Hump Day Distractions

Peep Show. Quite the distraction...

What's going on around here!? April flowers bring May showers!? We gots some seriously wacky (wacky = annoyingly cold and rainy) weather here in NYC which reminds me... in my next life I'm going to be a weathergirl so I never have to worry about actually doing my job well. Anywaysssss, Wednesday has arrived and I've got some fantastic finds from around the web to help you over the hump. Enjoy!

* Young, beautiful and delicious. 

* "Don't make the world worse" and other awesomely honest advice.  

* There's something so lovely about this necklace. I want.

* One way to keep my man happy? With a belly full of avocado (it's cream sauce gone green!)

* For lovers of the art and former dancers alike, a movie to get excited about!

* Orphan baby owls. Get your "awwww" ready. (viaCupofJo)

* Just a pup, workin on his fitness

We're close (on the internet...)

A handwritten note on beautiful stationary is one of my
FAVORITE ways to keep in touch.

I don’t think there’s ever been a better time for keeping in touch. Thanks to cell phones, video chatting, social networks and email, it’s possible to stay connected with anyone and everyone I’ve ever met. On the one hand, this is awesome - I have maintained amazing relationships with roommates, relatives and childhood friends which never would have lasted without our digital connection. The downside however, is that it’s getting harder and harder to make time in the real world for face to face interaction with all the (awesome) peeps in my digital posse. Is technology enhancing our relationships and expanding our circles or doing one at the expense of the other?

Recently Dr. H and I looked at our calendars and realized that it’s been months since we had a weekend that didn’t include catching up, eating out or traveling to see family/friends. Our weeknights are often similarly stacked and while I’d like to think we’re “just that cool,” the reality is we keep in touch with TONS of people digitally and struggle to keep so many relationships alive beyond facebook stalking. I LOVE being able to keep in touch, but it’s tricky to make sure quality keeps up with quantity. Do you have friends you never “see” anywhere other than online? Is that a bad thing? (PS- THIS is a hysterical way to drop a line... more HERE).

Have you heard about...

Oh darling, you must tell me more..!

Hello there my merry friends! I hope your weekend was fabulous and that your case of the Mondays is not too severe. To kick the new week off right, I think it's time to deliver a second installment of "Have you heard about". So here are a few things that seem to be getting quite a bit of buzz lately. Check em out and be in the know:)

Who's that girl..?

Are you watching New Girl Tuesday nights on Fox? You really should be. New Girl was initially plugged as a show about an "adorkable" young girl (eye roll) moving in with three random male roommates, but 20+ episodes later, it's left cheesy stereotypes behind for  legit hysterical episodes every week. Zooey Deschanel is great, but what really makes the show work is the ensemble. Every character (especially Schmidt, played by Max Greefield) is pause the dvr, rewind and watch that again funny. The season finale is this week, but I think this show is well worth your Netflix/On Demand/re-runs time!

Showering just got SO much easier

Have you heard about dry shampoo? Far from a new product, dry shampoo has left the confines of hospitals and nursing homes to become a staple every woman should have in her hair care arsenal. Dry shampoo allows me to skip washing and styling for 2 or 3 days at a time which not only is a huge time saver, but my hair is healthier and shinier thanks to less hot water and time under the blow drier. My personal favorite is Oscar Blandi but there are tons of products out there to try... so stop over-washing and get yourself a shower in a can!

Words With Friends is soooo 5 minutes ago...

As if we needed ANOTHER reason to be addicted to our cell phones, Scramble with Friends is the new game all the cool kids seem to be playing. Over three timed rounds you challenge a buddy (or a stranger, no I am not embarrassed to confess my appetite for this game is so intense I've played against strangers!) to see who can find more words within the scramble of letters arranged on the screen. Far less drawn out than scrabble's Words With Friends, Scramble is the perfect App for keeping your face in your phone even more than you already do. Go download it!

They take Instagram-y pictures, obvi they're cool

Have you heard about The Lumineers? Brought to my attention by the music loving Rachel of Black Eiffel (her Music Mondays are a personal favorite!) I'm digging their Mumford-esque easy listening sound. This group is no doubt on the rise and I'm already looking forward to picnicking on the grass outside their Central Park show on a gorgeous summer evening. (PS- just discoved they're going to be on Conan TONIGHT!? How ahead of the curve are WE!?) 

My absolutely ridiculous b*tch list

Absolutely dahhling.

Wow. TGI(hell to the freakin yes)F!! This week has been bananas (b-a-n-a-n-a-s) and I couldn’t be more excited for the weekend ahead. Somehow it seems like an eternity since last Sunday. In an effort to send you off with a smile, and because complaining about real life problems is a bore, here are some complaints I made this week which are absolutely ridiculous, but I know you know what I’m talkin about:

* I hate that hair that I know is down the back of my shirt but is somehow impossibly out of my reach no matter how many times I go up my shirt to try and remove it. Where is the hair!!? Why can I feel it, but never reach it!?

* I hate when I imagine a totally awesome outfit and then I put it on and realize that it is not actually a totally awesome outfit. At all.

* I hate when the soap pump tube stops before the bottom of the bottle making it IMPOSSIBLE to get the last 10 days worth of soap out through the pump. WHY!? WHY doesn't the tube go further down!? (I'm looking at you Clean & Clear Morning Burst!)

* I hate when you look at the clock at work and think "wow today is going really fast!" and then you look at the clock again "waaay later" and learn that only 15 minutes have passed.

* I hate when you reach into the bag of chips to enjoy that last chip only to discover that you've already eaten the last chip. DOH!

Got any other absolutely ridiculous complaints you'd like to add to the list? F it dude, let's go bowling:)

Fiesta Fiesta.

My cinco de mayo has never looked this classy.

Just like St. Patrick's Day before it, Cinco de Mayo is a culturally specific holiday which has been adopted by the masses as an excuse to get together with friends, eat delicious food, and enjoy a few cervezas. How great is that!? Here are a few ideas to make your celebration  of Mexican heritage and pride muy bueno!

Tidy, tasty, brilliant!

Did you know that Cinco de Mayo (not to be confused with Mexico's Independence Day) has a different meaning in the United States than in Mexico!? (Wiki, you're so smart:)

Get your eat on somewhere delicious like Diablo Royale.
(the grilled corn will blow your mind)

A margarita recipe for those who want to be a touch
classier than the pre-made bucket (if that's your thing!)

These are WAY out of my league, but maybe
you want to make them for me!?

Adios amigos!

PS- In case you're wondering why I gave you this post today instead of tomorrow, it's because I thought you might need time to prepare. I mean... those margarita supplies aren't going to buy themselves!

Hump Day Distractions

This person is my hero.

We've made it to the halfway point folks. Join me as we ride over the hump...

* A frog sitting on a bench like a human. The title pretty much sums it up.

* Would you ever carry a purse THIS neon? (I would... I do:)

* Doppelganger is a very funny word (and these are very funny comparisons)

* Because even members of the animal kingdom like frolicking in the waves (via Snippet & Ink)

* Are you watching the new HBO show Girls? This is what all the ladies are saying about it.

* Prepare for cinco de mayo using your slow cooker.

* Love me some witty sign graffiti.

Brainstorm.

When do your lightbulbs strike?

Do you have a weird time of day when you do your best thinking or come up with your most awesome ideas? For some people it's in the shower, for others it's while they're working out (I wish!) and for me, it's laying in bed, moments before I pass out. The room is dark, my head is clear and I'm about to drift off when suddenly the lightening bolt strikes. It's a blog post topic, a craft project, a forgotten deadline or some other random passing thought that at the moment seems completely brilliant. I lay there, and I’m all “get up and write this down Meri... your phone is RIGHT next to you and you know you aren't going to remember in the morning, just type a quick email to yourself..." but the energy of rolling over and opening my eyes is apparently too much so I lay there repeating the thought over and over, willing myself to remember when I wake up. Fast forward a few hours to sunrise... no idea, no vague recollection of the idea, nadda. It makes me freaking bananas!!!

Why is it so difficult to recall thoughts we have when our brains are completely at ease? It seems unfair that the lightbulbs tend to go off when we're half asleep, soaking wet or otherwise no where near (or motivated enough to reach!) a writing instrument. Do you have any tricks for remembering your random brainstorms? Are they usually worth the trouble?

P to the S: It's May 1st. Holy hell, when did that happen!?