Chicago

Thurs: Hike - Options are:

Chicago Botanical Gardens (35 min away): http://www.meetup.com/ChicagoHOS/events/28909431/

Sag Valley Trail (35 min away also):
http://www.meetup.com/ChicagoHOS/events/28642291/

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Saturday only: Navy pier fireworks & drinks at rooftop lounge (we'll need to make res) : http://www.jhochicago.com/en/events-and-deals/events-calendar/
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Sunday only: Maxwell Street Market :http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/event_landing/special_events/mose/maxwell_street_market.html
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Other things to do:

• Rent bikes & bike to Oak Street Beach & Promotory Point (perhaps picnic with alcohol/wine?) : There's also biking tours http://www.yelp.com/biz/bobbys-bike-hike-tours-and-rentals-chicago



• Museum of Science & Industry (admission is $15 - they have all kinds of cool interactive exhibits but if we don't want to pay I kind of just want to see it b/c it's one of the only buildings that remained from the World Fair in 1890s)



• Willis Tower @ West Loop



• Shopping / walking around at Miracle Mile (check out Palmolive Building & Drake Hotel)



• Kayak at Montrose Beach: http://www.meetup.com/ChicagoHOS/events/27859221/



• Wrigley Field



• Wendella Lake & River Tour ($25) - http://www.wendellaboats.com/

Millenium Park:

• The Bean & other sculptures @ Millenium Park : http://gochicago.about.com/od/attractionsandlandmarks/ss/millennium_park_6.htm



• Lurie Garden



• Crown Fountain



• Pritzger Pavillion designed by Frank Gehry

Stuff to do in Lincoln Park:

• Lincoln Park Zoo (free)



• Lincoln Park Conservatory (free)



• Chicago History Museum ($15 admission, $12 w/ student ID): http://chicagohistory.org/planavisit/visitorinformation/#tickets



• Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool : http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/attractions/park_district/alfred_caldwell_lily.html

Nail Idea

Let's make this Harry Potter-eque using Red & Gold!

Ab exercises to cancel out a "cheat"

10 different exercises w/ 15 reps:

1. Regular crunches but w/ legs straight out (15)
2. Side crunching - stay flat on back w/ legs straight out, left hand supporting neck, right arm sweeps up above head then down reaching for right ankle as you crunch to the side (the crunching motion will be side to side w/ no upward movement) (15 each side)
3. Knee crunch + reach crunch - Right leg stays straight, crunch left knee & right elbow up together, down then crunch straight left foot up while reaching w/ right arm. That is one, do 15 on each side.
4. Bicycle crunches - Right side then left side counts as one. Keep this slow and controlled (15)
5. Plank w/ raised leg - Plank on elbows, lift right leg for 15 seconds then switch and hold left leg for 15 seconds. Do 30 seconds if its too easy.
6. Mountain climbers - Plank on hands, lift right foot to lightly touch in lunge position (upper body stays in plank, don't let your butt go up), switch to left foot. Both sides together count as 1. (15)
7. Side plank w/ hip kisses - Side plank on right elbow, lower hip so it "kisses" the mat, then use side abs to pull hips back up to plank. Do this 15 times and switch and do 15 the other side.
8. Leg lift and opens - Lie on back w/ legs straight, hands under your lower back for support. , lift up legs so you are in L and use lower abs to lift hips off hands (keep this controlled and non-jerky), lower legs til almost touching ground (about 30 degree ankle is ideal), then swing them open and together. (15)
9. Rowing the boat - Sit in boat position w/ legs together and bent, lower upper body back so your back is 45 degrees to the floor. With hands in prayer position, twist your upper body and "row" your elbows on each side. Each side is 1. (15)
10. Double crunches - Lie with legs crossed loosely at ankles, crunch your lower body up while crunching your upper body so your knees touch your elbows. (15)

Don't forget to stretch afterwards!!

Itinerary

Saturday:

Pick you guys up from airport
Grab Spanish Lattes from Urth on way
Breakfast – griddle cafe
Anenberg space – beauty exhibit
Get choco chip cookies from Clementines
Biking Venice beach including bike to Cha Cha chicken for lunch
Hang out at beach for a bit
Tim Burton Exhibit – 3pm res
Check-in to hotel – relax get ready for dinner
Animal – 7pm res
Out – choices walking distance from hotel are – The Standard, 7 Grand…v close but still a drive is The Edison

Sunday:

Check out
Breakfast – Urth (depending on how late we wake up might skip this)
Hike Hollywood sign
Lunch - Wurstkuche
Check out street art at Moca
Silverlake wine shop for wine tasting
Dinner - XLBs at Ding Tai Fung in Arcadia
Shaved Ice at Tasty to Go for dessert
Check in hotel near LAX

100x better than store bought "yucky water"

Almond “horchata”

1 cup raw almonds
Filtered water
Organic almond extract
Organic vanilla extract
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Stevia

1) Soak almonds for 8-12 hours (I’d do it in the morning before going to work, or if you do it overnight, remember to drain them and store in fridge before leaving, you don’t want to over soak)
2) In blender, liquidate soaked almonds with an equal amount of water.
3) Strain (I used cheese cloth in order to really squeeze out all the liquid but strainer works too).
4) Mix in cinnamon, a few drops each of almond and vanilla extract, add stevia to taste.

Here’s what I did with the leftover almond pulp – hand mixed it with a large ripe avocado, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and herbs de provence. It was REALLY good and very filling. (If you have a food processor it would be really good to try blitzing all the ingredients except for the avocados in that and then mix in avos afterwards).

Ze Plan

Salad ingredients (mix and match - put a bit from each category for max deliciousness):

Base used in each salad: Kale/ spinach / red or green lettuce mixed in equal parts

Crunch:
Julienned jicama
Finely julienned red cabbage
Finely julienned red onion
¼ chopped apple

Flavor:
2 tbsp salsa
Vietnamese carrot/daikon pickle mix

Fat (only use one, not both):
½ ripe avocado chopped small pieces
Chopped/smashed almonds

Extras:
½ peeled chopped cucumber
Sliced mushrooms
Chopped grape tomatoes

Salad dressing recipes:
(with all salad dressings, blend all ingredients but olive oil, then slowly drizzle in olive oil while blender is on until desired consistency, keep in mind dressing will thicken in fridge)

Mango lime vinaigrette:
1 cup chopped fresh of frozen mango (like Trader Joe’s mango sauce, which is already mostly pureed)2 large tbsp agaveJuice of 1 lime1 tbsp rice vinegar1 1/2 tsp sea salt1 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger1 tsp cayenne pepper approx 1/2 cup light tasting olive oil
Salt/pepper to taste

Lemon cilantro vinaigrette:
Juice of one lemon
2 Tbsp agave
Large handful cilantro
¼ cup of raw almonds soaked in water overnight
1 clove garlic
½ cup olive oil
Salt/pepper to taste

Salsa vinaigrette:
1+ cup salsa
¼ cup soy sauce
1 small tsp horseradish
1 large tsp spicy brown mustard
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp herbs de provence
½ cup light tasting olive oil
Salt/pepper to taste

Marinade for tofu
Soy sauce
½ juice Lemon
½ juice Lime
Smashed lemongrass (or if you can’t find fresh, squeeze from tube of lemongrass paste)
Smashed garlic
Piece of ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp agave
Salt/pepper
Sprinkle of chili pepper flakes

Cilantro Shake
Pink Grapefruit
Cucumber
Cilantro
Lime
Pineapple
Agave Nectar or stevia
Vanilla Extract
BIG pinch of Cinnamon
Pinch of salt

In a blender, (Vitamix if you have one) throw a pink peeled grapefruit, peeled cucumber, lots and lots and lots of cilantro - like half a bunch, a lime, some pineapple, agave nectar or stevia, vanilla extract, BIG pinch of cinnamon, and pinch of salt.

5 Day Raw/Juice Plan:

Day 1:
Breakfast
(7:30a) – Cilantro smoothie & banana
(9:00a) – Unsweetened green tea

AM Snack
(10:30a) – Medium sized apple
- 1/8 cup raw almonds

Lunch
(12:30p) – Large salad
-kale/spring mix
-1/2 a peeled chopped cucumber
-entire avocado chopped
-julienned jicama
-little bit of finely julienned red cabbage
-little bit of finely julienned red onion
-1 cup sprouted quinoa
-1/3 box of tofu (cubed, unmarinated)
-2 large tbsps of salsa
-mango lime vinaigrette

PM Snack
(3:00p) – handful each grape tomatoes & baby carrots
- 1/8 cup raw almonds

Dinner
(7:30p) – Green juice from whole food juice bar
*in case of hunger EMERGENCY – Small salad
-kale/spinach mix
-1/2 peeled chopped cucumber
-2 tbsps salsa
-small amt julienned jicama
-lemon cilantro dressing


Day 2:
Breakfast
(7:30a) – Leftover green juice & 1 cup of blueberries
(9:00a) – Unsweetened green tea

AM Snack
(10:30a) – Banana
- 1/8 cup raw almonds

Lunch
(12:30p) – Large salad
-kale/spring mix
-cilantro
-grape tomatoes
-1/2 a peeled chopped cucumber
-julienned jicama
-Vietnamese carrot/daikon pickle mix
-1/2 cup sprouted quinoa
-1/2 box of marinated tofu
-lemon cilantro vinaigrette

PM Snack
(3:00p) – handful each sugar snap peas & baby carrots
- 1/8 cup raw almonds

Dinner
(7:30p) – different juice from whole food juice bar
*in case of hunger EMERGENCY – Small salad
-kale/spinach mix
-1/2 peeled chopped cucumber
-small amt red onion
-small amt julienned jicama
-salsa vinaigrette


Day 3:
Breakfast
(7:30a) – Leftover juice & banana
(9:00a) – Unsweetened green tea

AM Snack
(10:30a) – Strawberry/blueberry mix
- 1/8 cup raw almonds

Lunch
(12:30p) – Large salad

PM Snack
(3:00p) – handful each grape tomatoes & sugar snap peas
- 1/8 cup raw almonds

Dinner
(7:30p) – Cilantro smoothie
*in case of hunger EMERGENCY – Small salad

Day 4:
Breakfast
(7:30a) – Cilantro smoothie & strawberries
(9:00a) – Unsweetened green tea

AM Snack
(10:30a) – Medium sized apple
- 1/8 cup raw almonds

Lunch
(12:30p) – Large salad

PM Snack
(3:00p) – handful each grape tomatoes & sugar snap peas
- 1/8 cup raw almonds

Dinner
(7:30p) – Green juice from whole food juice bar
*in case of hunger EMERGENCY – Small salad

Day 5:
Breakfast
(7:30a) – Leftover juice & apple
(9:00a) – Unsweetened green tea

AM Snack
(10:30a) – Banana
- 1/8 cup raw almonds

Lunch
(12:30p) – Large salad

PM Snack
(3:00p) – handful each grape tomatoes & baby carrots
- 1/8 cup raw almonds

Dinner
(7:30p) – Green juice from whole food juice bar
*in case of hunger EMERGENCY – Small salad

Faux fur: it's in!

Sooo, faux fur is super in this season, but I still have my misgivings. And living in southern California, where it's swelteringly hot midway in October, it's definitely even more of a fashion dilemma. It's one thing to accidentally look like an old Asian grandma or mafia don's wife, neither of which are good looks, but it's quite another to look like the aforementioned suffering from heat stroke. Hmmmmmm.

Unfortunately I did not consider weather when I impulsively purchased the Rachel Zoe for QVC faux fur vest. However! Rivers of sweat be damned because I love this vest!! It's unbelievably soft and realistic. At first I thought the construction was a little boxy but I think the looser fit allows for more creativity in what you put underneath it. I must admit, the more I wear it, the more I love it. I may just have to risk the stares (and heat stroke)!









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