Shoe Repair and Maintenance in Hong Kong

 

 

 

 

Hello Men and Women of Hong Kong,

As you well know, shoes are easily worn out in this city with high foot traffic, uneven surfaces, escalators, slopes, and stairs.  Keep your shoes in great shape by seasonally taking new and old shoes to the cobbler.  Why take new shoes to the cobbler?  You’ll want to have a sole protector glued onto leather bottoms right at the get-go with to prevent damage and keep them lasting longer.  Read on to find out more of my tips for keeping shoes looking great year after year = save $ and keep your favorite shoes looking great.

The absolute BEST place in Hong Kong for shoe, handbag, belt, and leather care & repair (recommended by LV) is “The TOP” located in Central: Rear Shop B, Ground Floor, Comm House, 35 Queens Road Central (right next to the ally entrance of McDonald’s on Queen’s Road).  Very nice guys, very excellent workmanship.

Another great place is “The Groom” – located in various MTR stations throughout HKG; http://www.thegroomshoesrepair.com.

Sole care: Flat shoes with leather bottoms/soles (men and women)

have a protective layer glued onto the bottoms which adds traction and years of life to your shoes.  Cost = approx. $200-250 HKD.  (Several cobblers have red protective covers for Christian Louboutin shoes – see picture)

High heel tip replacement: A cobbler is able to remove the worn-down tip and install a new one.  Once your tip is worn down, immediately get them repaired rather than walking on the metal tip – this will crack your shoe and cause aches and pains in your body.

Keep the shape: Use shoe trees, shoe-shape holders, tissue paper made into the shape of the shoe toe… something in the toe of your shoes for a nice, strong shape in storage.

Shine on: Cobblers and leather smiths will help buff, polish, and shine your shoes to keep them respectable and looking new.  Patent leather shoes should never touch one another in storage because the finish will scuff and scratch.

Storage: Consider to keep your shoes in their original boxes, put them away neatly each night, keep a photo on the outside of the box, and organize on a large shelving unit so they may stack vertically and take up less space and keep shoes dust-free.  If this is too extreme, simply purchase 2 stackable stainless steel wire shelving racks from IKEA – functional, sharp looking… and able to hold approximately 24 pairs of shoes.

Related Articles

• Fix-It Nation: In Tough Times, Tailors and Cobblers Thrive (time.com)
• Fixing heels, sewing soles as Camden’s last cobbler (philly.com)

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Filed under: Dressing Style Tips, Hong Kong, Image advice, Uncategorized, care for shoes, Christian Louboutin, Fashion, fixing shoes, Footwear, High-heeled footwear, Hong Kong, how to care for shoes, Jennie Hope Peterson, Shoe, shoe care, shoe maintenance, shoe storage, shoe upkeep, Shoemaking, Style essential, The Groom, Top Shoe Repair

She’s Got Legs

Even though it’s winter and your legs can hide behind opaque tights for a bit longer, it’s time to start thinking about your Spring wardrobe and fitness routine for the best pins around town.

• Without a doubt, resistance workouts with weights will help tone and sculpt your legs.  The best exercises for great gams include squats, lunges, and dead-lifts.  However, without cardio to burn the fat on the surface, your tone will never show.  Running, jumping-rope, swimming, elliptical training, etc are all great fat-burners… just keep moving and get a good sweat going.
• Aside from exercise, the right shoes will help create the illusion of longer and leaner legs with nude-toned high-heels (see pic above).  I recently added the two below Jimmy Choo darlings to my arsenal of shoes for Spring.  These will be perfect with shorts, dresses, and skirts for creating a clean line of color from hip to toe.

• Know your hem-line.  Avoid letting your hem end at the widest part of your leg.  This means if you have heavier legs, don’t rock very short skirts and dresses… opt for knee-length or slightly above-the-knee and wear high-heels in a neutral shade such as nude, light silver, or light gold tone.  Below-the-knee hems are hard to pull-off without looking overly matronly.

• Lotions and potions will help as well.  Before going out, put a lotion with a subtle shimmer on your legs to help reflect the light and add tone.

• Tanned skin always looks healthy and more fit.  Try subtle tinted lotions, self-tanning cream, spray tanningat California Beach Club in Central, Hong Kong  http://www.californiabeachclub.net/home.htm.

• Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate.  Smooth thighs, knees, and bum are definitely always in style.  Aim toexfoliate in the shower 2x/week and follow with a body oil or lotion immediately after to moisturize and keep your skin youthful.

• Pedicures.  I have a different opinion on pedicures from most women (I think).  I care much more about the softness and health of the skin on my feet than the color of the nails, although you cannot go wrong with a feminine pink.  Your feet need to be healthy and looked after.  I find that getting a quickie pedicure is pretty much all about the nail polish rather than the foot care, so go to a nicer salon or buy sanders and scrubbers to keep your tootsies looking great for those peep-toe shoes.

• Shaving, waxing, etc all go without saying…. smooth and silky is the way to go.

Related Articles

• Expert Answers to Your Exfoliation Questions (webmd.com)
• 5 Ways to Keep Feet Pretty Despite the Weather (chicagonow.com)
• Necessary Evils of Beauty: Proper Exfoliation (2) (jenniehopepeterson.wordpress.com)
• 10 Tips for Beautiful Summer Skin (everydayhealth.com)
• Top 6 Leg Training Mistakes (projectswole.com)

Filed under: Dressing Style Tips, Exercise, Fitness - Motivation, Grooming, Image advice, Legs, Losing Weight, Skin care, Uncategorized, Beauty, best legs, better legs, dress length for my legs, Fashion, Fitness, Health, hem lines, Jennie Hope Peterson, Jimmy Choo, long longs, nice legs, nude heels for long legs, Pedicure, Skipping rope, Sunless tanning

A minute on the lips…

When I was a teenager, someone told me “remember, a minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips”.  I think of that now after the holidays when everyone (including myself) is trying to lose 5-10 pounds.  Ugh!  It’s not easy.

Losing just a few pounds requires effort.  You have to REALLY want it.  Fortunately, I’ve already shed 1 KG in 9 days from working out and eating right… feeling slightly hungry before bed, daily sweat sessions and cardio with the jump rope, reducing my intake of refined carbs and processed foods, and increasing my water consumption.  1KG is just 2.2 lbs, but it all adds up.

If you want to lose weight, you definitely can… but you need to be realistic and want it more than you want other lifestyle choices such as sugars, excess food, alcohol, laziness, and comfort.  YOU have control over what your body looks like, and you can choose to build your own body however you want and make a decision to live and eat well.  Maybe you’ve just skimmed over those last few sentences like “blah, blah, blah”… but it’s true that you really have complete control over the way you look.

Some of my tips for trimming up a bit:

• Drink two large glasses of water after waking up and before meals.
• Drink 1 large glass of water after each meal.
• Make sure breakfast is 50% fruits; lunch & dinner are 50% vegetables.
• Avoid eating and drinking foods that weren’t in existence in the 1800’s (this is a good one).
• To curb cravings between meals, drink hot tea.
• Limit fried foods and processed foods as much as possible.
• Add psyllium husk to foods to increase bulk and aid digestion

Related Articles

• Drop 5 Pounds Now (foxnews.com)
• The new diet rules (mirror.co.uk)
• Low Fat Diet for Weight Loss and Good Health (justslimming.com)
• Weight Loss Tips to Keep You Healthy (justslimming.com)

Filed under: Belly, Belly and Core, Exercise, Fitness - Motivation, Health, Healthy Eating, Losing Weight, Uncategorized, diet, Diet Advice, Diet Secrets, Drinking water, Fitness, Fitness Motivation, Health, Healthy Eating, Healthy Food, Look and feel, Physical exercise, Skipping rope, weight loss

Look and feel your best in 2011

Resolve to look and feel your best in 2011 with positive changes in your lifestyle, habits, and appearance.  See the below for my take on building a healthier and more attractive body.

1.  Create S.M.A.R.T goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound).  It’s easy to say “I want to lose weight in 2011″ but you need to consider the details.  For example, “I want to lose 4 pounds each month for 5 months so I will be 20 pounds slimmer by June 1st.  I will reduce my caloric intake by 500/day by cutting refined foods (alcohol, candy, white bread) and begin walking at least 20 minutes per day.”  S.M.A.R.T goals will help you achieve.

2.  People in great shape look and feel better.  Would you pay USD$5,000 right now for the body of your dreams?  Of course you would!  Ok, so use that money and purchase a gym membership, personal training, new workout gear/clothes, a kayak, hiking boots, etc.  Commit to your decision to look and feel better.

3. Book an appointment with a dermatologist to discuss products for your age and skin-type.  Maybe you want a few injections or fillers, scars/pigmentation/veins removed, or just need to drink more water and sleep better.  A dermatologist will tell you the truth and hook you up with the products and creams to suit you best.

4.  Find a wonderful salon/spa.  I rave about the Mandarin Oriental Salon (HK) because they are specialists with hair, face, feet, nails, etc.  Invest in a relationship with a wonderful stylist and technician and trust them on beauty and grooming advice.  Look after yourself.

5.  If possible, only buy fresh food.  It’s that simple.  Fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, dairy, nuts, eggs, tofu, whole grain breads… and even chocolates.  Consider buying chocolates from See’s Candies which expire relatively quickly vs. packaged chocolate that lasts 6-12+ months on the shelf.   Always go fresh and try to avoid needing to open a wrapper to consume your food.

6.  Take care of your wardrobe.  If it has a stain, a hole, reminds you of a bad experience, hasn’t been worn for 2 years, or you just don’t like it – it’s out.  Don’t rationalize or feel guilty for getting rid of it.  Use a dry-cleaning service to ensure your clothes look their best, purchase lint-rollers for home/work/car, take your shoes to the cobbler seasonally for care and upkeep, use jewelry cleaner regularly, and buy quality hangers so your garments hang properly.  www.imageandlifestyle.com for my personal shopping and style services.

7.  Smile and de-stress.  Take a holiday, get more sleep, book spa appointments, watch a movie with a glass of wine… do whatever it takes to chill out.  Make your happiness, goals, and health a top priority for the new year.

Related Articles

• S.M.A.R.T. Objectives: An Essential Step in Strategy Formulation (thehealthcareblog.com)
• Mindful Munching (psychologytoday.com)
• 2011 Goals (findingforrest.com)

Filed under: Beauty, Dressing Style Tips, Exercise, Facial, Fitness - Motivation, Grooming, Hair, Health, Healthy Eating, Hong Kong, Losing Weight, Manage stress, Skin care, Uncategorized, Beauty care in Hong Kong, Chocolate, Clothing, diet, Diet Advice, Diet Secrets, Dry cleaning, Fashion, Fitness, Fitness Motivation, Health, Healthy Eating, Healthy Food, Hong Kong, Look and feel, motivation, S.M.A.R.T, See's Candies, weight loss, White bread, Wine tasting descriptors

Happy, Happy New Year 2011!!!!!

Happy New Year Friends!!!

I hope you’re having a blast tonight and today and thinking about all the wonderful adventures, improvements, and memories to come in the new year.  Stay tuned to hear about health, detox, and resolutions!  xo

Filed under: Uncategorized

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Friends! I hope you and your loved ones have arrived home safely to relax and enjoy a few days of delicious treats, twinkling lights, and the warmth of a home decorated with care and charm.  Take delight in long walks, restful nights of sleep, and those pleasures that make you smile so you start 2011 out with a bang!

Best wishes to you for a very, merry Christmas!

Filed under: Uncategorized

Psstt! Let’s Talk…

Hello there ladies,

This week signals the flow of champagne rivers as holiday parties get into full swing, and that means lots of dresses, heels, manicures, blow-outs, and… SPANX.  If you’ve just raised an eye-brow of confusion, don’t worry.  Many women still are not familiar with the contouring under garments which help smooth and slim your bits and bumps into mounds of perfection.  Forget about looking super skinny or trying to squeeze into a tight dress, the purpose of control under garments is to create a smooth line beneath your clothes and improve your confidence on a big night out.  Several brands make control undergarments:

Wolford is sexy + function+ premium.  Sold in Lane Crawford, Harvey Nichols, and Prince’s Building boutique shop

Spanx is all function + not so attractive.  Sold in Lane Crawford, Harvey Nichols, and internet delivery

Marks and Spencer undergarments are functional + well-priced + less comfortable

Victoria’s Secret, H&M, La Perla, and many other brands offer body suits in sexy patterns which also help keep everything in check.  My advice: try to exercise 5x/week, eat well, drink lots of water, get your beauty rest, buy a fabulous wardrobe, and then wear Spanx from time to time on those evenings you need to wear a slinky white silk dress to the holiday party.  The point is, unless you’re hitting the gym to perfectly tone your tush… a bit of under garment magic will work wonders on your special occasions and Christmas parties.  Have fun this weekend!  x

Related Articles

• There’s a reason “Spanx” sounds like a punishment (timesunion.com)
• The results of our shapewear test: were Spanx the best? (timesunion.com)
• I’m wearing men’s Spanx today (tdhurst.com)
• Spanx: The Ass End Of Commerce [Fashion] (gawker.com)

Filed under: Beauty, Dressing Style Tips, Fall Fashion 2010, Hong Kong, Image advice, Shopping Advice, Uncategorized, Christmas, Clothing, Harvey Nichols, Lane Crawford, Shopping, Spanx, Undergarment, Wolford

Nutritional Expert Weighs in on Hong Kong Lifestyle

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing nutritionist Chrissy Denton, owner of Bebe2Be for the scoop on the services she offers, weight loss, and prenatal dietary advice.

http://www.bebe2be.com/Nutrition(2056269).htm

Contact: chrissy@bebe2be.com

1. What services do you offer for clients who want to make a major lifestyle change?

We offer a range of nutritional services tailored to each client’s lifestyle and personal goals.   Our services include weight management, sports nutrition, pregnancy nutrition, family nutrition, body composition analysis as well as corporate seminars and workshops.

2. As a nutritionist, you must see all kinds of unusual weight loss strategies.  What advice do you have for in-active women 35-45 years old who want to adopt a healthy diet to lose weight?

There are many crazy diets in the media these days that convince women to consume an unhealthy eating regime.  Healthy weight loss is achieved by choosing healthy food options that will be maintained over a long period in order to prevent the weight gain or ‘yo yo’ effect.  Exercise is equally important and should be done in conjunction with a healthy diet.

3. Do you have specific nutrition advice for women who have just become pregnant?

It is important to maintain a balanced diet during the entire pregnancy, ensuring that you get all the important nutrients that your baby needs.  In the first few weeks some women may lose their appetite due to morning sickness and nausea but overall your body doesn’t need any extra calories for the first six months of the pregnancy.    There are some unsafe foods to avoid during the pregnancy such as soft cheeses, pate, and raw seafood’s such as oysters and sushi and of course no alcohol and limited caffeine.   Folic acid should be taken for the first 3mths of pregnancy and some may also need a vitamin D supplement right up to after the birth.

4. Do you offer nutritional services for children?

Yes, we offer nutritional services for children of all ages.  We help parents deal with fussy eaters, offer a variety of snack/recipe ideas as help children with allergies/food intolerances, eating disorders or those dealing with overweight or obesity.

5. What do you think is the one major dietary mistake people in Hong Kong make each day?

I think people in Hong Kong tend to go with convenience and chose foods that are ready-made because of their busy lifestyle.  Most people believe that it is cheaper to eat out than cook at home which is very untrue.  Education is the key and by simply showing people basic recipes and how to cook on a budget this would dramatically improve their weight control and overall health.

Related Articles

• Pregnancy and Nutrition Facts: How Eating Habits Affect Pregnant Women (brighthub.com)
• EUGENIE JONES: Is There a Perfect Diet? (kitsapsun.com)
• Proper Vitamin D Intake May Lead To Healthy Weight Loss (findmeacure.com)

Filed under: Health, Healthy Eating, Hong Kong, Losing Weight, Pregnancy - Healthy Eating, Pregnancy Foods, Prenatal Health, Uncategorized, Bebe2be, Chrissy Denton, diet in Hong Kong, Health, Healthy Hong Kong, Nutrition, nutrition advice in Hong Kong, nutritionist Hong Kong, pregnancy, weight loss

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Friends – just a quick note to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones.  Let us be thankful for all we have and consider those among us who are less fortunate.  It is a time for sharing and appreciating.  It is also a special day for eating – so be sure to enjoy all of the food and festivities today without guilt or consequence.  Elastic pants were created for a reason… so eat, drink, and be merry today!

Filed under: Uncategorized, Thanksgiving

Health All-Star: Psyllium Husk

Hello Friends,

I consider psyllium husk fibers a Health All-Star when incorporated into a diet for additional fiber, digestive health, and appetite control.  This saw-dust-looking powder is a natural, taste-free, gluten-free, nearly no-calorie, fiber-rich food which turns liquids, smoothies, soups, etc into a somewhat gel-like substance if not consumed immediately.  It is this gel-like texture which forms bulk in your GI system and promotes a healthy colon by absorbing fats and cholesterol from the digestive tract, pushing out mucoid plaque, and preventing constipation.  Other beneficial health properties of psyllium husk include the following:

• Blood pressure improvement
• Treatment of IBS
• Treatment of yeast infections
• Pain management and treatment of hemorrhoids and cystitis
• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Weight loss control
• Pregnant women should consult a physician prior to use

Personally, I find psyllium husk helpful during weeks of detoxing and tightening up my diet, or mornings after a wonderfully indulgent evening out (see shake recipe below).  Although I do not consume this product daily, it helps me feel clean, refreshed, and light and is a welcome addition to my personal health program.  I purchase 200-300 gram packages at 360 supermarket in Elements or Hyrdohealth in Central and keep it refrigerated and sealed for freshness.

Jennie’s Super Healthy Morning Shake: Blueberries (any fruit as desired), heaped spoon spirulina, heaped spoon psyllium husk fibers, 1 cup almond milk, 1 cup ice, 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil, 1 heaping spoon vanilla protein powder.  Blend and be prepared to eat with a spoon… the psyllium will make this thick… and it becomes thicker the longer it sits out.  Add psyllium powder to the blender after the milk for easier cleaning.  Almond milk is used for the naturally sweet taste, protein, and low calorie properties.  Spirulina has a strong earthy flavor balanced by the fruit and vanilla protein powder.

Filed under: Belly, Health, Healthy Eating, Hong Kong, Losing Weight, Tummy, Uncategorized, appetite control, constipation, Dietary fiber, Fiber, Health, health all-star, Healthy Morning Shake, Irritable bowel syndrome, Psyllium, Psyllium seed husks, weight loss