Latest Obsession

Last week's weather totally messed with my head, but as daylight savings is right around the corner I have to believe the warmer weather is too. Unfortunately with the warmer temps we will most likely experience Spring rain, which is why my latest obsession is a fashion staple - the classic trench. 

If you have yet to add one to your wardrobe I highly suggest you do as they are the mature gals rain gear and pair swimmingly with any outfit. Being an item that's good for Spring, Fall and Summer, you really can't feel guilty when purchasing one.

My Spring 2014 trench coat picks are as follows, but in no particular order:

1. Wander Trench $128  //  2. Peacoat Trench $298  //  3. Trim Trench Coat $129  //  4. All-Weather Hooded Trench $144  //  5. Double Breasted Raincoat $139  //  6. Zip Detail Trench $69

- Suzanne

Discussion Questions for When We Were the Kennedys: A Memoir

via

February's book club read was a breeze to get through!  Monica Wood presented a memoir about grief, healing and the many facets of a family unit going through tragedy, something not often touched on in literature.  Oprah has even had When We Were the Kennedys on her book list.  These emotions are pretty refreshing to experience in a book every now and then.  Since the book takes place in northern New England, there are a lot of interviews with Wood about her hometown and her memoir we so enjoyed (here, here and here)!  

Now, for some discussion questions on the book:

1.  Wood has said that the book started as fiction but then transformed into a memoir.  Do you think that was the right choice?  

2.  In the area of Mexico, Maine, residents seem to be mostly Catholic, but also of French, Irish and Italian descents.  How does religion influence Monica and her family as they struggle to come back together following her father's death?

3.  What are the major parallels you can draw between the Wood and Kennedy families?  

4.  Do you think Wood's title is accurate of the memoir?

5.  The book's reviews often touch on how Wood captured the end of the age of innocence in the US during this time period.  What evidence does the book give to support this?

6.  Do you feel that the writing was accurately descriptive of the 1960s?  Which other different time period, if any?

7.  What kind of realizations are brought to surface  for the Wood children following their father's death?  How does this affect their later lives?

8.  What grade would you give the book overall, A-F?  Why?

Our next read is And the Mountains Echoed, be sure to pick it up before your St. Patrick's Day antics start and read along with us!

- Meredith

Refinery29 is a JUGs go-to!

Many of you are familiar with Refinery29, but for those that aren't you must, must, must add this essential blog to your Feedly! In addition to great fashion roundups and celebrity gossip, R29 also covers everything a 20-something needs to know. From career advice, health & diet, to horoscopes and fun quizzes - this blog has it all. Remember, in high school, how excited you were when your issue of Seventeen came in the mail? This is essentially a grown-up, sophisticated, daily, web version of that!

Some of my fav recent posts include:

• The Real Truth About Toxins
• How to Eat Healthy on a Budget
• How to Get a Promotion
• Are you Funny? You Might Be Psychotic
• Those Exfoliating Beads in Body Wash? Yeah, They're Terrible for the Environment

Happy reading!

- Cameron

Ikea Discontinues the Expedit Shelving Unit

The interior design world is up in arms about a bookcase ever since Ikea announced they will be discontinuing their popular cubicle shelving unit, otherwise known as the Expedit series. The news shocked designers and fans alike because it is hands down the most popular Ikea item, which left many of us asking "why? "

After I got over my initial reactions - which mostly involved outrage over foiled plans for a fictitious walk in closet - I am happy to say that though I love the Expedit series, I think it is great what Ikea is doing. 

According to Gizmodo, Ikea is not getting rid of the concept all together. The replacement for the Expedit series will be called the Kallax and the square storage sections will be the same size but the outer casing of the unit will be thinner.

So then why such a small change? As environmental sustainability activists, Ikea not only plans to decrease their material costs but decrease material waste and over consumption by thinning out the unneeded parts of their products. 

An eco-friendly change up for the design community = I'm now into it. Bring it on Kallax!

For those of you that are still shedding tears, let's hope you built your Expedit correctly the first time around!

- Suzanne

Image Sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

The Week of February 24th

via

Well, gals, we had a wonderful preview of spring with this weekend's weather!  The start of spring just has to be around the corner.  I mean, Sullivan's is open, which is always a sign we're close!


E N T E R T A I N M E N T
Jimmy Fallon totally killed it during his first week.  My favorite moments were this and this.

Did you hear LiLo is resurfacing with a new reality show?  I'm gonna need to figure out how to get access to this since I don't think I have the OWN channel...

If you watch Pretty Little Liars (okay, I do too), you'll agree with this article!  Viewers have been tortured a lot this year (spoiler alert!).

One of my favorite shows to DVR, The Americans, comes back for its third season this Wednesday night.  And don't forget about the 86th Academy Awards this Sunday!  The Oscars are another sign of winter's end.  We'll surely have a fashion round-up for you in next week's coffee break!


L O C A L
Some friends and I checked out the Harpoon Beer Hall this past Saturday (walked there and back in the amazing weather, finally able to not have to wear boots!).  The environment, prices and staff were great!  I will be sure to return the next chance I have!

On a similar note, Yuengling beer is finally being served in the Hub!  The company has announced where you can find it in your favorite neighborhood bar, and it looks like Yuengling by the bottle is coming next week.

Yettttt another reality show about Boston's "finest," but now Marky Mark is featuring "blue collar" women from the area.  This cannot be positive for our city's reputation...


F I T N E S S
The Olympics sure brought us many highs and lows these past few weeks.  Which was your favorite event to watch?  Are you surprised by the US standings?

It has been twenty years since the epic Harding/Kerrigan battle on ice.  Did you catch the interview about this last night?

Fitbit bands have been widely popular this past year.  Although, the company just announced its "Force" line had to be recalled.  Hopefully the newer, improved, model is on its way soon!


AND, J U S T  B E C A U S E . . .

• I found this interesting, the evolution of the area code
• As much as I can't stand T.Swift, I had to share the pun about new BFFLs, Lorde & Taylor
• A hilarious commercial (NSFW) about being sexually responsible and natural condoms that donate proceeds to developing countries.
• Friends + finances just never mix well.
• An important article about cleaning your home and how there are always hidden spots for grime to hide!
• I am totally pre-ordering one of these bad boys as soon as they're available... I'd love Gray Malin with me all day, every day!  Let's also hope there is one for the iPhone6 (if that surfaces this year)!
• How to finally get rid of those pesky random people who add you on Linked In.

If you're new to JUGs, be sure to check back daily.  And remember, we'll have a new playlist for you on Saturday!  Hope you have a great week!

- Meredith

Sunday's True Confession

How to Clean Salt Stains off Your Boots

The photo above is an actual Boston sidewalk that I have to traverse every day to get to work. AHHHH! I mean, I love my bean boots, but some outfits simply require my leather riding boots. I can really only wear my leather boots 3 or 4 times before the salt and sand stains get so unsightly that they need a good cleaning. Luckily, I have become a master at quickly and easily cleaning the stains off my boots. Here's how its done:

1. Use a rag and warm water to wipe dirt and grime from your boots. 
2. Wet a rag with vinegar and scrub the stained and dirty portions of your boots. For best results, simply give the whole boot a vinegar scrub. 
3. Pat dry.
4. Next, evenly apply leather lotion or another type of leather moisturizer. This is an important step because vinegar can dry out the material and lead to cracking. 
5. Lastly, let dry. To keep boots cleaner longer, treat them with a waterproofing spray. 

Voila! 

- Cameron

Cooking Light with Instacart, Part 3

For our last healthy and affordable installment with Instacart I am sharing my new favorite recipe for asparagus. Asparagus ribbons with goat cheese, tomatoes, and lemon dressing is an easy and affordable side dish that could pair well with any dish or stand on it's own for as a light salad. Note: the only hard part is shaving the asparagus into pretty ribbons!

This dish fits in perfectly with my 2014 resolution to cook more, eat cleaner and shop less at over-priced local markets or Whole Foods. I'm sure many of you are like me and agree it's easy to collect yummy new recipes with the help of blogs and Pinterest, but it's hard to set aside time to go out and grab all the ingredients from a super market.

That's why Instacart, the same-day delivery service, is a savior for anyone living in the city without a car. Just select your location, the super market you'd like your groceries to come from and shop away! Huge perks - they deliver alcohol and have just added Costco to their list of grocery stores! I literally can't wait to perfect a few more recipes and start planning my next dinner party with the help of Instacart! 

Asparagus Ribbons with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes and Lemon Dressing from Cooking Light

I N G R E D I E N T S

1 pound large asparagus spears, trimmed

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon sugar 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

R E C I P E S

Hold each asparagus spear by the tip end. Shave asparagus into ribbons with a vegetable peeler to measure 3 cups. Reserve asparagus tips for another use. Combine asparagus and tomatoes in a medium bowl.

Combine chives and next 6 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt), stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over the asparagus mixture, tossing gently to coat. Top with goat cheese.

P R O M O   C O D E   A L E R T!

Wanna try out this recipe for yourself? Enjoy $10 off your first order of groceries with Instacart by using the code JUGS10 at checkout!

- Suzanne

PS - They also give you re-usable bags with every order! Pierre not included. 

Daily Read: MindBodyGreen

via

As much as I look forward to some of my favorite bloggers' daily posts, I follow a few sites that are a little less fashion-focused, and more about things in life some of us need to spend more time thinking about, such as happiness, personal growth and nutrition.  Enter, MindBodyGreen!

via

There are countless articles to peruse and bookmark for wellness inspiration.  Here are a few I've loved:

• 5 Exercises You Can Do on Your Way to Work
• 10 Healthy Snacks to Always Have on Hand
• Feng Shui Tips to Hang Your Mirrors
• If You Only Do 10 Yoga Poses, Do These

via

via

The articles are written by a well-versed and diverse group of professionals, such as psychologists, nutritionists, motivators, yogis and more to help you lead a more balanced life.  This site is a great resource for a the kick you might want to get your mind/body/green back!  Be sure to sign up for their daily newsletter or add them to your feedly/blog reader for endless inspiration!

- Meredith

The Week of February 17th

Hey y'all...Happy President's Day! With all these snow days it seems like I haven't had a full week in the office in weeks, but no complaints here! Now, let's check out some links that I've been really into since, like, yesterday...

A R T S   &   E N T E R T A I N M E N T
I know this has been all over the news but if you haven't seen it yet, please watch Ellen Page come out in her very honest, endearing and thought provoking speech at the Las Vegas conference for gay rights.

In lighter news, does anyone else watch The Killing and have a major crush on the relatively "under the radar" actor Joel Kinnaman? If not, here's a recent interview on his roles in his two new movies Robocop and Easy Money: Hard to Kill to help sway you. 1. Robocop doesn't sound that bad now, 2. who knew Joel was Swedish and 3. who knew he dates Olivia Munn?!

I can't get enough of Vulture's GIF-caps of the Olympics. They make missing even the most exciting competitions totally worth it.

You gotta watch this really cute charity pitch from our boys Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. I'd be so awkward if I won and went on the "besties double date" with them...


C A R E E R S   &   B U S I N E S S
Three things Bill Gates wishes he could've done 20 years ago. Totally in agreement #2 and #3.

Meet the young go-getter Ashley McCollum (26), VP of Business Development and Communications at Buzzfeed.


R E L A T I O N S H I P S  &   A D V I C E
We have so many dating apps (and even mistress apps), but where are all the monogamy apps?

This girl is happy she didn't meet her husband in college and I couldn't agree more.

10 things our parents were right about from The Thought Catalog.


S H O P P I N G   &   S T Y L E
As long as this weather keeps up we might as well stock up on some winter sale items. I love this, this, and this from Madewell, J.Crew and Club Monaco.

But seriously, when is it spring? I've just barely started to peek the spring fashions and already I want to wear this little dress!


B L O G O S P H E R E
Alex from Dreams & Jeans shared one of my favorite inspirational quotes as of late. It comes from Ira Glass and is all about trial and error, persistance, and pushing forth toward your best efforts, cheers to that!

Gabrielle Union's Mexican themed Galentine's Day party makes me want to have a Mexican night at my apt for all my gals, too! The colors are amazing and I love the little Ken dolls on the table!

I WISH I had room for a dining room table (or a dining room in general) in my tiny apartment because this $90 DIY table is amaze.

That's all folks. Have a great week!
- Suzanne

Photo

True Confession: I'm Obsessed with Adam Devine

Every now and then, someone "new" in Hollywood surfaces, and you develop a crush.  Mine has become an obsession.  After the first episode I ever saw of Workaholics, I new I was in love.  Let me count the ways...

He has stunning good looks:

He knows how to diet:

Similarly, he knows how to stay fit:

He likes kids:

He keeps his friends honest:

He knows how to kick back:

And, he knows we're meant to be.  SIGH.

photo sources here and here.

Winterlude Recap

Last week I had myself a little Ottawa adventure! Incase you missed my pre-trip post which explained my plans, I drove 7.5 hours up north with my boyfriend to partake in one of my favorite Canadian traditions, the Ottawa Winterlude. The Winterlude is a winter festival centered around the city's famous 6 mile long canal turned public skating rink. Up and down the canal you'll find food vendors, beer and wine vendors, carnival games and lots of locals and tourist enjoying the freezing temperatures. I'm sad the weekend ended so quickly but I'm excited that I finally whipped out my camera so I can share some of my favorite photos here with you gals! 

Here's a look at the start of the canal so you can see what it's like. Parliament Hill is in the backdrop (the castle building, not the ugly building).

Off the canal there are also lots of little vendors and events going on. I was lucky and caught a few music performances at a nearby stage as well as some figure skating performances at an inclosed rink. Above: Fresh home made frozen taffy stored in the snow, yum!

I was shocked to learn there are wine vineyards so far north but as the Wine Country Ontario reps told me, there is such a thing as cold weather vineyards! Very cool and very delicious... and yes I had trouble skating off 6 sippy cups.

Sometimes further down past the vendors you get the canal all to yourself!

I was taking a break and this girl was c-r-u-i-s-i-n-g...must've been a local. I love her red jacket!

Mermaid ice sculpture - I took this for you, Merm!

Obviously ended my 12 mile skate with beaver tails and poutine. 

Looking for recommendations on what to do in Ottawa? Message JUGs for more details!

- Suzanne

Hey Girl, Happy Valentine's Day

via

Everyone seems to be voicing either their love or love-for-hating today's holiday.  The JUGs are approaching it differently, with humor!  Whether you're spending tonight with a significant other, friends or are treating yo' self with a night of relaxation after the snow storm, we hope you enjoy!  And, as the ultimate pice of "mancandy," Ryan wants to let you know a few things...

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

What are your Valentine's Day plans?

- Meredith

Instacart Delivers Easy Recipe Ingredients

Last week, we told you about the awesome new app, Instacart. It is similar to Stop & Shop's Peapod program, except that Instacart has no minimum order amount and delivery is cheaper. Plus, Instacart lets you choose which market your foot comes from - Whole Foods or Shaws. The interface is user-friendly, and the shoppers are super nice. Since I live on a fifth floor walk-up, cheap grocery delivery is nothing short of a miracle! 

Needless to say, I am obsessed with Instacart. It makes ordering take-out much less appealing because you can get healthy groceries to your door at an affordable price. So what healthy & affordable meal did I whip up with my first batch of Instacart groceries? Spinach Artichoke Egg Salad. This is probably the easiest recipe of all time ladies, so you're welcome! 

Ingredients:

• 4 Organic, Cage-Free Eggs
• Whole Foods Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Organic Mayonnaise
• Organic Mustard
• Organic Parmesan Cheese
• Organic Paprika

Directions:

1. Put all four eggs into a small pot of water. Make sure the water covers the eggs and put on high heat. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 1 minute. 
2. Remove from heat and rinse boiled eggs in cold water.
3. Remove shells and cut eggs into small pieces. Place in medium mixing bowl.
4. Mix in 1/2 of the container of spinach artichoke dip. Stir.
5. Add 1 tablespoon mayo and 1 teaspoon mustard. Stir well.
6. Garnish with Parmesan and paprika to taste. 
7. Refrigerate for 1+ hours.
8. Enjoy! Serving suggestion: the salad is great in a pita! 

Wanna try out this recipe for yourself (or any other recipe for that matter)? Enjoy $10 off your first order of groceries with Instacart by using the code JUGS10 at checkout!

 Voila!

And, bonus, Instacart doesn't have to be just for food either - They can get ya anything that Shaws or Whole Foods carry in their stores - like these cute succulents!

- Cameron

Daily Read

In light of New York Fashion Week I'd like to share a blog (and visual eye candy) brought to us from one of my favorite brands, J.Crew.http://. 

The name J.Crew means a lot of things to many people, and as someone who has enjoyed watching the brand's style evolve since I first starting buying it in middle school, the name J.Crew gives me a feeling of excitement and trust knowing that I will always find items that resonate with me each season. Hello, these kicks, these jeans and this jacket? Did someone make these especially for me?!

Aside from the fact that the tumblr features beautiful people wearing beautiful things, what I love most about their tumblr is that it gives me that front row feeling as if I am right there in the work room playing fashion designer with their world class creative team. From concepting, moodboarding, fittings, stylings, test drives, to interviews - the blog sheds light on the company's talented creatives, processes and collaborations that bring our favorite pieces to life. No matter your stance on J.Crew, you've got to agree with me on the fact that this "insider view" is pretty freaking cool!

Favorite collaboration / process post as of late: J.Crew x New Balance 998 Inferno

Favorite interview post as of late: The New Potato 

Head over to J.Crew's tumblr for more! 

More of my favorite posts include this, this, and this (cutey warning). 

- Suzanne

All Images from J.Crew