Marilyn always gets it right

Beer: Your daily supplement

Now, instead of just being fun, beer can actually be good for you. I've heard that it hydrates better than water after a workout, but this month's Women's Health magazine actually shows that it is rich in silicon, a nutrient everyone needs for bone health. It helps you to maintain bone and connective tissues in the body. It also helps to aid rapid healing, and the transfer of other nutrients into the body.

Nearly all beer has silicon in it, but Charles Bamforth of the University of California broke it down to determine how much of this enriching nutrient is in different common types of beer. India Pale Ale like Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA has the highest level with 41 milligrams per liter. Pale ales like Bass Pale ale is second with 37 mg/L, and regular ale like Bard's comes in third at 33 mg of silicon per liter. Next come lagers like Budweiser, Wheat beers, and Light Lagers like Amstel Light at the lowest.

Regardless of the brew you choose, you can rest assured that you are doing your body a favor by imbibing. Though ladies, who are found to get most of the silicon they need from grains and veggies, should stop after one, men can drink two to get the nutrients they need. So, in honor of the upcoming memorial day weekend, crack open a brewski and enjoy your daily supplement.

Caffeine can help Asthma

I've known for a while that drinking caffeine can give you a boost during your workout. Not only does it give you energy, but it numbs the pain your muscles feel when working hard so that you can push yourself longer and harder than without your cuppa joe beforehand.

The June issue of Women's Health magazine reports that this same daily stimulant may have a double bonus for asthma sufferers who work out. Drinking a cup of coffee before working out can reduce the inflammation of the lungs while working out and help to abate symptoms. Who knew that a little caffeine could have so many hidden health perks?

Perfect advice for a 90 degree day in NYC

Thanks Ralph.

Calimocho

Now doesn’t that look delicious? And refreshing? Notice the lovely purple foam created by me dropping an ice cube in for extra chilled deliciousness. It’s called Calimocho (from the Basque word Kalimotxo) a beverage that I discovered while abroad in Madrid that may sound gross, but may actually be one of the more perfect drink combinations I’ve come across.

It’s the lazy woman’s sangria. It makes cheap red wine into a crisp cool summer drink. Yet, not only does it not require brandy. It does not need fruit. It does not need seltzer. No, all you need to enjoy is a fancy glass (or to-go cup if you are on the run to the park or the movies) a bottle of 3 buck chuck (Trader Joe’s fans, you know what I’m talking about), and a liter of cola.

The typical serving cup in Espana was a liter glass (made of plastic) and filled with ice first. These were called “Mini’s” in Spain, which was mighty confusing to a foreigner who interprets Mini to mean small. Let’s just say I was quite surprised and alarmed when I ordered my first Mini and campaigned to the bartender that it be renamed Maxi. He didn’t get it.

I prefer diet pepsi for low cal delicious, but any store brand or preference will do. I’m pretty sure in Spain Coca-Cola lite was the way to go, but there soda was made with real sugar so there was no chemical or calorie debate when choosing Lite or Regular.

Now, open both bottles. Get your ice tray ready. I pour in the wine first, until the glass is half full. Then fill the glass the rest of the way with your Cola of choice, and drop in 1-3 ice cubes depending on the size of your beverage, and the heat of the day. This is how you achieve the purple foam (if that grosses you out, put the ice in first).

That’s right, it IS that easy. 50% cola, 50% soda and a healthy dose of ice. I know. It does not sound appealing, but I assure you it is SO good. The soda sweetens up the wine a little, and gives you a caffeine boost to counteract the sleepy effect of red wine. AND as a bonus, there is no cheap red wine so disgusting that it doesn’t taste good mixed with soda. Just think of it as a twist on the wine spritzer. See? It IS a perfect summer drink.

Versions of Calimocho are popular across Spain, in Chile, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia, Croatia, and Slovenia among others. Could that many countries really be wrong? All you Oenophiles stop turning your noses up, and don’t knock it till you try it. I guarantee it is not half as bad as you think.

Roller clips vs. Roller Pins

I recently received a set of hot rollers. It makes me feel a little like a granny owning a set of these, but with long hair and little time to get ready for work in the morning, they really do wondrous things. When I had shorter hair, rollers were not my friends. They left it looking poodley at best, and frizzy at worst. However, now that my hair is longer, they give it a nice curl on the ends, while keeping it smooth and shiny on the top. It essentially looks like I spent some serious time with a curling iron coiling all the ends, but with way less effort.

Granted, there is a special technique to acheive long lasting curl from rollers. You must roll a strip of hair down the center of your head from front to back in 4 rollers then roll the sides in about 2 for each side. You have to wait until they are almost burn your fingers hot, and let them set with the clips in until they cool. Then unroll, replace in their container, flip head over, shake, and you're done. Voila! Natural, bouncy curls that stay longer than with a curling iron (for me at least) and with only one final coat of hair spray at the end rather than spritzing each section before twirling it around an iron.

This is the first set of curlers I've owned since just stealing them from my mom or my sister, and there have been some changes since their sets were made. First of all, there are different clips. The clips mine came with (shown above) are plastic little claws that claim to hold tight without crimping hair. YES, it even said that on the box. Which is one of the reasons I thoguht this was the right set of curlers for me.

Now let's rewind to about 5 minutes before I'm supposed to run out the door this morning. I'm all dressed, teeth brushed, and I start to unroll my hair, ready to shake, spray and run out the door looking fab. I take out 1, 2, 3, ALL of the rollers and my head is peppered with crimps every single place the clip touched my hair. HORROR! DISMAY! I'm going to be late!

After a quick rummage around the apartment for a hair straigtener, and finding none, I had no choice but to pull my ruined hair into a pony tail and dash out the door. I was NOT happy to hide my bouncing curls with a rubberband, but the whole head kinks did not leave me much choice.

I don't know why they don't make curlers anymore that come with the wires shown below. Not only do they pin the curler to your head more securely (so you don't risk hot rollers falling out and flying across the living room while you're ironing your outfit....not that that happened this morning or anything), but they DO NOT and HAVE NOT ever left a kink in my hair.

I know I plan to order some roller wires online to go with my set to avoid this catastrophe in the future. But don't be fooled like me! The box lies, and the clips will crimp your hair.

A guilty pleasure

Call it what you will. Yard Saling, Garage Saling, often a little bit of both. I love it. You wander from lawn to lawn, and rifle through people's old belongings that they no longer want. Many look down upon it, and think it's weird. But I like to take the change to bargain hunt and search for hidden gems whatever chance I get (which, living in NYC, isn't very often). It's a great place to find expensive items, like bikes or furniture for deeply discounted prices, and often just gently used. It's really just how the world got rid of all their old junk before the advent of Craig's List.

I was upstate this weekend kicking off summer at my grandparent's house, and my Gram and I went out cruising for sales saturday morning. It was a beautiful day. There was a neighborhood wide sale going on. We traipsed from lawn to lawn for hours. There were furniture, flat screens, bikes, clothes, books, jewelry. Yet not a single jigsaw puzzle in sight. That was what started my penchant for yard sales, my equal love for puzzles.

I came out of the venture with the gorgeous 2 sided pendant you see above for only 10 cents! And two books, an Anita Shreve novel for the beach, and The Valley of the Dolls, all without dipping further than my change purse. You can't beat that for cheap thrills, and the beauty of it all is you never know what you'll find!

To tell or not to tell

Here's a dilemma. You spot a co-worker, even your boss with an outfit faux pas that has definitely been going on all day. Their shirt is on inside out. Their back slit is still stitched up. They have a mysterious stain in a spot that would not be apparent in a mirror once over. Do you tell them? Or do you just chalk it up to an off day and smile and let it slide?

I am typically one to let people know when something funky is going on. If you mascara is smudging down your cheeks, I'll point it out (nicely of course!). If you have some food caught in your teeth I'll point it out as soon as I notice. If your skirt is tucked into your pantyhose, I'll run over and let you know immediately. I respond this way because if I am running around with some embarassing catastrophe all over my face, I would hope that someone would let me know, whether it is a friend, co-worker, or stranger on the street. Anything to avoid continuing humilation throughout the day, or whenever you stop and take notice that something is wrong.

Then there's the cases where someone is dragging toilet paper on the back of their stiletto, and clearly in view of their date at the bar. It's best not to cause a scene by going over or yelling to the lady that hey, you stepped in tissue and had no idea, now the hottie you are trying to impress will witness it. In that case, I would try to stick out a leg and snag the paper off with neither party any the wiser. Sometimes it's better not to call attention to the awkward situation.

That brings me to the case of the co-worker who you run in to in the bathroom at the end of the day. And, unless they've been doing a quick change in the stall before you bumped in to them, chances are they have been dressed in that very outfit all day long. You pointing out their mishap will embarass them (for sure), and not only that, call attention to the vast oversight it must have taken not to notice this all day. Her mind will start to race...How many people saw me like this? Did they notice and not say anything? How could I have let this happen?

Depending on your rank and relationship to said co-worker, and her mood at the time, her reaction could have a serious impact on your work relationship. She could laugh and remark about how crazy her schedule has been that she can't even dress herself any more. She could be mad, and take your helpful suggestion as an affront to her outfit. OR she could be so embarassed that she forever remembers you as the one who made her feel stupid just before leaving for the day.

Is it worth the risk? Or is it better to just leave well enough alone and claim obliviousness?

The It's Almost Summertime Special

No matter how many years I'm out of school, when May rolls around I always get summertime fever. It's the time of year when full days to spend as you please were tantalizingly close and total freedom just around the corner. Unfortunately I don't have the type of career that let's me have entire months off. But I do not plan to let this keep me down. This is a sampling of some of the awesome activities that I plan to fill my weekends and warm summer evenings with for the next few months.

Visiting the vineyards of Long Island
Long Island is home to a wonderland of hundreds of picturesque vineyards clustered in groups along the north and south forks of the far eastern portion of the isle. They are more beautiful than you could imagine while passing the hundreds of strip malls on your way out. It’s only a short drive from spot to spot making flight hopping a fun summer sport if you can manage to drag yourself away from the first one you happen upon.

Kayaking several bodies of water throughout NYS
There’s a sound tucked away on Long island that offers all day kayaking for $40. Unheard of anywhere else! The little inlet is full of boats to spectate, and little islands to pull-up to and picnic upon. Just be careful of going on windy days. It makes it difficult to paddle in after a day of sunning and swimming. Other places I plan to kayak? The Hudson river using one of NYC’s glorious free kayaks , and my uncle’s summer camp at Sacandaga Lake .

Riding the Codzilla
Speed? Awesome tunes? A refreshing blast of water when the sunny day becomes too much? Yes please. What more could you ask for in a summer activity besides a giant raging river ride through the Boston Harbor made for adults?

Climbing the Fire Island Lighthouse
Ok, so I agree with you that climbing a narrow, dimly lit spiral staircase can be nauseating and claustrophobia inducing. The view at the top? Worth it.

Making a couple pitchers of homemade Sangria and picnicking in Central Park. This will probably be followed by some wiffle ball. I don’t really like white Sangria. But that is because I’m convinced that the people making it/selling it just aren’t making it with the wines/fruits I enjoy. It always looks so delicious, but just isn’t tasty enough for me. Thus this summer I will be inventing my own white sangria recipe (and posting it here), and enjoying it’s crisp refreshment while munching on bread and cheese under the afternoon sun. Things it will definitely include: At least one bottle of Riesling to sweeten it up, peaches, and a little bit of papaya juice. Stay tuned for the rest.

Canoeing on one or more of the multitude of lakes surrounding my home town
I grew up in a little town outside of Albany. I own a canoe. There are 6 lakes within a 10 minute drive from my house. Enough said. Some of my fondest memories with my friends involve strapping a boat to my car and popping it into a body of water then paddling around for hours. Hopefully this will include jumping off some docks as well.

Attending the very first non-family wedding of my life
This one I’m very excited about. Four of my girlfriends got engaged this year. The first one is tying the knot in a few weeks and will be my first friend EVER to get married! Weddings I have to look forward to? One on the beach in Portland, ME, a destination wedding in Hawaii, and my first hometown wedding in Upstate NY.

Making Margarita popsicles
From a recipe I found here on one of my favorite blogs (Yes and Yes). Ok, so I might have to cave and buy a blender to accomplish this one. OR I can harass my overly friendly neighbors downstairs into letting me borrow theirs. I can’t imagine a better portable summer treat that won’t get you busted for breaking open container or public intoxication laws. What could be more innocent than a nice young lady enjoying a popsicle? While I’m at it I’ll probably try some of her other delish recipes too!

Reading copious amounts of silly novels while laying on a blanket in a park or on the beach
I’ll just say that I already pre-ordered the 3rd book in the Stieg Larson trilogy, and I’m dying to find out what happens. But this isn’t the type of novel I’m talking about. I have a stack of books with authors like Nora Roberts and titles like Bergdorf Blondes stacked on the nightstand at my Mom’s house waiting for summer to roll around. Now that its almost here all I have to do is retrieve them, relish in the scandalous romances and lighthearted plots, and let the silliness roll.

Visiting my grandparents
I can’t help but hum to grandmother’s house we go while I type this. Nothing says summer like sitting on my Gram’s back porch sipping iced tea, snacking on pretzel sticks and dill dip, watching the hummingbirds, and rounding out the day by taking everyone’s money in a few rounds of Onze (a gambling card game I’m pretty sure only my family plays). Then I drift off to sleep in the twin bed that has been designated mine since childhood to the sounds of trains choo-chooing in the distance. Relaxation.

Hashing through NYC
This little running scavenger hunt for the location of your 1. clean clothes 2. pizza, 3. beer, has bee motivating me to up my running distance. I’m up to 4 miles. I’m not sure if that’s enough, but hopefully this fun little trek will whip be into bikini shape before long.

Watching a movie outdoors
The entire time I have lived in NYC I have not enjoyed an outdoor movie. Maybe I’m spoiled from growing up near a drive in, but this year is finally the year I’m going to accomplish it. Goldfinger? The Never Ending Story? I’ve got my eye on you to start.

Fashion Alert

OK ladies. If you are buying a skirt with a back slit, here's a little piece of advice. When manufacturers produce clothing, they want it to look the best it possible can on a hanger to lure you in to buy it.

So, they sew the pockets closed so they aren't gaping open. AND, they stich up the bottom of slits with an X so that the skirt maintains its shape on the rack without flapping in the breeze. Yes, it's annoying to have to cut them open, but it just looks better that way. The stiches are typically only done in the lining so that when you cut them out it doesn't effect the garment's final appearance. Back slits are designed to make it easier to walk when wearing a form fitting skirt. The sexy peek of leg is mostly a bonus.

That being said. Make sure you do actually cut them open. I spotted 2 women today on my commute who forgot to open their slit. Because of it, they were taking awkward little steps since their slit couldn't do it's job, and meanwhile, creating an ugly pull of fabric that will surely leave a mark in the skirt once it's removed. Slits sewn closed look better on a manequin, on a hanger, NOT in real life.

Alpha women are hurting all those pansy's egos

I'm a little behind on my magazine reading. The Stieg Larson trilogy sucked me in to deep that I have had a small pile-up on my kitchen table. Now that I finished book 2, and book 3 doesn't come out until May 25th I've been playing catch up before I receive The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest in the mail.

I opened up the May issue of Marie Claire, a magazine that I have found tends to champion women's issues. It intrigues me each month with a new snippet of women empowering themselves around the world, or being victimized in other places. The theme this month was Alpha women intimidating and emasculating men.

There was an article about a DVD release in Japan called Cry Baby. It is all female starlets in real emotional pain. The director filmed them retelling traumatizing events in their lives and breaking down crying. Apparently this passes for entertainment for traditional Japanese men who feel their typical social roles being threatened by strong women claiming independence and rejecting the accepted path straight to marriage. The modern Japanese woman wants equality and social power. Men experiencing a "deep malaise of inadequacy" feel lost without constant pampering from their wives, and reinvigorate their machismo by watching videos of women in vulnerable situations, such as crying. Twisted, no?

Then there was another article written by an author right here in the US about her stay at home hubby, and how men are willing to sit back and let their wives be the primary breadwinner. Yet, many husbands remain unwilling to relinquish financial decision making power and pick up the housekeeping slack to compensate. This leaves the alpha female overtaxed with the double burden as head of household and head honcho. It reminded me of a book I read in college called the Second Shift by Arlie Hochschild, about the same issues.

Women want to have it all, love a career, a family, success for family and job. In order to do so, they need to have a support system to lift the pressure somewhere. Certainly a husband who does not feel emasculated, but empowered by his strong and successful wife. I find it disturbing that some men still feel so threatened by smart and ambitious women. Clearly Marie Claire agrees. The tone of their articles leave no doubt about whose side they're on.

Thanks everyone!

This week I had a couple of events that made me realize wait a second, people actually read this blog! I had always hoped that more people than my 7 faithful followers tune in daily for some junglee juice, but without anyway of tracking who visits the site, my knowledge was limited to people who tell me they read it.

Earlier in the week, I was chatting with a friend who I hadn’t talked to in a while, and who I also had no idea knew that I have my own blog. He brought up my hatred of leggings as pants (see this blog post and this one too). Then today, I discovered the comments people have left for me. I don’t know why I never thought to look for them before. I guess that I just figured random strangers weren’t necessarily coming across the page and then actually reading the articles.

It was really nice to know that people actually do. And they all had nice things to say. One reader actually cleared up my confusion about the chickens at the orchard while another affirmed my belief that the color of Valentine’s flowers has strong implications about your relationship. It warmed my heart the nice things you all had to say, and some of the comments just made me chuckle.

All this attention made me want to revamp my blog and give it a shiny, new, prettier look, to make you all like it here even more and lure in more new readers who are dazzled by aesthetics alone. Thanks to everyone out there who already checks in. I really do appreciate it!

Bored Smored.

Things you can do when you are bored and your roommate is on vacation, and due to your complete lack of budgeting skills, are low on funds:

-Sing along as loud as you want to showtunes (my flavor of the week is Wicked) without pissing anyone off.
-Be extremely paranoid about forgetting your keys
-Play video games endlessly without anyone else wanting the tv
-Eat $1 tacos and drink half priced beer at this place
-Drink as much as you wish for $20 at this place
-Work on the Gustav Klimt needlepoint your dad gave you for your birthday (random? yes. cool? also yes.)
-Get ready for work *ahem* not fully clothed without any awkward situations
-Have a party (BYOB people)
-Use her room as a staging area to lay out potential outfits for work the next day
-Do a puzzle in the middle of the living room floor
-Blare Aretha Franklin early in the morning (though the neighbors might not like this)
-Be first to get the mail EVERY time

Things you might not want to do:
-Watch really scary movies
-Read really scary books

Buddy the not so friendly spinning instructor.

I went to a spinning class last Monday night that was by far the most difficult spinning class I’ve ever attended. Yet, this morning the first thing I did was call my gym to reserve my spot in the same class, with the same instructor this Monday evening at 7:30 pm. Some may call me a glutton for punishment. I say I like a challenge. Though I kind of wanted to hate the instructor at the end of last class when he fooled us all into thinking our hour of torture was over and then made us do one final hill climb, the fact was that I really liked him and enjoyed the class (despite the fact that it was really really hard).

When I arrived at spinning, the instructor came over and introduced himself (Buddy), since he had never seen me in his class before. He guessed my height to the exact inch and adjusted my bike to fit my 5’6” frame. This friendliness was followed by a warning that the first time in his class hurts. I laughed and admitted that was what I was there for. I mean why else do you go to a spinning class if not to work hard? I’d been to other instructor’s classes at the same gym and I figured how much worse could it really be?

I like spinning classes. They’re fast paced. They play good music. They’re a great workout, and really hard, but give you a feeling of accomplishment when you survive. And, Buddy rather than being surly and yelling at us the whole time seemed like a friendly nurturer the way he helped me set up my bike properly.

If you tell me I can’t do something, my only desire is to show you I can. The instructor’s little warning only made me want to kick his spinning class’s butt even more. Well, he wasn’t lying. I was red as a tomato within the first 10 minutes, and by 30 minutes when your endorphins usually start to kick in and make the rest of the class bearable, we were all just struggling to stay alive.

Several people got off their bikes and left. I considered it, but was frankly just too stubborn to admit to the instructor that he was really kicking my butt. Buddy wasn’t even on his bike most of the time, but running around the room in circles yelling, “PUSH IT HARDER! YOU CAN PUT MORE RESISTANCE ON!” I wish I was joking about this. Then he would stop at each individual bike and give you pointers on your form and encourage you (read: yell) to turn the resistance up a little more.

At one point in the class, he made us turn the resistance up until it was so hard we couldn’t pedal and more and we came to a stop. Then he let us turn it back one full turn and had us climb at that pace for an eternity. Though he did not accept any slacking, and at the time, this was pretty annoying since we were all really exerting ourselves as it was, I appreciated it. The class was really hard, but the instructor (though not quite as nice as he initially seemed) genuinely just wanted us all to get the most out of our hour in his hands that we could. I liked him, I learned a couple ways to get more out of cycling, and I plan to go to his class as often as I can. I don’t think I’d want to hire him as a personal trainer though. I’m not that crazy.

Cienfuegos: A hidden undergroud RUm Punch Paradise

This place looks so cool I had to blog about it. I was doing my daily crawl of gothmist.com, and I spotted a phot tour of Cienfuegos, a cuban spot know for it's small plates and large rum punches. Apparently is is hidden in a little underground nook in the East Village, and you have to enter through a sandwich shop to find it. Check out the full photo tour. I will be making a visit sometime soon.

Don't let all the hype stop you

Typically I am not one to run out and pick up the latest NY Times Bestseller. I don’t know why, maybe it’s literary snobbery, but I often suspect these bestsellers as being mediocre popular fiction that is a fast page turner, but isn’t necessarily prose genius. Granted, I read many bestsellers, I just don’t base my reading list around them, and I tend to pick them up with caution. I’ve had a few experiences when I hate the books that won acclaim. For example, The Black Book by Orham Pamuk was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, and I could not get through it. The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger was just upsetting, not enjoyable. There’s something about reading what everyone else is reading that makes me suspicious. I guess I just don’t trust the taste of the general populace to match my own.

So, I was more than a little wary when my book club wanted to read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larson, with #1 National Bestseller emblazoned across it’s neon yellow cover. And for the fact that I have seen no less than 1 person reading it on every vehicle of public transit I have taken in the past month.

I picked it up, and the first 3 chapters were difficult to get through at best. I was worried. Then, by Chapter 4, I was so totally hooked that I could not put the book down for the next week until I finished it. I stopped watching tv after work, and just went home to read more. I fought people for seats in the subway, and had an extremely difficult time putting it down once I reached my stop. It was, quite frankly, the best murder mystery I’ve read in a long time, and I was sucked in by suspense. Now, a week later I am halfway through the second book, in what I discovered is a trilogy (YAY!), but the second of only three books that author wrote before his death (NOOOO!!!). I suppose I couldn’t sustain this high pace of reading for too long, but with summer coming up, I am rather devastated that after book 3 I will no longer have an exciting beach read lain out before me.

The story is centered around Lisbeth Salander, a social outcast who has a photographic memory, an uncanny ability to trace the most minute aspects of other people’s lives, and an unpredicatable temper that makes her fascinating. The other main protagonist is Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist/ladies man who is seemingly irresistible to all women. It’s not too often that you get a male-female main character pair, and the two work together perfectly. I won’t betray too many of the details to ruin the plot---half the fun is figuring out what it’s all about—but the first book revolves around two industrial giants: The Vanger clan and Mr. Wennerstrom. The Vanger family is expansive and full of evil secrets. Wennerstrom is an evil genius who seeks to undo Blomkvist’s journalistic success. All four players become inextricably intertwined and climax into a battle of the powerful that will surprise you even after the mystery is mostly solved.

All I can say is pick it up. ASAP.

Someone needs to fire their stylist.

I enjoy looking at pictures of celebrities parading down red carpets of any fancy event. I mean that’s why we all really watch all those award shows, right? Right.

Most of the time, I don’t really agree with all the don’ts picked out. I mean if a normal person was photographed from 25,000 different angles at the same moment I’m pretty sure we would come out with a few bad pictures no matter how gorgeously tailored or expensive our dress was, and how perfectly we posed.

However, I simply hated the styling of Vera Farmiga first at the Oscars. And more recently, today, when I viewed the pictures of her at the Met’s Costume Institute Gala. I feel a little bad, since she just announced that baby #2 is on the way at the gala. But get real. She is a gorgeous lady (hello?! We’ve all seen the departed, both Leo and Matt fall for her-every woman's dream!) and she is a good actress. But she needs to fire whoever has been picking out those hideous frocks. First the over-the-top magenta flounces that did anything but flatter with an overly wispy hair style and makeup that just looked off.

Now this little Bo Peep disaster?

Are you trying to tell us you’re having a boy?

Is that your metabolism picking up?

I've read several articles that say women tend to burn more calories when they are PMSing. This is due to the increases in both estrogen and progesterone simultaneously that works to bump up the metabolism. This in turn bumps up your ability to burn fat, which means you can burn up to 30% more fat during that special time of month. It also raises energy levels which means you'll have more motivation to get off the couch and pump it up. It could be the perfect storm of hormones that makes you happy, sad, hungry, angry and then really really full that makes you burn more fat. OR it could be the pure PMS rage that makes you want to take out all that pent up pissed off-ness in a kickboxing class or on the elliptical. My guess is that it's the latter.