Just like riding a bike...

In an effort to instill some zen minimalist principles into my life, I recently sold my car. My first car - the only car I've ever owned. Ahhh the Silver Fox. My parents bought me the lightly used Chevrolet Cavalier Coupe for my 17th birthday - they paid the down payment, but I was expected to make payments, and it was a proud moment when I paid it off my senior year of college.

Over the past year, the car became more stressful than helpful, though. Drowning in insurance payments, parking tickets, and maintenance work as the car aged, it was time to get rid of the old girl. She went to a good home of a new college girl in Staten Island - I felt like Andy donating his toys in Toy Story 3!

Sans car, it's been back to the drawing board. I'm lucky to live in NYC, a city where it's easy to rely on mass transit. Granted, it may take twice as long to get somewhere by subway as it would driving...but there's always traffic and parking issues anyway. My use for the car had more to do with weekend drives to the beach and visits home to Pittsburgh...I'll live.

My minimalist move of selling the car made me want to buy something else, though - a bicycle! The number of bikes on the road grows exponentially in New York as the temperature rises. As spring approached, cyclists were everywhere and I so badly wanted to be one. One small problem - I'm semi-petrified of riding a bike in the city. I've seen delivery boys get "doored" and flatlined on the road and I've known friends that flipped over their handlebars on potholes.

How's a girl like me supposed to survive? The last time I seriously rode my bike was on the Moraine State Park trails and through my surburban neighborhood in middle school. It's silly, but as the years have gone by, I've gotten more and more nervous to ride again, especially in my new urban surroundings. But, I'm willing to learn and I WILL learn this year. I checked out a bike shop near my apartment, googled my options...and ended up buying a $40 no-name beater mountain bike. It's metallic pink and the seat is a bit ripped up. Just my style (ha). It absolutely doesn't fit in my apartment, but I'm making it work.

Despite its faults, this bike is going to train me to ride again...it's my starter bike. I'm going to outfit it with a sturdy quick release basket up front for my stud muffin puppy dog Marlon and start by taking quick trips to Astoria Park and back. I hope to eventually work up the courage to bike through Manhattan or perhaps out to the beach, saving myself from an annoying LIRR commute. And if I end up really liking it, I'll save up for a nice commuter bike next year.

For anyone else out there interested - but apprehensive - of getting a bike and learning to ride in the city, I just found a really cool organization, Bike New York. They have *FREE* classes to help people adjust to bike commuting, learn to ride (for kids and adults), and understand traffic laws and your rights as a cyclist. Plus they host fun riding programs and events. I'm so amped for warm weather and excited to not feel pathetic hopping on a bike anymore!

I'll keep you posted on my progress!

The Great Winter Yoga Experiment

I'm so excited that spring seems to be on its way! I have to admit - winter makes me miserable. I try so hard to "embrace each season" and all that crap, but unless I could spend the winter months curled up by a fire drinking hot chocolate and sled riding and snowboarding, I'd rather hibernate through the months of December through February.

The point is, I need activities to get me through those months. Specifically exercising activities, because the less I exercise, the less I want to exercise and the worse I feel about myself. So what's a girl to do? I hit up Groupon, Living Social and every other deal site I knew and decided to join yoga studios.

I've toyed with yoga on and off through college - I had a Crunch Yoga workout VHS and a Rodney Lee DVD that I would use when I couldn't get to the gym, and I always liked the stretching and flexibility aspects of yoga, but until last summer, I had never taken an actual class. Once I tried classes at a studio in Astoria near my apartment, I discovered how much I liked it. I got a workout and I left feeling at peace with my life and the world. Not too shabby. Only thing is, it's SO expensive!

With my deal-scouting savviness, I was able to find two unlimited monthly deals at different yoga studios in the city, each for just $40. Awesome! I decided to use them consecutively during mid-January through mid-March, to keep me out of depression and in shape through the winter pudge season. Through my two months of yoga sessions, I became familiar with Ashtanga, Hot Vinyasa, Iyengar, Vinyasa, and Bikram. I feel so much more knowledgeable about the subject! There's a lot of info to sort through online about different studios and yoga styles, but here are my impressions of everything:

The Yoga Room - Astoria:

This was the first studio I ever practiced at, and I really love it there. Located on 35th Ave. across from the movie theater and next to Panera Bread, once you step inside, the suburbia-central vibe of of the block disappears. The dark wood floors, warm pastel walls and chai-smelling candles give off a total zen vibe.

PROS - My favorite teachers there are Danielle for Tuesday evening Beginner's Vinyasa and Marco for any of his Hot Yoga classes (Bikram-style). Danielle really helps you visualize the way your body needs to be aligned, and the Vinyasa sequences are slow enough that you're able to "hit" every move. Marco is great at motivating you and telling stories to get you through the grueling 26 postures of Bikram in the 105 degree room without wanting to walk out. They also offer Pilates, massage and acupuncture - nice bonuses.

CONS - Classes here are $18 a pop, which is pretty steep. They offer Pre-Natal yoga classes and longer Restorative classes which is nice for those looking for that, but the only classes with frequent time slots are Vinyasa and Hot Yoga, and it'd be nice to have a little more variety.

Yoga Sutra - midtown Manhattan:

I used my first unlimited yoga deal at this studio, and I'm so glad I found it! If I could afford it, I'd make this my permanent yoga studio. Located on the 2nd floor of an office building near Bryant Park, it also has a totally zen and welcoming ambience. There's a reading room, free WiFi, lots of couches and tea and water if you'd like to come early or stay late after class.

PROS - This is a legit studio where many yoga instructors come to get certified, and all the teachers regularly study in India to keep up their practice. They offer so many styles, too! I was especially curious about Iyengar and Ashtanga, and was able to take multiple classes of both. The weekly schedule is packed with classes, so whether I wanted to go before work, after work or on the weekends, I could fit in a class - most weeks I went at least 3-4 times.

STYLES:

• Iyengar - I really enjoy this style. It focuses on really opening up the body with deep, long stretches, and after being forced to stay in poses longer than usual, I leave the class feeling tall (haha), aligned and strong. Leslie's Community Iyengar classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings are my favorite - they wake me up and help me feel energized at the start of my day. Plus, it's donation-based which is perfect for poor yogis like myself!
• Hot Vinyasa - When I signed up for my first Hot Yoga class at Yoga Sutra, I assumed it would be Bikram, but the hot classes here are all Flow style, meaning you're constantly flowing and moving from position to position through the whole class. I actually liked it a lot - since you're in constant motion and don't hold positions for very long, it's easier to forget how hot you are and how long the class is. Cliff's classes were great, but really packed at certain times.
• Ashtanga - Knowing that this style is Madonna's hardcore workout of choice intimidated me, but I still really wanted to try it. Similar to Bikram, Ashtanga is the same set of poses every class, but instead of a hot room, the poses produce an inner heat as you work hard to complete them. Once you get really accustomed, you can take self-led Mysore classes, but Yoga Sutra also offers led classes with an instructor. The series is really long in its entirety, so I opted to take Led Half-Primary Series classes to get the hang of things. Both teachers I had, Lorrie and Erica were very kind and made it less scary. I actually wasn't that bad! I couldn't do the full headstand and a few of the complicated poses at the end, but not everyone in the class could either. Being a flexible girl, I loved some of the heavy duty twists involved, but a few poses felt just plain awkward. Definitely worth exploring more.

CONS - This studio is also extremely expensive. The cheapest membership is $150 per month and the single class rate is $21. Also, popular classes or anything held during "rush hour" after work fills up, so you need to sign up ahead of time online to make sure you can get into the class.

Bikram Yoga Union Square - Union Square:

I was most apprehensive of going to this studio, and with good reason. I'm not a huge fan of Bikram yoga, and the reviews online were not the best. The owner has a supposed drill sergeant demeanor, all the instructors wear headsets and they hock SmartWater in the middle of the class, taking advantage of thirsty, tired yogis. There were a few red flags, but so what? It was a damn good deal, and I figured maybe I needed that hardcore Bikram workout to really get me in shape. Plus, located in the heart of Union Square, I could walk there after work and my train station was right by the entrance.

PROS - I get a really great workout here; the sweat and toxins just pour out during those 90 minutes. And, as I keep going back, it gets less and less miserable each time! I know which poses annoy me, and I suck it up and do them. I know which pose signals to me that the worst is over, and I can easily get through the rest of the class. The front desk gives you a mini towel and two large bath towels with your membership, which is a nice touch, and I just make sure to bring my water bottle with me each time so I don't get stuck paying for a wasteful SmartWater bottle each time.

CONS - The reviews were basically true. The instructors do all use headset microphones, and they do it because the classes are so packed that you wouldn't be able to hear them from across the room otherwise. The microphone and general atmosphere doesn't feel nearly as peaceful as the other studios, and it has that lovely Bikram sweet sweat smell (kind of like an indoor pool?), but it gets the job done. They do sell SmartWater in between the standing postures and floor series, which irks me every time, but hey, I'm not buying. The locker room area is also a nightmare when one class empties out and the next is getting ready, so I'd recommend going extra early to scope out a spot. The other major con? This place costs $30 for a single class, and $180 per month for an unlimited membership - plus a rental mat is $5 extra (most other studios charge around $2). Those prices are cray cray!

As my unlimited yoga experiment is coming to an end, I realize I'm going to need to find a way to continue - I've really enjoyed going these past few months! With my dance background, it feels like a form of exercise that I can really excel at, and the peace of mind that comes with it is extremely helpful in a hectic city like New York. I hope I've been able to shed some light on the yoga scene here for anyone yoga-curious or looking for a new activity to get them moving!

Six Words Can Speak Volumes

Phew. Valentine's Day is over. As any girl not in a relationship can tell you, Valentine's Day quit being fun after elementary school candy and card parties ended.

Now I'm not a compete cynic, I love showing other people that I care about them - I bought the three ladies in my office heart-shaped donuts from Dunkin on Monday! However, somewhere along the line, sharing your feelings with loved ones in honor of St. Valentine became a showy sport. Watching all your coworkers get flowers, hearing about battles over restaurant reservations and stepping onto a train full of guys carrying dozens of red balloons and bouquets of roses is just not that much fun for the rest of us. Am I being cranky or does that all seem a tad cheesy? I for one, would not know what to do with a bunch of balloons, and roses don't really thrill me (I do love the yellow ones, though)...

Rant over, but in honor of love - both present and lost - and the not-always-so-fun holiday that just passed, I wanted to share this. The New York Times recently posted an article about SMITH Magazine, a literary magazine that compiles narratives from readers, one of the most popular being their Six-Word Memoir project, the recent subject being love and heartbreak. It's Twitter-meets-poetry! These pared down love letters are beautiful and simple. Some are funny, some are sad, some are just plain heartwarming. Check out a few of my favorites:

Happy endings...

• Wounded heart healed by good man.
• Dog approves; maybe this guy's good?
• Clueless Newlyweds Kids Laughs Still Thriving
• Ups, downs and repeat. That's love.
• Just married. Still figuring it out.

Not so much...

• Love hurts. Choose vodka or valium.
• He wasn't worth the panic attacks.
• Loved her madly - then went mad.
• I loved, he tolerated, then left.
• Background check first; give heart second.

What would your six word memoir on love (or loss) be? Here's mine:

College love ended. I became me.

Censoring our Love Lives

I caught this video on the Glamour magazine blog, Smitten the other day and I LOVE it. It's hilarious, sad and oh so true.

Why do we do this to ourselves? And when did we learn to do this? I want to say at some point in my life, before I was cynical and before dating was a group activity where everyone weighed in with their personal rules and guidelines, I spoke the first draft of my mind to boys.

Ahh, sweet sweet naivety.

God forbid we look foolish, or put ourselves out there when we're unsure of what the response will be. Don't get me wrong - nobody should bring out the crazy too early in a relationship, but there's something to be said about acting honest and being yourself. In the video, they erase every twinge of emotion from their conversation. In an effort to look cool, they make sure that neither one knows that they like one another at all.

At my first real job post-college, my boss was blunt and no nonsense. Her first comments on an email I drafted for an editor? Way too long and WAY too many exclamation points.

I learned to bland-ify my emails and make them more business-like, which was important for sure, but I always felt like they read as a tad rude. Emails and the written word can be so easily misconstrued. I'm a friendly person and I want editors and clients to see that through my correspondence.

Now at my second agency and with more freedom and trust from my boss, I write emails the way I want to. Are there exclamation points used? Yep. Even -gasp- emoticons from time to time. But, I learned my lesson from my first boss, and I keep my exclamation points and smiley faces to a minimum. I don't ever want to come across as cheesy, which is apparently my weakness.

The lesson here? Send your second draft.

I try not to obsess over what I say to the opposite sex, or anyone for that matter through email, gchat, facebook... BUT, I do try to keep my crazy in check, and read it over once to make sure I get my point across without going overboard.

I'm a Stainiac!

The weather in NY has been brutal since Christmas, so I'm stuck in that winter mindset that feels as if there is NO END IN SIGHT. I'm always cold, my skin is pale, my lips are chapped, my hands are dry...blech.

However, what's the one nice beauty benefit to cold weather?? Rosy cheeks and just-bitten lips!

And on that note, I've found my new favorite cheek and lip stain to enhance what Mother Nature gave ya - Stainiac in Beauty Queen (a deep raspberry pink) by TheBalm Cosmetics. It's a water-based gel, so it glides on really smooth, blends well and doesn't "set" til you're ready (aka no leftover streaks!). I love the lip gloss applicator wand - it makes it so quick and easy to use.

I especially love how it looks on my cheeks - the color is subtle, but it stays put, too. I dabbed it on my cheeks at 8:30am this morning, and my cheeks still have rosy definition now, past 10pm. Amazing!

It works a couple ways on lips, too - I've been dabbing on a quick hint of Stainiac in the morning before work to boost life back into my chapped, weather-worn lips. Topped with a thick coat of Vaseline and Chapstick, it still guards against the blistery weather. The effect is probably only noticeable to me, but it gives that extra little something to my lips and keeps me from feeling too washed out.

When I layer the Stainiac on more, it takes on an near-lipstick look that's great for nights out. I hate feeling like I have gunk on my lips, so I'm not a huge fan of lipsticks and colored glosses, but a stain like this layered under lip balm and/or a clear gloss looks really nice. And on the plus side, you don't have to reapply...this sucker stays on for the long haul. Here's a little pic of me out with friends wearing it on my lips and cheeks. Love it!

I've tried 2 other cheek and lip stains in the past - Tarte Flush and Benefit Posietint, and so far I like this one better than both others. Posietint is a really pretty pale pink and leaves a great sheen on summer skin, but if it's not rubbed in quick enough, I notice faint blotches on my cheeks. And Tarte blends really well and has a cute color, but I feel it fades fairly quickly.

I'm so glad I discovered TheBalm! I spotted it recently at Sephora and the kitschy cute packaging and flirty product names (similar to Benefit) called my name. Ironically enough, both brands are based out of San Francisco, but TheBalm has one major point of difference - they love pugs just as much as I do!! The company site lists bios for three pug mascots in the office - Wheezie, Buddy and Guinevere...all almost as adorable as my Marlon. Not only that, they have a product called TheBalm to the Rescue, a vegan lip treatment (great for this time of year!) whose proceeds go a pug rescue organization in the Bay Area. That's next on my shopping list for sure.

So if the cold winter weather has got you down, perk up your mood and your lips and cheeks with a fun new stain!

New Year reviews and resolutions

The New Year is here and I have to say, I have high hopes for 2011.

I do make resolutions, but I really attempt for doable things - last year my goal was to run a 5k (and I did it...4 times!). This year, my physical goals are to run a 10k and get my finances back in shape. My loftier (read: mental) goals that I hope to tackle this year are finding the clarity within all my daydreams and putting some direction in my life. And further than that, having the courage to take action and make the changes I'm seeking. I have some things in mind, but I won't go into detail here just yet...

This year seems like a promising year for me to make significant changes. Back in San Francisco when I visited the psychic, she told me that in the coming year, my life would come together and I would be happy. I also recently figured out my numerology chart for 2011, and out of the 9 year cycles our lives go through, this is my year 1 - my banner year! Here's the sum-up of what a personal year one denotes:

Personal Year 1...A New Beginning In Your Life
The current year is the beginning of a new nine year cycle for you. It holds the promise of being an exciting new adventure, with life taking on new challenges that pave the way for the next cycle of nine years in your life. This is a time to clarify your goals and it is a time to act on them. Hard work may be necessary to get a new venture moving. Your physical strength will be up during this year, perhaps higher than it has been for some time, as you have some special needs for this extra energy. If you are unable or unwilling to answer the call to change and make the move in your life the appears necessary now, your prospects may be delayed until the next cycle begins in nine years. Because of this, you feel like an adventure, a major change in your life, something new. New goals should be clearly set and worked toward, as this is really a new beginning of a nine year cycle and it is best not to dwell on the past at this time. This will be fairly easy for you to do because most of the problems and disappointments of the past will tend to disappear, leaving the way open for these new challenges. This is a great time; use it to its full advantage.

Please don't take me for a gimicky weirdo that reads too much into the zodiac, but sometimes, I really do feel like there's something to it. Not that I rule my life by horoscopes...it's just another way to understand your personality and where you stand in the world; another perspective to look at and measure your life and experiences against. And you know what, the psychic, the numerology chart, and even my fortune cookies on New Year's Day this year (a pleasant surprise is in store for me, and my existence has a positive contribution to mankind!) excited me. They give me hope and mirror what I've been feeling inside for the past several months - that I am figuring it out and that the sky is clearing up ahead for me.

Aside from resolutions, packed bars with expensive cover charges and crowded gyms, the New Year for me mostly signifies a passage of time. My birthday does the same. Each year on these memorable days, I find myself reminiscing about previous years and how much I've grown (or not...) in the past year. Sometimes it causes a few tears, but normally it's nice to take some time to reflect on the previous year and the highs and lows, and where am I am now compared to where I was before. I found a really helpful tool for this in the December issue of Whole Living magazine - check it out below (the print is a little small - my apologies).

I just did my "Year-End Review" last night, and I really liked the thinking and free-flowing writing it allowed me to do. Even though I enjoy writing and do it often for work and for this blog, I'm a perfectionist and typically re-read and fix things many times before sending or publishing. It was nice to not think about grammar or proper sentences and just let my mind and pen wander for once. Now I just have to figure out a place to store it so I don't lose it before the next New Year! I definitely think this is something I want to put into practice for each year.

Happy New Year, and may all your resolutions, hopes and dreams for the coming year come true!

the Dragon Tattoo Phenomenon

After hearing so much talk about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, I finally tackled the trilogy of novels.

Set in Sweden, the first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo introduces a cast of characters including investigative journalist and ultimate bachelor Mikael Blomkvist, genius hacker and antisocial 90 lb Lisbeth Salander, and private security company owner Dragon Armansky. Through a series of events, they team up to solve a near 50 year old crime and sift through an intense family drama that includes more scandal than you would ever think possible.

In the second book, The Girl Who Played with Fire, we learn the backstory of Lisbeth's own family drama that shaped her life and caused her general mistrust of all authority figures. Along the way, Lisbeth is wrongfully (maybe??) accused of 3 high-profile murders and is the center of a nationwide manhunt.

And finally, in the third book, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Lisbeth's small group of trusted confidantes comes together to expose a huge government cover-up that's lasted 30 years and ruined many lives, including Lisbeth's and her mother's.

The three books all carried a common theme of exposing sexual violence towards women, but more than that, it even felt a bit like feminist literature. It seemed odd at times that it was in fact, written by a man. All the female leads were incredibly strong women - Lisbeth is 4'11", 90 lbs, bisexual, and knows how to box, handle weapons and kick any guy's ass, Erika Berger is the Editor-in-Chief of a major magazine and has an open and sexually creative relationship with her husband, Monica Figuerola is a hardcore policewoman, body builder and remains single and unattached to guys...you get the point.

Each chapter in the first book opened with an alarming statistic like this one: Eighteen percent of the women in Sweden have at one time been threatened by a man. In the third book, each chapter opened with a story tidbit about women in power throughout history, for example: An estimated 600 women served during the American Civil War. They had signed up disguised as men. Hollywood has missed a significant chapter of cultural history here - or is this history ideologically too difficult to deal with? Historians have often struggled to deal with women who do not respect gender distinctions, and nowhere is that distinction more sharply drawn than in the question of armed combat. (Even today, it can cause controversy having a woman on a typical Swedish moose hunt.)

Reading the various statistics and watching the development of these powerful women through all 3 novels almost made me feel bad. It brought me back to my 'French Women in Literature' class during my freshman year of college. I've just never felt "feminist enough" or something. Of course I'm proud to be a woman and I'm incredibly grateful for the women who have come before me and allowed me all the freedoms I enjoy today, but I've never felt like a minority and don't really feel the need to call so much attention to those topics.

But reading these books made me think. Do I play into gender stereotypes and baby myself because I am a girl??

Silly example, but over the past few years, I've been attempting to improve my athleticism. I've never been a couch potato, but now that I'm grown, I don't have three nights a week of dance classes and cheerleading practice and I want to fill the void with skills that are more universal and can be continued all my life, like running. But do I give myself excuses because I'm a petite woman? I've been running on and off for about six years, but I never felt confident or any good until this year when I trained and signed up for my first 5k race. I'm still pretty darn slow and I tell myself it's because I'm tiny...but really, I probably just need a drill sargeant to light a fire under my ass and make me go harder, longer, and without stopping in order for me to really improve.

It's an interesting thing to chew on. I mean, women and men are built differently, but do we play into these differences too much? Women's rights have come a long way, but we definitely still think of certain careers and lifestyle choices as more masculine or feminine. How much of it is necessary and how much is basic prejudice and stereotyping? I feel like this is a debate straight out of a Sociology 101 class, but if we didn't give girls dolls when they were little, would they still ask to play with them?

Ah well, anyways, it's a great set of novels and really pulls you into the drama. The only negatives I'll say about the stories are that they suffer from "Stephen King syndrome" - they're super intense and full of action, but drop-off in the ending (I could've done without the last 1/4 of the first novel). And on a minor note, the Swedish character names can be really difficult to keep track of; they all look the same! I'm excited to see the film adaptations of these books in the next year or two - hopefully they don't disappoint (even though most book translations to movies don't ever live up...).