Hump Day Distractions

Autumn in New York...!

Heeeeey Wednesday how we doin!? Today I've got a bit of a spring in my step because Dr. H and I finally booked a belated anniversary/holiday-time vacation last night (more on that soon), I am getting all prettied up later today for a fancy work event tonight and THAT photo above is the view when I step out on my terrace. That view. J'adore. Also, directly below my apartment (and for several blocks around it) film crews are setting up to shoot Law and Order SVU. If I have an Olivia Benson siting that would be epic. Just EPIC!! (I told you I'm in a good mood today:) Here to spread some Wednesday cheer are links from around the web. Enjoy!

* If you're like me, ass in a desk chair more waking hours than not, these stretches are for you.

* Dinner in 20. And looks tasty too!

* In my next life, I want to come back as one of (parent)thetically speaking's kids.

* Hey Dr. H!! I told you so. (get ready for a cuteness EXPLOSION!)

* Cool and unique shelving at an affordable price. Always a good find.

* And while we're talking cool and unique, I really dig these light fixtures.

* How long you need to exercise to burn off some of your favorite eats (30 minute bike ride for 1 slice of pepperoni pizza... that doesn't actually seem so bad, sign me up for a 90 minute ride please!)

* The most wildly fun commercial ever (man I wish I could have seen this in person!)

Sorry.

Do you say "I'm sorry" a lot? I never thought of myself as an overly apologetic person, but when I watched the commercial above it made me realize that I am TOTALLY guilty of saying "sorry" way too often. (sorry!?) I say sorry when what I really should be saying is "excuse me", when I share an idea or thought that I (inexplicably) lack confidence in and even when I'm asking others to do something that is their job to do! I don't know why I feel guilty or apologetic so often, but saying sorry for things I have no reason to be sorry for is definitely something I (and I've noticed many other females in my life) do on a daily basis.

Now I'm not sure how I feel about marketers and brands using female empowerment messages to hawk their products (another FABULOUS example from Always HERE), but this commercial really made me think and it has already impacted my behavior... Though I'm not planning to adopt "sorry, not sorry" as my new mantra, I am making a concerted effort to only apologize when I have something to be sorry about (and for what it's worth, I'm definitely now slightly more inclined to purchase a Pantene product if all other factors are the same - marketing WIN.)  What say you ladies? (and it better not be "sorry"!)

World Cup Roundup

Brazilian Beauty.

With Team USA's big game at noon, I thought today was the perfect time to get into the World Cup spirit. Every 4 years I am amazed by the cultural pride that explodes across the 5 boroughs as our melting pot of a city celebrates each country's attempt to be crowned the king of soccer (working 1 block from "Little Brazil" has led to especially good people watching!) So here for your futbol loving, U-S-A chanting pleasure are some goodies of the World Cup variety. Now let's go for the GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!

The World Cup has sports marketers at their best and there have been tons of great commercials airing during the games while longer ads (like Nike's very cool 5 minute animated spot) make their way around the web. HERE is a great roundup of commercials from brands like ADIDAS, Beats by Dre and Nike. But I think my personal favorite is the "obviously knows how to make fun of himself" EA Sports commercial from the guy team USA left behind, Landon Donovan.

I was going to save this kick ass (and easy to make!) Patriotic Trifle Treat link for a 4th of July post, but if Team USA manages to advance after today's game, I think you might be needing this recipe for your viewing party of their next match up. Full tutorial from PS I Made this HERE.

And in case you're still trying to figure out how the USA can advance even if they lose, there's this "oh so simple" infographic courtesy of the NY Post:

* I love THIS playlist from Spotify entitled "The World's Game" or
you can check out the official FIFA 2014 World Cup Playlist HERE *

Whether it's on the sticks of rock candy, lollipops, cake pops or even just cocktail straws, your viewing party probably needs the flags of the countries in the match up you're watching incorporated like this:

And finally, you may need THIS to get out and watch today's game:

Hump Day Distractions

Can you even handle this cuteness!?

I've been looking forward to this post all week because not to over-hype, but I've got some seriously awesome internet gems to share with you!! So let's not dawdle, let's get to the distracting!

* As a glasses wearer, NYC enthusiast and admirer of creative people's work... I love THESE.

* Looks like Sis got it right with the whole Dentist thing... 

* When moms send texts. 

* Theme of today.

* I didn't even know that it was happening but given my full blown OBSESSION with Wet Hot American Summer, I'll be seeing this movie asap.

* 8 interesting facts about Rose wine.

* I want to say my friends and I would never have done something like this, but... Poor kid.

* Must return to Morocco. Must go to HERE.

* As a collector of cards for every occasion, this is a great roundup to have on hand. 

* Way to go Barbie (and way to go Mattel!)

* This banned commercial is so freakin funny. 

* And finally, this guy is my hero... for how he handled the whole ordeal, how he managed to get it on film, how he endured that death stare and how he celebrated his victory. Way to go guy!

Hump Day Distractions

hehe.

Hello and welcome to the hump my merry friends! I'm ready to hustle right through to the other side of this week so check out these goodies from around the web and then let's get to it! 

* One of my favorite week night desserts is some Fat Free Cool Whip and fresh strawberries with sprinkles (for a little crunch!). THIS recipe is like the grown up, not healthy version of that!

* Or ya know maybe it's ok to occasionally miss a call or text?! THIS just seems a bit much to me.

* Jim Carrey nails it.

* Once upon a time, they were babes...

* Ready to tear up watching a commercial aimed at Dads?

* And while we're talking about Dads, this one is the man!

* These pots crack me up, think I just might have to make em.

* Get ready to have your Disney Princess loving mind BLOWN.

* This guy is Dr. H's idol. I think he's mine too. Way to go guy.

A few things and a new challenge.

1) It is snowing in NYC. AGAIN. And don't get me wrong, I loooove me some snowy white city scapes (that's my morning commute picture to the left!), but this is getting a little ridiculous. 50 degrees on Sunday then 30 degrees with inches of snow on Monday? what the???

2) Did you have a favorite Super Bowl commercial? There were a few I really liked, but here's a recap with "grades" (so interesting to see which ads resonated most with people!) 

3) I'm making my triumphant return to "cooking" tonight after a 2-week hiatus. Thinking I'll whip up THIS favorite.

And now, as promised in today's post title, is "a new challenge". Are you ready!? Last year we shared 12 "Healthy Habits of the Month" and based on your feedback, the series was extremely popular! Apparently people love tips for getting healthy and having a community to share the experience with. So let's try some more group motivation... introducing....

Seek to be Merry's Pesky Pounds Challenge.
For better or worse, nearly every woman I speak to is holding on to some weight she wishes she could shed. In many instances it's only 5 to 15 lbs, the "pesky pounds" which your body would prefer to keep, but you would prefer it not. And these pounds between where you're at and a "goal weight" are often the hardest to lose, so I thought maybe we could try to do it together!!!

1) Over the next 12 weeks, I am going to share tips for weight loss, factoids to encourage healthier living and recipes focused on cutting out the naughty stuff. 

2) Once per week (along with those tasty recipes and interesting articles) I am going to share how much weight I've lost since the week prior and I would LOVE to turn this into a community event where readers up for the challenge do the same in the comments section below. I will NOT be sharing how much I weigh (and you don't have to either) but instead focusing on my progress bringing the number down. Having to share creates accountability and having a community means a safe place to enjoy successes and assess failures.

So what do you think? Will you join the Seek to be Merry Pesky Pounds Challenge? Weight loss can be such a personal struggle and I don't think there's anything that makes a struggle less scary than a trusting community to face it with, so I hope you'll join me!

Feeling SUPER!

These will never ever stop blowing my mind.

Hooray for Friday!!! This morning, while working on besting my "hit the snooze" personal record, I remembered that Sunday is the Super Bowl and I was like "yay! finger foods!" and then I promptly fell back asleep. Thankfully(?) I am fully awake now, and I am ready to share some goodness of the Super Bowl variety. First, please tell me you've seen this non-Super Bowl, Super Bowl commercial:

Anna Kendrick you are the shizz (and well done Newcastle)

Next, let's talk about food. Food, Glorious Food! 

(hey just because I love football doesn't mean I can't also make musical theater references!)

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs - YES PLEASE!

Pin it HERE, Full recipe HERE.

One Pot (you know I love these) Cheeseburger Casserole.

Pin it HERE, Full recipe HERE.

* If "ultra-classy, sporty chic" is your Super Bowl style, than click HERE for perfect party tips*

* Here's some insider info about the commercials you'll be seeing * 

Want to watch something adorable, get teary-eyed and remember what sports is really all about!? 

(Hint: Entertainment and joy for fans of all ages.)

These football-inspired "treat cones" are super easy to make and adorable to snack from!

Pin it HERE, Full instructions HERE.

It doesn't get any easier to be sporty than this!! Take your guac, place it in a rectangular serving dish and use sour cream in a zip lock bag (with the corner snipped off) to draw your football field!) 

Click HERE for other football shaped inspiration.

I don't know...

Meet Sammy.

... who's going to be victorious in the big game this weekend, but seeing these photos of 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick's pet tortoise definitely tell me that he's already a winner. Happy Weekend and Happy Superbowl-ing my friends!!

ps- Not sure if THIS is an official game commercial or not, but it's GENIUS (sports sponsorship lawyer geek out!)