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Favorite Things – March Edition

Favorite Things March

Another month is coming to a close which means it’s time to share my favorite things. I’m not sure what caused it but I feel as if I’ve discovered more new products this month than normal.  This month’s roundup is an array of items ranging from a favorite new green to a drugstore skin and beauty item that costs less than $3 at your local drugstore!

During my pedicure in London the owner recommended I try her favorite skin product for the breakouts on my chin. She insisted that I would see a difference the next day.

This Skinetica Toner has all but made my blemishes disappear in just four days and without any drying side effects! 

  While shopping in the Geneva farmer’s market a few weeks ago our Supper Club group discovered Lamb’s lettuce or Mâche and my salad’s haven’t been the same since! This bright green, nutty flavored, crisp lettuce has added a new flavor dimension to my salads while also packing in tons of folate, vitamin C and iron!  –

Always a sucker for a great beauty item, especially one with more than 2,400 positive reviews on Sephora, I used a gift card to buy the Dior Addict Lip Glow last month and have already gone through my first tube. The sheer, natural pink hue is perfect for every occasion and the balm kept my lips moist and happy during our ski trip thanks to the SPF 10 and mango butter.

For those people who don’t want to shell out more than a few dollars for a lip balm, the Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Stick is perfect as it can multi-task as a powerful lip balm for chapped lips or perfect size moisturizer for cuticles or dry skin patches and scars. I purchased this at CVS when I was in New York for just $2.99 and wish I’d stocked up!

I don’t know about fellow iPhone users but as soon as I updated my IOS software a few weeks ago my phone refuses to hold a charge for more than a few hours. I finally gave in and bought the Mophie Juice Pack Air last week as I know I’ll be using my phone while we travel through four different countries beginning next week. When we’re on the road I use my phone to help navigate through foreign cities, find restaurants, access the items on my travel Pinterest board, and check out recommendations. The last thing I want to deal with is a dead phone battery! This new ultra light and thin Mophie is able to provide 100% charge to a dead iPhone 5!

Last but not least, I tested out the Sweaty Betty Hair Toggles during this week’s long run and still can’t believe how well they held my braid. The toggles don’t leave a kink in my hair after a workout and are perfect for holding my super thick hair in any style whether messy bun, long run braid or high ponytail.

Your turn: What are you loving this month?

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London: Three Great Food Finds

Since moving to London, Bo and I have found the restaurant scene to be a bit overwhelming and difficult to navigate. Now, this probably due more to the fact that we aren’t here often enough to immerse ourselves into the restaurant scene in the manner we did when living in NYC full time. Instead, each Friday or Saturday when we’re in the city we find ourselves desperately searching for last minute availability at a restaurant which has been recommended to us or we’ve discovered via articles. I know, it’s so easy to have the foresight to make reservations in advance but sometimes life gets in the way.

But this weekend the stars aligned for us and we ended up enjoying three meals which left us wanting to return and each of these restaurants will receive a stellar Yelp review from me along with a pin on my London Pinterest board.

929 934 935 936Victus & Bibo – We discovered this food stand within the Greenwich Market due to the long line which wrapped around the stand twice! Anytime we exploring a local market the true symbol of good food is the line length. Not only did this stand have a long line though it also had amazing aromas! A classic high-end Turkish food stand, they have one dish that that they feature along with a few variations. The magic is in the fact that this one menu item is what has made them popular and keeps people coming back each Friday, Saturday and Sunday when they are at the market. Their signature, the lamb & haloumi wrap, was large enough for us to split between the two of us for a small yet satiating lunch. They used the classic Turkish chili flakes in the meat as it simmered before piling that into a wrap topped with hummus, grilled halloumi, lettuce, chilies, peppers, and yogurt sauce. The flavors were delicious and the hearty wrap kept us full for hours!

1654164516461652Trishna– This restaurant is a food gem hidden on a side street of Marylebone. For Americans like us who have not experienced much Indian food beyond either our friend’s cooking or delivery in New York City, it’s hard to know what to look for in an Indian restaurant. We haven’t been to many so when we heard that Trishna was awarded a Michelin star we were immediately intrigued and excited! Trishna’s service and cuisine blew our minds within the first five minutes. We snagged a table for two on Friday night around 7:30 which was clearly right before their rush hour. The menu features many Southwest Indian dishes while also blending together some local British seafood and meats. The cocktail menu, which many on Yelp recommended, was a series of classic cocktails with an Indian twist such as Masala spice or Saffron in drinks such as margaritas and Old Fashions. We started with the margarita and mojito before enjoying three appetizers and a shared entree. The tandoori lamb chops entree and the aloo chat appetizer were our favorite dishes of the evening. It should be noted that this restaurant’s menu is not for the faint of heart when it comes to spices. Our waiter laughed as we gulped down glasses of water following one very spice appetizer before suggesting we sip on a lassi instead. If you’re able to snag reservations between 6-6:30pm you can enjoy their Early Evening menu which is 4 courses for 28 pounds!1025102710221023Gail’s Kitchen– After a morning visit to the Viking’s exhibit at the British Museum we chose to walk home versus take the tube due to the gorgeous sunshine. When I spotted an open table under the bright red awning at Gail’s Kitchen, I immediately knew it was our sign that we should enjoy brunch. The menu features their personal take on some traditional British brunch favorites such as a proper fry up while also featuring some unique items which have put them on the map. We opted to trust the Yelp reviews and order exactly what they recommended: house made lemonade with elderflower, iced coffee, shakshuka eggs and a bread basket. The shakshuka eggs which featured eggs baked in smoky red pepper, tomato sauce and feta was absolutely amazing and the flavors left us thinking about it all afternoon. In fact, we may have asked if they were open for dinner on Sunday nights.  Everything on their menu revolves around the house made breads, which did not disappoint.

There you have it, our weekend in food! If you’re a London local or have visited before, what are your no miss restaurants or food stalls?

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Every Workout Is A Personal Experience

For the past few months, I’ve seen a yoga class on my office gym’s class schedule. The description gave no details other than that three days per week there is an hour long yoga class offered downstairs. I asked a few co-workers and received very mixed or negative reviews. Many stated that it was merely okay. Until today I have let those reviews sway my decision and keep me from finding some solace during a busy workday by practicing my down dogs and flow series during lunch.

As my training schedule called for yoga today, I figured that I was far more likely to make it to the yoga class in our office than one outside the office based on my work schedule. This morning I threw my workout clothes in my purse and blocked off my lunch hour with a private “yoga” meeting. The knot in my shoulder and my sore legs were looking forward to the workout. In my mind however I dismissed the class. I managed my expectations by telling myself that it wouldn’t be a good class. The only way I convinced myself to leave my desk at 12:15 was by convincing myself that if nothing else, it would at least force me to spend an hour stretching and relaxing my mind.

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What I didn’t expect was to leave the class inspired and excited. The class was led by a very friendly teacher sporting an American amount of Lululemon (headband, tank, crops) who instructed us in English with a French accent. She walked around the room constantly, adjusting us and reminding us that this was our hour of the day. The two men and thirteen of us women spent the hour in silence save for our closing chant. There was no magical inversion moment or a pose that felt perfect. Instead it was an hour of peace as I found my center on the mat, focusing on nothing except my breath and my body’s responses as I moved through the flow.

Today’s yoga experience was a great reminder that every workout is a personal experience. There is no perfect class for anyone hence the reason there are so many options. I regret letting 8 months pass before I gave the yoga class a try. Now I am making it a personal goal to squeeze in at least one of the three weekly yoga classes.

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