NP Goes M.I.A.

If we knew how to surf, we'd totally go surfing!

Hey all,

We still love you, and the world of the NP, but just like many of you, we’re taking a small summer vacay.  Be sure to follow us on twitter, or join our Facebook page, and you’ll be the first to know when we’ve got fantastic new stories for you!

Xo

NP Girls

Cutting the Cord

Free yourself for a mobile life, and pay less in the process

We know that our culture has turned to Blackberry and iPhone central. Laptops have mobile cards enabling them to pick up wi-fi and cell-phone signals just about anywhere. Many people have multiple cell phones for work and home, and an extra for secret affairs or as a bat-phone. Yet, there are still holdouts to eras past.

Those of you with land lines- listen up. While the rest of us have moved onward and upward, you are still residing firmly in the last century. You pay monthly fees for land line service, and astronomical amounts for long distance dialing. You say, yes, but what if we need to call the police? Let’s be honest, which is easier, grabbing your cell out of your pocket and holding down the ‘9′ key to dial on the run, or unearthing the hardwired phone in the kitchen, making sure the handset is charged, and stealthily dialing 911- nevermind the burglar that’s currently trying to break in through the back door (located in the kitchen). With the possible exception of serious old-timers (read: grandparents and/or great-grandparents) that are simply unable to grasp the newfangled tech of cellular telephones, no one needs a land line anymore.

The NP girls recently received this email from their equally NP parents..

RE: Death of the Landline

Call m+d on cell phones, text, bb, twitter, facebook, drum, carrier pigeon, smoke signals, mental telepathy.

But do not expect to call our “home” number because this is the end of analog phone service at the

Engler home.

Good step, Mom and Dad- now if only we could get you to switch your outdated satellite service (on which only one show may be watched on one TV in the house…) to speedy digital cable or Fios, we’d be in business.

Bargains Abound

Practicing for "back to school"

Little is more exciting than finding an incredible bargain.  The best ones are usually anomalous, the random thing from a season ago, the late return in just your size that went straight to double markdown.  This requires perusing the little hidden sale racks in the corners, not just the promotional sale events.  Recent finds include a great pair of black DKNY black cigarette slacks for $18 and a fabulous gold linen trench for $50!  It’s always worth checking store’s websites before you head out to see if there is a certificate for an additional percent off.  Macy’s is well known for running 50% off, then another 15%, then if you have a certificate, another 20%- so it’s pretty much free by the time you’re done. 

Movies, On Demand

Nouveau Movie Night

Welcome back to the city, NP’s! Last weekend was probably a blowout, which might mean that this week you just want to take it easy. How better to do so than by watching a movie on the couch with some popcorn (and a cute crush by your side.) Movie theaters are anything but relaxing, by the time you get there, pay out the nose for tickets and snacks, and fight for your seat with some kid who is definitely out past their bedtime. While digital cable and sattelite providers do offer movies On Demand, they are still around $5 apeice, and can’t exactly be brought over to your honey’s house with you.

This week, try Red Box. These nifty vending machines can be found in various NYC locations- mostly in Walgreens at this point. In the rest of the country, they’re also in McDonalds locations, which I would personally be a fan of because it would give me an excuse to go sneak some of their deadly-good fries. Red Box movies can be rented ahead of time online at their website, and then picked up from a machine for $1/night. This saves the annoyance of browsing through the video store while some kid screams at their mom for gummy bears, and a gang of teenage boys ponders how to rent an R-rated movie. Though the choices are obviously more limited than at Blockbuster, for example, they’re changed out often, and aim for convenience and cost effectiveness. What about Netflix, you ask? Red Box has them beat if you ask me, because planning days or weeks ahead of time for what I want to watch tonight just isn’t going to happen. Give the Box a shot this weekend and let us know what you think- even if you don’t like it, you’re only out $1.

Rested and Refreshed

Hi all,

Hopefully you got the rest you needed and had the fun you deserved over the long weekend. The NP girls took some time out to nap, tan, and party, and are back and ready to take on the city again! Stay tuned for this week’s blogs- as always, we hope they’ll keep you entertained while doing the less entertaining things that life requires!

xo -NP Girls

Do Try This at Home

I am that girl

Clothing manufacturers pretty much label everything as dry clean only to avoid liability for shrinkage, color bleeding and the like.  The reality is there is very little that cannot be laundered or otherwise cleaned at home. 

One exception is a fiber content including viscose.  Viscose does not like water. 

Washing doesn’t necessarily have to mean the whole garment.  A linen dress was needing freshening around the neck and under arm areas, but the rest of it was looking good.  Using a good hand wash detergent I soaked a white cloth and heavily blotted these areas, blotting again with another cloth soaked in water.  I hung it to dry and starched and pressed the whole dress.  It smells much better than dry cleaning fluid! 

For an extra shot of freshness try Febreeze sprayed at the underarms of a jacket lining or dress if smells stale but isn’t really soiled.  I also took a chance with a pair of Chaiken linen blend pants that are unlined and threw them into the washer on gentle.  I dryed them a little on tumble and then pressed them with starch.  They look great!