How We're Living Now - Economic Woes

I'm curious how you all are faring in the slower economy. Has it caught up to you and your (Six Minute) lifestyle? Or, are you floating above it, immune to the perils and pitfalls faced by many?  Here at Six Minute Style, the weakened economy is reflected in less frequent videos (it's expensive to shoot our little show, even if only six minutes) and more blogging. On the home front, we're eating out less often and holding tight with our blurry, old television. My husband's work - he owns a hardwood flooring business - has slowed significantly. My full-time job in public relations is holding steady, but who knows what tomorrow will - or won't - bring.  

Here's some of what I'm hearing:

A friend called the other day saying she hasn't felt this "poor" since the early 90s (back then she was young in her career and not yet a mother, so could better roll with the punches). When her long-time employer was bought out by another company, this now mom-of-two saw her benefits shrink and their costs soar. Her husband, a builder, is without work.

A freelance writer friend says there are far fewer assignments - and paychecks - right now.

A waiter friend has seen her hours and tips drastically cut. 

One friend hopes the college savings accounts she's faithfully built for her kids bounce back and fast.

Yet another friend is an advertising executive ... in the auto industry. Ouch. 

Lay-offs, salary freezes, reduced benefits. Where do you fall on the job security scale? What steps have you taken to protect yourself and your family? Are you feeling the economic squeeze? Have you made any major or minor lifestyle changes? Please share your thoughts with us!

Put it in Writing. Please.

Sometimes it seems as though we have gotten far, far away from the little niceties that made life so memorable. When was the last time you received a hand-written letter or a personally designed invitation in your mailbox? Unless you've been on the wedding circuit, I'm betting it has been a while. 

I have nothing against the e-invite or even a quick, little email thank you (Lord knows I've used both), but let's face it. There's nothing overly charming or sophisticated about either. Which is why I was absolutely delighted to receive some adorable note card and gift wrap samples from a little company called Feterie.

With a tag line of "Modern Stationary and Bespoken Lovelies," Feterie brings a bit of style back to the fine art of gift giving and receiving. Designs run the gamut from clean and simple to bold and striking. I wrote up a thank you note today (be sure to tell me what you think, Suzanne) and felt perfectly pleased while doing so. Want your very own custom design? They have an atelier for just that! Stationary - for weddings, announcements and everyday use, note cards, gift wrap, wall decor and framed art round out the offerings.

Check it out and let me know what you think. And, let me know if you're more inclined to the handwritten note or the electronic version and why. Thanks!

   

Long Live the Leisure Suit

Remember the leisure suit? That cheap, shiny, "matchy-match," polyester uniform worn by a generation of middle-aged men back in the 1970s? Egads. Just thinking of it gives me the heebie-jeebies (not to mention quite a few chuckles). 

Well, guess what? The leisure suit is back and it's fabulous. Check out Target's latest take on this fashion icon. The Merona Cashmazing Suit (yes, that really is its name) replaces shiny with an acrylic "sweater" material that is both warm and comfortable. Available in Spice, Charcoal or Ebony (my choice), it's a nice alternative to sweats or pajamas when hanging around the house. Could you run errands in it? Sure. Should you? Please don't be that woman. 

Now, let me be honest - I'm not a leisure/track/warm-up/tennis suit kind of gal. That being said ... I love this outfit. As for why I'm calling it a "Leisure Suit?" It actually came up on my Facebook page when I Googled the term. Hey, if Target's comfortable marketing it that way, who am I to argue?

$21-99 - $24.99. Not a bad price for comfort.

TELL US: 

What do you wear around the house when your sole purpose is to be comfortable?

 

Drugstore Beauty Update

Our Drugstore Beauty episode is up and running on our YouTube page, so I thought it would be a good time for a quick update. Also, given the tough economic times, drug store beauty products are a much better fit for many budgets:

1. We said we were digging L'oreal True Match foundation and still are. I personally like it so much, I've given up my more expensive department store brand. True Match is light, sheer coverage that doesn't settle into lines and wrinkles. 

NOTE: Makeup artists recommend using less makeup as we age for this very reason. Heavy foundations and powders call attention to dry, older skin, often settling into fine lines and wrinkles. Your best bet is to use foundation sparingly and only where truly needed.

2. Still loving the pink and green bottle of Maybelline Great Lash mascara. Why spend more? The professionals don't.

NOTE: I received a comment from a YouTube viewer recommending that I not repeatedly pump the mascara wand in and out of the tube. She's right. It isn't necessary and actually dries out the mascara (clumps, anyone?).  Bad me. No more pumping!

3. I've added to my Olay skin care regimen. In the episode we singled out the Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum. Now, with the struggling economy tugging at my purse strings, I've replaced my oh-so-pricey moisturizer (recommended and sold to me by my aesthetician) with Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream. And you know what? My skin looks great. I haven't lost a thing, but certainly have saved a few bucks! What are your favorite drug store beauty products? What products would you refuse to purchase at a drug store? What items are you willing to splurge on? 

  

Organic or Not?

Organic foods are a great way to take good care of ourselves, our families and the planet. But let's face it, organics are expensive. I walked out of our local health food store a couple of days ago carrying one slim bag of food and $117 less in my wallet. Ouch!

We're doing a bit of research now for an upcoming Six Minute Style episode on this very topic. If you're a regular viewer, you'll recall that we previously reported (Pack the Perfect Picnic) that soft-skinned fruits such as strawberries and peaches easily absorb pesticides (and let me tell you - when I lived in CA, I saw plane after pesticide-carrying plane spraying who-knows-what on the endless acres of strawberry fields), so should always be purchased organic. 

But are there times when you can slide by with a non-organic? Keep in mind, traditional farming often relies on pesticides, hormones, herbicides, antibiotics, irradiation, even human sewage to produce the foods we eat, so "sliding by" may save you some bucks, but is it worth the price? And what about the impact on our planet? Any guilt supporting traditional methods that may deplete the soil and pollute our water supplies? Lots to think about when simply buying an apple.

One positive we've noticed  is an upswing in the number of available "store brand" organics. Both Albertson's and Safeway are offering a variety of organic foods - cereal, soups, chips, pasta - at a reasonable price. 

So, here's what we want to know: Do you buy organic? If so, why? Do you mix and match between organic and non-organic foods? Are store brand organics as good or appealing as their name brand organic counterparts? Thanks for sharing!

Wine Recommendation - What We're Drinking

I'm off to my monthly wine club meeting tonight and hope to walk away with some wonderful wine recommendations for us all. If the thought of a "wine" club is intriguing, check out my friend, Kate Murphy's, article in the Missoulian on forming a club of your own. It's a great way to learn more about wines, wine regions, grapes, even food pairings. 

For now, we're recommending our latest find: The 2006 Shooting Star Syrah. I'd been sipping Malbec and Rioja most often of late so was thrilled to re-visit this varietal. The first bottle we opened (yes, there have been a few) wowed us immediately with it's big nose and deep, vibrant hues. It seemed to stand up and announce, "drink me!"

We, of course, obliged, pairing it with grilled steak, lightly steamed green beans (tossed with olive oil and  Stilton crumbles) and roasted red potatoes. Since then, we've enjoyed it "picnic style" with a variety of cheeses, sourdough baguette, grapes and chocolate. It's an easy wine to linger over with subtle fruit flavors, a hint of pepper and the "earthiness" that syrahs are known for.  And, at $11.99 to $12.99, it's budget-friendly. Try it and tell us what you think. 

How Clean are You?

If you've watched our latest video (and I hope you have at www.sixminutestyle.com), you know we've been focused on vinegar as a safe, green and affordable home cleaning solution.

Walk through any grocery store and you'll find shelf after shelf of chemical-laden cleaning products. One for this job, one for that job. And yet more bottles and products for every other imaginable (or not imaginable) home cleaning situation. Ever read the ingredients? Ever considered how much of your body is coming into contact with them? From kitchen counters to floors to flatware to toilet seats (gross, maybe, but still...), we are almost constantly brushing up against one chemical or another. And yet ... here's vinegar. Ready and able to tackle most cleaning jobs, with no icky chemicals, fancy labels or million-dollar marketing campaigns. 

This translates into a product that is healthier and cheaper than pretty much everything else out there. Oh, did I mention that? It's really, really cheap. So, why aren't we all using it (I'm including myself in this as I still reach for many of my favorite and familiar cleaning solutions). Or are we? 

What are you cleaning with and why? What are your thoughts on the chemicals? Are you okay with them? Do you think the pros of some products outweigh the cons? Or, are you all green all the time? Share your thoughts, ideas and alternate cleaning solutions here.  

We Love "Kenny." Rent this Film!

Just watched a great little film titled, "Kenny." It's smart and funny and boasts an incredibly likable lead character named (what else?) Kenny. He's the guy who makes sure there's a port-a-potty at every event, concert and gathering we attend. He cleans, transports, fixes and unclogs those toilets-on-the-go so we can pee and flee without missing a beat. I know what you're thinking: a film about pee and poo? 

Yes, indeed. A film about pee and poo that will have you laughing out loud and cheering on the "knight in shining overalls." Kenny is proof that it isn't the work we do or the title we earn (no doctor ever looked this good) that defines us, but rather the character, compassion and civility we show to the world. 

Kenny is shot like a documentary film with acting so true and tight, you'll be hard-pressed to believe the roster is made up of actors and not real people. "Kenny" is charming, heartfelt and hilarious. Rent this film.

What We're Doing - Zumba

Do you Zumba? I'm hooked. Zumba is a Latin-infused dance workout that incorporates footwork, dance moves, music and instruction into a core-shaping, hip-swiveling exercise routine. It's so much fun, you'll forget that you're actually burning calories. Go to class with an open mind and willingness to learn and don't worry about how you look (trust me - I looked far sillier that first class). The best part? You'll find yourself laughing as hard as you are sweating. 

My first Zumba experience went something like this: I'm stepping/dancing forward while much of the class is sashaying backward. They go right, I'm over there on the left. My arms are all over the place (really? I'm supposed to work them and my feet and my hips all at the same time?!).  I'm laughing so hard I can barely stand up and before I know it, fifty minutes has passed. And, yes, I am sweating. During my second class I was able to focus a bit more on my hips and core - and was better able to keep up with the footwork.  

Share your Zumba experiences here. What's your favorite part? Are you any good? Any tips for (me) beginners? 

Titles, Labels and Descriptions. What We're Really Saying.

First thing this morning. Slap. Hello. There it is again. I was reading the light and fluffy "Personality Parade" in Parade magazine when I stumbled upon this sentence ... "Burt (Reynolds) even named his adopted son, Quinton after..."

It's such a simple word - adopted - yet it packs a powerful punch. Why, I wonder, do reporters always feel the need to single out a child as adopted? Why can't they simply say son, daughter or child? Why the need to qualify?

And speaking of qualifying, how come no one ever says, Tom and Barbara's fertility-drug-induced daughter, or so-and-so's sperm-donated son? How about Lacey's surrogate-carried sister? Or the Buckley's sex-in-the-back-seat-finally-got-them-pregnant twins.  Silly, huh? Your child is your child is your child. Unless, apparently, he or she is adopted. Then we slap on the labels, the explanations, the qualifiers. 

I'm soon (how I hope it's soon!) to be a parent. Yes, the path to our child is through the world of adoption, so yes, he or she will be adopted. But that's such a small slice of the pie. So why is it the piece always served by the media?