Favorites from 2013? Splendid!

I'm either a day early or a week late in this, but this is basically a list of all my obsessions from 2013.  Here's to 2014 and a whole NEW list of obsessions!

Hair - Eufora Curl'N Defining Solution

Changed. My. Life.  Little known fact: I didn't know I had curly hair till well into high school, despite the fact that it stopped being straight sometime in 6th grade.  Throughout middle school and high school, it was mostly just frizz (orange frizz in 7th grade thanks to my trusty bottle of Sun In!).  My hair gets bigger and curlier in humidity, so imagine the mess I was trying to contain with my first flat iron that was a steam straightener.

Yeah.  Not the best move for me.  I continued to combat my curls through college, and only in the last few years have I really started embracing my hair as it really is.  Everything changed when I started going to a great salon and seeing a stylist who specialized in curly hair.  For the first time ever, I asked my stylist to keep my hair curly, and teach me how to style it myself, instead of having her straighten it.  She used the Curl'N Defining Solution on my hair, and I immediately knew I needed it.  It formed lovely, bouncy curls without frizz or the crunchiness that often accompanies gel or mousse.  Never before one to spend a ton of money on hair products, I was shocked to find out that it cost more than my haircut.  Luckily one can of the foam lasts for months and months.  I don't claim to have great hair on the daily now, but this Eufora product is certainly the reason for fewer bad hair days.

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Don't worry, each description won't be this long.  I just needed to show you the ridiculous contraption I tortured my hair with in high school.

Makeup - BareMinerals Matte Foundation
I started wearing BareMinerals many years ago.  Throughout this year I tried wearing a few different foundations, a foam and a liquid style, but I never really liked any of them.  I ended up switching back to my old standby, but this time with a twist.  I had only used the original formula till this year when I decided to give the matte formula a try.  I was weary initially, so I started by mixing the two formulas together.  I've found that the matte formula isn't too mattifying, but it does keep everything in check.

I love BareMinerals because it doesn't cause breakouts for me.  I like that with the powder foundation, I can choose the level of coverage I wear on a given day.  If I'm having a great skin day, I can easily just buff a little bit on and get on with my day.  If I need fuller coverage, it just takes a few more swipes with my brush.  It's great.

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Nails - Sally Hanson Nail Strips
I mentioned Sally Hanson Nail Strips in a post this fall when I talked about my first day working at the music store.  I've used these multiple times this year, and I fully recommend them.  They're simple to use, and they have surprisingly excellent staying power.  The nail strips alone often last longer than a traditional varnish with base and top coat.  My only complaint is that I wish there were more colors.  I like the permanent designs, and they release limited edition designs for each season.

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Skincare - Yes to Tomatoes
The Yes To line is a variety of products made from mostly natural ingredients.  The Yes to Tomatoes line is specifically aimed at acne control.  I've tried three products in this particular line: the blemish clearing facial wipes, the daily clarifying cleanser, and the clearing facial mask.  While the wipes and cleanser are both great products, the standout to me was the mask.  All of the products worked well together, and I definitely felt like they improved the condition of my skin.

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Kitchen/Food - Homemade Pasta
After deciding to make homemade pasta for our Valentine's dinner in 2013, I kind of became obsessed with it.  Using my Kitchen Aid pasta rollers made the whole thing such a breeze that I found myself making fresh pasta on weeknights.  When we made pasta growing up, we typically used white all-purpose flour, but to make things more authentic, I began using a combination of semolina and AP flour.  The duo gave my pasta so much more flavor, and the final product was a delicious noodle.  With the pasta water salted liberally, and the noodles boiled just to al dente, my fresh pasta was always flavorful and delicious.  In 2014, I want to give spinach pasta a try, too!

TV - Doctor Who

Last year I read a lot of books.  This year I watched a lot of TV, and I'm not ashamed of it.  Yes, I did still watch Real Housewives of New Jersey, but I started paying more attention to British shows (Downton Abbey, Sherlock) and Joss Whedon's work (Buffy, Firefly/Serenity).  The standout for the year, though, absolutely was Doctor Who.

I started watching "New Who" right after Christmas.  My brother has been suggesting it for a couple years now, and I always told him I didn't have time to start another series.  I don't think he understood that I'm a hardcore binge watcher, and once I started the series, I wouldn't be able to stop till I consumed all. of. it.  It became apparent to him the day after I started watching it, when I texted him my feelings on David Tennant's first episode as the Tenth Doctor, which happens at the beginning of the second season.

I had watched all of the new episodes by my birthday in Mid-March, and for my birthday LP Stacey started watching the series with me.  Since then we've finished the series (again for me), watched the 50th Anniversary Special, and the 2013 Christmas Special.

To say I became obsessed would definitely be accurate and possibly even an understatement.  Case in point?  I was the Eleventh Doctor for Halloween this year.

Also, my phone's ringtone is an excerpt from the music played in the show.

And Scott bought me Dr. Who art for Christmas even though he had no idea the significance of the print in relation to the show.

Book - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The first time I read TFIOS, I read the entire thing in one sitting.  I laughed; I cried; I had all the emotions.  I immediately read all the other John Green books, even the novels he co-wrote, and I loved all of them.  I always come back to The Fault in Our Stars, though.  It sounds so depressing when I tell people it's a book about teen cancer patients who fall in love.  I mean, it is a book about that, but it's so much more.  It's beautiful and real and poetic, and no matter your gender or age, I think you need to read it.  Just keep a box of tissues nearby.  If you can finish the entire book without crying, then you should probably see a doctor, because it would appear you have no heart.

Furthermore, the book has become kind of a cultural phenomenon, at least within my communities.  It was number one on the Amazon and Barnes and Noble bestsellers lists before the book was even released.  More than 150,000 copies of the book were pre-orderd.

It's a beautiful and real and poetic story, and no matter your gender or age, I think you need to read it.  Just keep a box of tissues nearby.  If you can finish the entire book without crying, then you should probably see a doctor, because it would appear you have no heart.

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Also, the film adaptation starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort is set to be released in June.  I hope it does the book justice.

Music - "This Year" by the Mountain Goats

I was introduced to this band and this song while watching the Evening for Awesome concert on YouTube.  I had just started watching Vlogbrothers videos, and I hadn't read any of John's books or listened to any of Hank's music yet.  The video for the Evening for Awesome kept popping up in the recommended videos list on YouTube, so eventually I spent an entire evening watching it.  John and Hank Green are huge fans of the Mountain Goats, so naturally they asked the band to perform at the show.  They closed the entire evening by playing "This Year."

I was immediately struck by a line in the chorus, which I find to be both funny and sad: "I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me."

Last year was kind of a tough one for me.  I ended up places physically, emotionally, and mentally that I never thought I would be.  Places I never really want to be again.  I believe I connected with the song on a deep level because of my situation at the time.  When I had an hour-long commute this summer, I would usually end the drive with this song.  

Movie - Much Ado About Nothing
Who would have guessed obsessions over both Doctor Who and Joss Whedon would have led to yet another obsession over Shakespeare?  

After thoroughly enjoying the fourth season of Doctor Who and the chemistry between David Tennant and Catherine Tate, I found out they did a production of Much Ado About Nothing in London's West End a couple years ago.  The production was filmed, and through Digital Theatre, I was able to download it to watch till the cows came home.  For Whovians it's pretty amusing to see Tennant and Tate take on the roles of reluctant lovers Benedick and Beatrice since their characters on Doctor Who were never the slightest bit attracted to one another.

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Early in 2013 I found out that Joss Whedon was directing and producing a film adaptation of Much Ado.  By that point I had already watched watched all of Firefly (all 1 season of it), Serenity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog, as well as the first season of Angel and The Avengers.  I was deep into the Whedonverse when I first heard about his adaptation.  Joss Whedon is known for using the same actors throughout multiple projects, and I love them all.  I figured watching the film would be kind of like watching a reunion.  A reunion composed of Shakespearean English, but a reunion nonetheless.  Set for limited release, I scoured the list of theaters with screenings in hopes of seeing it on the big screen.  At the time of its initial release, there were only two theaters in the state that were set to screen it, and I made sure I could attend one of them.  It was lovely and funny and everything I wanted it to be.  I even mentioned it in this post.  Thankfully I actually got a second chance to see it on the big screen when it came to The Art Theater in town a few weeks later.

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Place - The Art Theater
We're lucky enough to have multiple theaters in town, including The Art Theater.  It's great to have a place that shows indie films, has late night screenings of "classics" and basically does everything an independent movie theater should do in my opinion.  I saw so many movies there this year, and I didn't even make it to all the films I wanted to see!  Manager Austin McCann took over in 2012, and I think he is doing a great job.  There's a great mix of genres, and they do interesting festivals and events with local groups.  Also, they have a liquor license, so that's a bonus.

Season of Giving 2013 Continues? Splendid!

So I had this great plan to expand my Season of Giving this year.  I was going to pick more charities to donate to, and I was going to find really great companies that partner with charities to give back, and I was going to write beautiful posts about all of them in the two weeks leading up to Christmas.

But then, you know what?  I got busy with work, SAI, and social obligations, and I haven't gotten around to writing any of my "scheduled" posts.

I didn't want to completely abandon the concept, and I still donated to charities, so instead of doing multiple posts, I'm just going to do one, giant, big-ass post with the remaining organizations.

I did manage to write another post about the Eastern Illinois Foodbank to kick things off this year.  You can read that here.

In addition to the EIF, I gave money to the American Red Cross specifically in my area.  Back in November tornadoes swept through Illinois.  An EF4 tornado ripped through Washington while an EF3 tornado hit Gifford.  Other towns throughout Illinois were hit with severe weather and tornadoes that day as well, but Gifford and Washington are especially important to me.  Gifford is a small farming town 20 miles from where I live.  Two of my coworkers live in Gifford, and though their homes were thankfully and luckily untouched, they shared stories of the terrible damage caused by the weather.  I took a special interest in the recovery efforts in Washington because one of my dearest friends and her family live in Washington.  They were fortunate enough that their property sustained no real damage.  However good friends of theirs lost their entire house and all their belongings.

Knowing that I would not be a real help to the relief effort, the best way I knew to help was to make a donation to the Central Illinois Chapter of the Red Cross.

The next two charities were suggestions from my friends.

Bryan suggested I donate to the Wounded Warrior Project.  The ten year old organization helps veterans through a number of programs.  They have projects to help them stay connected with other vets, programs to help them find civilian jobs appropriate for their experience, projects to help with physical recovery from injuries sustained while on active duty, and programs aimed at mental health.  One of the things that struck me about the WWP website is that on the Programs page, it shows the mental health programs first, which I appreciate.  I love knowing that there is an organization that is making a concentrated effort on improving the mental health of the men and women who have been in combat while serving this country.  The Wounded Warrior Project casts an even wider net by offering a grant program to help other nonprofit organizations that support our veterans!

The final charity for this year was suggested by Elizabeth.  Girls Inc. is a nonprofit aimed at inspiring girls to be "strong, smart, and bold."  I love that mission statement!  I want all girls to be strong, smart and bold!  The programs Girls Inc. offers cover a wide range of subjects including economic literacy, community action, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills, and preventing teen pregnancy, among others.  The organization has more than 1,400 sites in 350 cities in North America.  Each year they serve 136,000 young women ages 6-18.  Unfortunately there are no affiliates in Illinois, but there are plenty in the surrounding states!  The website has some great resources explaining their programs, how you can support the organization, and resources for parents and their daughters.  One of these resources is the Girls Inc. Girls' Bill of Rights.  It's wonderful.

If you made charitable donations last year, I would love to know which organizations you supported!

Season of Giving Kickoff 2013? Splendid!

To kick off my Season of Giving 2013, I'm donating to one of my favorite local charities.  Yes, I did give the Eastern Illinois Foodbank a donation last year, but I find their work so invaluable to my community that I definitely planned to give to them again this year.

If you didn't read last year's post on the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, you can check it out by clicking this link.

During my time of employment limbo this spring, I signed up to volunteer at the Foodbank.  I was able to attend a couple of the repack volunteer nights before my work schedule eliminated that possibility, but it was a really great opportunity for me.  I enjoyed seeing a bunch of strangers work together really efficiently to repack food from giant bulk bins into manageable family-sized servings.  It was a really diverse group, too!  I would say the ages ranged from 17 years old to 65 years old, and the group worked together so well.  At the end of the evening, it was obvious that we made a huge dent in the work that needed to be done, and for me at least, it was nice to have a sense of accomplishment during a time when I didn't get much of that feeling.

After checking out the Eastern Illinois Foodbank on Charity Navigator this year, I'm even more impressed with the organization.  According to the data, more than 95% of the Foodbank's expenses are put toward the services and programs it provides.  That's an incredibly high percentage.

A year later, I'm still amazed at the sheer amount of people (over 100,000!)who are served by the Eastern Illinois Foodbank throughout 14 counties!

November Favorites? Splendid!

I know you've been waiting with bated breath to find out what I dug the most in November.  Luckily for you, I'm ready to share!

Miscellaneous - My Charitable Giving Plan for 2013
I started this blog to share the stories of the places receiving donations from me last Christmas.  I really want to know what organizations you think should receive my donations this year.  If you have suggestions, please fill out this form.

Hair - Say Yes to Carrots Scalp Therapy Shampoo & Conditioner
I started using products in the "Say Yes to" line last spring, and two of the products I've really liked are the Say Yes to Carrots Scalp Therapy Shampoo & Conditioner.  Especially now when the weather has dried out, my hair and scalp can use a little TLC.  I like to use this line a couple times a week in conjunction with products formulated for curly hair, as well as the Macadamia Hair Masque I mentioned last month.

Makeup - NYX Deep Purple retractable eyeliner
Purple naturally brings out brown eyes, and I've been adoring the NYX Deep Purple water proof retractable eyeliner lately.  NYX is a really affordable brand found online and at Ulta, and I'm really impressed with its staying power.  I typically only line my upper lid with it, so I'm not sure how durable it would be along my lower water line, but seeing as how it's water proof, I think it would stick.  This color is a deep enough purple that I find totally wearable on a daily basis.  The formula is really creamy, the color is really pigmented.  I'm a fan.

Skincare - Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer
Aveeno is known for making great moisturizers, and I especially love the Clear Complexion formula.  The main difference between the Positively Radiant (which is also great) and the Clear Complexion formulas is that the latter also contains salicylic acid which helps clear up breakouts.  It can be difficult to find a product that keeps skin soft and moisturized without exacerbating any greasy or oily skin issues, and this one does a great job.  I've been using it for years, but it is especially helpful when the weather starts to turn colder, and the air dries out more.

Nails - Essie Mesmerized Polish
I refer to this color as "TARDIS Blue" because I obviously think the shade is similar to my favorite time traveling police box from Doctor Who.  Essie color 776, Mesmerized, is a beautiful medium blue shade.  As with nearly all Essie polishes, Mesmerized isn't too thin, and you only need 1-2 coats.  I definitely painted my nails this shade to watch my favorite TV show this month.  See below.

Kitchen/Food - Thanksgiving leftovers
Normally I'm the kind of girl who doesn't really like it when my food touches.  Thanksgiving is the only day when that preference flies out the window, and this is especially true when it comes to leftovers.  Turkey? Great! Stuffing? Delicious! Potatoes? Throw 'em in the bowl! Gravy? Pour it all over the top!  Perfection.  I may or may not have eaten leftovers just like this for three meals in a row last weekend.  Hint: I did.  

I could share a picture of it with you, but let's be honest, delicious as they are, Thanksgiving leftovers aren't so glamorous.

TV - Doctor Who "The Day of the Doctor"
The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special aired on November 23rd, and it was nearly everything I wanted it to be.  David Tennant and Billie Piper returned for the special, and they were just lovely.  We got a glimpse of the 12th Doctor, Peter Capaldi, who will begin his run after Matt Smith leaves during the Christmas Special this year.  John Hurt was a joy and a delight as the War Doctor.  The story included so many jokes and references to the show throughout its run that it definitely made me want to go back and watch Classic Who.

Music - Fitz & the Tantrums
Duh.  I listened to both albums by Fitz & the Tantrums countless times throughout November.  The concert Stacey and I attended was so amazing, I wrote an entire post devoted to it a couple weeks ago.

Book - Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster
I've mentioned before that I like to listen to books using Audible.com.  I read Such a Pretty Fat, as well as Jen's other books, last year in the Year of Books, and I loved the way she told her stories.  Such a Pretty Fat details her quest for better health through various programs with varying degrees of success.  I've taken to listening to chapter while at the gym so I can keep my brain engaged instead of focusing on how much I hate my life while exercising.  I love that Audible allows me to automatically pause the book at the end of a chapter.  I like to set myself a goal of one or two chapters, depending on their length, and then I know I only have to get through so much of the book before I can go home.  In general, I highly recommend Audible, and in particular I recommend Jen Lancaster's books.  She's funny and sassy, and she tells it like it is.

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Place - Orange You Splendid Etsy Shop
So I did this thing...  I opened an Etsy Shop!  There's not much for sale yet, but I'll be adding a lot of inventory in the next few weeks.  My plan is to offer the handmade items that I typically give as bridal and baby shower gifts.  Two different friends have mentioned my hooded bath towels to me today, so I think a few of those will be making their way into the shop very shortly.

Fitz and the Tantrums? Splendid!

First order of business: have you read my last post on Charitable Giving 2013?  Tell me where to give my money!

Now, on to this ridiculously long love letter to the band I saw last night.

I first heard about Fitz & the Tantrums back in April when I saw this mention of them on Hello Giggles.  I immediately purchased the first album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, based on the iTunes clips of the songs.  I also pre-ordered their sophomore album, More Than Just A Dream, that was set to come out a few weeks later.  

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Lead singer (and band namesake) Michael Fitzpatrick has said in interviews that the band is heavily influenced by the classic soul music that was produced in the 1960's, specifically at Motown and Stax.  That was evident to me from my first listen.  The opening vamp on the second track, "Dear Mr. President" sounds like it could be the opening of an Aretha Franklin song.  I think that's a large part of why I like Fitz & the Tantrums so much - it has the edge of new rock and pop music paired with the comfortable familiarity of decades old soul music.  The marriage of the two styles works so well for this band, and I feel like it's a style that isn't represented as much in current music.

The band also differs from many current rock bands in that there is no guitarist.  James King plays guitar on a few tracks, but more often than not, he's manning the keyboard or wailing on bari sax (he even plays flute on a few tracks!).  All of the musicians in the band are great, but it's no secret that there is real power in the combination of lead singers Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs.  Their voices mingle so well together, and by having both a male and a female lead singer, it opens up a lot of lyrical choices.  They can sing about love and heartbreak, and it's like the audience is watching an actual couple sing their feelings.  The chemistry the two have on stage is so fantastic that a lot of people actually think the two are a couple.  (They aren't - Fitzpatrick's girlfriend gave birth to their son while he was on tour in September.)  The strong chemistry isn't only seen on stage; it can also be heard in their voices.

Both albums have been in heavy rotation on my playlists since then, so when I saw that the band was coming to Assembly Hall (sigh... State Farm Center) in November, I was thrilled.  LP Stacey and I bought tickets weeks in advance.  The Bright Futures Tour was co-headlined by Capital Cities and Fitz & the Tantrums.  They tapped fellow LA musicians, Beat Club, to open for them each night.

Beat Club is a band that is clearly wet behind the ears.  The music was more electro-pop than I prefer, but it wasn't wholly unpleasant to listen to.  I was not a fan of their lead singer and his unnecessarily foul mouth.  As a fellow potty mouth, it's not that he was dropping f-bombs that bothered me.  It's more that it felt forced, like he was trying to be edgy.  It also seemed to be the only adjective he knew, and he applied it liberally between each song.  Lame.  However, I did think it was kind of adorable that the drummer was wearing a Fitz & the Tantrums shirt.

It's hard to see, but trust me, it's there.

Following the Beat Club set, Capital Cities took the stage.  Honestly, I hadn't really listened to Capital Cities till last night.  Of course I do hear "Safe and Sound" on the radio about a million times a day.  I did try to familiarize myself with their album, In a Tidal Wave of Mystery, over the week.  I didn't dislike the music, but I think my excitement over Fitz was clouding my honest judgement of the music.

Capital Cities put on a thoroughly enjoyable set.  They have great energy, catchy hooks, and my favorite (of course) - a trumpet player!

Okay, so his moves were kind of cheesy, but he was still a great horn player.  And the crowd loved him.  At one point he swapped his trumpet for a purple pBone, which also went over well with the crowd.  They unsurprisingly closed with "Safe and Sound", and the crowd went wild.  It seemed like the song would never end, and that was okay, because we were all having a fantastic time.  We were safe and sound.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy the Capital Cities set as much as I did.  But it was so lively and energetic, and just plain fun.  I may not have known many of the songs before the concert, but I woke up with them in my head this morning.  Catchy jingle writing jerks.  I decided that Capital Cities may be less of a "listen at work" kind of band and more of a "bathroom/kitchen dance party" kind of band.  And I'm okay with that.

At long last, the house lights went back down, the LED heart lit up, and Fitz & the Tantrums took the stage!

They opened the set with "Keepin' Our Eyes Out" from their second album.  They followed that up with "Don't Gotta Work it Out" from Pickin' Up the Pieces.  The whole set was a nice mix of songs from each album, which was great.  Because let's be honest, when you go to a show, and the band only plays songs from the new album without honoring its own past, it's disappointing.  

The middle of the set had lots of energy, sandwiching "Breakin' the Chains of Love" between "Break the Walls" and one of my favorites, "Spark". 

One of the strangest and most enjoyable moments of the show for me was the cover of the Eurhythmics' "Sweet Dreams".  I feel like even Annie Lennox didn't have as much fun performing this song in concert as the Tantrums have.

During the second half of the set, they played "Out of My League" which has been getting regular air play for the last couple months.  It even made it to the top of the Billboard charts in September.  

They played some of their slower tunes after that, but they closed the show with "L.O.V." which was a total blast.  The band vamped on the ending for quite a while.  They even brought Capital Cities trumpet player, Spencer Ludwig, out to improvise with James King on saxophone.  The best descriptor for the end of the show would be raucous.  The crowd was going wild, everyone was dancing, and the band was clearly having a great time.

Despite the fact that the show was not as well attended as it could have been, the audience was deafening at the end of the show.  The band came back out to perform a two-song encore.  First they played MoneyGrabber from their first album.

They closed the show for realsies with uber-catchy tune, "The Walker" from More Than Just a Dream...

 complete with confetti cannons.

I just had such a great time at this show.  Sure, my ears were still ringing when I went to sleep, my body physically aches from dancing so much today, and getting out of bed this morning was nearly impossible.  But it was all totally worth it.  I enjoyed the show so much that I looked at the rest of the tour schedule today to see if I could make it to another show.  Sadly the only two shows that are remotely near enough are both sold out.

I've been really lucky to see some really excellent shows this year, and this was most certainly one of them.

Oh yeah! You also might recognize some of the Fitz & the Tantrums songs from various commercials and TV shows.  I made a playlist on YouTube of all the commercials I could find.  Grey's Anatomy also featured the band three times: "Dear Mr. President" in season 8, episode 4; "Spark" in season 9, episode 19, and "The End" in season 10, episode 5.

Seriously give this band a listen.  They make me super happy.

Charitable Giving 2013? Splendid!

We’re coming up on the first anniversary of when I started this blog.  Okay, yes, by “coming up” I do mean it’s more like 6 weeks away, but that got me thinking about my first posts.  I started this blog a week before Christmas as a way to talk about organizations in my community that were about to receive donations from me.  I plan to make more donations this year, and while I still think last year's recipients are very appropriate choices, I'm interested in what you think.  I have some incredible friends and family who support all kinds of causes that are important to them (hint: that's you!).  I want to know what those causes are.  What organization do you think should receive a donation this year from me and why?

Last year I donated only to organizations that are based in Champaign County.  If you make a strong case for an organization based somewhere else, I'm totally willing to broaden my horizons.  To sweeten the deal for you, if I choose an organization you suggest, I’ll send you a box of homemade sweet treats!  Submit suggestions using this form.

Last year's recipients were Community Elements, Crisis Nursery, The Center for Women in Transition, and the Eastern Illinois Foodbank.

I also did a short series on Gifts that Give Back, so if you have suggestions for that, please leave a comment below.

October Favorites? Splendid!

In my time of employment limbo, I found myself watching a lot of videos on YouTube, specifically beauty videos.  I started by watching tutorials for products I had or hairstyles I wanted to try, but I found myself watching countless videos of vloggers' monthly favorites.  For some reason I find them kind of fascinating.  I think it's interesting to see how products are featured by many different people one month and completely ignored the next.  Anyway, with the big fat move, a lot of my stuff was packed up for a couple weeks, so I definitely found myself reaching for some things over and over.  These are my favorites from the month of October.

Hair - Macadamia Natural Oil Hair Masque
Every beauty blogger and vlogger I've read/watched in the last year has mentioned this product.  It's a deep repair treatment that rebuilds hair and improves elasticity and shine.  It's kind of pricey for a hair product, so I was skeptical to buy the giant tub at first.  While browsing the shelves at Ulta one day, I found a trial size foil packet of the mask, which I thought was great.  I love being able to try a generous sample size of something before committing to a full purchase.

I definitely think this product has helped my hair feel healthier.  It combats frizz without weighing my hair down.  I use it once or twice a week after shampooing and conditioning as normal, and I've noticed significantly less breakage at the ends of my hair.

Make up - Benefit Erase Paste in 02 Medium
Be it genetics or sleep deprivation, I have some major dark circles under my eyes.  I recently tried a roller ball style under eye concealer, but when I tried to blend it in, the makeup often turned white and just looked plain weird.  I've been using the Benefit Boiing concealer on the rest of my face for a few months now, and I had heard great things about Erase Paste.  I once again found a mini size in Impulse Aisle (you know, the kiosks with the tiny sizes of everything right by the registers) at Ulta, and thought I would give it a shot.

I was nervous to use it at first, because it's a very salmony pink color.  I had no reason to worry though because the pink counteracts the darkness under my eyes to blend out to a more natural skin color.  I do need to set the concealer with powder so it doesn't settle into the creases under my eyes, but I'm having much more success than with the previous products I've tried.

Nails - OPI San Francisco Collection: Haven't the Foggiest
I've alway had great success with OPI nail polishes, and I love this color.  The silver is shiny without being full of chunky glitter.  It applies beautifully and finishes almost like chrome.  I applied two coats to my nails (along with base coat and topcoat) the Thursday before we moved, and the only reason I had to take it off 7 days later was because I snagged a nail, and it took a big chunk of lacquer off my nail.  I knew it would only get worse as we finished moving.

Skincare - Boscia Luminizing Black Mask
I've heard great things about the Boscia brand in general and the Black line in particular.  Once again I was able to find a trial size of the Luminizing Black Mask (are we seeing a trend yet?) in a trio with the Brightening White Mask and the Cooling Blue Mask.  All three are peel off masks which can be a little weird.  In fact, I was removing the Brightening White Mask while talking to Stacey last night, and she had to look away because it looked like I was peeling off my own face, apparently.

I liked all three masks, but the black mask was my favorite.  It left my skin feeling clean, my pores were minimized, and it wasn't drying as some purifying masks can be.  Now I'm even more interested in trying out the other products in this line - especially if I can get them as samples!

Kitchen/Food - Gimme Some Oven's Hummus Crusted Chicken
I've been trying to consume more vegetables - plant life in general, really - lately, and I saw the Hummus Crusted Chicken recipe from Gimme Some Oven on Pinterest.  Hummus comes from chickpeas which are plants, so that's close enough for me!  The recipe also involves roasting some veggies with the chicken breasts, so that's good too.  I have a weird relationship with hummus.  I like it, but I don't think I had it for the first time till after college, so it's still kind of a new food for me.  Because of that, I remain skeptical of it.  This chicken singularly changed my mind about hummus.  This is the best chicken recipe I think I've ever made, and I've made a LOT of chicken.  The hummus creates a great coating for the meat (I wouldn't call it a crust, even though it's titled that) which keeps all the juices in, creating a tender and flavorful dish.  I made it twice in October, and both times, it was cooked perfectly.  I'm usually concerned about undercooking poultry, and this dish didn't even require extra time in the oven.  Of course, I can't leave well enough alone, so I did sprinkle some panko crumbs over the coating to give it some extra crunch.  I highly recommend this recipe.  It's super simple to make and completely delicious.

TV - The Mindy Project
If you're not watching The Mindy Project on Fox, then I'm not sure we can be friends anymore.  Mindy Kaling's show is in its second season, and every episode leaves me telling Stacey that I just love it so much.  I adore the Mindy Lahiri character in all of her simultaneously self-aware and delusional glory.

I love that Mindy's character is fun and silly and over the top while still being smart and good at her job.

I love the supporting characters in the series, too.  I'm especially happy to see Adam Pally making appearances this season.  I was heart broken that ABC cancelled Happy Endings, so I'm really happy to have him back on one of my shows.  Also, Pastor Casey?  Amazing.


Music - Ray LaMontagne "You Are the Best Thing"
I realize I'm late to the Ray LaMontagne party, but at least I showed up eventually!  I actually listened to this song because my friend Adam mentioned it on Twitter.  As a trumpet player, I'm a sucker for a good tune with a horn section.

Listen to/buy the track here.

This song reminds me of music from my parents' generation, and that's a very good thing.  LaMontagne's voice is so raw and soulful.  I like a lot of his songs I've listened to, but I keep coming back to this one.

Book - Rob Sheffield's "Turn Around Bright Eyes"
I've read Rob's two previous books, "Love is a Mix Tape" and "Talking to Girls about Duran Duran", and I enjoyed both quite a bit.  I first started reading his books because I recognized him as one of my favorite people on the VH1 "100 Greatest..." shows.  His books are autobiographical, and he doesn't hold much back.

Buy it on Amazon

I really admire how thoroughly he incorporates music into his books.  It's clear that music truly is his passion.  "Turn Around Bright Eyes" focuses on the importance of karaoke in his life and relationship.  It's kind of a strange concept, but he makes it work so well.  There's a chapter on the Beatles that is just superb.

Place - New Apartment!
We are finally all moved in to the new apartment!  Of course we're no where near finished unpacking, and we don't have a couch, but we're all in!  Slowly but surely we're making our place feel more like home.  Nearly all of the Ikea furniture has been assembled, and we're starting to get rid of boxes.  We both love the new place so far, and hopefully that won't change any time soon!  I can't wait to start having people over once we're more settled.

Misc - Keyboard shortcut: command + shift + T
Ever close a tab in a web browser and immediately regret it?  Command + shift + T will reopen the last tab closed.  One of the great things is that if the accidentally closed tab isn't the most recent page, you can keep doing it until you find the right one.  I've been using this trick a lot recently, because apparently I'm an idiot who keeps closing tabs I need to refer back to.

Moving? Splendid!

LP Stacey and I are in the process of moving from our very cramped little house to a far more spacious condo.  We have two weeks of overlap between getting the keys to the new place and needing to be out of the old place, so we're trying to make at least one trip a night to make Big Moving Day go a little more smoothly.

Every single time I move (and I moved a lot during college), I think about the Disney movie The Sword in the Stone, and how Merlin was able to pack everything he owned into a small bag with nothing but a wave of his wand and a musical spell.  Oh, how I wish this was possible in real life...

Every time I prepare to move, I tell myself that it's going to be better than the last time.  I'm going to be more organized.  I'm going to pack earlier.  I'm going to go through my closet before I start packing to sort things for donation.  I do think I've gotten slightly better at it over the years (though Scott would probably disagree), but I've come to realize that there are a few phases of moving that I will never get over.  

Phase 1: Optimism
"This is going to be great!"  I'm so excited to move into the new place!  It's going to be so cute!  I'm going to keep it so nice and clean!"

Phase 2: Denial
"We still have plenty of time to pack.  I know we're going to be out of town for three days in the middle of  the move, but that's fine.  Besides, I don't really have that much stuff."

Phase 3: Acceptance
"I should probably start packing.  The two week overlap is not really that much time.  New plan: pack at least one box per night till we get the keys.  Then move one truckload every night."

Phase 4: Purging
"When was the last time I used this?  Do I need it?  I don't think I need it.  Donation pile!"

Phase 5: Meltdown
"Mom? I don't think I can get this all done before we move.  Can you take the afternoon off of work tomorrow to come help me?  You can?  Great!  Wait, I can handle it.  Nevermind... Well maybe...  I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT, OKAY?!  I'M JUST SO TIRED OF MOVING!  I NEVER WANT TO MOVE AGAIN!  I'M GOING TO DIE IN THE NEW APARTMENT!"

Phase 6: Desperation/Panic
"I don't know what box I want that in!  Here, just throw it in this garbage bag.  No, I know it already has a shoe, a blanket, and a bunch of hangers in it.  That doesn't mean you can't put that can of beans in there too.  It will be fine.  Just put it in the bag!" Also, "We can clean the kitchen with bathroom cleaner, right?  Like use this bleach spray stuff inside the fridge, right?  Whatever, it will be clean, and that's all that matters."

Phase 7: Closure
"I am so glad to be out of this crappy house.  I won't miss the crooked floors, faulty appliances, or two front doors."

Hazing Prevention? Splendid!

So, last week I heard a story about an organization on our local college campus that, like every other organization, does "getting to know you" activities before initiating new members.  I think icebreakers and group games are a great way to get to know potential members.  It’s also a great way for potential members to decide if they genuinely want to join a group.

What concerns me was the nature of these activities.  I was only told about two of them, so I’m sure some of the others are totally innocuous.  The two I heard about, though, gave me some cause for concern. 

Activity 1 included pledges being blindfolded, driven around campus, and dropped off at a previously unknown location (this year, the cemetery) with the rest of the initiation class, and told to find their way home.

Activity 2 paired potential new members with members form the brother organization.  The brothers competed to create the best hairstyle on their partner.  Instead of styling their actual hair, they used shaving cream as sculpting material.

As I’ve mentioned many times, I’m a member of Sigma Alpha Iota.  In addition to being a member of the fraternity, I also serve as an advisor to the collegiate chapter at U of I, and I oversaw 4 collegiate chapters during my term as a Province Officer for the organization.  SAI takes hazing very seriously, and because of this, I’m pretty sensitive to the subject.  We have a fairly strict hazing policy that forbids “any action or situation that recklessly or intentionally endangers mental or physical health or any action taken or situation created which produces mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment or ridicule.”

I’m sure my experiences in such a group are what set off the alarms in my head the moment I heard “blindfolded”.  I'm really sad that these activities happened, but I’m especially sad they happened to mostly freshman girls.  These young women are looking for support and friendship, and this is what they receive.  When one girl was told that sounded like hazing, her response was "but they didn't yell at us, and no one got hurt!"

That broke my heart.  It also made me mad.  I wish I could explain to that young woman that hazing doesn’t always end up in injury or death.  It isn’t limited to verbal abuse or alcohol consumption.  It’s about stripping an individual of his or her dignity.

The week before these incidents occurred was National Hazing Prevention week, which adds a whole new layer of frustration to the story, in my opinion.  Hazingprevention.org is full of useful information on the subject.  It has a thorough definition of hazing, as well as the difference between hazing and bullying.  There are all sorts of resources and ideas for activities.  I highly suggest checking it out.

I have to reiterate how happy I am to be in a fraternity that takes hazing very seriously.  I am so proud of my collegiate chapter advisees for being keenly aware that potential new members and members-in-training should be treated with respect.