You Look Mahvelous!
"Don't be a schnook, it's not how you feel, it's how you look! " Billy Crystal, SNL, circa 1980's
Believe it or not, there was a thriving Saturday Night Live before Alec Baldwin took on President Trump. One of the most famous sketches of the 1980's was the parody by Billy Crystal of Fernando Lamas, a talk-show host who famously said, "you look ... mahvelous." The humor was the mockery by Crystal of the so called "fabulous" and "famous" guest on the show. We all know that history tends to repeat itself. To see this, look no further than your Instagram or Facebook feed and bear witness to how fabulous everyone looks (or wants to look). Who knows and who cares how anyone (really) feels? When was the last time you checked the Feeling/Activity emoji?
I'm being facetious here; however, there is no question that we (yes, mostly everyone) put an inordinate amount of time into looking good. In truth, it's responsible for getting me to the gym and stops me from eating everything I find. This week's post gives you some tips on how to look simply MAHVELOUS (or better than your age bracket).
Fountain of Youth
Lift Float
320 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Everyone needs beauty sleep to look their very best! A good night's rest helps your heart, weight, mind, and, if that's not enough, reduces wrinkles and bags. The problem is that most of us are sleep deprived and are unhappy about that! This is where Lift Float comes in. Introduced to me by Louper Julie W., I went curious about this new, alternative concept. Here, they have private pods (think a bathtub that looks like an egg) filled with hot water and 1,000 pounds of Epsom salts. Floating in this water is also known as R.E.S.T. or Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy. You basically climb into the pod (naked, you don't need a thing), close the top, and float in the water. The lights turn off, the relaxing music turns on, and you are transported to another place that almost feels like you are in your mother's womb (I think that is a good thing?). Floating requires little effort, and you find stillness in a short period of time. For an hour or more, you are left with your thoughts (hopefully you have some) and certainly free to go to sleep (don't worry, you won't drown). It is a perfect place to think of nothing or to meditate, whichever works for you. It is believed that this meditative rest is comparable to sleeping for many hours, and you will look and feel great when it is over.
Sauna of Solace
21 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003
What do Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Lady Gaga and Bryan V. all have in common? Not a whole lot except an appreciation for infrared saunas. Do you like to sweat your a** off? If the answer is yes, join the masses, and visit HigherDOSE, an infrared sauna center. In advance, book a private (preferred by me as I am claustrophobic) or couple's sauna room for either 30 minutes or 60 minutes. Once you enter the room, you are given towels, water, and a plug to play music from your smartphone. Then, as they say ... "walk in, shed your clothes, worries, and stress. Get hot. Get high." They kind of make it sound like a rehab place for druggies (proven to be good for that too), but, in fact, this is the latest health craze with an insane amount of benefits.
For the binge dieters, they say you burn up to 600 calories in 45 minutes, just sitting there! For the sauna seekers, this is 7X more detoxifying than a traditional sauna. For the stressed out, infrared decreases cortisol and increases serotonin, thus causing a chill-out effect! For the Joan Rivers in you, it provides anti-aging and skin purification without the plastic surgery. For the professional athlete in you, this penetrates your muscles and relieves the aches and pains of overuse AND adds flexibility. For the health minded, this stimulates the circulatory system and increases blood flow ... so why not infrared. One reason and one reason only, it's a challenge (mental and physical) to make it in there for the long haul as the time does not pass quickly when you're detoxifying this much. Unless you take a long shower after, there is no way you'll be able to put your jeans back on.
PS: A cool feature to the saunas is you pick your favorite LED light color (ROYGBIV, each unique with its own benefits) to enhance your trip to the fountain of youth. It's been proven that the lines go away with this light therapy. WHOA!
A Pearly White Smile
Goby
Home
Brushing your teeth is an automated task that you instinctively do at least two times a day ... at least, I hope! This routine should be sufficient to make sure that you have positive experiences at the dentist, look great in pictures, and don't offend your friends! Why not let the toothbrush do the work??? The Goby is an electric toothbrush that looks great (comes in four colors) and feels great (very comfortable handle). It is easy to use, as all you need to do is take it from its charging station and press a single button. It notifies you when you should brush a new region of your mouth by taking a short pause every 30 seconds. And, the significant innovation is that you can sign up for a subscription to replace the bristles every one, two or three months, so you don't have to think about it. The Goby is a no-brainer --- it makes brushing (more) fun and interactive. Smile for the camera!
Selfie Moments
Vespa
For those of you who think I'm talking my own book, I am! But, if you want to look and feel fabulous, get a Vespa. You don't even need to ride it, you just need to have one. My wife bought me a Vespa Primavera 150cc for my birthday, and I couldn't be happier! I remember owning a Honda Elite 80 scooter way back in high school (when I rocked a mullet). Well, the mullet and the Honda are symbols of a bygone era, but Vespas were cool then and they're cool now! I decided against the larger, more powerful models, as I will be using this in a very limited fashion (I promise Loupers Mom and MIL) and don't need it to commute long distances.
While you may think Vespas are meant for Rome or Florence, don't count them out for other cities! Like everything else, there is a time and a place for a scooter. I'm learning very quickly the uses I have for it ... to commute to soccer at Riverside Park (hey Geezers), run a quick errand, or travel to a locale where I know there won't be car parking when I'm over my monthly parking ticket allowance. With a scooter (versus a bicycle) you have to follow the traffic rules, which means you aren't always maneuvering and pedaling; therefore, you can relax in the comfort of your helmet, listen to the sounds of the city (no earphones), and stop and take in the view (at lights). For me, the Vespa has been a game changer -- Flag me down, and I'll give you a ride!
Smart
Grammarly
Web
What good is a pretty face without brains behind it? Trust me, it matters. One superficial way to impress others is proper grammar. Just as one superficial way to judge others is to be critical of their improper grammar. Grammar is a category of mine that I'm finding needs work. I want to improve the clarity of my writing for the benefit of my readers. I appreciate all the feedback to date on my Grammar (you know who you are) as I apparently didn't absorb Strunk and White in grade school, high school, college and certainly not business school.
Since my writing is (mostly) Web-based, I've found another solution ... Grammarly. This online grammar checker extends to your browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.), checks all of your online writing (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) and easily corrects your mistakes! And, this is for FREE! If this whets your whistle, however, you should upgrade to the paid premium which provides checks for even more grammatical errors, suggests vocabulary enhancements, as well as detects plagiarism. It even makes suggestions based on different writing requirements, such as academic, technical, and creative.
Remember, don't be a schnook, it's not how you feel, its how you look! Now, you look and feel fabulous. Consider Lift Float, Higher Dose, Goby Toothbrushes, Vespas, and Grammarly Found!