I have to say…this recession we’re in seems to be taking a bit of a bigger toll on all of us than we might have originally thought.  Dragging on longer than some of us more optimistic ones had thought.  So many of my friends are out of work.  So many of my friends with small businesses are struggling.  So many people that I know seem to have just given up.  But over the last year my outlook about this entire thing has come full circle.  I did a post, last year, that discussed benefits the recession would have on your lounging schedule.  Because whether you call it lounging or not, staying at home instead of going out is the only option for so many right now.  So you might as well make the most of it.

Here, I’ll highlight some of my previous recession lounging tips and add on a few more.

Last Year…
I wrote about shopping at my local Latin grocery store where produce was too cheap to be true!  Great meals at home are really nice and economical, but the wrong shopping destination can make them equally as expensive as going out.

This year…
Since the recession forced the doors closed on my Latin grocery store, I’m all over Trader Joe’s.  I mean, I love Whole Foods as much as the next person, but eggs cost double what you can get them for at Trader’s.  I also occasionally visit Fresh and Easy.  Not as great as Trader Joe’s but I do eat a lot of popcorn and it’s really cheap there for some reason.  Costco can also be great for SOME things (produce, salmon, Kirkland’s vinegar).

Last Year…
I wrote about ordering cheap Thai food or Pizza when you really don’t feel like cooking and you want to stay in and keep within your budget.

This Year…
If I’m being honest, that cheap pizza was really bad.  A frozen gourmet pizza from the grocery store costs the same thing and tastes better.  But since I’m on this new health kick, I have to say that I cook ALL the time.  This eating in has forced me to eat the best I ever have.  Check out some of my easy, favorite recipes that keep me healthy and more than happy about home cooking.  You can even turn these meals into dinner parties and invite friends.

Last Year…
I mentioned I had to cut out my Netflix due to lack of time and look at Blockbuster every now and then. I also began to focus on my overfilled Tivo.

This Year…
I found a new movie option.  It’s not super convenient, but the Redbox is great if you want to see a movie now and know you can return it within 24 hours.  You can even reserve them online! Not a perfect solution, but they usually have all of the new releases and you can return them to any Redbox, not just the one where you picked up your movie.  So that’s a plus.

This year I’m also trying to spend more time reading.  It’s an old method of entertainment but a good one!  I even heard that more people are taking advantage of public libraries.  I, personally, don’t have a library card for the Los Angeles Public Library, but as soon as I finish this post, I plan to go online and see if I can apply online.  I’m a big fan of sharing books and swapping them with friends.  I also know you can rent movies at the library, so that may be an option for many as well.

We’ll all make it through these rougher economic times.  Many of us just have to approach things a little differently.  I see it as a time to really work on things that I need to work on like my mind (through reading more), my spirit (through keeping faithful and hopeful about the future) and body (through healthier eating at home and with friends).

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I have to admit, I am guilty just like everyone else when it comes to over-snacking while lounging around.  Snack time has turned into snack day! I mean…one of the best parts of lounging is eating crap you shouldn’t.  The other  night, my plan was to go to yoga.  Work out hard after eating my healthy salad.  Then, I would come home, put the computer down and relax, read, and watch some Ugly Betty.

All throughout my yoga class, all I could think about was Haagan Dazs chocolate ice cream.  I knew it was on special at my neighborhood Gelsons and I couldn’t get it out of my mind.  So, when I was on my way home from yoga, I stopped by that Gelsons to get some of that Haagan Dazs chocolate.  I told myself that even if I got a pint, I would only eat half.  But, I was a pig and polished it off.  That sooooo was not a part of my plan, but I can’t give my weakness too much energy and beat myself up too much.  I am human, plus…I’m not the first one and I certainly won’t be the last one to eat an entire pint of Haagan Dazs in one sitting.

So here are my suggestions to not turning a good lounge session into a monster caloriefest.  This is what I USUALLY do when I don’t fall victim to my weakness for sweets!

1. Just say no in the grocery store.
   If I don’t have it in the house, it’s just better.  It’s pointless for me to believe that I’m going to practice self control with good junk food in my pantry.  If it’s not there, there’s less of a chance that I’m going to get myself up to drive and get something from the store.
2. Keep some emergency snack food on hand.
   My friend Elisabeth is always telling me how she keeps dark chocolate squares around to kill that sweet tooth craving.  I need to buy some.  When I want something salty, I’ve started popping real popcorn on the stove and adding just a little salt.  I do use a little canola oil, but it’s better than potato chips.  It’s so good when you want to satisfy that salty craving.
3. Learn to cook some healthy dishes.
   I definitely know how to cook some things that aren’t so healthy.  But over the years, I’ve been working on making some healthier dishes.  This prevents me from calling out for pizza or making a run to In-N-Out Burger. If I make super healthy tacos or a great piece of grilled salmon, I don’t want trash food. Even a great salad will kill the craving.

I know that sometimes I don’t even care and just WANT some good junk food.  But over the past couple of years, I’ve let it get the best of me. So whether I stick to my healthy, lounge food options or not, I thought I’d share what is working for me at the moment. Let us know what is working for you!

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Eve’s Apples Lingerie Blog is doing a fun giveaway with Erin Braxton Loungewear.  Go to www.evesapples.blogspot.com for details.

Lounging is a practice that can take many forms.  Dragging around the house, alone, with not a care as to how you look.  Hanging out by the pool or beachside with an umbrella drink and a good book.  Snuggling up with your significant other with your latest Netflix pick.  Or chilling on the patio at your favorite restaurant with girlfriends.

However you do it, I continue to find the importance of finishing the lounging look without letting it all go to hell.  When alone you may tell yourself, “I’m by myself, who cares what I look like right now?”  But what if you decide to run outside and walk the dog?  Are you going to just throw on your street shoes and go out as is?  What if you run into someone? What if a cute neighbor drops by to borrow some ketchup?

When you’re hanging out with the girls, having a leisurely lunch at your neighborhood spot, you may tell yourself, “I’m just out with my girls.  Why should I bother to try? It’s just the girls.” But then you run into someone you know or someone you’d like to GET to know and all of a sudden you’re ducking and dodging because you look a mess!  That happened to me for the last time a few weeks ago when I literally ran away from a cutie trying to converse with me for fear he’d see it wasn’t one of my better days.

During poolside and/or beachside lounging we usually look a bit better.  But it’s possible, when in public settings such as these, you could be thinking, “I’m out here just trying to relax and focus on me, today.  I’m not trying to be cute for these people.  This is MY time.” But you never know who you could see.  There’s nothing worse than being caught out there looking less than, when you know your best can be more than what others are currently seeing.

So as I mentioned, I was recently in a situation when I was literally fleeing from a cute guy because I was out looking ridiculous.  Baseball cap on, crappy jeans, nobody’s makeup…just not my best me.  And I don’t require much.  Most of us don’t.  A little effort can go a long way.  So whether you’re lying around the house or running to the market or lounging around with friends, follow these simple rules and not only will you look better, you’ll feel better about the way you look which really makes you your cutest!  Even if you are just lounging.

1. Keep the basics in check.  Stay consistent with your pedicures.  Your feet speak volumes about you and every girl loves looking at her feet when they’re freshly pedicured (or maybe that’s just me loving to look at myself all the time).
2. Make sure your eyebrows stay shaped.  Even if your hair isn’t on point, with eyebrows in order, your face will always look pretty.
3. Keep your lips shiny at all times.  Shiny lips are super cute and sexy.  My favorite lip gloss at the moment is Juicy Tubes Hallucination.  I have gotten so many compliments when I wear that gloss.  I know we’re in a recession and $18 lip gloss may be a little too extravagant for some, but this one is worth it if you can swing it.

Whether you’re looking to meet Mr. Wonderful or just tired of looking tore down, I guarantee that when lounging or just in a leisurely mood, a little effort goes a long way.

Style tip: My most recent favorite in/out lounge look is the super lounge tee, a colorful silk scarf doubling as a headband and some Haviana flips.  That look coupled with some good gloss and and my Westie have proven to be far more affective than my sweats and baggie tees.

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As a chronic internet user, browsing the world wide web has become a part of my constant entertainment. Not having a blackberry until almost 2 years ago, I wasn’t as addicted to email and staying connected as I am today. But it was pretty bad even then.

Now, it’s become so bad, that I sleep with my blackberry and before I even get out of bed, I pick it up to see my emails! Is that not pathetic? Especially coming from the Lounge Queen. I pride myself with knowing what it takes to kick back, relax and enjoy my down time, but I seem to be having a problem, lately, taking my own advice.  So here’s what I’m going to start doing  in order to disconnect and unwind properly.

1. Either leave the Blackberry in the living room out of the bedroom until I’m up and ready for work, or turn off the radio frequency so emails are not coming through all night.

2. Put my computer and blackberry down after 9pm.  I know that’s late for some, but that’s pretty good for me.  At least it can be a start.  (As I type it’s almost 11pm!)

3. Only check emails at dedicated times throughout the day so I don’t get distracted from my work and/or downtime.

4.  Read more!  The computer has become my entertainment and I feel bad about that.  I have tons of books waiting on me.

5.  Quit interrupting my meals and down time to respond to emails or text messages.  When I’m with others it’s so rude and seriously…there’s little that is so pressing it can’t wait.

Putting these few things into action will be hard, but it must be done.  The three things I can’t seem to live without these days are my TIVO, my Blackberry and my computer, but they’re taking over and I have to get some balance back!

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Cozying up on the couch in front of my Tivo is great.  Curling up with a good novel can be even better.  Sometimes being a couch potato is just what the doctor ordered.  That mindless, passive activity is what so many of us need these days to mentally escape from the drama of our lives.  But sometimes it’s just not enough.

I was always active.  Then, I moved to L.A., one of the best places in the country to be active…and I got passive.  I was consumed with my business.  Stressing myself out it all the time.  Glued to my laptop, running around town to meet with vendors, eating crap food on the go.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love being a business owner.  I just had to learn to balance the business with my life.  I had to get back to that person I used to be without letting the business get in the way of my well-being and the stress-free lifestyle that I’m actively trying to create.

So…my passive lifestyle was not my friend.  I am pretty active as far as my business goes, but I wasn’t doing any type of workout on a regular basis.  I would walk my dog everyday, and even he was getting lazy, stopping to sightsee halfway down the hill refusing to go any further.

Having loved power yoga ever since I first tried it over 7 years ago, I wanted to bring it back into my life.  I used to be a fiend for it, breaking my neck to get to my yoga class.  And I felt awesome.  But when I came to L.A., the yoga capital of the world, I didn’t keep it a part of my life.  I would walk, hike, and occasionally get to a yoga class, but my exercise was inconsistent.  I wasn’t committed.  So in January, I decided to begin my training for yoga teacher certification at Earth’s Power Yoga.

At first I thought I just wanted to use the training as a way to get back into the practice.  I was almost looking for something and/or someone to hold me accountable…forcing me to practice.  During the training, I’m required to go 4 times a week so I thought this would be perfect for me.  But throughout the process, I’m learning that I really enjoy teaching.  Plus, I’m beginning to need it.  I’m becoming addicted to the adrenaline rush of that intense workout, again.  Yoga has been so good to me, and I want to bring it to others.  It helps me relax, sleep better, unwind after a stressful day, and escape.  It’s what I call “active lounging.”  You get all the benefits of lounging, but while moving.

Maybe yoga isn’t your thing.  That’s totally possible.  Maybe you prefer running or spinning or swimming.  Whatever you enjoy, just get up and do it.  Sometimes it’s really hard to get going, but when you do, you really do feel better, relax better and are able to lounge better when the time comes.  This type of active lounging is the perfect compliment to your best passive lounging.

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Hey Loungewear Lovers,

The Lingerie Post blog featured my line on their site, and I am offering a kimono robe giveaway on their site!  Check it out for details.

This past weekend, my loungewear was featured in Black Satin’s Fashion show.  The show was held at the nightclub Blush in the Wynn.  Very cool show.  The runway was the actual bar!  It was fun!