I hope you are all enjoying the summer—it seems to fly by every year! I remember when I lived in New York and every September I would get a pit in my stomach because it signified the start of a very busy time with a cold winter around the corner. Moving to Los Angeles helped me solve the dreaded winters of the East Coast, but my work ethic and pace remain the same.
Read moreMother's Day Gift Guide: Stay At-Home Edition+Who What Wear Features
Quarantine-life definitely has a way of making all the days blend together. Because each one feels a bit like Groundhog Day, you may not even realize that Mother’s Day is right around the corner on May 10th! I keep losing track of time…how about you?
With non-essential stores closed this year, shopping at the last minute is not really an option. We now ALL have to find “the perfect gift” for mom online. No worries—my bestie Janet (The Grateful Gardenia) and I have you covered! In our recent monthly column for Who What Wear, we’ve created the perfect gift guide to help you find mom something special. And, I’ve also added to the original article to give more options to choose from. You may even see something on this list that you’re coveting, so star your favorites and send it to your husband or kids as a hint!
Relax at Home
SLIP SILK PILLOWCASE AND MASK SET
The perfect way for mom to Slip into a good night’s sleep.
PAJAMAS
Mom will daydream about slipping into the most perfect sleepwear.
ROBES
Made for lounging and luxury.
SWEATS
A chic and comfy way to hang around the house or run to the grocery store.
DIFFUSER AND ESSENTIAL OIL
An instant mood shifter--perfect to help reduce stress.
SAGE Perfume
Gift mom her new favorite signature scent this year for Mother’s Day.
The best calming distraction, where masculine meets feminine.
The perfect accessory to hold her most prized necessity.
Give mom the most stylish four eyes in town!
Reading Glasses by Caddis
Simple, delicate and personal, she’ll never take it off!
Chrysmela’s got her back. A little extra something to make sure she never loses another earring again.
Small in size and easily portable to listen to her fave tunes, anywhere!
A farm to pod answer for grabbing a healthy smoothie before the next Zoom meeting.
USE promotional code GLOW8PACK &
receive a free 8 pack of blends with the purchase of a starter kit
Get Some Fresh Air
Show mom you care with this I Love You clutch. The perfect holder for her keys and phone, while taking a walk in the hood.
The perfect face-framer for those daily walks.
A lightweight scarf to wear out on a walk, dress up a bag handle or use as a chic mask.
Mama needs new comfy-chic shoes.
Look good, do good and stay protected with Ripley Rader fashion masks. Buy one and two are donated to the medical community!
OLIE X MELISSA MEYERS GOLDEN RAY GLOW DROPS
Just in time for Mother’s Day…order a bottle for mom and get a free make-up bag and sample size with purchase!
Use promotional code GLOWGIRL 15 for $15 off
One word, for those who are challenged with doing their own hair, game-changer.
Mom’s done so much for you, now send some good vibes to her.
For the mom whose motto is “always be prepared.” Also, one of Oprah’s favorite picks!
These retro Nike Cortez have the perfect cush for mom’s precious feet.
Chic leggings and a cropped hoodie always hit the mark for working and exercising from home.
Motivate mom to get her fitness fashion game on with this Carbon38 gift card!
Style meets function. Definitely a favorite fitness find that mom will love this year.
Help her stay hydrated all day long with this super stylish and self-cleaning bottle!
I hope you find something special for mom (or for yourself!) from this guide. Keep in mind, with so many people shopping online this year, there may be shipping delays, so don’t wait until the last minute. Now more than ever, moms are working overtime to keep their families balanced so show your appreciation by getting her a special gift this year!
xxMelissa
Click HERE to check out the original article on Who What Wear!
Meditation 101 with Suze Yalof Schwartz
As part of my guest blog series following the International Women’s Day post, I’m excited to add my friend Suze Yalof Schwartz, founder and CEO of the popular Los Angeles-based meditation studio and app Unplug Meditation.
I knew Suze from when we lived in NY and she was the Editor at Large for Glamour.com back in the day and hitting all the shows at New York fashion week. Suze worked in a high-pressured role as fashion editor, and “makeover guru” for Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire and Glamour Magazine with regular national television appearances on GMA, The Today Show, Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN and CBS Early Show as a style expert.
In November of 2012, the big idea came to Suze when she was taught a powerful three-minute breathing and guided visualization technique that transformed the stress she was under to calm. Blown away and wanting more, her teacher suggested meditation. Suze’s search for a place to easily learn meditation yielded disappointing results for a busy, working mother. The options were all time-consuming and expensive. Suze wondered, Where is the Drybar of meditation? Where you can walk in feeling icky and walk out feeling great? When Suze realized that meditation needed a makeover this was the beginning - Hello Unplug!
Unplug Meditation is the world's first drop-in, secular meditation studio with a wide variety of simple and eclectic classes led by the top experts and some of the best meditation teachers in the country. Clients range from ages 6 to 96, from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to the everyday stressed-out. Unplug’s clean, modern design calms you the instant you walk through the door or follow on the app.
Like all of us, Suze is a busy person and she believes that meditation can be delivered without excess fluff or fuss and she's on a mission to inspire everyone to join her and unplug for just a few minutes a day. In this series I will share with you Suze’s Meditation tips and tricks on how we can do that.
To start here are 5 reasons why meditation makes you happier:
Meditation shrinks the amygdala, the part of the brain that controls anxiety and fear. Less anxiety and fear translates to less stress. Less stress means more joy.
Meditation can lower the amount of cortisol in the body, otherwise known as the stress hormone. Less cortisol, less stress, more capacity for joy.
Meditation can provide a level of relief from symptoms of anxiety and depression similar to that of antidepressant drugs. Peace and happiness, no prescription needed!
Experienced meditators are able to dial down their daydreaming. This matters because when our minds meander, they usually drift into worry or rumination, so less mind wandering is associated with more happiness. Being present, it turns out, is a ticket to being happy.
Meditation increases the activity in the left prefrontal cortex - the happy, calm zone of the brain.
To see more on the science of why meditation can make you happier, read Suze’s post on MindBodyGreen
Click on images to shop essentials for relaxation and meditation!
Download the Unplug app with a free 7-day trial and start your mediation practice today…it can change your life!
xxMelissa