2010 September | Funkidivagirl.com

Filed Under Things I Like/Believe the Hype on September 8, 2010

*I don’t get paid for my opinions in any way; this is just me sharing stuff that I like and I think you will too.

I don’t like coconuts. Candy, cake, ice cream, Pina Coladas–nothing. Blech. So, it was with a screwed up face when I tried coconut water. And I didn’t like it. But I had heard of all the health benefits, so I tried it again, this time a different brand, Vita Coco. Well, knock me on the head with a coconut, I liked it!

Now that I reconciled the taste (which doesn’t taste at all like coconuts…more like “something green in nature”), I took a closer look at the health benefits on the box and website:

It has more potassium than two bananas.
It helps to detoxify your body and boost your immune system.
It is loaded with five essential electrolytes: magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium and phosphorous.
It is more hydrating than sports drinks (which are disgusting anyway; the website doesn’t say that, but I do).

So far I’ve had Pure, Açai & Pomegranate and Pineapple. I like the flavored coconut waters better than Pure. I can only find those flavors at my local Whole Foods, but there are more flavors for sale on the website: Passionfruit, Peach & Mango and Tangerine. You can only buy in packs of 12 on the website, but it is less expensive per box than in the store. Pure is the only one that comes in the larger 34 ounce size, all the other flavors are available in 17 or 11.2 ounce boxes.

And it’s not just hype or an expensive water. As my son says, you can feel your insides getting lubricated when you drink it, so much more so than when drinking plain water. Of course it does have calories (60 calories/8 oz) and water doesn’t, so I wouldn’t drink it all day long, but I love drinking it after I exercise. It’s a great recovery drink.

I really became a believer today in yoga class. I had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast about 7:30 a.m., but my class wasn’t until 9:30 a.m. and I was worried about my blood sugar crashing; normally I try to exercise within 30 minutes of eating, when I have the most fuel. On the way out the door, I threw a box of coconut water in my bag.

Sure enough, about 10 minutes into the class I was hungry, light-headed and starting to shake. I was cursing myself for not bringing a cereal bar, because I know how quickly I can melt down. I was very doubtful that the coconut water would help, but since that was the only thing I had with me, I put it next to my yoga mat. I was fully prepared to leave class while I could still drive home.

While we were still doing seated yoga poses, I drank half of the 11.2 ounce box. And to my utter surprise I immediately felt better. My blood sugar rose and my insides calmed down. I felt a million times better, but I didn’t think it would last. I was wrong. I was energetic, strong and calm throughout the entire class. I didn’t even drink the rest until I got home.

My insides like it and my taste buds too. My whole body is in agreement about coconut water. I have never found anything to give me an immediate energy boost like that except for a Snickers candy bar and wouldn’t you say that coconut water is a healthier choice?

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Filed Under Fashion & Beauty,Things I Like/Believe the Hype on September 4, 2010

Like so many other mothers, I feel that the First Day Back To School deserves a celebration. Yes, for the kiddies–new lunch boxes, backpacks, blah, blah, blah–but once the kids are dropped off, mom does some celebrating herself. A movie, a lunch date, a pedicure–mothers everywhere take that day to celebrate with some much-needed Me Time before they get back to the grind.

Me? I walked my daughter into class, took photos, talked to the teachers, had coffee with other parents, took the dog to daycare and went to the mall. I had a gift card to Anthropologie and was excited to shop the store alone. ALONE. What a nice sounding word! Let’s say it again: ALONE. Hear it echo through the empty house?

My next stop was Bloomingdale’s; I figured that summer shoes would be on sale and I was right. The sale was crazy; shoes on clearance and then marked down another 40%! After taking my time in the shoe boutique–because I was ALONE, remember?–I strolled over to women’s clothes; I figured that the sale would be happening there as well. Nothing good on sale, but this stopped me in my tracks:

Whaaaat?–I had never seen these clothes before, or anything like them at Bloomingdale’s! And it wasn’t a rack or two of clothes, it was an entire in-store boutique. The decor matched the clothes; both were visually stunning. Quizzically I turned to the salesperson and she confirmed that this was a new addition to Bloomingdale’s, called AllSaints.

A 10 year-old UK-based brand, AllSaints Spitalfields entered the US market about a year ago within Bloomingdale’s 59th St. store. Since then they have opened free-standing stores in Los Angeles, Miami and NYC-SoHo as well as several more in-store Bloomingdale’s boutiques. The one in Atlanta had only been open a few weeks when I discovered it.

Someone on Yelp described the clothes as “boho-chic meets Mad Max.” I don’t think they meant it as a compliment, but still it’s pretty accurate. I love the look; it’s so me. The clothes are sort of hippie–all loose and flowy–but with a rocker edge. Yup, that’s me. With uneven hemlines, asymmetrical shapes, lots of leather, mostly black and earth tones, the clothes are at once both modern and vintage-inspired. Here are a few dresses that I like:

The leather jackets are incredible; I’m saving my pennies to buy one. Or maybe if my husband reads this post he can get a hint for a Christmas present. AllSaints even have iPhone and iPad apps; that should make it easy for my husband to shop!

I bought this shirt. The photo does not do it justice; it’s very fitted and sort of bustles in the back. I plan to wear it with leggings and high wedges. Dude, if I had a top hat, I would smoke ‘em!

AllSaints, I’m digging ya. I see ya. Eyeball to eyeball, I’m there.

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Other posts you may like about fashion:

Not For Your Fanny: Hip Bags Are Hip

Things I Like: TKO Watches At Henri Bendel

LA Stories: A Dog, A Hat And A Pair Of Toms Shoes

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Filed Under Fashion & Beauty on September 2, 2010

We all have nightmares about the fanny packs of yore. Worn usually with tube socks, long shorts and big bellies, fanny packs were the preferred accessory of the unfashionable tourist. I’m sure that is a big reason as to why Europeans hate us. It’s valid. Hence, we were all thrilled and relieved when the fanny pack disappeared. (Or rather, mostly disappeared; it can still be seen at theme parks and Walmarts across America. Another reason to hate Walmart.)

Well, I’m here to tell you that belt bags or hip bags (as they are called now) are back. And they are HIP! They have been spotted on fashion runways and celebrities like Brooke Shields, Tyra Banks and Rihanna.

And now, me.

During our time in L.A. this summer I found a hip bag at one of the hippest (and my all-time favorite) stores in L.A., Fred Segal.

I LOVE Fred Segal! I always find something unique when I shop there. I bought a few things over several visits–bracelet, shirt, leggings, jacket–but I kept coming back to this bag. I didn’t want to impulse buy (it wasn’t cheap), so I let the idea marinate for a couple of weeks. In the end I bought it as a birthday present. Happy Birthday to me!

The leather is fantastic and will only look better with age. The fringe sold me; I love fringe on everything (you know, it’s the hippie in me), but it also happens to be a fashion trend right now. The bag is made by Rubyzaar and upon researching the company I am even more pleased with my purchase:

Rubyzaar is a fair trade business that works mainly with female artisans and crafts people from Southeast Asia. We have collaborated with these artists to bring together traditional and contemporary designs forming unique products, which are handmade from 100% natural fibers. It is in our interest to preserve the tradition and quality of these crafts. We personally travel throughout the region and handpick very specific items from select artisans, forming relationships so that we can share their culture and talent with you.

If that isn’t enough, the company contributes to Heifer International, an organization I donated to when we gave my son’s preschool teacher a goat one year. (In case you are unfamiliar with the organization, we didn’t really give her a goat…Heifer International gave a goat to a family in the teacher’s name. A goat would have been an odd addition to the classroom. I’m pretty sure that there is a school regulation health code prohibiting that.)

I got a chance to wear my hip bag in NYC while at Blogher. During my last day in NYC I had several hours to to explore before my flight. I checked my luggage at the hotel, threw on my hip bag and walked around Central Park for 3 hours. The bag was perfect for exploring. It could comfortably hold my camera, lip gloss, iPhone and a small wallet with i.d., credit card and cash. My hands were free and my back didn’t hurt from carrying a shoulder bag.

It was handy to wear at the airport too, although I don’t recommend wearing a jumpsuit and a hip bag at the same time. Whenever I had to use the bathroom, I had to remove the bag and take down my jumpsuit…not very easy on an airplane!

Yeah, I’m loving my hip bag. But it’s not for fashion scaredy-cats; you’ve got to be bold, you’ve got to own it. If you’ve got the fashion chutzpa to wear a hip bag, I say go for it. But remember these few rules: