December 17, 2016

What not to give for Christmas: an anti-gift guide

December 17, 2016

You’re probably burned out on gift guides, so this is an anti-gift guide. Why? Because people are sick of your lackluster, no-thought-behind-it half-assed gifts.

Was that mean? I just spent 60+ minutes on hold with the Healthcare Marketplace people only to get kicked off. Twice. So I’m feeling a little Grinchy. What was I saying? Right, anti-gift guide.

I try to shop local when I can, but I’m coming down to the wire with gifts this year, so it has to be online shopping. But I still want to make sure that I’m supporting artists and being as responsible as I can. And I don’t want to give someone yet another corkscrew-and-bottle-of-wine set. Enter: UncommonGoods.

I’m sure you’ve seen them in just about every gift guide ever because even if you’re finding a gift for someone whose interests include “Hiding under a rock,” there’s something you can purchase.

What makes them awesome? Well, they have really unique items (wine-infused coffee, anyone?), but they also make sustainability their number one mission. And not just in a “green” way; they make sure their people are able to sustain themselves, too, so their employees are treated fairly and given living wages. They also feature products that are made with recyclable components, help their artists make their items in responsible ways, and they say no to feathers, leather, and furs – being kind to animals is way more important to me than being kind to people.

The coolest thing to me is when you’re shopping, you can narrow your search based on handmade, recycled, made in the USA, or exclusive to UncommonGoods. It’s like you’re kind of shopping local, but from artists that are in a different zip code.

Onto the anti-gift guide!

Men are possibly the hardest people to shop for. I’m lucky in that my dad is happy with a cookbook and a gift card to the Italian market down the street, but yours may not be so easy to please. Thankfully, there is an entire collection just for dads that you can browse through. I wish there were more jokes in this collection.

Throwback to your days when you’d give dad a poorly made, misshapen mug kinda thing with a (properly-shaped) mug that warms your donuts (#phrasing). And we all know your go-to every few years is a new belt. Get this one made from recycled tires instead. You’ll still have your fall-back, but it’s a responsible fall back.

What about other men? I have one friend who just gets alcohol from me (and I’m sure that isn’t a complaint, but I’ve known him for years and I still have no clue what to buy him aside from shirts and vodka). Stop buying boring alcohol, buy beer soap instead. Or what about magnetic strips you can add to your fridge to stick bottles to (more space for cheese in the fridge now!)

I can’t not include gifts for women, because it’s really fun to shop for your girls. Like for the drunk friend, a tote that dispenses wine. I mean, it’s basically every woman’s dream come true. Or for the chick who won’t get off her freakin’ phone when you’re at dinner, she probably is running low on batteries, so she can put her phone in her new charging bag and let it charge while she talks to you.

What are you giving everyone for Christmas? I’m nebby and I wanna know!

**This post, pretty obviously, is sponsored by UncommonGoods. I love their mission and I’m picking up a few gifts from them this year, so I wouldn’t recommend them if I didn’t believe that they’re doing something good!

February 5, 2016

Get Crafty with Beer and Food Pairings

February 5, 2016

Beer. It’s a magical beverage that makes me funnier and dance better. It also is more than the nasty swill we all drank in college (don’t lie, you drank it, too). I’ve come to be quite fond of bitter, hoppy ales and smooth coffee stouts. Definitely a far cry from my days of beer-flavored water.

Hey, it was cheap and got the job done.

Jaelan at Making Mrs M is a fellow beer ~~snob~~ enthusiast and she has fantastic recommendations for pairing beers and, being the over-achiever we all know and love about her, even whipped up something you can make to go with your beers.

My rule of thumb when pairing beer (or anything really) is to find something that complements the flavor of the beer instead of fighting it.

Think of flavor combinations you like that wouldn’t think would go together (lavender and lemon, chocolate and potato chips, berries and balsamic vinegar). There’s a flavor in one that intensifies the flavor in the other. Citrus brings out the herb. Salt highlights a true chocolate flavor. Sweet tones down the sour (and vice versa).

Contrasting flavors are an opposite of something already present while complementary flavors are close enough to each other so they work together without overshadowing.

So what do I pair with beer when I want to intensify flavors in my brew?

Black IPA

I like hops. I like roasty beers. It’s only natural that I’d like Black IPA. It’s fun to say. Like a Shirley Temple Black. And it’s interesting to drink, too. I’m not going to write a dissertation on characteristics of black IPA, but to me it’s like a stout and an IPA had a love child. A roasty, hoppy love child.

What goes well with that? Well, I had Midnight Moonlight by Fat Head’s Brewery a few weeks ago and paired it with Irish Nachos (made with potato chips instead of nachos) and it was a great pairing.

That said, I usually like to pair my dark beers that can get a little heavy in flavor with something sweet to light up another part of my tongue and enhance some of the chocolate undertones that can come with malty beers. Chocolate cake or rich, fudge-y brownies balance out the bitter and highlight chocolate roast in Black IPAs.

Side note: Black in the USSR by Grist House Craft Brewery isn’t a black IPA, but it has some nice roasty similarities and it pairs fantastically with ice cream sandwiches, specifically the peach ice cream sandwich from Leona’s Ice Cream Sandwiches in Pittsburgh.

Other favorite Black IPAs: 21st Amendment Brewery Back In Black and Southern Tier Brewing Company 2xIBA

Wheat

I’m talking about American wheat beers. I am not a fan of the super-yeasty (and bubble gum banana clove-y) hefeweizen-style wheat beers. One of my favorites is Grist House Craft Brewery Wheatin’ for the Weekend. This is a perfect porch beer. It is light and refreshing with a touch of stone fruit, just what I want a wheat beer to be. None of that banana crap.

What goes with a wheat beer? Well, I like wheat and grains with my wheat beer. Something yeasty to complement the wheat in the beer. Pizza with a light oil sauce, mild cheese, and green veggies on top? Yes please. Macaroni and cheese with a light cheese sauce and roasted onions and squash (like the mac and cheese from the Mac & Gold Truck?) Yep. Been there, loved that.

Red Ale

Shout out to a favorite red right now goes to Troegs Independent Brewing Nugget Nectar. I worked with someone (in a restaurant that specialized in beer) who named his dog after Nugget Nectar, so you know it’s good. This ale is bitter. If black IPA is like a stout and an IPA had a love child, this is as if a ginger hop and another ginger hop had a love child. It is bit-ter with a capital Hello 93 IBU.

So what would go with this? As luck would have it. Troegs has a great chart to help. I’m all about this with a mango salsa topping chicken tacos; adding something to complement the fruity notes in this beer and add a little heat makes for an interesting pairing.

Other favorite reds: Grist House Craft Brewery Camp Slap Red (also fresh and hoppy) and AleWerks Brewing Company Red Marker Ale (a little darker with heavier fruit flavors).

I’m pretty sure this could have been an ode to Grist House, but I tried my best to spread some hopped love around. Just remember: try to find a complementary flavor and work from there. If you want to go crazy, find a contrasting flavor and go crazy.

Hop on over to Jaelan’s blog to see how she paired her favorites!

What beer and food combos do you like to play with?

January 15, 2016

Belly Up to the Barre (Code)

January 15, 2016

Right before the new year, my friend Marissa and I were talking about our goals for 2016. She mentioned that she wants to take advantage of those free introductory fitness classes. And I’m like yes, sign me up. It gets boring doing the same thing over and over and yo, it’s expensive. Each fitness studio has their own package deal. And depending on the day, I may want to do Pilates, yoga, barre, or just run.

Long story short…I tried a barre class at The Barre Code‘s new location (right by my Trader Joe’s..win!) and was blown away by how awesome barre is.

So I get there and everyone is just hanging out..not looking at each other..not really talking. And I’m like shit, what did I get myself into? Naturally, I took a spot in the back and then found out that people new to barre should probably be closer to the front. Yep, put me right by the instructor when I’ve never done this before. Because that isn’t mortifying for me.

Turns out, everyone is so focused on what their muscles are doing that no one cared.

Dude. I was tapped out when it was all said and done. We used a smallish ball as our “resistance” in the class and focused on working the muscle out entirely to the point of fatigue with focused, precise movements. Like, I was on my toes barely holding onto the barre and using my quads to raise and lower my body. Just my quads. And if your heels dipped, Vanessa came around and held them up.

Basically if your muscles aren’t shaking, you’re doing it wrong.

Vanessa told us to pick a mantra to get you through class and say it over and over when you wanted to give up. While I completely appreciate mind-over-matter thinking, I’m pretty sure this was just to get our minds off of how much it all hurt and how many seconds of pain was left.

Does it sound like hell? It really isn’t, I promise! It’s the best.freaking.feeling ever to walk out of that class knowing you a) didn’t die b) didn’t fall over and c) didn’t give up.

Seriously, I need to have someone standing over me holding me accountable to doing the full 30 seconds or I would be like, I’m just gonna half ass these last few reps…

I signed up for a Barre Code class, but there are other tons of other classes to try out depending on what you want to do. I was really excited to try a class at The Barre Code, especially now that I know it is a completely accessible workout and makes you feel like you’re floating on air when you’re done.

How do you mix up your workouts?

I was able to take this class complementary as part of The Barre Code’s grand opening celebration in the North Hills. All opinions are of course my own. Be sure to check them out and tell them I said hello!

March 20, 2015

Hausfrau book review and giveaway

March 20, 2015

There are so many questions I have after reading Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum. I’ll try not to give any spoilers here, but I seriously read the last sentence and was like, “Is that all?!? What happens next?!”

I’m not going to lie, it took me a while to get into the action of the novel. I didn’t dislike Anna, but I didn’t like her either; that made for some pretty bland action at first. Basically, Anna is this exhausted, complacent, lonely hausfrau (who never confirms that she is lonely/bored/etc) and enters affairs…because she can pretty much. Again, we never know why. I love that we don’t. Some things in life aren’t explained and just happen.

The more I read this, though, the more intrigued I became. How is Anna going to disengage herself from these lives of lies? What will her husband do? How will she get found out? Will she get found out or will she extract herself no harm, no foul?

It was sort of like reading about a train wreck.

There were ~~more than~~ five things that stood out to me as I was reading this that really made me wonder. (I tried not to do this, but there is a spoiler and it’s noted as such.)

The Bruno Scale

When Bruno is around more, Anna acts out less. The more attention she gets from him, the less she needs it from other people. That’s a pretty basic observation, but I do think it’s worth mentioning. His presence in the present can’t undo the past, so there must be some retribution for Anna’s actions (and oh is there ever).

But he’s trying! You see him trying!

I actually like his character. He appears to be the only one who is active. It’s true, Anna is doing the cheating, and she’s probably doing it because he’s passive towards her, but when we see him interact with other characters, he’s always active whereas Anna closes herself off.

Mary

Oh lordy, I do not like Mary. Everything would have been fine if she just kept her mouth shut. Trust me, I’m not rooting for Anna here, but I’m definitely rooting for Mary to mind her own damn business.

She’s the catalyst for both good and bad. She brings Bruno back to Anna, but she also really, really breaks Bruno and Anna apart.

There is a lot to say about her character, which is interesting because she only appears for part of the book. She sets a lot of things into motion. She’s almost like Anna’s affairs themselves: provides something to feel good about for the moment but ultimately is a downfall for Anna.

Maybe I’m reading this at a basic level, and every book needs a villain, and I’m just inserting Mary into that slot where it wasn’t the intention. Help me out here, anyone else see that in her character? Perhaps foil is a more appropriate term.

Anna’s birthday

Here’s another thing that Mary screwed up! [Spoiler alert] She planned a birthday party for Anna when Anna expressly said not to do anything. Mary and Tim / Anna and Bruno had a fantastic day together with their kids. You see a hint of humanity in Bruno and a switch slowly turning for Anna. I almost thought this was the pivotal moment moment for them.

And then Mary doing Mary got in they way. Lady, if someone says “I don’t want a party,” you don’t force them to have a party, especially when they’re as standoffish as Anna. And have so many different lives.

What happens when Bruno finds out?

This is kind of a big question that drove me to keep reading. So, Anna is cheating, this we know. What we don’t know is what will happen when Bruno finds out. I can tell you – it’s good. And all Mary’s fault! Well, okay, Mary didn’t force Anna to cheat. But she started it!

I wrote this one down as I was reading and it seriously bugged me. Like I mentioned, this question drove me to keep reading. If Bruno is one of the most active characters, what action will he take when he finds out he’s been cuckolded? We never see him get scary-angry, but his power and authority is definitely conveyed.

Fire…what?

What does the fire symbolize? Playing with fire, I guess, but where does it come from? It happens when Anna meets Stephen and carries throughout, but it only appears at certain times. I guess it’s play with fire, but maybe it’s also destruction and may be renewal (like a phoenix). Pay attention when you’re reading this for the fire references and tell me what you think they mean/where they come from.

I’m almost leaning towards destruction, but 90% off the book is destruction and there aren’t that many references to fire. Perhaps it is referring to Stephen and his particular involvement in the novel.

[line]

So, have I piqued your interest in Hausfrau? Good! The book is already out (released on a lucky day, March 17th) and one of my readers can win a copy of the book thanks to Penguin Random House and 20SB!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What have you been reading lately?

[disclaim]I was provided a copy of Hausfrau to read and review and another to give away bu Penguin Random House and 20SB. These are my honest opinions about the book.[/disclaim]

October 10, 2014

Get your organization on with the Post-it Study Notebook Kit

October 10, 2014

If you know me at all, you know I’m a Post-it hoarder. It’s slightly embarrassing to admit that I probably have more sticky notes than I could possibly use in a reasonable amount of time. I have no idea where the obsession came from, but it’s here, it’s real, get used to it.

I usually keep a small pad of notes stuck to the back of my Moleskine planner to jot down quick notes, lists, or whatever thoughts I need to move from place to place. So when I had the chance to try out the Post-it Study Notebook Kit, I was all about it.

The pad just sticks into the back of your notebook. It can be repositioned (it is Post-it after all!) and folds in when you aren’t using it. It doesn’t take up much room when folded and it says flat when it’s open.

I love how it has 2″ x 2″ notes and flags in easy reach for any kind of reminder I need. I usually don’t use a lot of flags in my planner, but I do like them to mark different sections and months.

Lately, I’ve been using Post-it Notes while grocery shopping. I use the e-offers available from the Giant Eagle app, but they’re really specific. Without fail, I will forget which exact product qualifies, so I’ll go through and write down all the e-offers I have available for me to use on one note along with any other coupons I will use. Then on another note, I write out my list. That way I can easily see what I can save and what I need. I like having two separate notes because if I have e-offers left over, I’ll just cross off the used offers and keep the list in my planner for next time. Then I just recycle the grocery list.

Post-it Notes also are indispensable for me at work. I write down one task on a small note and stick it to the wall above my computer. When the task is complete, the note gets recycled. I don’t like having tons of notes cluttering up my wall, so having one idea per note keeps me focused and I can visually gauge how much work I have yet to accomplish.

Big ideas go on bigger notes. Anything that isn’t a task, but rather something I want to remember or be sure to mention to someone gets a big note. It visually takes up more space and shows importance, but it also allows me more space to write details.

How do you use Post-it Notes to stay organized or how would you use the Post-it Study Notebook Kit?

Disclaimer: I signed up to have Post-it send me this kit to try out. I wouldn’t be telling you about this if I didn’t really love it (they’re Post-its, come on, of course I do). As always, all opinions are my own.