Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday. It is one in which we pause for a moment to celebrate and reflect on what it is we appreciate and love in our lives.
We are spending Thanksgiving week in Paris. I am writing this from a tiny, stereotypically Parisian apartment we rented on the Ile St. Louis. We will be spending the actual holiday in Reims, starting with a 10am champagne tasting at Ruinart. Believe me: I am incredibly thankful for this experience.
On this day of reflection, I am sharing what else I am grateful for this year. I would love for you to share what it is you're grateful for in 2014. Please post in the comments section
Traveling in style is tough. You're likely going to be on the move for a few hours (meaning your clothes will get wrinkled and dirty) but you want to be comfortable. I would love nothing more than to wear fatgirl yoga pants on every flight but that's not the smartest or most sanitary way to go. Think about that for a minute.
Moving on.
For much of my career, I was the queen of the long travel day. When covering Texas Rangers spring training, for example, I had to hop on a 6am plane to Arizona, hit the ground running once we arrived in Phoenix and be on television at 10pm that night in the same clothes I wore that morning. Yeah, no time to change, much less reapply my makeup. To that end, I have been able to adopt a travel-ready wardrobe that works.
With most of us gearing up for a holiday trip, it's the perfect time to rethink your travel style.
Click on any item to learn more about it.
KISS - Keep It Simple, Sister
I am a believer in wearing simple, smart yet stylish clothes on flights. Adopt a minimalist approach to dressing for the plane, with dark colors being key. You don't want to be wearing white pants, with a Diet Coke on your tray when turbulence hits.
In the summer, I like a maxi dress with a scarf. In the winter its leggings or skinny jeans with a sweater or cardigan. I usually wear boots or Yosi Samra's genius ballet flats and ALWAYS bring socks for the plane.
TIP: If you're bringing a pair of boots on your trip, wear them on the plane so they don't take up too much room in your bag.
Learn To Love Layers
I swear, no matter hot it is outside, planes are always freezing. Bring a warm scarf or cardigan with you for the flight. You do NOT want to use those nasty airline blankets. Yuck. I have a Gucci shawl I bought at an outlet store that I take with me on every trip.
Leave The Big Bling At Home
Don't wear a ton of jewelry on the plane. You will have to remove every piece of it when you go through security. I would definitely wear a watch, though. You don't want to lose track of time and miss your flight. Check out my tips on packing jewelry for a trip HERE.
Am I hitting or missing the mark? Let me know in the comments section. What's your go-to travel outfit? If you have a travel look you love, please share it and tag me on Instagram or Twitter.
Texas is having a travel moment. Our fair state got a cover spread recently in the New York Times travel section with Robert Draper's "Texas, 3 Ways" profiling Houston, El Paso and Dallas. The state capital earned the spotlight in the Wall Street Journal's "Austin, the Best New Barbecue Destination".
"Texas, 3 Ways"
Yoga in Klyde Warren Park/Image via Klyde Warren Park
Dallas
Klyde Warren Park gets the marquee treatment, describing the park over Woodall Rogers Freeway as an "eco-friendly shredder of stereotypes" with its weekend yoga, food trucks, free books and pet adoptions.
Is the big-haired, plasticity that is my home town gone? Hardly. I am living proof of that (yes, the hair is big but, no, I haven't gone under the knife). Dallas, though, has grown both literally and figuratively in a way that anyone who lived here in the 80's might not recognize.
Houston
I love that Draper chose to focus on Houston's thriving Asian community. Having gone to college at University of Houston, I discovered the wonderful Vietnamese community the Bayou City had to offer, mainly in food form. I lived on Kim Son's delicious cuisine before it was a chain and scouted tiny Vietnamese holes-in-the-wall downtown.
Draper is more interested in the unique spots on Bellaire Boulevard which are, undoubtedly, worth a visit, especially the Hong Kong City Mall. I would make the argument that Houston's Asian community is SO much more than one stretch of Bellaire Boulevard.
El Paso
I have only flown through El Paso and have never experienced the city. Given it's Mexican influences, I would love it.
I joke that Austin is the Brooklyn of Texas. This piece doesn't introduce those who know Austin to anything, food-wise, that's earth shattering. Author Adam Graham hit Salt Lick BBQ and Franklin's BBQ. Meat Craft is a relative newcomer to the mix that is worth a visit.
He does mention a hotel I haven't had the pleasure of visiting: Hotel Ella, an historic property dating back to 1900 that opened as a hotel in 2013.
Your Turn: Share Your Favorite Texas Travel Spot
Bahlmorhea State Park/Image via Texas Parks & Wildlife
Do you have a favorite Texas vacation destination? I love that whole Big Bend area, Balmorhea State Park, Marfa or a good trip to the Hill Country. What am I missing? Please share your favorite Texas travel stops in the comments section.
A photo of my funky seating area, taken with my crappy iPhone camera I sent to Liz.
I have a confession to make: interior decorators scare me. I have marched into locker rooms, delivered commencement addresses, covered shuttle crashes and jostled former NFL players to get a post-game interview but I fear the decorator.
I know I can benefit from their expertise but I am intimidated by them. Why? A few reasons actually. I worry that the process will take months and will cost an arm and a leg before I even walk in the door. I fear they will try to eliminate everything I have worked hard to piece together in my home while charging me a fortune for furniture that should cost a third of the price. Perhaps more than anything, I fear they'll try to make my home something it's not.
Kentucky-based interior decorator Liz Toombs created a phenomenal concept called Out Of The Box Room Design. It's an online consultation service where she works within your budget and your taste to make suggestions based on your preferences. It's kind of genius.
My actual Out of the Box questionnaire
I struggle with my living room. It's a funky layout and, admittedly, our furniture isn't best suited for the space. I filled out her comprehensive online questionnaire and talked to her on the phone. I had to send her pictures of the room as well as some key measurements.
Within about a week, Liz delivered a comprehensive design proposal featuring photos of pieces that would work, instructions and an exact shopping guide. I was blown away.
Liz's instructions and shopping guide
I love this concept. Liz made smart suggestions that were incredibly affordable based on my taste. But to that point, I can use her recommendations as a guideline for reimagining my living room. I can also incorporate them on my own timeline. If I want to add pillows now, great. If I want to do it in three months when they're on sale, even better.
Product suggestions Liz made for my house
This service is outstanding for anyone who shares my decorator phobia and is on a limited budget. I also think it's ideal for someone who lives in a rural area or has a second home in the middle of nowhere. My parents, for example, have ranch in Mineola which is about 80 miles east of Dallas. It's not practical for them to bring a decorator out there from Dallas or try to find one in Tyler. But for them to exchange a few emails and some phone calls? No problem.
Liz's service is incredibly affordable, ranging from $225 for a foyer or hallway to $600 for a kitchen. She also does nurseries. (Where was she when we were designing Jordan's room!). Click here for more information on Out Of The Box Room Design services.
*Design consultation was provide for review purposes. All opinions expressed are mine.
Yoga pants are like a push-up bra for your butt. The right pair lifts your booty and makes you feel like you've squatted your way to a tighter tush. When you feel fat slip on a pair of Nike's Legend Slim yoga pants and you have an instant outfit that fits perfectly. And makes you look skinny, too!
There are multitude of reasons yoga pants are the perfect piece of clothing:
They're the ideal travel outfit.
They give us that "just from the gym" look. I'm an athlete, damnit!
You can wear them anywhere.
You can eat as much as you want and still fit in them. I can't tell you how many times I have worn them to a boozy brunch featuring mimosas, bloodies and a basket of bread.
BAM. There's the rub. Or the muffin top.
Yoga pants are making us fat.
Those elastic leggings adjust as you do. It's hard to tell if you've gained a pound or twelve because day after day when you slip on your Lululemons, they fit like a glove, one that's slowly getting tighter to the point of becoming see-through.
In my former life when I lived in tight dresses every day for TV purposes, I could tell if I had packed on a few pounds. That Burberry beauty doesn't lie. If I had an indulgent weekend, I felt it on Monday.
But yoga pants, they're like that bitchy girl from high school, the one who lied and said you looked great when you really had Cheetohs cheese dust all over your face.
Actually workout. Yoga pants are awesome if you actually exercise in them. And if you do hit the gym, don't eat Tex-Mex and drink three Mambo Taxis while wearing them afterwards. Trust me. One bowl of queso turns to four in snap.
Tight jeans. Really. If you're feeling fat or wondering if you have let the scale slide a bit too far, spend a day in your tightest pair of jeans or a form fitting dress. There's nothing like a muffin top spilling over the waistband or that "Holy crap, am I going to rip this seam?" feeling to help you get your diet back on track.
Never take off your Spanx workout pants. Yes, these gifts from the Spanx Goddess exist.
Be honest, have your yoga pants sabotaged you? Do you have another solution? PLEASE share it with me in the comments sections. I'm all ears.
Namaste.
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And here's the thing: those who crash diet and those who adopt the slow and steady approach are all likely to gain their weight back in the long run.
This after experts, for years, said that losing weight slowly is the way to go.
No wonder we're so screwed up when it comes to weight loss.
The Science
An Australian trial recruited 200 adults assigned to a crash diet or gradual weight loss program. The slow and steady group reduced their calorie intake by around 500 calories a day for 36 weeks. The crash dieters ate between 450 and 800 calories a day for just 12 weeks.
Researchers found that those who lost weight rapidly were likelier to reach their target weight. Duh....you see the scale move, you get motivated. Read more here.
What I know
The contradictory findings when it comes to weight loss news is one of the most frustrating for anyone fighting the bulge battle or trying to maintain lifelong weight loss.
Me, circa 1999, close to 200 pounds
Here's the thing: do what works for you. I have lost more than 50 pounds on one occasion (in the early 2000's) and then lost the baby weight after having Jordan. Eating real food, mostly produce while truly savoring indulgent meals works for me. I never feel deprived. Ever.
There are times when restricting calories or doing a juice cleanse to jumpstart weight loss can be effective. It can serve as motivation to keep going. It has worked for me in the past.
At the end of the day, educate yourself and do what works for you. A common sense approach to weight loss and maintenance is truly the best way to go: eat real food, indulge occasionally, enjoy it and exercise regularly. It works.
Promise.
What's the most frustrating thing for you when it comes to weight loss and diet news? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
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I have been there....and am fighting to the good fight every day to avoid going back there.
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