Dear readers, let me share with you my ultimate tale of gift card woe. A few years ago, I somehow won a $1,000 gift card to the Guerlain Spa at the Waldorf-Astoria. Yes, you read correctly, a $1,000 gift card. And while that would buy like eight massages at a typical spa, I figured it would translate to a facial, a massage, and a mineral bath at Guerlain, which, at the time, was the most expensive spa in NYC. Pampering of such epic proportions would require a full day off of work (what, you expected me to go on the weekends with the hoi polloi?), so I waited until what I thought was the perfect time to book an appointment: during my post-Christmas staycation last year*. However, a few months earlier, the company that operated the spa went bankrupt and thus the Guerlain Spa closed, rendering my gift card absolutely worthless. That's right, my $1,000 gift card. (Thus the cardinal rule of gift cards: Spend them immediately!) I fired off a strongly worded email to Spa Chakra Inc., which promptly bounced back to me via MAILER-DAEMON; I stomped around my apartment; I was so stressed out, I had to book another massage just to relieve the tension.
Which brings me to my love-hate relationship with gift cards. (Love is probably too strong a word; maybe mild tolerance would be better.) Yes, gift cards are generally quick and convenient, and when you have to get a gift for someone you don't know very well, hey, everyone loves a Starbucks card! But the downsides tend to outweigh the positives: They're impersonal, they often languish in your wallet, they expire, and if the company goes out of business, you're, to put it bluntly, SOL.
Which is why Giftly just might be the perfect solution to the gift card conundrum. A brand-new site, Giftly lets you create your own virtual gift card for whatever you want—stores, restaurants, bars, ahem, spas, etc. You send it to the recipient via email or Facebook, they register with Giftly and then to redeem it, check in at the location (you can pick up to three) on their smartphone. The recipient pays normally, and then Giftly credits the amount to the recipient's credit card, debit card, or Paypal account. This is awesome because it eliminates the hassle of tracking down separate gift cards for multiple businesses, and you can basically create a gift card for companies that don't even offer them! Added bonus: Even if you don't spend the entire Giftly at each location, you still get credited the full amount, so you don't get stuck carrying around, say, a Pottery Barn gift card with $4.08 left on it. You're also covered if you lose the original email or if the merchant goes out of business (take that, Spa Chakra!). But the best part of sending a Giftly is that you get to create a unique, personal experience for your recipient, evoking that whole "tis better to give than receive" ethos and resulting in what Giftly calls double happiness—joy experienced by both the gifter and the giftee.
And because Giftly is super-duper awesome, they are offering Cheryl Shops readers $5 off your first purchase—you can use this link or use promo code GIFTLYCHERYL. (Side note: Creating a Giftly for $20 or under is free, but fees otherwise range from $2 to 5% of the price, if over $120—regardless, a small sacrifice to the gift-card gods.) Double happiness indeed!
POSTSCRIPT: While researching this story, I discovered that the Guerlain Spa has since reopened at the Waldorf-Astoria under new management. Of course, I threw away my—all together now—$1,000 gift card months ago, not that the spa would necessarily still honor it. Which further proves my point that traditional gift cards are purely bogus!
*Coincidentally, I wouldn't have made it to the appointment anyway, since I got stuck in Chicago during the ol' Snowpocalypse of 2010 and ended up driving back to NY, three days late. Fate, I tell you.
Runway recap: When I think of Josie Natori, I think of lingerie. So this show took me by surprise and made me respect her versatility. Natori states that her fall collection was inspired by the nomadic culture and colors of Mongolia. Nomads seem to be trending for Fall 2012 (see Katie Gallagher)! The models are styled with dark lipstick and modern geisha-like hairdos. Colors are predominantly black, beige and grey with the occasional red, purple and deep yellow. Using silk, furs and velvets, she contradicts the nomadic theme with a sense of carefree luxury.
Bonus points: This show was unique in that it was practically on infinite loop. Natori had her models drift down the spiral staircase of the Rubin Museum then ride up the elevator to come back down again.
2018 is looking to be the year of the woman. In the last few months there have been several groundbreaking movements that have propelled women into the spotlight. The #TimesUp and #MeToo movements have recently harnessed the collective voice of women who have suffered in silence, exposing the severity of the widespread issue of sexual harassment and systemic sexism. Compounding on the tremendous momentum of these social media movements, just 2 weeks ago, the Women’s March drew massive crowds nationally 1 year after the initial protest.
Women in medicine are organizing as well. Medicine has historically been a field dominated by men, particularly for physicians. Gender discrimination and blatant sexism aside, women in medical professions face a number of unique obstacles that make the field of medicine unwelcoming to females.
A study titled Gender Differences in Time Spent on Parenting and Domestic Responsibilities by High-Achieving Young Physician-Researchers, revealed that women spend 8.5 more hours per week on domestic and parenting activities than men, after adjustments for work hours, spousal employment, and other factors. A Medicare B fee-for-service reimbursement analysis revealed that female providers overall earn $18,677.23 less than their male counterparts, despite another study showing that patients cared for by female physicians have better health outcomes.
The predominance of males in physician roles historically has been at odds with the concept of gender parity, but today we are witnessing a generational transition as greater numbers of females than ever before are pursuing medical degrees and leadership roles in physician spaces. For the first time in history, female medical school matriculate rates surpassed 50%, to 50.7%. Notably, The American College of CHEST Physicians has had three female presidents in the last 10 years, with a President-Designate Dr. Stephanie Levine soon to come, consistent with national ratios of critical care female physicians at 30% in the United States.
Today marks the third annual National Women’s Physician Day, celebrating female physicians everywhere on February 3rd, the birthday of Dr. Elisabeth Blackwell, the first female MD in America. It’s encouraging to see such progress; however, our work is far from done and continuous discussions about gender in medicine are imperative to creating a collaborative environment.
In an article entitled “You’re Too Small To Be A Surgeon” and Other Things Women in Medicine Hear, student doctor Jamie Katuna describes several anecdotes. The most striking one is a male medical student who describes frequently being mistaken for the attending physician, despite his female attending wearing a long white coat with MD clearly embroidered on it. Katuna poses an important question, “Is there a female attending physician out there who has NOT had this experience?”
The answer, sadly, is probably not. However, incidents of gender discrimination are hopefully becoming less frequent. Personally, I haven’t had it happen in the last few years. I am fortunate to work at a large academic center with many young physicians, reflecting a more balanced demographic of age, gender, and race. My neurosurgical critical care service consists of three female attendings out of four. My pulmonary critical care department is 40% female attendings, reflecting a higher percentage than the national average of female critical care physicians. We still have a lot of work to do, but it is also worth taking a moment to appreciate just how far we women physicians have come.
So, here’s to us: to our progress. To knowing what generations of strong female physicians have endured before us, and to still persevering despite all the challenges. To know that we are improving, slowly but surely. To know that our children will continue to pave the way for gender equality. Lastly, to know that there is still much work to be done and discussions about equal opportunity to be had.
Dr. Khan is happily practicing critical care, teaching as an assistant professor at Keck School of Medicine at USC and blogs about workplace gender dynamics in health-care at thefemaledoc.com.
Photograph - Exterior of the Chinese Church, Narrandera, c1900 - Chinese-Australian Historical Images in Australia
The accompanying caption reads 'The Chinese Church ...thought to be a joss house until a Cross appeared.'
Very intimate with a perfectly mixed crowd. devereaux is on the 18th floor of the Viceroy Hotel in the Gold Coast. devereaux is small but also a very sexy spot. Beautifully decorated, excellent drinks and a very friendly staff make this an excellent choice for any occasion and the perfect spot if you are looking for something smaller and more intimate. Being almost right across the street from Tavern on Rush and around the corner from Maple & Ash the crowd is very mixed. Like any Chicago rooftop it can occasionally be a slightly younger crowd. Hopefully devereaux stays a mixed crowd because it is a very cool spot.
I’ve been away traveling the last few weeks. While away in tropical weather I thought why do we always surround ourselves with the same Fall/Winter colors? Rusty Reds, Dark Greens, Deep Browns and Oranges- Why not Purple, Pink, Deep Blues, Bright Greens? Here are some inspirational images to get you out of the winter blues….... Read more »