Make the “Fuel” Change!

Some of the amazing meals I've created lately

I hope everyone is having as lovely a winter as I am. I’ve been lying low and getting lots of quiet time. I really needed it and now I feel refreshed and motivated. Today I want to focus on my recent “levelling up” as it were in the journey towards a healthy diet.

I truly believe industrial nations suffer from a social disease where putting garbage into our bodies is acceptable. It isn’t. Ever.

The excuses are as ridiculous as they are many. “I don’t have time to cook” or “eating healthy is expensive”. If those statements were true, it means you are effectively unable to survive. There is NOTHING more important than the fuel you give your body. (If you are truly destitute and rely on food banks for sustenance, I would then agree that the underfunded state of these institutions is resulting in the malnutrition of society’s most vulnerable, but that’s another topic). I’m an extremely busy person with a budget like everyone else, but I accomplish the planning and work necessary to meet the necessities of a healthy lifestyle first.

This is not to imply that changing such deep culturally/socially ingrained habits is easy, but it’s far from impossible. Our society revolves around marketing, convenience, and the almighty dollar. Reject these things from your food. Personally, I’ve struggled with my relationship to food for most of my life. In recent years, I was stuck in a cycle of habitually under-eating and “emotional eating”. During times of stress I would run a nutritional deficit for weeks at a time leading to rapid weight loss, then store fat like a polar bear when I began eating “normally” again. Although I am not an overweight person, I have stored a bit of extra body fat. More importantly, my health was not being taken care of and I was unable to meet my fitness goals.

Although my diet has always consisted of mostly whole foods and I’ve been vegan for two years, I had previously failed to make any significant changes in my habits. Last month I sought help with a nutritionist through a local chain of clinics. She is vegan and is a certified personal trainer to boot. I have followed a comprehensive plan for five weeks that involved only whole foods with the right nutritional balance. Having a plan tailored to me and being accountable to someone else has been invaluable. Best of all it was affordable, although I realize that may not be the case for everyone. If it’s something you can possibly manage, I highly recommend a nutritionist or registered dietitian. It’s even more important than your gym membership.

Alternatively, I have been reading a great book entitled “The Eat-Clean Diet” by Tosca Reno. it is geared towards omnivores, but if you need a starting point, this book is quite comprehensive. It breaks down a general metabolism-fuelling way to eat. The idea is to eat lots of whole foods consistently throughout the day and with the right balance of nutrients. I find it very useful for understanding how my body uses what types of foods and when is the best time to eat them.

Another tool in my toolkit has been Angela Liddon’s Oh She Glows site. Like me, Angela has struggled for years with disordered eating and poor body image. Her site is an amazing collection of (mostly) vegan healthy recipes, healthy living tips, and fun anecdotes from her daily life. I can’t express how much of an inspiration Angela has been.

My results after these 5 weeks have been as follows:

I’ve dropped 8 lbs and nearly an inch from my waist
I’ve doubled the amount of food I consume in a day
I eat nothing processed or refined whatsoever
I drink 3-4 litres of water per day, (these last two are mostly unchanged from before)
I’ve increased my energy level
I take in intense physical activity 4-6 hours per week in addition to my lifestyle of walking and taking public transit everywhere
I’ve reduced my alcohol intake from about 10-15 units to 2 units per week (ex: 6 oz of wine)
and best of all I’m happy as a clam!

I know a diet overhaul may seem like a daunting task, but think of nutrition as the foundation of your life. The bricks and mortar are food and physical activity. If your house is built on sand, then nothing else really matters.

It’s that time again! 2012 Goals

Another year is behind me. It seems like this year passed quickly, but when I look back a lot has gone on. To mention a few events in my personal life: My dad got through chemo and has been what they refer to as “no evidence of disease” for several months. My grandmother had a rocky year without my grandfather. She was in and out of different care facilities and passed away due to complications from a fall over Thanksgiving. This was a bigger deal for me than I have been able to verbalize. Some days I think it still has not sunk in. In better news, THREE of my cousins had new babes. Needless to say 2011 was a year of big change for our family, not completely unlike 2010.

In 2012, I want to celebrate simplicity. Personally it’s been a rocky couple years for me and if this one is boring as all get out, I would be thrilled. With that in mind, I want to share a few personal goals for the year. If I seem a little self centered, you betcha I am. This year is going to be based around self-love, nuturing, and maintaining the growth I achieved in 2011. I think we all get caught up on new achievements. I figure keeping the focus narrow and staying on the same path is best at times. I think about previous years where I’ve had rather broad goals like better health, travel, better personal relationships etc, but how do I narrow that?

- Spend more one-on-one time with the people who really matter – I think I grew apart from some really special people this year. It’s easy to get distracted by an event, a problem or even a shiny new friendship, but don’t take for granted what you already have.

- Seek professional help with a nutritionist – This the final plunge in “correcting” my eating habits. I’ve managed to go vegan and eat almost entirely whole foods, but I have never been able to stop skipping meals and eliminate some unbalanced habits.

- Replace my SLR and get back to my love of the lens. – I was an avid amateur photographer for years, but this year my 2005 Pentax body kicked the bucket. It’s an investment, but so much more necessary than my other “luxury” purchases.

- Spend more time just kissing – This might sound ridiculous, but I think in love it’s easy to get routine and maybe be a little too um… shall we say “goal oriented”?

- Balance out my fitness routine – Specifically, add more cardio and yoga. I got really heavy on strength training since the summertime and some of my other activities went out the window.

- Try an adult ballet class in the spring – I keep telling myself to get back to dance, but I’ve been quite literally afraid to! I’ve said the spring because I need to get my weight and diet in check before taking on new physical activity.

- Re-visit Paris or try some place new – I’ve had a pauper’s trip to Paris on the brain since a man friend went backpacking in Europe. Yes I went several years ago, but I’m certain I would appreciate the city so much more now. Frankly… I think I deserve some romance!

- Stick with my French tutoring/study – My job is going to require me to meet a certain level of bilingualism. I’ve registered for a particular tutoring program already.

- Keep up with creating jewellery – I managed to make a few pieces at the end of 2011. They turned out fairly well for being out of practice, but weren’t as “finished” as I would like.

- Everything in its place/pare down – I want my home to be a place of pure relaxation and for that to happen I really need to keep working on de-cluttering. I’ve definitely made huge strides in certain spaces, but frankly I have too much STUFF. It’s amazing what we in the west can accumulate.

- Keep on writing – In 2010 I got about 50 pages of raw material into a novel. I ended up in a different place mentally and abandoned it, but there is definitely material there that shouldn’t be completely ignored. I think writing anything at all is an excellent mental exercise. There’s a lot to be said for keeping a journal or even a little self-indulgent blog such as this one.

- Have more quiet time – More solitude, more time reading and writing. I tend to be a social butterfly and this past year I definitely spent too much time out and about. While supporting my city’s vibrant arts and culture scene is important, personally I was sometimes using my social outings to avoid dealing with emotions and responsibilities that were less than pleasant.

- Have everything in place to house/condo hunt by end of year – I am not pressuring myself to actually find a property by then, but I want to be READY. This primarily involves my finances and job security. I think with big life changes like this it’s easy to want to rush into something because you feel like you should, but I want to recognize I could be in a different position with lifestyle/family/job/partner and want to hold off for awhile longer.

- Don’t be a people pleaser to my own detriment – Even as an adult, I at times will “get in with the wrong crowd”. In life you are always going to run into people who are toxic. There’s a healthy balance between being closed off to others and making excuses for their poor behaviour or lack of morals. Trying to see the best in others is great, but not if you have to turn the other cheek so often you get dizzy!

- Bobby McFerrin all over the place. – Don’t worry, be happy. I’ve had to tell myself this in order to get the ball rolling towards it actually being the case. If it works, I fully encourage doing so loudly, publicly, and repeatedly!

Inquiring minds must know… what are your plans for this year?

Pass It On!

Barb says she misses my blog. Regrettably since my SLR died I have felt increasingly uninspired to blog. I think of things to feature all the time, but until my camera is back in commission my posts will continue to be limited.

I did feel I owed a brief acknowledgement of Christmas and the Holiday season. I am apologetically agnostic, but I adore the pagan tradition of erecting a tree in my living room, covering it with crazy crap and praying to the General Electric gods by stringing up hundreds of tiny lights. I love Christmas. I love buying friends and relatives little presents or baking them treats. I love having an excuse to get together and have a party. This year I discovered I also love soy nog with a healthy dose of spiced rum.

A lot of folks will reject Christmas outright and complain about the commercialism and forced sense of brotherhood with your fellow man. If this season makes you that miserable, probably yr doin it wrong. There’s no reason why gift giving has to involve Wal-Mart or break your bank. Personally I choose a few close family members and old friends to give to. They receive either hand-made goods, or goods of a sensible monetary value from local retailers. I love to celebrate the re-gifting of items I think others might enjoy as well. There’s enough waste in our society that we should strive to pass unused items on without feeling “cheap”.

On that note, one of my favourite Christmas traditions is to decorate while watching “A Muppet Family Christmas”. If you know me, you’re probably well aware of my Muppet love. This 1988 cross-over special included an appearance by the Fraggles where they sing “Pass It On”. The Fraggles have a holiday similar to Christmas in which they “pass on” the same pebble year after year. Enjoy!

La-la, Pass it on.
When it’s nice and bright,
And it brings delight,
Let your heart choose right,
Gotta, pass it on.

When it rolls real good,
Like a rollie should,
Then it’s understood,
Gonna pass it on.

When you’re giving love away,
Love will come again to stay.
What you give is what you gain,
When you pass it on.

When I give a gift to you,
I know you’re gonna give it too.
That’s why givin’s what we do,
As we pass it on.
Pass it on Pass it on
Pass it on Pass it on

Wish upon all the good things that you do.

Pass it on Pass it on
Pass it on Pass it on

When it’s gone,
It will bring good luck to you.

When you’re giving love away,
Love will come again to stay.
What you give is what you gain,
When you pass it on.

When I give a gift to you,
I know you’re gonna give it too.
That’s why givin’s what we do,
As we pass it on.
Pass it on.

Not To Be Missed

As many of you know, I select one local music or art event not to be missed and feature it on Giraffecyle.com weekly. I thought it may be helpful to repost.

Third Space Gallery presents “Signals” Le Faubourg – September 29, 7PM

Update: I had mistakenly identified “Signals” as the title of Sophie’s performance. It is in fact a series of works presented by Third Space throughout this fall and winter.

Third Space has moved on from their temporary home in Market Square. Sophie Castonguay’s “Signals” will be presented at Le Faubourg, 125 Prince William Street between 7 and 8 PM this evening. Castonguay will present two performance pieces : « Je te donne ma parole » and « Tu m’enlèves les mots de la bouche ». The latter will ask the audience to read aloud sections of text in coordination with Sophie’s performance.

From Third Space’s website: “Sophie Castonguay has exhibited across Quebec and Ontario, as well as in Europe. Her work forms a commentary the nature of the audience and its role in performances, and often involves technology and new media.”

This is a bilingual performance by the Montreal based artist. An artist talk will take place Saturday October 1st at the Saint John Free Public Library from 2 to 3 PM.

Tiers-Espace présente « Signals »

Tiers-Espace a demenagé de leur espace temporaire à Market Square. « Signals » par Sophie Castonguay sera présenté au Faubourg, 125 rue Prince William, le 19h à 20h ce soir. Castonguay présentera deux presentations, soit « Je te donne ma parole » et « Tu m’enlèves les mots de la bouche ». Ce dernier demandera aux spectateurs de faire la lecture d’extraits de textes dictant ainsi la présentation de Sophie.

Du site-web de Tiers-Espace : « Sophie Castonguay a exposé son travail à travers le Québec et l’Ontario ainsi qu’en Europe. Elle utilise fréquemment les nouveaux médias et nouvelles technologies et remet en perspective le rôle et la nature de l’audience dans le médium de la performance. »

Cette présentation par l’artiste montréalaise sera bilingue. L’artiste donnera une conférence le samedi 1er octobre, de 14h à 15h, à la Saint John Free Public Library.

Ka-ching

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”– Will Rogers

My goal is to buy my own home or condo by the end of next year. It’s an all consuming fantasy that has me browsing MLS listings in my spare time. I figure with a conservative estimate, I am ¼ of the way there. I’d be a heck of a lot farther if I could stop giving in to “little luxuries”. There is nothing that lowers my stress level like having my finances in order.

I’m trying to “find” money by cutting back in ways that won’t make a big impact on my enjoyment of life. The money I’m “finding” is really money I’m wasting. There are a lot of n-brainer ways to do this, but asking yourself the right questions and applying the answers to your life can be pretty challenging.

Can I make this at home?

This applies to not only buying lunch through the work week, but coffee, smoothies or snacks that I might feel compelled to pick up during the day. I find my biggest motivation for spending during the workday is boredom. I want to get out of the office, socialize with the barista, ANYTHING to break the monotony of the day. It’s perfectly fine to do that once in awhile, but on average I’m spending 15-20$ per week on coffee and another 30$ on lunch. That could add up to 200$ per month. I still have my first coffee at home in the morning as well. I could happily cut down to a boughten coffee twice per week and lunch twice per month. FOUND 150$ per month

Can I play salesmen?

How many of us still have once-worn or never worn apparel taking up space in our closets? In my fair city a group of 10-15 gals get together once per season and rid our closets of old clothing at a local flea market. Table rental is about 12$, but you can split with a friend. I have a lot of nicer stuff this round and I project to make around 75-100$. I’ve got an additional set of goods that is eBay bound as well and I project to make about 250$ as a conservative estimate. This goes for any old furnishings or other “junk” you have around that you can list on your local classifieds. FOUND: 350$ per season

Do I need to pay full price for this?

The answer to this question is probably no. Yeah, yeah we all know about sales and couponing, but I come from the instant gratification generation. Household items like toiletries, detergent, etc are on sale somewhere literally all the time. If they’re not, don’t buy it. Just don’t. Stock up when you can take advantage of a sale and avoid an emergency situation that leaves you paying 10$ on toilet paper. Just taking advantage of the lowest average weekly sales every time will save me 30-40%. FOUND: 20-25$ per month

Can I fix it instead of replacing it?

The source of this problem for me is just plain laziness. If a coat or sweater button falls off, it usually sits in the closet until I forget I own it all together. Same goes for footwear that may need the heel lifts repaired or the soles glued. The services at my local cobbler are all under 10$. I can save a 100$ pair of shoes this way. For me this is huge as I’m hard on my footwear and difficult to fit. I’d be looking for new footwear every couple of months otherwise. Broken handbag zipper or leather that needs cleaning? If your local cobbler doesn’t offer these services and you don’t have a leather shop, try speaking to the manufacturer. Make a list of the stuff you need repaired. Do it right now. On average, this would be FOUND: 300$ per season.

Do I need this in my grocery cart?

I eat a vegan diet and mostly whole foods, organic when possible. Because of that my grocery bill is anywhere from 80-100$ biweekly for one person. I consider this fairly high. Where a person can cut down in this department is fairly personal. For me my organic multigrain cereals are costing me an arm and a leg (Damn you, Kashi. DAMN YOU). Steal cut oats can be made just as tasty and definitely have more bang for my buck. Furthermore, anytime I buy vegan friendly “junk food” it’s usually 3x as much as your conventional treat. I may as well save the guilt. When it comes to the staples, try to apply the same philosophy as your household products. If it’s not on sale Don’t. Buy. It. The advice telling us not to grocery shop while hungry rings true for me as well. FOUND: 20-40$ bi-weekly.

A few other things to keep in mind:

- Ask your cellphone provider if you are getting the best rate possible for your needs. Threaten to go to a competitor. This goes for home phone, internet and cable service as well.
- Pay any credit card debt off as fast as possible. Keep that credit card at home on a day to day basis.
- Return your bottles
- Look into claiming your charitable donations on your taxes
- Make your date a lavish dinner instead of taking him/her out to eat. Grab a bottle of vino from a local seller.
- Walk. Bike. Take public transport. You really don’t need that car all the time.
- Don’t impulse shop. Put it on hold if possible and think about it. Unsubscribe from retailer emails. Yes, this is a great way to be notified about sales, but for me it just leads to more consumption. I limited the retailers and sample sites I receive email from and I feel pretty great about it.
- If you need a particular piece, try to thrift it.
- Support used book and record stores

If you’re thinking none of the information in this post is new to you, you’re probably right. But do you put it into practice?

What I’m up to

I’m working on my personal fall look book, but in the meantime here is a link dump:

Summer’s End Folk Festival – I’m island bound with my artsy loves for the last weekend of the summer.

How to Deal with Salespeople – Being nice when you’re in a rush, frustrated your rear is large etc is actually really hard for the more self centered of us (ie. me).

Piewacket has an estate sale – “Porn” for the retro household effects lover. Too bad I’m not near Atlanta.

7 Tips for Creating a Cozy, Calming Bedroom – I’ve been workin’ on my love nest

Rock Version of Silent Film Classic ‘Metropolis’ to Hit Theatres This Fall – I keep flip-flopping as to how I feel about this. I love Fritz Lang and it will be interesting to see how this turns out.

New Chanel Le Vernis – My local authorized dealer just got in Peridot, Graphite and Quartz. I’m rocking the Quartz right now and the Peridot is gracing my vanity with its presence.

What the Water Gave Me – SO into this song right now. November is too far away. Listen here

Notable Quotable: “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.” – NDP leader Jack Layton, from a letter released to the public after his death on August 22nd, 2011.

Reflection time!

I originally limited the scope of this blog to fashion and lifestyle issues, but the writing is fairly vapid and not a reflection of who I am as a person. Unfortunately I’ve focused a bit too much on fashion because it’s easy and palatable for everyone. Since I have few avenues for a public or internet presence, this concerned me. I’ve hestiated to continue to create content as a result.

I guess you could call it an identity crisis. I think we should all be concerned that as a culture we spend too much time entertaining ourselves as a distraction from difficult subjects and critical thinking. That said, life should have joy. A personal interest doesn’t necessairily require intellectual value to be valid, but some fixations just aren’t healthy.

So why do I feel so guilty about enjoying fashion? I think it comes down to what my needs are as a person right now. If my concentration is on better living, designer clothes shouldn’t necessairily be a part of that. Better quality garmets and a more tailored image, sure, but my concerns over the labour policys with some of my favourite labels’ manufacturers are mounting. Besides… in this economy luxury living should NOT be a focus. It’s about balance, and right now I’m struggling.

I said in my Here interview last month that I wanted to include more food and healthy living posts in my blog. I think if I shift my focus back towards natural, healthy living practices and pay a little less attention to the newest Marc Jacobs swimwear, I’ll feel much better. I think this will allow me to include some personal interest posts that are good for the soul as well.

Dirty Little Secret

“If you can’t get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you’d best teach it to dance.”
George Bernard Shaw

Yep, it's this bad.

Been thinkin’ about my closet.

Broadly speaking, I’ve been thinking about my inability to put away my clothes and accessories. Clothing that I spend much of my disposable income on. In the last while I’ve even developed the habit of filling the floor of my walk-in with clean laundry. My cats think the pile is a bed, so I inevitably walk about wrinkled and furry.

I don’t think it’s simply laziness. My storage “solutions” aren’t working for me. One sliding door is off its track. My hanging rods are in the wrong places. My purse shelves are insufficient for all my bags. Particular shoes are impossible to find. Furthermore, my light is broken! My thought process is that a neat looking, workable system will put me on the right track to changing my habits.

Bottom line, your closet has to work for you. My friend Kiera is a closet guru, as evidenced by her KV Style articles on the subject. For the actual organization of its contents, I defer you to her, but lets talk about having a proper place to put all that stuff.

Identify your problem areas and what you might do to resolve them. My closet currently boasts four rods with a shelving unit down the centre. There are some storage baskets on the lower shelves for scarves and such. I’ve got ample room on the sides of the closet walls for hampers. I have more than enough room for my clothes, but not enough hangers when everything has been laundered, nor the appropriate real estate for everything else.

I debated ripping out the existing bit and building something from scratch, but for now it makes more sense to create a Frankenstein out of the existing structure with a few pieces added or removed. I’d rather spend my money on what goes in them. For descriptive purposes I’m going to be using Ikea’s Pax Wardrobe Planner, a system I will absolutely invest when I buy my own home or condo.

Bag Lady

Currently my dozen or so handbags are crammed into six narrow adjustable shelves in a tower centred between my clothing rods (or collecting dust on the floor). Shelves are definitely the best option for my bags as many are too large for hooks or should be kept in their dust covers. I also want to avoid undue strain on my shoulder straps and handles from the weight of the bag itself.

My solution is to add a second set of shelves. They’re pretty generic, so matching shouldn’t be an issue. I may add a second skinny tower next to the first or a wider tower on the side wall of the closet. My woven baskets from Wicker Emporium neatly hide scarves and other accessories. They slide easily in and out of the current shelves. I want to toss ample lint brushes and my battery operated de-pilling thing in these baskets as well, because I can never find this stuff when I need it.

Walked All Over

Footwear is by and large my biggest concern. I purged to the point I can forgo my lower left clothing rod and have stacked my shoe boxes all to one side. It seems pretty conventional for most people to have a dress/suit rod and store footwear under said rod. I need to accommodate 25 pairs and growing. Shoe trees are not appropriate for this many pairs. If you check the reviews for cubby type units online, you’ll see many a complaint that each compartment is often too small to hold both shoes in a pair. The hanging “pocket” style are equally impractical, not to mention ugly.

I think my best bet is a three to four tiered flat top, wide shelving unit or alternatively, installing the shelves myself. Boots will have to be relegated to the top of the unit or under my purse shelves.

Don’t Leave Me Hanging

Many people keep a chest of drawers in their walk-in for folding. While I may consider this in the future, my drawer set remains in the bedroom and contains my intimates, t-shirts, and pull overs. My clothing rods are a bit disorganized at the moment. The lower right quadrant is jammed with cardigans, blazers and pants while the top has my tanks, blouses, dresses and skirts. The upper right rod has a lot of things I don’t wear that can be stored or purged and a few of my roommate’s dresses. The fourth quadrant is empty as previously mentioned.

I want to add a few more tiered skirt and pant hangers to my collection and have only one garment per tier. The hangers I have no for those items are overloaded and I can’t really see what I own. I want to shift my dresses and skirts to the appropriate rod and leave the bottom rod for bottoms and the top for tops. I know… total rocket science. I’ll be replacing all my plastic jobbies with high quality wooden hangers. If I keep the empty or “free” hangers at the front and visible, I’ll be more likely to hang things back up.

Let’s face it…

I believe these things are best planned by acknowledging both your intentions and your existing habits. I know that I am going to want to drop pieces of my outfit before I drop into bed. Like many people, I don’t launder everything after one wear, but I may not hang it up right away. I’m going to find an attractive covered hamper to place discretely in the bedroom specifically for “clean” clothes. My closet is actually just across the hall from my bedroom door and I can’t see myself EVER making it that extra few feet. It may not always save me from wrinkles, but it will at least save my bedroom from its current slovenly appearance.

I know I’m not offering most of you any new information, but the closet is an easily neglected region. My hope for this post is that in sharing my closet renovation odyssey, you too will be motivated to make some changes.

Travel Fabulously

Bag Lady, you gonna miss your bus. You can’t hurry up, ‘cause you got too much stuff. – Eryka Badu

This is a long one. Remember to click “Continue Reading” if you’re viewing from the main page!

Like pretty much everything I intend to do, I intended to do this post weeks ago. Many of you fine fabulous freedom seekers may be heading to warmer climates over the following weeks in order to get through the tail end of winter. Alas, I am Saint John bound for the next while as I embark on a new job. Whether you’re heading to the south of France or down Mexico way, I’ve found a few items I urge you not to leave without.

Vacations should be used to relax the soul. Despite your best intentions to chill, sometimes we try to see and do everything. Travelling is tiring enough, but a lot of little mishaps can make your experience less than enjoyable. Hauling heavy bags to and from stations and airports is needless exertion when you can easily pack light. If you’re miserable from sore toes or self conscious about a popped button, viewing the Mona Lisa might be a lot less moving. Having been to seven countries in as many years and dozens of cities and towns with very different weather and landscapes, you could say I’ve learned a few lessons.

Take a cue from an onion
Packing layers is a cardinal rule for most destinations. Choose your most versatile pieces and pack fewer items. Everyone has a few pieces that they know can be mixed and matched into multiple outfits. Make sure you have layers that can be taken on and off depending on the weather. Even hot climates can be pretty chilly at night! Life is easier when you pack as light as possible, especially when going to and through the airports and between destinations. Personally, I love a good day dress or slip. It can be dressed up or down so easily and will keep me cool.

L to R: Covet and Free People

L to R: Kensie and Eve Gravel

Treat your feet
I know we know this, but we don’t do it. I know you have a vision of yourself gliding through Venetian streets in your Manolos, looking the picture of perfection. Well I have news for you; in about an hour you’ll have snapped a heel on the cobblestones and acquired several open blisters. If you absolutely must wear those heels to dinner, stash them in a bag rather than carrying them all day. I’m not suggesting we dawn our ADIDAS for Guadalajara. Appropriate footwear exists from both a comfort and style perspective. I’m a pretty big proponent of Crocs for this purpose. Most are extremely lightweight and come in a variety of styles for all circumstances. My biggest regret is what I did to my feet once in NYC. I did so much walking for the first couple of days in improper foot wear that on the way home my feet and ankles had swelled to the point I could not wear my shoes. No matter how vain you think you are, you really won’t care about what’s on your feet as long as you’re comfortable. Oh, and don’t fear the metro. The metro is your friend.

‘Marnie’ by Crocs

First Aid is First
Bandaids, blister pads, topical antiseptic, anti-nausea, allergy & headache pills are just a few of the first aid items you should never leave home without. Again, these items may be difficult (or astronomically expensive!) to purchase locally. My dearest lovebird of the orient may recall a certain 1200 yen bottle of Tylenol he was not happy to acquire for me. Prevent ailments by eating well, keeping hydrated and wearing proper footwear!

Tiny Everything
Even if you think you won’t, you or a travel companion will certainly require tweezers/ a needle and thread/scissors/nail clippers/makeup brush/comb/hair elastic/wash cloth at one time or another. Travel size toiletries and refillable travel bottles are excellent, but itty bitty versions of other items are handy too. Depending on your travel plans, you may not be able to purchase these items at your destination. Pre-made kits are available, but there’s no reason why you can’t create your own by making a list and heading to your local drug or dollar store.

Try the Everyday Emergency Kit. Alternatively , prevent wardrobe malfunctions with the Emergency Fashion Kit, both available at MyTagAlongs

A kiss is just a kiss

Snappy advertisement, no?

Ilsa:With the whole world crumbling, we pick this time to fall in love.
Rick: Yeah, it’s pretty bad timing.

- Humphrey Bogart & Ingrid Bergman, Casablanca.

I will typically seize any excuse to have fun. I think that’s why I find the bah-humbuggers of the world to be so frustrating. I battle them initially during the December holiday season, but they come back with a vengeance on Valentine’s Day.

I’ve never felt that Valentine’s Day is limited to couples. Regardless of my relationship status, I’ve never been on the receiving end of that many major V-Day romantic gestures anyhow. When I find myself coupled this time of year, a date night will usually suffice. Remember the joy we took as children passing out cards and treats to our classmates? Why do we let go of that childlike innocence in favor of the very adult pressure of having a sweetheart on February 14th?

Nuts to that. My favorite Valentine’s activity for the past four years has little to do with the person invading my bed. I’m blessed that many of my close friends are talented musicians. Every year they organize a night of entertainment centered on a band called “The Hard Feelings”. The Hard Feelings appear each year near Valentine’s Day in matching barbershop quartet style suits, playing rock’n'roll lovesongs . Most of the tunes are oldies from the 50s and 60s, but they manage to work in a few slightly more contemporary choices as well. Formal attire is encouraged. Since many of my girlfriends’ fellas are in the band, we’re typically left to our own devices. At the very least, there’s no pressure to be coupled. There’s been a couple of years that I’ve taken my partner and felt like the odd (wo)man out (Sorry, guy).

Mind you… every year after this event I contemplate getting “wino forever” tattooed somewhere on my bod. Sauvignon Blanc is a cruel mistress.

If your friends aren’t quite so creative but you’re still feeing festive, why not get into the kitchen and get crackin’ at some sweet treats? I quickly whipped up some heart shaped sugar cookies and decorated them with “conversation heart” messages (I kept it clean, but if you want to get X-rated I fully endorse this). My friend Mary made delectable chocolate covered strawberries for a couple different events this week (also vegan, *swoon*).

A classic romantic movie night is a great compliment to a sugar rush. Last night I got together with some friends at a local pub for a screening of Casablanca. I slept sweetly with visions of Morocco dancing in my head. If you can’t appreciate a little bit of cheesy romance on the silver screen… well, I guess I have nothing to say because I simply can’t fathom anyone not enjoying the guys and dolls of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Humphrey Bogart is my Valentine this year.

Yeah, yeah, roses and jewelry or whatever is great. Personally I prefer the smiles of my BFFs.

If you really, truly wish to opt out on V-Day, please remember that those who enjoy it don’t care to listen to the bitter rants of the lonely (or the boring, depending). Of course I exclude those who have a truly painful memory associated with this day. Otherwise, keep it to yourself or find someone else who shares your feelings and wallow in it together. Unless you’ve found some major ethical qualm with this tradition that we all could benefit from learning about, your energy is better served making the most out of this cultural norm.

Life is short. Be silly.

PS: I know you want my sugar cookie recipe. Next time, Gadget.