Getting Ready for BlogHer '11

The parties. The posts. The SHOE TALK. All the female blogosphere is chatting about BlogHer '11. While I have a few posts coming up about the show, and (OF COURSE) what I will be wearing, as of today I can say that I'm officially ready.

Why?

Because my Survival of the Hippest necklace came. 

I've been lusting after one of these for awhile now. But I kept going back and forth. I actually wear more gold than silver/white gold/platinum these days, so which metal do I get? Do I go all out and add a diamond chip to the "i"? The decisions were too difficult, so I put off ordering one until the very last minute. (oh, and I went with a silver/gold combo but alas, no diamonds...)

Because really? This is SO much cooler than a business card. 

Walking in Heels

When you talk to people about working from home, normally their eyes glaze over and they get this blissful expression and say something along the lines of "Oh, how nice to not have to get dressed everyday..." To which I normally reply, "Yea, but I miss shoes."

Seriously. I have missed shoes.

Even if you are one of those Type AA++ people who gets dressed to sit in your home office to work, I bet you still are not wearing shoes. At the very most I have on slippers in the winter, but besides that I slip on flip flops, running shoes or ballet flats before running out the door to do a lunch time errand. I would go to Nordstrom and stare at all the pretty shoes and dream about having a place to wear them {more than once}. High heel boots, bright wedges, a coveted pair of Christian Louboutin Simple Pumps, I could only dream! I mean really. I'm no Posh Spice traipsing around soccer fields in 5 inch stilettos.  

At my last office job I wore heels almost daily. I loved my heels. Kittens, pumps, wedges, I dressed my feet up. A nice pair of pointed pumps immediately turns jeans and sweater into a "work outfit". I always felt more put-together, taller and skinnier. Also, and while this sounds a bit odd in retrospect, ballet flats were not en Vogue in 2005. The Tory Burch "Reva Revolution" (Her signature ballet flat that launched that style shoe into a wardrobe must have) didn't hit until late 2006/early 2007. Which means flats were not even in my work ensemble vocabulary the last time I was office-bound.

Last week I started a new contract with a new PR agency, a contract that actually is IN an office. For the first time in four years I'm working out of the house on a regular basis. Luckily, the office I'm working in is a super cool and creative environment with a definite "San Diego Business" dress code, so clothes to wear to work are not really an issue (well, not any more of an issue than normal). It's exciting. The office is in one of the more "urban" parts of town; walking into the office, away from the kids and the house, has been a nice addition to my mainly suburban life. I get a little rush from the little walk from my car to the office and if I close my eyes and happen to pass a homeless person who smells like urine, I can pretend that I'm a big NYCity girl for 2 minutes. I worried that I would have a problem going back to an office, but in reality, the only thing I need to adjust to is walking in heels again.

iPhood; The Fish Tacos and Chevys Experience

When Chef Jason Neroni was interviewed recently about why he chose to leave San Diego and the restaurant Blanca in Solana Beach, he was quoted as saying "The running joke other chefs told me was that all San Diegans want is fish tacos. It was funny for a moment, and then it got annoying because it was true."

Ouch. But... well... true?

Down in San Diego, we are known for a few things: perfect weather, obscenely high housing costs, and fish tacos. So when I was offered the change to test out 4 of the best Fish Taco spots in San Diego with the Chevrolet Best Of Tours - I jumped at the chance. A beautiful sunny day, 8 different fish tacos and the chance to drive a Camaro?! Who wouldn't?

Stop #1 - South Beach Bar and Grill in Ocean Beach

When we all first met up, we were encouraged to drive or drive in each of the 5 different Chevys lined up to take us to our 4 stops. I immediately leaned over to La Jolla Mom Katie and said "That's all you, I get nervous test driving cars..." {note: foreshadowing} With that she hoped into the front seat of the Malibu and drove us to our first stop. 

Fish Taco Talk: I would have been happy staying there all day. The sun was shining and the ocean was right there, and the tacos were light, crispy and perfectly cooked. There was a little hint of spice to them and the white sauce was enough to give you the flavor but not enough to drown your food. I wanted to devour them, but being this was only stop one, I ate one and politely pushed the other away {sob}.The only thing missing was a beer. But since we were encouraged to drive, we were asked not to drink. That's fine - I needed to be smart and professional anyway. HA. 

Stop #2 The Brigantine, Shelter Island.

We step out from the loud bar buzz of South Beach Bar and Grill to a line of Chevys waiting for us. The one that I was actually very interested in was the Traverse, Chevy's 3 row "crossover". Somehow the keys ended up in my hand and I hopped into the front seat to drive 7 of us to "The Brig" in Shelter Island. 

Last year Jason and I thought it may be time to start looking at a new car to replace my Audi A4 (which i love love love, but alas is a tad small these days). We were getting to the mindset of carpools, lugging crap, 2 kids + dog, etc, and while there is NOWAYINHELL I will drive a mini-van (sorry MiniV moms. While the sliding doors are enticing, I. Just. Can't. Do. It.), we still need something with some size. Enter in the "crossovers" - the SUV/MiniVan mix - for the mom that wants the minivan perks without the mini-van. The selling point - many of them have 2nd row captain seats! GENIUS! Last year when I went to test drive the 3rd row Pathfinder, my first question was "How does Grandma get to the 3rd row with 2 carseats in the 2nd row?" Car seats pretty much render 3rd rows useless, because if you have ever had to install a car seat you KNOW you can't be doing that at every stop you make. Okay. Rant over.

As we learned as I carefully drove through the narrow streets of OB, the Traverse was actually designed by female engineers and many of the ideas for features came directly from mothers. So THATS why the 2nd row is captain seats - because a MOM had some say! In quick 10 minutes I drove it, I liked it. It seemed huge on the inside but didn't look that big on the outside. It's definitely a car I will revisit. 

Fish Taco Talk: The fish taco part of this story - well, it was The Brig. Been there, done that. Good, but nothing special. Moving on...

#3 Blue Water Sea Food, lower Mission Hills area.

Feeling a bit more confident, once again I hopped in the drivers seat - this time in a HUGE Hybrid Silverado. This thing was ginormous. When I first got in, my feet didn't even touch the ground. I felt little driving this thing - like I was a kid driving in my parents car. If you need a big truck, this is a good option. Although I did get a little nervous when it slid back a little on a step hill - something that happens in the slight lag it takes the hybrid to click in. 

Fish Taco Talk: This place was packed. So crowded there was no place to sit down, so we picniced in outside on the back of the Silverado. Maybe it was the hot sun, maybe it was stop #3, but this one really didn't do it for me. But the last stop...

 #4 The Green Flash in Pacific Beach.

Having driven two other cars, I got cocky and decided to go for the win and drive the Camaro. With thoughts of Lucas screaming "BUMBLEBEE" and Jason singing "Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro..." in my head, I happily took this set of keys. 

This car is hawt. I kept trying to think of a way I can justify it.. hey, the backseat isn't that small...with memories of days I used to have my Hoopty (1984 Nissan 300Z), I actually got to pick up a little speed on our short freeway jaunt. When we got out of the car in Pacific Beach, I think there were actually cat calls. Strangers stopped on the street to admire the utter coolness of the new Camaro. HipMamaB lived up to her name. 

Fish Taco Talk: I knew that the Green Flash tacos would be good. An old favorite from "back in the day", the shrimp taco was delish and just what was expected. Too bad I was already so stuffed from the previous 3 stops!

All in all, it was a fun day. Fish tacos, sunshine, cool cars and new friends is a great way to spend a day in San Diego. 

Think happy thoughts, happy thoughts...

Over the past couple of weeks, there have been a few things that have have just made my day a little (or a lot) brighter. Sometimes you just have to focus on the simple things...

Happy thing #1: Shiny, clear glasses 

PET PEEVE: My glasses were coming out of the dishwasher all white and chalky. I changed the type of soap I used, added more Jet Dry, nothing helped. So I went online and did a little research and found that this is actually a combination of hard water stains and using too much detergent in your dishwasher. Most of the sites mentioned that you should only use powder detergent, and then only use 1/2 of the recommended amount. WHO KNEW?! Additionally, every site also suggested using Lemi-Shine to solve the problem.

Since I will try (almost) any piece of advice once, and since they had it at my local Target (right there too, how I had never noticed it before was baffling) I bought it. 

On the bottle it says to use 1/2 powder, 1/2 Lemi-Shine - so we did. I will say that it took 2-3 washings, but now my glasses are sparkling. And while I sound like a 50's housewife commercial, I'm actually super excited about it and smile every time I pull out a sparkly, clear cup to use. 

Happy Thing #2: Not having to go to my Dr's office!

My sister-in-law Heather has told me about the clinics in her local grocery store for years, but for some reason this idea took awhile to make it to Southern California.  

Recently, I had cause to use one - I needed a simple Rx ASAP. My PCP suggested urgent care since he couldn't squeeze me in, but we all know that urgent care is anything BUT urgent. Not to mention it's about 15 miles away. AND for some reason is $100 co-pay. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. Then I remembered seeing something about the "minute clinics" at CVS. 

Low and behold, my local CVS has one and even more shocking - they take our insurance so it was only my normal Dr. visit co-pay. I was in and out with meds in hand in 35 minutes. I normally WAIT 35 minutes to see my doctor. This actually really excited me for a few reasons - it was quick and easy for me and it will be quick and easy with the kids. Also, from a larger view point, clinics like this can really help the Health Care issue in this country. Knowing from experience, an out of pocket Dr's appt would have cost $100 for the visit and additional $50 or so for any lab tests. This place offers a range of services (with basic lab work that they can do in the office) for a flat rate. Easier. Cheaper. What is not to love?

Happy Thing #3: Clothes. Of course.

Spring. Spring. Spring. Suddenly I want a little color, I want something a little lighter, a little flowier. Thank GAWD for It's a Luv Thing.  I know I talk so much about this store that you are all bored to death of it, but really, I love this store. I think I wear an item purchased there daily. A t-shirt, necklace, hat, shorts... it's so my happy place. 

<--- This shirt, over there to the left. I have 3 of them now. I'm pretty much just alternating between colors at this point. It's just so casual and cute. Looks great with jeans or sweats or shorts or a long skirt. Really, I've worn it will all of the above.

If you have seen me in the past 2 weeks (or plan to see me in the next few weeks) there is a good chance I will be wearing this shirt.

And I may even being wearing it with my new lululemon reversible Wonder Unders. 

Oh yes, I do have a bit of a Lulu addiction. I admit that. But since Juicy Suits have been deemed passe what is a girl to wear if she wants to just be uber casual, comfy and stylish? Oh, and with the good intention of going to the gym? (Gym, gym, remember the gym...)

I'll be honest here, since I work from home, I wear Lululemon daily. I get up, I brush my hair and I figure out which pair is clean (or, on some days, the least dirty) put on a tank top or t-shirt and voila! Dressed for the day. I can wear my Lulu's daily and always feel like I look good. And if I can escape to work out, even better since I'm already dressed. 

While I normally wear a looser yoga-type pant (my FAVE being the Be Still), this year I've become used to wearing tighter legged pants (skinny jeans, leggings, etc) so moving to a fitted pant was a natural transition. The Wonder Unders are fantastic. The fit is great and just like all Lulu pants, I swear they make me look 5lbs lighter. I've been wearing them with a looser, little longer tank or t and they are perfect for pilates or picking up Lucas from school. And being that they are reversible (gray and black) it's like 2 pants in 1.

If you haven't splurged on lulu's yet, JUST DO IT. (er, Hmm.. using the tagline of one athletic company to promote another...yikes) But really, people. Lululemon is to athletic wear what Seven Jeans are to denim - at first you are horrified by the price and say you will never do it, then you realize the quality and fit is SO much better that you break down and by a pair and then you are hooked and before long the thought of spending $100 on work out pants barely phases you. Hey, don't hate the player - hate the game.

Embrace it. Love it.

*oh and just to mention - none of these are product placements. They are all MY buys and finds. No freebies have been given or taken. No deals struck. No shiny new cars magically appeared in my driveway. And no children or animals were harmed in anyway. #Justsaying