René of the Day // 12.5.11 // Fireplace DVD

Perhaps the best $5 I’ve ever spent. I think I got it on sale at Border’s after the holidays a few years ago. Since I refuse to have cable (did you know you burn less calories watching TV than sitting in a chair doing nothing?) it’s nice to have some motion in the background as I’m cooking and reading. I like the jazz music selection best, without the crackling noise feature, but more than anything it’s a great backdrop. We only had a fireplace when I was really little and my parents just bought one of the fireplace entertainment centers – I love how it actually produces heat! But search on Amazon – a fireplace DVD truly is the next best thing to the real deal. 

René of the Day // 12.2.11 // Christmas with the Rat Pack

The Thanksgiving holiday has passed, December has arrived and that means we can listen to Christmas music without backlash from the Bahumbugs! My absolute favorite holiday album is Christmas with the Rat Pack, featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. They swoon you with the season’s most classic tunes. I listen to it on repeat in my car throughout the month of December. It’s perfect party music and for a tree-decorating soundtrack. Though it’s been said many times, many ways, merry Christmas, to you.

Listen to the song and order the album here.

René of the Day // 11.16.11 // Serious Eats

Two words: food porn. Working in marketing and knowing email response rates, a high number of recipients of email newsletters delete them from their inbox without opening the correspondence. But Serious Eats is one email that I look forward to receiving every week. The recipes are off the cuff and delicious. There’s always at least one that I bookmark – and now I’ve started pinning them all to Pinterest to save and share. It includes around 10 new recipes each week and the issues around the holidays are divine. They’ve also included a fun feature with signature cocktails from different restaurants in other cities each week – cool concept. It’s definitely worth signing up for if you’re a recipe hound like me! I'm looking forward to making Thai coffee bread pudding, orange blossom cheesecake and bacon-wrapped jalapeno and cheese-stuffed shrimp. I also LOVED the spicy ginger chicken noodle soup I made and a co-worker loved the recipe, too!

Check out Serious Eats website here. 

René of the Day // 11.10.11 // Girl on a Budget

Piperlime.com has a hell of a great thing going with their Girl on a Budget site. Like most e-stores, you can categorize your search and I came across this brilliant section. I love to have clothes in my closet, ready to wear, but I’m not a fan of shopping. I think it’s an inefficient use of time, dealing with many retail employees can be frustrating and I just don’t enjoy it. Also, I always feel guilty spending money on clothes. I think this came from my mom’s rants in college when I didn’t have much money to blow and knowing she has five closets full of things we can share, that’s generally where I “shop.” But I digress – this site is amazing because everything – boots, accessories, dress, everything – are under $100. I’m a gal who can get behind that – it’s all stylish and most of it is from recognizable brands at reasonable prices. It’s great to know I scroll down the entire page and everything I like will not break the bank – score! Splurge without the guilt. I've also discovered new designers here, like Tinley Road and Hive & Honey. Style and savings = double dream. Here are some recent gems I’ve found:

Check out more items on this page for those ballin’ on a budget here.  

René of the Day // 11.4.11 // Kiehl's

I'm not a beauty junkie - a girl who collects make-up and lotions and potions and half empty pots of gunk that clutter my drawers. I like to keep it simple - one bottle of everything, discard and replace as needed. (Living in a studio apartment has really trained me to be this way.) But, I do have a few things by which I swear. Kiehl's products are among them.

The desire began from some beauty magazine when I was in high school. I don't read them anymore (every year, every month is the same issue - summer - diet, skin and nail tips! Nothing new to be said) but it was either advertised or listed in one of their must-have product pages or a celebrity claimed it to be their favorite. At any rate, I was in South Beach Miami, FL for spring break my freshman year of college and approached my first Kiehl's store experience. I bought their classic lip balm #1 and never bought a tube of Carmex or a stick of Soflips again. To this day, I have some by my bed, in my bathroom and in my handbag. It's odor-free, smooth, not oily. It lasts quite a while and does such a phenomenal job (it will transform dry skin or lips overnight), it's worth the few extra dollars.

So when I discovered they sold Kiehl's products at Saks in downtown Cincinnati, I splurged on shampoo and conditioner. Mind you, with my out-of-control curly hair, I've received recommendations for more special product lines than you can shake your straightener at. I've been disappointed by many. Kiehl's doesn't carry a curly line so I tried the formula for dry hair - Olive Oil Fruit Nourishing shampoo and conditioner. WOW!!! It makes my hair soft, easy to comb through when it's wet and beautiful when it's dry. It's moisturized and easy to work with and looks nice for days (you know I can't wash this rats nest every day, fools. Let's be real.)

I don't buy this stuff every month - it's usually a treat. I'd bought Aussie because it was cheap and smelled great and it made my hair as dry as the sand on the beaches in Sydney - not okay. So when I was at Green Hills Mall (fabulous!) in Nashville in October, I popped into the store and had to buy it to save my head - and it has. Seeing as I don't dye my hair or pay to have it cut or style (I trim the ends on my own), I can justify the expense (~$18/bottle).

If you order online, they send you wonderful samples of their other product! Give it a shot - it's natural and luxurious without being froofy. And I adore the nostalgic, clean, apothecary branding. Try something and see if you're able to resist addiction.

René of the Day // 11.3.11 // Cozi

In an effort to streamline communication and calendars, I was really excited when my boss told me about an app called Cozi. Although we don't have a family or a household to run (yet), MR and I have crazy schedules and we usually plan our weekends together well in advance. After a few repetitious conversations, "Wait, why can't you come here next weekend?" "Hey! - Oh, hi. - What's wrong? - Well, I thought you knew I was an event starting in 10 minutes. Oh - my bad, I forgot." and so on... We decided this would be a great solution to sync our schedules and stay up to date and not have to play the, "I can't remember EVERYTHING you do" card. I will admit I wish he could just access my Google calendar, but this will suffice.

The free app and website do much more than we utilize it for but I highly recommend it for sharing and organizing with others. It's made it much easier to plan our trips and budget our time. Download it in the app store or check out the website here.

René of the Day // 10.31.11 // LOVE J.A.

For reals, I have a severe obsession with Jonathan Adler - okay, not him - his "stuff." I may be more excited to buy a home and decorate than plan a wedding - it just gets me all giddy! I could browse his website for hours (um, I have) and swoon over his style. Adore all of the "Nixon-abilia." Some of the curiosities are within budget - others, well, a girl can make a wish list, can't she? Below are some of my current favorites.

Lampert loveseat

Personalized acrylic tray

Nixon rug

René of the Day // 10.3.11 // Sound Hound

For all the apps I have downloaded on my iPhone 4 in the past year and a half, there aren't many I use on a very frequent basis. I do use the recipe apps and my tip calculator when I'm out to dinner. And the kitchen calculator to translate recipes. But one that has become so fun to have, even if it doesn't solve any crucial needs, is Sound Hound.

Tap a button and it listens to a song that's playing and serves up the title and artist - tell me how many times you've needed this?! Rocking out to a new song or can't remember the tune that's on for the life of you or when you're going back and forth with someone trying to win the argument of who  a song is by - ah! It alleviates that silly frustration for me in the car on so many mornings! It's also fabulous for reviewing your recent history when researching and downloading songs for a new playlist. So download it - it's free! Look for this logo in the app store:

René of the Day // 9.26.11 // Goodbye, Housewives

There is the only one hour of television I watch every week: Desperate Housewives. It's not phenomenal programming but let's be honest, most people watch garage like Jersey Shore or Teen Mom which may be fun to watch, but I refuse to spend any of my pay check on cable for mindless entertainment. So this show is my free vice. I've watched since college - my mom liked it and I decided to rent the DVDs from Blockbuster and catch up to the current season. Then Becca and I would watch it together every Sunday at her apartment in Clifton, and the tradition continued when she and Lori moved into my apartment building in Hyde Park the year after we graduated.

Thank God she still follows the show with me - there are so many Monday mornings when I have to text her to remind me of the background and plot holes from seasons past. It's hard to believe this is the final season. I'm heartbroken that Tom and Lynette have split, as they've always been the most functional couple on Wisteria Lane. And shocked that Susan and Carlos told Mike that they killed Gabby's step-father... on pins and needles to see how we reacts in the next episode, since he just stormed off... cliff hanger!!! But quite frankly, it's not as riveting and the characters have changed so much, I don't get as excited to watch or bummed if I miss an episode anymore. Although I will publicly confess, I strive to be Bree VanDekamp some day. Her mannerisms, home, style and her culinary talent is all so admirable. Did you see the blue Le Creuset dutch oven on her stove last night? *swoon*

I've received recommendations to watch Grey's Anatomy, Dexter and a few other shows on DVD after this season ends since I also completed the Mad Men series through season 4. I think that will be my new show and since I don't have cable, Julie invited me to watch at her place. The great thing about finishing a series is it forces me to spend more time in the evenings reading books - of which there is an ever-growing stack of my mirrored night table. I have a few I'd like to plow through by the end of the year so although I'm sad to see the girls say goodbye after seven years, it's time.

René of the Day // 9.14.11 // SmashBurger

WOW! I think I've grown to love a good burger more in the past few years than I ever appreciated them when I was younger. This is in part to the insurgence of gourmet offerings and creative toppings to enhance it from a lump of dried chuck with ketchup blobbed on top. (Note: I do not claim to be a restaurant critic - just a foodie sharing my experience.)

For our monthly mentor lunch, Marcus and I checked out SmashBurger in Blue Ash. I'd heard about the chain from my mom and her co-workers whose office is across the street. It was a beautiful day so we sat outside and caught up and stuffed ourselves - the Baja burger with pepper jack cheese, fresh guacamole, lettuce, tomato, onion, zesty chipotle mayo and fresh jalapenos (nice thick slices) on a spicy chipotle bun, was fantastic! Loved the sweet potato fries, too. And any place with Cherry Coke on fountain wins my vote (don't tell MR.) It was so damn good I decided to go back the next night for dinner and had the BBQ, bacon and cheddar burger with crispy haystack onions - I think I liked it even better! I wasn't a big fan of the veggie frites - I was excited to try them but they weren't crispy - sort of limp. I'm sure I'll go back to try the Buckeye and the mushroom and swiss burgers - and again for one with fried egg on top. Hellllo fat kid! Ohh and the Haagen Daaz milkshakes - $4 but with flavors like NutterButter it's a must.

The burger was juicy and cooked well through and does look like the eat was smashed - not formed into a frozen patty. Although $11 is steep for a burger joint, it's worth a try - their toppings are what will bring me back. It's a national chain but each state has a special burger.

René of the Day // 9.13.11 // MAD MEN @ Banana Republic

SWOON!

Truth be told, I hate shopping. I may have said this in a previous blog post. I just want fabulous clothes in my closet for my ever-ready needs. I get tremendous guilt when I spend money on clothes - even though I wear them for years - I still have clothes from when I worked at the Gap in high school in my wardrobe that get worn. So as MR tells me, I should allow myself to a little shopping treat and not feel bad - isn't he the best? :)

I was walking through the mall and hit my regulars: Ann Taylor LOFT, J. Crew and then Banana Republic - and my jaw dropped when I caught sight of their window displays - MAD MEN Collection for Banana Republic! I mean, are you kidding me? I have recently become addicted to the show and am almost through the Season 4 DVDs. Always adoring the dresses worn by Peggy and Joan, I popped inside and scanned the racks. I would've loved to see more options in Betty's style. Honestly, I wear dresses or skirts almost every day. But I do have a difficult time justifying $75+ for one item of clothing - it's not that much but I still wince with guilt. With this being an exception, I may have to choose a favorite, something sassy and classy, and make it mine.

René of the Day // 9.10.11 // SEC Football

This email gets passed around at the beginning of football season every year - it's too hilarious and accurate not to share, especially after my experiences in the past few years, going to college in the the north and having a boyfriend who has season tickets in the south and dad a who's an SEC fan. If you don't think it's true, join us one weekend and you'll see for yourself. Enjoy!

SEC Football

Planning for the fall football season in the South is radically different from up North. For those who are planning a football trip south, here are some helpful hints.

Women's Accessories:
NORTH: Chap Stick in back pocket and a $20 bill in the front pocket.
SOUTH: Louis Vuitton duffel with two lipsticks, waterproof mascara, and
a fifth of bourbon. Money not necessary - that's what dates are for.

Stadium Size:
NORTH: College football stadiums hold 20,000 people.
SOUTH: High school football stadiums hold 20,000 people.

Fathers:
NORTH: Expect their daughters to understand Sylvia Plath .
SOUTH: Expect their daughters to understand pass interference.

Campus Decor:
NORTH: Statues of founding fathers.
SOUTH: Statues of Heisman trophy winners.

Homecoming Queen:
NORTH: Also a physics major.
SOUTH: Also Miss America .

Heroes:
NORTH: Rudy Giuliani .
SOUTH: Herschel Walker & Peyton Manning .

Getting Tickets:
NORTH: 5 days before the game, you walk into the ticket office on campus.
SOUTH: 5 months before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus, make a large financial contribution, and put name on a waiting list for
tickets.

Friday Classes After a Thursday Night Game:
NORTH: Students and teachers not sure they're going to the game, because
they have classes on Friday.
SOUTH: Teachers cancel Friday classes because they don't want to see the
few hung over students that might actually make it to class.

Parking:
NORTH: An hour before game time, the University opens the campus for
game parking.
SOUTH: RVs sporting their school flags begin arriving on Wednesday for
the weekend festivities. The really faithful arrive on Tuesday.

Game Day:
NORTH: A few students party in the dorm and watch ESPN on TV.
SOUTH: Every student wakes up, has a beer for breakfast, and rushes over
to where ESPN is broadcasting "Game Day Live" to get on camera and wave to
the idiots up north who wonder why "Game Day Live" is never broadcast from
their campus.

Tailgating:
NORTH: Raw meat on a grill, beer with lime in it, listening to local
radio station with truck tailgate down.
SOUTH: 30-foot custom pig-shaped smoker fires up at dawn. Cooking
accompanied by live performance from the Dave Matthews Band, who come
over during breaks and ask for a hit off bottle of bourbon.

Getting to the Stadium:
NORTH: You ask, "Where's the stadium?" When you find it, you walk right in.
SOUTH: When you're near it, you'll hear it. On game day it is the
state's third largest city.

Concessions:
NORTH: Drinks served in a paper cup, filled to the top with soda.
SOUTH: Drinks served in a plastic cup, with the home team's mascot on
it, filled less than half way with soda to ensure enough room for bourbon.

When National Anthem is Played:
NORTH: Stands are less than half-full and less than half of them stand up.
SOUTH: 100,000 fans, all standing, sing along in perfect four-part harmony.

The Smell in the Air After the First Score:
NORTH: Nothing changes.
SOUTH: Fireworks, with a touch of bourbon.

Commentary (Male):
NORTH: "Nice play."
SOUTH: "Dammit, you slow sumbitch - tackle him and break his legs."

Commentary (Female):
NORTH: "My, this certainly is a violent sport."
SOUTH: "Dammit, you slow sumbitch - tackle him and break his legs."

Announcers:
NORTH: Neutral and paid.
SOUTH: Announcer harmonizes with the crowd in the fight song, with a
tear in his eye because he is so proud of his team.

After the Game:
NORTH: The stadium is empty way before the game ends.
SOUTH: Another rack of ribs goes on the smoker, while somebody goes to
the nearest package store for more bourbon, and planning begins for next
week's game.

HOW MANY SEC STUDENTS DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB?

At VANDERBILT : It takes two, one to change the bulb and one more to
explain how they did it every bit as good as the bulbs changed at
Harvard.

At GEORGIA : It takes two, one to change the bulb and one to stabilize
the rolling beer cooler the bulb changer is using for a ladder.

At FLORIDA : It takes four, one to screw in the bulb and three to figure
out how to get stoned off the old one.

At ALABAMA : It takes five, one to change it, three to reminisce about
how The Bear would have done it, and one to throw the old bulb at an NCAA
investigator.

At OLE MISS: It takes six, one to change it, two to mix the drinks and
three to find the perfect J. Crew outfit to wear for the occasion.

At LSU: It takes seven, and each one gets credit for five Semester
hours.

At KENTUCKY : It takes eight, one to screw it in and seven to discuss
how much brighter it seems to shine during basketball season.

At TENNESSEE : It takes ten, two to figure out how to screw it in, two to
buy an orange lamp shade, and six to phone a radio call-in show and talk
about how much they hate Alabama .

At MISSISSIPPI STATE : It takes fifteen, one to screw in the bulb, two to
buy the Skoal, and twelve to yell, "GO TO HELL, OLE MISS".

At AUBURN : It takes one hundred, one to change it, forty-nine to talk
about how they did it better than at Bama and Georgia , and fifty to get
drunk and roll Toomer's Corner when finished.

At SOUTH CAROLINA : It takes 80,000, one to screw it in and 79,999 to
discuss how this finally will be the year that they have a decent
football team.

At ARKANSAS : None. There is no electricity in Arkansas

René of the Day // 9.7.11 // Ooh, Farmer's Market!

Of course I love the local Hyde Park Square farmers market, which has expanded this summer, and it's always a great adventure to explore the markets in other cities - Union Square in NYC is one of my favs. But this post is about one of my favorite scents. It's a common 21 questions or getting-to-know-you inquiry and in recent years, this has been my answer: Farmers Market candle by Yankee. They like to describe it as "Autumn's freshest bounty... sweet berries, juicy apples, succulent peaches and warm spices." MMM...

The scent isn't overwhelming and it doesn't smell too much like chemical jarred foods like many candles do. It's fresh, clean and bright. It's a seasonless scent and had become my signature for the apartment. So even after the vendors have packed up for the summer, I still enjoy the aroma.

René of the Day // 8.24.11 // Bruce's Sweet Potato Pancakes

I don't "know" Bruce, but Kristin’s mom introduced me to these sweet potato pancakes one weekend when I crashed at their house in Loveland. They are absolutely delicious and remind me of a great Southern brunch. The mix can be bought at Fresh Market and will last you for quite a while if you use them a special treat as I’ve chosen to. They’re very easy to make – just mix with water, let sit to rehydrate and dollop onto the griddle. Wonderful with a bowl of grits. I tend to prefer savory over sweet for breakfast foods and these tip toe the line between the two quite nicely. Butter and syrup are not even required to make them enjoyable. I also love the nostalgic bag that the mix is packaged in. They have certainly become a favorite for mornings when I have the urge to cook a big breakfast or to cook a batch on Sunday and grab one out of the fridge every morning before work. Ooh or an awesome main course for breakfast for dinner nights… and a decent diet staple, too. Try them already.

 

René of the Day // 8.23.11 // Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day

Dirty apartment? Mrs. Meyer’s will clean it up! I discovered these products a few years ago at Whole Foods. Pulled in by the chic packaging and wooed by the luscious scents, I’ve been addicted ever since. It doesn’t contain heavy-duty chemicals so it’s safe for Fin and they leave behind the nicest smell – not like harsh PineSol or bleach product reekings. I haven’t tried the laundry products but the others rank high on my list of must-haves around the house.

The price tag is a bit higher but you can often snag them for a deal at Home Goods to TJ Maxx. Plus, it takes a few months to use a whole bottle of toilet cleaner when you live alone, so the opportunity cost evens it out. Yes – I do enjoy my loo smelling of lavender or geranium. 

René of the Day // 8.19.11 // Correspondence

Handwritten correspondence is a lost art. How often do we find anything in our mailboxes but bills and junk? It brightens your day to find a card or a note from family or a friend who took the time to think about you and make you feel special. I find it to be such a privilege to do that for others - I take every opportunity I can to write to the people in my life to know that I appreciate them. After every weekend MR and I spend together, I send a thank you card - I may have mentioned it in another blog post - but at this point, they're practically expected! :) All of my friends in other cities know - I send postcards to Portland and letters to Scotland. Even sending a birthday card instead of just a Facebook wall post can be a huge surprise.

I may be the only single (unmarried) 26-year old girl who has sent over 30 Christmas cards each year since college. My address book is well worn and the attendants at the Hyde Park post office know me well. Shopping for stationery is more fun for me than clothes - I love the quality and clean designs of Cranes and the cheeky and nostalgic cards by Unusual Occasions. And my aunt Kiki always creates the most gorgeous little box sets of stationery for me. When possible, I try not to send the same card style to the same person twice... I may be trying too hard but I find such joy in writing to people. I think we can all find something to be thankful for - someone to send a little note to spark a little smile. Every thoughtful action, gift, meeting, interview or event deserves handwritten correspondence to recognize their generosity. To be honest, the sender can be just as impacted by the act as the receiver. Send me your address - I promise to keep in touch.

René of the Day // 8.9.11 // Enjoy LaCroix!

We are such lucky gals - Julie surprised us with the elusive coconut-flavor La Croix at work! She's been telling us about it for months - and how Target is always out of it when she shops there. Then I got a text with a photo of the store shelf that read "JACKPOT!!!" and insisted that she buy every case in stock - naturally, she obliged. It was a mistake to leave this treasure on my desk - some were stolen, and replaced later in the week. Pete texted his wife to go and stock up after I shared a can out of kindness and advocacy for this refreshing beverage - we have lime, raspberry and lemon in stock at work, so perhaps we can persuade them to add the flavor to the arsenal? We're also game planning to submit an entry to their Enjoy LaCroix contest on Facebook - stay tuned.

René of the Day // 8.7.11 // Full English Breakfast

When you first hear the term "full English breakfast" it eludes to thoughts of a special occasion - like Easter brunch or Christmas morning. But in England, this proper feast is served quite regularly. Every little restaurant offers these delicacies every day until 4pm and they're cooked at home seemingly at least once a week.

What is served? Bangers (sausage), eggs, bacon (theirs is more like our ham), baked beans, a grilled tomato, a grilled mushroom, toast, potato triangles and HP sauce (almost like a cross between BBQ & A1). It's a gorgeous, salty, delicious spread that will allow you to skip lunch (dinner as they say). I was lucky enough to enjoy this home-cooked meal twice during my 10-day stay - once by Mum and once by Andi.

It's funny, I think I only saw the entire line up once - sometimes places would exclude one of the grilled veggies or potato triangles. But I am determined to cook a full English breakfast soon and see how closely I can replicate it... My mom says you can now find bacon similar to theirs here - everything else is on tap at our local grocery stores. One thing I may add is crumpets - with tea and milk. Crumpets, which sound so absolutely lovely and British, are like our English muffins only thicker and doughier. Almost like a bagel texture inside with the nooks and crannies creating little caverns all the way to the bottom so the butter oozes down and fills it with sweet and salty cream - divine! I brought a 6-pack back in my suitcase.

America doesn't seem to have a standard meal like this - we do pancakes, eggs, waffles, omelets - all of which I enjoy. But it's so interesting how the full English breakfast is a staple in their culture.

René of the Day // 7.27.11 // Wasson Way Project

This incredible idea was first brought to my attention on Facebook - how amazing would it be to have a trail similar to the Loveland Bike Trail that I grew up on, here in the Hyde Park area? With the multitudes of people walking their dogs, running with their jogging strollers and walking with friends around the neighborhoods, it would surely receive high foot and bike traffic. What better to do with 6.5 miles of unused railroads? This would be perfect for Bob Ronnecker's runners training for races...

"Like" it and learn more about turning these abandoned tracks into a recreational trail! A project of this magnitude needs all the local support it can muster up.

UPDATE: My step-dad, Chip, just told me about the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - perhaps they can link up with them to continue rolling it forward.

René of the Day // 7.23.11 // Power Grass

How amazeballs is this? I saw this multi-docking charger station at Target for $24.99 and mentally chalked it onto my Christmas list. I love the simple clean look of the grass and it's quirky and funny to think of the electronics we can't seem to live without "growing" out of a window box lol

So it hides the cords - but do you think it can handle my iPhone, BlackBerry, Kindle, iPod and two MacBook Pros? Perhaps I need a whole garden to charge the brigade!