An Adviser for Chicago Shoppers?!

Chicago is the city that shops and that is why I almost found it funny that Chicago Tribune (web edition) would find it necessary to have a "Shopping Adviser." Shopping adviser or not, shopping I am going and so would a lot of women I know. But hey, how could you resist reading an article entitled, "Battle of the Mega-Discounters?!"

In this article Ellen Warren compares two discount chains that we all know and love (well, I'm not so sure about the "love" part for everyone) TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Anyone who knows me would say that I would never be caught dead carrying an inexpensive bag but when it comes to clothes I am always about getting a bargain. The author takes us to the said stores' downtown Chicago flagship locations, and scrutinizes everything from their selections, to the fitting rooms and restrooms, down to the checkout lines.

It's been a while since I last visited any of these two stores but I think I'm due for another bargain-shopping spree. And although the author had a preference for Marshalls over Maxx, a cow-patterned broom for $6.99 sounds very intriguing! When the hell is my next day off?!

To read this mega-insightful shopping advisory please click here.

How Was Your Day Off?

"How was your day off?" is usually the first question I get from coworkers the next day I come back after a so-called day of rest. The honest answer would be, "What day off? Moms don't get days off!" but instead I always opt for the simple "It was nice, thanks!"

It would've been okay if I didn't have to cook. Or hear all the screaming sounds that reverberate the walls of our tiny condo unit. Or maybe if it weren't so cold and I didn't have to chase Kai everywhere so he could put on layers of clothing. And if only my husband installed those childproofing things that you put on cabinet doors properly, so that my little rascal didn't empty those stupid cabinets all the time and pretend he's going in a dwarf house, then maybe, just maybe, I could actually say "It was nice, thanks!" with some sincerity next time.

I sometimes look at other moms and wonder if they run the same kind of madhouse that I do. Those moms who seem to feed their kids on time, read to them religiously, limit TV viewings to two hours a week, and send them to bed early. Would I be happier as a mom if I were more organized and followed these rules, wore unattractive clothes and running shoes, drove a van and adorned my hair with clamps? Do these moms ever feel they don't get any days off, and wishes so badly that they get at least one every now and then?

I wouldn't know, because I'm not like them. I just know that for now I'm going to pamper myself with my Sugar Face Polish by fresh and call it a night. I know I didn't have an ideal day off but at least I had this treat. Moms are pretty easy to please. Tomorrow my husband and I are going to see a movie, and maybe that will be a nice day off.

fresh is available on fresh.com and eluxury.com and I highly recommend it. Just don't blame me if you get hooked! Consider that a warning. Sugar Face Polish, 4.2oz, $55 (yes, it really has bits of strawberries! I tasted it one time and I'm most likely to do it again... sweet!)

A Perfect World

"In a perfect world," Jake Gyllenhaal says, "I would love to do one play for every three movies." In a perfect world I would be sitting right next to him, telling him I'd support him all the way. But who lives in a perfect world?

On Thursday Origins was giving away free samples of the skin care line of your choice simply by listening to their spiel, and letting them try the Modern Friction exfoliant on you. And what do I pick? A Perfect World, of course! I'm a sucker for citrus scents, just like my perfume Sugar by Fresh. To quote the Origins website, the "aromatic orange, bergamot and spearmint fortify the feel-good factor" and believe it or not it actually is very uplifting! The little sample box included a deep cleanser, liquid moisture (toner), antioxidant moisturizer, and a body cream. I'd say they would last you about two weeks.

Anyone who knows me well enough would say I hate regimens-- diet, exercise, skin care, make up, etc. I'm just not high maintenance or systematic enough when it comes to these things. But since receiving these samples I've been looking forward to prepping up my skin! It's my me time in the morning and at night before going to bed.

So if you feel like giving yourself a treat, that you so deserve, one of these days visit Origins as through September 28 they are giving free 1-on-1 consultation. They will also be sampling a new product called Plantidote which is a face mask so prepare looking silly in front of other customers as well. If you live in the Oak Brook area I would recommend seeing Greg Coleman at the Origins counter within Macy's. He's very knowledgeable about his products and makes the whole experience a real treat. If I could get past my self-consciousness I might stop too and have him cover my face up with a mask. I guess no one could really recognize me once I have that on! Haha.

So don't forget your own treat! You may call Greg Coleman at (630) 684 2171 for more details.

So until I have Jake by my side I may not live in a perfect world, but at least my skin does!

Shoe and Handbag Madness Disease

This morning when I opened my inbox this little thing called a subject caught my eye--Labor Day Sale: Extra 30% off all sale items! If you were like me who does not make it a habit to regularly unsubscribe from annoying unsolicited emails, chances are this subject is not very unfamiliar this time of the year. However, one thing made it exceptionally good and tempting. The sender: eluxury.com!!!

These Dolce and Gabbana ballerinas caught my eye, originally $475, sale price $285.

I've been comtemplating on the thought of a Louis Vuitton Stephen Sprouse Leopard Stole being my first fall splurge, but at $725 it really is a splurge. So to satisfy that leopard print craving these ballet flats might just do. Problem is, I also want these beauties:

A. Alberta Ferretti Woven Metallic Leather Flat, $550 sale price $330
B. Jean Paul Gaultier Camouflage Sandal, $725 sale price $435
C. Tod's Nuovo Matisse Athena Sandal, $395 sale price $238

Oh dear. Don't even get me started with the handbags.

Eye Creams and Aging, Mothers and Daughters

What is it about moms that you can never take their advice about everything for granted, important or not?

Just a few days after my birthday I receive a text message from Mom, and it went something like:

"Tin (my nickname), didn't you just turn 30? Start using eye cream to prevent your eyelids from drooping. Haven't you noticed that one of your eyelids is lower than the other? The folds are not even. I recommend Strivectin."

This is coming from someone who can't live any farther from me, literally from the opposite side of the globe, whom I see about once a year or two. Yet she speaks as if she was there by my side to witness me slowly age. And by the way, I turned 29, not 30!!!

But as they say mom knows best (in my case that's mostly true, just don't ask her about birthdays) so the very next day I hit the cosmetics department of Macy's. With the help of my coworker's mom who works for Clinique I grab a tiny jar of eye cream from Shiseido (what the...??!!!) and smear the preparation around my eyes. I guess if a salesperson tells you to buy from her competition you just have to listen. So I decided to purchase Shiseido's Benefiance Concentrated Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream but for good measure I also grab Clinique's Lash Power Mascara because it had me at hello, errr, its brush. Not even the tiniest lashes could escape it! Anyway, what's a beautiful eye without them long powerful lashes?

That night I sent Mom a text message to let her know that I took her advice and have promptly bought "The One." She wants me to try it for two weeks and see if it does me any good. So I am starting a photo collage to show my progress over the course of two weeks and share that with everybody. I could hardly wait to un-age!!!

A Day Off? On a Saturday?!!!

Anyone who's ever worked in retail knows that getting a day off on a weekend, unrequested, is a rare phenomenon indeed. So I took advantage of this unusual occurence by seeing two very good friends and their families.

What we've planned to be a nice day on one of the Chicago beaches turned out to be a simple lazy afternoon at the Jacob residence in Bolingbrook. That meant plenty of good food to eat, lots of space for the kids to roam (and destroy) and an endless roster of movies courtesy of Ger. We later on realize that it was a blessing in disguise that our ambitious beach plan did not push through because of the Lollapalooza 2008 happening at Grant Park. I say ambitious because none of us has ever been to any of the Chicago beaches (we usually go to the Dunes in Indiana) and we all know how difficult it is to score a parking spot anywhere downtown, let alone by the lake. On a Saturday! In the summer!

I usually see Maris and Therese on (or around) very important dates like birthdays, Mother's Day and Christmas. So that means whenever we see each other we always have gift bags to exchange. Today was especially strange and funny in a way because we all got each other similar gifts and they were all in the same color palettes. This is one of those "Great minds think alike" moments!

But because Maris celebrates her BIG 3-0 on Wednesday, August 6th, Therese and I decided that we should get her something special that would remind her of us and her 30th birthday, so we got her a Tiffany and Co. sterling silver necklace with two little heart pendants. Two, as in me and Therese (Maris can be the chain--Haha!). What could be more perfect than that?! :)

Back home I continued to enjoy my precious Saturday by serving leftover for dinner. A dinner I didn't have to cook?! If I'm dreaming please don't wake me up! Oh wait, I changed my mind. Do wake me up because at 9pm I'm watching Eli Stone. It's a rerun but I don't care. Oh what a perfect way to end this day. I could get used to this.

Sun Cheaters

About a month ago (or maybe longer than that) Corporate decided to let our little store carry a few models of the very exclusive, hand-assembled-in-France, and of course, pricey spectacles of Louis Vuitton to let us get to know the line a little better before moving to the new store (in October). We all got excited to see the sunglasses and try them on ourselves, but we were a bit overwhelmed about selling them, as they are so different from the leather goods that we're so used to showing customers.

Part of selling your products well is knowing what goes with what face. So with the print-outs we were given we tried to determine whose face is what. While some of us were obviously round, and some square, it was particularly hard for everyone, myself included, to determine what shape my face was. To be honest I can't even remember what we decided on, but I know some thought I had a diamond face. Who knew there was such a thing?!

All of that was settled tonight when a friend from Sunglass Hut confirmed that I, indeed, had a diamond face because of my prominent cheekbones-- "a model's face." Haha. Funnier yet is that a customer agreed when she heard this comment.

So tonight I am researching what shapes go with a diamond face and I am finding out that oval, square and rimless are the best frames to go with. So will my next Louis purchase actually be sunglasses, and not a handbag? We'll see :) But for now here are the contenders.