Seriously? How will Jen be a hot bride...

When faced with constant free meals like this:

This was the scene at a recent MBA barbeque/fatty gorgefest.

I mean COME ON PEOPLE. If it's not the boozing that will kill my wedding figure, it's the meat. Lots and lots of meat. Meat everywhere. And not healthy meat, either! And because I'm a poor grad student I have no choice, I MUST EAT IT. I MUST EAT THE FREE FOOD.

Sigh. As if post-workout puking weren't enough of a lesson... Colossus would have my head if he ever learned of the true deterioration of my diet.

Sue! How will I be able to get through this year without either a) going broke because I'm trying to buy healthy food, or b) gaining a zillion pounds and busting out of my Wedding Dress of Dreams? And which is worse?

At least Nutella never comes free.

Sigh,

Jen

Fitness: How Far is Too Far?

Hello Non-Honeymoonin' Sue!

Palau is hot. The Lawyer and I have been thinking about our honeymoon but have not been able to even really narrow down our list - there is too much to see! However I have decided that, wherever we go, we will end our honeymoon in Munich for Oktoberfest. I mean obv I will not miss the perfect chance to spend a little more time with my ancestors... remember these dudes?

If they don't ooze "romantic honeymoon" I don't know who does!

Though frankly the thought of drinking lots of beer makes me feel a little ill right now, because I am still recovering from my session with Colossus yesterday. During which I puked my guts out (if you will recall from my tweet).

Now if I do recall, you recently made a friend of yours honk, correct? Ahem, if I may quote you directly from your tweet: "Sue went to the gym with her friend, Kat, and put her through Sue's strength training routine. Kat threw up. Poor Kat. Mean Sue."

All this exercise-induced hurling as got me thinking. Are we going too far? Pushing ourselves too hard? How hard is too hard? (MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER, SUE! I MEAN FIGURATIVELY HARD!)

Granted, I probably should not have eaten a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, and sausage yesterday a mere few hours before my workout. And it was the first real workout I'd done with Colossus in awhile, and he basically put me through a death circuit. But still. I am not thrilled to have honked.

Sue, what are your thoughts on workout-related vomit? 

Gals in the blogosphere, have you ever been pushed to these ridiculous limits? Or are Sue and I just insane?

Off to drink some more tummy-calming tea...

xoxo,

DomestiGal Jen

Jen: Future Powerlifting Champion of the World?

Okay so Sue. 

As if my sessions with Colossus do not entertain you enough (yes he is still pinching my knee fat to tell if I've been drinking and YES, I am still a grad student, so I am indeed drinking) I have perhaps the most genius news yet:

Colossus wants to enter me - me, Jen! - in some local Powerlifting competitions. Yes, Powerlifting! The sport of champions! The sport of insanely strong and somewhat odd-looking people (see below)! The sport so hilariously hardcore-sounding that I am compelled to type it with a capital "P"!

Photo via CriticalBench.com

See how that dude is marveling at my strength? Inspiring, no?

According to a somewhat skeezy article on Wikipedia, "Powerlifting is a strength sport, consisting of three events: the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift. Powerlifting resembles the sport of Weightlifting as both disciplines involve lifting heavy weights in three attempts."

Sounds simple enough, right? Well, apparently it's actually super technical and rather dangerous if you don't do it right. But Colossus says that I could be a total superstar - at least in the Powerlifting world - because I am very "body aware." Obv I get my body awareness from you.

So in order to do this I have to train while at school... and I have to train with people who know that they are doing, because I need a lot of help with all this. Thus far I've only done the deadlift - and I can deadlift 200 lbs, by the way! - so I have a lot to learn. So... drum roll please... I am joining the University Powerlifting Club. And I am totally the only girl! 

I mean do you love it or do you LOVE it?

My first order of business as a new member is to get team uniforms. Obv.

Will keep you posted of course!

xoxo,

Jen

Baby Gladiator Comes Home

Dearest Fat Obsessin' and Biological Clock-Rejectin' Sue,

17%?! You are insane!! I always knew you were hot and have always envied your concave tummy, but DAMN GAL!

For my part, since working out with and getting my knees pinched by Colossus, I have gone from 25.5% down to 20%, where I am currently attempting to stay despite my MBoozeA lifestyle. We shall see. At this point though, between my ever-increasing fondness for Colossus and the ever-decreasing time before I have to fit into my wedding dress of dreams, I have a feeling I will be able to stick to my good workout regimen. 

In other Colossus-related news... guard your loins, ladies!

Baby Gladiator hath arrived into the United Kingdom! This is very exciting. Not only because Colossus and family can begin their life here at last, but also because it gives me an excuse to go back to Cath Kidston for more baby goodies!

I mean, right?

Let me explain. Baby Gladiator was born outside the UK because apparently the maternity care here blows (GREAT. Not that this is about me...). Obv Baby and BabyMama had to wait awhile before Baby Gladiator could fly home. But now the family is together at last.

But back to shopping. If you recall, The Lawyer and I purchased two ridiculously adorable items for Baby Gladiator in Cath's cowboy print. Well! Look at what else she has! I might not be able to resist! After all, BG's first birthday is still an awfully long way away...

A cowboy bear! How cute is this?!

Or how about this:

A "pram blanket" as they call it here. Seriously? I am becoming obsessed with Brit baby lingo.

My ultimate favorite, though, is this:

Oh. Yes. The Cowboy Nappy Bag. But BabyMama can't have it. I've already got dibs.

xoxo,

Biological Clock-Rejoicin' Jen

Bridal Boot Camp Versus Math Boot Camp

To Sue and all my spoonin' ladies,

Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! How inconsiderate of all of you to be discussing sleeping positions just when I am having to learn to sleep alone for half the week when I'm up here at school. WAH!!! Boo. Hiss.

Ok, now that I got my whining out of the way, I will say that my non-solo sleeping time usually consists of cuddling before falling asleep, and then cuddling (usually spooning, but there are a few variations) again upon stirring in the morning before the alarm goes off. Which is so lovely. Sigh.

And now I'm sad again. Boo!

But I promise not to spend the next year of my life blogging about how tres trag it is to be apart from The Lawyer. Especially when every other aspect of grad school, thus far, is great! I am having a blast, even if all the schmoozing and boozing has been beyond exhausting.

What have I been up to, you might ask? Well, these first two weeks are basically like our orientation. There have been introductory sessions covering everything from using our new email addresses to library services to careers to the alumni network. Thrilling stuff, right? Yeah, maybe not to y'all.

But what has been thrilling is Math Boot Camp! Since I hadn't done math in about a decade and had never used Excel to do anything beyond tracking wedding expenses, I signed up for all the sessions. And let me tell you, they're a blast! I never knew Excel was such a genius of a program! Sums and formulas and functions and data and charts and...

Uy. Do I sound convinced yet? Because I am trying to convince myself that attending Math Boot Camp is just as cool as Bridal Boot Camp... and yet, alas, no. Because really? When will I ever need to use Excel to do anything but track our wedding budget? Sigh. What I would give to be getting my butt kicked by Colossus rather than creating a scatter graph from a data table.

I miss my Domestic Goddessness. Just hoping the Domestic Boddess doesn't start to fade away as well... MUST. BE. A. HOT. BRIDE!

Off to Math Boot Camp,
sigh,

Jen

Engagement Ring Deets, Please!

Um. HELLO, Sue! "Some round ring from Tiffany's"?!!?!

I need DETAILS, STAT! What engagement ring design is it? Is it the classic round brilliant solitaire or one of their other designs? Are there side stones? Are they baguettes, round, or square?

What's the carat weight? Color? Cut? Clarity? Give me the 4 C's, baby!

Yeah, you have no idea what the 4 C's are, do you. Ask The Engineer. Hopefully he did some research before purchasing your sister's Ring of Dreams.

So now that your youngest sis is getting hitched, do you think that will take the pressure off you for awhile? Or will your Asian mummy still be pressuring you to pop out a wee JewAsian sometime soon?

Cannot wait to hear more.

All is well here in MBA-land, though I can already feel the booze re-establishing the beer belly I just worked my arse off for four months to shed. Sigh. Colossus is not going to be happy with me. Especially considering the stellar quality of my last workout with him.

And worse? I just worked out for the first time in the university gym - like, the one and only official university gym - and, like, this is a world-class university of 12,000 students, you know - and let me tell you, that place was spanky! Spanky, dank, smelly, and stinky. Ugh. I don't know how I am going to be a hot bride in a year when my local workout facility has all the charm of a gas station bathroom. 

I am in need of some MAYJAH motivation. And luckily, the Fit Bottomed Girls have arrived just in time! Stay tuned... they'll be with us tomorrow!

(Probably sooner than the details of your sister's new engagement ring, eh? But seriously, give an unengaged-bride-to-be a little blingtastic gossip, will ya?)

xoxo,

DomestiGal Jen

Jen: Domestic Goddess or Domestic Bod-dess?

Sue,

So now that I am a lame-o graduate student, my twice-weekly workouts with Colossus have now been cut in half. Sadly, I will only see him on weekends now - the only thing that's (way) worse is only seeing The Lawyer on weekends too but DO NOT even get me started on that one.

Anyway, I am a little worried that graduate school will stifle my progress with my Colossal Butt-Kickings. But for now, at least, I am still Colossus' star pupil. In fact, in our last session, Colossus told me (seriously) that if I wanted to, I could be a professional bodybuilder. 

Ok now stop laughing.

"Google Jennifer Nicole Lee," he said. "If you put yourself to it, you could be like her."

So DomestiGal Jen Googled this Jennifer. And here is what I found.

Photo: http://hollywoodfitnessmodels.blogspot.com

Um, I'm sorry, WHAT?! Also: I promise she's a fitness guru, not a porn star.

Yes, this is the woman Colossus claims I can be:

Photo: http://www.healthylivingnyc.com

Hell YEAH!

Um, except I will never look like that. For the following reasons:

A) I'm a graduate student, so there is beer. 

B) Be it banned or not, I am a Nutellaholic and always will be.

C) I would rather have The Lawyer invest in my Ring of Dreams than a Rack of Dreams.

But obv I am totally flattered that Colossus sees such potential (even if he is in for ultimate disappointment). And this woman is actually fairly fabulous and underwent an A to the Mazing transformation to get to where she is. 

Here she is on Oprah - check out the "before" pics and the cute exercises she does with her kiddies:

Pretty rad, eh?

And I will totally be using those fitness moves when I have babies. Yipee! Babies!

Love,

Jennifer the Domestic Bod-dess

DomestiGrad Student Jen Starts School

First things first. Gals, thank you for your feedback regarding my first day of school outfit!

The winning outfit is...

Look out Blair Waldorf, Queen J is in town!

Thanks to you, I will be feeling fierce and fabulous as I enter these doors... 

... of my new business school this morning.

(Yeah, don't even get me started on the wacko color scheme.)

Ack! I'm so nervous! But I know this will be a great step for me, even if it means adding "DomestiGrad Student" to my title. Sigh. Move on over, Domestic Goddess. There's a new nerd in town.

Now that I'm abandoning my Domestic Goddessness! Nope! I cherish my Dyson too much to consider myself anything less than a DomestiGrad-Goddess hybrid. But I will miss my leisurely days of Domestic Goddessness. They already feel very far away.

What will I miss most? Thank you for asking, ladies. Let me list the ways...

1. Rotating among my warm-ups, pjs, sweats, and workout clothes. While I am ready to dress a little more formally, I will sorely miss oozing fabulosity in my Lululemon ensembles all day long.

2. Twice-weekly workouts with Colossus. More on this soon (see my post-script below)... but I will now only be seeing Colossus once a week. My butt might be grateful, but the rest of me aches with sadness (and lack of soreness).

3. Leisurely, wine-filled lunches with my newly engaged fellow lady of leisure. These lunches were my biggest indulgence these past months... and were totally, completely fabulous. I will miss them dearly. Not that I won't be drinking in the middle of the day during my MBA. But it just won't be the same.

4. Awaiting The Lawyer's return from work every night. I know this is super-cheesy and rather un-feminist of me, but the best part of each Domestic Goddess day was the return of The Lawyer from work. After all this time, and all we've been through, the sound of his key in the door still gives me butterflies.

5. Keeping up with all my Gals in the blogosphere. Rest assured, ladies, I will continue to post here all the time. And I will keep up with your blogs as best I can. There are so many amazing writers out there, and blogs chock full of inspiration for my wedding and my life - I will miss checking in every day. But I will still be around! I promise!

Ok, off to school I go. Holy crap.

BIG BIG BIG love,

DomestiGrad Jen

P.S. As mentioned above I had an AMAZING last pre-MBA workout with Colossus the other day. Will be posting about it soon. Stay tuned... you do NOT want to miss this post, trust me!

Jen's First Day: Pick Her Outfit! Please!

Ok ladies. I am sending my DomestiGal beacon out into the sky (I imagine this to be like Batman's bat signal, only in the shape of a huge diamond engagement ring. Obv.).

I need your help!

I started packing for school yesterday (SAD! I KNOW! ACK!) and I am at a total loss. I cannot figure out what to wear for my first day. THE most important day. I will be meeting all my new classmates and professors, and we are having our class portrait taken (which I really think is cruel to do on the very first day, but I digress). So last night The Lawyer and I had a photo session with the four finalist outfits, and I present them here.

Please please please help me choose! Based on your votes, I will let you know the winning outfit on Monday!

Without further ado, here they are (and yes, this is really me, standing in our "Grecian Spa"-colored bedroom, with my new uni's coat of arms hanging on my closet door - I feel so exposed! But I am also thrilled with how adept I am becoming with Microsoft Paint.):

OUTFIT #1: The black pinstripe power suit with red lining (a good Feng Shui color, Sue!). 

I know it's hard to see due to my ailing 5-year-old camera, but please note the patent leather heels. They may get me to wear a suit for the first time in 8 months, but I shall not abandon the fabulous!

OUTFIT #2: The understated but cute brown suit with dark purple shell.

Again, hard to see here and not quite as fab as the suit above but comfy and reliable. And it fits me way better since I've been working out with Colossus!

OUTFIT #3: The simple black dress with my Blair Waldorf jacket.

Seriously, doesn't that jacket look like something Blair would wear? It's preptastic! Also note the pointy-toe power pumps.

OUTFIT #4: The pseudo-wrap brown dress.

This dress has been a professional go-to for a few years. I'd spruce it up with accessories. Obv.

Ok, ladies! Leave your votes in the comments section!

And thank you for your fabulous guidance.

Big love,

DomestiGal Jen

Sue's Solid Spandex Workout

Jen,

I still can't get the image out of my head of Colossus pinching the fat around your knee to measure body fat. I mean, I've seen your knees, and they're lovely. Just lovely.

Honestly, I think I'd rather sit back and drink my martini as you naughtily huff and groan around Colossus. Jen, how I'd love to test the bounce in your marathon-running-bottom now that you have such an even firmer foundation.

Alas, I must admit that my speedy metabolism must come from all the fish and fish oil my dear Asian mummy served me when I was a little whiner. (I think all my now-fat-and-fugly former elementary classmates probably curse the day they ever made fun of my Hello Kitty lunchboxes filled with brown rice, fish and veggies!)

Or, of course, perhaps I just drink too much Folgers. Hmpf.

But, I must admit that my #1 secret (aside from a nice romp in the hay with The Doctor, of course) must be The Abominable Abduction machine.

You see, what I learned in all my health studies classes is that since the butt is the largest muscle in the body, it has the largest overall effect on all the other muscles in the body. So, the sooner you engage your butt, the quicker your metabolism speeds up! Sometimes, when I only have 20 minutes in the gym, I'll just work my butt.

I use the Life Fitness machines at New York Health and Racquet Club in the East Village. (Yes, Jen, I decided to join your former gym just because I missed you so much! I said adieu to both pee-on-the-floor New York Sports Club and heavenly-but-won't-have-money-for-retirement Equinox). My best friend in the world is the ABduction machine. I'm currently butt squeezing 290 pounds (the machine only goes up to 320!), 3 sets of 12 until complete muscular failure.

Sadly, my chiropractor told me that I probably walk so duck-like because my butt is stronger than a bulldog in heat and my former days as a pointe-shoe-wearing ballerina don't help things at all. (Yet another reason I never want to walk down the wedding aisle! I can't tell you how frequently my friends tell me they see me "quacking" down the street from a half mile away.)

After I do the ABduction machine, I then do the Leg Press (90 pounds to 400, depending on the CAM/physics of the machine) until muscular failure as well. Long ago I used to do the Dead Lift, and the most I ever dead lifted was maybe 155 pounds and I think you and The Lawyer are dead lifting Colossus, his partner, and their new baby one-armed no doubt.

(By the way, is this Colossus' newborn baby?)

blog.midday.ws

The other day, I went on a 4 hour hike in Muir Woods, and, unfortunately, I brought the New York heat with me to California. What ever possessed me and Jean-Michel to hike in 80 degree weather is beyond me.



This said, I made sure to squeeze my glutes with every step. You know how most girls were obsessed with "I must, I must, I must increase my bust!"? Well, I'd rather squeeze my buns, as there nothing cute about having cottage cheese in the southern hemisphere of a DomestiGal body.

DomestiGals -- what are your pre-wedding workout routines? Do you run 25 miles per week or do you do the Somersize and hope for the best?

Love,

Suzanne Somers wannabe

Butt-Busting Tips from a Blushing Bride-to-Be

Sue,

I have had a few requests to share how my tuchus is looking so fine these days. And while I cannot give away all of Colossus' secrets, I do have some tips I'd be thrilled to spill into DomestiGal Land.

Granted, you all must take my word for it when I say I'm lookin' hot. But I'd be the first to admit if my efforts with Colossus were not paying off. It would not be worth banning Nutella from my pantry, trust me.

So here is an example of one of my workouts (which takes about an hour):
Elevated lunges (4 sets/8 reps)
Chest presses (4 sets/8 reps)
[break]
Lunge jumps (4 sets/30 reps)
Tricep dips (4 sets/15 reps OR 8 reps with weight)
Crunches on the exercise ball (4 sets/15 reps)
Push-ups (4 sets/10 reps)
[break]
Tabata squat and press (8 sets/8 reps)

Here in more detail are some of the tuchus-oriented moves:

Elevated lunges - 4 sets of 8 reps per leg, with weights in each hand
I do these with one foot up on a step, like the side of a treadmill. The elevation increases the range of motion. Also, some exercise mags or books tell you that you have to keep your front leg at a 90-degree angle when you lunge down: FALSE. Feel free to bend the leg over your foot - the farther the range of motion the more muscles you will use. Also, remember, don't be afraid to use heavy weights. Women's legs are stronger than men's, so we can handle some major weight with this exercise without developing gladiator legs. The heavier the weights I use, the more toned - not big - my legs look the next day. It is truly a Dyson-caliber miracle!

Step-ups - 4 sets of 8 reps per leg, with weights in each hand; try to work up to 15 reps per leg
These will kick your hiney but in a good way! Substitute them for the lunges in the workout above. Take a weight in each hand. Stand next to a sturdy(!!!) bench. Put one foot up on the bench. Step up with that leg, and bring your other knee up to your chest, then back down to the floor. Repeat 8 times, then move to the other side of the bench and switch legs. These are a total cardio workout too. Bonus!

Lunge jumps - 4 sets of 30 reps (NO weights on this one! They are hard enough as-is!)
Stand with your hands on your hips. Jump into a lunge (one foot forward, one back, kneeling almost to the floor). From that position, as you stand up, jump again - switching legs into another lunge. Colossus makes me do this for at least a minute straight, which is hell. On my own I do 30 reps (Ssshhhh! Don't tell him!).

Squat-thrusts - 4 sets of 30 reps (No weights on this one either!)
The Lawyer and I call these "Froggy Jumps" - start in a downward-dog-like position (for you Domestic Yogis!), with palms on the floor, feet on the floor, and your butt up in the air. Jump forward, as high a jump as you can and as far forward as you can; then jump back to starting position. Repeat as fast as you can. Substitute these for the lunge jumps in the workout above.

Ok, on to Tabata!

This is the grand finale of every workout with Colossus (read: the most butt-kicking exercise of all, coming at the end of the workout when you're already totally exhausted)...

Tabata has many variations but the important thing is this: do intervals of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, for about 4 minutes. This is a great, fat-burning end to a workout and was the result of a landmark study in 1996 by this guy, Dr. Izumi Tabata:

And his peeps.

The way I do it is this: Start with weights in each hand. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, whatever is comfortable for squatting down. Curl the weights up to your shoulders. Squat down as far as you can go (stick that butt out!), and as you stand up, press the weights up until your arms are straight up and you are standing straight up. Bring the weights back to your shoulders and repeat.

PHEW!

Feelin' the burn yet, ladies?

If any of you have other workout tips (ahem, concave-stomached SUE!) feel free to share! Communal hotness abounds!

Your squatting fiend forever,

Domestic Goddess Jen

P.S. I also just happened upon this FABULOUS blog by the Fit Bottomed Girls (first of all could I love their name any more? No, I could not.). Gals, you will be hearing more about (and from!) these ladies in the near future... until then, squat yourselves silly!

Wedding Fabulosity Fest!

So Sue.

Yesterday I had to email this huge pile o' career crap to the MBA career services office at my school-to-be. Really? This stuff took ages to complete, was a huge pain in the tuchus, and had me alternating between IMing with The Lawyer and Skyping with my mom in fits of insecurity. Being the token American Non-Profit Gal, fabulous as I am, is not going to be easy in a program full of finance whizzes and accounting nerds. Sheesh.

Also? I really really really wanted to include "planning Wedding of Dreams" under "Interests" on my newly revamped CV. I mean, they should want to know the real me, right?

Sigh. 

Sadly, I couldn't even treat myself to a celebratory drink after I finished it all, because Colossus has started keeping tabs on my alcohol intake by measuring the skin fold (read: pinching the fat) on the front of my kneecap. FOR REAL.

So I decided to treat myself to this post instead. Thus, before embarking upon my Econ pre-reading (gag), I hereby announce the Inaugural Wedding Fabulosity Fest!

I have found some of the cutest things while procrastin- um, I mean, bridal-blog-browsing. While I have come to terms with the fact that I am not going to be pulling off a Martha Stewart Wedding, I do appreciate craftiness and hope to incorporate some cute, personal details at our nuptials. But for every idea that might work at our wedding, I find a zillion cute ones that, for whatever reason, won't.

So without further ado, here are some of the most fabulous things I've come across that I won't be using but nevertheless heart in a mayjah way...

Jim and Pam stationery suite from The Future Mrs. Darcy. 

Found these thanks to the ad on snippet & ink. To be honest, it was my love for Colin Firth (the best Darcy in the history of Darcys, now and forevermore) that made me click the ad, and boy was I glad I did!

Now, I may be biased because I went to college with the adorable John Krasinski, but I think this set is so creative! Note that the "Inter-Departmental Delivery" is an area to include personal family or romantic anecdotal details. Love! Her other collections - cleverly named for other beloved fictional couples - are quite sweet too.

Photo booth Save-the-Dates as seen on Offbeat Bride.

Frankly, the site as a whole is really more your style than mine, Sue. But Ariel (the original Offbeat Bride) has got moxie and DomestiGals do nothing if not respect moxie!

I think this is SUCH a great idea for save-the-date cards. The Lawyer is a little more traditional when it comes to stationery, but Gals, if your man will go for this there is mayjah cuteness potential! And if you, like me, are no Martha, Ariel has recently posted a How-To video, so you're all set.

Ring pillows from Bklyn Pillow

I may be new to the bridal blogosphere, but it didn't take me long to learn that Brooklyn Bride rules the roost. She is a mayjah celeb in the bridal blog world. And for good reason! She is super talented, has fabulous taste, and Bride can sew!

Like, seriously.

Compass place cards from LHCalligraphy

Found these on Etsy, a SUPREMELY ADDICTIVE but fantastic site chock full of handmade wonderfulness. These place cards are over our budget, unfortunately, but I think they are amazing - especially for a travel theme or destination wedding.

Just look at the close-up!

Lovely.

And... I'm cutting myself off now. But! I will keep posting regularly as I discover more morsels of wedding fabulosity. If I can't use them myself, at least I can sing their praises in DomestiGal Land!

xoxo,

Domestic-Goddess-Indeed-But-No-Martha-Stewart Jen

LOW-Carb, Thank You Very Much!

Dearest DomestiGal Sue,

Well, between the new season of Gossip Girl (Missing another episode tonight! The horror, the horror!), the broadcast of Stand Up to Cancer, and Britney's triumphant return to hotness last night on the VMAs, I am really going through some mayjah USofA withdrawal. Sigh.

But we have a lot to cover here. I'll get right to it and try to stay focused:

1. My bum. Tighter and tighter every day, baby.

2. My vitamins. Colossus currently has me on a regimen of vitamins, supplements, and protein shakes... a little intense, but I am seeing results (bye bye 10% of my love-handles in one week!) so I can't complain. I am currently taking multi-vitamins; a capsule that contains fenugreek, bitter gourd, and gymnema leaf (yeah, I didn't know what they were either); and my personal savior, fish oil. 

Seriously Sue? Can we have a moment for the wonders of fish oil? You're the one who first turned me onto it, if you recall. Amazing stuff. Deserves its own "DomestiGals Heart..." post, methinks!

3. My diet. Is LOW-carb, not no-carb. Low-carb, high-protein, Nutella-free. That's me! So torture me all you want with descriptions of your decadent NYC meals, missy. I'm gonna go have me some sushi WITH rice! Aw yeah! How do you like THAT?

(Really how depressing is it that when The Lawyer and I go out for sushi it's a treat to eat the rice. A twee pathetic, eh?)

As for your latest jewelry ideas, I must say I was disappointed to see a total lack of sparkle (were you scared by my last reaction? Probably.) but those are lovely designs. Waaaaay too alterna-bride for me, but you could pull them off quite well.

So? Does this mean you have relented? Has The Doctor won? Are you going to get and - gasp! - actually wear a ring???

Do tell!

xoxo,

DG

More ring talk! Has DomestiGal Sue lost her mind?

DomestiGal Jen,

Oy. I just can't even believe you're heading back to school to complete your MBA. The thought of you straining your brain to do something other than wedding gift shopping is just beyond the beyond! Please remember the rest of us in DomestiGal Land when you're off nerding out.

Okay, so I finally found two rings that I'm pretty much ridiculously obsessed with. And, best yet, my new friend Yaf has worked at the store, Versani, for the past several years. We met the other night at my business coach, Kim's, fabulous birthday party at Kittichai.

Ahem. Obviously what's more important than rings? Food, duh.

First I have to tell you all about the food I had at Kittichai in SoHo, because it was beyond the beyond fabulous.

*Coconut and organic chicken relish with crispy jasmine rice crackers
*Seabass tempura with sweet chili-tamarind sauce
*Chocolate baby back ribs with Thai spices
Um, excuse me, did you hear me?
That's right, CHOCOLATE baby back ribs with Thai spices.

(Jen, get your hand out of that Nutella Jar, you Dirty DomestiGal! Colossus insists that your rear end be tighter than Michael Phelps' bum by next year. How do you expect your dress-of-dreams to zip up if you continue to be so undisciplined!)

*Flourless chocolate cake with fresh cream
*Banana spring rolls with honey cream

Jen, do tell the rest of our community how all that personal training and no-carb diet is working out for you? Any special vitamins you're taking recently?

Dear god I'm such a terrible, fat cow and a lousy friend.

Anyway, back to the matter of my left hand.

Check it here.












www.versani.com

I know all you DomestiGal diamond-lovers out there will be horrified that I want this as my "partnership ring." But I just love it.

I'm also pretty much obsessed with this one as well. Check it, ladies, here.













www.versani.com

So this is how I see it. Right now, gold is tres in here in Manhattan. (That said, I suppose gold is always very in during the summer time.) Anyway, I'm kind of thinking that gold one can be my pseudo engagement ring (even though I never plan to be engaged... or married for that matter), and then the first one, the Russian Wedding Band, can be my official DomestiGal Partnership Ring. Oops, ahem. Of course I meant my official Domestic Partner Partnership Ring.

Some days I'll wear gold; other days I'll wear white gold.

And obviously my underwear will always match.

Love,

Foie-gras and fat eating Sue

DomestiGals Stand Up to Cancer!

To Sue and all my ladies in DomestiGal Land... a plea from across the pond:

WATCH THIS TONIGHT!

Stand Up To Cancer. Tonight at 8pm (ET/PT) and 7pm (CT) on ABC, CBS, and NBC. 

That's right! Three networks simultaneously! But it's not a State of the Union! In fact, Bush won't even be there! Woohoo!

I'm sure you've heard about it. And frankly I am going through mayjah withdrawal over here not seeing all the press because - to get serious for a second - cancer advocacy is a great passion of mine (second to planning my wedding, obv). This TV special and the incredible website that has been built to promote it have the potential to make a HUGE impact on this cause. 

Here are some great ways *YOU* can promote SU2C on your blog, in your email, on your Facebook page, wherever! Easy peasy and impactful. Awesome.

What else can you do? Why, you can download the catchy new song "Just Stand Up!" from iTunes. This is Gal (vocal) power at its best!

There are also some fab items to buy here. I am drooling over Jennifer Meyer's star necklace... though perhaps that's partly because she gets to snuggle with Tobey Maguire every night. Lucky gal. I did buy myself this totebag:

... and have been carrying it to all my Colossal workout sessions. Not only does the bag feature my favorite color (orange) but I felt good spending (The Lawyer's) money on a very good, very urgent, very important cause.

[Dude. Su2C should be paying me for promotions like this! Though then I would just donate the money back. But still.]

Gals! If you decide to promote this fabulous and important and groundbreaking program, please let us know! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

And finally, because I can't resist... for those of you who may wonder, from time to time, what Sue and Yours Truly look like in person, you will find me - for real - in here:

Who am I? That's top secret, I'll never tell.

You know you love me.

AND PLEASE TUNE INTO SU2C TONIGHT!

XOXO,

DomestiGirl Jen

Gossip Girl Grief

Sue,

I can't remember if you even own a TV or not, so my current state of total devastation might mean nothing to you. But please, just give me a moment to indulge in my Gossip Girl grief.

I have been living here in the UK for almost nine months now (Biological Clock! I order you to cease and desist! Do NOT think about what else could have been happening in that amount of time!) and there are a lot of things I like about being here. For example:

London...

• is not disgustingly sweltering in the summer.
  
• is home to Colossus, the Trainer of Dreams (seriously you should feel my butt these days).
  
• is a 90-minute flight to the Hofbrauhaus.
  
• contains more Nutella per capita than anywhere else in the world.*
  

However, London has one ghastly fault:

London, tease that she is, does not air Gossip Girl when the US does. She airs it, alright, but - later. An unspecified amount of time later.

Thus the reason for my dark pashmina of mourning today. As season two of GG airs in the States, I will be - well, technically, I will be asleep, but also - praying for a swift deliverance of "series two" (as they dub it here) to the British airwaves.

What's the big deal, you ask? Let me break it down for you, oh unenlightened one:

Gossip Girl...

• is fashionista porn!
  
• is mayjah dramz!
  
• is metrosexual eye candy!
  
• is camptastic!
  

I am not exaggerating when I say that it was the highlight of my spring when, in one of her scenes last season, Georgina (evil bitch that she was) carried the same bag The Lawyer bought me for our anniversary. I have rarely felt so fashionable. And downright awesome.

So Sue, if you do have a TV, please tune in for me. Gals everywhere, reap every morsel of enjoyment out of the second seasoning.

You know you love me.

XOXO

DomestiGirl

*Ok, made that one up. But it sure feels true when you've outlawed Nutella until your honeymoon!

The Colossal Spawn

Sue,

I am embarrassed to admit this. I cannot even believe I have forgotten to tell you.

So The Lawyer and I have been working out with our trainer, Colossus, twice a week for about three months now. Have I mentioned I can now dead-lift one hundred and forty three pounds?! Hot, right?

Anyway, so we are both totally smitten with our trainer - not only has he transformed our bods, but he is just a great guy - and last week before our session, The Lawyer and I went on a very special shopping trip... because Colossus is having a baby! 

Yes, that's right. His girlfriend is about to pop out the Colossal Spawn. A baby boy, which is obviously just perfect. A little mini weightlifting machine! They just picked out a name, which I will keep from the blogosphere but let me just say it is a total gladiator name, which is genius. I seriously cannot wait to meet this little dude.

Plus, the Colossal Spawn gave us (me) the perfect excuse to shop at my FAVE store here in the UK, Cath Kidston. Wanna see what we got him? Prepare for your biological clock to be assaulted:

Image courtesy of Cath Kidston

It's a little cowboy dining set! Complete with sippy cup, spoon, and bowl with a suction cup to keep it on the table. We thought the cowboy theme was unabashedly American, perfect for our gift to Colossus and Spawn. (Plus, they didn't have a Gladiator/Barbarian pattern - cowboys are as macho as Cath gets.) Apparently the little (big) guy already has a closet full of clothes, so we wanted to get them something useful. 

Except, we couldn't resist this:

Image courtesy of Cath Kidston

Yes, those are cowboys and covered wagons. I mean. Do you love it or do you LOVE it? 

All I can say is, I hope Cath is still making this pattern when I'm preggo with a boy. Sigh. Until then, at least we have the Colossal Spawn to spoil.

Ok, must go tame the biological clock.

xoxo,

DG

My Ancestral Awakening (Don't Tell Colossus!)

Fraulein Sue,

I have had an ancestral awakening. I have never been so proud of the fact that my last name ends in two - not one, but TWO - "n"'s. For real. I feel connected to my German heritage for the first time since being forced to act excited about it for "Ethnicity Day" in fourth grade.

Let me explain.

The BF and I needed to leave the country so I could come back in and validate my student visa. The perfect excuse for a Munich mini-break, no?

Mind you, I was not particularly interested in going to Germany. I had never been that enthused about my German roots. The language gets caught in your throat, the people seem a bit harsh and overly brawny, and the beer-guzzling is so not conducive to looking hot in a wedding dress. But seeing as we are only a two-hour jetlagless flight away from my ancestral home, there was really no excuse.

I have no idea where in Germany my family is actually from, but I have hereby embraced Munich as the land of my forefathers. What a great town! 

The glockenspiel! 

Underwhelming and overrated, yet nevertheless endearing!

The dirndls! 

I am set for slutty - I mean, traditional - Halloween costumes for life!

The weisswursts! 

I was in hog heaven (literally). 

Also? My new obsession now that the Olympics are over: Hofbrauhaus. Beers and pretzels as big as your head. Definitely not Colossus-sanctioned but a to the mazing. Not to mention the effortlessly fabulosity-oozing locals:

I am desperately hoping this man is my long-lost great-uncle.

My new affinity for my native culture does not mean we will be giving away beer steins as wedding favors, nor will the dress code be changed to "Lederhosen Chic." But still. I am thrilled to have discovered that I do feel connected to my beer-guzzling, big-boned ethnic roots after all.

Auf Wiedersehen,

Fraulein Jen

Michael and Me and our Adulteress Crushes

Dear Jen,

Well, since The Doctor is currently out of town, I guess it's okay for me to talk about Me and Michael Phelps. Apparently we're not the only gals talking about him and whether or not he has a girlfriend!

Check out this site here:

They include comments from girls that include "We love you Michael!" to "Dude, that guy needs his teeth fixed." (Damn the girl who wrote this!) Then, of course my favorite comment was the following: "I do not understand how Michael Phelps can be straight. He is too deep and has too much soul to be a straight man. I find it hard to believe this. The straight press at the begging of American girls and young women with their pants on fire will provide lots of smoke to satisfy them in their heat, but I wonder if Michael isn't gay."

Um, I love gay men assuming all good looking guys are gay. Actually, I must admit that here in NYC I tend to think, "Gay until proven straight." But that's another posting.

Regardless, let's take a DomestiGals moment to watch him and this Michael Phelps Sexy Tribute, courtesy YouTube. (DomestiGals Disclaimer: We are tres anti-exploiting people for their looks since people always exploit us for our own sexiness; however, we are keen observers of human anatomy, which is why we watch this video on repeat with a tall glass of milk)



Jen. I have a burning question. Is Michael Phelps sexier than Colossus, your personal trainer? Or is it a hot and heavy competition??

Just a few more hours before my Domestic Partner gets home; until then, I'll be pretending to swim in my bathtub while watching all the Michael Phelps music videos that have come out in the last week. "Accidentally in Love" may or may not be one of my favorites. But shhhh... don't tell anyone.



xx,
Sue

DP Gal Gone Mall Wild

Dear DG,

Ug.

I really hate shopping. I mean, really, really hate to shop. The Doctor and Sister #2 tried to take me shopping today, as they're horrified by my uncreative wardrobe. If I ever had a day where I wore something other than a tank top and jeans, I think I'd be unrecognizable. I did, however, take a break from squirming my way out of trying things on by wandering by the ring section.

Yes, it's true. We tried on rings. Again.

The first time we tried on potential partnership rings was in Chinatown. When I told my mom -- my Asian mom -- she was absolutely horrified. "Why would you ever be looking for rings in Chinatown? Don't be disgusting!" Said like a true Taiwanese woman.

Today, I decided to class-it-up a bit, by making Ring Trip #2 in a suburban mall.

Sigh. Darling Domestic Goddess, could you and I be more polar opposites?

* You shop for rings at Tiffany's, and I look for rings 50% off at a strip mall.
* You want to get married at this exquisite country mansion, and I insist that my domestic partnership "ceremony" be at the bank.
* The Lawyer pays for you; I pay for The Doctor.

Yes, this is a friendship made in DomestiGal heaven, no doubt. Forever and ever, my dear friend.

Love,

Sue, DP

PS: I just love how hot the Design-her-Gals made us look. But, I have to ask, am I cupping your ass in the photo? No doubt due to how sculpted Colossus has made it become!