February 2010

Wonka’s Back! And So Is The Golden Ticket

February 23, 2010 at 4:57 pm , by Rachel Shippy

Remember Wonka candy from back in the day? Well they never really went away… but now the sweetmakers once known for such classics as Bottle Caps and Laffy Taffy are all grown up and rolling out their new line of premium candies called ‘Wonka Exceptionals’ – what a makeover! We caught up with the folks from Wonka at New York’s own candy wonderland, Dylan’s Candy Bar (fittingly) to try some of their new creations. Although we loved sampling while we were at Dylan’s (who doesn’t want to try new candy while sitting at a table made of gumballs?), our real field testing was conducted back at the office—do you think this means the Editors of LHJ might have a candy problem? The real fruit juice taste and sour finish made the Pomegranate Fruit Marvels my personal pick (the snozzberries taste like snozzberries!) but based on how quickly they disappeared from my desk, I think the Scrumdiddlyumptious Chocolate Bar (pictured) won the fan favorite thanks to its toffee, peanut, and cookie pieces scattered throughout.

With Wonka’s new ‘Feed Your Imagination’ approach, you can’t NOT feel like Charlie as you bite into a big bar wrapped in iridescent, zainy paper (the packaging is as much fun as the candy!)… plus there’s a chance of finding 1 of 10 golden tickets that Wonka is distributing behind the wrappers of their new ‘Exceptionals’ chocolate tablet bars and bags of minis. Rather than a trip to a chocolate factory, golden ticket finders win a trip around the world with their loved ones while thousands of secondary prizes are being awarded to those who find a purple ticket. If you want to start your hunt for a ticket now, ‘Wonka Exceptionals’ are available at Dylan’s Candy Bar, and will begin hitting stores nationwide on March 1st. Prizes or not, we had a great time trying Wonka’s new premium candies because they stay true to what we all love about the original story—it’s  fun with a dash of fantasy.

Photos Courtesy of: Wonka / Debra Rothenberg

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Long Live McQueen

February 23, 2010 at 1:41 pm , by Sue Erneta

Going to fashion shows is a lot of work. OK, there. I said it. I know you think it’s all glamorous (and much of it is) but when you’re traveling for weeks on end, missing your loved ones, and sitting through mostly bad shows from 9 am to 11 pm, it can get a little tiring. This is what my life was like about a decade ago when I was a fashion editor for ELLE magazine. But then something changed my jaded view: I saw an Alexander McQueen show.

I was lucky enough to experience several of his mind-blowing productions. I like to describe his shows as the best theater performance that you can’t buy tickets to. From his Asylum show in London to the Shipwreck in Paris, I was always thrilled to sit there for as long as he would have me. Many young designers attempt to replicate his theatrics but it tends to fall flat if you don’t have the clothes to back it up. And he did. Of course, there were the over-the-top show stoppers but my favorite pieces were always the pieces that you could actually wear. One particular favorite was a tuxedo coatdress in which the lapel wrapped all the way around body. (This image is from a story we did while I was at ELLE). He was a master showman and a master tailor.

And though I never liked for his shows to end, one of my favorite parts of the presentation was when this genius designer came out for his bow. He always seemed so young and appreciative and humbled by all the adoration.

On February 11th, Lee Alexander McQueen took his own life. The fashion industry lost a true talent that day. He will be missed.

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Meet a Dove Chocolate Discoveries Chocolatier

February 22, 2010 at 6:08 pm , by Ron Kelly

Do recipes with names like Milk Chocolate Chai Mousse, Molten Cupcakes and Coconut Chocolate Granita (pictured) grab your attention? Have you drooled on your computer yet? If so, you’re my kind of people.

As someone who considers chocolate a major food group, I was intrigued by the concept of the Dove Chocolate Discoveries direct selling program, which enables women to become professional chocolatiers. They prepare, share and sell Dove chocolate treats, candy-making ingredients and kits, adult and family-friendly beverages, and more, all while gathering and entertaining with others who go cuckoo for all things cocoa. We at LHJ were even treated to a sample party last month, and I must come clean that I have just today kicked my Sea-Salted Caramel Collection habit that started that night. (Although I do have Dr. Drew on speed dial, just in case.)

What intrigued a lot of us here, though, was the lifestyle of a chocolatier. I mean, next to “rock star,” it’s possibly one of the coolest-sounding job titles around. So we followed up with one of our hostesses, Lisa Pagano, to get the inside scoop.

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Do Good Olympians

February 22, 2010 at 4:57 pm , by Amanda Wolfe

Have you been watching the Olympics as obsessively as we have? Curious about whether any of our favorite Olympians are also do-gooders at heart, we did a little research and learned about snowboarder Hannah Teter (who just won silver in the halfpipe event and was the halfpipe gold medalist in Torino).

Teter has been sponsoring a water sanitation effort in Kirindon, Africa for the last three years through her Hannah’s Gold foundation, which sells Vermont maple syrup to raise money for the project. (Teter also has a Ben & Jerry’s flavor named after her—Maple Blondie—and a portion of the proceeds also benefit her foundation.)

She also recently announced that she’s selling Sweet Cheecks underwear (“panties with purpose,” of course) and will be donating $5 from the sale of each pair to Doctors Without Borders. And if that wasn’t enough, she’s also giving any winnings from Vancouver to the Haiti relief effort.

We like Olympians with hearts of gold. (Sorry, just couldn’t resist.) Do any of your favorite winter athletes support charities?

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Get Fab Abs

February 22, 2010 at 3:50 pm , by jbrown

Fitness expert Nikki Glor, above, recently had a baby. Seriously. Needless to say, I will happily do whatever ab exercises she recommends since they clearly seem to be working. Nikki provided the instructions for one of my favorite moves of late, Thread the Needle. Trust me, you’ll feel this one the next day!

Lie in a side plank on your left elbow and hip, legs extended. Lift the hips off the floor to balance on the elbow and forearm and outside of your left foot (you can also stagger the feet so one is in front of the other for balance). Extend your right arm up (pic #1) and then bring it down to the ground and reach it toward the back of your mat, “threading the needle” underneath your left armpit (pic #2). Bring right arm back up toward the sky to complete one rep. (Nikki’s tip: Try not to sink in your left shoulder by keeping the core and left arm strong and dynamic.) Do 15 reps and repeat on the other side to complete the set. Work up to doing three sets.

Get Nikki’s newsletters, playlists, video demos and DVDs at nikkifitness.com.

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Reading Rainbow: Categorize Your Books By Color

February 22, 2010 at 11:57 am , by cdewet

Last Saturday it was too cold to go out, I had no wine, and I risked doing permanent damage to my brain if I watched Michael Galanes from WE tv’s Little Miss Perfect sing about rainbows and magic carpets one more time.

So I decided to reorganize my books by color. I know, it sounds like more fun than you can possibly imagine, but it actually was. It brightened my mood, and my decor! Give it a go, and color coordinate your books regardless of where you keep them—a bookshelf, a coffee table, or even just stacked on the floor. Bonus: It’s free and if you decide you don’t like it or get bored with your “reading rainbow” you can always change it back.

Photo by chotda.

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Get That Tax Refund

February 22, 2010 at 11:48 am , by Cherise Bathersfield

With the IRS auditing more tax returns than it has in years (yikes!), and LHJ Facebook members already planning how to use their upcoming refunds, I thought it might be nice to get some tips that might up your chances of actually getting—and keeping—that refund. Financial planner and veteran H&R Block tax associate Wilma Hayes says patience, organization and research are the key.

Tax day is looming but don’t stress if your W-2 hasn’t arrived yet. It’s tax time for big business too so they could be bogged down in paperwork. Call at the end of the month if your mailbox is still empty.

If you’re not already, get organized. Create a “tax” space—a place in your home or office where you keep all your pertinent tax docs, and make a checklist of the documents and receipts that you have and those that are still pending. H&R Block offers a free checklist on their website.

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