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Ten Things I Loved in April 2013

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For the last few months I have been doing these reflection posts after being inspired by Rosie’s. Taking time each month to reflect on the good things that happen each day/week/month has done wonders for my ability to actually stop and notice the good stuff. 

april 2013

Ten Things I Loved In April

Things I/We Did

1.      Pixie!  Good god, I love a dramatic before and after. Don’t you? My hair was getting so long and was constantly being pulled into a messy pony tail. Not exactly the look I was going for. Now I feel like I look like myself again. Weird, but true. If you are in need of a hair make over, my best girl Tari, is your gal. She is an artist.

2.     Showed up for a friend. Have you ever thought your presence might not matter? I’m here to tell you it does. The look on my heartbroken friend’s face when I showed up after her brother’s funeral made the long drive worth it. I couldn’t not go, you know? Being there for friends sometimes means actually being there.

3.     Spontaneous road/day trip to Lake Tahoe. Can you say beautiful? Oh my goodness, I was reminded how much pine trees and mountain air contribute to my happiness. Bonus being there with one of my besties who jumped right into the chase the toddler game.

4.     Dramatically improved the quality of my sleep. My ridiculously expensive night guard from the dentist got fixed this month and I started wearing it consistently and I have been experiencing the deepest, most restful sleep possibly of my entire life as a result. Honestly, I thought they were full of it, but this is the real deal. My jaw feels great when I wake up and I’m so much better rested. Who knew?

5.     Restorative yoga class, as in I took one. 75 delicious minutes of fully supported relaxation. Perfection.

Products and Services I Dug:

6.    Tari at Parlour By The Park. My girl, Tari, always works magic with my hair. She can do the same for you. If you’re looking to update your look or completely change it up (maybe even cut it all off!), Tari can make you look better than you thought possible. Give her a call. She’s works some serious magic.

7.    SwapAsana at It’s All Yoga. We swap clothes, shoes and accessories twice a year; once in April and again in October. I always score tons of cute stuff and other people tell me they love bringing my stuff home, so it’s a win/win. If you’re interested in coming to the next SwapAsana, be sure to follow It’s All Yoga on Facebook. And if you life outside of Sacramento, you can always host a swap of your own. It’s way less work than you’d think.

8.    Cozi.com. I missed an eyebrow appointment and we had a parent double booking this month. Clearly, it was time we started using a family calendar. Cozi came recommended from Hollee at Good Enough is the New Perfect and Asha from Parenthacks – so we decided to try it. This free app is pretty much changing our lives. No more missed appointments, double booked parents or forgotten shopping lists. 

In My Blog Reader

9.      Thug Kitchen. A perfect blend of easy vegan cuisine and filthy language. I wish I would have thought of this! If you have ever spoken to me in the reals (and are not a child), you have heard an f-bomb of seven fall from my lips. What can I say? I swear like a limited vocabulary sailor. Dairy free fo life!

10.     Ditch the Haters from Brittany and Tahn. So much wisdom and vulnerability to learn from here. So happy to hear not only did she turn down the date with the cute, mean guy, but told him why. Change your story, change your life indeed. 

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So what are you loving lately? I’m always on the lookout for what is delicious in food, drink, fashion, and life. Leave me your favorites in the comments or write a post of your own and link back here.

Image Source:  Meadow, 05/1972. by The U.S. National Archives on Flickr

Ten Things I Loved in March 2013

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For the last few months I have been doing these reflection posts after being inspired by Rosie’s. Taking time each month to reflect on the good things that happen each day/week/month has done wonders for my ability to actually stop and notice the good stuff.

ten things march 2013

Ten Things I Loved In March

Things I/We Did

1.      Hung out with Rock Stars. Specifically, paid to see Rhett Miller play at Yoshi’s in SF, only to find Chris Isaak in the audience. Chatted pleasantly with both like it was no big deal.

2.     Sang songs with Old People. Inspired by a repeated viewing of Lost in Translation, I   invited a bunch of friends to come sing karaoke with me for my birthday. At 3 in the afternoon. With my 2 year old. Good, good times were had by all.

3.     Pressed send on my first speaking proposal. Eek! And how exciting!

4.     15 Minute Mini Vacation – and I didn’t even have to leave my house.

Products and Services I Dug:

5.    Yoriginality workshop with Anna Guest-Jelly of Curvy Yoga and Alexandra Franzen. Holy helpful, Batman! If you teach yoga, you’ve got to take this workshop. 

6.    Solution Session with Sarah Von Bargen. So helpful, professional and kind.

7.    Blue Moon Cafe and Karaoke private rooms, good microphones, wide selection of sing along songs. Plus beer, french fries and chow fun! Also: karaoke happy hour prices in the afternoon.

On The Bookshelf 

8.      Minimalist Parenting by Asha Dornfest and Christine Koh. I reviewed it here. I already want to read it again.

9.     Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka - another one of those parenting books that would help every classroom teacher manage their classes better. A must read for parents and teachers. You also may find out a bit about yourself, I know I did.

10.    How to Love More by Caring Less by Martha Beck. I read this in an old issue of O Magazine and decided I wanted to share it with you. I’m still pondering. What do you think?

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So what are you loving lately? I’m always on the lookout for what is delicious in food, drink, fashion, and life. Leave me your favorites in the comments or write a post of your own and link back here.

Image Source:  Love is all around: 8×10 Fine Art … by MarianneLoMonaco on Etsy

Ten Things I Loved In January

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Taking time each month to reflect on the good stuff has done wonders for my ability to actually stop and notice the good stuff.  I’m truly thankful for Rosie’s inspiration.

Ten Things I Loved In January

Things I/We Did

1.      Introduced the girl to Sesame Street and the rest of the gang on Sprout. She was sick, it was cold. I got sick super anxious, it was cold. Mostly I liked how she walked around, played with toys and checked it once in a while. She liked the musical numbers best. Good for dancing.

2.      Watched the Inauguration and totally cried. Ruby danced with the Obamas, clapped with the audience and waved at the President and First Lady.  She totally cracked me up. She is so good at TV. 

3.     Brunched at home. New Year’s Day Crepe Party AND a Waffle Party. Once I decided brunches were easier and better than dinner parties with a toddler, we’ve been eating a lot more with friends. Take it from me, forget dinner and bust out your waffle iron.

new years crepes and salads

4.    Connected. I left blog comments, made and received phone calls, sent texts, took walks, coordinated play dates, dined with out-of-town visitors, and we visited out-of-town friends.

me and my girl - self portrait

On The Plate

5.     Baked Honey Oatmeal with Raspberries and Pistachios

6.     Minestrone soup

On The Bookshelf 

7.      The Hunger Games.  You guys! This was so good! Like for real. It kept me up past my bedtime several times and gave me a night of insomnia brought on by my excellent survival empathy skills.

8.      A Short Guide to A Good Life by Anna Quinlan – Truth in advertising. Very short and also a good life.

9.    Dads Are the Original Hipsters by Brad Getty. – I laughed. Hard. A lot. Not rocket science (like any of my picks are), but entertaining.

10.     Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. What can I say? I’m hooked. (PS – I am totally reading all the Hunger Games sequels next even though I heard they are in no way as good as the first. Thoughts you care to share?)

BONUS BOOKS!

11.     The $100 Start Up by Chris Guillebeau

12.     Vegan Diner: Classic Comfort Food For the Body and Soul by Julie Hasson.

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So what are you loving lately? I’m always on the lookout for what is delicious in food, drink, fashion, and life. Leave me your favorites in the comments or write a post of your own and link back here.

 

Word for 2013

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This time of year, a lot of people are setting intentions and making resolutions, myself included most years.  As it turns out, I’m less good at resolutions than one would like. So rather than doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, I’ve decided to try something different.

This year I’ve decided to go with a single feeling/theme I would like to cultivate in my life and not just another list of do’s and don’ts.

This feeling idea had been floating around in my head all month and was solidified when I overheard some yogi friends talking on Twitter about their year words {listening and compassion}, when Ashlee posted hers, Amy posted hers and Rosie posted this.

The feeling I most want to cultivate this new year is CONNECTION.

Connection – just the word brings up warm and fuzzy feelings for me. I am imaging a year full of new holiday traditions, lots of hugs and hand holding, cooking and eating with friends, snuggles under the covers with books and movies, book club meetings, phone/Skype dates, road trips/vacations, meeting friends for tea, lunch and movies, communing with nature as much as possible and finding time on my mat just being quiet.

What about you? What comes to mind when you hear the word CONNECTION? What word or theme speaks to you this year?

Image source: We Heart It

Ten Things I Loved In December

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Taking time each month to reflect on the good stuff has done wonders for my ability to actually stop and notice the good stuff. I’m truly thankful for Rosie’s inspiration.

Ten Things I Loved In December

Things I/We Did

1.      Celebrated our tiny girl’s 2nd birthday. She is growing up! I know, I know, enjoy it while I can. But I really felt like she was one FOREVER, so I am happy to report she has made it to two. Love this girl with my whole heart and at least part of yours.

2.      Reconnected with friends from junior high.    A couple of times a year for the past few years a group of us from Juan Crespi Junior Hugh School get together for some reminiscing and general wacky good times. This time was family fun day in our home town – El Sob#1 – for burgers at The Original Red Onion and playing at Cheese Park.

3.     Celebrated good news on the legal and health fronts.

4.    Visited the Sacramento Zoo on Christmas Eve. We have a family tradition!

zoo xmas eve

5.     Reveled in the brilliance that is Yoga for Holiday Stress with Madeleine Lohman at It’s All Yoga. People, I have shared in the past that I am not really friends with the holiday season. However, since starting this yearly tradition {three years running!}, I now have a new found affection for the holiday season.

The secret, it would seem, is to make friends with the season and do the seasonal things that makes you smile. Not your mom, not your crazy sister — you.

Who knew?

6.    Played in the California State Capitol Building and danced in front of the state menorah and Christmas tree. The running, jumping and testing the acoustics in the Capitol happened spontaneously, but man, that was the most fun I’d ever had in there.

7.    Purged closets, drawers and baskets. I absolutely love getting rid of stuff. Especially other people’s stuff. Good thing I have a little kid and can go through her stuff. The husband is less excited about me getting rid of his stuff, but I’m working on it.

In all seriousness, I asked for permission to get rid of anything I wanted for Christmas.

He did not bite.

This time.

Not to worry, friends! My birthday is right around the corner and I think I’ll ask again.

On The Plate

8.     Daily green smoothies. I am in the midst of a 5 week Holiday Wellness Challenge with Nikki over at Mindful Moms Holistics

9.     Burger, fries and onion rings at The Original Red Onion. {burp!}

On The Bookshelf 

10.      Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – by JK Rowling. I previously believed I had no interest in these books. Two teacher friends convinced me to give it a try and I absolutely loved it! I’ve already reserved the second book and watched the movie.

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So what are you loving lately? I’m always on the lookout for what is delicious in food, drink, fashion, and life. Leave me your favorites in the comments or write a post of your own and link back here.

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My friend, Rosie Molinary, made a list and I loved hers so much I stole her idea. Now I’ve been inspired to pause and notice the good stuff each month.

Ten Things I Loved In October

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Taking time each month to reflect on the good stuff has done wonders for my ability to actually stop and notice the good stuff. I’m truly thankful for Rosie’s inspiration.

Ten Things I Loved In October

Things I/We Did

1.      Celebrated one year as a family. Day off from work, breakfast out, haircut for baby, playground with mama AND papa, a long nap, and massages for the grown ups.

2.      I gave up my beloved gym membership and during my 30 days notice period, I actually went to the gym. Oh the irony.

3.     SwapAsana! Free clothes and great conversation with cool women in a beautiful venue? So much fun.

4.    I had a massage. I was reminded why I used to get regular massages and how I need to get them back on my schedule. Magic fingers! 

5.     Saw so many friends. Happy hour! Movies! Dinner parties! Brunches! Playground dates! Walks! I want more friend dates. Call me greedy, but the more time I spend with inspiring, funny women friends, the more I want.

On The Plate

6.     Pasta with Baby Broccoli and Lemon Garlic Sauce

7.     Vegan chocolate chip cookie bars.  We had to give most of them to our neighbors and friends because they were so delicious we sort of made ourselves sick.

On The Bookshelf – such a great reading month.

8.      Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

9.      MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend by Rachel Bertsche

10.     Happier At Home by Gretchen Rubin

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So what are you loving lately? I’m always on the lookout for what is delicious in food, drink, fashion, and life. Leave me your favorites in the comments or write a post of your own and link back here.

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My friend, Rosie Molinary, made a list and I loved hers so much I stole her idea. Now I’ve been inspired to pause and notice the good stuff each month.

How {and why} to Hold A Clothing Swap

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For the past few years, I’ve been involved with organizing a women’s clothing swap twice a year at It’s All Yoga, the yoga studio where I teach,  and recently I’ve been asked to explain how and why we do it.

What Is A Clothing Swap?

It’s a get together with friends, clients, students with the purpose of trading gently used items (clothes, shoes and accessories) with others.

Wardrobes are remade and friendships begin with chatting over tables while in search of that perfect new-to-you outfit. I have connected with friends and students while building a new seasonable wardrobe.

Why Hold A Clothing Swap:

1. It’s fun.

2. It’s an environmentally and budget friendly way to build a new wardrobe for yourself while helping someone else build theirs.

3. The clothes and shoes that mock you from the closet because they were expensive, but just not quite right, usually can find a new home with someone you know, thus making everyone happy.

4. We raise a bunch of funds for a local charity and donate all the unclaimed items for them to sell in their shop.

5. We get to finally talk to the lovely people on the mats next to ours! Teachers and students interacting with each other in a super friendly environment is a great way to help everyone feel like they belong to the IAY community.

6. Friends bring friends and we usually leave SwapAsana with new to us clothes and connections with people we wouldn’t have otherwise made.

How To Hold A Clothing Swap:

My friend Amy hosted a swap party at her house this summer with a couple of girlfriends and wrote a post about it. I totally scored in the sweater and dress department and got to taste Joy The Baker’s famous Simple Vegan Chocolate Cake.   All in all, a great night!

In my research I also found this post and this comprehensive guide.

At It’s All Yoga’s SwapAsana, we put half of the goods on tables at the beginning and take a break midway. We use the free-for-all method and most people take what looks best and leave the rest. There is one group of swappers who try things on together and decide who brings the item home based on who it most flatters. Team work at its finest!

If you are interested in hosting a swap party, I definitely recommend going to someone else’s party first. I did and fell in love! Thanks, Stitch Swap!

It’s All Yoga’s bi-annual SwapAsana is this Sunday, October 14th at the studio in Midtown Sacramento. Feel free to come by!

Have you ever hosted/attended a swap? What was your experience?

Image 1 source

A Challenge: Claim Your Care and A Wellness Prescription

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I’ve always had trouble with the holidays. Even as a child, I wasn’t that enthusiastic about them. Yes, I liked the presents part and some of the traditions and routines, but given I am such a creature of comfort and regularity, they tended to take their toll on me.

The rich food made it hard to sleep.

All the people made it hard to sleep.

Are you noticing a theme here?

Generally the loss of routine care got lost in the excitement.

As an adult, I’ve tended to be quite ill during the holidays. Colds, flu, respiratory infections.

Too much stress?

Too much food?

Not enough self-care?

I’m not quite sure of the answer, but I’ve made changes the last couple years to make the month of December more enjoyable {or at least more tolerable}.

This year, I will live with intention to truly take care of myself.

Starting in December, I’m following Rosie’s lead and making myself a wellness prescription and claiming my care.

Specifically I will:

  • First thing in the morning, a walk with Ruby – at least 30 minutes
  • Using Madeleine’s Manuel as a guide, I’ll consult my book of me when I’m out of sorts and try to solve my problem.
  • Back to the weight room twice a week – 20 minutes is all I need.
  • Soak, steam, sauna at least once a week – the Church of Quiet awaits.
  • Water, Emergen-C, multivitamin and vitamin D daily.
  • Listen to music – such a pleasure in my life and yet I need a reminder to do this.
  • Connect with my spouse – even if for just a 5 minute hug {Do you do this? If not, try it}.
  • A fruit and a veggie at every meal – remembering if I’m not hungry enough for an apple, I’m not really that hungry.
  • Minimize processed foods.
  • Keeping dairy out of my body – that means no cookies, no cake, no desserts unless they are vegan. {ps – I’m not saying you, dear reader, must say dairy-free, I must}.
  • Reading for pleasure – from a book or magazine – every day.
  • Schedule a massage {or two} before the end of the year.
  • Sleeping at least 7 hours at night – even if that means missing a turn or two in Words With Friends and going to sleep before 10.
  • Being with friends – in person, if possible – seriously, if we don’t have a date already let’s get something scheduled STAT.

What would be on your prescription for wellness? How would you claim your care?

Attitude of Gratitude Re-Cap

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Day 1 – thankful for Ruby and adoption for making us a family.

Day 2 – thankful for Jed – best husband and father.

Day 3 – thankful for sometimes waking up before the baby.

Day 4 – thankful for books. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t read and watching Ruby play with hers is the best gift.

Day 5 – thankful for healthcare coverage for my entire family and a clean bill of health for all.

Day 6 – thankful for sweater dresses and boot socks.

Day 7 – so thankful for my It’s All Yoga family.

Day 8 – thankful for generous friends.

Day 9 – thankful for a union job and parental leave so we can be at home to bond with our baby without worrying about our jobs.

Day 10 – thankful for massage.

Day 11 – thankful for the people in the armed services and their dedicated service to this country.

Day 12 – thankful for social media because it keeps me in touch with the outside world.

Day 13 – thankful for year round farmer’s markets.

Day 14 – thankful for long, hot baths after the baby goes to sleep.

Day 15 – thankful for music that inspires me to sing out loud.

Day 16 – thankful for the restorative powers of showers.

Day 17 - thankful for uninterrupted sleep in a way I never dreamed possible.

Day 18 - thankful for daily account summaries from my bank which remind me I’m not completely broke.

Day 19 -  thankful for warm cozy blankets for naps on cool days.

Day 20 - thankful for central heat (and air).

Day 21 - thankful for early morning walks with lovely friends.

Day 22 - thankful for all the blogs I read and the Google Reader to keep them organized.

Day 23 - thankful for my yoga props: bolster, eye bag, strap, blankets, mat.

Day 24 - thankful for Ruby’s birth family. Our family wouldn’t be complete without their generosity.

Day 25 - thankful for the middle path.

Day 26 – thankful for whole days with nothing planned.

Day 27 – thankful for free shipping.

Day 28 – thankful for our house cleaning fairies.

Day 29 – thankful for YOU, my readers.

Day 30 – thankful for It’s All Yoga for the Attitude of Gratitude inspiration.

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A special thank you to Amy Shearn over at The Oprah Life Life blog for the Attitude of Gratitude post.

Want to see where it all started?

What are you thankful for?

Happy Haul-idays Giveaway from Chronicle Books

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Dear TGBTS friends,

I love books.

You love books.

We love charities and they love books.

So let’s try to win this thing, shall we?

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Here’s how it works.

I post my my whole list favorite Chronicle Books here.

I tell you about the charity I’d like to donate to and why.

You comment, we tweet, we (hopefully) win.

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My charity is my favorite branch of the Sacramento Public Library – Ella K. McClatchy.

I choose this branch because it is my home away from home and could always use more new books. McClatchy truly serves as a community meeting place and I hope to help it grow its collection.

Is this a good time to tell you ONE LUCKY COMMENTER also wins my book list?

Say whaa?

Yep, one of YOU wins the whole lot.

Plus my charity wins $500 in books of their choice.

Sounds good, huh?

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A select few BOOKS!

The complete list is HERE.

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In order to be eligible to win my haul of books, please click on the whole list above and leave a comment about which book is your favorite and why.

Are you on Twitter? Please tweet about my our list using the hashtag #happyhaulidays and we get an extra entry per day. So be sure to tweet away every day!

Good luck to all of us!

43 Things Before 43

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{via}

For months I’ve been reading about other people’s Life Lists and wondering if I could ever make one without driving myself crazy with all the achieving and in-my-head competition.

Would my list be cool enough?

Would I really do everything I said I would?

What huge adventures await?

Inspired by Rosie’s birthday list, Sarah’s try new things before her birthday list and Amy’s Life List, I’ve decided to put together a list of things I would like to do before I turn 43.

Why 43 instead of 42?

My birthday is in 4 months and I don’t want to hurt myself getting it all done before then. My list is l-o-n-g, makes me think I needed to start this  thing in my 20s.

My intention with this list is to remind myself to have more fun, take care of myself and to do things out of the ordinary.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

The List:

1. Take my birthday (March 20th) off – no work, no obligations – just fun.

2. Take an anti-gravity yoga class.

3. Road trip to Portland with Ruby.

4. Take Ruby to see live music.

5. Read 43 books.

6. Put my feet in the ocean with Ruby.

7. Pick berries.

8. Go on retreat.

9. Teach an active yoga class.

10. Go to the movies by myself. {Yep, I’ve never done this. I have, however, gone to a rock show on my own so don’t feel too sorry for me.}

11. Attend a service at a Universal Unitarian church.

12. Explore the Taiwanese culture in Sacramento.

13. Learn 10 words/phrases in Mandarin.

14. Run a 5K.

15. Write a fan letter.

16. Rent a house at the coast or in the mountains.

17. Teach a class on social media and blogging to teachers.

18. Sleep outside.

19. Do a swim workout.

20. Watch my first students graduate from high school.

21. Spend a week away from the Internet.

22. See a play.

23. Go to a sing along at the Crest.

24. Take a photography class.

25. Take a cooking class.

26. Take a private yoga class.

27. Actually make something I’ve pinned on Pinterest.

28. Go to the ballet.

29. Have a family portrait taken.

30. Watch a movie outside in the backyard.

31. Take Ruby on a hike.

32. Help a friend start a blog.

33. Build an outdoor shower.

34. Make a wall of bookshelves in the dining room.

35. Redesign the entryway and make it pretty and useful.

36. Start a mom/play group in Midtown.

37. Teach a class at my gym.

38. Organize the pantry.

39. Get rid of all the shoes I don’t wear because they are uncomfortable.

40. Take a nap in a hammock.

41. Host a baby shower.

42. Take a photo every day.

43. Make the Book of Me into a book.

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Do you make yearly plans? A Life List? Would you like to?

I’d love to hear about yours.

And I’d love for you to join me in making my list a reality. Please let me know if you’d like to do any of my 43 with me.

Fall Swap Asana!

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Women of Sacramento – Swap Asana {It’s All Yoga’s twice yearly clothing swap} is THIS SATURDAY!

Who: You, me, other awesome women looking for new-to-us wardrobe pieces

Admission: $5 and 1 piece of clothing gets you in. Take home all you like. Donations and unclaimed items go to WEAVE.

What: Clothing swap – gently used women’s clothes, shoes, accessories

When: Saturday, November 12th 2-4pm

Where: It’s All Yoga – 21st and X Streets – Sacramento, CA

Will you be there? EVERY size will be represented, so come on out.

Attitude of Gratitude

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On Tuesday It’s All Yoga posted on Facebook:

For the month of November, we’re launching an Attitude of Gratitude campaign. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, you’re invited to dedicate one Facebook update per week to write what you’re thankful for.

We’ll go first: “We’re thankful for the beautiful ginkgo trees in front of the studio whose butterfly leaves will turn their signature golden yellow in just a couple of weeks. (It’s All Yoga Attitude of Gratitude)”

What do you say, will you join us in cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude? Be sure to tag It’s All Yoga in your posts so we can “hear” you. :)

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Well, I misread that as sharing what you are thankful for EVERY DAY. I guess the Twitter #30DaysofThankfulness hashtag seeped into my brain and now I’m in.

Ever since reading Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project {3 times!} I’ve kept a one sentence journal. While I don’t write in it every day, when I do go back and reread it I am once again filled with gratitude.

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At the end of the month I think I’ll compile my list and publish as one post. For now, I’m posting daily on Twitter and on Facebook.

Want to join me? Just post to Facebook or Twitter and be sure to tag me.

Happy November!

A Peek Behind the Computer Screen

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Lucky me got to spend Friday evening with Just A Titch and Blogasana - two of my favorite Sacramento bloggers.

After teaching YogaNap at It’s All Yoga and then falling into a post-teaching-blissed-out-Yin-state facilitated by the lovely Michelle, we hopped into my trusty blue Prius and made our way over to Amy’s newish Sacramento digs {it really is that cute}.

We drank wine from Michelle’s Wine of the Month Club {who knew?}, ate tasty snacks and the laughing began.

First up, reminiscing about Double Rainbows and their ah-maz-ing-ness.

Then we talked about our favorite blogs:

Havi Brooks – Fluent Self

My favorite post from the week – Let’s Try Something Different Today

Gwen Bell - Big Love In A Small World

Kyla Roma - Daydreams from a Handmade Prairie Life

Danielle LaPorte White Hot Truth

Gretchen Rubin – Happiness Project

 

I borrowed this book from Amy and tried not to peek at it while we were talking.

Dear readers, please know you’ll never have to read about what I ate for lunch. Unless of course, it’s sharing a recipe.

We discovered our mutual love for the images on We Heart It and joked about how I could get my readers to click the links in my posts.

Look forward to an upcoming photo of a gun pointed to a lovely 20-something half-dressed woman’s head. Please note she will have an exposed breast and bloody nose, holding a lit cigarette.

At least it will if we find it on We Heart It.

I kid, of course.

But FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE CLICK THE LINKS ALREADY PEOPLE!

{thank you in advance}.

Twitter talk ensued.

I confessed to learning about Twitter from Rhett Miller.

They both laughed at my superfandom.

We talked about how we love Twitter because we like to know what people are actually doing during their day, how there is a fine line between witty and too witty, and all the people we love to follow {personal faves: @naomidunford, @yisforyogini, @sophieandlili, @bowsandsparrows, @4thgrdteach and of course @rhettmiller }

Did I mention the laughing?

And there it is… a peek behind the computer screen.

Out of My Comfort Zone, Right into the Spotlight

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When was the last time you really left your comfort zone?

I’m not sure why, but I’ve found myself outside my comfort zone quite a lot this year and next weekend I will find myself there again.

This time with a microphone in my hand, standing in the spotlight.

Holy crap!

The studio where I work is celebrating its 5th Anniversary of being in business with a huge party and a talent show. It’s being billed as It’s All Yoga‘s Got Talent!

Staff and students are coming together for one night to showcase their hidden-until-now talents.

I laugh because in my case, “talent” may be a bit of a stretch. I’ll be singing along to a song with my sweetheart while he plays guitar.  He’s the real musician in our house and I’m totally riding on his coattails.

I chose the song {if you want to know you’ll have to come to the show!} and I’ll just say sometimes doing something outside your comfort zone can help expand the boundries of your comfort zone.

What scares you? 

Do  you typically face your fears or avoid them?

How do you feel when faced with a fear?

What do you do with those feelings?

{click on the images for source}

PS – You are all invited to the party {and to showcase your talent too}. If you’d like to come by, please RSVP so we know how much bubbly we need. I’m putting in my order for a bottle now!

Yoga+Music(notquite)365 (day97) – #SwapAsana Edition!

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 Spring.

What does it mean to you?

Maybe it means cleaning house.

Exchanging your warm winter clothes for sandals and t-shirts.

Maybe it’s a process of letting some things in your life go, in order to make room for new things.

Maybe it’s about shaking things up and trying new things.

Maybe it’s about shedding your usual thoughts or trappings of life and trying on something a little out of the ordinary.

OR MAYBE IT’S JUST ABOUT NEW CLOTHES!

This past weekend, I went to my very first clothes swap  — #stitchswap  (click the link for photos).

O.M.G!

For a $5.00 donation (all proceeds going to charity) and one article of clothing, I had access to mounds of clothes.

I made out like a bandit.

Three super cute bags – check out the photos - Yes, I took that flowered one home with me!

Three necklaces

Two deliciously pink scarves

Six t-shirts

Six blousey blouses

One poke-your-eyes-out-cute sweater

Two pairs of perfectly fitting jeans (including a pair of black skinny True Religion jeans!)

WHAT DOES ALL THIS HAVE TO DO WITH YOU?

April 24th from 3-5pm

It’s All Yoga is hosting their first ever #SwapAsana!

WHAT IS #SWAPASANA?

It’s a clothes swap being held in a yoga studio.

Get it?

Swap in the place where you do asana (poses)… ok, maybe not the best name for it, but it makes me giggle every time I say it.

What’s the little # for?

That’s a Twitter thing. If you add a # to your thing’s name, it makes it easier to search. So if you are on Twitter and talk about #SwapAsana – be sure to add the #, so we know who is in the conversation.

Ok, back to the details.

WHO: You and all of your female friends

ALL SIZES are WELCOME! We are trying to share the swap-asana love with all of our friends. So bring yours – we can’t wait to meet them!

But, what if I don’t live in Sacramento?

If you are close enough to drive, I think it’ll be worth the time. Snacks, cool women, the CLOTHES….

WHAT: Bring a $5 donation and at least one article of gently used clothing to swap for a new-to-you piece for your wardrobe

WHEN: April 24th from 3-5pm

WHERE: It’s All Yoga at 21st and X Streets in Midtown Sacramento.

WHY: It’s eco, it’s affordable, it’s awesome to get “new” clothes!

RSVP here.

Leave me a comment if you have any questions. I hope you all can make it!

JCrew halter dress

JCrew halter dress - Will it go home with you?

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Yoga+Music(notquite)365 (day97)

Today’s yoga brought to me by ME. A home practice is in order.

Today’s music is Rhett Miller – Self-Titled. A fellow Rhett fan is in town, so in her honor we’ll be listening.

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Yoga Teaching Update:

FREE Fridays at 4:30 with the new It’s All Yoga teachers (21st and X in Sacramento) – you’ve got to sign up online www.itsallyoga.com 

* I’m teaching May 14th with Donna. Put it on your calendar so you don’t miss it!

Free class for School Teachers in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week – May 1st.

Yoga Nap+Milk and Cookies.

Teacher Keeps Going Back to “School”

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Do you ever find yourself really excited about something new? Do you find yourself sleeping less and yet functioning just fine because you are hyper-focused on your new thing?

That’s me.

A lot of the time.

I find something I’m interested in and I dive in head first.

I try to find out as much as I can about whatever I’m interested in as quickly as possible.

All that being said, I’ve got lots of projects I’m working on – both on and off-line that are taking up loads of time.

In a good way.

Here are some of the highlights of studio projects I’m working on that are taking place in real life in the near future:

Swap-Asana! A women’s clothing swap being held at It’s All Yoga - 21st and X in Midtown Sacramento – April 24th. 

o.m.g! I went to my first swap this weekend and let’s just say this may be one of the most exciting events EVER. I’ll dedicate a whole post to it later.

Yoga Nap + Milk and Cookies! A free yoga class in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week - May 1st.

Book Worms! – LovingKindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness – May 23rd.

If you live in Sacramento and any of those strike your fancy, come join me!

What in-real-life projects are you working on? What’s keeping you busy these days? How are you spending your time?

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The other projects I’m working on are more behind the scenes type of things.

Some highlights:

Reading some of Seth Godin’s marketing books.

Tribes is totally speaking to my inner cheerleader right now.

The Unconventional Guide to the Web – Using Social Media As A Force for Good with Gwen Bell and Chris Guillebeau. So much good stuff to take in and use.

Making some connections with more yogis through  Twitter  and Facebook.

Through all of this,  learning social media is about having a conversation. – which sounds a lot like teaching….

How do you use social media to help your projects reach your right people? How do you connect and converse with the people who would love your product, project or service if they just knew about it?

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Yoga+Music(notquite)365 (day95)

Today’s yoga brought to me by ME at It’s All Yoga in Sacramento. I’m subbing for Michelle tonight.

Today’s music is Consolers of the Lonely by The Raconteurs.

If you love guitar-based music, you also may want to check out the documentary on the electric guitar called It Might Get LOUD - featuring Jack White (The White Stripes and The Raconteurs), The Edge (U2) and Jimmy Paige (Led Zeppelin).

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Yoga Teaching Update:

FREE Fridays at 4:30 with the new It’s All Yoga teachers (21st and X in Sacramento) – you’ve got to sign up online www.itsallyoga.com. 

I’m sub-teaching TODAY- for Michelle at 5:45. Level 1-2, so every body is welcome.

Free class for School Teachers in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week – May 1st. Yoga Nap+Milk and Cookies.