1.  H&M put a plus size model in it’s swimsuit ad campaign and said nothing.

2.  It’s stories like this that restore my faith in humanity.

3.  Check me out on BBC Radio discussing Angelina Jolie

4.  I literally cannot even handle it right now

5.  To be fair, my Bea Arthur has way more nipples than this one [NSFW]

6.  Gwyneth once again proves that she’s just like us and then that she’s not.

7.  I finally got on the mason jar bandwagon – and it’s everything I hoped it would be.

8.  Southwestern hummus recipe from Culicurious

9.  Rebecca Taylor dress at Rent Runway

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As you can probably tell from the above photo (c. 1994, age 11), I was very good at math growing up.  My dad is a professor of statistics and my mother has her masters in computer science so I suppose that it was more likely than not that I would be quantitatively inclined.  

But what many people don’t know, is that I wanted to be an artist when I was younger.  My mother was kind enough to enroll me in art classes at the Met when I was little so I could draw, paint, and sculpt to my heart’s delight.  And I took that wonderful training and put it to great use as a tween.  I’m sure my art teachers would be proud if they read this post.

I often wonder what I did before the internet.  I could have done many constructive things.  Memorize the periodic table.  Read trade journals.  Take walks in nature.  Instead, I drew pictures of my then future husband Brad Renfro as seen in Bop magazine.  When I was back in New York a few weeks ago, I discovered this gem that I created in 1994.  Man was I a sucker for 90′s haircuts.

I showed this to a friend of mine and she responded “That is sheer artistry.”  She then added  “My favorite part is how detailed the hair is.  You really captured the movement.”  I responded: “It took a lot of thought.  And colored pencils.”

The piece de resistance:  while every great artist signs their work, I went a step further and added a proclamation of love right above my signature.  That way, Brad could find me AND he would know how I felt.  Smart move Sara.  Smart move.

Alas, it was not meant to be.  Like so many before him, Brad unfortunately succumbed to the trials and pressures of child stardom and died of an overdose at age 25.  But his memory will live on – I made sure of that.  

Internet schminternet.

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As a pet owner, I love me some Febreze, but with it’s what 80+ chemicals and rating of high hazard by the EWG, I looked for more natural alternatives.  There are various natural alternatives on the market including a company that sells natural linen spray for ahem, $16 for an 8 ounce bottle.  That is insane.  INSANE.

I checked out their ingredients, and low and behold a whopping 3 were listed:  water, alcohol, and essential oil.  They were shilling a product that was over 99% water and alcohol for $16. Where I come from, water is free and rubbing alcohol is 2 bucks a bottle.  Don Draper, what have you done to this country?

The most expensive part of this concoction is essential oil – but the spray calls for only a few drops.   I tend to buy the smallest sizes which still last a pretty long time.  Plus, I use the leftovers as perfume.  I added a dash of white vinegar to the mixture (it’s known for getting smells out of fabric);  It’s such a small amount so the vinegar smell is easily masked by the essential oil.

You will need:

• 1/2 cup purified water
• 1/8 teaspoon rubbing alcohol
• 5 drops white vinegar (about 1/16 of a teaspoon)
• -3 drops essential oil (I used lavender - it’s supposed to be calming and smells lovely but you can use any scent you like)
• printed adhesive label (I used Avery 8160 cut down to size with Colonna MT font)
• 4 ounce glass bottle with spray nozzle (isn’t the blue glass pretty?)

Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients into the bottle and shake well.  Test and add more essential oil if needed (they can vary in intensity).

And lets talk about pricing:

• water: free
• alcohol:  less than 1 penny (essentially free)
• vinegar:  less than 1 penny (essentially free)
• essential oil:  a few cents
• 4 ounce glass bottle:  $1.25
• adhesive label:  2 cents
• Total cost:  $1.30 plus tax

And that includes the reusable glass bottle.  Time for Febreze to fold.

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I have a confession:  I hate feet.  Functionally?  Sign me up.  Form wise?  I’d rather not look at them.  They are ugly.  They get dirty in the summer.  They have the potential for foul odor.  Yuck.  Given my disdain, I maintain mine as best as I can which includes nail maintenance, regular washing, and foot scrubs.

There are 3 elements to any scrub:  a moisturizer (olive oil and coconut oil work great), the sandpaper part (sugar or salt), and optional bonus ingredients like essential oil, herbs, lemon, oats, etc.

I like to keep my homemade beauty as simple as possible so my foot scrub has 3 ingredients:  coconut oil for moisture, himalayan sea salt for softening and minerals, and fresh mint to aid with circulation.  I tend to make beauty products in small 1 or 2 use batches because I like to experiment with new ingredients in each batch and because fresh ingredients (like the mint) have a shelf life.  I love this scrub so much – I use it on the rough skin areas like elbows and knees as well and the sea salt gives it such a pretty pink color.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons humalayan sea salt
1 teaspoon chopped mint OR 2 drops of peppermint essential oil

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together.  Fill a foot bin or the bathtub with warm water.  Apply the mixture liberally to the feet scrubbing in circular motions to slough off dead skin and to soften rough patches.  Rinse off the scrub and towel off feet to remove any excess moisture – it can get slippery otherwise!  For a super moisturizing effect, put on a pair of thick socks instead of toweling off your feet.

Makes 4-5 applications

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This is huge.  Upon finding out she was a carrier of the BRCA1 mutation (which predicts an up to 87% lifetime risk of breast cancer), the devastatingly beautiful Angelina Jolie, half of the world’s arguably most beautiful couple had a prophylactic double mastectomy.

Why is this so monumental?  Because one of the world’s most famous, glamorous, and high profile celebrities is bringing attention to an issue of which many are unaware. Because a woman who became known to the world for her sex appeal and her beauty has decided that her breasts were not more important than her life.  Not more important than her family.  Because it probably will inspire thousands of women to take charge of their health and their destiny.  Angie, I applaud you.

It’s been nearly 2 years since I found out I was a carrier of the BRCA1 mutation.  2 years since beginning my surgical (and emotional) journey towards living my healthiest life both in medical prevention and healthy lifestyle.  I’m not one to look back – I feel great about my choice.  But every once in a while I have to explain my choices to someone who gets  a wee bit judgy – and it can be tiring.

I sit smack in the middle of eastern and western medicine.  I’m pretty glad I have my polio vaccine, but I don’t rush to take pills to fix an ailment.  Extremism in any form is often a bad thing  and I prefer shades of gray over black & white.  I prefer my medical doctors open to eastern practices and functional medicine, and I like holistic professionals who realize that modern medicine, at least in principle, is a really good thing.

I tried acupuncture for the first time last week – I had heard some really great things about acupuncture and it’s ability to help with stress over time.  It’s been done for thousands of years – surely there is something to it, right? 

I went to an acupuncturist who was favorably yelped and went through an initial interview.  She asked me about any surgeries I had – and I told her I had a double mastectomy.  And then the exchange went something like this.

Acupuncturist:  Why?
Me: Because I have a genetic mutation that puts me at an 87% lifetime risk of breast cancer.
Acupuncturist:  Are you sure?  But you’re so young
Me:  I am 30, my mother had inflammatory breast cancer in her 30s
Acupuncturist:  Are you sure?
Me:  That I have the genetic mutation?  Yes, I was tested twice – the second time under a pseudonym
Acupuncturist:  Are you sure?
Me:  That I was going to get breast cancer?  Nothing is 100% – but I got the surgery to free myself from a lifetime of testing, hospitals, and anxiety
Acupuncturist:  Are you sure?  That seems very extreme.
Me:  Yes, I am sure.

Spoiler alert:  I won’t be going back there.  To have to explain my medical choice to someone in a healing profession rubbed me the wrong way.  I was looking forward to an hour of zen and I was completely let down.

But to have someone so high profile (whose best interest would be to above all else keep her breasts) make her choice after carefully evaluating all her options?  It was just the pick me up I needed.  I made the choice that was right for me.  She made the choice that was best for her.  And every woman deserves the same.  So thank you Angelina.  You are welcome to dinner at my house any time.  

I hope you like vegetables.

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I’m all about infusing things as of late.  I infused oil earlier this week and now it’s all about my water.  It was HOT in LA earlier this week and my 1920′s era home does not have air conditioning.  Nor windows that would accept a window unit.  Nor a stand alone unit because those are kind of pricey/ I am lazy and talked myself out of buying one.  Normally it doesn’t get too warm and the dogs and I are quite comfortable but it was pretty unbearable the other day both inside and out.  I seriously considered taking the dogs to Petco just for climate control.

I drink mostly water, some tea, and of course I love my green juices.  Does water get boring?  It can, but not if you get creative.  Adding fruit and herbs to water is one of my favorite ways to enjoy keeping hydrated.  Some ideas for flavors (mixing and matching 100% encouraged):

lemon, thyme, rosemary, lime, cilantro, mint, cucumber, orange, watermelon,
pineapple,blueberries, raspberries, cherries, cranberries, grapefruit, basil,
lavender, kiwi, mango, cayenne

I went with berries and mint.  And boy was it tasty and refreshing on a hot (non)summer day.

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I love infused oils.  They give salad dressings, pasta dishes, and stir fry a little something extra (not to mention it makes an awesome gift for bread loving friends).  And it’s super easy to do yourself!  There are two ways to infuse oils, one uses time, an the other uses heat.  I’m fairly impatient so I tend to go the heat route (plus any bacteria is automatically killed).  Oil can be infused with pretty much any flavor:  citrus, herbs, garlic, it’s entirely up to you!  I went with chili flakes for one and basil, oregano, and garlic for the other.

Ingredients:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (or for a flavorless oil try cold pressed grapeseed or sunflower seed oil)
2 teaspoons chili flakes OR
1 crushed sprig of oregano, 8 crushed basil leaves and 1 crushed garlic clove OR
2-3 teaspoons of your crushed herbs of choice

Directions:
heating method: Put the oil and herbs in a saucepan and cook it on the lowest heat setting.  When the oil begins to summer, turn off the heat and let the oil sit at room temperature for 2 hours.  Store in a bottle in the fridge for up to 1 month
time method:  put the oil and herbs into a glass bottle and store in the fridge for 2 weeks.  (make sure the herbs have no excess water on them, that could turn into a bacteria breeding ground).

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When I think of comfort food – I think peanut butter and banana sandwiches.  They were my favorite midnight snack, my favorite food when my tummy was upset, and very comforting after a long day.  I used to eat them with honey, fruit preserves, or all of the above.

I don’t eat peanut butter to often anymore (I prefer almond butter) but once in a while those flavors call to me and this “milkshake” is a great dessert/snack/pick me up.  And I of course threw some spinach in there – not a smoothie without some greens!  And adding a few strawberries to the mix reminds me of the jam.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (the ingredients in mine were only peanuts)
2 frozen bananas
3/4 cup vanilla rice milk
1/2 teaspoon raw honey (vegans can omit)
1 pinch sea salt
1 cup packed baby spinach
4 strawberries, chopped (optional for garnish)

Directions:
Blend bananas, peanut butter, rice milk, honey, sea salt, and spinach until smooth.  Garnish with strawberries if desired.  

Serves 2-3

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1.  Adorable striped scarf

2.  100% buckwheat soba noodles

3.  Cute doggie rain coat

4.  Tea for one

5.  A recipe for sun tea

6. Budget friendly natural mascara

7. Beautiful drawings of Disney characters going to prom

8.  What a bad ass federal judge

9.  Sleek serving dish

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I very much appreciate the kind words and support Steve and I received about Carlin’s story.  I have been a dog person my entire life but Steve’s experience with Carlin rocked him to his core.  He wasn’t whole for days.  We take solace in that Carlin had a few hours of sunshine, grass, love, and a full belly before he left this earth.

But there is a happy ending.  After reading about Carlin, our dog loving landlords decided to relax their one dog policy and let us adopt another dog in his honor.  We were thrilled.

Bea does best with well matched dogs that are about her size or smaller.  That, coupled with a 30 pound dog limit and Steve’s desire to get a chihuahua mix that looked like Carlin meant that my pit bull dreams would have to wait (sigh).  But a dog’s life is a life, no matter what size package it comes in.

Steve, Bea, and I went to No Kill LA’s (NKLA) massive adoption event this past weekend where there were over a thousand animals up for adoption from local shelters and rescues.  I love being part of a place that has such a strong passion for becoming the first no kill city in America.  Through owner support, spay and neuter, and phasing out the sale of dogs in pet stores (which are sourced to puppy mills), NKLA’s goal is to end the euthanizing of adoptable animals because there simply isn’t enough adoptable homes or shelter space.

With so many animals, we thought for sure that the right match would be at this event.  I wont get into too many details on our choice process (since Steve has already done so), but in short, never say never.  I am now the owner of a chihuahua mix named Mitch Hedberg.

And how has Mitch been doing?  This 8 pounds of cute (complete with under bite)  has one big personality – quite a change from Bea who is super shy and really sweet.  While Bea took months to adapt to our home and realize that we were her family, this little nugget is the Kaeto Kalin of dogs.  He marched into our home, dropped his bags, and said “This looks great, I think I’ll stay a while.  I’ll take a 20 year old scotch in my room before bed.”

He’s sleeping in Bea’s beds (despite having his own), drinking from her water bowl (despite having his own) and playing with her toys (despite having his own).  I thought for sure that Bea was going to eat him.  But Bea has been gracious and welcoming.  Even when Mitch insists on being the little spoon.

Mitch hasn’t had a single accident in our house (according to him, only losers pee indoors and champions use nature’s bathroom).  He is also sort of hilarious.  He burrows under blankets to keep warm – I lost him the first morning because he was hiding under the covers.  He loves to be on laps.  He’s literally on my lap as I write this.

And the best part?  Mitch is so small, Steve looks like he’s walking a hamster.

Welcome Mitch!  And thanks so much to Best Friends LA for giving us the newest member of our family.

Have a great weekend!

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It’s funny how perspective can completely change an opinion. I used to really dislike Brussels sprouts.  Or at least I thought I did.  Then, when I started thinking about them as mini cabbages – they were too cute to dislike.  They still aren’t my absolute favorite vegetable, but  I do enjoy them when in season.  They have an enormous amount of vitamin C (just 8 of them make up nearly a quarter of the daily recommended Vitamin C intake) and are rich in iron, Vitamin A, potassium, and various other nutrients

Ingredients:
2 cups Brussels sprouts
1/2 red onion cut into thick slices
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon raw honey (vegans can omit)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400º. Cut the ends off of the Brussels sprouts and remove any wilted/yellow leaves.  In a bowl whisk together the olive oil. balsamic, salt, garlic powder, mustard, honey, and pepper.  Toss the sprouts and onions in the dressing and spread on a baking sheet.  Roast for 20-25 minutes turning over the sprouts and onion once halfway through.  The vegetables are done when the Brussels sprouts begin to brown.

Serves 2-3

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Jicama is on of those things I wish I thought to use more often.  It’s light, crunchy, and extremely versatile.  Thick sticks of jicama hold up to dips really well.  Thinly slice jicama can take the place of tortillas for tacos.  And it makes for a great salad with apples and onions.

You can vary the thickness of the ingredients – but it works best if the jicama, apple, and onion strips have a similar thickness.

Ingredients:
1/2 jicama cut into strips
1 granny smith apple cored and cut into strips
1/2 red onion cut into slices
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano or tarragon, chopped
1/2 teaspoon flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:
Whisk together the lemon, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, pepper, oregano (or tarragon) and set aside.  Toss the mixture with the jicama, apple, and onion.  Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4

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