Cruelty-Free Shampoo & Conditioner

I try to exclusively buy cruelty-free personal products because I am an animal lover and wish to avoid supporting companies that test on animals. But buying cruelty-free can be expensive sometimes.

I recently found myself wanting to buy new shampoo and conditioner but not wanting to shell out the $11+ for a bottle of Paul Mitchell (my favorite brand) products. I found THIS LINK to a site that suggests cruelty-free cheaper personal care products. And on it I was thrilled to discover that Tresemme does NOT test on animals and is reasonably priced! How great is that? I bought Tresemme Moisture Rich shampoo and conditioner and used it, love the smell, love the way my hair feels after I use it and can get it guilt-free!

Companies standards on animal testing changes constantly, so for an accurate list of which ones do and do not test on animals go to the PETA website here and do your own research.

Here's to great hair without making the furry ones suffer!

Why Does the World Exist?

i am so excited to read this book! this is a tough subject to discuss since a lot of it is hypothetical (in fact, most of, if not all, the information we consider fact is hypothetical but some is more defensible than others, i guess), but this certainly doesn't stop me from considering it! why IS there anything versus there being a vacuum?

Why Does the World Exist? by, Jim Holt

i LOVE the idea that nothingness annihilated itself into something! "Das Nichts nichtet"! that is super cool, as is the thought that zero morphed into +1 and -1 (matter and antimatter). i can't wait to read the theories of the people he interviewed. universes "as plentiful as blackberries"! imagine!

oh, it's so exciting.

i just ordered it and am going to try to read pre-baby. there's nothing i'd rather contemplate as i help to bring a little being into existence!

Making Optimism Work for You

someone recently sent me a link to this article which i found really interesting and invigorating. i'm not a huge fan of optimism because i always associate it with naive thinking, unrealistic views of the world that usually involve high levels of denial, and FORCING one to be happy, even when you're not.

i love how the emphasis in this article is on action, not on feeling happy. it makes sense to be ready for opportunity, to "fake it until you make it",  and to do it- and then learn how. no one knows how to live life until you get out there and RISK SOMETHING.

Making Optimism Work for You

i also love the Thomas Edison quote about not failing, but finding 10,000 ways something didn't work. i.e., taking the judgement out of a task and simply moving forward.

the tips at the end i think are extremely helpful. in particular, getting out of your comfort zone (something my mom was a great fan of) to get involved in your life; being in control of your feeling vs. them being in charge of you; and meditating to allow your feelings wash over you without judgement or reaction (this is really hard and something i'm working on) so that you can acknowledge them without INTERNALIZING them and letting them get in your way.

i hope you enjoy reading it as much as i did.

today, i'm proud to be an american

and that doesn't happen every day for me.

this country has worried and upset me a lot recently, but today we lived up to our potential. let's keep it up!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/us/supreme-court-lets-health-law-largely-stand.html?hp

good job, SCOTUS and President Obama!!!!!!!

things i love and do not need.

a collapsible dog bowl from Charleston Naturally. great for travel or at the beach with your pooch.

these i already have and use all the time. the cheap, environmentally friendly and super useful Baggu.

this colorblock cutting board from anthropologie is way too expensive for my taste, but i love the look! perfect for a beach house or nautical theme.

a nautical door knocker on sale from pottery barn for $20. naut bad. ahahhahahahhaha....kill me.

these pillows from nenavon on etsy.com are killer and only $25! another reason etsy is great. you can find super stylish stuff for a fraction of the larger retail design store. if i had a beach house, i would buy a ton of these.

a sailor tote bag for the beach for $33. cute! stripes, everywhere!

oh, and i have a mentioned that a beach house would go very nicely with all of these.


 these lacoste beach towels take your beach wear to the next level. modern, stylish and now on sale at macy's.

those are my summer purchase suggestions, should you be in the market for more stuff!

cherry pie

is one of life's simple pleasures. so i made one. and it is as good as one remembers. recipe here.

cold cucumber soup, a great recipe

well, it's hot here in brooklyn today. and when i say hot i mean 94.5 degrees farenheit and climbing. so i've been inspired to break out my cold soup recipes and this is one of my favorites. i love cold soup, but sometimes they are a little too bland. this one has quite the zip because of all the garlic, scallions and chives. feel free to not use so much garlic if it's too much for you. it 's super easy to make and delicious.

6 cucumbers, peel if waxed
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
6 cloves garlic, cooked for 1 min in boiling water, and then peeled
1/4 cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
a few drops of tabasco, or hot chili, sauce
4 cups plain yogurt, regular or low fat
1/2 cup minced chives or scallions
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp walnut oil, suggested but can substitute olive oil
freshly ground white pepper
additional yogurt for garnish, optional
additional minced chives for garnish

1. cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a teaspoon. cut into 1-inch slices and toss with salt. let sit 1 hour at room temperature. rinse well and drain.
2. in a food processor, combine the cucumbers, walnuts, garlic, vinegar, tabasco, and yogurt. process well.
3. stir in the chives, olive oil, and walnut oil. chill for at least 6 hours before serving.
4. before pouring into a chilled picnic thermos (chill by filling with ice water and then pouring out), adjust salt, white pepper, vinegar, and tabasco.
5. add a dollop of yogurt and sprinkle of chives, if desired, to individual portions.