Should You Shop At H&M?

H&M, which began in 1947, has grown into one of the world's leading fashion retailers. A store is within walking distance of my home, so I pop in quite often. But! Except for socks and hair scrunches, I buy little there. 

I think the merchant has super cute clothing, however, too often the dresses are too (mini) short (or granny) long; the fabric too thin; and the fabric-type too cheap to hold up. These reasons keep this frequent browser from becoming a frequent buyer of H&M's clothing. That said once in a while there are surprisingly wearable finds.

I own 4 of the above sleeveless fit and flare dresses (the one above included) which come out in different colors and patterns every spring, selling at $12.99 each. The dress is 100% polyester, which is good and bad: The fabric is not thin or see-through, therefore the dress transitions me from the spring into early summer. In early spring when temperatures can still be frosty, the dress layers well with leggings and a cashmere sweater. But once the heat of later June moves in, the same polyester fabric makes the dress too hot to wear. So the dresses stay in my closet until early autumn arrives. Although great to have 4 season-transitional dresses, if made in a substantial cotton (or linen) fabric, the same dresses could be worn throughout the summer.

So here is my assessment a/k/a the good and bad of H&M:

• Chic, trendy and adorable style
• Won't break the bank
• Fabric that is often too thin or cheap to wear
• Rising prices while quality stays the same

Who am I to argue with a business' massive success? Still I challenge H&M to give their ultra talented designers better fabrics (cotton, linen, wool) to work with and their customers better (more durable) clothing to wear. Since more pieces now appear on the racks costing $39.99 and $49.99, up the quality of the garments also. Until the quality of fabric and craftsmanship improves, personally, I only consider the $12.99 finds. (Btw, the 4 H&M $12.99 dresses of mine have lasted 4-5 years. They were bought a year apart.)

Finally, I appreciate the retailer's recycling initiative: Drop off any used textiles at H&M stores to receive 15% coupons for future purchases. In general too many fast-fashion buys is bad for the environment, so that too is an issue. Nonetheless, how wonderful the retailer makes recycling easy and rewarding for their customers to do. Readers, do you shop at H&M?


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Refreshing Lemon Squares

Photo: redstickspice

Lemon Squares are delicious when you eat dinner out at a restaurant, or stop for coffee at a cafe. The combination of sweet and sour is refreshing and can't be beat! The following is a scrumptious and easy recipe:

Lemon Squares

Ingredients:

Any brand of real butter (3 tbs)

(Crust)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup all-purple flour

Pinch of salt

Directions:.

1) Using a fork, mix together the sugar and butter until creamy.

2) Add the flour, a portion at a time and continue mixing until you get a crumb consistency.

3) Press the dough into the bottom of an 8'' baking pan. Poke holes in the dough so it evenly bakes.

4) Bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees F oven for 15 minutes before removing to cool.

While the crust is baking, make your lemon custard filling in the same mixing bowl without washing it:

Ingredients:

4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons powdered sugar to sprinkle on top after baking, pulled, out of the oven, and cooled.

Directions:

1) Beat eggs until foamy with an electric mixer.

2) Toss in the sugar (half at a time) and continue to mix.

3) Add the rest of the ingredients in order and mix until well-blended. 

4) Pour the mixture over the baked crust and return to the oven to finish baking.

5) Bake at 350 degrees F for another 23 - 25 minutes or until set.

6) Remove from the oven and rest. While warm loosen the crust and cool in the refrigerator to make it easy to cut into lemon squares.

7) Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar. It looks lovely and hides errors if a square doesn't cut clean.


These lemon squares are simple to make, delicious, and just right in sweetness. Enjoy the treat!🍋


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Playtime At Bergdorf Goodman's Chanel Boutique

On Saturday I stopped into luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman to look at Chanel bags. The sales associate was psychic as he put the two Chanel bags I most covet on the counter under my nose. There is no chance of me ever forking over a cool $9,000 for them. Nonetheless, I can't deny they are the very Chanel bags I'd hope to get from my Fairy Godmother after her startling appearance before my eyes.

Photo: Via YouTube

The first bag is actually the cheapest because it is the smallest: The Chanel Trendy CC Wallet On Chain - I prefer it in caviar leather, since if I paid $2,500 for a wallet on a chain, the leather better hold up! The wallet is more like a small handbag. It has 6 useful slots for credit and identity cards; an inside compartment with a zipper; and enough room to hold a smart phone, money, keys, lipstick, eye glasses, comb, ink pen, tissues and tickets, i.e. it has more space than a standard wallet. Best of all, it has what the small and medium sized Chanel Double Flap bags lack, a long crossbody strap. Unlike previous Chanel WOCs, which have a magnetic button closure, the later Chanel Trendy CC WOC has an improved twist and turn closure. The black leather with the gold hardware and top "CHANEL" gold plate is gorgeous. Fairy Godmother, I love, this bag!

Right next to it sat the iconic Chanel Double Flap Jumbo bag in caviar leather. The Jumbo is the only flap bag size with a long strap to wear crossbody. Recently the world's #1 selling luxury bag increased in price to $6,200, a sum I can't justify spending on a handbag, as much as I love it. 

Moreover, I do like my Double Flap inspired Chanel bag (a dupe not a replica), which I got in lambskin leather for much less. Consider: I can buy 52 of my inspired bag with greenbacks left over to spend on a nice dinner and subway fare home. Unfortunately like with all leather goods, expect wear and tear if you use your Chanel bag(s); and what a waste of money if you don't. So there lies the paradox of owing overpriced luxury handbags.

But aren't Chanel bags exquisite? Um, I'd be quite happy with the small one, Fairy Godmother.


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Homemade Hoisin Sauce And Sweeten Condensed Milk Are Cheap

Photo: sugarapron.com

I don't know why certain foods are sky high when their ingredients are dirt cheap. Sometimes it's the labor involved in making them, but not always. Condiments costing more than meat, which consist of few ingredients that take little time to pour together I will make myself from now on. Plus I'll use top ingredients!

Allow me to illustrate with savory and sweet examples. Let's start with a recipe for the savory condiment. Since it's so easy to prepare, why buy it?:

Homemade Hoisin Sauce

On amazon here

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey (molasses, or brown sugar)
2 teaspoons vinegar (I use cider or white)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce (I use Sriracha)

Directions:

Pour the ingredients into a bowl and whisk them together. Done!!

Hoisin sauce is used in Chinese stir fry dishes. 

For a fast meal, I stir fry 16 ounces of cut broccoli, 3 chopped carrots, 3 sliced stalks of celery, one sliced red pepper, 1 medium chopped onion and  2-3 cloves of minced garlic. I toss the ingredients directly into a Wok pan, stir-fry and cover with a lid to let the vegetables tenderize on low heat while waiting for 1 cup of brown rice, or quinoa to cook on a 2nd burner. The liquids from the vegetables and Hoisin recipe will make enough sauce. When the vegetables are nearly done, cube 16 oz of of tofu and toss into the stir fry mixture. After the vegetables are no longer raw, simply turn off the burner and wait for the rice to catch up on the 2nd burner. Brown rice, or quinoa requires 1/2 hour to tenderize. Delish!



My 2nd recipe requires a little bit of prior planning, but the savings of homemade are substantial:

Sweetened condensed milk is a condiment often used to make cookie bars or boiled caramel, but why is it so ridiculously expensive? A 14 ounce can sells for over $4; yet the 2 ingredients used to make it are relatively cheap. I don't think making it is so labor intensive, it justifies such a steep markup:

Homemade Sweeten Condensed Milk

On Amazon here

Ingredients:
For each cup of finished sweetened condensed milk --

2 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar

Directions

1) Completely dissolve the sugar into the milk by whisking it before you heat the sauce pan.

2) After the sugar is completely dissolved into the milk, turn on the flame and the second the mixture simmers, lower the heat so it never boils. There is no more need to stir it, just let the pot simmer on a low heat.

3) Simmer it for 30 to 40 minutes until the liquid thickens into condensed milk. 

4) Remove from the stove and skim off any cooked milk skin or brown edge that you see.

5) Let the mixture cool in order to use, or store into a jar for later.

Until this year, I never tried to make these condiments myself. But why not? It's silly to pay $3 per pound of meat and nearly $5 for a can of condensed milk. (As you can guess that one irks me the most! Dear Milk Robber Barons, from this day forward, my money stays in my pocket.). 

After we know how simple and cheap a few condiments are to make, ignorance is no longer bliss! What did you buy before you leaned how to make it?


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Color The World Lipstick

Color The World artisan lipstick is founded by two internet start-up brothers, Stephen and Wayne along with Stephen's makeup maven wife, Stephanie. The company's goals are 2-fold: Make amazing lipstick that is 100% vegetarian; containing organic and natural waxes; and is cruelty free ... and then use some of the profits to support worthy causes around the world. 10% of the profits of each color of lipstick is targeted to go to a specific (listed) charity -- causes the company wants to connect with to make a difference.

For now Color My World focuses on just lipstick, but oh, what lipstick it is. The lipstick is hand poured, smooth and moisturizing. Created to be not too shiny or matte, the color doesn't feather out or bleed. The rich emollients are especially beneficial to lips that are 40+ years of age, but as you can see the beautiful array of colors appeal to all ages.

There are lots of flattering and everyday shades offered at a reasonable price. Mid-priced lipstick for top-notch vegan ingredients. Some of the multi-sets are good deals, and the (recyclable) cardboard tube packaging makes adorable gifts. 

What fun to try new, indy brands, and this one gives a little back to the world.

The one bit of oddness is the owners have an internet presence -- a  business website and facebook page, as well as, good customer (via Google and YouTube) reviews -- but no last names to be found! Transparency is an asset, so when will the world know?

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Drugstore Snacks I Like: Lenny & Larry's Cookies and Tex Mex Snack Mix

When my apartment was damaged by our gaga hookah smoker's fire, and I had to leave for two months, I discovered these satisfying cookies. Luckily there was a drugstore alongside tiny, overpriced food stores. These mouthwatering protein cookies are substantial and affordable.

As readers know, I love a well-stocked drugstore. I buy my gallons of delicious Roxbury, New York milk at Rite-Aid and snacks at Walgreens to take home like Lenny and Larry's Complete Cookies. Each huge, 2-serving size cookie has 32 grams of protein. But at 200 calories per serving, I am careful to only eat half a cookie (for 16 grams of protein) most mornings. Many protein bars are not palatable, but Lenny and Larry make soft, tasty cookies. I often buy them 3 for $5 so they are not as expensive as those chalky, uneatable protein bars.

Surprisingly, I'm not a fan of their chocolate-chocolate chip cookie, but brownie lovers will like it. To me, they taste under baked, which is the reason I dislike brownies. Too doughy and undone.

My favorite Lenny and Larry cookies are the peanut butter chocolate chip followed by snickerdoodle -- both excellent paired with a morning cup of coffee.

A drugstore snack I'm addicted to, but only let myself bring home as a once in a while treat, is Duane Reade/Walgreen's Nice Tex Mex Snack Mix, which I could eat until it comes out of my ears! It's a standard snack mix several companies make, and I'm happy Walgreens (which I can walk to) carries it. Do you know, I once in a great while (not often, yet have been known to) eat Tex Mex Snack Mix for breakfast. Because. I know it's in the house!

What's that you say? Fortunately I can't hear you.

Like most addicts, I know it's not the most low calorie, nutritious snack I could eat. I know without checking, it contains loads of fat, salt (and spices!), but I'm addicted, and like with any addiction, sometimes I must make a late night drugstore run to get my fix. Sooo ... talk to the hand while I munch!

Do you have any favorite drugstore snacks?


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Old Navy's Sleeveless Jersey Swing Dress

When I heard this dress was flying off the racks at Old Navy because women were buying multiples of them (one woman bought 9!), I didn't know what to think. Compulsive buyers??? By nature, I tend to be an under buyer. Then I did it myself! In a week of 96 degree temperatures, I bought and wore the dress in 2 colors ... than bought 2 more colors for a total of 4 dresses at $15 each.

So out of character for me, but Old Navy's Sleeveless Jersey Swing Dress is the perfect summer dress. The soft, substantial jersey fabric is unbelievably comfortable and stylish. It doesn't grab you in the middle, or cling anywhere else in the scorching summer heat. Although I prefer cotton over rayon, as the material is more durable, I can live with this rayon and spandex dress. It is plush and cool!

As cute as the picture is, it doesn't do the jersey swing dress justice. Slip it on ... and wow! The above knee length is just right, and for once the dress length is neither too long or short. The round neckline and A-line, flare silhouette is a classic swing back to the iconic style of Jacqueline Kennedy and Betty Draper sans a steep price tag.

Dress the jersey swing dress up or down with shoes and accessories. The frock is flowy and flatters every height and figure! To beat the summer heat, fashionistas will wear the dress instead of shorts. 

Easy to clean also: Machine wash in lukewarm water and hang to dry. The touch of spandex keeps it winkle-free.

Old Navy's Sleeveless Jersey Swing Dress is a 5-star wardrobe no-brainer!


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