my peeling polish was a result of poor application on the part of the manicurist (I thought I noticed a little bubble in the corner), but maybe hoping for a nearly ever-lasting manicure was like believing in unicorns and the tooth fairy.
I’m debating going back to the salon and asking them to re-do my chipped nail. Otherwise I have to live with it for another week until my scheduled appointment. That would be an impossible feat if I were wearing traditional nail polish. At the first sign of a chip, it’s all picked off. But maybe I can rail against my natural tendencies by reminding myself how much I paid for this fancy-pants, high-tech manicure.
UPDATE: I called the salon, and the receptionist told me that because the manicure is “guaranteed for 14 days” (her words), they would fix my nail at no charge. I barely had time to hang up the phone before jumping in the car!
(photos by me)
In an effort to save money and eat more healthfully, I’ve started bringing my lunch and an afternoon snack to work rather than buying. (I’m sorry, but even though Subway is quasi-healthy, it’s still fast food in my opinion.)
The food I pack is not very exciting. Typically I’ll eat a sandwich on wheat bread with some Baked Lays or pretzels around 1pm and then 1 oz of almonds around 4pm. I dump a single-serving packet of Crystal Light iced tea mix into a reusable water bottle to wash it all down.
I’ve realized, however, that I go through quite a few plastic baggies now that I bring my lunch, which got me thinking about reusable sandwich and snack bags. Sure, I could reuse my Ziplock bags, but an even better alternative would be a washable, colorful sandwich bag. I found a bunch that I like from Wrap-n-Mat, WasteNot Saks, ReUsies, Kids Konserve and LunchSkins. Even Tupperware makes a sandwich container–perfect if you’ve got a delicate PB&J to transport. Plus, nearly all of the above-mentioned companies also make snack-sized bags, so I could pack my almonds in (environmentally friendly) style.
But which to choose…
Inspired by Mackenzie’s “experimanicure,” I had an appointment last Saturday — the day that J left — for a CND Shellac manicure. Unfortunately, I was emotionally exhausted from the morning and fell asleep on the couch after lunch, missing my afternoon appointment. Oops.
My rescheduled manicure was yesterday afternoon. Although it’s a bit more expensive than a traditional manicure ($35 v. $18), a Shellac manicure is supposed to stay flawless for up to 14 days. I have a terrible habit of picking off my polish the second one nail chips, which usually leads to nail biting. If my polish can stay shiny and chip-free for two weeks, my nails may actually have a chance to grow. Plus, my manicurist claims there is something in the polish that makes nails thicker and stronger. Bonus!
The one downside of Shellac is that there are limited colors from which to choose. Since I’ll (hopefully) be living with the color for 14 days, I chose a classic red. I always feel fancy with red nails, don’t you?
I’ll keep you posted on how the manicure wears over the next two weeks. I’ve decided I’m going to measure time in manicures for the duration of J’s deployment. If I get my nails done every other week, he’ll be home after 8 manicures!
(photo by me)
