photo by jaimiearnold.com
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Wednesday, November 30, 2011
how to stop a common energy drain
“To-do” lists. I don’t know about you, but I love them! Planning, for me, is almost as much fun as actually “doing.” But if you’re anything like me, maybe you get a little over-ambitious sometimes? Are there items on your to-do list (or your goals) that have been there for weeks, a month, or more, that you haven’t taken any action on? Chances are, every time you think about these items, or look at them on your list, you feel a little pang – maybe it’s guilt, dread, or anxiety, maybe it’s even a physical sensation of heaviness or fatigue in your body. Major energy drain!
I recently spent some time with my friend Erek Ostrowski of Verve Coaching, and he introduced me to a great way to stop this common energy drain. Essentially, the items, plans, or goals in question are things we are not doing. So what we can do is take them off our to-do list, and move them to our “not-doing” list. This doesn’t mean we’ll never do them. It doesn’t in any way limit our opportunity to revisit these tasks whenever we decide the time is right. It just means we are consciously choosing not to do them right now, and we choose to be OK with it. This was really helpful for me! My busy little brain creates tasks way faster than I can actually accomplish them. I really appreciated this insight from Erek, which went hand-in-hand with the realization I had after the ambassador summit about having too many goals.
The first thing I put on my not-doing list: taking a digital photography class. True, I only know how to use my “wicked fancy” camera to about 10% of its capabilities. I’m just gonna be OK with that for now! What tasks or goals have you been putting off? How good would it feel to be able to move them off your to-do list?
photo by little blue hen
Monday, November 28, 2011
quote for a happy monday, and this week's happenings
“The naysayers pride themselves on their supposed realism. However, it is actually the people who see the glass as “half-empty” who are the ones wedded to a fiction, for “emptiness” and “lack”… are abstractions of the mind, whereas “half-full” is a measure of the physical reality under discussion. The so-called optimist, then, is the only one attending to real things, the only one describing a substance that is actually in the glass.” – Rosamund Stone Zander, The Art of Possibility
This week:
- Happy to say that I’m taking a long weekend! I will not be teaching my Monday classes. Subs are: 7am Core Fusion Cardio – Nicole Estebanell, 9:15am Core Fusion Open – Ian Paul Custer, 12:15 Cor Fusion Cardio (not Boot Camp today) – Patricia Woodard. The rest of the week I’ll be teaching all my regular classes as usual!
- This Friday December 2, from 7-11pm exhale Battery Wharf will be participating in the North End’s Holiday Stroll!
- Saturday December 3, Chrissy Snyder and Amanda Califano will hold a 2 hour Holiday Kick-Off Yo-Co (Yoga and Core Fusion) workshop from 4-6pm at exhale Battery Wharf. Holiday music and festive lights will make for a great start to the season! The first 15 people to sign up will receive a special gift bag filled with exhale goodies. Check it out under the Workshops/Events tab of the online schedule.
Have a great week everybody!!
photo by jenny downing
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
my mom's apple pie recipe
The best kind of recipes are the ones that are passed down by someone who has been making it for so many years, they simply know it by heart. This is one of those. I have never found a bakery apple pie that could top this simple recipe that I got straight from my mom. My kids and I made two of these last night, which means for us, the holiday season has officially begun. 
Mom’s apple pie recipe:
- 10 apples – macintosh, peeled and cut in about 1 inch chunks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 t cinnamon & a little nutmeg
- 1 t salt
- 3 T cornstarch
- mix it all up
- put in a pie shell (I use frozen)
- scatter chips of butter around the top of the apples*
- put the top crust on
- bake 1 hour @350 degrees
*Do not put the top crust on before the butter, or you will have to make holes in the top crust and try to force the butter through the holes, which is ridiculous. Trust me. I would know. ;)
Enjoy, Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
for all you new (and old) iPhone users in boston: top 5 apps
Source: Boston.com
I live in Boston, and there’s an app for that: 5 must-have apps for Bostonians
By As someone who is never without my iPhone, I can say with some level of confidence that I know a thing or two about what makes an awesome mobile app. And since an iPad is out of my budget and my laptop is packed away when I’m on the go, this knowledge often comes in handy. Phone in hand and on a small budget, I’ve learned to breathe easier, live simpler, and get places a heck of a lot quicker with the help of a few fantastic apps.
Here are five must-have apps for Boston residents.
WHERE: Your personal guide to Boston. Boston is full of eclectic neighborhoods, happening local bars, and renowned restaurants, but what good are the city’s best jewels if you’ve yet to discover them? WHERE helps you experience Boston like never before. The free app is “especially helpful when you're in an unfamiliar neighborhood and want to discover your next favorite restaurant,” said Tom O’Keefe of BostonTweet. “WHERE tells you everything that's around you, from restaurants to museums to movie theaters.” In addition to nearby eateries, bars, and attractions, the app shares local offers, nearby coupons, and -- my personal favorite -- gas station prices. Available on all smartphone devices.
Swackett: A meaningful weather forecast. If there’s one thing that sets Boston apart from other major cities, it’s the relentlessly unpredictable weather. And since no one likes dressing for work in short sleeves and jeans, only to walk into a snow squall on your lunch break, I suggest Swackett. This easy-to-use app analyzes complex AccuWeather data and provides you with a visual representation of the forecast. The app doesn’t flood you with meteorologist language that’s over your head; instead, it actually shows you an image of what to wear depending on the forecast. The practical interpretation of weather, fun graphics, and simple user interface make this app a must-have for Bostonians who live in constant fear of random rain, snow, or heat. Swackett is only available on the iPhone. Use a different smartphone device? Don’t be left out in the cold. Get a more traditional forecast on the go with The Weather Channel or WeatherBug app.
GrubHub: Food wherever you are, whenever you want it. Whether you’re pulling an all-nighter during finals week, furiously preparing for an early-morning interview, or partying until an hour that would probably upset your parents, we’ve been there: It’s late at night, and you’re starving. Never fear -- the GrubHub app will help you find food quickly! See which restaurants are currently open, find out who delivers, view menus, read reviews, and place an order all within the app. From there, an awesome customer service team tracks each order to ensure the food you want gets to where you are. Need more convincing? The GrubHub app stores multiple addresses, previous orders, and payment information, making future food orders that much faster. Available on iPhone and Android devices.
Catch the T: Because no one likes waiting. I used to be mildly entertained by the sight of professionals running in heels towards a train, only to miss the open door by a few seconds, but as soon as I became that person, the situation lost its humor. Waiting for the next T to arrive is similar to waiting for water to boil: You're absolutely certain it’s going to happen any minute, but, alas, it does not, so you continue to watch and wait. Be in-the-know and on time with Catch the T, an independently developed mobile app that leverages the MBTA’s location data to provide real-time arrival information for Orange, Red, and Blue Line trains. (Sorry, Green Line-ers; try Open MBTA instead.) A simple user interface paired with close-to-perfect arrival times means no more waiting in the cold (or heat). Don’t ride the T? Catch the Bus offers coverage for all of Boston’s MBTA bus routes and is available on iPhone and Android devices. Catch the T is available exclusively for iPhone.
Zipcar: When driving is required. With the exorbitant cost of parking in Boston, it’s no wonder owning a car isn't always practical or popular. Fortunately, Zipcar and other low-cost, hassle-free car sharing services are available so you can rent a car for four hours -- or four days -- when your destination can't be reached by bus and your goods can't be carried in two hands. "As someone without a car in the city, a lot of the apps I use revolve around transportation," said O'Keefe. "With [Zipcar], you can locate cars available for rent, reserve that car, open the door, and drive away, all via your mobile phone.” Here’s a fun tip: If you can’t locate the car you just rented, use the app to honk the car’s horn. It’s that easy. Available on iPhone and Android devices.
What other apps help you navigate city life?
Photo by A Leslie Wong Blog
About Whitney -- After spending my childhood in Maine, I moved to Boston, graduated from BC, and became one of the city's many outspoken, overachieving, and underpaid young professionals. A social media marketer by day, lifestyle blogger by night, and photographer by weekend, I'm delighted by new media, easy recipes, budget-friendly home decor, and breathtaking landscapes. I'm rarely without at least one of the following: my iPhone, my camera, a good beer, or glass of wine. On a good night, I'll be spotted with all four. You can find me on Twitter @whitneyprior.
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The author is solely responsible for the content.
Monday, November 21, 2011
happy monday! how to have a super happy day
Just a few quick updates for this week:
There will be no classes after 12 noon at exhale Battery Wharf this Thursday, Thanksgiving day. My regular Thursday evening classes will be cancelled. However, I'll be subbing 2 morning classes that day instead: 7am Core Fusion Boot Camp and 9:15 Core Fusion Open. Come get a little pre-tox love before the feasting begins.
Don't miss Holiday Retail Therapy this Friday at exhale as well! The VERY talented Christyn Schroeder will be leading complimentary kids' yoga classes at Battery Wharf Boston from 9:30-10:15 and 11:00-11:45 so the kids can have fun while you enjoy complimentary mini spa therapies, discounts in our boutique, giveaways and more. Don't miss out!
And, in honor of Thanksgiving - Want to have a super happy day? Start with Gratitude!
Writing a gratitude list is a quick and easy way to feel GREAT. Have you ever lost your car keys, your wallet, or a special piece of jewelry, and were simply ECSTATIC to find them once again? What a great feeling! But chances are, we weren't particularly grateful for these items at all before we lost them. It's amazing how much we take for granted.
Now take out a sheet of paper and try listing twenty five things you are grateful for. It can be as simple as: "I have a nice warm jacket," "I'm having a hangover-free morning," "I've got friends I can call if I need a favor," "I can do a pushup," "my job allows me to pay for groceries," "everyone in my family is healthy." The exercise is so simple, it might seem pointless or silly, but just try it! Trust me. You'll feel great.
Happy Monday!
original post at mindbodyblissful.com
photo by hatalmas
Saturday, November 19, 2011
this weekend: take the stress out of holiday shopping
A few ideas to take the stress out of your holiday shopping this year:
- Start early! By starting before Thanksgiving, you can beat the crowds and begin to put a dent in your list, so that you can spend more of your holidays enjoying the festivities, family, and friends that go along with the season.
- Haven’t made your list yet? This weekend could be a great time to get this done. While you’re at it, decide how much you can afford to spend, and make a commitment to stick within your budget.
- Shop online. A crowded and unproductive trip to the mall last weekend sealed the deal for me. I’ll be doing most of my shopping from the convenience of home this year! I’ll return to my favorite stores some time after the holidays, but in the meantime, sites like etsy.com make it possible to use the web even for unique and handmade gifts.
- **Shameless Plug Alert** Check out exhale’s Holiday Retail Therapy event next Friday 11/25 to enjoy a festive atmosphere with special boutique discounts and giveaways, snacks, and mini spa therapies. Bring the kids along for complimentary yoga classes while you shop! Exhale Battery Wharf will offer kids yoga from 9:30-10:15am and 11-11:45am.
Also this weekend:
- Don’t forget to sweat! When you’re done shopping, maybe take advantage of some new weekend Core Fusion classes being offered at exhale Battery Wharf starting this week? Saturday 4:45 Core Fusion Open with Chrissy Snyder, and Sunday 4:45 Core Fusion Cardio with Meg Scannell. Or for the best de-stress, try Exhale Yin yoga with Martica Wakeman Sunday at 4:30 for some deep stretching and relaxation!
Happy shopping and Namaste!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
whole egg or egg whites?
I never gave this much thought because I think eggs are already a calorie bargain for the amount of protein you get. But this made me stop and consider doing egg whites more often. Here is the Fitsugar article:
Are You an Egghead? Egg Whites vs. Whole Eggs
/ November 5, 2011 8:02 pm / Read More: Food, eggs, egg whites, nutritional information, calorie breakdown
If you're looking to cut calories, fat, and cholesterol from your diet, you may choose an omelet made of egg whites instead of whole eggs for breakfast. But is choosing egg whites over whole eggs really the best choice nutritionally?
The only way to find out is to do a little comparing, so continue reading to check out my chart comparing eggs to egg whites.
| Two large eggs | Three egg whites | One large egg plus two egg whites | |
| Calories | 142 | 51 | 105 |
| Fat | 10 g | .2 g | 5.1 g |
| Sat. Fat | 4 g | 0 g | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 422 mg | 0 mg | 211 mg |
| Sodium | 140 mg | 164 mg | 180 mg |
| Protein | 12 g | 10.8 g | 13.2 g |
| Riboflavin (B2) | .4 mg | .3 mg | .4 mcg |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.2 mcg | 0 mcg | .6 mcg |
| Vitamin D | 35 IU | 0 IU | 17.5 IU |
| Iron | 1.8 mg | 0 mg | .9 mg |
As you can see from the chart, choosing straight up egg whites does lower the omelet's calories, fat, and cholesterol content, but it also makes the meal void of vitamins B2, B12, D, and iron. If you're concerned about getting enough of those nutrients, a good option would be to eat an omelet made of one whole egg and two egg whites. It's still low in calories, fat, and cholesterol, but you'll get some vitamins from the egg yolk.
Source: Thinkstock
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
lululemon ambassador summit summer 2011 part 5 of 5: have fun!
Vancouver was a blast! Here are a few of my favorite fun times…
Shopping at the lululemon lab
The lululemon lab is a magical place where designers like the lovely ladies above cook up new and interesting ideas, stitch them together on site, and sell them in limited quantities to test them out before deciding what goes into future lululemon collections. The items in the lab are so fresh the tags are handwritten! Baggy crotch pants were all the rage here, and I grabbed a pair of Unisex Yogi Tights (a.k.a. my man pants) that have definitely become a quirky favorite of mine. The only way to experience the lab is to visit Vanouver!
Stand up paddle surfing (and yoga) at Kits Beach…
When it was time to choose an “adventure activity,” it was really tough to turn down hiking the famous Grouse Grind, but having come all the way to the west coast, I just HAD to get into the water! I know SUP surfing is really popular, and I am told you can have a lot of fun when there are real waves but I have to admit, on flat water, I get antsy after a while. This prompted me to ditch the paddle and climb aboard for some SUP yoga. Now THAT was fun, and very challenging!
Last but certainly not least: the BEST karaoke session EVER!
I realize I don’t get out all that much, but DANG people, I had NO IDEA that there were places where you could get your own private room to do karaoke! Mind-blowing. Once again I have to give credit to Sue Jones for rounding up the amazing crew and making sure this epic event happened, and I could not have asked for a more fun, fabulous bunch of people to share the good times with.
THANK YOU to everyone at lululemon, and to my fellow ambassadors for this incredible experience! And most importantly, thank you for putting up with my singing!!
xoxo Andrea a.k.a…
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
fitness mag shares readers top 100 workout songs! http://fitm.ag/rrWAzx
The results are in! You voted on your favorite new motivational workout music. Here they are -- the top 100 songs to sweat to.
happy monday! a little happy ukulele from the master jake shimabukuro
Wishing everyone a happy Monday! I gave myself a ukulele upgrade this past weekend, which prompted me to share this happy music from the talented Jake Shimabukuro.
A few updates for this week. There are several schedule changes at exhale Battery Wharf effective today, 11/14. A few highlights are:
Monday 11/14:
6:30 am Core Fusion Cardio changing to 7am, I’m picking this class up!
8am Music Yoga Flow with Amanda Califano changing to 7am
7:15 Barreless CF in the yoga studio - New Class with Meg Scannell
Tuesday 11/15:
10:30 Exhale Vinyasa Flow changing to 9:30 Yin Jessica Correia
Wednesday 11/16:
8am Music Yoga Flow with Amanda Califano changing to 7am
5:45 MYF + Yin changing to 6:00-7:15pm Exhale Vinyasa Flow Lev 1/2 + Yin with Amy Leydon
5:45 MYF + Yin changing to 6:00-7:15pm Exhale Vinyasa Flow Lev 1/2 + Yin with Amy Leydon
Thursday 11/17:
10:30 EVF changing to 9:30 Absolute Beginners Yoga with Sarah Lowell
Friday 11/18:
10:30 EVF changing to 7am Music Yoga Flow with Sarah Lowell
5:30 ESF changing to 6-7:15 Exhale Vinyasa Flow Lev 1/2 + Yin with Ceylan Akturk
Saturday 11/19:
4:45 pm Core Fusion Open with Chrissy Snyder being added
Sunday 11/20:
4:45pm Core Fusion Cardio with Meg Scannell being added
Thanks, have a great week!
mindbodyblissful.com
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
lululemon ambassador summit summer 2011 part 4 of 5: get inspired
- Get inspired – set more audacious goals and decide what my next big project will be.
I knew that the ambassador summit would include discussions around goal-setting, and given the emphasis on goals in lululemon culture, I believed that I might be in for some of the biggest ideas and inspirations of my life. After all, this is the community that came up with the concept of the BHAG – Big Hairy Audacious Goal. Before leaving for Vancouver, I tried to prepare myself. I revisited my existing set of goals. I asked myself whether I might be holding back anywhere, could I be more daring, should I think bigger? I also trimmed away anything that didn’t seem exciting anymore. I arrived at the summit with a shiny four page spreadsheet of goals in hand. (Seriously, four pages.)
The next morning I awoke, and proceeded to a community yoga session. As 100+ people sat in meditation breathing in the rubbery smell of their new lululemon yoga mats in the hotel ballroom, our teacher asked us to set an intention for the day. One word came to mind. “Possibility.” I chose to focus on being open to new possibilities as my intention for the rest of what was to come. Sure enough, the presenters in the goal workshop later that morning spoke of possibility almost immediately. They spoke about how beliefs and experiences from the past can prevent us from thinking as big as we might about the future. They encouraged us to clear away the past and “stand in nothing” when setting goals so that we would not allow the outdated beliefs to limit us in any way.
When we were invited to take a fresh look at our goals, I thought this new insight might help me take mine to the next level. And then, when I put pen to paper…. nothing happened. In fact, I got stuck. I even began to second-guess my existing set of goals. Were they coming from “above the line” – positivity, passion, inspiration, joy? Or were they coming from somewhere “below the line?” I walked out of the session feeling a little dazed and disappointed in myself for not having the breakthrough I had imagined.
It turns out that in this department, I came home from the summit with the opposite of what I thought I’d get. I didn’t get any new big ideas. I found out I didn’t need to outsmart myself in this area – my goals were already big and audacious! Instead, I focused on another point that was touched on in the goal session, which was the concept of having too many goals. I realized that yep, I had too many! Spreading myself too thin in this way was not only diluting my efforts, but taking some of the joy out of the goals as well. Since returning from the summit, I have been working on revising my goals so that I can fit them onto one page, instead of four! It’s a work in progress, but it’s going well. Getting clear on your intentions for your life is a good idea for many reasons: it allows you to steer your course in the direction you really want to go instead of drifting. It reminds you to focus your energy on things that are truly meaningful to you. It helps you uncover your greatness. But most importantly, and this is what I had to remind myself, setting goals is about creating a life you LOVE.
A few great resources for goal setting from the lululemon blog:
http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/create-a-vision-and-set-your-goals/
http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/our-favourite-digital-goal-setting-tools/
Enjoy, and remember to HAVE FUN!
xoxo Andrea
Sunday, November 6, 2011
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