New Year, New Opportunity

New Year, New Opportunity

According to the University of Scranton, Journal of Psychology, the top 10 New Years Resolutions for 2014 are:

1. Lose Weight

2. Getting Organized

3. Spend Less, Save More

4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest

5. Staying Fit and Healthy

6. Learn Something Exciting

7. Quit Smoking

8. Help Others in Their Dream

9. Fall in Love 

10. Spend More Time with Family

(http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/)

Ironically, with the exception of number 7 and maybe number 9, I believe these have been my new years resolutions every year, ever.  While I cannot confirm the “ever” I can confirm, by revisiting the past 3 years of this blog, at least one of the above has been present in all of the previous 4 years. 

U of Scranton also reports that by now, 2 weeks into the year, 71% of resolutions are still being maintained….but by June this number will drop to just 46%.  On a positive note, “People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t explicitly make resolutions.”  Sounds about right.  It is very challenging to achieve a goal you do not have.

(This concludes the statistical analysis portion of the blog.)

Bottom line, life is a journey.  Every journey begins with a single step.  Not maintaining a resolution for the whole year does not mean the resolution was a failure but a challenge to revisit.  I would like to know what happens once you “achieve the resolution.” Do you just give up?  There is no scorecard.  The journey never ends.

A Cheeky Glimpse Into Men’s Unmentionables

A Cheeky Glimpse Into Men’s Unmentionables

A while back I overheard a conversation at a wedding you don’t often catch.  Behind me two men talked over surf and turf.  Between conversations of who would win the upcoming football game and the details of a recent fishing trip it went something like this, “You have to get some of these Lulu underwear.” “Really? What kind?” “They’re Lululemon.  They’re amazing.”  The details were sparse but the conversation said it all.  Good enough for two men to make dinner conversation. 

Later I heard the woman in this man’s life chuckle, commenting. “Evan* is usually a classic tighty-whities guy but I got him a pair of underwear at lulu. At first he was like, ‘I don’t know about these.’ But now he loves them. Crazy about them.” 

My interest was peaked.  Perhaps this is normal conversation I’m just not privy to hear?  As a single lady I have not paid much attention to the fit and comfort of men’s underwear.  I guess it must come up?  Women’s underwear is big business, why wouldn’t men’s underoos garner as much detail?

I decided to do a bit of research.  First I checked out the Lululemon website.  There was talk of special attention to self-drying technology, fit, and lift.  There were fun colors, and special fabric blends promising to keep you active and manly while protecting your manhood.  There were also mixed reviews.  Allegedly, while fantastically supportive and soft they don’t quite have the staying power to hold up to jeans or repeated washings.  The whole of the feedback was inconclusive.  Is it inappropriate for me to follow up with said wedding goers to see if the opinion has changed? Something tells me the inquiry may be ill received.

If the Internet authority has yet to crown Lululemon "best keeper of the jewels" then who is?   “More research is needed,” Said Pandora before she unwrapped the box.  Again I turned to the Internet.  The plethora of information blew my mind.  There is “The Underwear Expert” that weighs in regularly, http://www.underwearexpert.com on the topic.  No doubt this is a full time job.  After hours of Internet searching, the pinnacle of men’s pantaloons still eludes.

The options are endless.  Calvin Klein could prop you up, or Versace, or Tommy John to name a few.  I’m not sure where being “rated M” falls in relation to “PG” and “R” but Mario Lopez could break it down.  David Beckham and H&M partnered up for a little ball handling.  Lulumon is the official underwear of the NHL but many other sports figures seem to be free agents with their own designs or lines.  We all know about Michael Jordon and his Hanes.  Did you know when not wearing a loin cloth Kellen Lutz may be able to “cover your nutz,” http://www.underwearexpert.com/2014/01/kellan-lutz-covers-nuts/  ?  And leave it to Men’s health to help you match the right pair with the right situation http://www.menshealth.com/style/underwear-when-wear Obviously with so many players with skin in the game this is not a new discussion.

I have stumbled into a lap of excitement.  For every “Bombshell” in the ladies isle there are ten “pro stretch” “contour fit” engineered fabric blends to keep your man happy.  All of this talk has barely skimmed the surface.  Apparently there is a revolution happening in men’s underwear (The Underwear Expert). 

 Men are tossing aside bland basics in favor of new colors, styles and brands. This newfound interest in undergarment experimentation is the result of increased options, growing awareness of those options, and the confidence with which men can spend hard-earned money in a resurging economy.

(- See more at: http://www.underwearexpert.com/2013/05/mens-underwear-in-2013-michael-kleinmann-economics/#sthash.FxCkjERM.dpuf)

A $3.1billion dollar industry and growing, the men’s underwear market is big business.  Lululemon is just one candidate fighting to be crowned prince of the jewels (http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB124225793987017277 ).  As I shake my head I close the box to this topic.  I’ll keep my nose out of the business of men’s unmentionables unless, of course, the topic arises over surf and turf.

 *Name has been changed to protect underwear preference