Vagina Talk: Standing With Wendy!

**Update: In the end, Governor Perry called a second special session and HB2 was signed into law on July 18th. However the Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood, ACLU and Whole Women's Health announced on September 27th that they are filing a lawsuit against the bill. Read all the details here! 

As part of my MPH program, all students have to complete a practicum and I am spending my summer working in Austin, Texas. This week I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to witness a historic, inspirational and important event.

On Tuesday June 25th, Texas State Senator Wendy Davis started a 13 hour filibuster to prevent SB 5 from passing during the Texas Legislature's Special Session. SB 5 is one of the most restrictive pieces of anti-choice legislation in the country, and would have dramatic repercussions on the state of reproductive rights in Texas. If passed, SB 5 would have banned abortions after 20 weeks, placed numerous regulations on abortion clinics causing 42 out of the 47 abortion clinics in Texas to close, effectively banned telemedicine abortions, and had no exceptions for victims of rape and incest.   Friday, the threat of SB 5 resulted in an incredible "Citizens Filibuster" in the Texas State House, where over 700 Texans delayed the vote until 3:40 am with hours of moving and powerful testimony. With midnight on Tuesday marking the end of the Special Session, Texas Senator Wendy Davis continued this heroic attempt to prevent the passage of SB 5 by starting a 13 hour filibuster at 11:18 am.

The Senate Gallery

When I finished work on Tuesday, I headed down to the Capitol to stand with Wendy Davis and support the fight for reproductive rights in Texas. Sitting in the gallery and listening to Wendy Davis' testimony was inspiring. By that point it was 5:30 pm and Wendy Davis had been filibusterting for six hours, with just under seven to go. While I was there her filibuster included testimony from Texas women on how this law would effect them; discussion of the harmful impact SB 5 would have on seeking emergency medical care for ectopic pregnancies and evidence from Texas ACOG regarding their opposition to the bill. She clearly explained the terrible impacts SB 5 would have on Texas women and passionately argued against the supporters of this bill that sought to drastically infringe on the reproductive rights of Texans.

The filibuster was also pure political theater. It was appalling to see the lengths at which the opposition tried to end the filibuster. I was in the chamber when Wendy Davis received her first point of order for ungermaneness for talking about Roe v. Wade, as well as the debacle surrounding the back brace. Listening to the Senators describe other filibusters and the parliamentary rules, it was clear that the  opposition was grasping for any chance they could to undermine the filibuster and move forward with the bill. But there were also a lot of encouraging examples of camaraderie and support between the Senate Democrats as they worked to contest each point of order, and finally stall the filibuster when the third point of order was sustained.

Wendy Davis in action! 

Apart from Wendy Davis, my favorite thing about the filibuster was seeing the reproductive rights community in the halls of the Texas Capitol. There were hundreds of men and women in orange, mothers showing their children the importance of being politically engaged, and people of all ages standing with Wendy. And it wasn't only Texans. Over 160,000 people all over the nation were watching the live stream and organizations from across the country sent food to the Capitol that volunteers passed out to the people lining the halls.  By 8:30 pm the line to get into the gallery was four stories high, the energy was intense and the passion was palpable.

Thankfully, SB 5 did not pass during this Special Session. In response to this, Lieutenant Dewhurst blamed "an unruly mob," but really, it was anything but that. The people who went to the Capitol on Tuesday were a passionate, organized and inspiring community pushing back and showing the power of civic engagement, solidarity and togetherness. Yes, they were angry but they have a right to be. All across the country state laws are chipping away at our reproductive rights and yet these laws do nothing to prevent unintended pregnancies but only seek to jeopardize access to necessary health care.

Governor Perry has already called another Special Session and in many ways the passage of some sort of abortion restriction bill seems inevitable. However, Wendy Davis' filibuster is still an extremely successful and important occurrence. At first glance, it shows that in many ways one person, like Wendy Davis, can make a difference. But more importantly, it shows that when a community comes together to stand for the things they believe in great things can happen. It was a privilege to be in Texas to witness this on Tuesday, but I also know things like this are possible all over the country and because of that, I am extremely grateful and proud to be a part of this amazing reproductive justice community.

By 8:30 pm the line to get into the gallery was four stories high (fourth story not pictured)

Ask A Lady Bit: Vagina Talk!

As I said in our first Lady Bits post, I am obsessed with reproductive and sexual health. It's what I love to read about, learn about and I've been lucky enough to work at a reproductive and sexual health clinic where I got to talk about these things all day. It's gotten to the point where no topic is taboo but rather a common occurrence in everyday conversation with my friends. And you know what I realized? A lot of us have the same questions, worries or stories, but nobody realizes this because there's no space to talk about it. Instead we're left wondering and googling, which can lead to a lot of mystery and worrying. But that's not how it should be! Instead we should all enjoy the chance to talk openly, ask questions and enjoy the comfort in knowing that there are a lot of other people out there thinking and wondering about the same things.

So Lady Bits friends, I present to you Vagina Talk*, a safe space to talk about reproductive and sexual health in a straight forward and supportive way. I'll be sharing news, stories and answering your questions related to all things reproductive and sexual health. Let's get started!

*while this is called Vagina Talk, this will be a space to discuss all body parts and sexual health matters related to all genders. I just really like the word vagina.

Photo credit: 4000 Years For Choice

Question: My period is late... when should I take a pregnancy test? 

Late periods are never fun and can be super stressful. If you're concerned you might be pregnant, taking a pregnancy test will test for the pregnancy hormone hCG in your urine. If you're taking a home pregnancy test, you should take it first thing in the morning since that's when your urine is most concentrated. When home pregnancy tests are accurate can vary on the brand but in general, most pregnancy test brands are accurate one week after a missed period. If you don't want to take a test at home, pregnancy tests at clinics can be accurate as early as 10 days after your last unprotected intercourse. Need a clinic? Use this awesome clinic finder!

If you take a pregnancy test and it's negative, know that stress, life changes or even increased exercise can alter your cycle. But if you still haven't gotten your period and are feeling pregnancy symptoms, you should take another pregnancy test one week after your last one just to make sure. Since every body and cycle is different, for some people the levels of hCG may be too low to be detected by a test during the first few days after a missed period. If you still haven't gotten your period for three months, make an appointment with a doctor to check out what's going on.

Finally, if your period is late, you have a negative pregnancy test and are on the pill, Nuva Ring or Patch, it's really important that you start your next pack/ring/patch when you're supposed to even if you haven't gotten your period! If you go longer than 7 days without your pill/ring/patch, you won't be completely protected and should use a back up method for a week. 

Do you have a question? Submit it to Lady Bits for Anna P. to answer! 
While Anna P. is experienced in providing evidence based, comprehensive and sex positive sexual and reproductive health education, Anna P. is not a medical practitioner and should only be used as a health education resource and not a substitute for medical care. If you need medical care, referrals to clinics and additional resources are located in each post. 

Strawberry Streusel Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is summer baking perfection. It combines a delicious streusel topped coffee cake, with one of my favorite summer fruits. It's moist, light, and just the right amount of sweetness. 

It's also pretty adaptable! I didn't have sour cream so greek yoghurt came to the rescue. I also decided to use half whole wheat flour and I could barely taste the difference. And hey, if you think it's better for you, you can eat more of it, right? 

The only thing I would change is the strawberries. I needed more! My strawberries cooked down really quickly so in the end the cake wasn't overflowing with strawberry compote like the original recipe. So next time I think I'll plan on at least a cup and a half of strawberries, or not cook them for as long. 

Strawberry Coffee Cake

Adapted from Joy The Baker 

Ingredients

1 cup sliced strawberries 

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch or all purpose flour

2 teaspoons water

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt 

8 oz. greek yoghurt (or sour cream)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Streusel topping:

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 cup all purpose flour 

3 1/2 tablespoons sugar 

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2) To make the streusel topping: combine all the topping ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly

3) To make the strawberry filling: combine strawberries, 1/3 cup of sugar, cornstarch/flour and water in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sauce thickens and strawberries soften (about 5 minutes). 

4) Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 

5) Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

6) Add vanilla extract

7) Sift dry ingredients together

8) Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter in 3 parts alternating with the greek yoghurt in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. 

9) Beat just until combined

10) Spoon 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan.  

11) Spread the cooled strawberry mixture over the batter.  

12) Spoon the remaining batter onto the strawberries and spread evenly. 

13) Top with streusel topping and bake in the upper third of the oven.  

14) Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Strawberry cheesecake bites

The lady bits have been all over the recipes lately. Here's one more easy no-bake summer funtime treat for your mouth hole.

strawberry cheesecake bites!

What you need:

• A couple batches of strawberries 
• 8 oz package softened 1/3 less fat cream cheese
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla 
• 3 graham crackers

First, remove all of the leafy green parts of the strawberries. You can just rip them right off.
Huzzah!

Then either take a strawberry huller or a paring knife and remove the stems from the strawberries, leaving holes. Kazaam!

Like this!
Wee!

Next, crush up 3-4 graham crackers and spread them out all nice-like on a plate.
Wham!

Whip up your cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. I used an electric hand mixer.
Zoom!

Put your mixture in a pastry bag or a ziplock and snip off one corner.
Woop!

Then fill each strawberry with the filling, dip the end in graham cracker crust, and pop them in the fridge. Goo!

When you arrange all the parts of this recipe they kind of make a face. See?

There you have it! Super easy. Fun to do. Wear an apron. Shiz might get messy.

Veggie Cashew Curry Oh My!

I love Indian food. So much.  Until I came upon this recipe that suggested adding Greek yogurt I could never quite figure out how to give it that tangy creamy kick that curry has when you go to a restaurant.  So I used that trick to create my own hearty vegetable curry recipe! This recipe is completely adaptable to what you have on hand.  For example, the recipe below is for the pictured curry, but I have also made this recipe to great success by adding onions, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, baby corn, cilantro garnish, chicken, and/or chickpeas.  The basic makeup is to make sure you saute whatever veggies/meat in a little bit of oil with lots of curry powder a touch of cumin and red pepper flakes.  The key ingredient is the yogurt mixture you stir in at the end.  The rest is up to you!

Vegetable Cashew Curry:
ingredients:
3 small heads of brocolli; chopped
2 garlic cloves minced

1/2 bag of baby spinach leaves
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 baby cucumber, finely chopped and some thinly sliced (optional garnish)
1 can of cashew slices
1.5 cups plain greek yogurt
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1 can coconut milk
about 3-6 tablespoons curry powder
Pinch of cumin
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Rice

(All of this takes place in one large cooking pot, making this a one pot dish!) 
-Saute Brocolli in a little bit of oil and 1 tbls of curry powder stirring to coat.
-Add red bell pepper and garlic adding oil and curry powder as necessary, again to coat.
-Add mushrooms and spinach with a touch of oil, cumin and red pepper flakes.
-Once the spinach is beginning to wilt add the coconut milk and simmer.  It should be yellow in color.
- While your curry is simmering add half the can of cashews, lime juice, and yogurt to a food processor and mix.  It should have a thick consistency (like pancake batter) add more cashews/ yogurt to reach desired consistency.
- Add mix to the vegetable curry and stir to blend.
- Add most of the rest of the cashew slices to the curry and stir.
- Add chopped cucumber (if using)
- Serve in bowls over rice with extra cashews and sliced ribbons of cucumber.

Enjoy!

Summer in a Glass: Hibiscus Iced Tea + Hibiscus Vodka

It's officially mid-June and it's been cold and rainy. Summer should be here by now, but it isn't. So on a lazy Saturday afternoon, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

It looks like this outside, so I used this stuff to make this!

I love all things hibiscus -- my mom was born in Hawaii while my grandpa was stationed there and I traveled there a couple times as a kid. My grandma even grows amazing hibiscuses here in Minnesota, which is quite the labor of love.

I got into hibiscus iced tea on its own a few months ago, but I've been hankering to make it into a drink ever since I saw Giada do it. Enter: Absolut Hibiskus, a vodka flavored with hibiscus and pomegranate. Combined with The Republic of Tea's Natural Hibiscus Tea, Tazo Passion Tea (a blend flavored with hibiscus, orange peel, rose hips, and passion fruit), and a little squeeze of lemon juice, it's a perfect refreshing summer drink...even if it's not summery outside.

Here's how you make the tea:

Clockwise from the tea bags: Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 4, and Step Oops.

Step 1: Get your teabags! The teas I used recommended 1 tea bag per 6-8 oz. of water and to double the number of tea bags for iced tea. I used 64 oz. of water, which means I should have used 16 tea bags...but those guys are expensive, so I cheated a little and used 8 of the Natural Hibiscus Tea and 6 of the Passion Tea.

Step 2: Boil 8 cups of water and get a pitcher ready.

Step 3: Once your water is boiling, dump all your tea bags into the bottom of the pitcher, and then dump the water on top of it. Steep for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the tea bags from just floating on the top.

If you are me and you forgot to take the paper tags off the Passion tea bags, go to Step Oops. If not, go to Step 4.

Step Oops: If you don't take off those paper tags, the boiling water disintegrates them and they muck up your tea. My quick solution was to grab an clean old t-shirt and drape it tightly over the pot I used to boil the water. I poured the water through the cloth into the pot to strain out all the paper pulp and tea bags. Bonus: straining also got rid of the usual tea bag debris. It wouldn't hurt to do this (with a cheesecloth) even if you don't make the paper mistake, as it resulted in a crystal clear and fancy cocktail worthy iced tea base. Pour back into the pitcher and cool in the fridge.

Step 4: Fish out the tea bags and put it in the fridge to cool.

You can use the cooled tea for the drink below, or you can drink it straight up like regular iced tea. It's very tasty with a little simple syrup stirred in, but I like it just as well plain.

Here's how you make the drink:

Left to right: Step 1, Step 2, Step 3.

Step 1: Fill a glass up with ice, then pour in hibiscus vodka to roughly that spot the arrow is pointing to.

Step 2: Fill it the rest of the way with the cooled hibiscus iced tea (again, you can add simple syrup if you want it a little sweeter).

Step 3: Squeeze in a little lemon juice and drop in a lemon wedge, and then stir it up! I like the lemon juice (lime would be good, too) because it takes away most of that boozy bite.

There you have it, HOT PINK summer in a glass. Just don't spill it on anything, because it is COLORFUL.

Yay! & Nay!: For the love of paper towels and Minnesota teenage prostitution

It's Friday! Which means it's time for our Yay! & Nay! for the week.
 
Yay!: You will never have to use more than one paper towel again!

Our dear Anna W. sent this to us last week. I will admit, I was skeptical at first. How could one paper towel really dry your hands perfectly? Nonetheless I wanted to try and see what all the fuss was about. After my first try I was converted - my hands were perfectly dry! Since then I have put this method to the ultimate test, using it in airports, an airplane bathroom and in numerous restaurants with 100% success.  Not only will you never have to use more than one paper towel ever again, but your hands will feel magically softer and smoother! So remember SHAKE and FOLD!

Nay!:  Two Minnesota women are accused of prostituting two young teenage girls. These are two separate cases.  Repeat, these cases are not connected. Meaning, two different women, on their own, thought "I'm going to prostitute this young woman for my own benefit." Ugh.

Case 1: Maple Grove cheerleader prostitutes a 16 yr old classmate, you can read more about it here: http://abcnews.go.com/US/minn-high-school-cheerleader-accused-prostituting-teammate/story?id=19332279 

Case 2: A Maple Grove MOTHER (let that sink in for a moment) is accused of prostituting her 19 year old developmentally challenged daughter.  Read more about that here: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/06/06/Woman-gets-jail-for-allowing-daughter-to-be-prostituted/UPI-24281370540672/

This is so infuriating it goes without saying why this is a NAY! for this week. 



J. Crew: Get that Discount!

LADIES! Remember that High/Low fashion post a did a while back?  Well here is your chance to put some of that to good use!  J. Crew is offering an extra 30% off their sale prices online (http://www.jcrew.com/index.jsp) now through 6/13/13, and in stores until 6/16/13 with the code SUMMERTIME.  Plus they are offering $5 shipping and free returns right now too!  (Or you can do what I do and spend the $175 minimum to get free shipping, "shop" in my home and return everything else ;)

Note: I found this discount through their facebook page, remember to "like" your favorite stores on Facebook.  It's a great way to keep up to date on any great deals that might be happening.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Now and Then: Favorite Books

Our friend and reader Levi submitted a question to Lady Bits asking about our favorite books as adolescents. We love the question (and the man -- check out his wonderful podcast) so much that we decided to do him one better. Read on to find out about our favorite books, then AND now.

(If you would like to submit a question to the Ladies, you can do so over on the right side of this page. We'll never publish your name without your permission.)

Steph, Then: I was always the kid with her nose in a book and my library habit was epic; no wonder I grew up to be a speed reader/English major. If I had to pick an actual favorite, it was probably Catherine, Called Birdy, a feminist-y diary set in the 1200s England. You followed a 14 year old girl as she avoided the goons her father tried to marry her off to, and her (gag) journey into womanhood along the way -- I had a hard copy and I checked the book-on-tape out from the library multiple times. I was also really into books about truly terrible things, like serial killers, teens getting terminal illness (*cough* Lurlene McDaniel *cough*), and all the bad scenarios Caroline B. Cooney ever dreamed up.

Steph, Now: I am moving across the country in two months and will be majorly downsizing the pile of material objects I call my own, so this question hits close to home -- I am already dreading trying to decide which books will make the cut! I get hooked on authors more than I do actual titles, so my shelves are filled with Jean Thompson, Bill Bryson, Mary Roach, Chuck Klosterman, John Irving, Amy Tan, Tim O’Brien, Studs Terkel, and Stephen King. The last good book I read was King’s 11/22/63, a novel about a man traveling back in time to prevent JFK’s assassination. It was a great blend of history (and In Cold Blood-esque “imagined history”), sci-fi, and that feeling you get when you finish a book and immediately miss the people and places you have become so attached to.

Rachael, Then:  I suppose I was closer to 11 or 12 when I read Where the Red Fern Grows but that book stayed with me for a long time. I think it buried itself into my heart and tore at it in a way no book had done before. When I was a true adolescent (13-18), I was enamored with Mark Twain and John Steinbeck. Grapes of Wrath engulfed me and I read everything else Steinbeck wrote after being assigned that book. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn also holds a special place in my heart because it is the first book I remember laughing out loud to. And of course, all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie books. My mom, sister, and I would cuddle up and read those together before bed when I was really young and that is a memory I will always cherish. 

Rachael, Now: This is a much harder question for me to answer. I still love to read and am always reading something. When I traveled for a month through Central America with my sister I read 12 books! I love hostel's take one leave one book policy. Some that pop to mind are The American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld; lovely, smart, and loosely based off of Laura Bush who, if she's anything like the character based off her, struggled to balance publicly showing support while internally taking issue with some of her husband's policies. Also, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Vergese; an incredible look at all the various types of love. Love of self, love of craft (in this case medicine), familial love, romantic love, love of country, obligatory love. Also if you want to be completely swallowed by a book, read The Hunger Games, I know it's trendy but that's one of the few books where even when I wasn't reading it I could not stop thinking about it.

Anna Wegg, Then: The first book I ever loved was The Giver. I so clearly remember finishing the book and feeling sad, hopeful, exhilarated, and enriched. To this day it's still one of my favorites. Another book that I remember loving as much as The Giver around that age is Ender's Game. It has all of the dreamy, inventive, heartfelt aspects of The Giver, but with added suspense and excitement. I can't believe all these years later a movie is finally being made of Ender's Game. I hope it meets my expectations, which are tippy top high.

Anna Wegg, Now: Since I work for a publisher now I hardly have time to read books that aren't our own. But my very favorite books to read that I will pre-order and wait and wait for them to come are books of essays by funny women that I love. Bossypants, Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me, A Girl Walks Into a Bar, and Happy Accidents are four of my most recent favorites. But I don't want to hate on the men. Michael Ian Black's You're Not Doing it Right was excellent and so heartwarming and honest. I'm ready to read it again soon.

Anna P, Then: One of the first books that I remember loving was Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. I also loved Philip Pullman's Northern Lights trilogy. The books are addictive with the perfect mix of science fantasy, complex plots and high paced adventure. And of course there was Harry Potter. My obsession with the series began the summer my grandmother read the first book aloud to my cousins and me. From then on I was always at the bookstore the first day the new book was released, and I've reread all of the books many many times. 

Anna P, Now: The last book I read that I really loved was Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. It is so beautifully written and thoughtful, that I was genuinely sad when I finished it. Another favorite is the book that first got me obsessed with birth: Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent. When my best friend gave it to me, I had no idea how much it would change my perception and passion for birth and pregnancy. Like Anna Wegg, I also love books by my favorite funny ladies, and the romantic sap in me adores The Time Travelers Wife and One Day, even though they are the only two books that have made me cry.

Ask a Lady Bit: How to handle a serial canceler.

We have had some questions come in via our handy "Ask the Ladies a Question!" feature at the side of this page. Yay!  As you know from our intro post I am very interested in all kinds of relationships. How do we communicate with one another? How do we make these connections with people work? The following is a question regarding an issue I think we all have had to deal with. 

>>What do you do when you have a friend who cancels on you all the time?

Oh Lady, do I ever know how irritating/frustrating/disheartening this can be!  It can make you feel like you aren't important or valued as a friend.

First, I just want to say sometimes there are going to be people in your life that are a little bit flakier than you'd like them to be.  Part of friendship is accepting people's flaws and loving them anyway. Secondly, there is a chance that even if you confront your friend about the issue, and they do become more reliable, they will (probably) always be a little on the "flaky" side and you should be prepared for that. 

I think the first thing you need to decide is, is this friend worth it?  Do they bring something to the table that makes their friendship worth the trouble? OR is it time to just let the friendship naturally dissolve? If you decide to let the friendship go, which can be sad and difficult, remember life is short and your energy is best focused on positive relationships in which both parties are active participants. 

Let's assume you decide they are worth the trouble. In that case I think the best course of action is to talk to them directly.  Real friends do not want to be hurtful, and they may not know that cancelling plans bothers you.  Say something like, "I really value our friendship and I have sooo much fun when we hang out, but I feel like our plans are consistently being cancelled and that really hurts my feelings. It makes me feel like you don't value my time or our friendship very much."  And then I would add a specific thing you'd like to see change (remember baby steps!) such as, "I understand that sometimes things come up, but I would really appreciate it if you could give me 24 hour's notice so that I can make other plans," or "If something comes up and you do have to cancel, I would appreciate if you can make an effort to reschedule." 

Now comes the test. Try to be patient, it might change quickly only to fall back into the same pattern, it might be smooth sailing, or maybe nothing changes (in which case I refer you back to my first question, are you sure they're worth it?). Remember to acknowledge your friend's effort and let them know you'd rather they take the time to check their schedules before commiting to a plan, vs. scheduling something and cancelling.

Good luck!

There's food on your face! Olive oil makeup remover for the win.

I am not a fan of winter. Yes I love snowfalls and hot chocolate, but the staticky hair and dry skin? No, thank you!  Sadly for me, winter also leads to eczema flare ups, especially around my eyes and last winter I came to my wits end. Nothing was working! I tried new lotion, new makeup remover and even hydrocortisone cream but the red flaky patches were still coming back with a vengeance. So I decided to do some research and figure out what I could do differently. Oh boy did I learn a lot! Did you know that a lot of the name brand make up removers have irritants in them that actually can increase dry skin and skin sensitivity? I was shocked and decided it was time for a new skin care regimen.

So after a lot of blog reading and internet searching, what did I do? I put food on my face. Crazy as it seems, there are a lot of amazing properties in certain foods and natural oils that are moisturizing, nourishing and all around good for you and your skin. The first thing I tried, and has since become a staple in my life, is olive oil make up remover. It is a miracle worker! It cuts through thick mascara, eye shadow, concealer, and more, while leaving your skin feeling soft, supple and moisturized. I have been using it for a year plus and have no complaints. Even some of my friends have tried it and the worst thing one said was that she thought she smelled like an Italian restaurant afterwards. But really, is that SUCH a bad thing?!

Olive Oil Makeup Remover

1) Find a container you want to use. I got a simple spray bottle from Target but an old make up remover bottle works just as well! 

2) Fill the container with equal parts water and olive oil (I use organic olive oil just because if it's going on my face I want it to be the best)

3) Before using, shake the bottle so that the water and oil mixes. 

4) Apply mixture to a cotton swab, apply to your eyes/face and let the mixture absorb into your skin for a few seconds. 

5) Wipe away and be amazed! There's no need to wash off any remainder oil unless there's tons leftover. After a few times you'll realize what's the perfect amount that will take your make up off while not leaving your eyes too oily. Also depending on how much make up you wear you may need to wipe a few times for full removal. 

If you like this, just you wait... soon I'll tell you about using honey as a face wash! 

Face it.

I'm not one to hide my emotions, especially when it comes to my face. If I'm mad at someone, I glare at them. If I think something is funny, I smile and laugh out loud. If I feel stuck or bored, my face droops and I roll my eyes.

When I was younger, I meticulously kept journals where I wrote every thought or feeling I had. Now, I regret all of those ridiculous thoughts and I can only hope that my head was filled with better, more meaningful things as well (that I just chose not to write down, maybe?). Then one day three years ago, I wrote my last journal entry. I didn't know it was my last at the time, but it just was. I don't miss overanalyzing my daily life, but I do miss having a sliver of what my life was like from day to day, and over time.

For some reason on my first day at my new job, I was looking at different features of my computer and I came across Photobooth. Since there's a pretty brick wall behind me, I snapped a picture of myself. Now it's become a part of my daily routine. I make the face of exactly how I'm feeling when I arrive at work, whether it's frustrated with the weather, exhilarated from a nice bike ride, exhausted from a late-night show, nervous for an important meeting, or looking forward to the weekend. And sometimes, I simply make a face that I've never made before in order to make myself laugh. Looking back on six weeks of them, I can remember why I was feeling the way my face reflects for almost every day.

Plus I realized I wear a lot of purple.

If you don't like to journal, I suggest doing something on the regs so you can track yourself through time. If it's not a photo, maybe it's one thought a day. Or keeping track of the thing that made you laugh hardest every day. Or great recipes. Or outfits. Or conversations. Or drawings. It's fun and it makes me feel like my life is meaningful enough to track. (Maybe it's really not, but I like tricking myself into thinking it is.)

Beans on Toast-Yes it can be AMAZING!

Recipe Time!!!!

I have a recipe that is so easy, quick and delicious.  It's vegetarian, and really filling so even those meat eating men in your life will be satisfied.

White Bean Ragu-(Adapted from Bon Apetit)
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup of Soffritto (recipe below)
-White crusty bread, I like to use sourdough
-Olive Oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Parmesean
- 2 (15oz) cans of white beans, drained and rinsed (white kidney beans or white navy beans either will work)
- Vegetable broth
- 1 cup of sliced cherry tomatoes- or 1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes.
- salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, rub slices of bread with a little olive oil, garlic and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top. Toast in the oven until they begin to brown on top (5 mins). Set aside.
Heat a little olive oil in a skillet. Add Soffritto and beans to the skillet, cook over medium heat until heated through. 
*If you are using cherry tomatoes add to the skillet along with a cup of broth.  Stir, scraping up browned bits until the broth has been absorbed/thickened.  Add broth as needed to get to the consistency you like, up to 4 total cups. I like mine a little liquidy so it soaks into the bread, so I tend to use about 3 cups. 
*If you are using a can of tomatoes, add to the skillet juices and all.  Add small amounts of broth to reach the consistency you like.

Put pieces of bread in a bowl and top with the bean ragu.  Grate Parmesan cheese over the top with a little salt and pepper.  Top with a fried egg if you like for extra protein.  Plus the runny yolk mixes with the broth and it's heavenly.

Soffritto:
Ingredients:
-3 medium onions
-1 red bell pepper
-olive oil
-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste

Pulse onion and bell pepper in a food processor until finely chopped but not pureed.
Heat some olive oil in a skillet and add the onion pepper mixture to it, add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Simmer stirring often until the onion and pepper are completely softened. Add minced garlic and tomato paste.  Cook stirring often until the tomato paste turns a deep red about 3 mins. 

Yay! You can add Soffritto to soups, pasta sauces, eggs and obviously white bean ragu for a quick and easy flavor boost.  Cover and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Mixing "High" and "Low" Fashion

Are you like me? Do you hate it when magazines and stylists on TV complement a star on mixing "high" and "low" fashion and then when they break down the pieces the "low" fashion is a "bargain" at $300?! Or they spent $75 on a T-shirt?!

I am a bargain shopper. In other words I almost NEVER pay full price for anything when it comes to clothes, but I like high quality things that last a while.  I like to spend a little bit more on shoes, bags, coats if they will last me 5-10 years.  So I mix higher end (by this I mean J Crew not Chanel) and lower end (think Target and thrift/consignment stores) in order to achieve a put together look that won't destroy my wallet but also won't fall apart after a year.  If you buy only cheap things and end up replacing them in a year you'll spend more in the long run than if you buy one quality item that lasts longer.   Example, when I was a junior in high school (10 years ago!) my sister and I went shopping for boots.  I got a pair of Antonio Melani boots which at 50% off, still cost me $110.  My sister, not wanting to spend that much bought a pair of cheap brown boots for $20.  I still have my boots, which I wear all the time and continue to get compliments on while my sister has gone through multiple different pairs spending $200 over the course of the same 10 year span. Sometimes it's worth seeking out those deals and spending a bit more for a high quality item. BUT that's the whole point of actually mixing "high" and "low" fashion pieces!

Left:
Shoes- Target, $29.99
Dress- Forever 21, $9 end of summer sale
Sweater- Banana Republic, $19 on sale
Purse- J Crew, $140 everything 50% off on cyber monday sale plus I had a coupon
Scarf- hand me down, $0
"Headband"- thrift store, $1 I wish you could see it better in the picture, it's an old tie with a great           pattern that I found at a thrift store.

TOTAL $198.99 (without the purse it's only $58 for the whole outfit!)

Right:
Boots: DSW, $79 with $20 off coupon and they're designer!
Skinny Jeans: Wet Seal, $19
Shirt: Target: $10 on sale
Purse: same as above

TOTAL $248 ($108 without the purse)

Disclaimer: I'm planning on doing many posts about saving money on clothes while still having a pulled together fashion forward look so I guarantee there will be better examples, better pictures, and better outfits than the ones here, but I wanted to get the ball rolling. You know?