Lululemon Happy Heat Tank

I went to Lululemon today and tried on the Happy Heat Tank in coal/ persimmon and very violet.  I really loved this tank and loved it in both colors.  But I ended up going home with the coal/ persimmon color combo because the contrasting colored lines on it were very figure enhancing!

Very Violet

Like I said, the solid colored very violet one is very pretty too.  But I think I will wait for that color to come out in another top.  I'm kind of tired of purply colors anyway, and I just realized I don't have any coal tops!  The girl that helped me at the store also said that a lot of their new items are coming out in persimmon, so I'll be more trendy lol.  I really love this persimmon color.  It reminds me of a softer version of electric orange.  It's more peachy too.  Very pretty.  The persimmon lines on the chest of the coal top somehow add at least a full cup size visually!  That's always a good thing for me nowadays - I used to be a C cup when I had more weight on me, but when I lost lots of body fat, my boobs went as well!

Oh yeah, I had to size up in this tank.  I originally tried my normal size 4, but the chest was too tight on top and created the double boobage look.  Not cute.  And I'm like an A cup!  I think I have broader shoulders though so that could also be why.  The size 6 had a slightly bigger cup so it wasn't cutting in on top of my chest, and just looked much better.  The bra band of this top is the thin kind though, so it wasn't digging in on either size.  The tummy area is looser with the 6 but I still don't see the ruching as obviously as the model above - she must've sized up 2 sizes to accommodate her chest size!  Size 4 was pretty figure hugging and you can't really see the ruching at all while wearing it.  I also like how the criss cross straps on the back can be adjusted to your preferred length.

It's made of luxtreme, and the length is slightly shorter than most of my other Lululemon tops.  But I wouldn't say it's short.  I actually think it's the perfect length for me.  Maybe the band of my Groove pants will actually show when I'm wearing this tank!  It also comes with the cup cookies in the tank, so that is always a plus.  I know you can always ask for them, but I forget to most of the time until I get home.  I feel like those things really enhance the shape and size of the chest.  Plus I'm always self-conscious about my nipples showing through tanks while working out so I always wear these things!  Though that's probably because me and my boyfriend always giggle when we spot headlights!  I know, we are very immature.

I'm Engaged! =)

I still can't believe it, but my boyfriend picked me up from work today and totally surprised me with a nice romantic multiple course dinner with wine, flowers, tons of candles, chocolate, and a proposal!  He actually got on his knee and asked me to marry him.  It was so cute.  =)  When I saw the ring, I was so excited because it's so beautiful and elegant!  I still can't stop staring at it and watch it sparkle as it catches the light!  The only thing is that it's too big!  I think it's either one size or half a size too big, I'm not too sure, but it definitely flops around and if I shake my hand it would just fall right off my finger.  I'm not sure what is involved or how much it costs to resize a ring as I've never done it before.  And I really don't want to have to part with it!  But I guess it has to be done...

Anyway, pictures!!!

It's a 2 carat round cut center stone with 18 surrounding diamonds.  And there's also 12 little diamonds all on the band as well, which is white gold.  The surrounding diamonds really make the center stone look huge!  I kept saying to my boyfriend (or fiance now!) that I thought the bling was too big for my finger, but he thinks I can rock it!  

Here are some pictures of me wearing it.  Obviously since I haven't got it resized, I had to clutch my hand to keep it in place!

Didn't realize the boob shot in the background... haha

Sooo now everyone is asking for the date, but really we haven't even talked about it or thought about it.  I was never the type of girl that wanted to be engaged and plan my dream wedding since the age of 7 or something like that.  In fact, I would be more than happy to go somewhere and elope.  Easy and no planning involved!  But I guess the parents and family would want some kind of ceremony.  Though maybe not my mom since I called and texted to tell her about the occassion and she texted back saying she's in the middle of something and will text me later.  Still haven't heard from her!

... Anyway, maybe a smaller destination wedding would be great!  We'll see.  There's tons of time to still think about these things!

Hmmm... now this is something I've never thought about before, but do most people wear their rings all the time?  Like while working out?  Cooking or doing dishes?   Even while sleeping or showering?  I don't think it would be comfortable but maybe I'm just not used to wearing something on my finger yet.  Would water ruin the ring??  Oh my gosh, the things you've never thought of before!  I feel so grown up now.  Maybe it really is the beginning of my new life.  =)

Angry Birds

Ok I'm not a gamer, but this game Angry Birds is totally sweeping the nation!  Or world?

My boyfriend first became addicted to it when he got it for free on his Android.  Once I knew what it was, I started seeing more and more people play it everywhere I go.  It's got a very distinctive sound when you play it, so there's no mistake.  I then found out that a bunch of my coworkers are addicted to the point where they are not even working  or eating lunch anymore.  Then I saw a headline on Bloomberg last week that EA just bought this game for $20 million.  What the...?!?  That's crazy!

So I decided to give it a try myself.

Yeah, like I really need more distractions!

It costs 99 cents on the iphone app store, and they also have a free version to try out before committing that hard earned dollar.

Must say, it's a pretty fun game.  Very addicting indeed!  Last night I felt like I was about to get sick, so I went to "bed" early.  But instead of sleeping, I was playing the game under the covers!  As can be seen from the pic above, it's basically shooting different birds (your weapons) into these piggies to kill them.  Different birds do different things, so you have to learn what to do with the kind you get.  And also you need to know how to aim, and strategize as you move up more levels because different structures will be in your way and you only have so many birds to try to kill all the piggies.  Lol.  I know, very nerdy.  It's more frustrating when you get to certain levels and you just can't seem to get all the piggies!!  So yeah, it hooks you because you just want to beat the levels!  There are tons of levels too.  Pretty fun.  I'm a fan.  It also seems to be a very well built game, the graphics look great, and it's just solid all the way around.  I can totally see EA making it into a Nintendo or Playstation game or something.  I wish I was smart enough to create an awesome iphone app and cash in $20 mill! 

Oh yeah, there's also tons of apps in the app store that sell you the strategies to beat each level of Angry Birds.  I guess that alone tells you how much following they have!  So, if you need a cheap and fun way to kill some time, this will keep you entertained for a while!

What is the secret?

Today I had my private pilates session after my interval training, which was not the best idea by the way.  Both trainers were hard on me.  I think my muscles almost gave up by the end of my session!  But I guess I'm making up for being lazy this past week.  I don't know what it was, maybe since it was raining and dreary out all week, but I just did not feel motivated to go work out.  If I hadn't had my session already scheduled today, I wouldn't even have left the house!

So yesterday, I guess Alec Baldwin called the pilates trainer asking to squeeze him in for a session.  So she pushed our session back 30 minutes.  When I showed up today, he was still there so I met him.  He was very nice, and very sweaty.  To think that I had to use the same equipments that were covered in Alec Baldwin sweat.... anyway, when I was checking him out, I noticed that he had very nice skin.  So it got me thinking, this seems to be a trend between these Hollywood people!

I don't work in the entertainment industry, obviously, but I do see famous people at random places.  For example, The Rock goes to my gym, and he is hot in person!  I never would have thought, but he has the nicest, most smoothest skin, and his body is very proportionate too.  I mean, he doesn't have chicken legs like some guys who only focus on upper body.  He's also very nice and always smiling and saying hi.  One time, I was on the treadmill while he was doing weights right in front of me, so I watched him for like 20 minutes!  Haha.  I saw George Clooney at the Warner lot when I was doing my consulting thing and Warner was one of the clients.  My first thought was, "wow, this man has such nice skin!".  It was like a baby's bottom, poreless, and the perfect amount of tan.  No wrinkles whatsoever.  I also saw John Stamos eating lunch there all the time when he was filming General Hospital there (I think?), and I saw Matthew Perry and Amanda Peet and that chick from Gilmore Girls all the time too.  The men all had amazing skin!  They showed no sign of normal aging, and these guys are all in their 40s or older.  And I'm not the type of person that normally notices people's skin.  Amanda Peet though, not so much.  Maybe it's a male thing. 

I know these people have all the money in the world and access to the best beauty people.  But I'm really wondering what it is they use on their face!  Because whatever it is, I will go and get the same thing if it's going to do that for me!  Or do they just do chemical peels and botox?  I don't think it's all genetics, that's for sure.  Especially that George Clooney, his skin looked like he was in his 20s or something.  So if anyone out there knows the secret and wants to share it, please do!  LOL!  It's driving me crazy!

Swarovski Genuine Bangle

My mom gave me another present for absolutely no reason - the Swarovski Genuine Bangle.  I wonder what she's up to!  It's perfect though because I haven't had any time to feed my online shopping addiction lately since I've been super busy at work.  It's really unfortunate when you are too busy to mess around online at work right?  Having to actually work... Who does that?  Speaking of which, this is rather OT, but I heard rumors about some very high up, supposedly happily married, male executives surfing porn sites while at work all day long.  Ugh.  To think of how many millions they are getting paid to do that...  I better be getting a big bonus this year. 

Ok back to my bangle...

I don't think I own any bangles, I'm more of a earring and necklace person as I normally find bracelets bothersome.  So I'm not sure why my mom chose to get me this.  But she said she just thought it was very pretty when she saw it and that I'd like it.  I agree.  I do think it's pretty, and I like the subtle color of the Azore crystal.  The color actually is a pretty good match to the Swarovski Erin Crystal Drop earrings I got from Gilt a while ago that I absolutely love and wear a lot.  

I have to say though, this bangle is pretty tight.  Most of it is very rigid, you don't really need the loose chain closure to secure it because the hardware will clamp to the wrist.  It didn't feel uncomfortable or anything though when I tried it on briefly.  I just thought it was odd that they didn't make it slightly bigger and looser.  So I think I will to wear it to my company's holiday party.  My company is known to have very extravagant Christmas parties.  It's all formal attire so people go all out.  They give out really nice prizes.  Like a couple years ago they gave away things like 2 year car leases, or checks for thousands of $$$, fancy vacations, etc.   Doubtful they will go that fancy this year though.  It's all very nice and all but I don't qualify for the raffles because of my title so I guess I'm not really interested in that part (I know, I'm just bitter).  I am just wishing for a big bonus!!  Last year was great, even admin people got over 100% bonus and made about $150k on average.  But again, doubtful it will come close to that this year (lots of drama happened and we lost some assets, though making a comeback now).  I've learned to always keep my expectations low so I won't be disappointed.  Lol.

Why am I talking about work again?  I need to stop it now.  This must be a sign that I've been working too hard.  I even had dreams about some data queries last night.  Wow.  Let's hope it won't be a repetitive theme tonight.

Things Remembered - Pink Stainless Steel & Ceramic Mug

My mom randomly got me the Pink Stainless Steel & Ceramic Mug from Things Remembered the other day.  She said she just saw it while out shopping for a friend, and thought I'd like it.  She even got it engraved with my initials.  I know it's a silly little gift, but I am really loving it!  It's one of the most useful gifts anyone ever got me.  And I think she got it on sale for $14.  LOL!

This is so cute, and I love how it is a thermal mug with a lid.  I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but the trading desk area where I sit at work is sooooo cold.  I sit under two vents too so I get cold air blasting at me all day long.  I think they just have to keep the room cold due to tons of high powered computers and 4 or more monitors per person that are running all the time.  Plus we have almost 100 people sitting on the trading desk, so we all just have to deal with the temperature.  I'm always freezing at work, and drinking something warm usually helps.  But my tea or coffee always gets cold within a few minutes because of the constant AC blasting at them.  I'm so glad I now have this cute pink mug to keep my drinks warm! The inside of the mug is aluminum, it keeps the warmth trapped in for hours, and it's just so perfect for me!

It's a really good size too, so I don't have to keep refilling.  It is amazing how something as simple as this can make me so happy!  Though I do have to say bringing this mug with me to get drinks at the kitchen area is kind of embarrassing because I'm all the way on the inside by the window, and I have to walk past lots of people to get to the kitchen.  The mug is just so big and pink!  The male to female ratio at the desk is like 10 to 1.  I can literally count all the women in the room on one hand.  So I don't want all the dudes making fun of me (I also already have a big bright pink water bottle that I use all the time).  Lol.  Though I do secretly really love the baby pink. 

Anyhow, being guys, they probably don't even notice things like this.  I'm just really glad that my mom got me this mug, I've been using it everyday, and I highly encourage everyone to get it while it's on sale! It is rather perfect for hot chocolate spiked with Baileys too (tried that over the weekend)!  

Lululemon Inspire Pullover - Teal Zeal

I went to Lululemon after the gym today and tried on some new stuff (don't worry, I showered), such as the Power Dance tank in lilac (very soft and comfy but too preggy looking for me), Heart tank in plum (cute but I didn't feel like I must have it), and Centered Pose tank in coal (would be cuter without the straps that cross in the back).  So after vetoing them all, I decided to inspect the new Inspire Pullover just for kicks.

To my surprise, they fixed the back pocket issue that ultimately led me to the decision of returning my senorita pink one!  I rubbed my eyes and triple checked - the thick zipper is now completely sewn in on the back so I can wear it against my bare skin and it won't scratch!  I couldn't believe it.  So I tried on both the lilac color and teal zeal.  I liked both of them, but I had to have the teal zeal for 3 reasons:

1) I love this color!  Even though the name implies teal, to me it looks like a true bright green.

2) It's very different from other colors I have already, which happen to be lots of purple and bluish tones so it's good to branch out.

3) Here's the most important reason:  I love love love the fact that the seams going down the front and back of the pullover are not the thick ribbon ones like in the previous batch as well as the lilac version!  On the teal zeal one, they are just good old regular double sided flat seams!  The teal zeal one also doesn't have contrasting color blocking.  It's so much better and less busy looking.  And also very very soft and comfortable.  I'm wearing it right now as I'm typing this and I can't be happier!  After I noticed this important difference, I put on teal zeal and lilac back to back (I tried them on with nothing but a Flow Y bra under), and I definitely felt the thick seams of the lilac. They made the pullover stiffer in the body and not as body-conforming or comfortable.  Don't get me wrong, the lilac is still an improvement from the 1st batch.  I'm just saying that to me the teal zeal was the winner.

Here's a picture of me wearing the old senorita pink one where you can see the thick seams, and some pictures of the teal zeal one!

The back doesn't look nearly as busy as the previous version

Big area of mesh under the armpit!

Sorry, I'll have to remember next time not to take pictures on my balcony as the sun and the flash of the camera combined really bring out the reflectiveness of the fabric. I also think the pullover looks more green in person than the pictures show but what can I do...

Anyway, so now this pullover is pretty much perfect!  I really really like it.  If they re-released this pullover in senorita pink (or any other pretty pinkish color), I would definitely buy another!  I'm so glad whoever in charge of things over there at Lululemon listened to customer feedback and brought out these improvements!

Oh yeah, I also picked up a Cool Racerback in teal zeal since I love the color.  It's even greener than the Inspire Pullover since it doesn't have the static or whatever.

The 3 pack featherweight socks were also on sale for $14.  That's like 4 bucks a pair, pretty good deal, so I bought some.  They are very thin and lightweight.  I like to wear them in the summer or to my spin class.  The prints are fun!

I know this probably doesn't matter at all, but do you wear them with the logo on the inside or outside of the foot?

Luluelmon Groove Pants

I've always loved Lululemon's Groove Pants, but I wear them more casually or for low impact activities.  They fit like a glove, always so flattering and crisp.  And the regular length is the absolute perfect length for me with sneakers!  They are too hot for vigorous types of work outs for me.  I can do yoga and pilates in them and that's about it.  But I have ran in them occasionally last winter when it was pretty cold out, like 50 degrees.  When I'm traveling or needing to put something on to go to the grocery store or things like that, I always reach for my Grooves though.  They are really perfect for running errands since you still look nice and feel uber comfy without looking like you are wearing work out clothes.  One day when I spilled on my light colored work pants, I even grabbed my Grooves from my gym bag and put them on for the rest of the day with my heels and I don't think anybody noticed!  Well maybe they did and didn't say anything.  The seams on the back do kind of give it away.  My work has a pretty strict business dress code and I would not be able to get away with wearing work out pants on a regular basis, but I think the Groove patns would work for a more casual work environment too.

Well I've been meaning to get another pair for a while, but I always put it off since I knew they would always be there.  But last week when I was at the Lululemon store, I tried on the new ones and thought they were different.  So I asked the girl who works there, and she told me that the new ones have less of a flare than before.  Nooooo!!  I loved the Groove pants exactly the way they were before!  I know Lululemon makes quite a few other pant styles that are straight leg fit, so why change the Grooves??  I love how the Grooves fit over my sneakers perfectly without bunching.  I like straight leg pants with boots or heels, but can't stand the look of them with sneakers!  I feel like they fall on top of the sneakers awkwardly, and makes the legs look shorter and it throws off your whole proportion!  I feel quite strongly about this.  So I got scared and bought 3 pairs of the older Groove pants!  So sad that they will probably be the last 3 pairs that I will be able to buy.  I hope they last, umm, forever!

So the colors I bought from top to bottom are black with lolo / power purple as pictured on the model above, black and senorita pink, and coal and alarming quilt. 

I didn't realize before, but the coal ones have the reflective logo on the left calve.  I'm not really digging that, because I don't want them to have a logo where everyone can see it's work out wear.  But it reverses to solid coal with the logo on the back waistband.  So I'll likely be wearing them like that most of the time.  I just really wanted a pair of coal groove pants.  I love how both the purple and pink ones have the logo on the back waist on the color side as well as the all black side.  The groove pants I have now are reversible, but both sides have different waistband patterns.  They are nice too but I'm glad I will have solid black.  Sometimes colors can be a hindrance.  It will be nice to not have to stop and think about the color of the top I'm putting on to see if it will look too ridic with the waistband of my pants. 

Well, I hope I will be set with these for the rest of my life!  I guess to be fair, I didn't try on the new Grooves with sneakers, so I'm not sure if a couple inches narrower will look as bad as pure straight leg pants with sneakers.  But hey, I thought they were pretty much perfect before, so they can only go downhill from there.

Recent Great Find - Lululemon Move Tank in Paradise / Kiss Chipper!

I don't usually like organic cotton tanks from Lululemon, but the Move Tank from like last spring or summer (?) was one of my favorite tanks as far as the style goes.  I got 3 of them!

Caribe

Heathered Light Bon Bon

Heathered Ash

I just think they are so pretty!  I think my favorite one is caribe, it's a beautiful rich green color.  But I also love the lighter, more earthy tones on the other two.  Whenever I wear them, I always get so many compliments and people asking me where I bought my top.  I love the layered look of the bra peaking from under the outer tank.  And I think the satiny straps in different but complimentary color tones are so gorgeous.  The tank is organic cotton so I don't really work out in it.  It's just not that comfortable sweating in this material since it's not as wicking.  But the built in bra is made of silverescent.  It's a very flattering tank, and fits pretty snug.  I think I could wear a 4 or a 6 in this tank.  The back of this tank is pretty long and is curved.  It ends at kind of an awkward spot on my butt that always sticks out like a little tail vs. laying flat!  So I got all 3 of the tanks hemmed straight across all the way around, and I am much happier with them.

Well the color that I missed out on was the Paradise / Kiss Chipper.  I loved how it looked but it was already sold out by the time I wanted it.  So after all this time, I actually found it on ebay while searching for a Hot Class tank (I obsessively search for Hot Class tanks on ebay every few days b/c I just love them.  Looking specifically for the coal/faded zap or senorita pink/black one....)!  I think it was like $30 including shipping so totally worth it for me to have a 4th! 

This is such a gorgeous print!  I was a big fan of all the pink/corals Lululemon had last year.  I loved all the kiss, bon bon, fruity tootie, etc. etc.  They all look similar but go well together so you don't have to be super matchy matchy to look well put together.  And I haven't seen any nice prints like this one from Lululemon in a long long time.  It kind of has the rich Arabian feel, and how can you not feel like a yoga princess wearing it??  Hehe.  Apart from the print, there's also so much detail in it.  It looks much more expensive, unique and well-made.  Gosh it makes me feel kind of lame for spending the same amount on a plain one color tank when the same money could have gotten me this beauty a year ago!  

I'm so happy about this unexpected find though!  As soon as I get the bottom hemmed, I will be living in it!

Lululemon Flow and Go Tank

I went to the Lululemon store this morning for yoga.  But to be honest, I had a pilates training session scheduled later today so I didn't really need to do yoga this morning.  It was just an excuse to stay around and shop afterwards!  I like to shop with my eyes during yoga, then go straight to the items I want to try on after class.  It's very efficient that way.  Hehe.

Well today I had my eye on the Flow and Go tank.

I tried on the alarming/coal in a size 6, which is one size up from my normal tank size because they were out of size 4s.  I really liked it, especially the back!  I have to say this tank was very hard to put on though, which a million straps to figure out, and a built in bra that is supported by the two bottom horizontal straps that can be seen on the back picture above.  I think I finally got it on my 3rd try?!?  After I put it on though, it was worth the trouble!  It's a very sexy tank, and the back is very unique looking.  It's made of circle mesh and it's just so comfortable.  The size 6 fit fine through the body since it's supposed to be baggy, however, the chest was just a little too loose and I had extra fabric chilling under my armpits.  Also the straps that criss cross in the back were kind of falling off my shoulders too.  I didn't have it pulled all the way down like the Lululemon model has it on the pic above, so the back created a pooch which resembled a diaper bag or something.  So it wasn't going to work.  I had the store call the other stores nearby to see if any had a size 4 in this color. 

Well apparently this tank is super popular!  Because the SoCal stores just got them this week, and none of the nearby stores had a size 4 anymore.  We literally called every store.  Also I guess not all stores here got this tank to begin with.  Santa Monica only got oasis and citron, not alarming.  Kind of surprising since it's the largest store in the area.  We even called the GEC for phone sales and it was out of stock.  They then did a country wide stock search or something, and found a store in Seattle and a store in New York that had it.  Just when we were about to call up Seattle and have them ship it, the El Segundo store came back with a positive!  So, I had to drive my ass all the way down there.  I guess I really wanted this tank, otherwise I would've just said it's not meant to be and called it a day.  Luckily there wasn't any traffic at all, so I got there in 15 minutes.  I didn't have any time to try it on there because I had to drive all the way back to my side of town for my pilates session.  So it wasn't until I got home that I could put it on.

Hmm... now I'm perplexed.  The chest definitely fits way better in the 4 - more supportive than I thought it would be actually.  But the back "V" doesn't go as low as the size 6.  I really liked how well it draped with the 6 on, it kind of went all the way down and looked very effortless.  The 4, while not tight, just doesn't drape.  The neck strap and the two horizontal bra straps on the back are just a wee bit too tight for my liking too and I think the neck one would pull after a while.  Although my neck/shoulders are sore right now from being stuck with the 15 pound kettlebell in class yesterday when I was running late.  So that could be making my neck extra sensitive.  But otherwise I do love how this tank looks.  The front looks gorgeous too, and the color combo is great.  I never liked alarming much, but the color looks more muted in this top I think.  I also have groove pants from last year or year before, that has a band of alarming that would match.

So I guess I really need a size 5 for this tank to fit me how I want it to.  But I think I'm going to keep the size 4 and play with it so it falls well in the back.  And maybe it will motivate me to lose a few pounds too!  After all that work to get my hands on this tank, I feel like it's only principle that I keep it.  Haha.  But the tag will stay on for me to change my mind a million times a day!

Philips Sonicare HealthyWhite

When I was traveling last week, I forgot my beloved Philips Sonicare toothbrush at one of the hotels.  It was so devastating for me, as I had been using that toothbrush for almost 5 years (switched heads many times of course).  I had forgotten how to use a regular toothbrush!  And I just don't feel like my teeth are as clean after using the regular toothbrush.

The one I lost was the Elite series, which I'm not sure if they still make.  I liked it a lot, but I guess it was getting old even though it was still in perfect condition.  The only thing I didn't like about it was that the place where the handle and brush head connected had a little "pocket", which over time had this black gunk build up, almost mold like.  Presumably from moisture, and whatever dental bacteria that I don't even want to think about.  So it became an every couple week ritual to take off the brush head and try to get the gunk out of the pocket.  Because of the hard edges in there, some of the black stuff just never came out of the corners.  I've even tried pouring bleach or liquid soap into this pocket and letting it sit all day.  Still the gunk was very persistent and I was never able to get it completely out.  So gross. 

So I got the Sonicare HealthyWhite today.  I was so glad to find out that they've taken care of the gunk problem!  Now they've made the handle connector part flat, and the brush head just connects to the handle by a little needle stick thingy.  So there is no place for the gross stuff to reside!  Yay!  Glad to see they've made improvements in the past 5 years.  Hehe.

I got the premium package so I got 2 brush handles, 3 brush heads, a charger with a UV cleaner, a travel charger, and 2 travel cases, all for $170 something!  I think it's a pretty good deal considering the price for one brush and one head with one charger (without UV cleaner or case) is $120.  So I gave the second set to my boyfriend (I'm such a nice girlfriend!).  I also looked at the Sonicare FlexCare and FlexCare+ series, which have pretty good reviews.  But the HealthyWhite premium package was the best deal I could find.  I figure they are probably not all that different anyway.

The HealthyWhite series come with either a 2 mode brush or 3 mode.  I got the 3 mode, and they are regular, sensitive, and whitening.  Good to have options.  On the Philips website, they claim that you will have whiter teeth in 2 weeks.  We shall see about that.  Maybe I'll take a before and after pic.  I could always use whiter teeth! 

I'm very happy with this toothbrush so far.  Maybe losing my old one was a blessing in disguise! 

My Dining Options at Work

I've been super busy at work lately and have been spending lots of time traveling and studying for my exam whenever I can squeeze the time.  So I haven't had much time to update my blog or even shop (gasp!).  But I was in heaven with my lunch at work today, so I had to write about this...

My work really goes all out with the dining room.  I should really say, dining floor!  Yes, we have a whole entire floor dedicated to dining facilities, as ridiculous as it sounds.  And yes, it's a big high rise building in downtown, so one whole floor is a lot of square footage!

There is a large self-serve room, and tons of smaller full-service private and semi-private dining rooms.  They are all beautifully furnished in an old school style so everything looks very rich and classic.  They run it like a professional restaurant, with a huge commercial quality kitchen.  All the dining staff are full time employees of the firm.  There are quite a few full time chefs and even one full time dessert chef (makes amaaaazzzing pastries and desserts!).  From what I hear, the founder of the firm went to some really exclusive members only club for lunch more than 20 years ago, really liked the food, and decided to just hire the whole staff from there and transplanted them to my company.  And most of those people have been around ever since then.  Every morning they get in at around 5 am and meet about what to make for the day.  All the ingredients are delivered from local farmers daily so they are always fresh, organic and top quality.  Then they just get to work with breakfast, then lunch!  They always make different things everyday and never repeat.  Usually they make a couple main entries a meal, but if you don't want to eat it, they are also very accommodating and can make whatever you special order.  They wear suits with tuxedo vests under the jackets, and they take their jobs very very seriously.  And, if you want to eat there, you better wear a tie and jacket.  Otherwise they will bring out a loaner jacket for ya.  They are more lax with girls though.

The dining facility is available to AVPs and above, which really separates the "important" and "non-important" employees.  I personally think it's kind of lame since it sends out the message of "you are not good enough to even eat at the same place as me" to lower level employees.  And some high level executives choose not to eat there because they don't endorse it.  But most do since the food is just so good, and it's very convenient to not even step outside the building to get food or worry about bringing lunch to work.  We do have to pay for the food, depending on our title - the higher the level the more expensive, I guess they figure that higher level people get paid more so they can afford to pay more for the food.  But it's relatively very inexpensive still.  I only pay like $150 a month and it comes out of my pre-tax income.  I believe the lowest level officers pay $75 and the highest pay around $300 or more a month.  That's for breakfast and lunch.  For the quality of food we get, you just can't beat the price no matter what level you are.

Today the entree was sauteed scallops and risotto, and it was just heavenly!  I normally special order a salad (without dressing) or sandwich with no mayo or something boring like that, because if I ate everything that looked yummy, I would gained tons of weight without blinking an eye.  And most people there do gain lots of weight as soon as they get promoted or start eating there.  But today I just couldn't say no to scallops!

I even took a picture of it, but I took it to go (they also use bio-degradable to go boxes) instead of eating there on a real plate, and the lighting wasn't the best for my iPhone camera, so the picture doesn't even do the food justice!

I don't know how much calorie was in that thing, but I ate about half of it and it was worth it!  I'm still drooling as we speak.

I was looking at the daily menu emails that they send out, and I'm copy/pasting this week's menu here just because I think it's fun to share!

Wednesday October 6, 2010

Mixed Green Salad with Choice of Dressing

Thousand Island        French       Roquefort Cheese

Fat Free Fig Balsamic

SOUP

Albondigas

ENTRÉE

Sautéed Scallops and Risotto

VEGETARIAN

Pasta Primavera -

Orecchiette Pasta, Asparagus, Mushroom, Tear Drop Tomato, Green and Yellow Zucchini

SALADS

Turkey Tomato & Lettuce Salad  Tuna Avocado & Mango Salad   Fruit

Chef’s -

Swiss cheese, Turkey, Ham, Tomato, hard-boiled Egg, Black Olives and Romaine Lettuce

SANDWICHES

Turkey – hormone and antibiotic free                   Club House

DESSERTS

Fruit    Ice Cream   Sorbet   Cookies

Non-Fat Plain Yogurt and Fruit Flavored Yogurt

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

BEVERAGES

Coffee     Espresso     Iced Tea     Mineral Water

Sodas    Assorted Teas:  Herb, Black, and Green

Tuesday October 5, 2010

Mixed Green Salad with Choice of Dressing

Thousand Island        French       Roquefort Cheese

Fat Free Fig Balsamic

SOUP

Curry, Turkey and Vegetables

ENTRÉE

Grilled Chicken Breast -

Teriyaki Sauce, Brown Rice and Baby Bok Choy

VEGETARIAN

Margherite Pizza -

Pesto Sauce, Soy Cheese, Red and Yellow Tomatoes

SALADS

Turkey Tomato & Lettuce Salad  Tuna Avocado & Mango Salad   Fruit Salad

Calamari -

Cucumber Radish Relish, Frisee and Mizuna Lettuce

SANDWICHES

Turkey – hormone and antibiotic free                   Italian Ham Pinwheel

DESSERTS

Fruit    Ice Cream   Sorbet   Cookies

Non-Fat Plain Yogurt and Fruit Flavored Yogurt

Pear Tart

BEVERAGES

Coffee     Espresso     Iced Tea     Mineral Water

Sodas    Assorted Teas:  Herb, Black, and Green

Monday October 4, 2010

Mixed Green Salad with Choice of Dressing

Thousand Island        French       Roquefort Cheese

Fat Free Fig Balsamic

SOUP

Butternut Squash

ENTRÉE

Grilled Top Sirloin -

Roasted Shallot Sauce, Au Gratin Potatoes, Broccolini and Baby Carrots

VEGETARIAN

Beluga Lentil and Root Vegetable

SALADS

Turkey Tomato & Lettuce Salad  Tuna Avocado & Mango Salad   Fruit Salad

Cobb -

Avocado, Bacon, Turkey, American and Blue Cheese, hard-boiled Egg, Watercress and Iceberg Lettuce

SANDWICHES

Turkey – hormone and antibiotic free                   Tuna Salad on Croissant

DESSERTS

Fruit    Ice Cream   Sorbet   Cookies

Non-Fat Plain Yogurt and Fruit Flavored Yogurt

Chocolate Volcano

BEVERAGES

Coffee     Espresso     Iced Tea     Mineral Water

Sodas    Assorted Teas:  Herb, Black, and Green

See, they are really serious about this!  I wasn't kidding... and I only copied the lunch menu!  Breakfast is a whole different story!

Yeah, talk about practicing self-control!  Everyday I literally have to walk past the dessert and pastry section without glancing at it.  But once in a month or so, I do indulge in a very fancy looking dessert that I think would be worth the calorie splurge!  Now that I'm looking at Monday's menu, maybe I should have looked at the Chocolate Volcano, whatever that is?  Sounds interesting.

And tomorrow I shall continue my struggle to make the right food decisions.  It's really really hard when everything is so easily within reach.  Oh how I wish I could be one of those super humans that have abnormally high metabolism and could eat whatever I wanted and still be thin!  What good deeds does one have to perform in order to come back as one of those people in the next lifetime??

Lululemon Fouette Tank

I just got back from Denver where I flew to for the weekend after my business was over in San Francisco. One of my boyfriend's friends got married so we mainly went to attend the wedding. We also had to visit his various friends and family while we were there so it was pretty much a whirlwind trip! I feel like I just had the longest week and am quite tired. The lack of adequate oxygen there did not help!  I wanted to work out while I was there, but just going up the stairs was tiring.  My boyfriend grew up there so I guess it's like riding a bike - once you learn, you never forget.  But every time I go there I get quite affected by it, and sometimes get pretty bad altitude sickness.  Since this was such a short trip, I guess I never got used to it and was lethargic the whole time!  It feels much nicer to be at home where I can breath easily.  I'm looking forward to getting back on my schedule, eat better, work out more, and study hard!

But I did visit the Lululemon store while I was there even though I am still somewhat annoyed at Lululemon.  I bought 2 Bon Voyage Duffels online back at the end of August, and decided to keep the ivy one and return the purple.  I returned the bag at the store a few days later, but it never got credited back onto my credit card!  I didn't even notice it until 2 weeks later.  I still have the receipt and I went back to the store asking for a solution.  This girl that's helping me is nice about it and she has been talking with their GEC.  But it's been over a month now, and last week I emailed her again asking for a status update and she said she is still waiting to hear back from the GEC.  I'm getting tired of waiting!  Seriously I've been more than patient with them.  I don't understand what is taking so long.  Is it really that hard to look at a transaction and see that they never credited me back?!  I think I'm going to have to call up the GEC myself, or just contact my credit card company which I'm sure will be much better at giving me my money back than Lululemon.  So yeah, this is kind of why I haven't been shopping at Lululemon lately.  I just think it's very lame of them.  I spend so much money there, and I don't have time to keep following up with them on something they should have done in the first place.  This is how they handle this situation - by ignoring it, and hoping that I would forget?!

Anyway, I didn't like any of the new stuff I saw at the store today.  They didn't even have much stuff actually.  But I did get the Fouette Tank for $34.  I had tried this tank on when it first arrived in stores a while ago.  I liked it but not enough to pay full price for it. 

I got it in citron.  The color wouldn't have been my first choice but it was the only color they had and the price was pretty good.  This tank reminds me of my Dance Strap tank which I love love love.  It's got a pretty similar fit with the baby doll style that flares out a little in the body, and a cinchable cord on the bottom hem.  I got my regular size 4 and it fits pretty loose through the body.  It's definitely a low support kind of tank.  But I like the simple gathered details on the chest and back.  I think it would be great for yoga or pilates.  Or as street wear.

I just need to get used to the brightness of citron!