Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 398

The Older I Get, the Less I Am Interested In. . .

• junk food

 

• show-offs

 

• movies with depressing endings

 

• mediocre books

 

• whether people who don't know me think I'm a good parent

 

• trying to turn my hair into something it's not

 

• cats

 

• people who just want to talk about themselves

 

• nagging my kids to clean their rooms

 

• the whole self-help genre

 

• darning socks

 

• liars

 

• big cities with bad architecture

 

• popular music

 

• chain e-mails

 

• "fat free" anything

 

• reality show stars

 

Halloween Costumes for Pets?

There, I've asked the question, and all my friends with no pets can wonder where my head is and all my friends with pets can clamor for more information.

But first, a picture, of Mr. Finn in his Halloween costume. Isn't he fabulous? I think even skeptics would agree.


Photograph by Kent Hardouin

In my family alone, this topic has sparked amusing confessions and observations. Case in point: My cousin dropped her dog off at daycare only to witness with dismay that she had not "gotten the memo"--it was apparently dress-your-pet-up-for-Halloween-day! And her dog was the only one not in costume. She swiftly explained that she'd left the costume at home by mistake, then raced off to correct the situation. Let's hope no one from doggie daycare is reading this blog as she would be busted. And her little dog, too!

Absolved Dog, With Photo as Proof



My brother, when asked if he had ever contemplated dressing up his cat, said that he had never done so and that if he had decided to suddenly spring a costume on his cat, the expected first reaction could only be his cat looking at him with an expression of, "Seriously?" with a second reaction being, "I'm going to claw your hands and that's not part of our contract." He elaborated that a dog's social contract with its owner was quite different from a cat's, saying, "A cat always reserves the right to say, 'Heck, no.'"

The Halloween Howl

Well, if you looked around my neighborhood the other day and wittingly or unwittingly stumbled upon the aptly-named Halloween Howl, you would have had to concede that he has a point. Yes, sir, there were a whole lotta dogs who were indulging the "spirit of the contract" and probably wondering what on earth had inspired this latest request.

And so, without further ado, I bring you a taste of this latest display of loyalty on the part of man's best friend:

The Marathon Runner



Dog, the Bounty Hunter (sheriff's badge, off-camera)



Minion: Character From the Movie Despicable Me (with a special prize given by me for what appears to have been a highly-organized community effort to invite other neighborhood "Frenchis" to be part of the group entry)



Dog Walking Upper East Side Tennis Players (tennis ball made by artist Eric Mangia)



Beyonce: The Single Ladies (the owners wore matching belts and silver accessories as the ensemble rocked the runway)



And for those of you who can't get enough of pets in Halloween costumes, check out New York mag's "Dogs Looking Depressed in Their Halloween Costumes" slideshow, and The New Yorker's high-brow Critterati Contest winners slideshow (where the challenge is to dress your pet animal as a character in literature).

What About You? Do you dress your pet up for Halloween?

P.S. I promised Simon his "15 minutes of fame." And that's a contract I intend to enforce to the letter of the law!

Sneak Peek of a Very Proud Simon as a Lobster

Simple Halloween Costumes

 

I'm not a big Halloweener--I rarely get dressed up and when I do it has to be something quick and simple. So obviously working at Real Simple comes in handy, because I'm surrounded by brilliant people whose jobs are based around making all of our lives just that....real simple :o)

 

With that said, in honor of Halloween I wanted to direct you all to the Daily Finds story that my colleague Elinor Smith--our Assistant Fashion Editor---compiled on whipping together a costume with items you might already have in your closet.

 

Just click HERE!

...And HERE is a link for the little ones!

 

Happy Halloween!

 

Gotta Go: The RevoLOOtion Will be Televised

In ever-so important "toileting news" this month, I have two items to share. If you haven't already heard, Charmin is running a contest that invites anyone with a strong opinion or story to share about how they "enjoy the go" to submit a video on said topic. It's part of their Go Nation Movement, errr....contest. (sorry, I couldn't help myself. Actually, it was one of the phrases on the Charmin site itself.)

Honestly, there are so many things about this entire enterprise that make me laugh...and I can only imagine some of the videos they are receiving. I'd bet that many of them are way too scatological for general audiences, and others just downright gross. I wonder how they choose the winner?

Charmin says the whole shebang is just about making your "bathroom experience optimal" as well as celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Charmin Restrooms at Times Square. But really, besides a clean, well-stocked bathroom, what else can one ask for? For my part, I require no special paper, no warmed seat, no fancy lighting—no bells and whistles, as it were.

Guess I won't be entering the contest then. Instead, I'll be anxiously awaiting the results of just who it is in America who enjoys their "go" the most and gets crowned the "King or Queen of the Charmin Go Nation." (Does that come with a crown to wear on the throne?) You have until 5 pm on Nov 7th to submit your video. For more info, go here.

In other news from the privy, a report this week revealed that Kimberly-Clark (the maker of many household products, including Scott bathroom tissue) have invented a cardboard tube-FREE roll of toilet paper. The exact 'technology' they're using to toss the tube is a secret for now, but I fear that kiddie art projects across the nation will suffer from a dearth of critical materials. Yes, it's one step ahead for the health of our environment, but one step back for homemade unicorns. Guess paper towels will have to start to shoulder the entire load.

Day 20: Cajun Chicken With Collard Greens

To finish off our daily dinner blog, we have Kathleen Harris, managing editor of RealSimple.com. Kathleen directs all aspects of the website, including Simply Stated.

 

It's the final day of our month of dinners, and I think we ended with a bang. When it came time for the staff to choose which recipe he or she wanted to make, I agreed to try whichever one was left. To my surprise, the Cajun Chicken With Collard Greens recipe was still on the list. I think collard greens might scare off some people, but just think of them as delicious warm, leafy, good-for-you greens. In this recipe, they weren't overly bitter and instead provided a really nice complement to the chicken dish. Alas, I'm getting ahead of myself.

 

The prep work for this dish was very easy. First, the chicken needed to be seasoned: I didn't perfectly measure out the blackening seasoning. Instead, I shook my spice jar all over the chicken until I felt like they were adequately coated, which definitely amounted to much more than the 2 teaspoons called for in the recipe. But I am not one to shy away from spices.

 
While the chicken cooked, I prepped my vegetables. Sliced garlic and red pepper were mixed with roughly chopped collards—you really don't have to be too precise here since they cook down fast. The last step is adding the black-eyed peas (a personal fave).

And here's the final dish:

It really came out amazing.  I'm not a huge fan of chicken, because it can often be tough and dry, but this chicken was moist and flavorful—hugely in part to the blackening seasoning—and cooked perfectly, even on my electric stove (the downside of living in a prewar apartment building). I'd say that this 30-minute, healthy meal is a keeper. To quote my husband: "It was awesome; I felt like I was eating dinner in New Orleans."

We hope you enjoyed following our day-by-day look at Real Simple's month of dinners. I know I loved reading about everyone's dinner adventures. Please let us know in the comments if this is something you want us to continue to do. And if you're looking for more daily recipe ideas, sign up for our Recipe of the Day Newsletter. Thanks!

 

The Curious Sofa

Have you heard of online shop, The Curious Sofa? It's lovely! It's a feminine playground of soft, luxurious fabrics, plump furnishings to sink into with your favorite stack of magazines, and lovely textures and patterns that welcome and calm the soul. There is also a retail storefront in Kansas.

Owner Debbie Dusenberry is such a creative lady, I didn't know that much about her until recently when I read all about The Curious Sofa and Debbie in a recent issue of Where Women Create as I flew home from Morocco on Saturday. Jo Packham, the enthusiastic and supportive founder and creative talent behind Where Women Create, was at a retreat (what an honor for me!) where I taught and she brought the magazine with her and gave me a copy which I heartily dug into on the flight home.

Reading about Debbie and her shop was inspiring -- I love seeing women who are living their passions, supporting both their local and global online community, and who are simply talented and have the courage to share their pursuits with others.

If you'd like to browse The Curious Sofa online, please do. Debbie ships all over the U.S. so fill your basket and enjoy her lovely curated treasures that are so divine!

(images: the curious sofa)

Crazy, Creative, Fun Candy Crafts for Halloween (and All Year Long)

In honor of Halloween, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek of a new book that celebrates candy in its many forms—specifically, crafted into pirates, castles, cars, critters, and so much more. Candy Construction is Sharon Bowers' new follow-up to her equally whimsical Ghoulish Goodies, which offered Halloween recipes and instructions for creepy eyeballs, cocoa bats, and monster cupcakes. While Candy Construction isn't Halloween-themed, it still has plenty of fabulous ideas using all kinds of colorful sweet treats.

 

 
Here's the Formula One race car, made out of Oreos, Hershey's bars, sour candy strips, candy berries, Snickers, and more. Cute!

 

 
Check out this elaborate pirate ship. You'll form the ship itself out of Rice Krispies Treats, pretzel rods, licorice, and fruit leather. An Oreo becomes the steering wheel, and there's even a treasure chest made out of chocolate squares. The pirates are made from licorice, jelly beans, candy raspberries, and fruit leather.

 

 
This gorgeous fairy-tale castle is made out of pound cake, wafer cookies, jelly beans, chocolate, and lots of other candies. The gumdrop-and-fruit-leather princess is a nice touch.

 

Want to make your own candy creations but don't feel up to tackling the pirate ship or castle? Here's a Halloween-appropriate creepy critter that's simple to make.

 
Centipedes and Millipedes

 

What You'll Need
Caramel string or licorice string (such as Twizzler's Pull-n-Peel)
Life Savers or other round candy with a hole
Royal Icing Glue*
Mini Dots or other small round candy

 

What to Do
1. Cut a length of caramel or licorice string and tie a knot gently in one end of the string, just big enough to keep the candy from falling off. Use another string (of a different color, if desired) to cut several strands about 3 inches long to serve as legs.
2. Start sliding Life Savers loosely onto the main string, varying the colors to make a pattern, or stringing them on in a motley array. After every three Life Savers, tie one of the leg strings around the central string, leaving the ends hanging downward. Then push the Life Savers up against it and continue until your critter is as long as you like.
3. When you reach the end, knot the string gently again, being careful not to pull so hard that you break it.
4. Select one end for the front, and use a dab of royal icing glue on two Mini Dot eyes. Use a toothpick to dab royal icing pupils on the eyes. Tie additional string just behind the head to serve as antennae, but turn this knot so that the strands point upward.
5. Trim the legs so that they're even, to give a better impression of waving centipede legs.

*Royal Icing Glue
Makes about 1 cup

 

What You'll Need
1 egg white (Note: There is a slight risk of Salmonella or other foodborne illness when using raw eggs. If you are concerned, you can use pasteurized egg white or 2 teaspoons of powdered egg white mixed with 2 tablespoons water in place of the raw egg white)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar

 

What to Do
1. With a hand mixer, beat the egg white and lemon juice until frothy. With the mixer at medium speed, gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until the mixture is thick.
2. Turn the mixer to high and beat icing until the mixture is thick and glossy, about 3 minutes. Cover the surface with plastic wrap while waiting to use it.

 

Note: Royal icing will set to a firm, glossy finish when dry. Extra icing can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

 

(images: Kevin Kennefick, from Candy Construction by Sharon Bowers, used with permission from Storey Publishing)

And the November Book Is...

 

Hi, bookies,

 

Thanks for having me back for a second round of the No-Obligation Book Club. I'm excited to return, and to read Sarah Blake's book. Since I last participated in the book club, I have joined the team for RealSimple.com. So, I'm the one behind the posts you see from Real Simple on Facebook and Twitter (both @Real_Simple and @RealSimpleFood). I'd love for you to come say hi, and tell me what you'd like to see from us on those channels.

 

Now on to The Postmistress. In addition to chapters, the book is divided by the seasons. So let's break the story into three sections. Here's the schedule:

 

For Thursday, November 4th: Introduction to Winter 1941

For Thursday, November 11th: Winter 1941 to Summer 1941

For Thursday, November 18th: Summer 1941 to the end

 

For those of you who were interested in reading Teddy Wayne's book, Kapitol (the other title in our last-minute runoff), do go pick it up today. It's a hilarious read. Teddy has been a writer for us for a while. His specialty was the Reality Check page which was the final page of the magazine for about a year and a half. (Two of my favorites: Tech Support for Life and If My 13-Year-Old Filed Taxes.)

 

I will see you back here next week to start the book, but, in the meantime, I want to know what book you've been reading recently? Tell me in the comments below.

 

Are you reading this via an e-mail or RSS feed? If you wish to comment, please click here.

 

How and Why To Clean Your Makeup Brushes

I have extremely sensitive skin, and am prone to break outs. One of the things I've found to help keep my skin under control -- in addition to using makeup and facial cleaning products with ingredients that don't agitate my skin -- is to regularly clean my makeup brushes.

You may not realize it, but makeup brushes can be breeding grounds for bacteria. Additionally, old makeup can get caught in the brush, changing the colors you're intending to apply to your face, and the brushes can harbor dead skin cells.

I don't wear makeup every day, so I only clean my brushes every other week. If you wear makeup daily, your skin can benefit from washing your makeup brushes at least once a week.

If you're not a regular makeup brush cleaner, follow these tips to get you through the washing process:

Gather up all of your makeup brushes and set them handle-side down in a plastic cup or vase.
Wash your hands.
Fill a clean sink with very warm water and a dime-size amount of your favorite sudsing facial cleanser. Some people use shampoo to wash their brushes or a specialized makeup brush cleanser, which are fine if your skin won't have issues with the fragrances and chemicals in these cleaners. Since my skin is so sensitive, I use the cleaner I know won't cause me to break out.
Dump your brushes into the sudsy water and swish them around so all bristles are wet.
One-by-one, take a brush and apply a small dollop of cleaner directly to the bristles. GENTLY work the cleaner through the bristles. Rinse the makeup brush in warm water until the water runs clear through the bristles. You may have to repeat the gentle cleaning process a couple times to work all makeup out of the bristles.
Lightly tap the makeup brush on the side of the sink to tap out excess water.
Return the brush to the plastic cup or vase, handle-side down, to dry.
After all brushes are clean, drain the water from the sink, rinse out the sink, and wash your hands.
After the brushes are dry, again with clean hands, you may want to lightly fluff the bristles by rubbing the brush against the back of your hand or gently between your fingers.

Your makeup brushes are now ready to use the next time you choose to put on makeup.

 

You Asked: Friends are divorcing, and the wife wants to stay with us because the husband kicked her out. What should we do?

You are probably too young to remember the seminal TV show of my childhood, "Lost in Space," in which the robot was constantly shrieking, "Danger, Will Robinson!" to warn his human companion of looming threats. This is too bad. We all need a tinny warning voice in our heads at times like ...now.  

You are on the verge of being dragged into the middle of someone else's acrimonious battle. Before you respond to the wife's request, take a moment to decide if that's a good idea.

Think of your possible responses in terms of a flow chart: IF you like the wife, BUT not the husband, THEN you may want to offer her your spare bedroom.

But do so knowing your action will be interpreted as "taking sides." Prepare for the possibility of an estranged spouse standing at the foot of your driveway at 2 a.m., yelling up at darkened bedroom windows. Can you handle this?

IF NOT (maybe you like both spouses, or perhaps you socialize with them mainly because your children are the same ages?), THEN tell the wife and husband you are uncomfortable choosing sides and suggest the wife find somewhere else to sleep. Offer to help in neutral ways that will support both of them during a tense time; invite their children over for dinner and a sleepover, for instance.

In any case, when friends split up, the nature of your relationship with both will change permanently. This is inevitable. They will re-invent themselves—moving to a new house or apartment, dating new people, perhaps remarrying—while you stay the same. Somewhere along the way, they will look at you and see the past they left behind.

If you want to stay friends, it will have to be a pleasant reminder.

(image courtesy of Real Simple)