I recently received a sample of Figenza in the mail and I am in love with it! If the gorgeous packaging isn’t enough, upon opening the bottle the delightful aroma sucks you in. You can already begin to imagine how sweet and fruity it will be. In my first sampling I made the Figenza which is 3oz of Figenza fig vodka with a splash of club soda. I’m excited to try other drink recipes but I had to do something simple first so I could really taste the vodka. It is sweet but not overwhelming – I think part of the sweetness comes from breathing in the aroma when you take a sip.
Figenza is currently available in New York and New Jersey – I’m hoping we can get it at stores in the Chicago area soon. For now it can be ordered online.
Figs are a good source of potassium and fiber and even have calcium! Figs can help to lower blood pressure, aid in weight loss, promote bone density and more! I’m not sure that consuming Figenza will give you these benefits but they’re just fun fig facts to know! 
For my birthday a friend bought me the cutest cosmetic bag! It is by WorldFinds – Handmade. FairTrade. and is handmade by low-income women artisans just outside of New Delhi, India, who are part of a women’s co-op.
She purchased it at grasshopper510at 1944 N Damen Ave in Chicago. Check them out! I’ve never been in the store but after looking at their website I’m excited to head over there soon!
I just went for my $35 massage at Cortiva Institute in Chicago – it was wonderfully relaxing – perfect for a gloomy fall day. Schedule one for yourself now! Find the info on my Shopping Deals! page
The season of dry lips has begun. My favorite remedy is Vitamin E, which I love because it’s as natural as you can get – obviously no parabens, chemicals, etc. and it even looks great! It basically looks like clear lip gloss but it is far more moisturizing and is totally healty to ingest – unlike gloss, it’s actually good for you if you lick some off. The only drawback is that it can be a little messy. I take a capsule and prick it with a pin to make a tiny hole so not a lot comes out at a time. Just squeeze it on – if you get too much lick it right off – Vitamin E is good for your body! I keep one capsule on my night stand on this little plate so it is handy and then the plate is easily washable once the capsule is empty. I keep another in a little pill box in my hand bag to use on the go.
You can easily purchase Vitamin E at any store that sells vitamins – drug store, grocery store, health food store, etc.
Is he serious??? The mayor of Moscow is planning to change mother nature and attempt to chemically keep the snow away from his city this winter. This really can NOT be good for the environment and the health of of the citizens of Moscow and however further outside of Moscow the chemicals travel. Check out the article in Time for all of these crazy details. Hey – I get sick of the snow too but I think it is WRONG to chemically stop the snow from falling – I can only imagine what the long term affects are to the environment and citizens and I also wonder how far these chemicals are likely to travel through the air – meaning – will people in other countries be affected by this? That may be a little extreme thinking but I’m sure the chemicals are likely to travel through the air to many surrounding cities.
My absolute favorite shopping tote is from Resuable Bags. The Reisenthel – Modern Grocery Tote is fabulous because it has 6 exterior pockets to hold things such as wine bottles, jars of spaghetti sauce, etc – they’re great for holding anything breakable. It also has a removable zippered pouch attached to the inside. This is a must have!
Reisenthel - Modern Grocery Tote
Regularly $29.99, it is currently 15% off! Order yours now!
One of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles is Real Food Daily. It is a FABULOUS vegan restaurant which is loved by I’m sure all veggies in L.A. and even non-veggies! When I was recently in L.A. my friend and I went there for dinner and she is not at all a vegetarian or vegan but she loves the restaurant.
As much as I wanted to try something new I had to stick with one of my favorites – El Bandito Rojo – wheat and gluten free Corn enchiladas, seasoned tempeh, salsa roja, Spanish rice, black beans, pico de gallo,
tofu sour cream, guacamole, and drizzled with cashew cheese. It’s AMAZING!! Lesli had the Country Vegetable Miso which of course I had to try and it was awesome – the perfect combination of chunky veggie soup and miso – fabulous idea! For her entree she did a Basic Three – where you select one from each category: veggies, beans & grains and plant proteins. I can’t remember what she got but I know she loved it.
If you’re in the area you must try RFD – there is one in West Hollywood on La Cienega and one in Santa Monica on SM Blvd.
