*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.

We had been in L.A. for a good week before I finally agreed to try Pinkberry.

Please, I thought, how good could it be?   I was alive during the first frozen yogurt craze, saw it fizzle out, but have enjoyed the recent resurgence.   The frozen yogurt shops here in Atlanta are pretty good, so how much different could Pinkberry be?   Frozen yogurt is frozen yogurt is frozen yogurt.

Reluctantly I strolled into Pinkberry with arrogant non-chalance……

…..where I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.  It was delicious!  It didn’t taste like other frozen yogurts.  It wasn’t cloyingly sweet, but fresh and clean-tasting.  It was tart, smooth and creamy.  The flavors were recognizable, but not over-bearing.

Everyone in the family agreed that it was the best frozen yogurt that we had ever tasted.  Over the course of several trips we tried mango, original, pomegranate, coconut, chocolate and watermelon.  My favorites were chocolate and mango swirled with original.  Sometimes I ate it plain on a cone and sometimes I added fresh fruit toppings like kiwi, raspberries, mango or blackberries.  I loved that the price included unlimited toppings because my kids really piled them on.    Their favorite toppings were mochi, animal crackers, cheesecake bites, brownies and gummy bears.   Those toppings kind of negate the low calories of frozen yogurt, but they didn’t care.  I do and I was thankful for the teeny 150 calories in a small cup of mango or original.

We ate Pinkberry several times while in L.A., sometimes several days in a row.  We couldn’t get enough!   It was that good.

Frozen yogurt is frozen yogurt is frozen yogurt; it’s true.   But then there’s Pinkberry.

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*Alas, it’s not all good.  There is now a Pinkberry in Georgia, but why, WHY in the name of frozen yogurt did they open the first Pinkberry way out in the ‘burbs?    I may eat it in L.A. or New York before I eat it in Georgia because I rarely leave the city.   I’m really salty about that.

Other posts you may like about frozen treats:

LA Stories: The Best Thing I Ever Ate, SORBET (Bennett’s Cabernet Sauvignon)

The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Disney Treat (Dole Whip)

The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Popsicles (King of Pops)

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*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?

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

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

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*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.

During my recent trip to Manhattan for Blogher 2010, I didn’t have much time to explore my favorite city, so I had to prioritize.   Out of all the things that I love to see and do in Manhattan, these 3 things are at the top of the list: visit a museum (the Matisse exhibit at the MoMA was fantastic), hang out in Central Park, and browse (okay, shop) at Henri Bendel.

Bendel and I are old friends; we go way back.  While living in New Jersey for several years, I often visited Bendel’s after having afternoon tea at the St. Regis or Plaza hotels.  It’s been a few years since I’ve been there and I practically wept tears of joy as I opened the door.  Pausing outside and snapping this photo, I tweeted: “Somebody save me from myself!”

The first floor is always buzzing with the latest and most fashionable make-up and accessories.  More than 10 years ago I bought a supercool necklace at Bendel’s that spells “Superstar”; I still wear it practically everyday.  I always expect to find something fun and new and this time was no exception.

I am a watch person; I have six watches and I am not ashamed to buy more.  I think of them as bracelets that tell time.   So when I walked into Bendel’s, the TKO Watch display–bright, funki watches–really caught my eye.   So cute!

The watches I loved, the Slappers, were more than cute, they were also fun to wear–you slap them on your wrist like the slap bracelets back in the day.  But you haven’t even heard the best part yet:  the watch, strap and capsule around the watch are interchangeable.  How cool is THAT?  I was sold.  Kevin, the art director for TKO Watches who was manning the display that day, and I had fun putting together a watch especially for my Funkidivagirl style.  You know that I had to get some pink in there somewhere!

Turns out that TKO Watches were on Oprah’s O List in O Magazine. I’ve always liked her; she’s got good taste.  I bet she likes Bendel’s too!

I love my watch.  Everyone at the Blogher conference loved my watch.  Everyone back here in Atlanta loves my watch.  My daughter can’t stop slapping it on my wrist and we are already planning to buy an accessory pack so that we can mix and mingle the parts into a few more watches.

So, that’s two things I like: TKO Watches and Henri Bendel.  I would say that was time well spent.

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*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.

Maybe it’s because the more I exercise, the more I want to show my legs.  Or because I like being taller than my son, who is officially now taller than me.  Or I refuse to get older and wear “sensible shoes”.

Whatever the reason, I have now taken to wearing high heels.  Like 5 inch heels.  From 5’4″ to 5’9″ is not quite an Amazon Woman, but I’m claiming it.  Here’s a couple of pairs that I bought recently:

Nine West ‘Tadie’ exclusively sold at Nordstrom

Sam Edelman ‘Kasi’

I feel big and powerful and lady warrior-like in my high heels.  But that would last for only 10 minutes if I didn’t have these:

My friend Luxetips, who favors high heels herself, turned me on to Foot Petals and I tell you, it’s the ONLY way that I am able to wear high heels confidently and comfortably.   Coming from a woman whose previous favorite shoes were Converse and Havaiana flip-flops, this is saying a lot!  Recently I wore a brand new pair of high heels–with Foot Petals Tip Toes–to my husband’s birthday party and I didn’t sit down for 4 hours.  I danced and mingled and, Hallelujah, I could still walk the next day!

From the Foot Petals website about Tip Toes:

Stop feet from sliding forward!
Stop ugly overhang & toe scrunch!

Step in style with these flower-shaped ball-of-foot cushions and go from working all day to dancing the night away! Virtually invisible in all of your shoes, Tip Toes help prevent calluses from forming, protect bones and tissue, and cushion the sensitive ball-of-foot area. Try them with your hosiery to stop runs and prevent slipping and sliding.

Besides Tip Toes, they have many different kinds of cushions for your shoe-wearing woes.  I buy them from my local Atlanta shoe boutique, Sole, or from my favorite department store, Nordstrom.  I bought some for every pair of high heels that I own.  If they don’t sell Foot Petals near you, you can always buy them on the Foot Petals website.

Foot Petals are an Amazon Woman’s best friend.  That, and a pair of flip-flops stashed in her purse.

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.