Product Review: Aveda Phomollient

I really have a hard time spending any money on myself. Really. Anything I would buy for myself that's over $10 I put on a list, and wait for the nearest gift giving occasion to ask for it. This means I get eye cream for Valentines Day, books for my birthday, and so on. This next product is something that's been on my list for a while.

I have baby fine hair. It's really really thin. I'm lucky that I have enough of it where most people don't notice, unless of course its back in a pony tail when it becomes oh so obvious. Because its so fine, most of the time my hair just lies flat and lifeless. When I went to my hair and makeup trial before my wedding I told her I wantedbig Texas beauty queen hair. I didn't quite get it as high or full as I wanted, but I blame my hair, and the ridiculously humid weather that August morning. I hardly ever go a day without putting volumizer in it. I read about Aveda Phomollient a while ago which promised "weightless volume." This Christmas, I found it in my stocking! Whee! Big hair here I come!

What: Aveda Phomollient
How Much: $13.00
Where to buy: Aveda
Review: Smell. Inside this bottle, a war is being waged between mint and honey. Some days when I put it on I smell the mint. These are the good days. I like the smell of mint. Other days I put it on and all I can smell is the cloyingly sweet smell of honey. I do not like smelling like honey. It's almost a musky scent and I fear I'll attract bees or unsavory men.
The feel. In general, I like foam-y volumizers. I feel like they work well because they're so full of air. This one however gurgles out into my hand like a teenage boy on prom night, rather disapointing.
How does it work? I'm not very impressed. I don't find my hair to have anymore volume when I use this than without. I can actually get more volume out of my hair by blowdrying it upside down without using the volumizer at all. Oh yeah, on the plus side, it's definitely weightless.

Perfect Panty Candidate 2

One of the nice things about driving to San Diego everyday is passing the outlets. Especially when there's an underwear outlet store there! I picked up a couple of pairs of Bali's "Barely There" underwear for dirt cheap.


First I picked up a bikini for $6. The Barely There bikini is nylon/spandex and a little on the shiny side, but it still doesn't show through clothes because of its seemless quality. However, see that little band on the top? I don't love it. I don't love where it hits or the way it looks, these aren't near as comfortable as the cheap-o target ones.


I also needed to pick up a new thong - every woman needs a couple thongs. I wanted to get a "Barely there" one because of the seamless quality because no one wants visible panty lines (and I think thong visible panty lines are the tackiest kind). These are modal/cotton/spandex (I don't know what modal is to tell you the truth) and they were definitely more comfortable than the bikinis. And cheaper. They cost $2.99! Even still, they started doing the crawl as the day wore on - bleh. Still for $3, I might be able to bear it. Especially since Jon thought they were a lot cuter than the target bikinis.

Product Review: Kiehl's Clean Hold Styling Gel

Kiehls is a pretty smart company. They have a loyal clientel and have a unique way of increasing it. Free samples. I have never walked into a Kiehls store without having a handful of new products to take home and try. Last time I went in to return something and sure enough, the bright shiny face behind the counter sent me home with new things to try and love.

Shortly before Christmas I found a couple packets of their clean hold styling gel in my purchase bag. It was excellent timing because Jon had used up our old gel. (It had apparently been sitting on the counter empty for weeks before I tried to use it and noticed it was empty.) I liked the gel so much, that it was quickly added to my Christmas list.


What: Kiehls Clean Hold Styling Gel
How Much: $13.50
Where to buy: Kiehls or Nordstroms
Review: Lets begin with something very important - the smell. It is crucial to me that anything I put in my hair smells fantastic. I love the smell of this. Jon loves the smell of this (or at least he compliments the way my hair smells everytime I use it.
Next, the feel. Really just as important as the smell. I hate stickiness. I usually use a spray gel so I don't get sticky gel hands. This is completely not sticky. After rubbing it in my hands and then hair, I can't even tell there was ever gel on my hands to begin with. Excellent. And because its not sticky it doesn't harden in my hair and make my hair stiff. Even more excellent.
But how does it work? See, here's where I have mixed feelings. It makes my hair super shiny and soft, but as far as hold? It doesn't seem to really have any holding power. At all. I love it, but not necessarily because it keeps my hair in place.

Torn between two cultures

"Creole" is a combination of cultures, French and American. It mixes amazing French flavors with unstoppable American experimentation. It's also my favorite kind of food. I love the spiciness of it. I made some cajun marinade and tossed some shrimp in it to eat. And that's where I went blank. What to do with these cajun shrimp? I was definitely at a loss. I hadn't thought it all out. But we had these cherry tomatoes that probably wouldn't last much longer in the fridge and thought I could use them. And nothing goes with tomatoes better than basil. So somehow my cajun shrimp took a trip to Italy. They liked it so much, they're thinking of extending their visa.

Cajun Caprese
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp cajun seasoning
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
6 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 basil leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes

1) In a ziplock bag combine olive oil, cajun seasoning, and lemon juice. Add shrimp and refrigerate overnight.
2) Heat grill pan over medium heat. Grill basil leaves, turning once, until crisp.
3) Grill shrimp and tomatoes until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side.
4) Combine basil, tomatoes, and shrimp in bowl.

2 Servings Per Recipe
Each serving has:

• Calories: 100.2
• Total Fat: 1.2 g
• Cholesterol: 165.8 mg
• Sodium: 197.2 mg
• Total Carbs: 3.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g
• Protein: 18.4 g

The search begins

In building my new wardrobe, I'm starting from the bottom - literally. I'm hunting for the perfect underwear. Ideally I want something that's comfortable, cheap, and looks fantastic. Of course, the looking fantastic is purely subjective, because really, I don't go around flashing my underwear to most people....at least not on purpose.

Perfect Panty Candidate 1:

Like every good bargain shopper, I started my search at Target. Gilligan & O'Malley 3 pack for $7.99? Sounds as good a place to start as any. Jon wasn't impressed - "they look like granny panties." Perhaps white bikinis just aren't very exciting for him. These are soooo comfortable though. I especially love that they're tag free. The tag information is printed directly on the underwear so there's none of that obnoxious rubbing. I liked the fit too. I was a little unsure about buying a three pack of underwear in case I didn't like them, but now I'm glad I did! I would highly recommend these!

Product Review: MAC brow set

I inherited some wonderful traits from my mother. Unfortunately, I also inherited her crazy eyebrows. I have absolutely no control over my eyebrows - at all. They are willful, they are high spirited, they are children who refuse to behave. This is especially true when a camera is around, which sucks for me, but is nice for you because there is documentation of how my eyebrows love to ruin a perfectly good picture.

Please notice how exactly as the camera snaps, my eyebrows start bending in twisting in every direction but normal. And these pictures are back when I was getting my brows waxed on a regular basis. When I was in high school, I controlled my crazy eyebrows by basically getting rid of them:

It wasn't my most attractive look. It took years to get them to grow back. Once they grew back I tried everything in the book to get them to behave - including hairspray. Finally I gave up. But since I'm going to start getting them waxed again on a regular basis, it only makes sense to try daily upkeep again too. I got MAC brow set for Christmas in clear and have been using it every day.

What: MAC Brow Set in Clear
How Much: $13.50
Where to buy: MAC or Nordstroms
Review: I really really really like this. I put it on in the morning and it holds my brows in place all day. My only complaint is that its a little sticky/stiff and makes my brows look glossy. Some people might like the gloss, but I think it draws attention to how dark my brows are. Hopefully once they start getting into shape though the glossiness will actually be attractive. Here's a picture from New Years. Note how both brows are posed and photogenic?

The most important meal of the day

Jon and I don't normally eat breakfast together. During the week I'm out of the house before he's even out of bed. On the weekends he gets up early to surf while I stay in bed. I wanted to start the new year with a nice breakfast for the two of us. What's better than an omlette and less fattening than a quiche? Frittata!

This one is absolutely beautiful. Almost too beautiful to eat. But then the smell gets to you and you have to take a bite, then two, then three, pretty soon you've eaten a quarter of it. It's so good! And filling - perfect for a cold winter morning.

And in light of the new year where everyone is concerned about what they put into their body, I'll even include the nutritional information - I don't guarantee 100% accuracy, but it should give you a pretty good idea.

New Year Frittata

5 slices turkey bacon
2 cups thinly sliced red potatoes
2 cups sliced red onions
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups spinach, chopped
2 coves garlic, minced
4 eggs
8 egg whites
1/2 tsp pepper
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1) Cook bacon until crisp. Let cool. Chop and set aside.
2) In a 10 inch skillet, saute potato, onion, bell pepper, rosemary and 1/2 tsp salt in 1 Tbsp oil for 5 minutes over medium heat.
3) Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
4) Stir in spinach and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Remove from heat
5) Beat eggs, egg whites, and 1/2 tsp salt in large bowl. Add veggies, bacon, black pepper and feta.
6) Preheat broiler. Add remaining oil to skillet over medium heat. Pour in egg mixture and cook for 6 minutes.
7) Move skillet to broiler and broul, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Serves 6. Each serving has:

• Calories: 191.2
• Total Fat: 10.3g
• Cholesterol: 191.5 mg
• Sodium: 496.8 mg
• Total Carbs: 8.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.4 g
• Protein: 15.8 g

Starting the New Year off right

New Year's Eve

We started the evening off with dinner with my family. Since we don't do Christmas, my dad always makes a nice meal for New Years Eve - maybe that's where I get it from. Prime rib, twice baked potatoes, a salad - yum!

Then it was off to Claire's for quality time with our friends.


Believe it or not, this is before the drinking started.


The girls


The guys.

There was an organized gift exchange that was more fun than any of us bargained for. Jon was very pleased with our original gift we received. I was less pleased with the gift we ended up with.


New Years Day
I began my entertaining for the year- kinda. Claire offered up her home, and I offered up breakfast!

The menu (courtesy of Cooking Light):
Mediterranean Strata

Coffee Cake

Almond Apricot Muffins

Fruit Salad

Bloody Marys
Cheese Grits

(The last two aren't pictured because, well, pitchers of drinks aren't especially photo worthy and the cheese grits went fast. Really fast. So fast, that when C went back for seconds he was disappointed to find there were none left. Others, who were swifter than C managed seconds, and even thirds. Pays to be fleet of foot)

Product Review: Kiehls Blue Astringent

I used to have really great skin. Enviable skin. So great in fact, that getting a single zit became a huge ordeal because they weren't that common. This lasted right up until I graduated from college.

Jon blamed himself. He had pretty bad skin, and around this time his cleared up completely. We joked it was because he rubbed his oily face on mine and got rid of his excess oil that way.

I blamed stress. After college was a rough time for me, and things didn't get any less stressful when I started law school.

An estetician blamed hormones. These are always changing and she said the location of my breakouts made her believe it was due to a change in my hormone levels. (seriously bah to hormones).

Whatever the cause, my breakouts seemed here to stay. As part of my New Years resolution, I decided to really try to get control over my face (great visual image right?). I thought back on what my "beauty routine" was when I actually had a beauty routine - cleanser, toner, moisturizer. Then I realized, I haven't used toner in ages. Mostly because I "had such great skin" that I "didn't need it." - at least according to others. I thought maybe I should investigate this further. So for Channukah I got Kiehl's Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion and have been using it daily for about two weeks. What: Kiehl's Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion
How Much: $10 *not cheap, but if it works, its a lot cheaper than a facial - which I never needed until I started law school*
Where to buy: Kiehls or Nordstroms
Review: So far, so good. I'm noticing less breakouts and the previously existing one has cleared up almost completely. My skin is really soft too. *Note to self - stop touching skin, probably not helping the problem*

Building a Better You

I love New Years. Mostly because I love starting out on a clean fresh slate. It's like the first day of school. None of the teachers know you yet, your pencil is still sharp and pointy, and your pearly pink eraser doesn't have any of those unsightly black marks all over it.

This year is going to be "the year of Kate". See, 2006 was "The year of the Wedding," all thought processes were geared towards preparation of body, mind, soul for that date in August.

2007 was "The year of the Dog." Aha! Caught you there, didn't I? You probably thought I was going to say the year of the Bar. But its all in perspective. See, I could only get the dog after I took the Bar, and I therefore the Bar was just something I had to hurdle in order to achieve my goal.

2008 will be the year I really focus on myself, something I'm not very good at doing. Its far easier to ensure that everyone else in my life is happy and content, often letting my own needs fall to the wayside. In light of this, I have created a list of "resolutions" guaranteed to work, from the inside out.

The Inside
Mostly maintenance. Last year I resolved to drink more water and get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. I've kept up with the water thing, but since December have been less strict about the 8 hours. I really liked the changes these little things brought about and so I resolve to continue my water drinking and work harder at getting 8 hours.

In addition, in November I started a new workout plan. The workout itself isn't new, its the same one I used to get in shape for the wedding. I love it because it really helps me feel stronger and its neat to see the definition in my muscles. But the plan? The plan is a new one. It involves waking up at 5 and driving down to San Diego so I can get a workout in before work. Then, when I start to crash around lunch time, heading down to the gym in my building for a little cardio to get me through the day. It's rough. I can't say I wouldn't LOVE to continue sleeping when my alarm goes off at 5, but I do love the traffic free drives, and I do love the energy I have to get through the work day.

My first new thing in this area is to be better about getting to the doctor. I'm terrible about going in for physicals, dental, or eye exams. I'm going to be a lot better about making appointments and taking care of my body.

My second new inside resolution is to start treating Chrismtas with the inlaws differently. Jon and I jokingly call this the "kinder, gentler Kate" resolution. It's no secret I hate Christmas with the inlaws. However, this year I realized what a brat I am and how much it probably ruins Jon's Christmas. Christmas is not my holiday - it's his. It doesn't matter that we never leave the house; it doesn't matter that I'm bored out of my mind; it doesn't matter that I'm not having a good time. It's not about me. It's about them. So next year I vow to stop being so selfish and let Jon enjoy his holiday with his family.

The Outside
For those of you who don't know me, this is going to seem incredibly superficial. Those of you who are close will understand better. Since college, I have done a really terrible job of "keeping up appearances." I hardly ever get my hair cut, my nails are attrocious, I have the same glasses I've had since high school and they're scratched, chipped, one of the nose pieces is missing, and the ear pieces have been melted down by an unfortunate encounter with nail polish remover. My wardrobe is old and many of my clothes don't fit, have holes, or stains. This year I'm going to give myself a "makeover." It's not really a makeover, there won't be drastic changes, but new glasses, regular trips to the waxer, hair salon, nail salon will be implemented. In addition, I've already started working on my wardrobe - I spent most of yesterday buying all new undergarments and throwing away the old ones.

The Environment
Nothing messes up a good vibe like a mess. This year I was pretty good about Sunday being "cleaning day" to really get things under control. I feel better in a clean enviornment. I can think better, and it makes me happy. I used flylady to help organize and clean. In the past month, with the introduction of the Christmas Tree, our home has gone into constant dissarray. Flylady, flew out the window. I want to get things back under control so our home looks more like a home and less like a storage closet.

I also want to go one step farther than last year and actually decorate our home. I always love having fresh flowers, but this year I really want our home to be festive, a place we enjoy coming to. This means decorations! Wait till you see what I have in store for you!

I also want to reintroduce my weekly dinners with friends. I loved doing that over the summer and felt like it really helped keep me in touch and gave Jon and I more of a social network. I love entertaining, and I love having people come to us, so at the end of the night we don't have to go anywhere. I'm really looking forward to this one.

So that's in folks, new year, new chances to make things better. I'm looking forward to it - any "resolutions" you're making this year?

Finally Home Again

When you are having a fabulous time on vacation, there is always a part of you that yearns for home. Perhaps its the familiarity of your own bed, your own space, your own things. When you are not having a fabulous time, this longing for home is even greater.

I was so thankful to be home from our trip that while Jon unpacked the car, I got right to work. A quick trip to the grocery store for some fresh produce and dinner was practically making itself. I wanted something quick and easy since we'd been in the car all day and it was late. Chicken salad is always quick since all you have to do is cook the chicken. I broiled up some zucchini too for some added flavor.Cajun Chicken Salad

1/2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp crushed ginger
1/2 tsp cumin
1 zucchini
basalmic vinagrette
2 chicken breasts, pounded thin
mixed greens

1) In a small bowl, combine cajun seasoning, pepper, ginger, and cumin to create paste.
2) Heat broiler. Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices. Brush eash side of zucchini slices with 1 Tbsp basalmic vinagrette. Place on broiling pan and broil, turning once, until tender, about 4 minutes.
3) Coat both sides of chicken with cajun paste. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in medium skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken to hot skillet and cook 6 minutes on each side until done.
4) Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Thinly slice the chicken. Place mixed greens in center of plate. Arrange chicken and zucchini over the greens. Drizzle with basalmic vinagrette

SLO and easy

Every year when we visit Jon's parents for Christmas, we always end the trip with a few days in San Luis Obispo. There's nothing truly special about the town, but we both love it, and its become "our place."

Normally we stay at the Garden Street Inn - its in downtown and has the best breakfasts and cutest rooms with teddy bears on every bed. Unfortunately, they're not dog friendly - and we were really excited to introduce Ringo to one of our favorite places. Instead we stayed at a little place that hardly bears mentioning - really. It was just a place to sleep.

It was a little chilly while we were in SLO, but Jon and I were prepared. Ringo wasn't. We had to get him something to keep his little Southern Californian body warm. I've always wanted to get him a GAP hoodie, but Jon has always vetoed the idea. As he watched his little boy shivering, Jon finally relented. How cute is our little prepster?





Our favorite SLO tradition is attending the Thursday night Farmer's Market. Besides the fresh produce there's always amazing dinner food! I grabbed a bite from F.McClintock. The line proceeded allllll the way down the street.


F.McClintocks specializes in Barbeque, but that's not the only reason the crowds flock to the show. There's singing, yelling, and some of the best lemonade you'll have!


I had the #2, which consisted of barbeque pork, a beef rib, and a chicken kabob. There was definitely more food than I could handle!


We also love the wine bar "Taste" which has a very unique way of wine tasting which works like a debit card. You put money on your card, and then put the card into a machine which reads your balance. You are then able to push a button above the wine of your choice and taste - it's like an automat for wine tasting! We went each night we were there and brought a bottle back to the room. There's nothing like the Central Coast for inexpensive wine picks!


The last time we were in SLO we found a place called Novo, and we enjoyed it so much, we had to return.


Set upon the creek, amidst light strewn trees, Novo specializes in Tapas, or small plates. By this time Ringo was exhausted, so it was up to Jon and I to indulge.





We began with a trio of three cheeses - a goat cheese, a danish blue, and manchego. The fruit and nuts complemented the cheese and we both agreed the goat was our favorite!


Then came the mango avocado spring rolls. These are supposed to be a house specialty, but were only ehh in our book.


We rounded out our meal with Malaysian Chicken and Toasted Coconut Curry - but by this time my soju cocktail had kicked in and the camera was forgotten - I really must learn to take better drunk pictures. Sufficient to say the chicken was excellent and we greedily fought over the last mouthfuls.

We brought home some chocolate mousse cake for later and it was heavenly with our bottle of wine. What a nice, relaxing trip!

Christmas with someone else's inlaws

I'm not a huge fan of my in-laws. However, I love my brother inlaw's inlaws. They are warm, friendly people who make anyone feel like part of the family.

Normally I spend Christmas Eve with my inlaws. We go to mass, come home and father inlaw begins preparing dinner. We usually eat so late I can't remember my name from starvation.

Jon's brother, his wife, and their children spend Christmas Eve at sister in law's house with her family. This year we all made the trip over. It was a welcome change from the usual solemnity.

When I say the S's are warm and generous, I really mean it - check out the ridiculous amount of gifts! The gifts began under the tree, but since there wasn't enough room there, they quickly spread to every available surface. Then they spread across the floor when surface area grew scarce. Check out my niece next to one of her gifts.



We began the evening with a "guess the Christmas song" game. I won. I always win games. It was probably pretty embarrassing that the Jew won the game, but everyone was very gracious about it.

Then came the food - food for days! Lumpia, Pancit, bifsteak, fried chicken, butternut squash.......more, more, more. And when you were done with dinner it was time for dessert! Fried plantains, apple pie, pecan pie, lemon meringue pie..... Everything was so amazing, and we actually ate at a reasonable time!

Then came the opening of gifts, which felt like it took hours! There was lots of laughter and lots of warmth. It was definitely a family Christmas.

Baaaa Baaaa Black Sheep

Jon loves lamb. It's one of his all time favorite meals. Part of the reason is because his dad made lamb all the time when he was growing up and Jon has very fond memories of his dad's lamb. Too fond if you ask me. As you may remember from the great pancake debacle, when Jon's dad makes something, no one else can even attempt it. For that reason we do not eat lamb very often because I know I can't live up to the memories.

However, when I do make it, I make lamb very simply. A little bit of seasoning, and served with some mint jelly with fresh mint.

Simple Lamb

1/2 cup dijon mustard
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 rack of lamb, frenched
salt and pepper

1) Heat oven to 425. In small bowl combine mustard, parsley, olive oil and garlic. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Brush mustard mixture over lamb.
2) Place in roasting pan and roast about 25 minutes.
3) Serve with mint jelly.