Day: October 16, 2019

October 17, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin’s weekly podcast with her sister—Elizabeth Craft—never fails to serve up happiness tips that are at once effective and simple. Recently on the appropriately titled The Happiness Project, after Rubin’s best-selling book, the expert in all things joy dished out a “chaffle” (yup, that’s cheese waffle) recipe that’s been bringing glee to her tastebuds. And, here’s the best part: it only calls for three-ingredients. Rubin, whose currently eating low-carb, explains that her trainer introduced her to the snack-slash-toast-alternative. To try it for yourself, just combine one egg, a spoonful of almond flour, and a handful of shredded cheese.  Heat up your electric waffle iron—and watch the magic happen. Rubin’s voice practically bubbles over with excitement as she says: “I’ve had one or two a day. They’re delicious. They take, like, one minute to make; they’re super healthy, super low-carb; and they’re very, very filling.” If that’s not a ringing endorsement from someone who’s dedicated her life to the pursuit of happiness, then I don’t know what is. “I’ve had one or two a day. They’re delicious. They take, like, one minute to make; they’re super healthy, super low-carb; and they’re very, very filling.” —Gretchen Rubin, happiness expert Although Rubin doesn’t specifically call eggs out as a mood-booster in the episode, it’s important to note that yolks and whites in your chaffle are working to boost your mood. You see, eggs contain vitamin D, which helps your body produce serotonin (the

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October 16, 2019 at 09:59PM by CWC I would say the top things that make me really, incredibly upset are 1) an overly tardy Seamless order when I’m hangry, 2) people that walk slowly in my path, and 3) a chipped manicure. While the first two can be fixed by a simple snack or a maneuver around the person in your way, the third scenario is more of a longer-lasting bummer that sends me into a spiral of despair. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. The founder and CEO of LA-based nail salon Olive & June, Sarah Gibson Tuttle, blew my mind with her insider tricks on making a mani last much longer than the usual handful of days (you know, like your pedicure weirdly does). “Our biggest mani-saving trick is to apply a thin layer of top coat every third day,” says Tuttle. “This will really extend the life of your mani because it acts as a layer of defense against everything your hands are interacting with.” She shows me her seven day-old manicure that she did this trick on, and I swear it looked like they were freshly painted an hour before. Your cuticles also play a major role in keeping your manicure looking just-done. “Definitely apply a cuticle serum every day to hydrate the skin around your nails and your cuticles,” says Tuttle (Olive & June makes an easy-to-swipe-on serum for this for $16). “Not only will it make your mani look like you just stepped

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October 16, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC There are at least 100 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, according to The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (aka the one and only NASA). For the amateur stargazer, the night sky can be a playground for your imagination. And now, with a little curiosity—and yes, a decent amount of outdoor space—you can capture the stars and planets in a crisp, mesmerizing image on your smartphone. On Tuesday, Google introduced the Pixel 4 and its astrophotography feature, Night Sight 2.0: a brand-new way to take photos the kind of star-studded photos you see in the pages of National Geographic. In order to take full advantage of the new camera capability, you have to “travel away from the city lights, and start shooting 90 minutes or more after sunset.” Once you’ve found a dark spot, simply point your phone toward the sky as it rests on a steady surface, tap “capture,” and leave it be until the countdown timer says the image is ready. Then, go ahead—let your jaw drop. All Photos: Google While you’re making your camera roll that much more beautiful, awe-inspiring, and ‘grammable, you’ll also be surrounding yourself with nature when you otherwise might be indoors. Research has indicated that making time to frolic in nature (or, you know, sit down and ponder the enormity of the universe) comes with a wide range of health benefits. Spending time outside has been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stress, high

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October 16, 2019 at 07:00PM by CWC About a month ago, while in Thailand with Airbnb Animal Experiences, I walked into a massage parlor. I had no idea what a Thai massage entails, and was solely focused on getting my muscles some TLC after hiking. Quickly I learned that Thai massages are pretty freaking intimate, not at all what I was expecting, and also—most importantly—fantastic for the body and mind to experience. It’s also not offered exclusively in Thailand. “Thai massage is a kind of dance with gentle stretches and movements that are continuously being engaged in between the muscle-tension release and activation of acupressure points along the Sip Sen lines,” says Thai massage practitioner Leslie Lyons, founder of One Mi Body in New York City. Below, learn about what, exactly, the Sip Sen are, along with all the other facets of how traditional Thai massage works and what to expect from your first session. With Thai massage, muscle tension is drawn from you “Most people who have ever had massage of any kind will be familiar with muscle-tension release,” says Lyons, who worked with doctors at Chiang Mai University for nearly four decades using massage as physical therapy. “This is laying on the muscles with pressure and then releasing or sometimes using body oil with a sliding technique.” With a Thai massage, though, there is no sliding along the body, save for some parts of the neck or feet. “The technique is a rhythmic flow of laying on the

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