owning it

March 27, 2012

"What do you do?" - the inevitable question that has become increasingly challenging to respond to. It used to be so easy when I worked for someone else and they told me what I did - I was intern, a manager, a marketing director...easy, it said so on the company business cards. Now that I'm pursuing freelance work in graphic design and photography - while writing this blog, doing DIY projects for this one, and running an online shop - I find myself scrambling for the right words when someone asks me the now very existential question. I do many different things in addition to my work pursuits like jogging, learning how to speak Italian and play the guitar, sew, play backgammon, go to the movies...

Unfortunately those other things aren't what people are asking about as we live in a world where titles rule. Since that's the case, why is it so hard to give myself a title? Better yet, why is it so hard to own it? Whatever you devote your time, energy, and/or interests to should be free-game to claim as "what you do" - and proudly so. Work-wise I have a crazy hang up about what I think I need to be doing in order to properly call myself this or that (have x number of clients, be making x amount of money, etc) when really, I'm already doing it! Now I just need to say it.

This goes for not being employed as well. When I moved to London with Joe, and hadn't quite figured out what I wanted to do, it was almost embarrassing to admit that I was a quasi stay-at-home wife. I was reluctant to own the title because those domestic aspirations had never been on my radar, in fact, they were completely foreign. I was a working girl and had grown to identify my personal worth with whatever my current job title happened to be. Looking back, my insecurity was ridiculous because a) a job shouldn't define who you are and b) taking care of the home, or for you mamas out there, taking care your kids all day is work, too. I invested a lot of time and energy setting up our new lives here and it wasn't any less valuable than sitting at an office desk for eight hours a day. When I think about my sister, who left a thriving career to take on the most important, difficult, and rewarding job of her life as a new mom, I couldn't be more proud. Even though it took her some time to recognize her new role, she now owns it like a rock star and the proof is in the pudding - those girls have more love and confidence than anyone I know!

We all take on different roles in different stages of life but whatever we do, we must give ourselves credit for it...new studies, new careers, new hobbies, new family. Everything has its worth and we owe it to ourselves to own it wholeheartedly. No excuses, no shame, no shyness, no whatever...the pursuit is ours and it should be celebrated every step of the way.

Have any of you experienced something similar in a new role or with a new pursuit?

(image: vintage wood type blocks from Portobello Market)

it's an app app world

March 22, 2012

el rastro frame wall When I look at my iPhone I still can't believe what it's capable of doing. I mean, I remember having to wait in line at my High School's payphone to call my parents for a ride home after track practice was cancelled. The fact that I now have a neatly arranged digital wall of services and tools (with phone capabilities) ready to launch at the tap of a finger is still absolutely mind-blowing. And yet, I can't imagine my life without it. On a previous post I mentioned a few London transportation apps that save me in this city and one of you commented that you'd love to hear what those were plus more. So, here are several of my favorite apps in different categories that make my everyday things, tasks and thoughts more simple and efficient.

{To-Do List} Teux-Deux - a clean and minimal interface that acts (and reacts) like a real to-do list. It literally looks like a simple list, no bells and whistles with color-coding or categories. Just the way I like it. It also features the very important "someday" section for all of those thoughts and action items that don't have a specific timeline. Available online plus mobile app.

{Travel} TripIt - free itinerary management system that organizes your travel booking details in an easy to read/use package. Once you book your flight, hotel, car rental, etc, simply forward the booking confirmation emails to their designated address and voila! You can share trips with other users, add them as travelers, or email details to friends and family. The app is extremely handy when you need to reference a flight number or check-in time at a hotel - all of the info is there without having to sift through old emails. Also, it's accessible offline which really helps when you're in another country and have your data roaming turned off!

{When in London} TubeMap - fed by Transport for London (TFL), TubeMap gives live service updates, departure times, and plans your trip based on the fastest route or the fewest line changes. It's also a much more savvy way to refer to the actual Tube Map instead of the fold out paper one provided for free at each station - a dead giveaway for tourists and newbies (I was guilty for two months).

Bus Mapper - a Google Map function shows you where you are, what buses are near you, and which one to take to get to your destination. It offers several route options with total travel times and expected bus arrivals - it's been a life saver in a town where the bus system is great but can get a bit confusing.

{Read Later} Instapaper - don't have time to read something you've just come across online? Instead of emailing it to yourself or bookmarking it in hopes that you return to it later, use Instapaper's applet or forwarding email address to save the article, plus images, into your own feed. I love this more than words can explain primarily because I can access my saved articles offline. A major plus given that the Tube is an internet dead-zone and it's when I actually DO have the time to read long, in-depth pieces.

{Cooking} Foodily - a simple and visual recipe aggregator from the top sites and blogs on the web. What makes it stand out is that you can search for recipes with a single ingredient. For example, I buy chickpeas but have no idea what to pair them with. I type in "chickpeas" and up comes dozens of recipes for a complete meal or side dish. Ingredients, time to cook, and nutrition values are all presented up front and you can save and search by different categories like "quick" "vegetarian" "low fat" etc. All of this in a clean and modern user interface really motivates me to cook!

{Staying in Touch} WhatsApp - free text and MMS with other users from anywhere in the world. This one is big because it allows for my friends in the States and I to text as usual without incurring any extra costs! It works off of your existing data plan and can be used on different types of phones - so yes, iPhone friends can chat with their Blackberry or Droid buddies for free, too.

{International Conversions} Units - a simple, calculator-like, conversion app for anything from currency to weight. It has been extremely helpful since almost every unit of measure in the UK is different from the States. It's a trusty travel companion too for figuring out current exchange rates wherever you are as well as for buying fabrics by the meter versus by the yard. I know it's simple math but I'd rather let the app do the thinking on this one.

{Dining} Matchbook - a well-designed and easy to use app to save "places" you want to check out or re-visit. I LOVE this one and use it often while reading restaurant reviews or skimming through local newsletters that mention a new cafe or bar in town. You can save each place within neighborhoods, categories, and tags and when you're out and about, simply open the Google Map feature and it'll show you which "saved" places are near you. So great for never missing a good meal or drink ... I was the queen of "oh, I read about a place but I don't remember the name or street it's on" - never again!

So there you have it, my top app picks. Do you use any of these or have ones that I must check out??? Always up for finding new ones to make life easier and more organized.

(image: wall of vintage frames at El Rastro flea market. Reminds me of my iPhone screen with different frames of apps :)

nail me about it

March 13, 2012

I'm back to spending GBP and boy is it tough to do after paying much less for things in the States. When we first moved here I adapted to the exchange rate quickly but the one thing I still cannot let myself buy/pay for in London is a mani-pedi from a salon. First, I'm extremely picky as to where I get my nails done. If I can smell chemicals or see wall-to-wall carpet on the floor, I'm not going in there. Second, I do care about ambiance. I don't need a spa but I also don't want to feel more stressed out than when I arrived after loud TVs or constant chatter becomes too much.

Back in LA I had two great go-to spots that were soothing, professional, and best of all very affordable at $25 a visit. In London, however, the cheapest places I've found (and I'm talking about the chemical ridden ones) are £30, so about $47. I literally spent the first three weeks I was here popping into every salon I saw to get pricing and a "feel" for each. I never found what I was looking for so the next step was to finally learn how to do my own. I've always painted my nails but charging towards my own cuticles with a sharp object sort of terrified me. A year later it's one of my obsessions. I've mastered using the cuticle cutter and love the indulgent feeling of the almond oil stick from The Body Shop. The Priti NYC nail polish I use makes the whole process easy since it's fast drying and non-toxic (and lasts so long!). I'm waiting for another sale on Pure Citizen to snatch up more colors because the price tag definitely matches the quality. Then again, I've saved so much money doing my own nails that I'm sure I can splurge on a few new hues for spring. Are there any beauty treatments that you can't bring yourself to pay for or simply prefer to do on your own?

advanced home economics

January 24, 2012

The most formal training I'd ever had in cooking was in seventh grade during my home economics class where we learned how to make pancakes and fry an egg. Something obviously didn't stick because it took fifteen years to become interested in taking another food related course.

This past weekend I spent the day at the new lab kitchen of London Cuisine in Southwark. I found them online during the Christmas break after getting frustrated about not understanding the basics. Like, why does my oil always burn? What does all that steam mean - good or bad? I know it may sounds ridiculous to you long-time chefs but that's where I was at. Totally clueless. While trial and error is often the best way to learn new things, I didn't love that approach when food was involved. Getting things wrong kept resulting in a big wast of money and leaving us with a bowl of cereal for dinner. So, the way I looked at it was this one time investment in a class would save us money in the long run by giving me the confidence to cook well and more often at home ... Joe can't do it all of the time! Actually, I was perfectly fine with him doing all of the cooking but now I want in.

The class was called "Cooking For Blokes" but of course, ladies are welcome. It was a small group of five and the men who were there had been given the class as a Christmas gift. We started at 10am and had two separate cooking sessions with detailed instructions and demonstrations before each one. It was a nice surprise to realize that we'd be making actual dishes and not simply learning to boil water! Those basics and principles were taught, however, through the preparation of each dish and open Q&A's throughout the day. We made nine items ranging from parmesan biscotti to french potato soup but my personal favorites were the neapolitan peasant pasta, smoked mackerel and herb fishcakes, and mediterranean tabelleh. Everything was super easy to prepare and to cook but what made all of the difference was understanding the methods to achieve the best consistency, texture, and get the most flavor.

Here are some of the tips I learned...

• never put oil into a cold pan. to get the most out of your oil before it reaches its smoking point you should always heat the pan first, add any high moisture ingredients and then add your oil. otherwise you waste the oil's lifespan and effectiveness for flavor.

• always add dry herbs last and cruch/rub in fingers before doing so to release essential oils.

• there's no need to add oil to water when boiling pasta nor after the pasta has been drained. instead, drain the pasta and immediately run cold water over it to stop it from cooking. then place back in dry pot to keep warm.

• salt burns before fat so unsalted butter is best when cooking with it.

• flour should be high in protein for the most flavor. supermarket brands are often low on this so it's best to compare when shopping.

• the thinner the cucumber the better because the wider they get, the more water content they have (less flavorfull)

• not one oil can/should do it all: olive oil is best for everyday cooking, virgin olive oil is best with indirect heat but should be not directly cooked with in a pan, and extra virgin olive - which has the lowest smoking point - should only be used for on-the-plate coating once ready to be served.

Did any of these surprise you? Agree or disagree? I'd love to hear from you seasoned cooks out there ... I've got more confidence now but I know that there's still a lot to learn!

All content is original work by Ana Maria Muñoz unless otherwise stated. Please share nicely when pinning and re-posting. Giving credit is caring...and cool.