Introducing BOUCHERIE AmiaBras in Shibuya, Tokyo

Merguez メルゲーズ (from the old restaurant Tres Mignon. The new restaurant only serves the sausage as charcuterie - unless it's the special of the day - so it doesn't come as a meal with vegetables)

Introducing my favorite restaurant (that I have yet to visit): BOUCHERIE AmiaBras on Aoyama dori between 渋谷 Shibuya and 青山 Aoyama, on the south west side of Tokyo.  The chef used to run our favorite French bistro in Nakameguro. My husband and I were devastated when it closed suddenly, but overjoyed to hear that the chef had opened his own new place!

Beef Tongue stewed in Wine (from the old restaurant Tres Mignon, where this was a hanami lunch special. At the new restaurant this is a standalone plate without vegetables)

My top menu recommendations are the merguez メルゲーズ lamb sausage at dinner (hubby doesn't like lamb, and I am a weakling about spice, but we both adore this spicy homemade sausage) and the juicy flavorful hamburg steak offered at lunch (if you find any place that does it better than here, let me know!). I do love the other dinner options (crispy chicken and duck confit, and the beef tongue is amazing), so it's always a challenge, but the hamburg steak usually trumps everything except the merguez...

Chicken confit (from the old restaurant Tres Mignon, when it was a lunch special. At the new restaurant it comes without vegetables)

Swordfish steak lunch (from the old restaurant Tres Mignon)

Lunch is a ridiculous steal starting at 1000 yen and up, and since the hamburg steak only seems to be offered at lunch, you should experience lunch and dinner here!

Links:
English Tabelog page
日本語の食べログページ

Recommendations on feeding newborns, Kyla La Grange - Skin

Recommendations on Improving Hospital Safety to Prevent Newborn Starvation and Injury

I was surprised that this topic hasn't had more publicity or concern, when 1 in 5 women may have delayed lactation or no lactation at all. Teaching women how to confirm whether they're producing breast milk seems like a basic sanity check. And also teaching how to supplement when not producing enough milk seems like a basic precaution, even if it were uncommon.

There also seems to be a widespread misconception that newborns can't drink that much, but the newborn stomach has been measured at 20mL.

One of my favorite singers, Kyla La Grange:

Ameriie's new EP Drive

Famm'in Circle

An unexpected collaboration, but good stuff!

Jazmine Sullivan slaying "Mona Lisa (Masterpiece)" at BET

In case you missed Jazmine Sullivan slaying 'Masterpiece (Mona Lisa)' at #BlackGirlsRock last night:https://t.co/uQj6fe1Yzw

— Thomas Darby. (@ThomasLDarby) April 6, 2016

How did I miss this Studio Ghibli documentary?!

Egads, May already?!? Poshmark update

Yikes, I cannot believe it's been months since I last posted here.

I thought I'd give you an update on Poshmark, in bullet points.
The tl;dr summary: buying on Poshmark is great if you know the product very well, but be very careful to confirm the things that you care about. Selling is tough though.

Pros:

• An extensive variety of items for sale, some extremely unique
• One-stop shopping from your phone has never been so easy!
• Discontinued items for sale
• I can often find discontinued versions of a product that I can't get anywhere else. For example, I like Eddie Bauer wrinkle-free shirts in bright striped patterns, but for the most part they don't make them in those patterns any more.  However, on Poshmark, I've found quite a few of these shirts in like-new and sometimes brand-new condition. Similarly for Under Armour cold gear shirts. The new versions of the shirt have an itchier seam, but the old versions of the shirt are great. I live in these shirts in the winter, and I've stocked up on a few basics via Poshmark already.
• Prices are low
• A corollary to the fact that selling is hard, the abundance of items means that prices go low if the sellers really want to sell. So Poshmark is an excellent place to buy jeans, dresses, and purses, as American women seem to have an excess of both! Also, high end items can be had for quite reasonable prices.
• Unique items sell well
• Simply because they stand out from the mass of similar items. However, I've seen beautiful dresses sell for super low prices - great for the buyer, not as great for the seller.
• Comments cannot be erased
• This can be a source of useful information about a seller/buyer

Cons:

• No returns
• Since individual sellers are shipping the items, they would also have to process the returns, and this is super tedious for individuals, so Poshmark has sensibly decided not to allow returns. However, it is disappointing to receive an item and realize that it doesn't fit. The only solution is to donate or "re-posh" sell the item on Poshmark.
• Sellers omit information
• Whether deliberately or because they don't have time, sellers may leave out information that is important to the buyer. As a buyer, you have to be careful to ask any questions that are important to you, which can be irritating to the seller. However, since you can't return anything, it's a necessary evil. I've stopped buying items that I don't already know well, as it's too tiring to try think of every possible issue.
• Technically, if the item is not as expected, you could probably open a case and ask to return the item, but errors of omission are a bit borderline. I received a sweater that had pilling, which wasn't mentioned. I didn't ask in advance, so I chose to accept the item, rather than challenge it. Similarly, I bought a coat that fit well, but turned out to be rather rough to the touch. Since I neglected to ask this in advance, I chose not to open a case.
• Sizing is difficult
• It's hard to measure a 3D item like a dress, and even if you ask for measurements, it's difficult to know if an item fits until you actually try it on. There are all sorts of wonderful shoes for sale, but I've given up on judging whether shoes fit me, unless I already know the item.
• Seller ratings are not visible
• Seller's can post a screenshot of their rating, but they're not publicly accessible to buyers. So a careful buyer needs to check the "Love Notes" from other buyers, to make sure that there are no issues with the seller.  This is pretty time consuming, and often there isn't much information.  Sellers can also choose not to display a particular "Love Note" so buyers cannot access that information
• Selling is hard
• There are so many sellers that it is really hard to find buyers for your items
• Shipping is $6
• It makes it hard to justify buying an item unless you can bundle to save on shipping.
• You only get notified of a comment if tagged
• Unless it is your own listing, users need to tag you in order for you to notice a comment that they have left. Often users forget this, so I have missed comments/replies as a result.
• Only women's and unisex clothing allowed
• I would love to buy items for my husband, as clothing manufacturers have stopped producing loose fit pants, but the Poshmark platform can't handle men's or children's clothing yet. They just came out with Plus, Petites, and Juniors sizing, so maybe this will change eventually.

I leave you with the latest song from Kiley Dean, "Long Gone":