workout gear that works

Because sometimes you just need a little extra incentive to go to the gym, Lululemon has created this adorable (and fully functional!) gym bag. With tons of space and zip-pocket bottom for stashing your gear post-workout, it makes a great carryall for those days when you’re running straight from chem class to cardio. And with that fab metallic sheen (I got mine in "gunmetal") and cute slouchy shape, no one will suspect you’re toting around your old sneaks. 

(from $74, in 4 colors, available at lululemon.com)

skinny sipping.

You know it’s resolution time when Starbucks changes their marketing from shots of their festive drinks – Pumpkin Latte topped with whipped cream anyone? – to in-store ads for their “Skinny Latte”, which will set you back only 90 calories in the tall size. It’s just your basic latte made with skim milk, but doesn't it just make you feel oh-so-virtuous when it’s called the “Skinny”? My personal fave is a nonfat latte with a shot of sugar-free caramel or hazelnut syrup – which, my barista assured me this morning, is not made with aspartame (for all you skeptics of sugar-free products). For even fewer calories – because after a while even those “skinny” lattes can add up – I like to add a shot of sugar-free syrup to my regular bold-roast coffee, topped with a generous splash of soy milk (which - bonus - has the creaminess of full-fat milk but for way less calories.)

want a nude attitude?

Classes don’t start again until the 7th, so for now I’m still at home enjoying hours of mindless television. One show that caught my eye was “How to Look Good Naked”, a British reality series that reminds me of a sexed-up, more in-your-face “What Not to Wear”. Host and style guru Gok Wan takes each week’s participant through a series of exercises designed to boost their body confidence – such as having them stand within a line-up of women based on what size they think they are, and then moving them to their correct position within the line-up based on what size they actually are. The women are always astonished to find that they are actually at least a few sizes smaller than they’ve always thought. He then takes the lucky lady shopping, introducing her to body shapers, figure flattering silhouettes, and fun accessories. Finally, each episode culminates in the subject posing for a nude photo shoot! While at first I thought it seemed contradictory to spend the bulk of the episode teaching participants how to dress only to then have their big reveal in the nude, the show relays the important message that it really doesn’t matter what you put on your body if you don’t love what’s underneath. Carson Kressly (of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” fame) is set to debut the American version of the show. Can’t wait!