Do you know Kiehl’s? Do you use their products? I guess you do!
Did you know that Kiehl’s started as a single pharmacy in Manhattan at Third Avenue and East 13th Street in 1851? And these days, they are EVERYWHERE and offering pretty much everything (even including dog care products!!).
I am a super lucky person, as I have a special friend. Susan is not only a wonderful neighbor, friend, confidante; caring, warm-hearted and generous… she is also the Kiehl’s Sales and Training Manager for the Bay Area and Northern California (that’s HUGE, actually). AND she is offering free Kiehl’s samples to our local wedding vendor community!!
Susan has samples of the following:
Cannabis cleanser, Ultra Facial Cream, Midnight Recovery, Powerful Strength line reducing serum for the face, Rare Earth Mask (shown in action on Susan, below), Pure Vitality cream.
All you have to do is to email her at [email protected], and she’ll ship the samples of your choice to you. Isn’t that fantastic?! All she is asking in return is your permission to pass your email on to Kiehl’s for future promotions.
UPDATE on 4/21/20: due to overwhelming response, Susan is currently unable to fulfill further requests – BUT she’ll be back with more samples in a couple of weeks, and she’ll have Mother’s Day specials for you, too! STAY TUNED!!
Now that I suddenly have more time on my hands than ever before (and more time than I like…) I was looking for something constructive to do – beyond my COVID-19 support & encouragement series here, that is! I wanted to widen my horizon, learn something new, and not necessarily something related to my business.
I have to give my husband credit for finding something for me, something that I didn’t even know existed: “MasterClass!” It’s a platform of online courses taught by accomplished professionals in their respective fields – chefs and pastry chefs, to start with; there is Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue; interior designer Kelly Wearstler, fashion designers (Diane von Fuerstenberg, Marc Jacobs), dancers, magicians, star architects (Frank Gehry), photography (Annie Leibovitz), acting and game theory. And many more whom I haven’t even explored yet! Each master class consists of 12-20 lessons of approx. 20 minutes – short enough to fit into my day and sometimes to even watch several in a row. This is something I am now really looking forward to every day! I already found an intuitive approach to gardening through watching “Gangster Gardener” Ron Finley (and maybe I’ll eventually develop a “green thumb” after all!) and I learned from pastry chef Dominique Ansel to make heavenly Madeleines. (BTW, all the links above lead to free sample lessons – enjoy!!)
Have a look at the course selection. The cost? You sign up for a year, and for access to all courses on the platform you pay 50 cents a day. It’s so totally worth it… and NO, I don’t get a kickback for recommending the platform. I’m simply enthusiastic!
The world around us has taken a long pause due to the Covid-19 virus pandemic, forcing most of us to shelter in place and practice social distancing. While the essential businesses are still operating, the wedding industry has literally stopped in its tracks. All events have been cancelled or postponed to the near… or the far future…? The couples who spent months navigating the wedding planning process are now facing a new set of challenges. All small business owners who cater to the wedding industry like photographers, florists, caterers, hair and make-up artists are without work for possibly months.
When the shelter-in-place order gets lifted, the return to normal life will likely be a multi-stage process, and eventually some gatherings will be allowed.
Below are a few ways how to make your wedding safer for you and your guests.
Keep it small.
Looking back at the last couple of months, events with over 50 attendees were the first to be cancelled, so it is likely that the return to normal will follow a similar path. Keeping your guest list small will likely help to “make it happen” as it will be safer for everyone – and as a side benefit in these uncertain times, it will be cheaper, too. I know, you tried to keep that guest list small from the beginning, but in the current situation I think everyone will be much more understanding.
Even without a pandemic, planning a destination wedding presents its own set of challenges – but risking to contract the virus on a plane or getting stuck somewhere en route is not fun at all.
Keep it outdoors.
The chance of catching a virus in an open space is much smaller than in an indoor space, so take advantage of the beauty of our nature and get married outside! Vineyards, parks, backyards, and beaches are all great options.
Streaming your event.
One of the ways to keep your most vulnerable guests safe is to live-stream your wedding.
It could be just the ceremony, or it could include more key events like your First Dance, Cake Cutting or speeches.
Hiring videographer to document your celebration is a great idea as well.
Avoid buffet or family-style served meals.
Having all guests use the same serving spoon is probably not the best idea in these times, so if you decide to have a buffet make sure that all food is served by catering staff.
Offer hand sanitizer and reusable face masks with fun designs to your guests.
I know that hand sanitizer is “worth its weight in gold” right now! Still, try to find it for your celebration. There are also a lot of cute face masks available these days; the skilled craftspeople making them would certainly be happy to help you.
We are sheltering in place to “flatten the curve” – but after a few months of confinement at home we will all go back to our “normal life,” whatever that means. It will certainly take time to recover and life might be different than before, but the world will start spinning again and people will start getting together again and celebrating. No matter how scary things are right now – the most important things are that we have our health and that the people we love are close. If this continues, then we are winning.
Today I want to share with you an extraordinary undertaking that I just came across. It’s called the Hundred Hearts Project – and it was started by one single person, a woman trying to fight her own depression and anxiety by reaching out to others and expressing her gratitude to them by painting one heart for each person she wanted to thank. And through giving to others, she herself began to heal. I find this story incredibly moving and impressive.
I will definitely do my own “Hundred Hearts” project. Maybe not through painting, but through writing letters, through giving my time, my thoughts and my affection to those who deserve my gratitude.
I would encourage you all to do the same!
Let me kick the campaign off with my own first “letter of gratitude.” It goes to my longtime friend Robbie Schlosser of Magnolia Jazz. The year was 2012. I had just opened my wedding planning company, starting from scratch, a total newcomer to the Bay Area wedding scene. I was lucky to secure an invitation to an industry event – but, of course, I knew no one. I tried desperately to introduce myself to the little groups of people who were in lively conversation, obviously all longtime acquaintances. Nobody was interested in me. I felt totally miserable. Suddenly a middle-aged gentleman approached me. “I believe we have not met yet… are you a new addition to our community? I am Robbie. Let me introduce you to a few people.” I could not believe it. He had not only noticed my predicament – he had stepped in to help. He literally took my arm and “worked the room” with me. Needless to say, I have never felt so relieved in my life, and I am eternally grateful for Robbie’s selflessness and generosity.
Well knowing that there is no way for me to “repay it” to Robbie, I have been “paying it forward” to all newcomers to our group in the same way ever since, and I will continue doing so. But I always wanted to say that big “Thank You.” Finally, here it is.
You all know my friend Robbie Schlosser and Magnolia Jazz! Robbie is one of the most helpful and warm-hearted people around – you all know that! – and so he immediately offered to contribute to our little series of “COVID-19 support and encouragement.” He is playing “I’m Old-Fashioned,” and you will love it so much that you, too, will declare: “I’m Old-Fashioned!”
I am probably speaking for all of us – sheltering at home doesn’t do much good for our fitness, nor for our slender figure! Desperate fitness attempts have shown up on social media (think “Kitchen Climbing!!”) – so I turned to my longtime friend and generous supporter from my days as WIPA Events Director, Beachbody fitness coach Nikki Boyle.
Needless to say – she knows a thing or two about fitness – and as some of you may remember, she is her own best poster child!
Here is what she shared with me.
Want to lose weight? Learn healthy habits? Burn serious calories? Target any goal and see how Beachbody On Demand can help transform you from the comfort of your own home! Beachbody on Demand makes fitness simple, accessible, and doable, no matter how busy life gets.
You’ll get online access to complete fitness programs for any body type and any fitness level.
• You can stream over 800+ workouts & you get to choose from World-class Beachbody programs! • Yoga, cardio, dance, strength & more • Download workouts for offline use • Workout calendars & progress trackers, Fitness PLUS Nutrition
I am a true Beachbody success story! After the birth of my second child, I wanted desperately to get back into shape and feel good in my own skin again. With the support of Beachbody’s health and fitness programs I was able to lose over 20 pounds and 17 inches. Today I am happy, health and fit! I know Beachbody can work for you too!
I didn’t know either – believe me! That is until my colleague Janay McCullough of Avocado Catering explained it to me.
With the announcement of the “shelter-in-place” mandate, all catering businesses were suddenly facing an unprecedented situation. They all began offering meal delivery as a way to salvage what business they could, and Janay was no exception.
She knew she had to set herself apart to survive. When Butter& bakery posted a photo on Instagram of their PSA cakes, Janay knew what to do. As a pastry chef by training, she is always ready to solve the world’s problems with dessert! She got the blessing from Butter& and set to work.
A laser engraver made the stencils for the cakes – “don’t touch your face” and “wash your hands” and Janay’s own sayings such as “channel your inner introvert” and “you can’t spell quarantine with U-R-A-Q-T” (the latter being particularly popular with couples who are unable to see each other at the moment).
Even in these trying times, people are craving connection and closeness, and that is more important now than ever before. The majority of people are not purchasing Janay’s cakes for themselves, they’re sending them to friends and loved ones that they cannot physically be present with. Through Quarantine Cakes, Janay’s Avocado Company is able to fulfill a need that reaches so much further than a text or Facebook post.
“Eric Symons Presents” is a household name in the SF Bay Area events scene – need a band? Contact Eric Symons! But what probably most of you do NOT know is that Eric is a distinguished musician himself; a classically trained guitarist and composer who has performed and recorded with the Romero family – true “classical guitar royalty!”
As a special treat to our local wedding vendor community, he is sharing with us a recent performance of his beautifully soothing and comforting “Ballata.” Be consoled and inspired as Eric is playing for us!
Many of you will know the Mersonacta Quartet from their performances at Bay Area weddings. Today you can enjoy your very private performance: Laura Rubinstein-Salzedo plays Telemann for you!
For those of you who are not so familiar with the composer… here is a little information (courtesy of wikipedia):
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 – 1767) was a German Baroquecomposer and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family’s wishes and worked in Hamburg, Germany, as a musical director of that city’s five main churches.
Telemann is one of the most prolific composers in history and was considered by his contemporaries to be one of the leading German composers of the time, compared favorably both to his friend Johann Sebastian Bach, and to George Frideric Handel, whom Telemann also knew personally. Telemann’s music stands as an important link between the late Baroque and early Classical styles.
I am sure that will lift your spirits. Enjoy – and let Laura know how you liked it!
Like most of us, you’ve probably always thought that bread needs some type of yeast. If you are an advanced baker, you were maybe even thinking of sourdough starters. Bread without yeast? Not really… But currently yeast is impossible to come by! During the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of commodities have simply disappeared from the market. Disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer, to start with; followed by toilet paper, kitchen paper towels – and yeast. So what to do?
I’ll tell you. Replace yeast as a leavening agent with a combination of bicarbonate of soda and acid. In plain English: baking soda and the leftover liquid from our yoghurt project! (As you can see, nothing goes to waste in my kitchen…)
Here is what you need to make one bread – 45 min from start to finish!!
Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix 500 g flour (50/50 all-purpose and whole wheat), 1 tsp of baking soda and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt with scant 2 cups of the whey from yoghurt-making (alternatively the same amount of buttermilk OR regular milk mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white wine vinegar). Stir just to bring the dough together.
It will look shaggy and be a little sticky. Turn out on a slightly floured work surface. Knead just enough to achieve a smooth consistency. Shape into a ball.
Transfer the dough ball to a nonstick cookie sheet. Cut crosswise nearly all the way through.
Bake for roughly 30 min until a golden crust has formed and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
And here is your delicious bread – ready to eat! Should you (miraculously) have any leftovers, just rewarm in a 350 degree oven for ten minutes; tastes like fresh-baked. Enjoy!
