Review: Alba shampoo and conditioner

All right. When I first bought this, I bought the honeydew "Gloss Boss" version for the amazing smell and hey, who doesn't want to be a Gloss Boss? I liked it well enough so I went out and bought the coconut one, which I have yet to use and which I will likely NOT use, and here's why: It completely weighs my hair down.

I try not to wash my hair everday because the last five inches are super dried out. After the initial transition, the oils in my hair leveled out and it was totally fine for me on the non-wash days.

However. Now I can barely make it 24 hours without my hair looking flat, weighed down and over-oily. And that sucks, because the smell is heavenly, the price is good and the ingredients are pretty awesome. Only two or three chemicals (and while there's no SLS I know at least one of those has to be a detergent of some kind to get the suds) and then just a whole load of natural ingredients.

So, back to the drawing board. Or, to be clear, back to Sprouts where I essentially sit on the floor smelling all the shampoos that don't have sulfates until I find one I like.

Grade: D

Randoms, I guess.

I have so many smallish things I'd love to talk about so I guess I'll just file them together in a mishmash of a randoms post.

1. Pinterest has been treating me well lately. On Sunday I made two recipes, balsamic pork and the accompanying green beans with olives, sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts that is linked to in that pork recipe. Both were smash hits and also very easy, and I know they will be regular features in my fall recipe portfolio.

Portfolio! Miss Piggy! Lady Holiday!!!

Aside from those, you'll recall my latest food post, the Israeli couscous with chicken and peas. So good! And before that, I made an absolutely delicious chicken yakisoba and a great garlic dijon salmon too. So, yeah. Pinterest has been delighting me lately.

So has Epicurious!

Epicurious is a great app I have on my iPhone, and I've so far gotten two great recipes from it, a grilled butterflied leg of lamb recipe that Todd absolutely knocked it out of the park, and just last night I made chicken with a sauce originally tied to Chilean sea bass. Supremed lemon wedges, kalamatas, rinsed capers, oregano and olive oil on top of pan seared chicken tenders. It was delightful!

P.S. I now know how to supreme a lemon.


2. BREAKING BAD.

Okay, so I can't talk much about it because Todd and I literally JUST started it two nights ago, and are only into the fourth episode. But holy shit! I know we're late to this party considering there are only two episodes left, and I'm scared of the internet after that because I will likely get spoiled on so many things, but I'm glad we finally bit the bullet, took the plunge, got off the dime, etc.

And I'm so impressed by the acting. Bryan Cranston is a genius, and Aaron Paul deserves the role that he got extended. Apparently his character was supposed to get killed off in the first season, but the powers that be loved Paul's job so much that they made him a permanent character. That is a testament to his acting skills.

I have this weird urge to spoil myself on basically EVERYTHING I get into. I did it with the books The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, and a slew of other books too. I do it with all the shows I watch, scouring the internet for tidbits and rumors, or reading the wiki pages of TV series that are no longer playing so I can read ahead and keep myself in the story without having to wait until Alex goes to bed that night to get back into that world. I become obsessed with and starved for new worlds that are created for me and other readers/viewers to enjoy.

But not now. Oh, no. I'm not spoiling myself for this show. And that is very, very weird.


3. Exercise, man. So it is very, very true that it takes just 12 weeks of inactivity to lose all progress in a particular sportt or exercise. I all but quit biking during the summer. After a bike ride in 108 degree heat that had me nearly vomiting after just seven miles (with three left to go), I locked up my dad's bike for the season.

At that time, I had whittled my time down to 48 minutes for a 10.25 mile ride. Once I think I even got it down to 46. Well, for the past two, maybe three weeks I've been biking again and my God man, my time is so sucky. Consistently at 52 minutes and yesterday was even worse, clocking it at 57 minutes. WHAT THE HELL MAN. I was prepared for some set backs but to lose nine minutes on my time? Gross.

I'm glad summer is coming to an end, even though we'll hit 100 at least once more this week (who knows what next week has in store), because I'm ready for more moving around outside. Even the dog walks stopped, thanks to the heat and my plantar fasciitis. Oh, those HIIT workouts? Can't do them if they include any sort of explosive jumping movements. They murdered my feet worse than a weekly run did. So when I do my strength workouts, all movements have to have my feet planted firmly on the floor, save for walking lunges (which I still have to do slowly, carefully).

These past two weeks have seen a return of both bike rides and dog walks, for which I'm grateful. It feels good getting back into my regular routines again. I think it will be good for Alex, too.


4. Alex's potty woes have for the most part abated, I'm delighted to say. Wow. That trip to San Diego really and truly threw one hell of a wrench into things. Her sleep is still a liiiittle wacky (still requiring lights to fall asleep), but she's back in underpants and I'm back to being happy. Just like incorporating dog walks back into our routine, I see things are settling for her, that she's getting back into the swing of things. It's taken over three weeks, but it's happening.

I know everyone is different when it comes to parenting styles but this little glitch in the system proves to me how children thrive on routine, rules and parameters for everyday stuff. That's not to say it isn't good to shake it up every now and then to strengthen them and prepare them for a life that is more chaos than control, but it did show me that a happy kid is one who knows, for the most part, what's coming down the pike for them in their little worlds.

And it shows me that taking a vacation three weeks after potty training is insane.

Things I'm Into Right Now

Man, what a difference it makes when your contacts aren't messing with you in the morning. Yesterday they were being a pain in the ass all morning, and it made me feel bleary from head to toe. But today, they're clear and in place and not blurry at all, and that feels good. Plus, Alexandra and Todd both woke up when I did before I left for work, and it's so nice to kiss smiling faces instead of sneaking out like a bandit, trying not to wake anyone up.

Anyways!


1. Kiss My Face shampoo and conditioner in Green Tea and Lime.

It's light and refreshing, doesn't have all those nasty things like SLS and parabens, and from what I could tell, some pretty spot on ingredients. One thing I've learned from ingredient checking is that the first ingredients are the most abundant. Here is the list right off their website:

Aloe Barbadensis*, Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract*, Chamomilla Recutitia (Chamomile) Flower Extract*, Melissa Offcinalis (Lemon Balm) Leaf Extract*, Urtica Dioca (Nettles) Leaf Extract*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract*, Calendula Officinlis (Marigold) Flower Extract*, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract*, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract*, Olefin Sulfonate, Cocomidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride (Sea Salt), Caprylic Acid, Glycine, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Oil, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Tocopherol, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid. *Organic

Now, nearly all of the run of the mill commercial shampoos out there like Pantene or whatever, will have water, then SLS as the first two ingredients. Which is why when I realized the first NINE ingredients listed were all organic plant matter or extracts, I was like hell yes. Both of the weirder ingredients, Olefin Sulfonate and Cocomidopropyl Betaine, are components or derivatives of coconut oil, so while it could be synthetically created (and lacks the telltale organic asterisk), I really don't give a shit. They're not stripping agents like SLS and other detergents, so Imma let it slide.

I will stop a moment and bitch that the shampoo calls itself Green Tea and Lime but those ingredients are pretty close to the bottom. However, I think they're mostly there to perform as fragrance, and since there is no ubiquitous and suspicious "Fragrance" listed, Imma let that slide too.

Jesus Jil, way to write an essay about a shampoo. Anyways, you can find this stuff at Whole Foods or even better, on Vita Cost.



2. Neutrogena Body Oil

And now for below the neck! I have a feeling I've posted about this stuff before, but back then it was used more sporadically in my moisturizing routine (I was hooked on Jason products then but something changed in their formulas for both lotions and hair care and I'm no longer as impressed). Now, however, I use this oil, and only this oil, every single day. I LOVE IT. The scent is light and slightly exotic thanks to the sesame, but never overpowering, never cloying. I never ever get sick of it, and when I hang my towel up after getting dressed and get a whiff of the scent, I smile involuntarily. That's how lovely it is. It never mingles with your perfume either. Just make sure to apply when your skin is still pretty damp. I just lightly pat my skin after showering or bathing and then apply the oil very promptly. One thing I've found though is that after shaving your legs, apply a second time after your skin is fully dry, and that will keep moisture on your gams.



3. It's Always Sunny in Philedelphia

Oh, man. Okay, look, I know that humor is subjective, and perverse, shameless humor like this is VERY subjective, but my God this is some of the funniest shit I have ever watched in my life. Just when you're fairly certain they won't go there, they go there, balls out (Dee Dates A Retard is an actual episode title). It's kind of like Seinfeld in which no one is truly likeable, they're all horrible people, and they all seem to hate each other deep down, so even for me this show is best in smaller doses (I could, however, do an hours-long marathon of How I Met Your Mother). It's like a super rich sinful dessert, and nothing caps off a night of mild mannered television like a show where in order to stay on welfare, Dee and her brother Dennis actively choose to get hooked on crack.



4. Mussels!!

Or moules au vin blanc, which is my absolute favorite way to make them. Nothing compares to a big bowl of these delicious critters, steamed in wine, shallots and garlic. They're also insanely quick and easy to make for a romantic dinner for two:

3.5lb mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded (absolutely crucial to the flavor)
1 cup wine
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 Turkish bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp butter

Bring wine to a boil in a six quart pot and let simmer a few minutes. Add your mussels, put the top on your pot and let them steam for about five minutes. Give the pot a good shake to redistribute the mussels, and then open up and give them a quick stir. If they're all open, they're done and should be removed promptly into large serving bowls. If they're not open, have no fear and just steam a little longer, two minutes more. After placing the moules into the bowls, add the parsley and butter to your wine and stir to melt the butter. Once that happens, turn off the heat, pour the delicious broth over the moules (making sure to spoon up all those delicious shallots and garlic pieces), and serve with crusty bread and a couple of glasses of the same wine you used to steam them.

An added bonus: you don't need utensils. Just use the shell of one mussel like mini tongs and pluck the meat from another mussel.

SO GOOD. Todd is always mildly reluctant when I start clamouring for these, and every single time I serve them he's like, damn, these are so good. We had them Saturday and we're sitting there, happily digging into our bowls, and Todd just goes "Well, you and your lousy moules! These are delicious!" and proceeded to devour the entire bowl.



5. Trader Joe's Block Red Wine

A friend of mine turned me on to this wine because she knows how much I love wine that comes in box form. But this wine is so much more than that. I mean, yes, it is box of wine, and yes it's only $10 which is actually cheaper than the Corbett Canyon box of wine I buy whenever I want pinot grigio. But it's actually a super decent wine. The reason I know this is because A: I drink a lot of wine and can tell and B: Todd, who gave up his wino status long ago after it started kicking his ass, will actually have a glass or three of this with his steak dinner. He does not do that unless it's pretty damn good, so that's why I'm here to tell you that this wine is pretty damn good, only costs you $10 and comes in a cool looking box.

What's not to love?



6. Freesia!

Another delight thanks to Trader Joe's. I've never before gotten freesia until this spring, and my goodness, now I understand why every other lotion in Bath and Body Works is freesia. They're poor attempts at harnessing the light and delicate fragrance of this flower, though. I was absolutely blown away when I got the first batch; it took a couple of days but suddenly every time I'd walk by the vase of flowers on the table, I would be overcome by this teasing, barely there floral scent that is just divine. It reminds me of a far milder version of a magnolia blossom. Anyways, this shade of the freesia flower is what I'm currently hosting at my house, and I just love it. I always get sad when Trader Joe's is out of them; my heart sinks just a bit when I realize they're nowhere to be found. Next time you find yourself with an opportunity to get some freesia, I strongly recommend you take it.



7. Kingdom Rush

So I'm a little embarrassed to be raving over a game app on my smartphone but I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF. Plus, again I refer to Todd's enthusiasm as an accurate measure for levels of awesomeness: He was more than happy to watch me play Plants vs. Zombies, but is all too eager to play Kingdom Rush for himself. Last night we had to take turns for God's sake, each playing a battle before reluctantly handing it off to the other person.

It's right up our alley, with knights and archers and mages and artillery, tools and weapons to help boost your fighting power, heroes and fireballs falling from the sky, trolls and wulfs and ogres and shamans and all kinds of cool shit that you're trying to kill in the name of the king. Have at you! Attack! Reinforce!! YAAARRRRRGH.

Plus this shit is free.



8. The Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell

Part historical novel, part bodice ripper, this is a 17th century story about one of England's very first actresses, Nell Gwyn. I've gotten about halfway through and what I'm loving so far, apart from some very blushworthy scenes (she started off a prostitute after all, at least in Bagwell's novel), are the historical moments that are brought to life, such as the great fire that took place in the city of London during her lifetime, as well as The Great Plague. I also love the language used to illustrate the time period, and of course I love Nell's brazen wit and her strength and courage to not only become an actress but to simply survive.

And I just love a good historical novel. I love learning about real people who lived so long ago. Thanks to the author's diligent research, I'm able to see into the past, and especially for women in history, this is such a treat.

Plus those love scenes! Whew!!

Review: Vikings Series (The History Channel)

The Walking Dead ended and we're waiting til October. Game of Thrones is nearly over and we'll have to wait a year for that. And quite frankly, I'm sort of checked out emotionally after this past Sunday's episode.

So what are we watching in the meantine? Why, Vikings of course!

It all centers on a well known Norse hero, Ragnar Lodbrok, and, so far where we are, his attempts to sail west instead of east, as his grumpy narrow minded Earl would have him continue to do. He's got a hot bad ass for a wife, Lagertha (played by Katheryn Winnick) a shield maiden who actually accompanies him and his crew on one of the raids to England. He's got loads of bad ass friends, too, who help him to build a better longship and then help him sail it on those raids. He's got an interesting haircut and a couple of fiesty kids (and a farm but even he's bored with that).

It's extremely addicting and wildly interesting. In my opinion it's also very well cast and the acting is great across the board. It's dramatic and violent, sexy and gritty with a bit of romance when you catch a fleeting glimpse of Odin in the forest.

And, okay, the cast is hot. Gabriel Byrne is the only mild disappointment as the Earl (aka chieftan), because he is not the hot BAMF I recall from the movie Stigmata. Age catches up to us all, I guess. Someone who only seems to become more of a badass with age is Vladimir Kulich, the actor who played Beowulf (or a version of him) in The 13th Warrior. The main character Ragnar is played by a smoking hottie, Travis Fimmel, and his brother Rollo (played by Clive Standen) while we're not sure what his end game is, is also a babe (but is hotter in real life). Don't I sound mature!

Anyways, I guess what I  mean is there's something for everyone here. Hot men, hot women, intrigue, fighting, exploration, godlore, adventure. If you don't like at least ONE of those things, then I got nothin' for ya!

I will say there are some issues I have. Mainly, sometimes Ragnar can't understand Anglo Saxon, and other times, without explanation, he and an Anglo Saxon priest can communicate. He did capture a monk from an earlier raid so all I can think is that this monk taught him Latin? But we never saw that. At least I didn't (obviously I got distracted).

We're only four episodes into this bad boy, and it's the last show we watch at night so even though it's bedtime and our heads are not filled with visions of sugar plums but with killing and raiding, we still want to watch more. In fact since we have some catching up to do, I wager we'll watch episode five (and six?) tonight.

Review: A

Review: Glass Dharma Straws

I'm in love! I'm in love! Just look how pretty!

ISN'T THAT JUST PRECIOUS? Oh man. Well, I ordered these bad boys, plus some stainless steel straws for Miss Thing, from Amazon the other day and I'm happy to report that they just came in yesterday afternoon. I immediately tore into the glass ones, found a mason jar, plunked a straw into it and turned maniacally to Todd and just started sort of shrieking about how adorable it was. I am serious. I did that. For the aesthetics of a glass straw in a glass jar. That combination is basically the cat macro of drinking accessories.

Now, I didn't set out to buy these all for the charm and elegance. I actually bought these because Alexandra and I are both huge straw users. She enjoys the convenience ("I don't know who you think you are, suggesting that I tip my head back to drink this"), and I enjoy not having my teeth throb in pain whenever something cold touches them. I probably look like I'm watching a horror movie when I'm eating ice cream.

So, between the two of us, we'd rip through five or so straws a day and that just started to seem extremely wasteful. Also when the dishwasher is full of clean dishes that you have to remove, and there are sixteen used cups and glasses, each with their own straw, sitting on the counter waiting for you, that shit gets irritating to look at.

So on the review! I bought four 9.5mm straws, and the set came with a cleaning brush (I hope to God that brush fits in my stainless steel set). And... I love them. I thought it might feel weird, using a glass straw, since obviously the glass makes them significantly wider than a traditional throw away plastic straw. But it wasn't weird at all! I loved it, and I am sure it's all in my head, but I swear the beverage tasted better. Cleaner? If that makes sense. I'm sure it was my imagination but at the same time, you feel better wearing clothes that are well made aside from all the shirts you compulsively buy at Target despite a slightly imperfect fit. Oh wait, is that just me?

And I'm sure you're all wondering how Alex enjoyed them. Everyone knows toddlers are notoriously difficult when it comes to New Experiences. For example she gave me such a Fuck You look when I shoveled a spoonful of mild green chile tamale in her mouth last night. Like, what is this shit. Where the fuck is my Trader Joe's organic mac and cheese with white Vermont cheddar. So I was expecting her to be all WTF over these straws.

Nope. Miss Thing loved it and pounded my entire glass of water. "She was just dehydrated Jil. It's clear you don't care for her, I mean you don't even brush her hair or wash her face." I assure you all, she was well hydrated. She was just really into that straw, man.

So, what grade do you give to a product that is classy as hell, charming to boot, good for the environment and if you believe the hype against plastic, good for our bodies as well?

A really fucking good one, that's what! I mean, look at how PRETTY it is.

Grade: A+

Review: Earth Pan with Sandflow Cookware

I'm going to be up front, right from the beginning, and explain that I didn't fully realize the sort of TLC that nonstick cookware requires. Low heat, NO cooking spray (it interferes with the pan's inherent nonstick capabilities), etc. Well, I guess those are the main ones. I had no idea you shouldn't use oil, butter or cooking sprays to guarantee a non-stick situation.

But I learned quickly when I bought this cookware set. What you see above is what I have, and they came with a little laundry list of what to and not to do while cooking with them. There were even specific instructions for when you want butter or oil to flavor your food. I should have known then that I'd be disappointed in the long run. If it's not going to screw you or clean your house for you, then it doesn't need to be so demanding, you know what I mean?

No, I don't have sex with my cookware.

Anyways, the major pitfall of this shitty cookware is that the BOTTOMS of the pans and skillets are also covered in this ~omg sandflow nonstick technology~ so you know what that means? Yeah, you got it: the bottoms are all scuffed andscraped clean of the sandflow in some places or, in the case of my large skillet, almost everywhere.

I don't use the green side of the sponge on these bad boys. I'm gentle and careful. But still, on the rim of my smallest skillet, the sandflow crap has already chipped off and peeled off and I'm so fed up I can't even stand it. I've not even had these things a year.

The nonstick surfacing has also bubbled up on the bottoms and sides of the skillets, and I'd like to think that is through no fault of my own. Once a fan of a nice sear brought to you by medium high heat, I now cook shit on medium at the max. I'm glad I kept my extra large T-Fal for my stir frys, let me just tell you.

Another major disappointment is that if you follow the instructions, the shit is still not fully non-stick. No butter, no cooking spray, low heat... And eggs still stick. It did a perfect nonstick egg ONE TIME. The second time the stuff was cemented on, and I tried their other trick of just boiling vinegar but nope, that shit required soaking and major yellow-side-of-the-sponge scrubbing.

The only good thing that's come of my experience with Earth Pan Cookware is that I'm giving up on this nonstick horseshit. I'm going to slowly replace them with either stainless steel over the next year, or Le Creuset skillets over the span of my lifetime. I'm going to keep my T-Fal for stir frys (has THAT nonstick stuff chipped? NOPE), and I'm going to get a little egg skillet for when I make my eggs. And I'm going to figure out a fun, Office Space-style way to destroy these goddamn things.

Grade: F

Review: Shadow of Night.

Oh my God you guys, oh my God you guys, so remember? That book I reviewed? A Discovery of Witches?!?!!? And how I was all, oh it was OKAY I GUESS but then I was all OMG I AM OBSESSED AJKFAFEGDFJGHRJHGBFG?!?!

Well I finally finished the second book in the trilogy! SQUEEEEEEEEEE

Okay, now that I got that out of my system, I am here to tell you all about how much I fan girled over this book. I had finished ADoW ages, AGES ago (nearly two years ago actually) and when I got Shadow of Night in California last year, I was like, oh shit. I don't remember anything except they didn't bone which was SO DISAPPOINTING, and there was some manuscript and evil dudes and shit. So I put it on my shelf and life happened and I forgot about it until I finished reading all the books in the Gaslight Mysteries series.

So I went and bought ADoW, since I had borrowed it the first time, and devoured it, utterly, all over again. Damn it's a good book. I mean, yeah, the vampire romance shit where he won't have sex with her, ugh, TWILIGHT you ruin everything. But anyways, I devoured it, all so I could dive immediately into the next book which is just such a sumptuous, rich and heady experience. To remain in a fictional world you've grown to love and daydream over is such a treat. Harry Potter fans who started when the first book came out, you have my sympathy. I started when book four was out.

Anyways, Shadow of Night takes place immediately after A Discovery of Witches end, and let's just say they go back in time to Elizabethan England okay? And Christopher Marlowe, Henry Percy, Elizabeth herself, George Chapman and all these other fuckers I never learned about but who lived and were like famous and stuff. And since Deborah Harkness, the author, is herself an extensively learned historian, much like the main character, Diana Bishop, what you experience as you read is nothing short of legitimate glimpse into life back in the 1590s.

If you recall, A Discovery of Witches was all about how there are different creatures in our world: witches, vampires and daemons. Witches and vampries are similar to our own ideas of what they are, but daemons are wildly creative, artistic souls (which is why Marlowe and Chapman are daemons in Harkness's world). And in this world of creatures, there is trouble afoot: they seem to be dying out. That is what essentially brought Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Roydon in 1591, a member of the School of Night - wiki that shit) and Diana Bishop together in the first book. He desires Ashmole 782 because he believes it holds answers to the origins and maintenance of the creatures' individual species, and Diana accidentally unlocks the spell that binds the manuscript.

God I sound like such a fan girl. HAY GUISE LET ME JUST TELL YOU THE WHOLE DAMN STORY IN A BLOG HAHAHAH

Shadow of Night continues Diana and Matthew's journey into the past, her journey of how to understand and harness the magic that so recently was unbound, and to keep their relationship secret since, oh you know, the different species of creatures are forbidden to intermingle. Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!

If you can't tell, I just recently finished this book and am still all aflutter over it. And now I have to wait God knows how long until the third and final book comes out.

One thing I want to say is that it really is best that you read A Discovery of Witches first. Sometimes you can get away with jumping in the middle and visiting the beginning a little later on down the line, but Harkness doesn't do too well with jogging a reader's memory, which is why I had to go buy and reread the first book. But whatever! Who gives a shit! Go buy and read this book! Read them both! Thank me later!



P.S. They finally have sex

Review: Paderno spiralizer

So this thing right here is a fucking badass. Do you see, in the photo, what this badass did to that sweet potato? IT MADE NOODLES OUT OF THAT SWEET POTATO. Do you know how much I love pasta and that thanks to this Paleo horseshit I decided on doing, I haven't had it since January 3rd? I LOVE PASTA. But, since I had a cheat day at a baby shower and ate gluten, and subsequently started getting itchy all over my body, I realized that I probably need to live my life avoiding pasta.

I would have cried, but when that thought dawned on me I had already owned this badass machine for 48 hours and I knew my pasta cravings would be satiated. In fact, Friday night I made a heaping mess of noodles from just one freaking cucumber, man. Think what I could do to an army of zucchini! A hoard of sweet potatoes! And I bet I could make carrot noodles and parsnip noodles and holy hell, if you can make a goddamn noodle out of it, then I'm going to do it and sprinkle Parmesan all over it and  if you even get in my way, I'll bite your fingers off. 

Review: A+++

HAIR.

WELL SHIT. Do you think I'm still high off of Christmas and the subsequent excitement? WELL YOU'RE (partly) WRONG. I am excited about this shit:

This has saved my hair. Remember that post I did about Brocato shampoo? Yeah, whatever! I mean, I'm still going to keep using it, because it's mild, still cleans well and smells delightful, but... Man. I finally figured out what my hair needs.

Can I just tell you? That today? I put my hair in braids? And the ends of each braid did that curly-up thing because it was so full of moisture and so healthy? And the ends of my hair, despite months of drying and very rare straightening, were still so bouncy and fucking fabulous? BECAUSE IT'S TRUE.

This stuff... Oh my God, this stuff is the answer. The ends of my hair now feel like the roots of my hair. WHAT. Yeah. You read that right.

Now, Organix recommends you coat your dry hair root to tip with this stuff, cover it with a plastic cap and then with a hot wet towel. I have a toddler so I read that and after I cried over not having the goddamn time to mince around the house with a plastic bag and hot wet towel wrapped around my head.

So I said screw it, and just applied it to my shampooed, wet but wrung out hair in the shower one evening. It was AMAHZING. I now do it every time I shampoo my hair which may or may not be every other day. It doesn't weigh it down and quite frankly I try not to wash it out completely. Then I apply an Aveda leave in conditioner and if I blow dry my hair I use my Brocato serum. I was doing all that before but this argan oil has made the absolute difference.

They don't know me and this is not an ad or anything, I just LOVE this shit.

Grade: A++, would drive through the Mayan Apocalypse just to buy another jar.

Snapseed and Afterglow.

So since I recently got an iPhone I've also recently developed a thirst for apps. I've also really enjoyed getting to take some decent pictures of stuff, especially of things I want to blog about (I'm relieved to report that I no longer take greenish brownish food pictures). And then there was the perfect timing of a Dooce post all about photography apps, specifically Snapseed and Afterglow. So since I absolutely fangirl over Dooce (AKA Heather Armstrong) and also want to learn more about taking pictures with my phone, I whipped out my iPhone and immediately downloaded both of them.

I can already tell you that Snapseed is my absolute favorite. It doesn't rely so heavily on filters alone, and in the different sorts of filters you DO have, you can manipulate the outcomes with much more control.

That's the original. And can I just pause here to say how much I adore white tulips? Crisp and clean, and then the stems do their funky thing and get all twisty and artsy. Anyways, I futzed around in Snapseed and came out with this:

There are different sort of textures you can apply through Drama, Grunge, and Vintage, for example. You can mess around with the focus points, the amount of lightness and brightness in the center of the photo or on the peripheries. SO cool. The saturation, brightness, focus, texture, all can be played with. The end result of my tulip photo looks creepy and old and like it was found stashed in an old shed or attic.

That's the original and isn't she ADORABLE?

This is Snapseed again. I was really getting into it with this photo, and you can tell I messed with the light and the focus on the edges and in the center. I am absolutely a complete and utter photography noob so all this is probably old news and boring as hell for anyone with an ounce of experience. But I really enjoyed learning how to manipulate the images and seeing how the mood of a photo can be completely changed by a just a few tweaks.

This is Afterglow. There's not a whole lot that I did to it but I did like the warmth of the filter I used and I think I made the shadows a little richer. The filters are loads more subtle than in Instagram. I will admit that I haven't fully explored Afterglow but you can mess around with highlights, brightness, contrast, shadows and exposure.You can even add lens flares, twist the photo around. And both apps are really easy and really fun to play around with. That is not an advertisement either, they don't know I even exist.

iFinally got an iPhone 5

Can you tell? Notice any... startling differences in this photo and, say, this one?

Yeah, me neither.

Anyways, I am officially in love with this phone. I can't compare it to other smart phones, as this is the first I've ever owned, but I can tell you that I love it and I never never ever never want to be without it. Already this weekend I've used it in somewhat crucial ways. 

Yesterday, on our way to a birthday party, I was able to go through my old emails, find the electronic invitation, open it up, find the address and then Google map it to get directions, all while in the car, less than five minutes away from the destination.

Later that afternoon, after thinking I'd dropped a stitch (Kendra recently taught me how to knit), I was able to text an extremely vivid and close up photo of the knitting to Kendra, who in turn texted me a link to http://knittinghelp.com and then reassured me that I hadn't dropped a stitch at all, I had just neglected to finish off my purl row and only needed to turn it around, complete the purl and boom, done. Crisis averted.

And those two instances don't even include all the fucking fun I've had on the phone. I downloaded a free Draw app so Alexandra can play with it, I got Siri to call me Pups, I started three Draw Something games and Todd and I kicked some small ass with Angry Birds last night.

And did I mention the photography skills?! This blog is moving on up in the world, man.

My Favorite Tumblrs.

For the longest time, Tumblr was as mysterious as Pinterest came to be for me. I was like, so it's like Live Journal? But it's mostly pictures? And gifs and stuff? I don't get it, I see plenty of gifs and pictures in the posts and comments on Oh No They Didn't. But eventually I found some really hysterical tumblrs and I figured I'd share them.


Suri's Burn Book

This is all fictional snarking from the point of view of adorable Suri Cruise, who uses the blog to bash the fashion choices and mishaps of fellow celebrity children. While it might seem cruel since it's a grown woman who writes the blog, imagining the ever-stylish Suri Cruise saying that baby Harper Beckham has "let herself go" is undoubtedly hilarious.

Robert Pattinson Says Stuff Sometimes

So, Robert Pattinson, that guy from Twilight. He's just as painfully aware of how the Twilight franchise is absolute utter bullshit and how insane/slightly disgusting Stephenie Meyer is for imagining c-sections-by-teeth, grown men falling in love with newborn babies, etc. And the best part is that I know this because of all the stuff he says without a care in the world for how it might piss other people off. For that brutal honesty to come out of a world of professional liars and self-serving silences, I applaud him.

Fuck Yes Once Upon A Time

Surely you must know why I frequent this site. It's all about my super favorite show (aside from Doc Martin) and is a great source of gorgeous gif collections, links to spoilers and articles, photos and interviews with the cast. They have humorous spins on the show, serious fan tributes, and everything inbetween. A must have for people who like immersing themselves in a favorite television show, and for people who know how fucking hot Captain Hook is.

Review: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (aka AAAH I LOVE IT)

I am a crazed and rabid fan of Pride and Prejudice and though I did read P&P in school, it was really the TV mini series by A&E, starring the stunning Jennifer Ehle and the ravishing Colin Firth that got me hook, line and sinker. Yes, I had understood it in high school, and could even appreciate the witty dialogue and the parallels between Elizabeth's own pride and the pride of Darcy. But the magic, I will admit, was lost on me until watching the series. It helped me appreciate the story that much more, and prompted me to re-read Austen's book with far more affection and attention than I had done so when I was 15.

Another contemporary version, a movie starring Keira Knightley as Lizzie and Matthew Macfayden, was okay for me, although it does reign supreme for my bestie Kendra. I was too hooked on the loveliness of the A&E version to get really engrossed in the movie, although the scene where Darcy is walking purposely towards Elizabeth though the misty, dewy fields that separate them, all the while bathed in a misty, dewy English sunrise, absolutely swept me away. But on the whole, it didn't captivate, not in the way that Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle had done so all those years before.

Now, though, and in a completely different way, I've found something that is so entertaining, so charming and hilarious and witty and FUN: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. It's a web video series that retells Pride and Prejudice in an very modern way. Lizzie Bennet is a grad student studying mass communications, her sweet sister Jane is an underpaid minion in the fashion world, and the only other sister is the irreplacable Lydia, an oversexed community college student who wears a lot of Victoria's Secret Pink! casual wear (she once tried to give Lizzie a kiss on the mouth, and when stopped promptly by Lizzie, says "What, don't you want more viewers?"). There is no Kitty or Mary in the immediate family, though they do have a cousin Mary who, if memory serves me, has a cat named Kitty. At least someone has a cat named Kitty, who follows Lydia around wherever she goes. Clever!

Lizzie's best friend is no longer Charlotte Lucas but Charlotte Lu, the director and editor of Lizzie's vlog and an aspiring director. She's cool and collected, much like Charlotte Lucas, with a very logical mind and outlook on life. She's also hilarious and cool in a nerdy but not quite hipsterish way (thank God), and reels Lizzie in during her frequent rants and ravings over people like Darcy and Caroline.

Mr. Bingley is actually a med student named Bing Lee, a very handsome young man who is as sweet as the original Bingley, but with an extra dose of comic value that is a delight. His sister Caroline is a surprise; so far into the series (we're on episode 35 of 60) she hasn't shown the original Caroline's bitchiness and oozing approval for Darcy, though we can tell she's a snob. And we know she's a snake in the grass. She has to be! There's also Mr. Collins, an annoying old schoolmate of Lizzie and Charlotte's who, thanks to the financial backing of Catherine de Bourgh, has started his own web video business.

That brings me to Darcy. We've yet to see him but as of now we are in the midst of Lizzie's utter dislking of him, which is hilarious in its own way as she groans and pulls faces for her video diary, despite Jane's insistence that it isn't criticism Darcy is displaying, it's affection. But when we do see him, and I know for a fact we will, it's going to be so exciting. Especially considering how freaking hot Bing is. Darcy has to be comparable. RIGHT?

What I really appreciate about this web series is how well they mirror the troubles that plagued Austen's Bennet family, but in more modern times. All three Bennet sisters still live at home due to crippling student loans and, in Jane's case, a sadly underpaid but much adored job. The Bennets are facing the reality of losing their home in the bad economy, which somewhat explains Mrs. Bennet's mad dash to get her daughters married both quickly and richly. It all makes sense. And when she decides to remodel the house, in order to get her daughters invited to Bing Lee's house (Netherfield, natch), it is done under the guise of improving the value of the home in order to sell it and make more money to help the family stay afloat.

Look, I am basically retelling the whole damn web series up to episode 35, because that's how into it I am. The videos are 6 minutes or less, most of them hovering around 3:35 minutes long, so before you know it you've ripped through 20 of them and are out of wine. There's a tumblr, a twitter and a you tube channel all dedicated to the series, but the link I gave you up above will take you to the offical site, and you can get all the nitty gritty on that page.

"You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love" this series.

Grade: A+++++

5 Things I'm Into Right Now.

1. OPI's I'm Not Really A Waitress



Arguably OPI's most hilarious and badass name for a color, I've always assumed it was more candy apple hooker red, and not this lovely, Christmassy shade. I am currently wearing it and I can tell it's going to be my holiday season color.

2. Doc Martin

Yes, another BBC show! This is easily my favorite new show and I look forward to Thursdays now more than I did even when I still watched Grey's Anatomy. Taking place in the absolute most gorgeous place EVER in the entire WORLD, a small village in Cornwall named Portwenn, it is all about Doctor Martin Ellingham, a brilliant surgeon who develops a fear of blood in the middle of a basic operation. He moves from London to Portwenn (where he had spent his holidays with his aunt Joan) in order to take up practice as the village's general doctor. He's brusque and painfully blunt to the point of rudeness, but we see many moments of genuine concern and empathy as well as loads of hilarious dialogue and commentary. Every single thing about this show delights me: the location (I now want to live in Cornwall), the acting, the snappy British humor and all the colorful villagers. There is chemistry between Martin and the school teacher, Louisa, but of course his lack of social skills will often ruin the moment before any hot making out happens.

It's on Thursdays on PBHS at 9pm.

3. Market Warriors

Um, yes it's more TV and you can shove it! Todd and I are unbelievably hooked on this show and I can't explain why. We're fans of Antiques Roadshow so maybe that's it, but for some reason this show just snagged us. The four crazy people shown above, John, Miller, Bob and Kevin respectively, are all different types of professionals when it comes to antiques and collectibles. They all have different styles and personalities, each is hilarious in their own way, and it's just fascinating to see them navigate through flea and antique/furniture markets. They each get $1000 to buy stuff that they turn around and sell at auction, and whomever makes the most profit wins. For some reason it's insanely addictive, and we get unnaturally excited right before it comes on. I love seeing what they find, I love seeing how much they pay versus how much they get and I love knowing that the shit they sell in antique stores and antique malls are ridiculously overpriced. I look forward to the day when I can walk into an antique mall and offer some seller like 60% of the asking price and get it. Cash money!

Mondays on PBHS at 9pm

4. V8

No, I'm not putting vodka in it. I'm actually really enjoying having a glass with my lunch. Just add some celery salt and cayenne pepper and bam! A tasty, healthy drink that actually fills me up quite a bit. Once I drank the whole glass while making my salad and found I was more than full. Poor salad.

5. Neutrogena Body Lotion Light Sesame Formula

Oh, man, I am in love with this stuff. I am a huge fan of their sesame formula body oil but sometimes I want a lotion instead of oil. Then I saw they had this, with the same delightful fragrance, and I about died of happiness.

I used to use a ton of Neutrogena stuff and sort of fell out of it after switching from using facial toners and cleansers to just using a Dove beauty bar on my face. But now, with the oil, this lotion and my lip balm, I'm thinking I should just buy stock and be done with it.



Gone Girl.

So I started reading Gone Girl last week, and yesterday I returned it to the library. Not because I finished it that fast, but because I didn't want to mire myself in such negativity. This coming from a girl who likes murder mysteries and vampire sex!

I don't know why but Gone Girl didn't settle with me, despite being really well written. It revolves around a seemingly happy married couple who are anything but, and what happens when, on their 5th wedding annivesary, the wife Amy goes missing. As the husband, Nick is naturally the prime suspect. Since I only read about 40 or 50 pages I'm not giving anything away by saying that, plus I think that, and more, is on the book cover's inside flap.

The reason why I didn't like it is because it's a long book, and I knew I would get seriously emotionally fucked with for a prolonged amount of time, and I wasn't up to the task. I didn't want to feel creeped out and sort of nauseated by the cruel things people do to their loved ones, and I knew that was what I was in for. There was a particularly depressing moment when, after Nick talks about how awkward and... sort of pretentious and self centered his wife's very laborious and time consuming wedding gift was, you read in a flashback (via Amy's diary) how excited she was to plan it all out and how she knew he'd love it.

That's reality in relationships but it broke my heart in a small way, and I didn't want to invest so much of my time, emotions and imagination in something that would ultimately leave a bad taste in my mouth. However I had no qualms recommending it to Kendra, who admittedly likes her stories to be a little melodramatic, a little depressing, a little dark.

I guess I'm just a girl scout Pollyanna when it comes to that sort of thing. Although I love Neil Gaiman's The Sandman series which is such a far cry from Pollyanna, I don't know what to say. Wait, I do know what to say: I didn't like immersing myself in a toxic marriage. I didn't want to read this book and then start imagining all these horrible things existing in my own marriage. Many people would suggest that that very thing is what makes good fiction, getting you to open your eyes, to I don't know, let the story in. But I am not here for that.

There was one line where Amy writes that she doesn't want to be That Wife, that she was perilously close to becoming it, that she didn't want to get mad at her husband for drinking all night with his just-fired friends on their anniversary, but she could feel it happening. I think all of us have felt that way, the mad-but-don't-wanna-be, but in that instant I was reading way too much into the story. Was I That Wife? That Wife meaning whatever it is you don't want to be. Do I needle into Todd too much, am I a shrew, the queen of  harpies, a fishmonger's wife?

And that's when I realized I just didn't want to finish it. I flipped to the last page to see how it ended and my God I am so glad I did because it confirmed some suspicions I had.

I'm trying not to give away the ending, so I will just say that as I get older, I have realized that I just might end up missing out on a lot of good fiction, good movies, etc, because the tone is too depressing. I'll never read Faulkner and after wiking some plots of his stories, I don't think I'm missing out on much. It all sounds like one big reason to take a Prozac. I don't want to waste my time and energy on something that will make me feel sadder or angrier than I was when I started. My time and my life and my imagination are precious to me, so I won't willingly spend 400 pages' worth of my life feeling creeped out and depressed right before bed.

Maybe that makes me sound like a dumbass, but it's how it is.

Review: Penzeys Spices

I could have used their actual logo to head this post, but since this little saying that Penzeys has on billboards, bumper stickers and the like, and since cooking is one way I really express my love (aside from comments dripping in sarcasm of course), I went with this one.

Penzeys Spices is an amazing little store. They've got over 250 herbs and spices and going in there for the first time last week with my friend Kendra was sort of like a junkie stepping inside their very first opium den. There are sections dedicated solely to pepper, to chiles, to cinnamon. Mixed herbs like the Parisien Bonnes Herbes, are heavenly. There is the Beef Roast blend which they recommend for not just roasts but steaks as well. It smells incredibly like a rich beef boullion but is sodium free, so I see a new, saltless beef stock provider in my future.

The spices are insanely reasonable as well, considering you can get musty dusty generic spices at any grocery store for about $3 - $5. Lo, that's the average price range at Penzeys, except the quality is through the roof. I was nearly intoxicated by the heady perfume of the cumin jar, and OH YES, they have big sample jars so you can get a whiff. They had jars of diced, dried green bell pepper whose concentrated aroma nearly knocked me off my flip flops. I didn't dare get involved in smelling any of the chile powders but I was sorely tempted.

Those sample jars come in handy, too, because some of the blends are ones you've, or at least I've, never heard of. The Florida herb blend sounded good but the smell wasn't for me. I would have been tempted to give it a try otherwise, so I appreciated Penzeys frank and honest way of doing business.

And let's not even talk about how CUTE the jars are. Oh hell, let's do it!

If I knew how I'd frame that picture with a whimsical water-colored border consisting of mountain meadow flowers and blue birds, those little guys are that adorable. That smaller size usually runs around $3.50 if memory serves, and these larger ones are about $6 or so:

That is a gift set, by the way, in case anyone wants to buy me one.

One thing I'm looking forward to trying is the Raspberry Enlightenment which, so far as I am concerned, is sort of undefinable. It's a jar of what looks like raspberry preserves, but since the instructions recommend using it on white meats, pastas and as a vinaigrette, I'm sure it's more than that. Friday's menu will be grilled chicken with Raspberry Enlightenment and broccoli fritters (HEY-OHHH) so I will definitely report back on how the chicken turns out.

I can't wait to run out of my crappy cumin and go back for the good stuff. I can't wait to run out of all my spices and, as Kendra is doing, slowly replace everying with Penzeys. Yes, it is that good. If you could only smell the toasted onion granules I got, or the crystallized ginger, you'd drool your way over there this very instant. There is a French herb blend I forgot to snag, one that has lavender, and it is so on my hit list.

Grade: A+++

Review/Fangirling: The Gaslight Mysteries series

Okay so I'm like going apeshit over this series. It takes place in New York City in the late 1800s, I'm thinking like 1870s - 1880s. The main, recurring characters are Detective Frank Malloy, a rough and tough Irish detective hell bent on saving enough money for the bribe to make Captain, and a high-bred woman, Sarah Brandt, who left the wealth and social standing of her well-established family to marry a doctor, the late Tom Brandt, and become a nurse and midwife. Thrown together in odd circumstances, the pair makes a formidable team when it comes to solving murders in a city where the stark contrast between wealth and poverty is glaringly evident in all aspects.

Victoria Thompson does a remarkable job illustrating how difficult it was to live back then, in a sort of upstairs/downstairs way. The wealthy have it all thanks to their money, including the problems and complications that come with it, while the poor have nothing but grit and determination not to starve, from people living as servants to the poor, barefooted orphans who are as ruthless and cruel as any super villian.

Thompson also points out, time and time again, the hardships women of all social classes had back then; even a rich woman, if divorced by her husband, could literally be deprived of her children, money, the clothes off her back. She would be thrown out of the house and abandoned to thugs and pickpockets, rapists and starvation. Women, even with jobs in factories, couldn't make enough to live on their own thanks to the pitiful wages.

That's why Sara Brandt is such an anomaly, because she found a narrow niche in which to position herself, thanks to the training provided by her husband (who was murdered three years before the start of the series). Add to that her rebellion against wealth and comfort and privilege, her wit and humor, and you can see why she captivates, exasperates and ultimately charms Frank Malloy, who likewise earns the affection of Sarah, though both would be hard pressed to let the other person know.

Frank himself is a great character. He works in the police force which is more famous for its corruption and greed than doing its civil duty, despite Theodore Roosevelt's grand attempts at injecting a little integrity into it. While he plays along with the bribery game in order to advance in rank (bribery being the only way, as valor means nothing), he still has a moral backbone, which is only strengthened as Sarah's approval becomes more and more important to him. That, and being a good father to his poor deaf son, Brian, who was also born with a club foot and whose birth killed his late wife Katherine. He needs to make captain in order to provide a better life for his son and to get him into a school for the deaf, when his 3 year old boy is old enough.

Um, as you can tell, I am all over this series like white on rice. I can't get enough of the books! I started with the latest two in the series, then bought the first two, and checked out the two after that from the library. Now, since I'm waiting on books five and six to come to me, I have nothing to do but blog about them.

They're easy reads, nothing ooh-la-la about the writing like Dorothy L Sayers' mystery series about Lord Peter Whimsy. But they're also painstakingly researched which, as a fellow writer who had to do research about historical periods, impresses me to no end. I fucking hate research. Anyways, I love that I'm not only following a spark of romance in the books between Sarah and Frank, but am getting a wide-eyed glimpse into a world that is both very different, and then not so different, to our own current times.

I strongly recommend you give this series a try, but if you're planning on trying to reserve them at any of Tucson's libraries, and think you're going to bump me back on the waiting list you are wrong, pal. Wrong!!

Grade: A++

Review: Brocato Cloud 9 Hair Care

A couple of weeks ago, after trying and failing to put a little body and some waves in my hair with some crappy hair products and an old curling iron, I decided I was fed up, FED UP I TELL YOU, with the stuff I had been using.

I was a die hard Jason fanatic due to its gentle, non-detergent formula that was paraben free to boot. It didn't strip my hair of oils and moisture like most brands like Pantene, um, my God I cannot think of another shampoo brand. Garnier! There you go. Herbal Essences! Okay.

But recently they changed their formulas and I must be Princess-and-the-Pea sensitive to stuff like that because instantly I could tell a difference in the feel of the shampoo (slimier) and how it affected my hair. So finally, after getting zero curl in my hair and having it feel heavy and blah and looking dull and blah, after looking into the mirror to see my daughter break off all my deoderant into the cap and claw at it with her fingernails, I decided this mommy needed some better shampoo.

I called my diva-rific friend Kendra and asked what she used. She gave me some names but since she colors her hair and I don't, we decided I just needed to traipse on down to Ulta and browse around. After a lot of fruitless searching (95% of shampoos have sodium laureth sulfate and that stuff is too drying for me), I finally found Brocato. Now some of their shampoos do contain SLS and they all contain some sort of gentler variant, but then I found their Cloud 9 line, which is all about repairing and restoring.

What I was grateful for, considering this stuff is like $17 a bottle, was that they also offered sample sizes. I think it might be because the Cloud 9 line is all about repairing and some people don't feel the need to protect their hair more than once a week or so.

Since my hair is on the long side, I have the dry ends issue, so I wound up going back and purchasing the regular sizes of both the shampoo and conditioner, and here's why: After just one time using them, the texture of my hair was vastly improved. I used a serum from another of Brocato's line, Curl Interrupted, before blow drying and those strange bumps in my hair disappeared completely. I shampoo at night because the idea of getting into bed dirty disgusts and confuses me, but the next day, my hair looks like I did it that morning, no lie.

I haven't felt the need to use a straightener on my hair since I bought this stuff, and considering that simply blow-drying my hair straightens those stupid bumps out (which the straightener was failing to do), it's not hard to see why.

OH. And last night I used a new serum I purchased, since it was on sale at Ulta when I returned for my bigger sizes, is the Cloud 9 Blowout serum, and my God, after I blow dried my hair, I just couldn't stop touching it. I made Todd, my mom and my stepdad touch my hair because it was such an utter improvement. And shine! I almost forgot. While it's not blinded-by-the-sun shiny, there is defintitely an improvement in that area. I am thinking that after these bottles are used up, I'm going to explore more of the Brocato line. While browsing their website I found some different lines that weren't at Ulta, so I may purchase them there (I linked you guys to their site above in the text).

Grade: A+

Review: Aldo Razavi flats.

Todd and I have been married five years as of the 26th of next month. For our honeymoon we spent a month in Europe. For this momentous occasion I purchased two pairs of flats from Aldo.

I will not get into how horribly the brown pair hurt my feet.

I will, however, get into the fact that aside from a pair of blue flats from Target, that was the last time I bought flats.

Flats flats flats.

So, recently I realized that I was in dire need of some new kicks. Enter my new pair of shoes:

They are suede Aldo Razavi flats and they are so cute! I feel like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz in these bad boys. I loved them so much I bought a pair in black as well. Unfortunately Aldo does not do half sizes, and since my pregnancy somehow gave permission, against my will, to let my feet grow, I'm now a 9.5. In the case of the Razavi, however, the no-half-size rule is a good thing. They do run a wee bit small, so the size 10 is a good fit.

I will say though that after half a day, the backs of my heels feel a little too vigorously rubbed, and I've grown accustomed to wearing XL band-aids on my heels to avoid blisters. I've not gotten a blister yet though. I'm assuming these puppies will break in after a few more wears, since those dreaded brown ones eventually became a favorite pair, and I will even admit that my love for these shoes, and the black pair as well, completely overrides any discomfort I feel. But, thank goodness for band-aids.

Edited 6/11/13 to add: I am actually wearing these cutie patooties right now, and my goodness are they comfortable. Actually about a week after I originally wrote this post (9/11/12 in case my edit messes with my time stamp), the shoes did that magical broken-in-shoe-thing and suddenly stopped rubbing, and fit perfectly. So kudos to you, Aldo. You just got your grade bumped from B to...

Grade: A

Review: DOWNTOWN restaurant

No, I don't mean downtown restaurant as in a restaurant that's downtown, although DOWNTOWN actually is a restaurant downtown.

DOWNTOWN is actually the name of the restaurant and two sentences in, I'm already sick and tired of the word "downtown."

Do you know people will get into arguments about whether or not the punctuation should go inside the quotes if the puncuation is not actually part of the quoted piece of text? So like, what do I do with this situation? The period is part of the sentence, but not part of the word that is annoying me (downtown). But to me, a period just hanging out all by itself on the outer edge of those quote marks is just so sad and it also looks sloppy. Oh, hell, now I just want to shut down my computer and go to bed.

Anyways, this restaurant! It was delicious and if you ever find yourself in downtown (sigh) Tucson, I think you should give this place a try.

The first time I went, I ordered the black mussels for an appetizer. You know, the food we eat before we eat food. They were heavenly. Usually mussels, or moules as I like to call them in a little mini shout out to my late aunt Jessica, are steamed in a mix of broth and white wine, with shallots, garlic and minced parsley, give or take an ingredient or two. They are DELICIOUS and I love them.

But Janos, the chef and owner of DOWNTOWN (sigh), did a twist and added slices of chorizo sausage to the broth. The result is a spicy, rich broth you can dip your bread into--- OH BUT WAIT, Janos already did that for you by added a toasted piece of bread in your bowl! Half submerged, the exposed part is crispy and hot but the portion that is in the broth is soft, completely saturated with so much flavor. Heaven!

For my entree I had the duck with BBQ rice and Szechuan eggplant. Holy shit. That's just it. The duck was perfectly cooked, succulent, and surprisingly low in fatty content. The rice and eggplant were absolutely delicious as well. You know that part in the movie Elf, when Buddy the Elf puts all the candy and broken up pop tarts on his pasta, drowns it in syrup and stuffs his face? And as he's eating it he sort of bounces in his seat, eyes rolled back, hands flapping? That was basically me every time I took a bite of the duck. SO GOOD.

In fact, this past weekend when we went again, I was sorely tempted to get it again. But I'm really glad I didn't because, while I still had to satisfy my craving for the moules, I also had to satisfy my curiosity. I ordered the red curry catfish. They were succulent, tender, lightly floured and, from what I can tell, baked fillets, on top of rice that had this creamy thing going on from a mixture of basil, ginger, lemongrass and coconut milk. So the bowl  had a base of rice, topped with the catfish, which was in turn topped with a spicy lemon cucumber salad.

The salad on top was definitely the spiciest thing but since nothing else had that heat, it wasn't overpowering. Instead it served as a kicked up garnish of sorts, and all of it, ALL OF IT, just mingled so well together in that bowl that I was half tempted to just pick it up and fling it against the distressed brick wall behind me because my God, Janos had created perfection and if perfection is created, all else pales in comparison and I figured I would just save the world from that horrible sinking feeling of not being able to stand up to the red curry catfish.

Todd, the first go round, had the pork belly appetizer and the grilled salmon with bacon orzo. They were both delicious but the whole foodgasm situation I was in kept me from fully enjoying and envying his dishes. THAT IS HOW GOOD MY FOOD WAS. I'm not as bad as my mother in law, but sampling other people's dishes is a favorite of mine. It helps diminish the remorse you often feel when you are so utterly torn between two or more choices. God my life is full of first world problems, isn't it?

The second go-round he got the ahi ceviche and THAT my friends was absolutely delicious. It was served with a seaweed salad that was actually really delicious. It reminded me of our delicious sea greens and how I should take them up on their offer of awesomeness. For his entree he had the orechiette pasta with mushrooms and braised duck and THAT my friends was also outstanding. I kept sneaking those little pastas out of his bowl with my fork.

Something else I want to talk about that absolutely blows my mind regarding this restaurant is their attention to the personal details you offer up when making your reservation. Normally I enjoy speaking with a human being but in the case of making reservations online, I am a new and fervent convert. Both times we went, the requests I made (booth, cozy, romantic) were not only heeded but were also brought up in casual, cheerful conversation with either the host or the server. The first time was awesome because I had written something to the effect of "We're parents to a toddler and rarely get out so the more cozy and romantic the table, the better. Thank you!" and my God, on our way to our fabulous, super comfortable horseshoe booth, the host chatted about how as a fellow parent himself, he completely understands and how he hoped our booth would meet our expectations. And we chatted about being parents very briefly.

The second time the same host, though not referencing anything in my reservation requests, charmed me again by overhearing my wanting to sit on Todd's left since I'm a leftie, and then commiserating with me on the joys and hassles of being left-handed. Little things like that are just so touching in a world where we are increasingly distancing ourselves from the public through iPods, iPads, headphones, cell phones, dvd players, etc. It's nice to be noticed, it's nice to be considered and it's nice to be thought of. I get all of these things out of interactions with the staff of DOWNTOWN (sigh).

So, there you have it. I have nothing horrible to say about this restaurant at all. Well, I will say that this past Saturday we went rather earlier than our normal time, getting reservations at 6pm. I figured the most popular dining hour would be 7pm but boy I was wrong. That place was jumping and it did take several minutes for our cocktails to find us. But that's it. After that, it was smooth sailing with the delivery of wine, appetizers and entrees. And our server was absolutely attentive, charming and helpful. It was just lovely.

DOWNTOWN Kitchen + Cocktails
135 S. 6th Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85701
623-7700
downtownkitchen.com

Grade: A++