Gourmet Goodies

Nothing brings holiday cheer like a get-together chock-full of gourmet goodies. And showing up to a year-end soiree with a drool-worthy gift for the host will make you the talk of the party — yeah, you’re cool like that. If you want to spoil your friends with “where did you get that?” hostess gifts this party season, I've got a shopping secret to share with you.
North Shore-based Foodstuffs Gourmet Foods & Catering has been dishing out gourmet foods, gifts, and catering services to Chicagoland for over 30 years. A recent trip had me swooning over gingerbread houses, holiday candy sticks, old-fashioned sweets, and oven-baked breads. From European-style gift baskets to regional gourmet treasures, finding a gift for the ultimate host is well…ultimate fun.
Planning a holiday party of your own? Be a guest at your own shindig by picking up ready-made appetizers, entrees, organic salads, fine patés, and cheeses. Or choose from their holiday menu, which offers yummy low-carb and low-fat options, leaving room for the important stuff (like that second glass of egg nog).
Foodstuffs Gourmet Foods & Catering
Four locations in Glenview, Glencoe, Lake Forest, and Evanston

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
xx Beautyqueen

Winter Vay-Ks

The hottest places this winter

No matter what part of this beautiful country you hail from, winter wedges its snowy little head into our lives and suddenly we’re craving a vay-k replete with hot cocoa and hot ski instructors — right?

Well, I picked three of the hottest (or should we say coldest?) getaways for the season that I think you’ll love. Choosing whether to head out west to Lake Tahoe, fly south to Taos, or meet halfway in Telluride is the hardest part of planning your powder party.

Telluride, CO

To avoid the celeb-infested cities of Aspen and Vail, opt for a winter getaway to the beautiful and quaint town of Telluride. It’s filled with historic buildings, five-star restaurants, and unique shopping, but perhaps the best thing about this city is no driving — gondolas are the main method of transportation! Awesome! Ski, eat, and relax like a queen if you opt to stay at one of these lodgings you will just drool over.

The New Sheridan Hotel

Located on the main street, this historic hotel has been a social hub for 117 years. We love its old-fashioned style and authenticity.

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Hotel Madeline

If you’re looking to do your trip to the nines, it is a wise decision to stay at this luxury mountain resort at the base of the ski areas. It offers ski in/ski out conveniences as well as a host of the city’s best restaurants and spas.

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Mountain Lodge

This hotel, nestled in the San Juan Mountains, offers breathtaking views as well as a stone fireplace in each room to keep you warm and set the mood for some après-ski snuggling.

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Lake Tahoe, CA

Lake Tahoe is one of the best places in California to experience that brisk mountain air. Enjoy what the west has to offer in the way of winter and head to North Lake Tahoe, aka “Old Tahoe,” and try some of the Olympic-caliber downhill skiing nearby — I dare you.

Shore House

This place is pretty amazeballs if I do say so myself. It offers rooftop hot tubs as well as fire pits located on the cobblestone streets below the units. Its proximity to over 270 skiing and snowboarding trails makes for a pretty cool time

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Rent a Cabin

An affordable and fun way to see the (frozen) lake is to rent a cabin with some friends! Choose your location depending on what you want to spend the most time doing, whether it’s skiing, shopping, or gambling, and if cooking isn’t your thing, dump the kitchen and head out to eat!

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Taos, NM

A little off the beaten path, Taos is the choice for adrenaline junkies looking to explore the Rio Grande and take advantage of all the outdoor adventure this breathtaking city has to offer. In the mountains, the weather is cold, but the city below has mild winter temperatures, prompting some vacationers to wear sandals vacationers in the dead of winter! So it’s both warm and cold, just like we want our men. OK, that makes no sense but it sounded like a joke.

San Geronimo Lodge

This enchanting inn was one of the first resort hotels in New Mexico and maintains the traditional adobe walls, high ceilings, and verandas. It’s tucked away in a quiet setting and prime location not too far from town, allowing for guests to choose to venture out or stay in and enjoy the rustic setting.

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Touchstone Inn Spa & Gallery

Stay here and you’ll see the most stunning view of Taos Mountain. Heck, even USA Today called it “the place to stay in Taos,” so I bet it’s as beautiful as it looks!

Screwing the Rules: Protect Your Pair

How to minimize your risks of getting breast cancer

Yes, they are sexualized; but the reason we have breasts is not to turn men on or to make babies, but to feed them (babies, not men).
At its most rudimentary level, the breast is a gland intended to make milk. Milk is made in the lobules in the breast, drained through the ducts, and expelled out the nipple. Breast cancer is formed when breast cells (which are controlled by the genes in the cell) deviate from their regular growth and rest cycle, creating an abnormality. While cancer is always caused by an abnormality in the genes, 90% of breast cancers are due to genetic irregularities instigated from aging (only 10% are thanks to your genetic lineage aka mom and dad).

The frightening fact is that breast cancer is a reality that most of us in our lifetime will be forced to face. A friend, relative, coworker, or even you will be diagnosed. The stats say that one in 13 average women will have the disease in their lifetime. The figure of one in seven that is more commonly thrown around includes those who are at high risk, that is, if your mother or sister have or have had breast cancer.
Ready for this? The two biggest risk factors are:
1: being a woman and
2: aging. Unfortunately, if you are a woman, you automatically fall into both.
You can’t change (nor would you want to) either of those causes; but, thankfully, there are things that you can do to lower other risk factors. As much as you might wish you could control every facet of your environment, you can’t really regulate your intrinsic internal environment (I will explain below). But when it comes to your external environments, you have the power to take the reins!
Knowledge is power. Arm yourself with information and lower your odds. But keep in mind that doing so does not assure zero risk. It is also important to remember that many women who have a particular risk factor for breast cancer may never develop it.
Internal Environment
Your internal environment includes your genes, hormones, emotions, and — once ingested — your external environment. Your genetic makeup has a direct and unchangeable effect on your chances of getting breast cancer.
External Environment
Your external environment refers to the air, water, food, people, sounds, stress, pollution, home you live in, lifestyle, and spaces in which you place yourself. Much of the food we eat and air we breathe are full of toxins, many of which have been proven carcinogens. When your external environment invades your internal environment (the air you breathe in; the smoke and pollution that seep into your skin; the food and drinks you consume; and the pills that you pop), you are taking in those toxins, too. Remember that your skin is like a sponge, absorbing the environment that surrounds it. Airborne chemicals, smog, and smoke are just as easily sucked up by your skin as they would be if you ingested them through your mouth. You can, in many ways, control your external environment and minimize your risks. Here are a few things you can do now:
Stop Stressing
Stress wreaks havoc on the body, creating an emotionally and therefore physically toxic environment. Harnessing and finding other outlets for stress will help keep you healthier and saner longer.
Lose Weight
If you are overweight, losing excess pounds may reduce your risk of breast cancer. Extra fat tissue produces an excess of estrogen, which can stimulate the growth of breast cells — both normal and abnormal.
Stop Smoking
Obviously, and for many reasons. But when speaking specifically about your breasts, studies have shown that women who regularly smoke have a 30% higher risk than non-smokers of getting breast cancer.
A Drink a Day
Your liver helps regulate the level of estrogen in your body. Limit your alcohol to one drink of alcohol per day in order to help your liver efficiently do its job. The more estrogen floating around in your body, the higher your risk of breast cancer.
Eat More Healthy Foods
Fish — particularly those high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, sardines, and herring — are said to have cancer-fighting properties.
Red Grapes — like the kind that are smashed and turned into red wine — contain powerful cancer-preventing antioxidants called bioflavonoids. They are also a rich source of resveratrol — proven to inhibit the enzymes that can stimulate cancer-cell growth — and ellagic acid, a compound that blocks the enzymes that promote the growth of cancer cells.
Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are filled with indole-3-carbinol, a chemical that combats breast cancer by altering cancer-promoting estrogen cells into healthy cells.
Grapefruit contains monoterpenes, which are believed to help wash carcinogens out of the body and inhibit the production of breast-cancer cells in vitro.
Seaweed and other sea vegetables are rich in the fatty acid chlorophylone, which has been linked to breast cancer prevention.
Eat Fewer Processed, Overcooked, and Fatty Foods
Saturated animal fat found in red meat and whole-fat dairy products like butter has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer in young women. This also includes burned food, like charred toast and marshmallows. That black char, scientists say, may up your odds of getting breast cancer. Besides, it doesn’t taste good, so why chance it?
Exercise
Recent studies link moderate physical exercise and improved immune function and circulation– both are essential when warding off the accumulation of breast cancer cells. Exercise has also proven to increase the quality of life for breast cancer survivors, increasing strength and energy levels, and improving psychological behavior and mood.
Early Detection
In addition to focusing on prevention, the American Cancer Society recommends breast self-exams be performed on a monthly basis beginning in a patient’s 20s. According to Dr. Kathy Schilling, who was part of the team that developed Breast MRI and works at the Center for Breast Care at Boca Raton Regional Hospital in South Florida, “Breast self-awareness is important in identifying changes and possible abnormalities. Abnormalities should be reported to a physician.” In addition to self-exams, clinical breast exams should be performed by a breast-health expert on a yearly basis, and it is recommended that annual mammograms be done beginning at age 40.
Mammography continues to be the best screening tool to detect breast cancer and has been shown to decrease mortality from breast cancer by more than 30% in routinely screened patients.
Dedicated Breast MRI, a new breast-imaging technique, has been shown to detect invasive breast cancer greater than 3mm in size with nearly 100% sensitivity without the use of radiation. Schilling notes that “Breast MRI is so successful as it relies on the identification of new vessels induced by the presence of breast cancers. Cancers rely on vessels to supply nutrients for tumor growth. These new vessels are abnormal and result in the abnormal accumulation of intravenous contrast in the patients breast.”
Bottom line: Protect your pair by minimizing your risk factors and monitoring your breasts through self self-exams and mammography.

Secrets to Long, Healthy Hair

Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
How Do I Get Your Hair?
Style secrets for long, healthy hair

You know the drill well: You have a big event (so what if by “big event” I mean bingo night at grandma’s retirement community? Have you seen Mr. Swoonworthy who runs it?!). So you spend hours and a bevy of hair products on your hair, trying to make it look like you’ve got perfect waves like Gisele combined with the length of Rapunzel.

“If only I had their hairstylist to tell me the secrets to their long locks,” you think to yourself as you slam down your flat iron in resignation. Well lucky for you, here are the secrets to long, fabulous hair!
Think about your hair like you would your body type. Just like we all don’t have Gisele’s legs, we don’t all have her hair (tear). It’s important to know if your hair is genetically capable of being long. Some girls have fine hair and when they try to grow it, it never really looks great, it just looks long.

Long hair works best on medium to thick hair. It’s the hair texture that makes long hair beautiful. It has shine, luster, and movement.
Maintain your mane. Keeping those ends conditioned is a must. My go-to: Full Repair Moroccan Oil light oil. add to the midstrands and ends, let it air dry, and presto change-o, healthy-looking hair!

Beware of too many layers! Rule of thumb: If you have long hair in the back, you should not have short hair by your jaw. Everything should be parallel. The absolute shortest piece should be starting at your collarbone. The long layers are more to break up the weight instead of the length.
Invest in a few key products. A good blow dryer, a round brush, and a hair mask are your new BFFs. My favorites: Sedu dryers, which are super powerful and cut drying time in half; NanoThermic Round brushes, which are ideal for their firm grip and ease; and Moroccan Oil Intense Moisture Masque.

Growing your hair out? 
Back away from the scissors! Twice a year is plenty. The key…is to basically have very little hair cutting as possible until it gets to a desired length. I don’t care how fried or dry your hair is, get it monster long before trying to get it healthy.
Stay within your (long-haired) world. If you have very straight hair, then find straight hairstyles that look like your hair. If you have thicker, wavier hair, learn how to work with your waves.
Pretty soon your hair will look so uh-mazing you’ll be blowing off Bingo night for some celebrity-studded event!

Your Beast Makeup Colors: Kerry Washington

Your Best Makeup Colors: Kerry Washington

Your Best Makeup Colors is a new series here on Fashion/Beauty/Health aimed to help at taking some of the guess work out of choosing makeup colors for your skin tone. I’ll use pictures of celebs to help illustrate the series so when a celeb most closely matches your skin tone you can grab some ideas.

Note: The makeup I mention are colors that will go great with a certain skin tone, but aren’t the only ones you should try. They’ll give you a good idea of what colors will look best on you. Also I’ll be mentioning a lot of brands that are “internet popular” meaning that you’ll be able to check Google Images for swatches easily. This way you can still have an idea of colors and still shop within your own fave brands (drugstore, indie, department store).

Cool!

Up next is Kerry Washington as requested by The Style and Beauty Doctor reader Mel.

I’d say Kerry’s skin tone can be described as dark tan with cool undertones or about a MAC NW 40. This means she looks best in silver and colors with cool or blue undertones. Skin like Kerry’s looks great in mid-tone brighter colors as well as colors close to her skin color (for neutral looks it’s great to have 3 eyeshadows: one close to the skin complexion, one 2-3 shades darker (contour), and one 2-3 shades lighter (highlight). When creating a beautiful makeup look, even if you love neutrals, add in at least one “bright” (usually blush) to really make your look pop.

Eyeshadows (MAC–if MAC isn’t your fave brand still use this as a guide to figure out which similar colors look best in other brands):

P.S. I tried to only picked colors from the permanent line so you don’t get stuck on a color only to realize it’s sold out.

Neutrals: Folie, Samoa Silk, Patina, Orb, Bamboo, Grain, Saddle, Charcoal Brown, Soft Brown, Kid, Era, Cork, Texture, Mulch, Swiss Chocolate, Handwritten, Espresso, Brown Down, Twinks,

For fun: Expensive Pink, Gleam, Knight Devine, Purple Haze, Star Violet, Humid, Nocturnelle, Contrast, Beauty Marked, Passionate, Chrome Yellow, Bitter, Lucky Green, Swimming, Freshwater, Electric Eel, Print, Carbon, Deep Truth, Contrast, Nehru, Plumage, Atlantic Blue, Vibrant Grape, Stars N’ Rockets, Hepcat, Creme de Violet, Knight Devine

Blush: mid-tone brighter colors look best. Don’t be scared of brighter blush colors, it looks gorgeous on Kerry Washington skin.

Illamasqua: Tweak (I mention this blush so often because it’s GORGEOUS), Beg, Excite, Panic, Sin, Thrust
NARS: Angelika, Amour, Desire, Dolce Vita, Exhibit A, Mata Hari, Taos, Torrid, Lovejoy, Sin
MAC: Frankly Scarlet, Breezy, Fever, Raizin, Loverush, Dollymix, Ambering Rose
MAC Pro: (go to maccosmetics.com for locations or call 1-800-866-6464. You don’t have to be a MAC Pro member to order) Flame Red, Azalea, Full Fuchsia, Rhubarb, Devil, Salsarose

Lips: mid-tone colors (not too light and not too bright) look best

Reds: MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick, Stila Long Wear Lip Color in Fiery, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté in #18, MAC Red Lipstick, MAC Dubonnet Lipstick, MAC Russian Red Lipstick

Berries: MAC Darkside Lipstick, MAC Film Noir Lipstick, MAC Desire Lipstick, MAC Rebel Lipstick, MAC Cyber Lipstick, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture in #8 Belle de Rose, MAC Desire Lipglass, MAC Pop Mode Lipglass, Yves Saint Laurent Golden Gloss in #9 Golden Plum

Nudes: MAC Spite Lipglass, MAC Half N’ Half Lipstick, MAC High Tea Lipstick, BECCA Glossy Lip Tint in Caipirinha, MAC Viva Glam V

Pinks: MAC Up the Amp Lipstick, MAC Pink Plaid Lipstick, MAC Please Me Lipstick, MAC Bombshell Lipstick, MAC Speak Louder Lipstick, MAC Show Orchid, MAC Chatterbox Lipstick

Your Best Makeup Colors: Dita Von Teese

Your Best Makeup Colors is a new series here on Fashion/Beauty/Health aimed to help at taking some of the guess work out of choosing makeup colors for your skin tone. I’ll use pictures of celebs to help illustrate the series so when a celeb most closely matches your skin tone you can grab some ideas.

Note: The makeup I mention are colors that will go great with a certain skin tone, but aren’t the only ones you should try. They’ll give you a good idea of what colors will look best on you. Also I’ll be mentioning a lot of brands that are “internet popular” meaning that you’ll be able to check Google Images for swatches easily. This way you can still have an idea of colors and still shop within your own fave brands (drugstore, indie, department store).

Cool!

 Dita Von Teese.

I’d say Dita’s skin tone can be described as fair with cool undertones. But we also need to add another dynamic besides skin tone and undertone—contrast. Contrast is the difference between hair and skin color. Since there’s a big difference between Dita’s hair and skin color—she has high contrast. When you put all the factors of her coloring together, this means she looks best in vivid colors with cool or blue undertones.

Although it appears as if Dita wears the same makeup look most of the time (red lips and winged liner), I still wanted to use her coloring as an example (partly because she’s the first celeb I thought of and found pictures of…lol).

Anyway, onto the makeup!

Eyeshadows (MAC–if MAC isn’t your fave brand still use this as a guide to figure out which similar colors look best in other brands):

P.S. I tried to only picked colors from the permanent line so you don’t get stuck on a color only to realize it’s sold out.

Neutrals: Forgery, Vapour, White Frost, Crystal Avalanche, Mylar, Naked Lunch, Dazzelight, Hush, Wedge, Satin Taupe, Handwritten, Espresso
For Fun: Blackberry, Sketch, Shadowy Lady, Rule, Humid, Steamy, Sumptuous Olive, Twinks, Club, Print, Carbon, Black Tied, Deep Truth, Contrast, Plumage, Nehru, Vibrant Grape, Fig 1., Nocturnelle, Beauty Marked, Idol Eyes, Electra, Silver Ring, Scene, Knight Devine, Typographic

Also try: Korres Evening Primrose & Sunflower Oil Antioxidant Eye Quad in Cool

Blush: soft peaches and pinks look great on coloring like Dita’s. You can wear brighter blush colors, but it’s important to be careful with how many brights you use on your face. Too many can overpower fair skin.

Illamasqua: Chased, Tremple, Unrequited, Nymph
NARS: Sex Appeal, Gina, Angelika, Douceur, Luster, Madly, Deep Throat, Gilda, Mata Hari, Nico, Zen, Oasis, Orgasm
MAC: Tenderling, Coygirl, Well Dressed, Pinch O Peach, Dame, Fleur Power, Breath of Plum, Cubic, Style, Plum Foolery, Gingerly, Blushbaby, Harmony

Bronzer: I don’t feel fair skin needs bronzer, but it’s a look that some may want to try as it does wonders to help warm up the skin.

Try: Benefit Hoola, NARS Laguna, Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in Light or Medium, Korres Monoi Oil Bronzing Powder in Sunglow Light

Lips: Bold, true colors look best on this type of coloring. Choose those with a cool or blue undertone.

Reds: MAC Ruby Woo, MAC Russian Red, MAC Red, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté #18, NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl
Pinks: MAC Show Orchid Lipstick, MAC Girl About Town Lipstick, MAC Saint Germain, MAC Pretty Please, MAC Creme Cup
Berries: MAC Darkside Lipstick, MAC Diva Lipstick, MAC Film Noir Lipstick, MAC Hang-up Lipstick, MAC Cyber Lipstick
Neutrals: MAC Blankety Lipstick, MAC Lusterwhite Lustreglass, MAC Hue Lipstick, MAC Faux Lipstick

CHICAGO MARATHON 2012

It attracted 45,000 people to the Chi last year with 50 states and 115 countries represented! It’s the Chicago Marathon!

From people running for charity, to running for their fitness the Chicago Marathon is about 50,000+ with combined runners, spectators and staff to make it happen.

While the locals not involved may get irritated with all the road closures for the 26.2 mile run, we have all the info for all of us to live peacefully!

Click here for the complete race route:

Chicago Marathon 2012 Route

Click here for street closures:

Chicago Marathon 2012 Road Closures

Click here for cool facts and all other info about the race:

Chicago Marathon Complete Race Info

Click here to watch the live footage of the race:

Chicago Marathon Live Feed

Best of luck to all the runners!