All posts filed under: fitness

french women manifesto – who knew

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I know, I know you are probably getting sick of my French this and that, but if you are then please turn the page, otherwise sit tight and share with me cause there is plenty to write about. According to the book French Women Don’t Get Fat (website) there is a manifesto to follow. I actually laughed when I read the list because most of the items listed are a clear description of what I stand for and believe in. So I suppose I am truly French at heart. 🙂 . So here are some of my favorites French women eat for pleasure. French women eat with all five senses, allowing less to seem like more. French women enjoy going to market. French women do enjoy wine regularly, but with meals and only a glass (or maybe two). French women eschew extreme temperatures in what they consume, and enjoy fruits and vegetables bursting with flavor at room temperature, at which they prefer their water, too. French women get a kick from Champagne, as an aperitif …

sweaters for fall 2010 women over 40 can wear

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Once the official transition takes place from Summer to Fall, meaning past the month of September to mid-October, I begin to feel the need to rearrange my closet in order to get a visual of all my sweaters. Then I go through them and decide which to toss and what to recycle for the upcoming fall season. At the same time, I shop online for the sweaters I would like to have and make my list in order to check them out at the store. One of my favorite stores, and this has been on and off, is Ann Taylor/Ann Taylor Loft. The reason for the on and off is that for a while there it seemed the store or the company had lost it’s touch and appeal so I stayed away from it. But now, this year that is, the items on their online catalog (at least in picture) look great. That’s another thing, what looks good on print doesn’t necessarily look good in the store, so with list in hand I plan to …

fashion nightmare for the woman over 40

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As I walk through the mall and eyeball the fall collection slowly making its  way into the department stores and boutiques, I must say I am freaking out because I realize more and more that, what the fashion industry is churning out these days cannot possibly work well on the average woman over 40. I mean sure there are amazing blouses, sweaters, pants and skirts and handbags and shoes that I dream of owning and wearing now but know that they are better fit for the woman under 40. Then I flip through magazines and watch fashion shows and realize more and more, no one is targeting to the woman over 40. I don’t understand why that is so. I mean don’t we deserve trendy clothes and fashionable shoes at our age? Have we been overlooked because most women in their 40’s are either married with kids, divorced with kids, overweight, bulging in all the wrong places, or perhaps has let herself go for more reasons than one and not at all interested in looking …

fall fashion 2010 trends – part 1 – white stockings

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Yes, Fall is just around the corner and the  fashion trends are being unveiled everywhere around the world in anticipation that this particular style will revamp the economy and boost confidence in women to shop, spend money while knowing they are going to feel the best they have ever felt. In light of the statements and the promotion of Fall fashion 2010, I have decided to include several back to back blog articles to introduce what is in and what’s not this coming Mid-September to Mid-December season. So here we go: One item of importance for this Fall is WHITE STOCKINGS. It is back in and according to the fashion industry is most useful in many ways to compliment your attire. I have included photos of examples of how to wear the WHITE STOCKINGS and although I don’t see myself wearing any of the outfits in the photos, I do see perhaps adding off-white thick lacy stockings under a nice just above the knee wool skirt with some above the knee boots or just below …

megapixel and hd nightmare

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I understand advancement, enhancement, upgrades, more, much more, sharper, deeper, 3-D and all the jazz associated with making photos and film more appealing to the eye, but for heaven’s sake, these enhacement are really not good for the aging man and woman. It not only makes the photos clearer and sharper, but it also makes every wrinkle, blemish, scar, unwanted hair and other scary facial and bodily defects more visible and troubling, to the point where any person over  40 and some under 40, should probably avoid being photographed or filmed EVER. So what now? How do the inventors plan to address this MAJOR problem? Even celebrities are beginning to look scary on the screen. There is only so much that can be done to edit a film, or touch up a photo shoot before the person begins to look like something out of a wax museum display instead of a their natural self. What went wrong? Is more truly better than less? I mean I for one am probably going to retire from having …

frozen yogurt craze

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This past week I was in L.A. again and for the first time in a while I decided on venturing into one of those frozen yogurt shops popping up everywhere around the U.S.  I fought the urge for the longest time because I had heard some interesting stories about the makeup of the yogurt ingredients in the past, but for some reason the one I visited in Calabasas and Beverly Hills was really good and I suppose worth my dime (yes I meant dime) It is called  Menchie’s Yogurt and the store is set up something like a Hello Kitty store with bright colors and characters. At first you think to yourself, is this place really for adults also? But when you actually go in and create your own yogurt cup, you start to feel like a kid again and it doesn’t matter much anymore after that.  They have about 10 different flavored yogurts which is sold by weight (very smart business practice) and you can mix them in a one size for all cup, …

marisa tomei suggests belly dancing and protein

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Marisa Tomei (45) is on the cover of Shape Magazine ( August 2010) and not sure if she is airbrushed (yes I am sure she is, just my inner voice wants to believe otherwise ), but she looks pretty good. According to her, when asked how she stays fit, she starts off her day drinking a cup of hot water with lemon and a boiled egg drizzled with a little olive oil or some fresh berries and granola with whole-milk yogurt. And since she loves to eat, she keeps high protein snacks on hand in order to keep her feeling full until the next snack attack. She also belly dances and this I can vouch for myself, it is a very good form of exercise. (Note: If you are a patient of Kaiser Permenante, they offer belly dancing classes now as a form of excercise). It is something to consider if salsa dancing isn’t available in your neck of the woods. She is a girl after my own heart because she also believes in playing, …

not your daughter’s jeans glitch

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Every American woman has owned a pair of jeans at least a decade if not more during their lifetime (so far) and I don’t know about anyone, but for me traditional jeans (meaning outer stitching and five pockets) is a must in all jeans. But the trouble with today’s jeans of course is that most woman over 40 cannot fit into the “below the waist” design sold in most retail stores,  as well as a 12-year-old can. As a result,  some smart designer realizing this problem a while back, introduced the “not your daughter’s jeans” to the female gender over 40. I want to first say, thank you for that and for the effort to make us women over 40 feel a little bit good about ourselves. But the only trouble with your design is that, the pricey jeans  do not have the feel and look of the cooler jeans that our daughters wear. The thing the designers overlooked in creating their jean line is that, some of us women over 40 would like to …

ocean and sun equal a happy me

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You might say I am a serious sun worshiper but often times unable to enjoy a sunny day, thanks to the fog in San Francisco. So when the sun is able to outwin the fog on oh probably only about five days out of the summer months, I run to the beach and try to spend an entire day enjoying the sun and the ocean. I usually pack an ice chest of goodies, such as fresh fruits, carrot sticks and humus dip and a bag of mini Oreo cookies (my favorite) as well as some music  (I-pod)  and I am there. Ocean Beach in San Francisco has come along way since I was a kid, they actually keep it clean and monitored throughout the day to make sure everyone’s experience is most enjoyable. Families often picnic on the sand and play in the water, dog owners walk their best friend along the beach, and tourists, in rolled up jeans and fancy shoes try to walk across the sand to the edge of the water in …

treat yourself at anthropologie

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Some stores may be intimidating or just not the right style for some woman, so they simply avoid going in for the fear of the unknown or the lack of interest in experiencing something new. In my opinion, all women need to experience  Anthropologie and if you happen to live  in a city or town or a country where there is an Anthropologie store near by, please consider going in and buying yourself something just for the fun of it. The store reminds me of  a cross between a French Provincial boutique with a hint of a shabby chic theme and although I am a fan of modern decor, I simply love walking through Anthropologie  and admiring all the colorful displays and products from ceiling to floor. I often buy myself a neatly wrapped bar of soap from France or a bizarre hook for my bathroom and even a costume jewelry piece with unique or unusual compilation of beads and colors stranded together. Kitchenware is also fun to look through and can be incorporated into any …