although i’m hardly a gym rat, i do actually go now (sometimes), and was getting tired of throwing my shit into a giant open tote bag, so i started looking for the perfect gym bag, did some research, and came across the lug puddle jumper overnight/gym bag.

i bought it in midnight black, and, granted, i’ve only had it one day so far, but i already love it. it has an obscene amount of pockets, and — the piece de resistance — a separate aerated section for your kicks! it can be worn as a tote or messenger-style.

other highly-rated gym totes i found had separate sections for sweaty clothes, which seemed appealing, but user comments suggested that the section either wasn’t removable as promised or was simply too small. (if you’re interested in separating your sweats, i would suggest purchasing either a tide sports or travel laundry bag.)

the puddle jumper has been written up numerous times by fitness magazines, and even oprah has recommended it. (obviously, my recommendation means more than hers :) )

anyway, although it’s available on lug’s company site, it’s much cheaper on amazon, so i would suggest purchasing it there.

as always, if you do make a purchase, let me know what you think!

oh, and have a good workout!

two of my girlfriends and i dined at reynard at the wythe hotel in brooklyn last night, and while my overall food experience was kinda disappointing, i fell in love with our wine selection. first, i ordered a glass, my friends tried it, and we went for the bottle. i ordered a few bottles for my apartment today!

don’t let the thin appearance fool you — this wine has a ton of flavor. it starts off fairly peppery/spicy, but quickly mellows out.

if you live in nyc, the vintage we had — 2010 — is available at astor wines or appellation wines (really cool shop).

santé!

i have very dry elbows, to the point where my father has actually commented on them. (thanks, dad!) too much info? anyway, i’ve used all of my favorite moisturizers and body butters on them, to no avail, until, i selected mario badescu’s vitamin “e” body lotion as a free sample from a different mario badescu purchase — a company my best friend has sworn by for years.

after only a few uses, i’ve seen a huge improvement to both the look and feel of my skin. it really just works well — there’s no other way to say it.

buy here.

this might be my most random recommendation yet, but here we go:

anyone who’s ever been anywhere with me knows that i carry floss wherever i go. long story short, i have particularly “groovy” teeth and things get caught easily. coincidentally, if i find that i had food in my teeth and a friend didn’t tell me, i get resentful. anywaaay, i’ve used reach waxed floss for years, but when i found it wasn’t available at my local duane reade one day, i came across this reach total care plus whitening mint floss, and decided to give it a try.

it’s amazing. the floss feels textured, so it seems to grab more than average floss, and it actually feels better, almost like it’s massing your teeth. i will say the only downside is that because it’s more powerful, it’s harder to control where the food goes (i.e. it might end up on your bathroom mirror. i know — gross.)

ultimately, it’s a bit pricier, but i think it’s worth it.