I LOVE @busytoddler on Instragram. Susie is just awesome, she has the most clever and easy ideas to entertain our toddlers while also being super nonjudgemental (and just really lovable!). She realizes that not every Mom has the time (or energy) to plan elaborate activities and you can really customize it to you/ your family. She has such great ideas for keeping kids busy and learning through playing which is especially important during this crazy time! Her website is here
We just did this parade below with Sloan my 2 year old, she managed to line up all of her rubber ducks (there are over 40…) and then sort out some of her toy bins to line them up together (and I managed to make dinner during this) and then put them away in their correct bins leading to a little less chaos. So wins all around!
Did you know the U.S. is one of the only developed nation on earth with no federal paid parental leave policy?
On International Women’s Day, sisters Anna and Mia launched http://coolmom.us, a project dedicated to selling fun shirts, raising awareness and fundraising for PL+US, a non-profit dedicated to implementing paid parental leave laws throughout the nation. . Shirt stock is limited, but our role in this fight is just beginning.
Also, special shout out to Malard Wendy for manufacturing our sustainable and ethically made product.
When you can’t get to your favorite boutique fitness studio for long time, the separation anxiety can feel #real. But, good news: It’s getting it easier to indulge your workout-warrior obsession on the fly, whether from your home studio or a far-flung corner of the world, thanks to a new app that houses cult-favorited classes on one platform.
JetSweat—which gives you digital access to top-of-the-line classes for $10 a month—launched on April 3, and grants members with exclusive access to classes from studios like Bari, Sky Ting Yoga, Xtend Barre, and modelFIT. Instead of spending upward of $35 per class in-person, co-founders Erin Frankel and Alexandra Dantzig want fitness fanatics to be able to get their sweat on anywhere they want, for a fraction of the cost. And they want to keep the routines from getting stale.
Bonus- the company was founded by two ferrous women- Erin Frankel and Alexandra (Lexi) Dantzig. Erin has been a close friend (and bridesmaid!) to me over the years and it has been so amazing to see her brilliance shine and creating and launching an app that truly adds so much value and meets such an unmet need (moving away from NYC then being pregnant, JetSweat was launched at the most perfect time for me!
Select studios- and there are so many more!! Check them all out here
Guest written by the adorable and amusing Kate in New York
As a relatively new addition to the twenty-somethings single scene in New York City, I have come to pay more attention to the nuances of dating. Every little thing counts. But in particular, what one orders to drink tends to speak very clearly about his or her personality. On Friday, I went on a date with a guy who pretty much only drinks whiskey on the rocks. I didn’t know much about his drink of choice at the time (or much about him, really) but I thought it was pretty damn sexy. He didn’t order a beer (amateur hour), or a glass of wine (too sensitive), but instead revealed his manliness with an order of Maker’s Mark on the rocks. I was impressed, and thus realized the power of whiskey.
I welcome an occasional whiskey shot when I am looking for an alternative to vodka or tequila, or as I like to call it, te-kill-her. My personal favorite is a pickleback—whiskey chased with picklejuice. If you haven’t tried it yet, it’s far better than it sounds, stop making that weird face at me. But it is a whole different bag to drink whiskey neat, on the rocks, with water, or whatever you may have you, on a date. That will mess you up good and fast.
Whiskey is made from either grains or malted barley, and I think it goes without saying that its alcohol content is higher than that of beer or wine. I don’t want to be drooling on some guy’s shoulder before I can even see the bottom of the glass. I also tend to make a hideous face when I take a sip of straight whiskey that, I think it’s fair to say, the general population would say is unattractive. That is definitely not the way to get asked out for a second date. However, I have heard from numerous male friends, and men I have dated, that there is nothing hotter than a woman who knows her whiskey. If she can drink it and hold her own on top of that, she might as well be the next Mila Kunis.
My date appreciated that I asked him about all of his favorite whiskeys. That made him feel big and strong, like a real man teaching a a little lady a thing or two (please). I didn’t know much about whiskey, so I wasn’t going to try to impress him. Truthfully, there is a lot I don’t know, and what’s worse than a faker (in bed and in life)?
I decided that instead of diving feet first into a glass of whiskey and a date I wouldn’t remember, which would then be followed by a hangover and the regretful feeling that I made a complete ass of myself, I wanted to do my research.
So here it is, my Whiskey 101. Take notes, there will be a test.
Maker’s Mark (my date’s drink of choice) is a bourbon whiskey. Bourbon is a type of American whiskey made primarily from corn that is made in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Bourbon is a sweeter whiskey because it is made from a sherry cask. They have Maker’s at most decent bars and it is generally inexpensive. Because of its sweetness, Maker’s is the easiest of the whiskeys for a whiskey beginner to drink on the rocks or neat. I would recommend a whiskey virgin to start with a Maker’s on the rocks with a splash of soda or water to open it up.
Jim Beam is also a bourbon whiskey. I will keep this short and sweet. A “red neck” special is a shot of Jim Beam and a PBR. Don’t order this unless you are going to the rodeo or trying to get in the back of some rusty old pick up truck owned by a man wearing a Canadian tuxedo.
Jameson is an Irish whiskey. While there are a variety of styles of Irish whiskey, Jameson is the standard go-to for a decent round of shots. This is where the pickleback comes in. If you like pickles, try this. Jameson chased with a shot of salty pickle juice completely cancels out the whiskey flavor. You also look hot ordering and drinking it, if you don’t make that face afterward. This is also a great sipping whiskey that goes down smooth and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Jack Daniels is a Tennessee whiskey. This is typically used in the iconic chick drink, Jack and Coke. If you order this, you seem more like a “woo” girl than a whiskey woman.
Scotch, interestingly enough, uses the same ingredients as beer. If it is a whiskey made in Scotland, it’s scotch. Easy, right? There is Johnnie Walker, which is a blended malt. The Macallen, and my personal favorite, Oban, are single malts. Single malt means that the scotch came from one batch and from one distillery. Blended malt can be from multiple batches and multiple distilleries.
There are so many other whiskeys—Rye, Canadian, Japanese (who knew?)—but my advice is to know what you like and be confident about your choice. Just like wine, no type is considered better or worse than another; it’s all about preference. So go to your local bar with a guy or girlfriend that serves flights of whiskey and try a a variety. No matter which way you drink it, the most important thing is to enjoy it. And also, a flight of whiskey? Someone’s definitely getting laid.
