The A List: 1.8.16

Coming back from vacation this first week of January was a little bit like working drunk. So much time catching up, and not much time for me. But I still found time for some products and things I love, here's a look at them from this week.

Oscar Isaac signing Bill Murray’s Star Wars: Over the New Year, I finally saw Star Wars, and it’s definitely one of those movies you have to see in the theatre (and say you saw in the theatre). After the legendary Harrison Ford and the adorable BB-8, my favorite non-droid character was that of the pilot, Poe Dameron. It turns out Isaac was on this past December’s cover of GQ, and the online version offered up this little video of him covering Bill Murray’s SNL Star Wars song. It’s adorable, it’s quirky, and most of all it’s brilliant.

Mashable’s Snapchat Story end: it makes me happy every time I see the close of Mashable’s snapchat story, there’s always a different edit for their three little guys working on the M. But the current ending they have right now – a Zamboni, a hockey mask, a scoreboard saying “Keep Sk8ing!” is by far my fave. I mean, how can you not love it?

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask: during the fall, my signature makeup look was a bold lip coupled with a little bronzer and blush. It’s a bit of a statement, but it’s fun, it’s easy, and allows me to express myself still after my giant wardrobe edit. But since winter has officially set it, lipsticks are hard to sport when dry, chapped lips start to set in. That’s why I love this lip mask from Laneige. It literally forms a mask on top of your lips, and comes with the cutest little scoop to apply the product. Add in a fresh berry smell, and you’ve got an awesome chapped lip fights from one of my favorite K-beauty brands.

Sephora Eye Masks: working at an ice rink, you’d never guess that the air would be super dry. But after a long day plus a game night, my eyes are dry, red, and exhausted by the time I get home. Fifteen minutes after applying one of Sephora’s eye masks, and my eyes are refreshed, moisturized, and de-puffed, and the cooling gel is the perfect relaxer after a long, long day.

Award Season: The Golden Globes are this Saturday, and I can’t wait. They’re my favorite award show by far because the celebs and categories are so fun. They’re loose, they’re a little tipsy, it’s everything you want in a fabulous Hollywood party. Let’s hope Ricky Gervais can deliver again with his hosting duties, Tina & Amy are going to be hard to top!

Bananas: easy breakfast muffins

If every year’s New Years resolution is to eat healthier (among other things), overconfidence in the produce section of the grocery store is usually a result. The voice in your head says yes, I’ll eat salad for lunch every day this week, or broccoli is great and filling for dinner, to I’ll just have a banana for breakfast.

I’m more of a fan of bananas as a snack during the workday, but still, there’s always the last one in the bundle that’s turning yucky brown by the time Friday rolls around. But it turns out; overripe bananas freeze beautifully, and once thawed, come out soft and almost liquid – perfect for baking. And if there’s real bananas in baked goods, they have to be healthy, right?

I’ve been eating these banana chocolate chunk muffins for years – the recipe I adapted below is based on one from my pre-school cookbook – and they’re the perfect combination of breakfast and dessert. Small and chocolaty, they’re super portable for breakfast during your commute, or while you’re perusing emails upon arrival at the office.

I halved this recipe (and only used two bananas), decreasing the potency of the banana flavor, and adding a teaspoon of cinnamon for some warmth. And for extra chocolate-ness, I used Trader Joes semi-sweet chocolate chunks, instead of your typical semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar 3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted 1 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 2) 2 large eggs 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup mini chocolate chips (6 ounces)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° . In a large bowl, combine the sugar, melted butter, bananas and eggs; mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until the batter is evenly moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups (I used a non-stick muffin pan and cooking spray instead of these). Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.

6 Tips for Staying Warm this Winter

Images via 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 

The temps have finally lowered to the 30s, snow is kind of on the ground – it’s finally winter!

Call me crazy – but winter is my favorite season of the year. Pink cheeks, cozy fires, amazing aromas and more, the cold really does bring everyone together.

Just how do I stay toasty during these upcoming winter months? Here are six of my tips for staying cozy during the winter months:

1. A great pair of sweatpants & slippers: I am VERY biased here, but there’s a reason Roots sweats are classics, they’re easily the warmest, coziest loungewear out there. Add in a great pair of shearling slippers and you’re set for a day cozying up inside.
2. A warm blanket or throw. I love a faux fur throw for keeping me toasty, they're keep in the warmth because they don't have the holes an afghan does, and they provide a great look and texture to your lounging space. Warm and stylish - a perfect combo.
3. A mug of something warm. Whether its cider, tea, or something with an extra kick, a warm beverage in a mug is perfect for staying warm. The key is the mug, not only does it heat your beverage, its perfect for curling around your hands and cozying up on the couch.
4. A winter scent. Candles are fantastic ambience creators and I love burning them most months of the year. During the winter months I avoid anything super floral when trying to stay warm, instead sticking to balsam, firewood, leather, and more masculine scents to add an extra snuggle to the house.
5. TV and movies you love: winter is great time to re-watch favorite old classic movies and tv shows, or dive into something thrilling that will keep you glued to you seat. As long as you’re distracted with your favorite entertainment, you’ll stay nice and cozy all day long.
6. Something simmering on the stove: outside of a large sauté pan, the pot that gets the most use on my stove in the winter is my dutch oven. Just it’s presence on my stovetop means that something warm and delicious is simmering away, often for hours at a time. From kale sausage stew, to chili, to my favorite soup, a warm bowl of delicious is perfect for beating the winter chill.

The A List: 01.01.16

 

Happy New Year!

For the first A-List of 2016, here's a look back at some of my faves discovered over the holiday break.

Into the Gloss Meat the Team profiles: there are few websites that are on my daily must-reads list but Into the Gloss is one of them. From tutorials on Korean beauty to intros to some of my favorite products (moon mask!), I visit daily to discover the latest beauty ideas and profiles of top fashion influencers. Recently they’ve been profiling their own staff and I LOVE it. It’s so cool to connect with the people running the site and I love the behind-the-scenes look at their jobs, their favorite products and their lives.

Things Liz Wants Instagram: Eva Chen’s instagram is the best. A gold-mine for shoes (via her #evachenpose), cute pics of her kid, and beauty reviews, she also finds the coolest fashion insiders to spotlight to her followers as well. Recently she posted the cutest flamingo holiday video from illustrator Liz Tafaro linking to Liz’s feed, which a feed which is chock full of fashion illustrations injected with a dose of wit. Super cute, super fun, and a super new insta follow from me.

Amazon Music: My beloved Songza was bought by Google earlier in 2015 and will cease to exist this month. Songza was perfect for music listening when you really didn’t know what you wanted to listen to, you just knew the current vibe you were feeling. Also, it barely played any ads if you didn’t skip a bunch of songs. Songza’s founders are encouraging Google Play music, but it’s not the SAME. Too many ads, too much to be overwhelmed by, I just can’t. I had no idea Amazon Music came with my prime subscription, and their playlists are a great second choice to my beloved former app. (My current fave). RIP Songza.

Casual: during the holiday break I had every intention of catching up on some of my favorite tv shows. Shows like Scandal, Nashville, and Jane the Virgin – all who’s winter finales I have yet to see. But what did I do? Instead I found a new series to love, Casual on Hulu. I’ve been in lust with Tommy Dewey ever since his run on the Mindy Project (I loved his character and Mindy’s together!) and he’s hilarious with the rest of the cast here. This show has some “I can’t believe they just did that" moments and it’s perfect for a winter binge viewing.

Late July Organic Dude Ranch Chips: confession: cool ranch doritos are a guilty pleasure of mine. So good yet so bad for you and your breath. I was killing time at the new Whole Foods at Easton before Christmas (don’t do this – your wallet will hate you) and came upon these Dude Ranch chips and they’re awesome. At their heart they’re a multi-grain chip with just a hint of ranch flavoring. Since they’re multi-grain – they have to healthy, right?

Best of 2015

 

If you've been on instagram the last few days, you can't help but notice the #2015bestnine photos in everyone's feeds.

I kind of love this.

Best nine is a great and easy tool to remember the highlights of my year, or at least my photos that trended throughout 2015.

And how genius are the app developers who are collecting all of this data from people (like myself) giving them access to their insta profiles? #nerdalert

Anyways, my #2015bestnine did a pretty good job of summing up some of the highlights of my year. Here's a little more into what my 2015 looked like.

(L to R, top to bottom)

1. Rose gold iphone! I remember the day I squealed with delight when my rose gold iphone arrived in the office. Of course my case was already purchased (Rose all day!) but the real hero of this photo is my co-worker Maggie, who let me take this pic on her phone and then texted it to me. (For the record, I'm still in love with my phone).
2. Pan-Am Games Opening Ceremony. It's no secret I wear the love of my hometown on my sleeve, so when I saw this photo from the opening ceremony of the Pan Am Games in Toronto, I had to regram it. My annual weeklong visit to TO came about a week or so later, which prompted my excitement to post the photo.
3. Goal Digger. Chalk this photo up to a cold winter, a new fashion app, and my love for witty and wordy sweaters and tees. It's a hashtag trifecta and a warm sweatshirt too.
4. Home. You might think from the picture directly below this one that Christmas is my favorite holiday, but if I had to choose, I think Valentine's Day might be #1 in my <3. (See what I did there?) This find from Target sat outside our front door for the first few months of the year and grabbed a few more likes than normal with some help from #targetstyle.
5. Morning breakfast. Confession: I love a good #viewfromthetop photo, especially if it has something to do with food. But there's little more meaning to this pic - it's one of the first photos I took from our new office, after it was set up from moving a few weeks earlier. I'm not a fan of moving, but I am a fan of great morning light in an insta snap.
6. NHL All-Star Weekend. A rare glimpse into my work life hit my feed, thanks to some last-minute unreal seats to the NHL All-Star game. This pic to me reminds me of an amazing last weekend in January, a weekend that combined professional success with a love for showing off and experiencing the best Columbus has to offer.
7. Holiday decor. I love decorating my home for the holidays and am quite proud of the aesthetic i've created over the last couple years. Here's a peek into that aesthetic, hints of silver and gold and soft lighting mixed with our mostly neutral decor and my favorite #Toronto poster.
8. Macaroons and Petit Choux at Nadege. One of the many instas from my trip to Toronto, this one came from the cutest french patisserie on West Queen West, just before Trinity Bellwoods. We had traipsed around much of downtown earlier that day and this was the perfect (and cutest) pitstop for a mid-afternoon break. Fun fact, I found this place via instagram too!
9. First trip to Roosevelt Coffee. I hold 90% of my meetings outside the office at coffee shops and had been hearing about Roosevelt for weeks leading up to this pic. The space doesn't dissapoint - open and airy with big tables for collaboration, located in a great part of town, and of course, fabulous coffee, i've been back many times since first snapping this pic.