Last week I was treated to an amazing facial and massage at the Murad Inclusive Health Spa down in El Segundo, and I walked out relaxed and glowing. Seriously, my skin was luminous which always reminds me that I NEED to have facials more often. I’ve always been really impressed with Dr. Murad’s product line and my latest obsession, to no surprise, is the Murad Soothing Gel Cleanser. I love me some gel cleanser because, as someone with dry, sensitive skin, it’s really the ONLY way to wash your face. The Murad version comforts and cools reactive, irritated, or red skin with a patented gel formula that helps relieve tightness and discomfort. Goji berry, peppermint leaf, and licorice root extracts help calm the signs of inflammation. Moisture enriched beads soften rough, dry skin to restore smoothness and suppleness to skin, while pomegranate extract promotes strong and healthy skin. It’s really just FUN to wash my face with this stuff, which is always a win in my book.
I want to start by saying that this is the first time, in 12 years, that I’ve been able to tell this story publicly with out completely losing my shit. Sure, there was spring break 2002 when I verbally abused a bunch of rednecks from Michigan about 9/11 because they were making racist comments and clearly had no idea what they were talking about…but I don’t know if you’d necessarily call my patriotic. I mean, while in Europe, when asked “Are you American?” I responded with “I’m from New York.” But after September 11, 2001 every New Yorker who suffered through September 11th has a special place in their heart for everything that IS the United States of America. I’ll never forget that day. Ever. It was a Tuesday, which meant that I didn’t have class until 11:15am. My best friend from high school, Dawn, called my freshman dorm room phone around 9am. I answered, pissed off for her waking me up, and she said “yo, we got bombed.” I repled with “seriously dude, you know I’m not a morning person…what the fuck?” After a little back and forth, she convinced me that, yes, in fact this was REAL. I immediately hung up with her, right before my roommate came back, after her 9am class was canceled due to the attack and safety was an issue for us. I called my other high school best friend, Jane, who went to NYU and lived downtown. I got through with her, which was miraculous, and she told me that she was OK…as sirens blared in the background and she just kept repeating “this is crazy…this is seriously CRAZY. I don’t know what to do.”
It was only then that it occurred to me that my father, who I was in a stupid argument with, worked in Grand Central Station. I then called his office, but the lines were consistently busy. My roommate had a phone card that she offered up to me, in hopes that it would work since it wasn’t a local area code. ALL of the phones were down, including my cell phone, because so many calls were coming into our area. I then called his girlfriend at the time, who told me they evacuated Grand Central after the first Tower was hit and he was in White Plains, safe and sound….at least for the time being. I burst into tears. My “fight” with my dad was over something SO stupid that I honestly don’t even remember what it was about. We hadn’t spoken in a week and I couldn’t help but think about the “what if’s”…it was cold in my brain.
My R.A. stopped by to check in (there were dozens of alumni that perished in the tragedy) and it was then that I decided to go up to the 14th floor of our building and look at the Towers. Long Island is super flat and the 14th floor always provided a gorgeous view of the New York City skyline. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get that image out of my head…two gigantic New York City monuments…smoking…on fire…falling apart.
I think I was naive to think it was an accident. That was 18-year-old Jamie. Innocent. For the first time in my 18 years, I was scared for my safety…something that girls in other countries feel when they’re only children. My safety was in jeopardy. My country was under attack. It was at this point, 18 years later, that I finally understood what it MEANS to be an American.
Being from New York, most of us are only first or second generation. And having such a strong Jewish and Italian/Irish background, I’ve always felt a bigger connection to that than anything else…but it was on September 11, 2001 that I was officially an American citizen. It was from that point on that I began to understand what it meant to be “the land of the free and home of the brave” because, as a history buff, I already knew the facts. The Revolutionary War soldiers that gave their lives for us to simply BE “The United States of America” need to be recognized, and honored. September 11th isn’t just about the terrorists who attacked New York…it’s about the FDNY and NYPD officers who died that day. It’s about the minute men who went door-to-door to let soliders know that the British were coming. It’s about anyone who lost a loved one on September 11th. It’s about my friend Kerri’s father, who worked in one of the Towers, but just didn’t feel like going to work that day and called in sick.
Today is a day to remember everyone who gave their life for OUR FREEDOM. Never forget that.
Tampons and hair elastics: two things that you will ALWAYS find in my purse, no matter what. And, naturally, I like to add a little color to whatever I’m doing, which is why I’m a big fan of U by Kotex when it comes to picking a brand to use. Sure, tampons aren’t exactly a sexy topic but it’s something that, as women, we can’t avoid and I have to tell you…I get a little happy when I see the bright U by Kotex colors.
Make sure to watch my video above to check out my go-to ponytail, which is especially awesome for girls who have fine hair.
AND, I have a present for you:
Get FREE Goody hair elastics when you buy U by Kotex at Target! All you have to do is text “KOTEX” to TARGET (827438) on your phone and you’ll get your coupon! Don’t forget, this is good at Target only.
This post is sponsored by U by Kotex and Style Coalition
My love for all things wine is never-ending, which is why I was stoked when 7 Daughters Wine approached me to be one of their Savvy Seven Bloggers and, more specifically, their Balanced Life Blogger. 7 Daughters wants to help their customers add a splash of color to their lives with some great fashion, beauty, decor, cooking tips, etc. and I’m so excited to be a part of it! Make sure you stay tuned over the next few months, as I’ll be posting content to their Facebook and Pinterest page.
Lately I haven’t been feeling very social, which sometimes DOES happen to me. Don’t get me wrong, I probably still go out more than your average 30-year-old woman but I’ve noticed that there are definitely some nights (even weekends) when I’m just like “eh…I think I’ll stay in with a bottle of wine.” And yes, I did say BOTTLE, instead of glass; this sometimes gets me into trouble. And yeah, my friends make fun of me when I complain about a slight hangover and they ask “what did you do last night?” to which I reply, “nothing..I stayed in and drank by myself.” WHATEVER, I say to their side eyed-glances. I think that if, at 30, you can’t sit alone in your apartment and drink some wine, then you really have some issues. It’s OK to be alone. In fact, you should ENJOY it. The old saying goes that you can’t expect anyone else to love you, if you can’t love yourself, right? Well the best way to get to know “thyself” is to spend that quality time with…THYSELF. Regardless, I recently came across this Refinery29 article about exactly what I’m talking about: what to do when you stay in, and it got me thinking…do I have regular habits when I stay home (aside from the wine, of course)? Well here are my expert recommendations of what I think everyone should try. What do you guys do when you stay in?
