Band Aid Friction Stick

This is the ultimate savior for women who like some killer sandals or heels but are scared to wear them because they'll hurt your feet, the strap will rub wrong, or you'll get a blister. I made Mr. Allan truck it to Walmart on the eve of our Mexico trip...when we found out they were sold out, we went to CVS...when they didn't have it, it was on to Rite Aid. I have a love affair with this stupid thing once spring hits and my stupid mom Dansko clogs get shoved in the closet and I can whip out the flip flops and sandals.

Of course...it was in my ziploc bag full of my 3oz toiletries for the plane ride...just in case I needed a quick swipe...

I call it my blister block...if you put on a pair of sandals and can totally tell where a strap might rub you wrong...you simply take this bad boy and rub it right on the area. It's similar to a flat tube of chapstick or a mini tube of deodorant, the wheel at the bottom rolls the stick up and you can rub it right on the area. The key is...you need to rub it on right when you feel a strap, the back of a shoe, the thong part of a flip flop rubbing. If you wait until you have an actual blister..it doesn't have the same effect. During spring and early summer when my feet are just getting used to the feel of flip flops, this is always in my purse. A small warning...if it's beastly warm out..it will melt! I also had this in the limo when we got married as Mr. Allan and I were trucking it around downtown Providence and I was in some good sized heels and I think a bridesmaid here and there rubbed a little on as well! It's been a life saver so many times...when we're out at night in the summer..you never want to be that chick who's walking barefoot on the street when the bars let out...or anywhere!

I usually find the Friction Block by Band Aid at Target and Walmart for around $7.

Some finds at Ann Taylor loft....

I haven't been feeling the Loft lately. It used to be my go to store to buy something that was somewhat classic with a little bit of a trendy flare to it. But, there's just been a bunch of really bad dresses with full skirts that don't do me any justice. I like a couple drapey cardigans but I feel like that's all they had all winter. Everything kind of looked the same. I had many gift cards burning a big hole in my pocket..and every time I went in, I just couldn't find anything that I thought I'd wear more than once or twice.

Before our Mexican vacation...I decided to pop in real quick since my summer wardrobe consisted of shorts and Old Navy tank tops and not much in between. On a whim, I grabbed two shirts and they became my favorite items I packed while we were away. I'm a bigger chested gal...so flowy or draped shirts or anything remotely peasant-looking usually makes me look like I'm wearing maternity clothes....but this shirt I fell in LOVE with. I paired with with some white linen capris from Banana Republic, I paired it with khakis on the plane ride home, then our first day back, we did some laundry and I wore it with jeans and boots out to dinner with friends. So, in a nutshell..I totally got my $29.50 out of this bad boy already.

Why I loved it so much....after a day of drinking probably one too many mojitos at the pool and maybe catching a little too much sun on my stomach...stupid different bikini tops left me with some major burnage under the boobs....it was light, airy, but at the same time the top around the chest draped nicely to show off the assets...the waist also has a line band of elastic on it, so it hung and draped just like it does on the model. I bought a purple-ish color and I'm thinking i might need another...I originally tried on the white...but it was a little too see through for the type of bras I wear...

This was the runner up...I liked the fit of the first better...but this was the ultimate shirt to travel in. I threw on a white tank under it and a pair of loose fitting khakis and the shoes that won my buy me for Mexico contest...a pair of Jack Roger sandals. It was so comfortable. It did give me a little too much room in the stomach/waist area...so hopefully the people in the boarding line with us weren't trying to guess if I was with child...

So, Ann Taylor Loft restored a little bit of faith in me...for a while, I just couldn't find squat in that store. Plus...the $25 off a $50 purchase coupons I earned after buying these two bad boys didn't hurt either!

Old Navy PSA

it's the new year, gyms are packed to the gills, and who doesn't want to look half way decent when they work out at a good price?

While they're not my absolute favorite pant..who cares for $12

This week at Old Navy all yoga pants are $12 on sale from their normal $19.50 price tag.

I like Old Navy's yoga pants because they're dirt cheap, have a wide waistband that produces minimal muffin top effect, and are a good length with a little bit of style with the flare leg. They do kind of fade after a couple months and I think they stretch out a bit...but for this price, I'll grab a few pairs to throw in the gym clothes rotation!

Old Navy vs. Athleta

So, I'm proud of Old Navy. I think of them as the cheap Gap and wannabe Banana Republic. I'm happy to see that they keep expanding their Yoga line and Activewear in general. I'm a big fan of their Yoga Pants. they're just under 20 bucks and I like the way they fit. These puppies even go on sale every once in a while for $15. I used to earn my nifty $10 rewards, but Mr. Allan took away the Old Navy charge, so I see those no more.

When I hit the big 3-2 this summer, I decided I was too good for my Old Navy Yoga pants and wanted to treat myself to something special. I get Athleta catalogs all the time and while I love the styles of exercise clothes and workout garb, my jaw typically drops at the price tag. BUT, I got my hands on a 30% off coupon a mere day after my birthday, so I saw this as a sign that I was destined to wear $60 yoga pants to class.

So, here's my expert research results on yoga pants. My expertise is based on the knowledge I attained wearing both pairs of said pants to Power yoga, Vinyassa flow yoga, Turbokick class, Body Step class, and running my butt on the good ole tread mill.

In this corner, we have Old Navy Yoga Pants. These bad boys retail for $19.95 and you can buy them at any Old Navy store and http://www.oldnavy.com/. Although, size medium seems to go pretty quick in the stores.

Pros: 1) they're pretty reasonably prices 2) they're not way too long 3) they're sized pretty right on 4) they make me feel very svelte and tall

Cons: 1) they fade and make me feel like the poor girl with off black old yoga pants at the gym sometimes 2) they stretch out pretty easily. Sometimes I go in class feeling like a million bucks and walk out with saggy butt syndrome 3) This may sound weird, but the latest pair I bought from Old Navy have a new sewing pattern in the crotch that consists of a little crotch patch..I'm not sure how else to describe it. I know they probably put it in to help with some sweat issues, but I've noticed that once my pants get a month old, that little panel starts to sag. To my absolute HORROR, in yoga yesterday, I was in downward dog ,as I pushed my chest back towards my legs I glanced up and saw the wretched crotch panel sagging a bit. Quite unsightly...oh my yes! I'm not sure if sweaty dude behind me noticed, but i was horrified.

In the opposite corner, if you can contain reading after my odd crotch panel description, we have Athleta Salamba Pants

These Organic Cotton Salamba pants can only be purchases on http://www.athleta.com/, and brace yourself, they have a $69 price tag. In my defense, I had a 30 % off coupon.

Pros: 1) the picture is so pretty, how can you not want to work out in these pants! 2) they're made of organic cotton and the fabric really is to die for 3) they have this neat little Athleta logo design that is in the center of the back waistband on these pants. It's strategically located to make your behind look nice 4) they have a seam on either side of your butt that runs down the outer edge of your cheek. This is genius! The seam makes my butt look smalled and gives my rear view a more athletic appearance.

Cons: 1) A medium was too small and I had to go up to a large...so these run small 2) they have a skinnier elastic waistband. When I tried on the medium, this skinny waistband cut into my middle and gave me a small muffin top...something you do not want to see in kick ass workout pants is a muffin top. When I exchanged them for a large, the elastic waistband still cut a bit, so I am self conscious of muffin top syndrome. 3) they're pricey.

So, after much deliberation, Old Navy takes this one. I can't get over the waistband on my Athleta pants. They would be god-sent if they had a thicker waist. Don't the Athleta gods realize that thicker waist band = most coverage for the dreaded beer belly section. In Athleta's defense, they do have another pair of pants that appear to have a different waist called the Kick Booty pants. However, these Salamba pants were advertised as the Best Natural Choice Pant from Health magazine...so how could I not buy them??

What every woman needs...

I always thought I wore pretty fashionable things...including underwear. I always bought it at Victoria's Secret, Gap, etc. One day, Mr. Allan made a comment about a pair of underoos that really hit below the belt. As I was folding laundry and folding some boyshort striped deal from the Gap, he asked if I remembered the gum by the name of Fruit Stripes. I did, but had no idea what it had to do with the laundry I was folding. He then told me that my choice of underwear reminded him of the Fruit Striped Zebra in the commercials.

With my mouth to the floor, I tried to defend myself--it's not like I'm wearing Fruit of The Loom or Hanes Her Way Briefs for crying out loud. My underwear did not have as much material as a parachute and were far from anything that can be defined as granny panties. But, a change was needed because I was not going to have my undergarments associated with a chewing gum animal. That's when I found the best thing that's happened to my underwear drawer in a while...Hanky Pankys. I'm not sure where I read, heard, or found out about them, but once I bought a pair, there was no turning back.

So the question you're all asking is probably, what's the big to do about these. They're way more fashionable than anything you'll find at the Gap, they're insanely comfortable, and they make you feel skinny. That's right...s-k-i-n-n-y. No elastic bands digging into you and you'll never worry about the dreaded panty lines on the back of your pants (I'm not sure why people don't make a bigger effort to make sure they don't have them. As someone who wears a suit to work daily...I can attest to the many fashion faux pas panty lined ladies in the corporate world...that's almost as offensive as the ole bright white sneakers with a suit).

Some may gripe at the pricetag (typically around $15/pair) but it's money well spent, as they last forever. I've quickly come to realize that no modern woman should have a graphic picture or print on they're undergarments. So, do yourself and your significant other a favor and get yourself into a pair of Hanky Pankys.