35F in San Diego?!

With temperatures approaching records lows, San Diego is lining itself up for a "wintery" December. In fact, as I'm typing this post, my fingertips are beginning to become numb as the doors are still open yet I remain too stubborn to get up and close the door. I'm sure most of you know by now that if it gets below 50F, the parkas, long johns, hot coco and space heaters fly off the shelves! Next thing you know, you're shivering in the morning and don't want to get out of that semi-warm cozy bed.

Here lies the question: $59.99 for a space heater or take it up a notch (maybe overkill) and go for the gold; the Dyson Hot.

I'll say that it's safer for children as there is no visible heating element and because of that, the exposure to the smell of burning dust remains absent. Having a thermostat built in, as magnetic remote control and the option to have it function as a regular Air Multiplier just really tout it's abilities.

For a short explanation video, check this out:

If you want to see more, click here as C|NET dives into their preview and explanation of the latest household gadget.  Fast forward to the 24:15 mark.

Getting my first Brazilian...

...Blowout :) I bought an online discount coupon for a Brazilian Blowout at the Ronk Hair Design in downtown San Diego for $100. This was a steal considering their website has the service listed for $349. I had heard about this treatment from a few friends and wanted to try it out for myself. According to the Brazilian Blowout website, this hair treatment uses bonding technologies to improve the health and condition of the hair by creating a protective protein layer around the hair shaft to eliminate frizz and smooth the cuticle. I have dry, course, thick, wavy hair that can really only be managed with the right product and an expensive flat iron and getting a Brazilian Blowout seemed perfect for my hair.

I made my appointment by texting with my stylist, Nicole. It was pretty easy to schedule an appointment with her and the location was especially convenient since the salon was right down the street from our downtown apartment. Nicole told me the treatment would take an hour and a half and also advised me come with “dirty” hair because the product would adhere to my hair’s natural oils better.

When I got to the salon, Nicole took me right away. She took me to the back so she could put the product in my hair and then we went to her chair where she had to blow dry and flat iron my hair to seal in the product. She then had to take me to the back again and wash my hair in the special Brazilian Blowout shampoo and conditioner. Another round of blow drying and straightening had to be done and in an hour and a half I had my new smooth, frizz-free hair!

Unlike other hair treatments similar to this, I had the option of washing my hair whenever I felt like it and it didn’t smell like chemicals. Nicole encouraged me to purchase the Brazilian Blowout Anti Frizz shampoo and conditioner set because she could otherwise not guarantee my results would last up to 12 weeks.

It’s been more than 12 weeks since my Brazilian and I can say my results lasted about 10 weeks. The shampoo and conditioner set did last for more than 12 weeks. During the 10 weeks, I was able to blow dry my hair straight for the first time... ever. It was nice to have soft, shiny hair that just took quick run with my flat iron. The only negatives were the salon itself did not have any air conditioning and being a summer day and getting two rounds of blow drying and straightening, it got a little warm. Also, the shampoo and conditioner set was a little pricey, about $75.

My Brazilian was good while it lasted, and I would definitely consider doing it again. And it looks like 1st timers can get theirs for $149! Check out their website: Ronk Hair Design

UPDATE: "USC Chemistry Professor Confirms Brazilian Blowout Poses No Exposure Risk - Comprehensive Study Shows Formaldehyde Exposure Levels Fall Well Below All State and Federal Health and Safety Exposure Standards" via Marketwatch.com. That's another plus for Brazilian blowouts!!!

You can always help support this blog buy purchasing your Brazilian Blowout Anti Frizz supplies simply using our amazon link below. Thanks! p.s. If you didn't know already, I'm the second from the left!

San Diego Chargers 2011!

The season has officially begun...training camps starting up this week, free agency signings as well as contract signings with current players all happening in a 3-5 day window, it's time to get pumped up. I'll admit that I wasn't particularly sad but I'm glad that it's going to happen. With 3 out of the first 4 games happening at home at Qualcomm Stadium, (Minnesota, Kansas City and Miami) I'm hoping for a 3/4 with the loss at New England. Who knows, we might go 4 and 0? Check out the schedule below!

Bay to Breakers 100th Anniversary: Our Experience

Adelle and I decided to run the 100th Anniversary of San Francisco's Famous Bay to Breakers 12K 2 weeks ago and here's the report: (sorry it took so long and for that reason this post is extra long) New sponsorship, followed with a new ban of no alcohol on course or ridiculous drunkards running around, Zazzle and the city of San Francisco set out to reduce the mess and ridiculous amount of waste caused by this fanatical race.

The Day Before:

Zazzle held a two day expo where  Saturday would feature a guest appearance by non other than Mr. Ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes.  We, and by we, I meant me, had to get a photo taken with him.  Adelle and our friend Joyce waited patiently in line while I grabbed our race bibs, chips and stuff, then Joyce took this great shot!

He's super nice and was easy to talk to.  He would have kept on talking too but I wanted to keep the line moving so I courteously ended the conversation and left.  Interestingly enough, he just finished running across the continental United States four days prior to this appearance!  What an athlete!  Another tidbit of information would be he's amazing 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days in 50 different states.  If you want to see and read more of his stuff, his wiki is quite extensive too! (Wiki: Dean Karnazes)

The expo itself was setup well, a little chaotic for my taste, but if you wanted to get in and out, it was definitely easy.  We bought some new running belts and Adelle even bought some new Nike Free Livestrong Editions for a great price!  Adelle will review at a later time, hopefully, but until then, that's the two cents.  Overall, Zazzle did a great job for the first time hosting such a large and legendary event.

Following up with a great lunch and carb-load dinner, we ended the night early in preparation for the 12K. Adelle and I actually thought of running this race for reals for little did we know that there would be a lot of walking on the course slowing our pace.  I mean, it's not like we are professional runners or ones that have a set time in mind but we wanted to give it our best.  We're "organized" type folk so this is our bed the night before.

The Race:

Getting to the start line was literally a breeze; cold and forecasted to rain. So Adelle and I hurried up a little bit to warm up and got into our coral with time to spare. It was madness with tortillas flying around, naked men and women (mostly men) amazing costumes and fun. When do you ever see people excited to run 12K that early in the morning!?

Along the race, we ran, we walked, we spectated, smelt some medicinal drugs being shared amongst citizens and were just in awe at the awesomeness that this race still was minus the keg running athletes. There was alcohol sporadically throughout the race, policemen trying their best to take the bottle away, but the porta potties along the course were far and few between. Water stations were present but more not operated that well. All in all, a good race with a mediocre pace. Adelle and I haven't ran a race since the 2007 St. Patrick's Day 10K in San Diego so this was a fun one keep pace together.

All the way through the end, we finished strong by the beach and got our cool finisher medals. It was the first time too that Bay to Breakers was handing 'em out, so yes, we feel special. There was even some small time groups selling food at the finish line so we of course indulged. Hand outs were a plenty and the post race party was a blast. We couldn't really stay long because we had to checkout of our hotel by noon so that was that. Although, along the way back to the car that Marella was so nice to pick us up in, we saw a filipino dood sporting a Manny Pacquiao outfit and that was definitely one of the best we all seen. Good job Mr. Impersonator! Sorry no pic because all of us were just too shy.

Here are screen caps of the waaay too expensive race photos. How come all these race pic companies charge so much anyways?

Running Data: Bib # 46246: 1:26:01 // Bib # 46247 1:26:02 You can actually even see some video of both Adelle and I crossing the finish line at the same time by just typing in our bib numbers on the following link for the actual Bay to Breakers 2011 Live Results Page. (link)

I'm not sure if you noticed or not, but we have officially switched to using tap tap tap's amazing "ultimate photo app" for the iPhone called Camera+. You should definitely check it out. If anything, you can check out adellelijah's stream via campl.us:adellelijah. Instagram is also fun, but there's a bug for iOS 4.1 users that wasn't fixed so I stopped using it. Plus, Camera+ is packed with A LOT more features for those amateur photographers in us. Download it now...we're suporters!

If you want to see some pictures of the craziness along with videos, I found this is an awesome recap. (via nonstophonolulu)

Run Like a Girl

I was checking my email one day and saw a message I for sure thought was spam. It was from Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego, confirming my registration. Huh? So, it turns out, my hubby signed me up for the half marathon without my knowing. Thanks, babe. I’ve always thought about running a marathon, but being a non-runner, it mostly stayed just a thought, until now. Check out the course map! I haven’t prepared much for the half - work, clinical and life, has gotten in the way of my so called “training.” But as the date quickly approaches, I hope my training becomes more rigorous. A few things come to mind as I prepare for the big race - race hair and race clothes.

Elijah and I went for a long run last weekend and one of my concerns was not our mile pace, but if my ponytail would stay intact throughout the run. I pulled it up in a ponytail, braided it and pinned it back. Halfway through our 6 mile run, it had already come undone, ugh! Since then, I’ve been looking at runner hairstyles and have been making mental notes of how to tie my hair back appropriately for the big day. I’ll be testing them out in weeks to come.

Last week’s run also made me acutely aware that I do not have adequate racing attire. My friend and I were at the Nike store this past week and I saw many cute and comfortable options there - shoes, shorts, socks - oh my! I will have to go back with the hubby to get his opinion, because we all know he’s into that kind of stuff.

With only 9 weeks left until the Rock ‘n’ Roll, the hubby and I plan to increase the miles we run per week, condition our bodies (I’ve already convinced him to take hot yoga with me this week), and get a good race pace going. It’s going to be an awesome experience for both of us.

It's on pace for another sellout year, so run the full with my hubby or jog next to me in the half! See you there! (register here)

Here's a picture of my hair at the turn around point running with my new Rock 'n' Roll tech long sleeve!

And They're Off!

Being held on May 15th, Bay to Breakers is set to be the premier running event of the year in the Bay Area. It'll be our first attempt running around the hills of San Francisco.

Today, Adelle and Elijah officially registered for San Francisco's 100th Anniversary Bay to Breakers 12K. We haven't done too many long runs, but on the way to training for the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Half and Full Marathon, we thought that this would be a fun way to keep on trucking. And we get to see friends, hang out and just have fun outside of San Diego! Come run with us and register while you can. (we ended up in Corral "F") It's bound to sell out and plus they're giving away finisher medals! Go register now!

Monday's YouTube Special

Sitting on the plane next to a consultant, he was kind enough to share this awesome video dedicated to Vincent Jackson.  After yesterday's rout of the Arizona Cardinals, what a way to celebrate the awesome that our offense is demonstrating even without the wide out that we could definitely use.  GO CHARGERS!!!  Enjoy and please comment away!

Heavenly Cupcakes

on our mission to find the best cupcake in san diego, elijah and i found ourselves at a cute little cupcake store tucked away in the streets of downtown.  an added bonus: it's a mere 3 blocks away from our house! we selected the seasonal pumpkin, the s'mores, red velvet and vanilla coconut.  we dug into the pumpkin one first and it was great!  just the right amount of pumpkin and cinnamon.   the cake itself was moist and spongy too.   the cream cheese frosting was a little on the sweet side, but still enjoyable.

we ate the s'mores cupcake a day later and turns out after a quick nuke in the microwave, it's still delicious! the chocolate cake was still moist and tasty. the frosting was good too and this one wasn't too sweet.  so glad to find that the the day old cupcakes hold, which isn't always the case.

overall, i would go to heavenly again, the cupcakes were tasty and they are still good the next day.  it also doesn't hurt to have a cupcake shop just a brisk walk away from your house!

Baby Cakes: Desserts - Drink - Dine

Running errands for the better half of the day, Adelle and I found time to hit up another local shop in San Diego called Baby Cakes.  After an amazing meal at Arrivederci Ristorante, we rounded the corner in continued search of the Best Cup Cake in San Diego.  Had I known that it was housed in a 1889 Craftsmans Home, I wouldn't have drove past the little cottage tucked away between two large cement walled buildings.  Parking is scarce in front of the shop but there is one spot reserved for those that are picking up or taking out.  Apparently they are serious when they mean 15 minutes only with a large sign taunting you that they WILL tow your car.

Upon entering the front yard, you're greeted with a gate that leads you to a well designed and organized patio allowing you to enjoy the San Diego weather coupled with a cup of coffee and their token dessert.  Then, all of sudden, entering the house, you have a pub style bar mixed in with two display cases of goodies.  Low and behold, they also serve food! Soon to be serving liquid desserts and lunch 7 days a week!? Looking for minis...we didn't see any. Who are we kidding anyways with mini cupcakes?! If you're going to indulge, do it right with the "regular" sized dessert.

Ordering a half dozen for the Monday night "Chiefs" Game, we headed home happy and excited for the little babies.  We were so excited that the pictures below were snapped rather rushed.  We'll be sure to update the blog with better pictures of all the places and cupcakes in the near future cataloging the entire experience.  For now, please excuse the amateur quality, but hey, it's the real deal; no confetti, setup or over exposure touch ups.

Elijah's Take: Times have changed. I actually enjoy Pistachio and this cupcake is no exception. The light green provides a heartening feel that it's a sweet dessert and nothing more. Sprinkled with bits of pistachio on top of the light frosting, it's sponginess wedges itself perfectly in your mouth. It's just the right amount of sweet and nutty that I've come to love. There's even a chance that I might be able to overzealously consume a half dozen of these bad guys before I'd get sick. As for the traditional "Baby Cake" flavor, it was the definition of the cupcake taste. I mean, if you go to an ice cream shop and order cake batter, that'd be the taste. Or maybe the scratch-n-sniff sticker when you were a kid with a cake on it, that's what "Baby Cake" smelled / tasted like. I recommend partaking in the ambiance outside of the cottage. The next time we are there and you spot us, call us out and we'll buy YOU a cupcake! Just follow @adellelijah on twitter to find out when and where.

Finding the "Best" Cupcakes in San Diego

On the flight from Atlanta to San Diego, a neighboring passenger asked me a very personal question:  "What should we do in San Diego?"  I say personal because San Diego is a city that I am proud of.  Some can say I'm overly proud to be a native San Diegan and for this, my passion runs deep.  Without surprise, I had a hard time coming up with a definite list because if you were to ever come to my hometown, I'd zoom you around on a whirlwind tour to make sure, by gosh darnit, you experience EVERYTHING.  So I guess the during the month of September, instead of the "back to school" moniker, adellelijah will be posting on...Finding and Sampling the "Best" Cupcakes in San Diego. As snobby as Yelppers & their reviews can be, one cannot help but search and read reviews on the locale. Querying "Cupcakes in San Diego" the result yielded over 200 different places! I decided that I was not going to let reviews cloud adellelijah's take so we'll try to make it as uninfluenced as possible. No, we're not going to spend over $500 sampling, but we will definitely hit as many places as possible.

The first cupcake stop immediately after the traditional Pt. Loma Seafood lunch (Fresh Alaskan Halibut Sandwich) was Cupcakes Squared Inc. We've heard multiple amazing reviews from peers and even a "2009 Voted Best in San Diego" that it would be without a doubt the best place to start. Located in Point Loma on 3772 Voltaire St (between Poinsettia Dr & Worden St), parking was ample while the shopping center looked a bit "older." Walking in, you're instantly greeted by square cupcakes!  You would have thought that the "Squared" moniker would have prepared you but it's different. Not in a bad or good way but more of an exciting, lets get some in my mouth already way.  There is a table or two outside of the store, but it's mostly just a bakery and not a cafe that some might be accustomed to when venturing to a place of sweetness.  So don't be alarmed.

We ordered a large Smores Square and 4 minis; Lilikoi, Not So Red Velvet, Chocolate Peanut & Cheesecake.  In one word: Decadent...maybe another word to describe would be Lushious, Moist, amazing... I Loved it!

Upon cutting into the cake and placing the morsel onto your tongue, it's just complete.  I know that I have a lot to learn in reviewing food, but you have to go there yourself and check them out.  You won't be disappointed.  It's smooth, not too light or heavy, it's the Goldilocks of cupcakes.

When you do go to their store, makes sure to navigate to their website first and check out the Daily Baking Schedule as certain flavors are rotated.

Foodview also has a great rundown of the best places in San Diego which they conducted in October of 2008 so adellelijah.com is here to conduct a two year updated