Like Starbucks orders and fonts, your emoji of choice reveals a lot about your personality. Read on to find out what your favorite one says about you.
What it means: Emoticons = you are decidedly not a millennial.
Often used with: N/A
Spirit animal: The cast of Golden Girls
Whether you’re visiting one or living in one, cities can be overwhelming. To escape the skyscrapers, noises and crowds, look no further than these nine green sanctuaries nestled into urban settings across the world.
Situated in L.A.’s Los Feliz neighborhood is one of the largest municipal parks in the U.S. Hike to the observatory overlooking downtown Los Angeles to see one of the most epic views of the Hollywood sign.
Antoni Gaudí left a lasting impression on Barcelona, including his world-renowned Park Güell. Decorated with vibrant, ceramic tiles and whimsical designs, it lies in the northern part of the city, overlooking bustling streets and the azure waters of Barceloneta Beach.
Ueno was one of the country’s first public parks and is home to flora and fauna, ancient shrines and several museums. Each spring, the park hosts Tokyo’s cherry blossom festival, and visitors can walk through the tree-lined gardens bursting with pale-pink flowers.
One of London’s eight Royal Parks, Hyde is one of the most beautiful and most frequently visited outdoor spaces in the city. The park, which borders Kensington Gardens, is home to the Serpentine Lake, winding paths and peaceful spaces.
Stretching 51 city blocks, Central Park is an urban oasis in the concrete jungle of Manhattan. During the summer, explore the fountains and sculptures, walk the trails and have a picnic in Sheep Meadow or the Great Lawn. During the winter, go ice skating, take a carriage ride and grab dinner at Tavern on the Green.
Situated on the quaint Trastevere side of the Tiber River lies Rome’s largest landscaped public park. Once a private estate for a noble Roman family, the Villa Doria Pamphili is now a gorgeous verdant space. Its manicured gardens, citrus trees and peaceful lake make for an ideal escape.
Of all the beautiful spots that Paris boasts, the Jardin du Luxembourg stands out. Located in the city’s sixth arrondissement, on the Left Bank, the garden was created in the early 1600s. With beautiful flowers, trees, statues and fountain pond–inhabited by tiny toy sailboats–the garden has remained an urban escape for centuries.
Built to celebrate Sao Paulo’s 400th birthday, the city’s largest park contains a relaxing lake, impressive architecture and lush, green space. If you go on a Saturday morning, you will be surrounded by bikers and joggers taking advantage of Ibirapuera’s many wide paths and trails.
The Netherlands’ most well-known park lies in Amsterdam’s museum quarter in the Southern borough of the city. A popular haven for both tourists and locals alike, Vondelpark is a far cry from the chaotic and grungy Red Light district.
It’s wedding season, people. Which means it’s time to cozy up to these ten annoying characters.
There’s been a lot of sandwich talk around PureWow HQ lately–from how to build the perfect sammie to the virtues of having one for dessert. And all that talk had us wondering: What do sandwiches look like the world over? Herewith, a guide to 12 creations around the globe.
Served on baguette-style bread, this no-frills sandwich is filled with any number of savory combos–from ham and cheese to egg and potato to chorizo.
No traditional bread here. Cornmeal patties are stuffed to the gills with savory fixings, like shredded beef, black beans, chicken, cheese and/or avocado.
Leave it to the French to take a basic ham-and-cheese sandwich, grill it and top it with creamy béchamel sauce and a fried egg.
A baguette is typically filled with pork belly, Vietnamese sausage, pâte or fried eggs, then topped with pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro, chili and spicy condiments.
We’re talking kosher brisket that’s salted and cured with spices, served on rye bread and slathered in yellow mustard. Just don’t call it pastrami.
Lamb, chicken or beef cooked on a vertical spit is sliced and placed between thick pita bread, then layered with onion, tomato, cabbage, sumac and chili.
Attention, vegetarians: A potato fritter is served on a soft, fluffy bun and topped with a chutney made of, for instance, coconut, tamarind and garlic.
This one is served open-faced, with rye bread as the base. Traditionally, the bread is covered in seafood–pickled herring, smoked salmon or prawns–and garnished with boiled egg, pickled cucumber and onion.
Not your typical Japanese fare, deep-fried pork loin–similar to schnitzel–is served with shredded cabbage on sliced white bread.
Served either hot or cold on bun or roll, tortas typically include carnitas, chorizo or pork topped with refried beans, creamy avocado sauce, queso fresco and more.
This popular street food (also known as a French bread pizza) is a baguette sliced lengthwise and traditionally served open-faced with sautéed mushrooms, cheese and a drizzle of ketchup.
Ahh, the peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich: so simple yet so incredibly delicious.
Chips are great, be they of the potato, bagel or pretzel variety. (We’ll even snack on the kale kind when feeling virtuous.) So why do sweets get left out of the equation? Enter doughnut chips. All you need is half an hour and a waffle iron, and you’ll end up with crispy caramelized chips made from yesterday’s breakfast.
480 calories
20g fat
72g carbs
4g protein
48g sugars
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
12 leftover doughnuts (such as plain, glazed or cake doughnuts; nothing with a thick frosting)
1. Preheat a waffle iron on high. In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the cinnamon to combine.
2. Cut each of the doughnuts in half. Working in batches, place 2 or 3 halved doughnuts in the waffle iron and press firmly to close. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds.
3. Remove the doughnuts from the waffle iron and transfer to a large plate. Press a heavy skillet on top of the waffled doughnuts for 5 to 10 seconds. Transfer the chips to the cinnamon sugar and toss to coat. The doughnuts will get crispy as they cool.
4. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. Cool completely before serving.
It might just be that we’ve been bit by the cleaning bug, but with the rise of Marie Kondo’s tidying technique and the whole minimalist trend, it seems that less is definitely more these days. Taking that idea to the next level is blogger Caroline Rector of Unfancy. She’s one of a few who have dared to whittle their wardrobe down to a mere 37 pieces to wear for a full season. No shopping or swapping allowed. Intrigued? Scroll down to see how it works.
Rector defines it as “a mini wardrobe made up of 37 really versatile pieces that you totally love to wear.” The beauty of a capsule wardrobe is that it’s applicable to any style, yet the end goal is the same: to save you time getting dressed, money spent on clothes and energy thinking about what to wear. The final result is four solid capsule wardrobes, one for each season. All you have to do is pull them out of storage, swap out a few pieces and you’re good to go.
First things first: You need to clean out your closet. Take absolutely everything out and lay it on your bed. Rector makes it clear that you shouldn’t cheat—”taking everything out at once is the secret to style clarity.” As you sift through your “Keep,” “Toss” and “Donate” piles and start putting all the pieces you love back into your closet, your style will practically scream at you.
The pieces you should include in your capsule: tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear and shoes. The pieces you should not include in your capsule: workout clothes, jewelry, accessories, purses, swimsuits, pajamas, underwear and the jeans you wear when you paint your living room. You can keep all those.
Rector settled on 37 items because of how it broke down in each category: 9 shoes, 9 bottoms, 15 tops, 2 dresses and 2 jackets. However, there is no hard and fast rule. Rector’s capsule wardrobe changed for spring, when she opted for more transitional jackets and fewer tops (8 shirts, 8 bottoms, 7 jackets, 1 dress, 10 shoes). Summer may also include fewer jackets with more tops and breezy dresses. In other words, the number and the items may be different for everyone.
Rector believes shoes are the easiest way to update a look. It’s also good to keep this number fairly high because you never know what situation you’re going to run into that requires specific footwear. For example, that upcoming bridal shower of yours calls for a heel, even if you’ll wear it only that one time.
This is the fun (or for some, hard) part. Rector has obviously become a pro. Here she shows us how to take a traditional plaid shirt and give it a more laid-back layering vibe. See more of her looks here.
The point is to really streamline things based on the season, but if you work in a corporate environment that requires a totally different set of outfits than your weekend rotation, it’s OK to create a collection for that. But maybe consider a few smaller sets. For example, a 20-piece working wardrobe and a 15-piece weekend wardrobe.
Your clothes go one of three places: Some are rolled over into your next capsule wardrobe; most are put into storage for next year and the worn-out items are donated. You’re then allowed to shop and add a few pieces in for the next season.
Think you can hack it? Check out the Unfancy wardrobe planner.
When was the last time you cleaned your blush brush? Or your flat iron? Or your loofa? We’re guessing it’s been a while–if ever. But by keeping your beauty tools in tip-top shape, you extend their shelf life and prevent bacteria from growing. Check out our simple cleaning tips.
Use the heat to your advantage. Fire up your iron and take a damp cloth to it, being extra-careful not to burn your hands. The combo of heat and moisture makes a steam that will lift off any product buildup.
Gross alert: If you don’t keep these clean, you’re actually washing yourself with bacteria. Toss them in the microwave for about a minute to zap the microscopic critters, or throw them in the washing machine or dishwasher (top rack only).
After removing the collection of lovely locks from your bristles, soak the brush for 15 minutes in a mild shampoo and then scrub off the buildup of dead skin cells, grease, product and dust. Let dry, and you’re good to go.
Every now and then, dab a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and wipe down the entire thing to disinfect and clear away mascara buildup.
If you’re anything like us, you’ve watched (well, devoured) all of Downton Abbey and Sherlock. What will sate your British-accent craving now? Here’s a list of our favo(u)rite shows from across the pond–all available on Netflix–to help you move on. (Though we’ll always love you, Matthew Crawley.)
This miniseries, which features several actors from Downton and Game of Thrones fame, chronicles the German occupation of the Channel Islands during WWII and begs the question: What would you do if you fell in love with the enemy?
The extremely outgoing Reverend Geraldine Granger is assigned to a stodgy conservative parish in Oxfordshire. Trouble and comedy inevitably ensue. Plus, it’s written by Richard Curtis, who penned Love Actually, Notting Hill and About Time.
Updos can be such a drag: The bobby pins. The hairspray. The chance you might walk out of the salon looking like Marge Simpson.
Maybe it’s time to try hair sewing.
Our latest beauty discovery from the Chicago-based stylist Michael Jacobson, of Michael & Michael, is a way to get a glam off-the-neck ‘do that doesn’t look or feel overly overly done (meaning: it’ll be perfect for that big wedding or rooftop cocktail bash on your calendar this summer).
Here’s the scoop.
Ask around for a stylist in your city who’s been trained in hair sewing. Then block out about an hour and a half for the appointment–this is an art, people.
For best results, your hair should be shoulder-length or longer.
After a shampoo and blow-dry, your hair will be curled with an iron to add texture. Then out comes a large set of needles (similar to knitting needles).
With the help of thin, rubberized string, your stylist will sew your hair into a mass of undone-looking, romantic ripples (think: Jane Austen heroine, version 2.0). (Bonus: you won’t have bobby pins falling out everywhere, and it’s easy to securely add flowers and jeweled pins if you want.)
When you want to take it out, all you have to do is dig around a bit to expose a piece of the string, then just snip it and pull.
A sewn updo is mostly a day-of phenomenon, but if you sleep perfectly still, you might get a second day out of the look.
You’re 300 miles from Churchill Downs and you never really got the hang of “betting the trifecta.” But that won’t stop you from picking a horse and wearing a hat and eating Kentucky-approved food this Saturday. Here’s how to do the Derby right.
Derby fail: Hearing the call to the post without a mint julep in hand. This year we’re sipping the Jockey of Norfolk, a citrusy variation you can have delivered to your door from Cocktail Courier.
That floppy straw number you wore on a cruise last winter? Not for Derby day. If you wanna win a hat contest, you need structure and embellishment, not a brim that blocks the view. Opt for a fascinator–a mini hat with lots of drama–or something like this chic ’20s-inspired hat picked by stylist Suze Solari from HooDoo Headwear. 111 N. Marion St., Oak Park
Throwing your own race-day bash? For easy decor inspired by the rainbow of jockeys’ silks, print cocktail-straw flags and pennant banners from Chicago event planner Debi Lilly’s website.
Millionaire’s Row at Churchill Downs is where all the VIPs sit–and the Millionaire’s Row party at Chicago Q is where you’ll get a real Southern buffet, the race on a huge projector screen and five cocktail tickets for $60 (the event benefits Ronald McDonald House). We’ve lost more than that before on a single trip to the betting window. 1160 N. Dearborn St.
Display your Derby outfit at Public Chicago’s party in The Library Bar and compete to win a huge bottle of top-shelf Champagne. (The $20 entry donation goes to Bear Necessities.) If you don’t win, put on a Blair Waldorf pout and have another mint julep. 1301 N. State St.
Crawfish boils aren’t really a Kentucky thing, yet so many bars do them on Derby day. Steer clear and reach for this crispy classic instead–in tribute to the Colonel, let’s say–at Frontier’s outdoor bash. 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Sometime this week, stop by Trackside–an OTB operation inside the Lincoln Park bar Joe’s on Weed–and place a real Kentucky Derby bet that’ll get your heart pumping when you watch those horses come down the final stretch. (“Come on, Frosted! Go, go, GO!”) Clueless about the field? Pick a long shot or bet on your favorite colors–winning will be that much more fun. 940 W. Weed St.
