By Elissa Rosenthal
Two weeks ago I was contacted through twitter by the band called The Sugar Ponies. I was asked to watch their music video on their song "Give This Girl a Break", the link for which I will provide HERE , and to give some constructive feedback. In reply I checked them out and found that I love their sound. Then, given that they asked me to give some criticism, I felt compelled to. I respect the ability to put yourself out there and ask outsiders their opinions so you can become better, and I encourage my audience to do the same with my posts as they see fit. As I have said at the end of every post I want the comments section to be a conversation where opposing ideas can be discussed in a civilized manner.
Given that the music video I watched was their very first music video it is completely understandable why some improvements could have been made, all of which I told the band through my twitter response. They were very polite and thanked me for the criticism I provided and were lovely people to talk to even during the brief conversation we had through twitter. Heart emojis abound! So, since they were being so nice and I was starting to look more into their music I asked on twitter if I could do a post about them and here we are! They thanked me for asking and said yes! 😃 💗
The Sugar Ponies are an indie band with a blend of rock, pop, country, and folk sound. They are based in San Francisco and produced their first album in 2009 called I Better Better. They have recently released their new album It's A Sign which is available to purchase on their website, HERE . The new album, according the bio page on the, The Sugar Ponies website, is produced by Ed Stasium, a big league in the producing industry, having worked with the Ramones, Talking Heads, the Smithereens, and Living Colour.
Their sound is unique and their lyrics pull you in. The vocalist, Suzanne Kramer, has a pretty, yet mature tone while singing which creates an atmosphere where you can lay back, relax, and enjoy a cup of tea. My favorite song right now of theirs is their song "Lately", link HERE . The percussion and stings are showcased so perfectly in this song I find myself wanting to do a little jig. The guitarist, Michael McGovern and vocalist, Suzanne Kramer have been together since 2004 and take inspiration from several different musical artists and it shows.
There of course are other members in the band who are incredibly talented as well. These people are, Kenny Aronoff, Jason Slota, Tim Vaughan, Aaron Leigh, Jamie White, Tony Glaser, Austin de Lone, Ed Stasium, Danny Allen, and Rebecca Roudman.
I highly recommend looking at their music and following them on their twitter @sugarponies !
A giant thank you to the band, The Sugar Ponies, for allowing me to post about their band! I hope they go far and do enormously well with this new album release!
I am not sponsored by The Sugar Ponies, this post was done purely out of my love for their music.
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Saturday, November 26, 2016
Celiac Life: Favorite Beauty Shops of 2016
By Elissa Rosenthal
Ever since I was, well to be honest, born, I have had very sensitive skin. Not so sensitive to where it bursts out in hives to any sent, but sensitive enough to where the only detergent my body has ever agreed with has been the kind made for infants.
Now, I do not know exactly if my sensitive skin has anything to do with my celiac. Quite a few say the gluten molecule is too big to go through the skin barrier in articles like "A Glutton for Gluten: Should Skin Care Be Gluten-Free?" by Dr. Diana Howard , or in an answer by Dr. Michael Picco published by the Mayo Clinc answering "I have celiac disease. Do I need to be concerned about sunscreens, shampoos and cosmetics that contain gluten?" . Though their statements are very possibly true, in that unless you ingest the gluten nothing will happen, I encourage you as a fellow celiac to determine a few risks.
Note: As someone with Celiac disease you should always look for lipstick, toothpaste, and any other beauty or body product which will go in your mouth as gluten free.
Ever since I was, well to be honest, born, I have had very sensitive skin. Not so sensitive to where it bursts out in hives to any sent, but sensitive enough to where the only detergent my body has ever agreed with has been the kind made for infants.
Now, I do not know exactly if my sensitive skin has anything to do with my celiac. Quite a few say the gluten molecule is too big to go through the skin barrier in articles like "A Glutton for Gluten: Should Skin Care Be Gluten-Free?" by Dr. Diana Howard , or in an answer by Dr. Michael Picco published by the Mayo Clinc answering "I have celiac disease. Do I need to be concerned about sunscreens, shampoos and cosmetics that contain gluten?" . Though their statements are very possibly true, in that unless you ingest the gluten nothing will happen, I encourage you as a fellow celiac to determine a few risks.
Note: As someone with Celiac disease you should always look for lipstick, toothpaste, and any other beauty or body product which will go in your mouth as gluten free.
Some Risks to Think Over Before Not Looking For Gluten Free Beauty Care As A Celiac
1) How likely are you to touch your face and then your mouth or around your mouth?
2)Are you planning on having any part of your hands be part of your beauty routine and how often do you think your hands will go near your mouth?
3)Do you think you can wash your hair and body perfectly without any splash back going into your face and therefore, perhaps, into your mouth?
Now Do You Want Gluten Free Beauty Care?
I chose from day one of finding out I had celiac disease to go as gluten free as I possibly could with my beauty care. The only part I have become a little relaxed with is my sunscreen because it has no gluten containing ingredients, but has no testing for cross-contamination. Plus, I do not put any on my hands during the day to day and when I do I make sure not to touch my face. The brand I currently use is Hawaiian Tropic. Here is a link to buy it on Amazon, I am not sponsored. Please make sure to check their current formula before you buy, since beauty product producers change their ingredient lists all the time! The year I checked to see if the formula was gluten free was in 2015. I will also be checking their formula the next time I get some.
My main tip: Check formulas and call customer service if you can for any beauty products you buy as a celiac!
The Brands/ Stores I Currently Trust 100%
I am not sponsored for any promotion of these products. I am giving you advice from my experiences with these companies' products and staff!
- ELF
A highly trusted brand in my 2016 book since all of their products are gluten free! I prefer their eye shadows in the pots, though their pallets are quite nice once you roughen them up a bit. Plus I am currently loving their matte lip color in Rich Red.
This is where I go for most of my body care needs. Though as a celiac I would deter from buying on their online shop unless you recently bought the same product at their store recently, or have called customer service. Their customer service is great! As far as I have seen they always have an allergen list in the store and you can ask the sales person at the store if a product is gluten free. They as well have makeup available, though I do not know how much of it is gluten free.
- Pharmaca
This is where I have been currently getting my shampoo products. Their staff is very knowledgeable and on their website you can even filter out their gluten free products under the ingredient concerns tab.
I hope you found this information useful.
If you have any questions please feel free to comment them down below! Let us have a conversation!
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Saturday, November 12, 2016
Explaining The Seattle Chill
By Elissa Rosenthal
It has been a while since I have heard of the term The Seattle Chill. The first time I ever heard of the term was from a friend I had at the time who was from Phoenix, Arizona. Though today, while on a bus watching the quiet raindrops drip down the window, I thought of the term once again.
You do not truly realize how captivated it appears Seattleites- including myself- are to our phones and our own little bubbles of safety until you put the phone down and look around. Truly look around.
The Seattle Chill, also known as The Seattle Freeze is a term I never knew until that friend of mine told me about it. So, in case you are like me when I first heard the term, where you do not know a clue of what I am talking about, I will give you the description that, that friend of mine told me those years ago.
The Seattle Chill is a term some people outside of Seattle use to describe how unfriendly or welcoming Seattle is to newcomers or outsiders. Now, I do not deny that, that statement is true. I have come across this chill myself and I am sure other people who have grown up here have as well. It is just, until I heard the term did I start to question if the rest of the country is different when it comes to conversing with one another.
My bus trip was a good example of The Seattle Chill. No one was talking to one another, even people who clearly knew each other, and there was so little sound on the bus you could hear the leg of the guy sitting behind you wiggling. Plus, everyone was either on their phone or looking off somewhere in the distance to do their best not to look at someone else by accident.
With the way I grew up, I know why this happens and I really do wonder how it would be if it was different here.
When I was younger, one of the main points we learned early on is you did not talk on the bus, no matter how urgent the matter was. This unspoken rule was drilled into my head so many times by my peers that now I feel extremely awkward talking to someone while on the bus for any reason. The point, when I was younger, was enforced by the glares we would get, as growing kids, from the adults around us. These glances would clearly tell us that we needed to shut up. These glares told us how we were disturbing the others on the bus by saying anything at all, even whispers. At least that is the reason I put toward how people in Seattle act on the bus. The bus is quiet until you get on the bus: you are the loud one, therefore you are the other, so therefore you are bad.
It is a way of trying not to be an outsider I guess in this, mostly cloudy, city. Part of which is part of The Seattle Chill as well.
The associating certain people as outsiders is part of the Seattle culture for some people. Like how in particular conversations, one may ask you if you grew up here, or if you are a transplant. A transplant is a term to describe those who have moved here from somewhere else. The term has negative connotations for inadvertently saying that you are one of the reason the prices for everything from housing to soda has gone up. This is because the majority of people who refer to transplants are referring to those who came from California for cheaper house prices, bringing in a lot more money, and then, therefore, making it where retailers can ask for higher prices.
The Seattle Chill, from an insiders perspective, is a way Seattleites are trying stay together and try to be part of a common whole, while slowly welcoming others, since so many more people are rushing in from different countries and states. It is a way of trying to preserve the culture of Seattle being a comfy city where anyone can find a place, while seeing everything change so quickly around you all of the time.
It is like the child in the corner crossing their hands over their chest, looking down with a grumpy face, because their teacher told them to share their toy with the child next to them. They let the other child barrow their toy, carefully looking here and there to see if the toy is still okay, hoping that nothing happens to it. This is mostly because the child does not know what the other child's plans are with their toy.
It is truly hard to exactly describe what it is like coming from an inside perspective when describing The Seattle Chill, and I wish I could iron it out more into strong reasons why, but from my own experiences I cannot. I grew up hearing stories from my parents on how the city used to be before the Seattle World's Fair, and when there was a reason for the counterbalance to be called the counterbalance. I grew up when there was still a train along the waterfront. One that I now have to once in a while tell tourists does not exist anymore.
So many things change in Seattle all of the time, it is sort of hard to keep track.
If any of you have questions for me please feel free to ask them in the comments or to tweet me @TheElissaPost on twitter! I will be glad to iron out anything that seems unclear since I know this topic is pretty abstract and has, in my perspective, to do more with building stress than solid facts.
If you do like this article please share with the buttons provided on the page!
Please follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/TheElissaPost !
I also have a link for my Facebook fan page here : https://www.facebook.com/Elissa-Rosenthal-1775925416023781/
Thank you for reading my blog! Let us have a conversation!
It has been a while since I have heard of the term The Seattle Chill. The first time I ever heard of the term was from a friend I had at the time who was from Phoenix, Arizona. Though today, while on a bus watching the quiet raindrops drip down the window, I thought of the term once again.
You do not truly realize how captivated it appears Seattleites- including myself- are to our phones and our own little bubbles of safety until you put the phone down and look around. Truly look around.
The Seattle Chill, also known as The Seattle Freeze is a term I never knew until that friend of mine told me about it. So, in case you are like me when I first heard the term, where you do not know a clue of what I am talking about, I will give you the description that, that friend of mine told me those years ago.
The Seattle Chill is a term some people outside of Seattle use to describe how unfriendly or welcoming Seattle is to newcomers or outsiders. Now, I do not deny that, that statement is true. I have come across this chill myself and I am sure other people who have grown up here have as well. It is just, until I heard the term did I start to question if the rest of the country is different when it comes to conversing with one another.
My bus trip was a good example of The Seattle Chill. No one was talking to one another, even people who clearly knew each other, and there was so little sound on the bus you could hear the leg of the guy sitting behind you wiggling. Plus, everyone was either on their phone or looking off somewhere in the distance to do their best not to look at someone else by accident.
With the way I grew up, I know why this happens and I really do wonder how it would be if it was different here.
When I was younger, one of the main points we learned early on is you did not talk on the bus, no matter how urgent the matter was. This unspoken rule was drilled into my head so many times by my peers that now I feel extremely awkward talking to someone while on the bus for any reason. The point, when I was younger, was enforced by the glares we would get, as growing kids, from the adults around us. These glances would clearly tell us that we needed to shut up. These glares told us how we were disturbing the others on the bus by saying anything at all, even whispers. At least that is the reason I put toward how people in Seattle act on the bus. The bus is quiet until you get on the bus: you are the loud one, therefore you are the other, so therefore you are bad.
It is a way of trying not to be an outsider I guess in this, mostly cloudy, city. Part of which is part of The Seattle Chill as well.
The associating certain people as outsiders is part of the Seattle culture for some people. Like how in particular conversations, one may ask you if you grew up here, or if you are a transplant. A transplant is a term to describe those who have moved here from somewhere else. The term has negative connotations for inadvertently saying that you are one of the reason the prices for everything from housing to soda has gone up. This is because the majority of people who refer to transplants are referring to those who came from California for cheaper house prices, bringing in a lot more money, and then, therefore, making it where retailers can ask for higher prices.
The Seattle Chill, from an insiders perspective, is a way Seattleites are trying stay together and try to be part of a common whole, while slowly welcoming others, since so many more people are rushing in from different countries and states. It is a way of trying to preserve the culture of Seattle being a comfy city where anyone can find a place, while seeing everything change so quickly around you all of the time.
It is like the child in the corner crossing their hands over their chest, looking down with a grumpy face, because their teacher told them to share their toy with the child next to them. They let the other child barrow their toy, carefully looking here and there to see if the toy is still okay, hoping that nothing happens to it. This is mostly because the child does not know what the other child's plans are with their toy.
It is truly hard to exactly describe what it is like coming from an inside perspective when describing The Seattle Chill, and I wish I could iron it out more into strong reasons why, but from my own experiences I cannot. I grew up hearing stories from my parents on how the city used to be before the Seattle World's Fair, and when there was a reason for the counterbalance to be called the counterbalance. I grew up when there was still a train along the waterfront. One that I now have to once in a while tell tourists does not exist anymore.
So many things change in Seattle all of the time, it is sort of hard to keep track.
If any of you have questions for me please feel free to ask them in the comments or to tweet me @TheElissaPost on twitter! I will be glad to iron out anything that seems unclear since I know this topic is pretty abstract and has, in my perspective, to do more with building stress than solid facts.
If you do like this article please share with the buttons provided on the page!
Please follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/TheElissaPost !
I also have a link for my Facebook fan page here : https://www.facebook.com/Elissa-Rosenthal-1775925416023781/
Thank you for reading my blog! Let us have a conversation!
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
It's Election Day!
By Elissa Rosenthal
Today is finally election day in the United States for the year 2016. Tension is in the air in workplaces and colleges alike. The whispers between students and teachers can be heard on campuses everywhere.
I will not say who I voted for, but I did vote and I encourage you to do the same. This presidential election has been tense and unfortunately I feel like some are, instead of voting, hiding in their homes and hoping their roofs do not collapse. Even when they want to vote!
If you do not want to vote and practice your right as a citizen of the United States then at the very least do not discourage others from voting. Encourage others to vote for who they think is the best of a messed up situation!
I understand if you do not want to vote because your own ideals do not match with the candidates available. I understand if you voice your opinion on the election! But please do not go around and say how someone votes is a wasted vote, a vote for a mad man, or a corrupt woman. We all have different ideals we want to have our candidate to go by!
However this ends up please remember we are all people!
Please share this on social media!
Please follow me on twitter! https://twitter.com/TheElissaPost
Please like my Facebook fan page! https://www.facebook.com/Elissa-Rosenthal-1775925416023781/
Comment below and let us have a conversation!
Today is finally election day in the United States for the year 2016. Tension is in the air in workplaces and colleges alike. The whispers between students and teachers can be heard on campuses everywhere.
I will not say who I voted for, but I did vote and I encourage you to do the same. This presidential election has been tense and unfortunately I feel like some are, instead of voting, hiding in their homes and hoping their roofs do not collapse. Even when they want to vote!
If you do not want to vote and practice your right as a citizen of the United States then at the very least do not discourage others from voting. Encourage others to vote for who they think is the best of a messed up situation!
I understand if you do not want to vote because your own ideals do not match with the candidates available. I understand if you voice your opinion on the election! But please do not go around and say how someone votes is a wasted vote, a vote for a mad man, or a corrupt woman. We all have different ideals we want to have our candidate to go by!
However this ends up please remember we are all people!
Please share this on social media!
Please follow me on twitter! https://twitter.com/TheElissaPost
Please like my Facebook fan page! https://www.facebook.com/Elissa-Rosenthal-1775925416023781/
Comment below and let us have a conversation!
Saturday, November 5, 2016
About This Blog
Hello, my name is Elissa and today I've started this blog. The reason? Well, one, to get more chances to write every day, and two, to have a platform to share my ideas and experiences that I deem to have substance.
On this blog I encourage for the comments to be a discussion. I do not, nor will I, ever expect any of my readers to believe in everything I do or agree with everything I say. I want this blog to be constructive and understanding of other view points and opinions.
I'm currently planning on posting once a week unless a topic is time sensitive. If the schedule is going to change I will do my best to notify you, my readers.
Thank you for reading, and welcome to my blog!
On this blog I encourage for the comments to be a discussion. I do not, nor will I, ever expect any of my readers to believe in everything I do or agree with everything I say. I want this blog to be constructive and understanding of other view points and opinions.
I'm currently planning on posting once a week unless a topic is time sensitive. If the schedule is going to change I will do my best to notify you, my readers.
Thank you for reading, and welcome to my blog!
Celiac Life: The Store and Food Temptation
By Elissa Rosenthal
It has been over a year now since I was diagnosed with celiac disease. The disease where you cannot have gluten as much as you want to without horrible side effects, both long term and sort term. Until I write more, and even when I do, I encourage you to read about the disease if it interests you. I will never say I know everything, because I know I don't. Life is a continuous journey of lessons and experiences that mold your current knowledge base.
Today, while walking through the store, I had another sense of longing. Longing for the foods I once knew and had eaten with no, clear to me at the time, consequences before my diagnoses. The seeing of childhood treats like fig newtons and goldfish crackers had made me sigh a little. It is not easy being completely gluten free, and I have never quite understood why someone would willingly choose the diet, but then I smile at the thought when I look at the cereal on the shelf with clear labeling.
Each time my mind goes into one of those day dreams of remembering past tastes I remind myself how much better I feel when going for alternatives. Now I feel much more energetic. For one I am starting this blog, a feat I never even thought possible to accomplish before. I always wanted to start one, just didn't have the energy.
What helps in those times as well, is knowing I can try to make gluten free versions of treats I once enjoyed. So far some have come out alright, others, well, they need work. I do try though, which is what keeps me motivated to try again in the future, when I have time. If any of you would wish for me to post my food recipe trials, please let me know!
I know how the temptation of food memories can create this inner war within your brain. This happens with me particularly when it comes to foods I was accustomed to when I was a child, and continued to be a customer of the product later in life, until the diagnoses. This is why I hope this post helps you in any way possible with beating the inner dialogue, if nothing else because of reading being a distraction.
It has been over a year now since I was diagnosed with celiac disease. The disease where you cannot have gluten as much as you want to without horrible side effects, both long term and sort term. Until I write more, and even when I do, I encourage you to read about the disease if it interests you. I will never say I know everything, because I know I don't. Life is a continuous journey of lessons and experiences that mold your current knowledge base.
Today, while walking through the store, I had another sense of longing. Longing for the foods I once knew and had eaten with no, clear to me at the time, consequences before my diagnoses. The seeing of childhood treats like fig newtons and goldfish crackers had made me sigh a little. It is not easy being completely gluten free, and I have never quite understood why someone would willingly choose the diet, but then I smile at the thought when I look at the cereal on the shelf with clear labeling.
Each time my mind goes into one of those day dreams of remembering past tastes I remind myself how much better I feel when going for alternatives. Now I feel much more energetic. For one I am starting this blog, a feat I never even thought possible to accomplish before. I always wanted to start one, just didn't have the energy.
What helps in those times as well, is knowing I can try to make gluten free versions of treats I once enjoyed. So far some have come out alright, others, well, they need work. I do try though, which is what keeps me motivated to try again in the future, when I have time. If any of you would wish for me to post my food recipe trials, please let me know!
I know how the temptation of food memories can create this inner war within your brain. This happens with me particularly when it comes to foods I was accustomed to when I was a child, and continued to be a customer of the product later in life, until the diagnoses. This is why I hope this post helps you in any way possible with beating the inner dialogue, if nothing else because of reading being a distraction.
Visualization helps immensely, specifically certain images. Here is a list of them, should you wish to use them for your own fight against temptation.
1) Envision how you feel when you are reacting to gluten. That will be your reality, as it was back then, should you have that food, sweet, or drink.
2) If you are anything like me, think through how this one decision will make you feel horrible the next few days.
3) This is one I use that those of you who do not have physical symptoms of celiac disease can partake in. It is dark, but imagine how you want to die. Do you want to die from cancer? Of course you may die of cancer anyway, there are many factors which go into it, but do you want to increase your chances?
I hope that these visualization ideas help, at the very least, some of you who are reading this blog of mine. I remember when I was first diagnosed, being happy because of knowing what was going on with me, but sad that my diet and social eating behaviors were going to change drastically.
If any of you have questions for me and do not mind if I do a short article mentioning your question, please ask it in the comments. I only ask you please include in your comment how you prefer to be addressed, whether that is with a name or anonymous, and which pronouns you prefer.
Thank you for reading my blog!
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