Friday, January 10, 2014

Five Friday Favorites


Today, I bring you a hodgepodge of some things I'm loving lately:



The Calorie Myth.  I love Jonathan Bailor's message.  I know the book's tagline sounds gimmicky, but his "eat more, exercise less, but smarter" message is really important, and is supported by scientific research.  Just give it a read, or enter the giveaway to win a copy.  Giveaway ends TODAY, so enter now!












Gel polish.  Okay, I'm late to the game on this one.  My fingernails are pretty healthy and strong, so I  always avoid weakening or damaging them with any fancy acrylic/gel/fake business.  However, I recently went on a trip (recaps coming soon!), and wanted my nails to look good and stay strong for the whole week.  I hear that the new gel polish doesn't do damage to the nails if it's used only once in a while.  Really, I just didn't want to worry about my nails chipping or breaking while I was away, so I finally bit the bullet and tried getting the gel polish everyone's raving about.

And now I'm raving about it, too.  The polish stayed beautifully, and my nails did not chip at all, while I was hiking and climbing on rocks!  Now, it's TWO WEEKS LATER and my nails still look awesome.  Sure, the color has grown out a tiny bit as my nails grew, but the polish is still fresh as if it was done yesterday.  This is amazing.

(Update: I might mean Shellac, although maybe that's just one brand. Clearly a newbie.)

This doesn't mean I'm forever converted; I still prefer to leave my nails in their more natural states for most of the time.  Tomorrow, I'll go to get it removed and go back to my regular old polish (or no polish) routine.  BUT - this is a fantastic option for times when I want good-looking nails to last.






(I got OPI "Big Apple Red", but it turned out
a little 
pinkier than the strong red I thought
it was. Oh well; I'll learn.



Any.DO.  As the self-proclaimed Queen of To-Do Lists, I've sampled my share of productivity apps (only to serve as long-term lists. I still use handwritten lists for short-term to-do's).  I'd been using Clear for a while and liked how simple it was, but wanted something new for this New Year.    I downloaded a few and tried out Any.DO and fell. in. love!



It's simple enough that it can stay super simple, but also has some useful features for those who want an added layer of organization to their list.  I started writing a whole LOT about it, but decided to put that away to develop into a full post at a later date.  For now, I'll just tell you that it's one of my new favorite things!  Dare you to check it out!






Image from http://www.any.do/



The West Wing.  When I was younger, I watched various episodes here and there with my parents (who have been committed fans from the beginning of time), but I never watched it ALL, in order.  Over the summer, I decided it was time to watch it straight through, so I've since been on-again off-again watching in spurts.   I like to put it on while I'm working on other less mental tasks (although when things get serious, it demands all my attention), and I am loooooving it.  What a great show!!!! 



Bone Broth.  This cold weather is insane, but it makes me appreciate my homemade bone broth even more!  Glad one batch makes so much, so I've got plenty in the freezer, ready to defrost whenever a polar vortex strikes.







mmmm





How are you keeping warm this winter?

Are you a gel polish convert?

Got any other great productivity apps I should try?



What are YOU loving lately?


15 comments:

  1. I've been getting my nails done for years and I love gel polish. It stays so fresh and looks so good. I use Springpad, but mostly for lists and notes. I love that it syncs from my phone, iPad and computer.

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    1. Oh interesting -- I'll definitely look into that. Thanks!

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  2. I am loving your nails! I cannot pull off colors on my finger nails - or at least I don't think I can - but YOU CAN!! :D I am trying to think what I want to put on my toes next. I currently have Santa hats, but... The holidays are obviously over so, I cannot change it up! ;) Happy Weekend!

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    1. Thanks lol. SANTA hats sounds super cute lol

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  3. Oh! I have to check out Any.DO. I'm a huge list maker and always trying to figure out how to keep myself organized! And I've never tried gel polish!

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  4. Love the nails! Unfortunately, I can't wear nail polish at work so I rarely ever get to wear it on my fingers. Boo. I'm on the productivity apps! I love lists and I always need more help in organization.

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    1. Ah, probably better for your nails anyway to stay au naturel. I like to give mine rests fairly often, although I do enjoy treating them as another accessory :)

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  5. gel polish is the best! i love gel french manicures. They last forever and you can't really tell as they grow out like you can with colored!

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    1. Good point! That's what my mom's been doing. It can last so much longer when it's skin-toned. I may try that one next time I need a long-lasting mani. Thanks!

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  6. ok Im later than YE to the game :-)
    it's gel polish time here I think too...

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  7. I do love polish. I've done gel a couple of times. I'm like shelac *sp?*. I got my nails painted the other day. I love pretty nails :)

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  8. I can't do my nails since I am an operating room nurse. Sometimes that makes me a little sad, but I never liked doing my nails anyway so not a big loss for me. I think I may have to get my soup bones out of the freezer and make some broth, that does sounds yum.

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  9. the west wing is one of those shows i have always wanted to get into now that i'm "old enough". but i feel like i can only handle so much sorkin at once, and i love "newsroom". so maybe i'll wait til that ends (whenever that will be).
    my sister keeps trying to convert me to shellac but i actually like to change my nail colors frequently because i get sick of them, so regular polish is better for me! and i get a hand polish change for just $9 so even if i'm getting them done more often, it's still cheaper than a $12 mani. and i agree given then name i'd have thought that red would not have been so pink hued!
    i use gotasks on my phone for my list making because it syncs with my google tasks. that way i can update the tasks on my PC at work and it carries over to my phone!

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    1. Looooove Newsroom!!! Wish it were on more often. Season 2 went by in a flash.

      I totally get liking to change your nail colors frequently. I often do my own nails at home, which is also why I won't stick with shellac. It is much costlier, for sure. I'm just in awe that my nails still look so dang good!

      gotasks - interesting. I'll look into it! I like the idea of syncing with google. thanks!

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  10. I started watching The West Wing on Netflix a few months ago too! My mom had always watched it and I had only seen a few episodes before that! It is a great show and you reminded me that I must start watching it again!

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