Hump Day Distractions

Shut up with this ridiculously random adorableness.

And then the never ending week reached Hump Day and Merry Meri declared, "hark! I can see the weekend in the distance! onward ho!!" For reals. Let's get on with it shall we!?

* A bit of inspiration for us all from one man's near death experience on an airplane.

* I cannot tell you how much self control it has taken not to buy THIS. (I'd be all "yel-low!? Banana Phone here!")

* This mom tackles the tough topic of explaining sex for pleasure (as opposed to just procreation) to her young son. It's an interesting read.

* Get your Gatsby hair on.

* A veggie/mexican skillet for dinner tonight anyone!?

* I want to go to there.

* Everything you need to know about for this summer in NYC.

* It's your journey. Own it.

* Never knew how so many of these foods grew (via exPress-o)

* Sure to make you smile, meet Biddy the Hedgehog (he's obvi my new fav Insta friend)

Finally, I made a super awesome sandwich for lunch yesterday and I was so pumped about its tastiness that I'm going to a) eat it again today and b) share it with you:

- 1 Toufayan Low Carb Pita (only 3 WW points and it's BIG!)

- Boar's Head Low Sodium Turkey Breast

- Thinly Sliced Granny Smith Apple

- Robert Rothschild Wasabi Ginger Sauce (gives it a nice little kick, awesome compliment to the apple!)

I whipped this bad boy up in 2 minutes in my office kitchen and was so happy with the result that I was literally announcing to my cubicle mates that my homemade sandwich was "f*cking awesome" (ya gotta take the cheap thrills when you can get em, AmIRight!?)

Have you heard about...

Let me tell you a something...

Hey-o my fellow merry readers. Here for your Tuesday reading pleasure is the latest and greatest installment of "Have you Heard About?". I've been known to nail it with past "have you heard" posts (Fifty Shades of Grey back in March... The Lumineers before they were heating up the Summerstage in Central Park!) so seize this chance to be cooler than the cool kids and get out ahead of the latest trends! 

* The Happiness Project 

Read it!

A title perfectly suited for a blog that hopes to inspire merriment! Though asking if you've heard about a book which is already on the NY Times Bestseller list might be a bit behind the times (hehe), I finally started reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and I'm totally hooked. Rubin, a lawyer-turned writer (woah) writes about her one-year journey towards greater happiness, endeavoring to focus not on a total do-over of her life, but on improving her life as it was. Written in a conversational tone that reads more like a chat with your girlfriend than a self-help book, I am already inspired to start my own happiness project asap! 

* The Hair Donut

A delicious "treat" for your lovely locks

I mentioned this little gem in a Hump Day Distractions a couple of weeks back, but based on feedback from peeps out here in the real world, this brilliant hair-tool needs to be pushed out into the spotlight. First brought to my attention by the always-ahead-of-the-curve Joanna Goddard, the hair donut is the "sock bun" (remember that diy experiment!?) perfected. You simply pull your hair into a ponytail (no twisty needed) and holding the pony above your head, roll the donut from the tip of your hair down, folding the hair into the donut as you go (and an even easier application with bobby pins HERE). Just like that, you get the fullness of a Hepburn-esque professional 'do with none of the fuss. I bought my donut from ASOS but a quick google search reveals that these guys are available all ova the place. Snatch one up and prepare for a day of delightful compliments. 

* Prints, Patterns and Bold Colors 

Not sure how we common folk are
going to pull off this trend...

With the season of neon nearly in our rearview, it looks like all things printed and patterned are going to be big for the fall. Based on highly scientific research (aka window-shopping and fashion magazine combing) I think we're in for a mish-mash of polka dots, stripes, florals and elaborate graphic-esque designs which look a bit like an explosion in a thrift-store back room. I often struggle to "edit" when it comes to composing an outfit, so if this prediction is accurate, Dr. H is going to be hearing a whole lot of "is this too much?" in the coming months! 

* Hedgehogs

Hey there little buddy. Are you the next big thing!?

I think hedgehogs are the new owl. What I mean by that is the indie/hipster/crafting/diy crowd loves to pick obscure and uniquely adorable animals for incorporation into decor and accessories and hedgehogs are toootally the next big thing. Move over owls, it's time to give a hoot about Sonic and his adorable little buds. (PS- my Mom got to hold a hedgehog at the Central Park Zoo last week (my Mom is a guide/volunteer at the zoo because she's awesome like that) and I'm super jealous!)

These things happen...

Beauty & the Beach.

Sometimes it's 9pm-ish on a Sunday night and your waiter is telling you that "martinis are like boobs: one is not enough, two is just right and three is one too many." I'm proud to say that I stopped at "just right," but "just right" is still a lot for a Sunday. So forgive me if all I've got for you is this adorable hedgehog getting a bath:

rub-a-dub-dub

And perhaps a brilliant idea like THIS:

citrus mint ice cubes: so ready for this summery treat

This kinda creepy yet totally adorable baby panda just wants
to remind you to stop and smile, even though it's Monday

So don't forget to cook something yummy this week, maybe THIS:

Avocado Mac Cheese, recipe HERE
(there is no better mer/dr. h dish alive)

And of course, remember THIS:

Until tomorrow... :)