Holiday Honey

Modelinia: Your Best Source for Fashion Week Coverage!

Even though I was just dying to make it to The Big Apple for Fashion Week, other obligations kept me at home. Fortunately, our fave website, Modelinia had New York Fashion week totally covered for me. Check it out for tons of slideshows, pics, and coverage of the fashion shows!! They even composed a six-episode series called Fashion Week TV that features models, designers, and tons of footage. Don't miss out on Modelinia's complete coverage, and as always, stay fab!
 

Great Product: Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express

More often than not, I find myself highly pleased with drug store cosmetic products. They've got many of the same ingredients as the high-end makeup lines and produce the same results. In fact, it's always kind of baffled me that many women find these products "second rate" or "cheapies".. (They're really not all that cheap anymore!)

Maybelline's Colossal Volum' Express ($7.47) has only furthered my loyalty to these alleged "cheapies". I have never been quite so pleased with a mascara... even Dior Show. (I know, right?) I bought this brand one day simply because they were BOGO, so I figured, "why not?" I must say, my less than lengthy lashes have never looked so long, full, and perfectly curled. And what's more, is even at the end of the night, my lashes look the same as they did at first application in the A.M.

I'm impressed ;)

Girl's Guide To Washing Your Car Like Danica Patrick

Car washes these days can be upwards of $14. That adds up if you're doing it once a week, totalling $56 a month, and $672 a year! Ouch. In the summer months (or year round depending on what climate you live in) you can alleviate some of this expense during tough economic times. Not only that, but a 130 pound woman washing her car for 45 minutes can burn 200 calories! Two birds one stone, gotta love that. Oh, and you just might get a little tan and that essential Vitamin D. So today we feature the automotive experts from Amp'd Autoblog, with The Girls Guide to Washing Your Car (like Danica Patrick!). First, they recommend that you NEVER use dishwasher detergent. I've always done this, until now, but apparently, it can strip the wax off of your car. Not Cool. Here are their top ten tips & tricks for an easy, breezy, car wash:

1. Thoroughly wet down the car, spray off THOUROUGHLY including under wheel wells (the things over your wheels) and the wheels themselves. But save the actual wheel cleaning for last.

2. Always wash your car from top to bottom, that way you wont bring dirt back up... There's a lot more dirt/rocks/etc... towards the bottom of the car

3. When washing inside windows, wash in upward and downward motions, and when washing outside windows right to left. this way you can see if streaks lie inside or outside.

4. Invisible glass is great for window washing, both inside and out.

5. Make sure you buy soap that specifically says car wash soap, like by Armorall, Turtle Wax, and etc...

6. You should use a microfiber towel to dry the car, terry cloth will eventually scratch your paint.

7. Never wash the car in direct sunlight, the soap may dry and will be a pain in the a$* to remove!

8. Meguiar's spray wax is an easy way to wax (but don't wax your windows!) and waxing protects paint from contaminants, like brake dust, bugs, acid rain, and etc.. And to cut down on brake dust and squaln you can purchase a quality ceramic pad, such as the Bobcat 1521 that can be purchased here.

9. Make sure to dry off your door jams, trunk and hood, thoroughly.

10. To get any hard contaminants off your window, use steel wool or a razor blade (but leave these off the body!)

  

Have you checked out TAAZ for your Virtual Makeover yet?

A while back, we came across TAAZ Virtual Makeover. The site is incredibly user-friendly and totally gives you a peek at how you might look with a sexy bob or sunny highlights... or any other change you're considering for that matter. Or e-ven better, you might come across a style that totally rocks on you but you'd never guess it. (I mean, really... I never thought I could pull of blonde... ever! TAAZ taught me otherwise). So, we're curious. Have you tried yet? If so, please share your beauty revalations. If not, get there and discover one, then share your makeovers with us!

There's Bromance In The Air

Flipping through the On-Demand movies on my cable network the other day, I was passively listening to the commercials for their featured movies for the month of August. I was shocked - but  honestly not all that shocked - to hear that they had an entire category called "Bromance." Surely that must mean there's a market for such a genre. That market, my darling, consists of the men you love and their buddies.

Bromance describes the complicated love and affection shared by two straight males, according to Urban Dictionary. The term has been around for a few years now, but was thrust into the spotlight last year when Brody Jenner and his posse formed a competitive reality show, based on the notion of adding an additional member to their man-clan. Sure, that's a nice opportunity for a regular Joe out there, but would it really make for quality television? Turns out, it didn't; the show flopped. But that's beside the point. In the wake of Sex and The City, there seems to be extreme emphasis on male bonding these days. Perhaps because now, men are socially permitted to act emotionally towards both genders. Back when our fathers and grandfathers were young, feelings and expressions of love, especially between two men, may have been considered wussy or homosexual. The absurdity, that two men co-habitating, spending lots of time together, or otherwise must equate to homosexuality is obvious. And then there's the whole question of, what's so wrong with homosexuality? In my personal opinion, nothing, but that's a topic for a separate article. I digress.

The concept of Bromance probably began two decades ago. Just consider the mob films of the 90s. Goodfellas. Casino. A Bronx tale. A bunch of men, spending tons of time together, providing unwavering support for one another (unless of course one displayed character attributes of a "wiseguy"), and seemingly paying a lot more attention to their dudes than their wives. I've noticed a TON of bromance going on lately. Many groups of men have guys' night more than once a week. I mean guys' night in the ritualistic sense, like every Monday and Thursday for example (my boyfriend used to do this, he's now down to one night a week; some of my male coworkers still do this). They religiously attend these ceremonious outings with the utmost excitement and adoration for their companions. There's a lot of trash talking, back patting, and advice giving. Oh, and a lot of whip and betty banter too. 

My boyfriend can be borderline obnoxious when it comes to his guy friends. He talks to them dozens of times a day, far more than he talks to me. He knows where they are at all times, and what they're doing. He has a standing "boys night," every Monday, which I believe initially revolved around Monday Night Football. Now, they hold guys' night year round, come rain, come shine, come venereal disease or natural disaster. All of his cohorts show up, same time, same place, no girls allowed (unless it's a special occasion). My sister's boyfriend actually has something called "Bro Time." And that's all well and good. I'm all for same sex rituals, in which positive energy can bounce back and forth between a group of same gendered people. That's the emotional soul food of life, of course. But I got to wondering, what's with the tribal nature of men, that's so potent that they put their female counterparts to shame when it comes to making time for one another? Sure we plan girls' nights, a few times a month if we're lucky, but so often at least one girl will back out. And overnight girls trips are met with great anticipation, but are often laden with phone calls home to the hubby or the bf. And once you leave college and enter the real world, most women don't have standing weekly appointments to get together, even if they might want to. Because things just come up, and schedules conflict.

Don't things just come up for guys too? That I don't know, I'm not a guy (insert sigh of relief here). But if they do, they certainly seem to make time for boys night anyway. Why are guys so obsessed with their testosterone teammates? I speculate that perhaps the most obvious reason is that among their own kind, guys can be themselves. You know that dirty locker room talk you've heard so much about? It exists and most likely far surpasses even your worst nightmares. And it vastly outdoes  anything to ever exit the outspoken lips of Samantha Jones. Have you ever found yourself an accidental member of a guys' night? I have. And it wasn't pretty. Dirty talk, farting, burping, TONS of gossip. Lots of Jack Daniels. When around their own kind, men can embrace their inner cavemen. Your pillow-talking boyfriend morphs into that poor postured dude at the bar that grunts, eats wings, and drinks beer. And perhaps you already do find your man quite unrefined, I guarantee he's at least a tiny bit more sophisticated around his delicate flower, you, than he is around his own species.

 

Ladies, why have we let girls night fall to the wayside in favor of the boys? I say we rekindle the flame of the fleeting 'ladies night.' It could be in the form of a power lunch, a yoga class, grocery shopping, or a Starbucks run. A standing appointment, even if only for a couple hours a week, when you and and one or more of your fellow goddesses commit to getting together and enjoying one another. The value of female friendship is immense. And women, as the naturally selfless gender, tend to let other priorities get in the way of the relationships that nurture their souls. Next time you think you might skip out on a girls night to stay in and hang with your man (again), or go to the gym, or just be lazy and watch the tube, consider the following:

-A study by DOVE indicates that 70% of women feel prettier thanks to their girlfriends. This is an important fact to also pass down to the next generation of girls.
-A UCLA study suggests that when we are with other females, our bodies release oxytocin, the feel good hormone, that is known to reduce stress and also to make you love your baby so much. (obviously, it's a lot easier getting it from your girlfriends than by having a baby!)
-Laughter has been known to lower blood pressure, increase intelligence, and aid in stress management. Who makes you laugh more than you girlfriends?


This Sex And The City exchange speaks volumes:

Carrie: Honey, if it hurts so much, why are we going shopping?
Samantha: I have a broken toe, not a broken spirit.

Atta girl, Sam.

The Sweet Truth About Raw Chocolate

What girl doesn't love chocolate? You've probably heard by now of the antioxidant properties and aphrodesiac benefits of raw cacao. You may have also surmised that your Hersey Kiss there, while delicious, isn't chocolate in its truest form. Even commercialized dark chocoloate, though a healthier selection, isn't the pure chocolate that's touted as a natural super food. No my friends that would be Raw Cacao, chocolate in its simplest, purest form. Raw cacao is said to contain more antioxidants than any other food in the world. It is actually a species of fruit, one of the world's healthiest fruits to bout. Cacao contains the neurotransmitter: Phenylethylamine, which promotes concentration and alertness; it even has been said to prevent dementia. I can vouch for this one. One table spoon of cacao has me raring to go! Even more so than coffee or tea. Cacao also contains dopamine which is related to sleep, mood, and attention levels. Perhaps the biggest reason cacao makes you feel so good, is it's inclusion of tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin, the ultimate feel good neurotransmitter (or what's released in your brain during a runner's high). Cacao also contains the beautifying element, sulfur. Sulfur is attributed to strong hair & nails, liver detoxification, and skin purification.

I can't sing cacao's praises enough. It gives me immense energy and great clarity. It's effects are more powerful than a cup of coffee, and yet I don't feel speedy on it at all. I remember people in college taking Aderol to focus better while studying. May I suggest this natural alternative instead? So how do you consume cacao? I prefer to keep it raw and avoid heating of any kind. This morning, I ground up raw cacao nibs in a coffee bean grinder. I then added a bit of Stevia to sweeten (they're quite bitter on their own) and added this mixture to my protein shake with half a banana. It was quite delicious and I felt like a million bucks afterwards. With all of these benefits, why not give it a shot?

Tech Check! StumbleUpon.com

I know that for me personally, the internet has been a wealth of information that has virtually changed my life. I've found so many amazing websites by so many like-minded women and men, and I love finding new content that might influence my life in some way. Most recently, I've found a great tool for avid web surfers, called Stumble Upon. Are you familiar with it? Stumble Upon works almost like a remote control for your web browser. You just click the "Stumble" button to be redirected to a site that other people in your niche have already given the thumbs up to. And when I say thumbs up, I literally mean, literally a "thumbs up" button and have pre-approved a site for you. You do have to install a toolbar on your browser to get all these handy new buttons, but it takes under 5 minutes and doesn't require any work on your end. You can create a free profile at StumbleUpon and being following friends with similar interests (in our case, women's health, fashion, food & drink, and spirituality). I've found some great blogs like:

Tastespotting -- amazing photos of food

Life Should Feel Good -- by Caroline Middlebrook, blogging & lifestyle extradorinaire

Money Under 30 - self explanatory

Please be sure to make friends with HolidayHoney on Stumble Upon so we can share our favorites online! Oh, and whenever you have a moment, please come back and give us a thumbs up using your handy dandy new toolbar!

Coolest Concept Ever: Wanderlust Festival Blends Yoga With Live Music & Partying

Comprised of artists like Miachael Franti & Spoon, blended with prominent yoga teachers like John Friend & Shiva Rea, set on the mountains of Lake Tahoe 4,000 people spent three days getting limber and rocking out. Is this not the coolest thing ever? I can't imagine a more fun weekened. Wanderlust, a word meaning "strong desire or impluse to wander, or travel the world," was $170 for the weekend of yoga and rock'n'roll fun in the sun. How did this shebang get started?

“We want people to leave feeling better than they did when they came, transformed in some positive way,” stated Jeff Krasno, owner of Velour Music Group in NYC, who just happens to be married to Schuyler Grant, a yoga teacher.

Schuyler wanted “to incorporate the exuberance and the joy and the fun of a music festival, and the deeper experience of a yoga retreat,” and states “To go to a three-day fairly hedonistic experience where you’re going to be drinking, probably, and smoking a joint, maybe, and dancing all night, and then do yoga and walk away feeling good, how cool would that be?”

Their extensive list of sponsors included tons of brand names, all of which you'd expect to sponsor a festival of this calibur; including Burt's Bees, Luna Bar, and Gaiam. See you there next year?

Are Women Becoming More And More Attractive?

According to evolutionists, yes. So maybe this is the reason that your girlfriends could rival Daria, Kate, and Natalia. Apparently the cause for this progression is the essential "filtering out" of less attractive women, based on two things:

1. Attractive women are more likely to reproduce more children than their less attractive counterparts.

2. These "more attractive" women are reproducing more girls, and going on to proliferate their hotness.

This observation has been the result of a series of studies of physical beauty and it's correlation to reproduction in humans. According to Markus Jokela, a scientist at the University of Helsinki, pretty women have 16% more children (daughers and sons) than their more homely friends. These studies were predicated by Satoshi Kanazawa, an evolutionary psychologist at the London School of Economics. Kanazawa found that attractive parents were more prone to having daughters, and that this was somehow part of human DNA.

While this might explain why the latest crop of Victoria's Secret models is so insanely gorgeous, I've got to assert the opinion that attractiveness is subjective. What looks good to one person may look entirely different to another. And while I notice hoards of beautiful girls and women on a daily basis, women have always been beautiful. Think Jaclyn Smith, Bridgett Bardot, Diane von Furstenberg. And hello? Haven't they ever heard of Cleopatra? I suppose though, from an evolutionary standpont, the human race will probably continue to grow more and more refined. And that's my scientific theory for the day...

So does this mean in 20 years our daughters are all going to be Megan Fox look-a-likes? Who knows... But one thing I will agree with, according to the scientists, men are allegedly haven't changed a bit ;)

Find Local Farmer's Markets Near You!

I'm always on the prowl for some fresh, ripe, delicious, juicy summer produce. And I don't really think getting it at the grocery store sounds like as great of an idea when you can have locally grown fruits & veggies for lower prices while still supporting the farms in your area.

Check out this site! LocalHarvest.org. You simply type in your city or zip, and it will give you a Google-powered map of places in your area where you can get local, fresh produce!

Bonus: Buying from farmers markets helps the environment by being one less contributor to the use of gas for shipping to grocers.