to shave, or not to shave

A few days ago, Man Repeller posted about waxing (like removing body hair kinda waxing) on her blog. At first, I thought it was weird and something that shouldn’t be shared with thousands of people on the internet. And then I stepped back and thought about it. Why can’t it be shared? Every single human has hair on their body, and most women remove most of their hair. Do we do it for ourselves, for significant others, for our friends? Who knows, well we each personally know, because we each have our own preference. Which is kind of cool to think about. 

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There are the girls who shave everything, every where, everyday. 

There are the girls who shave most places, occasionally.  

There are the girls who shave some places, for special occasions. 

There are the girls who don’t shave at all, unapologetically. 

I’m more the first named category. I was the girl in third grade who was made fun of by the boys for having hairy legs. In fact, I think I had more hair on my legs at the time than they did. I should’ve probably responded with a, “well you’re a boy, why don’t you have hair on your legs.” But I was confused and insecure so I started shaving when I was in fourth grade. Ever since then, I’ve been a nightly shaver. I’ve lost the insecurity aspect of hairy legs, but I’ve become accustomed to the smooth leg kinda life. 

There’s definitely not anything wrong with having hairy legs, or unshaved legs (however you want to phrase it). I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think it’s interesting how each person has their own preference, and there’s nothing wrong with each preference. You do you, you know? 

So now that my shaving cycle has been released upon the internet, feel free to share your thoughts on shaving. I’d love to hear the reasoning behind it as well! 

xox
Chloe

kale, avocado, grapefruit dip

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m a self diagnosed foodie. When given the option between working out or going out for a nice big breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner/coffee date. I will always choose food. Even if I’ve already committed myself to a nice long workout. Food always wins. It’s inevitable. 

Anyway, I have a favorite restaurant. It seems a little silly to fully commit myself to one restaurant when there are so many out there that I have yet to try, but True Food is my restaurant soul mate. My true love. My one and only. I just know. You know? 

So anyway, my friend and I went to True Food for dinner the other night and there was a new appetizer on the menu. It had a cute name, but it was basically kale, avocado, grapefruit dip and it was amazing. So good. Like mouthwatering good. As soon as I got home after dinner I looked up the recipe because I needed to have this dip sitting in my fridge waiting for me at all times. It was seriously the best thing ever, no exaggeration. 

So I found the recipe online, thanks to the amazing invention that is Google. And I made it, like the professional chef that I am. Obviously, it wasn’t as good as the real thing, but it was (and is) still super yummy. I totally recommend making it so you can impress your tastebuds, friends, parents, co-workers, or anyone really. Just serve with some tortilla chips or the healthier flax seed cracker option and you’re good to go. 

I found the recipe from Well ATL. 

So if you end up making this recipe please let me know how you (or your friends) like it! 
Thanks for reading! 
xox
chloe

summer jams

I’ve never really been a “music” person, so to speak. When people ask me what kind of music I listen to or like to listen to, I usually turn fifty shades of red and mumble, “oh, um, well, whatever is on the radio, I guess.” Or some variation of that not so clever response. I was talking with one of my friends the other day about how I get embarrassed about sharing the kind of music I like. It’s not like I’m listening to Justin Bieber circa 2009, or some unheard of screamo band. It’s just that I love my music when I’m jamming in my car by myself or listening to it, headphones in, at a coffee shop, but when I play it for someone else I feel like I’m releasing a secret part of my soul that not everyone gets to see. Weird? Absolutely. Over reacting? Oh, most definitely. Normal? Apparently, because my friend felt the same way. 

I think music, or personal choices in music, is just that, personal. It’s weird because there are probably so many people out in the universe, floating around, that happen to like the same exact music as you, but it just feels so isolating (“isolating” is too dramatic of a word, but you know what I mean) to like a certain type of music that you know your friends aren’t also into.

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However, I’ve decided to unleash that secret part of my soul into the black hole known as the internet. This is the playlist that I’ve been listening to, and adding to, since the weather started warming up this year (i.e. late March). It’s kind of a mixture of songs, and I guess the best way to describe it is “indie, pop, eclectic.” Actually, I have no idea how to describe it. Those are just the first adjectives that came to mind. Let me know what genre you think this playlist belongs to in 

the comments below. I’d appreciate it very much to know exactly what “type” of music I happen to like so I can actually respond when people ask me. 

Here’s the link to the actual playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/12136150995/playlist/2qVhgU3qB9z06XXBpjtleM

And then here’s a list of the songs + a link to them on YouTube if you’re more into that than Spotify, idk what your personal preference is so I’m just going to appeal to the masses here and give myself more work. You can thank me later, I guess. 

Wasted Time / Vance Joy 

Barcelona / George Ezra 

Cassy O’ / George Ezra 

Lean On / Major Lazer 

Walking On A Dream / Empire of The Sun 

I Got U / Duke Dumont 

Shake It Out / Florence + The Machine

Flashed Junk Mind / Milky Chance 

Stolen Dance / Milky Chance 

Budapest / George Ezra 

Banana Pancakes / Jack Johnson 

Put Your Records On / Corinne Bailey Rae 

Three Little Birds / Bob Marley 

Shots / Imagine Dragons

Leaving Now / Rose Quartz 

Rock & Roll / Ark Life 

Watch Out For This / Major Lazer 

Listen to D.J.’s / Long Beach Dub Allstars 

Cheerleader / Omi  (this is probably my current favorite!)

Sunlight / The Magician 

One Day / Asaf Avidan & The Mojos 

Down By The River / Milky Chance 

Stole The Show / Kygo 

Ain’t Nobody / Felix Jaehn

Treasured Soul / Michael Calfan

Ok, so there you have it. I’ve peeled back the superficial, “I like radio music” to unleash my inner “indie” (I think) liking human that lies within. I hope you like this kind of music too so I don’t seem like a super freak. But whatever, super freak or not, this is who I am and what kind of music I enjoy. 

Let me know if we have similar taste, or just let me know if you have any songs that I should hear! Or just leave a comment telling me what you had for breakast/dinner/lunch, because I love getting comments! 

Thanks for reading! 
xox
chloe

an open letter to the male species

Let’s talk about boys for a second. I love them, and hate them, they’re annoying, they're flirtatious, they’re good, and they’re bad. Lately, I’ve been having some boy issues. Well, I guess issues isn’t necessarily the right word, but "inconvenience" is more like it. I decided that I should write an open letter to the male species. I figure if just one guy reads this and learns something from this letter, then maybe, just maybe, we can have less of the bad guys (bad being the opposite of a gentleman; a f*ck boy if you will) and more of the good guys, the gentlemen. 

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So here it goes. 

Dear the male species,

Girls, however seemingly “complicated” are actually super simple. In fact, in order to woo a lady, one must follow the simple steps outlined below. They aren’t difficult, they’re fairly cheap (and often free), and are almost 100% guaranteed to sweep a girl off her feet, and into your loving arms. So please read the list carefully, bookmark it in your preferred browser, print it and hang it on the mirror you probably so often stare longingly into, or just, simply, read and understand what I’m saying. Please, I beg of you. 

1. If you like a girl, tell her or at least let her know. Don’t ever just expect a girl to make the first move. If you really want her in your life, you’ll put in the effort to make her part of it. You can text to make the first move or whatever, but this doesn’t mean that you don’t have to talk to her in real life. A text is just an introduction, a real conversation is where you really make the magic happen, so to speak. Nothing compares to a real life “hello” or, you know, an actual conversation. 
2. When you pick her up to go on a date, walk to her door, ring the bell or knock on the door, and talk to her parents (shake their hands, make small talk about the weather/sports/whatever, ask what time she needs to be home, etc.), and then laugh about how awkward it was afterwards while driving to your date destination. Parents aren’t scary, they just want to get to know the person that is taking their daughter out on a date. Don’t be nervous, just be yourself. 
3. Plan the date yourself. Don’t ask a girl to come up with the idea. She’ll most likely be happy with anything you plan, girls like it when the guy is in charge. She might be a feminist, but that doesn’t mean that you still can’t plan a date. The movies are great, dinner is great too, but it’s nice to come up with something creative sometimes too. Make her think you put some thought and originality into your plans. Go play glow in the dark putt putt, attend a local farmer’s market, go rock climbing or hiking, or just have a picnic in the park. Creativity = extra points, trust me on that one.  
4. Always tell her how your feel. If you think about her right when you wake up, shoot her a good morning text. If you think she’s prettier than the entire milky way, please, please, tell her that. On the flip side, if you feel like your relationship isn’t really working out, let her know, preferably not over text. More times that not, I’ve seen guys just stop talking to their girl instead of telling them how they feel. Don’t ever let a girl wonder where you stand with her. It might be hard for you to tell her, but it’s easier than having her mad at you or leaving her upset and sad. 
5. Be yourself, be honest, and be kind. These don’t really need elaborating… at least I don’t think they do. Just treat your girl with the respect that she so deserves. 

So there you have it. Five, relatively easy, ways to become (or remain) a gentleman. Please try them out and see what happens. 

If you’re a girl who’s reading this, feel free to share it with, you know, every single boy you’ve ever met. Or just one, I’ll settle for it just getting into the hands of one guy. 

Let me know if you have any more things to add to the list, there are probably infinite ways to woo a girl… am I right ladies??

Thanks for reading! 
xox
Chloe

diy s'mores pops

There is a constant, agonizing battle between my brain and my stomach. My brain so desperately wants to be healthy/fit/lean but my stomach constantly craves carbs/dairy/sweets. It’s an endless struggle. Even though I hopelessly want my brain to be the winner of all internal duels, my stomach usually ends up winning. Ice cream after a long day at the pool? Absolutely. Eating a big brunch with friends instead of making it to the 11am spin class? You betcha. Skipping the s’mores dessert because “I shouldn’t?” Not happening, give me all the s’mores. 

That being said, my cousin recently had her bat mitzvah and at her party they were passing around these cute little s’more pops. They were basically a marshmallow dipped in chocolate and then dipped in graham cracker on a stick. I had one and I was hooked. I needed to eat every single one of them. Imagining them throwing the extra pops away left me feeling light headed and a little sweaty. I probably ate nine or ten, give or take, and could’ve easily eaten way s’more. (hehe couldn’t resist the pun)

Now that I’m home, these pops have been consuming my thoughts. They’re seriously all I can think about. I told my mom about the conundrum that I was facing and she suggested that I make my own. I know my mom is a smart woman, but I didn't know she was that smart. Of course I should make my own. It would be easy, cheap, and allow my stomach an endless source of happiness… forget my brain. 

So if your stomach is anything like mine, you should most definitely make these for yourself. You won’t regret it, I promise. 

Ingredients for the S’more Pops: 
Graham Crackers
Dark Chocolate
Marshmallows
Sticks (to stick the marshmallows on)

Instructions:
-First start by crushing your graham crackers. The smaller the crumbs the better. I just put the big pieces in a plastic bag and crushed them up with my hands. It should look like a sand-like consistency 
-Second, put your marshmallows on the stick. The stick should be right at the top of your marshmallow but not all the way through. 
-Third, melt your chocolate. I used a small bowl and put it on top of a boiling cup of water. This kept the chocolate melted and kept it from burning while I dipped the previous marshmallows. 
-Fourth, dip your marshmallow into the chocolate. Let the extra drip off before moving on to the next step.
-Fifth, dip your chocolate covered marshmallow in the bowl of crushed graham cracker. 
-Sixth, place your coated and covered marshmallow on a plate and once the plate is full, stick it in the fridge for a little while. 
-Seven, eat! Aka, the best step. 

And there you have it. A perfect summer treat. Let me know if you end up making them! 
xox
Chloe