Olive Oils

Over the years I have done a lot of research on olive oils because it is well known that olive oil is has many health benefits, most notably its favorable effect on heart disease. The monounsaturated fat that is found in olive oil is linked with a reduction in coronary heart disease. It also has favorable effects on the regulation of cholesterol.

Now, there are many different kinds of olive oil, and I just wanted to write a very simple blog on olive oil that might help one decide which kind of olive oil to buy.

First of all, you want to choose an olive oil that is extra virgin. This means that there is less than 1% acidity and that the olive oil is produced from the first pressing through cold-pressing.

The taste depends on the time of the harvest. The earlier the olives are processed, the greener and stronger and more bitter the taste while the later the olives are processed, the taste will be more mild and buttery with a more golden color. Underripe olives are green while ripe olives are dark green or black.

Australian olive oils tend to be on the bright side in flavor.
The olives in Italian oils come from a variety of countries, many coming from Spain, where most are going to taste medium to strong. Spanish olive oils tend to have medium strength in flavor. Finally, most olives that are in Greek olive oils are kalamata, thus the Greek olive oils are going to have the strongest taste.

Obviously, there are many, many types of olive oils. Hopefully this will help a little bit when choosing one. The easiest way to choose one is to just look at the color, and this will give you a little bit of insight as to the flavor.

Lila.

So you want Madonna's body...

I was watching Regis and Kelly this morning when Kelly announced that for “Fitness Friday” she and husband Mark Consuelos would be heading to celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson’s studio in New York for Anderson’s famous “Method” workout.

I had heard here and there of the pint-sized Anderson [left], most famous for producing Madonna and Gwenyth Paltrow’s sculpted bodies, so I was interested to see just what this über-workout entailed. It turns out that Anderson’s “Method” is a combination of dance cardio and pilates/barre-style muscle toning and strengthening. Anderson’s workout is unique in that it relies on variation rather than repetition to keep singular muscles from being overworked and employs “accessory muscles” to pull everything in.

From what I have read and seen, Anderson’s workout is grueling, but does deliver results. I am personally a fan of dance and pilates workouts, frequently opting for these options over 5 mile runs, so I am thinking about ordering a couple of her workout DVDs. However, Anderson’s “Method” has been reviewed as difficult for beginners, so you might want to try other routines first if you don’t have a lot of experience with dance or pilates.

If you are looking for ways to achieve a healthy, trim body, I would definitely suggest trying workouts such as these. I have long been using yoga, dance, and pilates videos and they are definitely more fun than spending 30 minutes running on a treadmill at the gym. These workouts also sculpt leaner muscle for dancer-like limbs rather than building larger leg muscles from activities like running.

These are a couple of my favorite workouts, which are also good for beginners and intermediates looking to try these types of exercise:

1) MTV Power Yoga

2) Weight Loss Pilates

3) ZUMBA! I haven’t ever tried a workout video for this, but I have taken Zumba classes at the gym. Zumba (for those who aren’t familiar) is a mix of Latin and African dance styles into aerobic routines. My friends and I have done weekly classes together for a long time and we always have a blast! This is the most fun workout I have ever done and I always feel great after.

Happy Exercising!

-Mandy

Spring Trends for 2010

I always like to stay on top of the trends, so I was looking for whats going to be "in" for Spring 2010. I came across Jumpsuits and how they are slowly making a comeback :) I got a couple of great tips on how to wear this trend that I would love to share with you...

-If you have curves or are pear shape figure, try a halter jumpsuit belted firmly at the waist for a bombshell silhouette

-For a night time look go with luxurious fabrics like silk, details of sequins, sheer panels or even leather for an edgier look

-Match a jumpsuit with a great pair of plain or pattern tights for a more

dressy or finished look :)

Kalyn

New York

Mocktails

All the Fun Without the Hangover

I know it's a little bit too late for New Year's, but hey, there's always Valentine's Day or the Superbowl. Try these great drinks.





POM-ADE
1 cup lemonade
1/2 cup club soda
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
Ice and garnish with lime or raspberries




SEA BREEZE SPARKLER
2 1/2 cup grapefruit juice
3 1/2 cup chilled cranberry juice
2 1/2 cup sparkling water
Lime





BLOODY MARY
Tomato or veggie juice
Worcester sauce
Tobasco
Horseradish sauce
Celery salt
Garnish with: celery, olives, pickles, shrimp, lemon, lime, etc.

I basically make mine to taste without really measuring anything.

Lila.

Lingerie Consultant at Your Service

I can remember being in New York City on a buying trip many years ago and over hearing a group of ladies talking about the luxury of having their own lingerie consultant. Living in Madison, I hadn't ever heard of such a thing and of course was intrigued enough to barge into their conversation. The ladies were so impressed with the improvement in their "appearance" they were more than happy to share with me their discovery.

It was then I learned about a phenomenal service, mainly offered in larger cities, where a lingerie specialist measures and fits you to the perfect undergarments. The consultation also includes an education, if you will, about how to purchase quality pieces that will last a life time. I remember this conversation like it was yesterday, but never had the time when I was in NY to indulge myself for a fitting. Shame on me.

Lucky for all of us, I just met Madison's own resident lingerie specialist Katherine Bice. I can't wait to secure an appointment for my own personal fitting. After talking with her it became incredibly clear this gal knows what she's talking about. She has years of experience, some of which include working for Christy Horton, the owner of Trousseau in Chicago! Christy is one of the top five lingerie fitters in the nation. Katherine told me that 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size! Yikes, no wonder our shoulders and necks are aching all the time.

I highly recommend Katherine for all of your intimate apparel needs. Not only can she help you find your correct bra size, she is an expert at finding the right solution for tricky tops and dresses. Take a peak at her website, http://www.sexymadesimple.com/ to learn more about all she can do for you.

I'm hoping to have an event at J. LaMore next month with Katherine. Perhaps a little wine, a little cheese and crackers, and a whole lot of lingerie talk! I'll keep you posted.

Jennifer

Lace tights...

Here are three celebrities... Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and Taylor Momsen with three complete different styles, but they all are wearing these sexy black lace tights.
If I saw these tights in a store I would definitely not notice the diverse way that they can be worn. After seeing how they are styled three different ways I kinda want a pair :)

These lace tights would look great with our Laila "Brocade Flower Zip" Dress and the Moloom Paparazzi Dress too!

Kalyn
New York

Ugg Teams Up With Jimmy Choo

Instyle.com reports Ugg is set to collaborate on a five-piece limited edition collection with Jimmy Choo this fall.

The pieces, which will retail from $595 to $795, are based on Ugg's sheepskin boots "with design details that embody the Jimmy Choo brand," the two companies said in a statement.

Jimmy Choo president and founder Tamara Mellon didn't seem surprised by the pairing. "Ugg Australia is the only other footwear I have in my wardrobe," she told WWD

I can't wait to see the collection! Winter in Wisconsin just got better.

Jennifer

Conan's Done ?!

Conan O'Brien has just released a statement regarding the drama about The Tonight Show. I love Conan and hope they figure out a way to keep him on the air! He is absolutely hilarious.

Charlotte
Chicago, IL

Here's the complete statement. . .

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I’ve been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I’ve been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I’ve been absurdly lucky. That said, I’ve been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn’t matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it’s always been that way.

Yours,

Conan

Source: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com

Reality TV: Kell on Earth

Hi Charlotte,

I am definitely a self-proclaimed reality-tv junkie. I love them all: Project Runway, The Real World, and all the ridiculous dating shows they have on Vh1. I am particularly partial to shows that revolve around fashion, so when I heard that the notorious Kelly Cutrone from People's Revolution (a fashion PR firm) is getting her own show on Bravo, I was ecstatic!

Cutrone is a cross-over from two of my other favorite shows, The City and The Hills, where she has been boss to both Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port. She is the ultimate New Yorker, perpetually clad in black and stalking around with a deathly glare in her eye, usually turned on one of her employees. In Kell on Earth, we get a behind-the-scenes peak at Kelly's world which involves working with and producing fashion shows for some of the biggest designers in the world. But while I'm excited for all the fashion, I'm mostly anticipating the great entertainment that Cutrone herself will provide. She is cut-throat and sarcastic and while some may believe her to be harsh, I love how real she is. She doesn't take crap from people and things like, "This isn't f----- group therapy!" frequently fly out of her mouth.

Kell on Earth premieres on Bravo February 1.

-Mandy

Keeping Up With the Kardashians. . .!

I have to admit that I'm a total junkie for the show Keeping up with the Kardashians. I seriously hate "reality" TV like The Hills or any of those shows about 'famous' couples who shouldn't be famous. Something about the Kardashians keeps me watching, though!

Although Kim is a total bimbo, I think she has a really big heart. In the latest episode, she 'adopts' a stray puppy and attempts to get it the medical attention it needs. Sadly the poor doggy wasn't looking so good after the surgery. . . :(. I have such a soft spot for dogs, especially older dogs. I have a 13 year old Jack Russel Terrier and even though she is grumpy and lazy and not as fun as she was when she was younger, I still love her to death! I can't imagine my life without her.

Does anyone else watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians or any other "junkie" reality TV show?? Or does anyone have any dog stories?? Jennifer, you haven't wrote about Ruby in a while. How is she doing? Give her kisses for me!!

Charlotte
Chicago, IL

Owning a Boutique

At least a couple of times a week, someone will ask me what I like most about owning J. LaMore. I love getting asked the question, it gives me a chance to brag about what I do! My favorite aspect of running J. LaMore has always been and always will be helping YOU! I'm being 100% honest and sincere, there are very few things in life that make me happier than to make someone else feel special and important.

What can I do for you? Do you know that we do special orders? Do you know we ship items for free or if you live in Madison we will deliver your order to your door, same day if you'd like? I love to be challenged....if you have a special request, perhaps an item you don't see in stock here or maybe a brand we don't even carry but you're in desperate need of getting. Email me! I'll do everything I possibly can to help you.

Another huge perk of J. LaMore is, of course, going to market and buying fabulous items! My next buying trip is in February in Las Vegas and it's going to be amazing. There are thousands of vendors with incredible items and I will hand select every piece that we sell here! It's a demanding task everyday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, then hours of review (although, over a glass of wine!). I had a customer recently in who asked me about bride's maid dresses for her wedding this August. I inquired what kind of dress she was hoping for her bridal party and she gave me a few suggestions. I offered to look for her while I was in Vegas at market and find THE perfect dresses for her special day. It made me feel so good to help her out and she was so happy to have my expertise working for her.

Imagine you get to work and you're less than thrilled with your outfit. Arrrgghhh! It happens, even to me. Luckily for me, it's a short lived disaster as the entire J. LaMore store then becomes my closet. Of course I still have to pay for the items, but the discount is great! I think a portion of it becomes an advertising write off too. (note to self, double check with accountant on write offs!)

As you can tell, I love what I do! I feel quite fortunate to be helping such wonderful people, like you, every day! Don't ever hesitate to ask for my help, it's what makes ME happy!

Jennifer

I'm back from CES . . . !

Hi everyone! I'm back from Las Vegas and the Consumer Electronics Show and I have to tell you that as cold as it was in Las Vegas (upper 50's) it seemed like a heat wave wave compared to Madison. How do you people live here? :)

I traveled there with my good and obnoxiously generous friend and fellow techie, John Hallick from CPM. John is the tech master and so is CPM so his techie is bigger than mine. That sounded awful but that's OK, John would appreciate that. LOL

The two of us had a fantastic time talking with all the reps from the biggest tech firms in the world. Samsung, Microsoft, Canon USA, as well as thousands of others. Most of the company's at the show I had never heard of but the cool factor is very high. Science fiction of yesterday is now a reality. No one talks in gigabytes anymore, that's so last week. It's all terabytes now. (1 terabyte = 1,000 gigabytes and then it goes to exabytes. 1 exabyte = 1,000 terabytes. I can't even comprehend that.)

My interest in going to CES was to technically improve J. LaMore and jlamore.com and take us as far into the future as I can afford. CPM is moving into a new building and John & Co. want to refurbish an older building into a masterpiece of modern technology. CPM is the next Epic Software Company and if you know John Hallick and his two sons James and Eric, you would certainly agree. That company and the story behind it is simply amazing!

I had an agenda but you can't help but take in the fun and cool stuff too! 3D television is everywhere now and that will definitely be how we watch movies and sports in the future. It's very cool but I don't think I'm ready for it yet. You still have to wear the glasses and during the demonstration we saw I had to keep moving my head around to get the 3d effect with the glasses. I thought the hype was bigger than the experience but that can happen in consumer technology. Remember when CD's were the music rage? Forget about it. Now cars of the future will have USB ports and all your music will run into the digital stereo screen from that. Your entire music library of 10,000 songs on a device no bigger than your thumb!

TV's are getting thinner and thinner. Camera's and video equipment are completely incredible and everything seems to take two or three steps forward in the way of wireless. Land line telephone service will be a thing of the past (for residential anyway) as Skype is finally growing into a monster. The Google guys have their fingers in a lots tech areas and are standing behind the curtain pulling the strings of the future. Speaking of Google, we saw how they make Google maps as the company they use was there. The car they drivehas a huge spinning gyro on the roof that keeps the four camera's absolutely still when they drive and they take video's of the front, back, and both sides of every street and address in the world. Those images are sent to a satellite and presto magic, Google maps! Very high cool factor! The car looked like something from NASA, which it kind of is in a way! WOW!

Entertainment is a big part of CES and there's now a computer server (10 terabytes) that you can buy and attach to your home wireless network which will store all your pictures, movies and music which you can scroll through on your flat screen TV. What you can do is give your friends and family your wireless Internet network name and password that this server is on and they can log in over the Internet and listen to your music, watch your movies, or look at your pictures on THEIR television in THEIR home anywhere in the world. You just became your own little Netflix except they don't have to return the movie or deal with late fee's, they just turn off the TV. Unbelievably cool! That's not the future, that's right now!

Gaming is really big and games are no longer just for kids. Games haven't been just for kids for some time but it seems that a huge leap in graphics just recently happened. Your PS3 or Xbox is a hub for all things fun and the graphics and realism is astounding. That's a big reason for terabyte storage, the graphics! The line to try the games was long so I never got to try Motorstorm 2 or even the new Guitar Hero, but OMG!

CES is like a Home Depot for geeks. It's almost overwhelming and if you don't have an agenda when you're there you could wonder aimlessly though the convention because it seems nothing is beyond the limits of your imagination and everything is amazing. It's a future now kind of thing. I have an insatiable curiosity about most things so really cool stuff keeps me awake at night.

At the end of my CES experience, John and I asked each other the same question; when does it all end? Do I really need all this stuff? Does this make me happy? I left thinking about the past just as much as the future and I happily remembered the days of yesteryear of less complication and fewer headaches. And then it happened! Jennifer had a car problem during the recent snow storm and called me at the show. We Googled the problem from the smart phone and solved the 'drive or no drive' issue in a mater of minutes from 1,500 miles away. . . . I mean seriously! The planets are aligned and the world is right again! Bring on the future and the sooner the better!

Your geek!

Jim
jlamore.com

PS. I forgot to mention a device for travelers that speaks 120 languages and when you go to a foreign country you just speak normal English into the device which records your voice and then scroll down to find the language translation and hit play. What you just said comes out perfectly clear in that language. Then you hand the device to the other person who doesn't speak your language and they record their answer in their language and you can play it instantly back in English. It's also GPS enabled! I died and went to heaven!