Month: April 2019

Well, well, well…

Posted on by maljoylove

As I mentioned at some point earlier, I’ve been doing a “poetry a day” challenge. I’ve been incorporating photo editing to each poem, so it’s a two hour process, and as a result, I haven’t been able to blog as much. I have to be honest, I love writing poetry… but I’ve missed this!

I have a lot of laundry to iron and put away, but I did half of it and now my “ironing” hand hurts. Now is as good as time as ever to come back!

This week I would like to start fresh: drinking water, healthy sleep schedule…I even purchased a WOMEN’S MULTIVITAMIN (this post is sponsored by SugarBear Hair [no it is not I just bought them]). I look at some of the women in my “#goals” list and I notice some similarities. I think it’s time I take stock in it!

  1. Solid morning routine. Warm water with lemon seems to be the go-to for every influencer and Angel. What I want to do is start my mornings with this lemon water, yoga, and meditation.
  2. Varied workout routines. Yoga seems to be a consistent go-to, along with dance or self-defense inspired workouts. Boxing and Barre seem to guarantee limbs that are both long and strong. I’m down, honestly!Side Note: I will note that these are a bunch of skinny women, and I don’t know if workouts for girls with a much lower body fat percentage will work for me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to try them. I’ve always wanted to be super-hero strong, with cutie lil’ arm muscles but thin legs.
  3. Diet preferences. Get shocked — lots of veggies, little dairy, lean proteins. Have a dessert once in a while to avoid feeling crazy. Emily Ratajkowski says that she eats lots of carbs and plenty of dessert. She eats a pastry for breakfast and goes out for dinner regularly.
    Emily-Ratajkowski
    I DON’T BELIEVE YOU EMILY. I. DON’T. BELIEVE. YOU.
  4. Sweet Dreams — These girls get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. This seems not impossible, and probably a strong habit to develop before I have kids (eventually). I think I want to start striving for seven hours of sleep, and then if I can add the extra hour, I will make it happen. If I wake up at five, I have to go to bed at ten. I think getting in bed by nine is doable.
    I’m headed to Disney for a late night event tonight, so I won’t be able to enact this one until tomorrow night. In general, I want to turn my computer off at eight. If two hours isn’t enough time on the computer for me, I have a much bigger problem.
  5. Hydration — OKAY, I GET IT. You all drink water and use coconut oil. that appears to be the magic elements: coconut and water. I’ll start incorporating it more.
  6. Tuning in — There seems to be a pattern of connection. The girls I look up to all seem to do yoga, meditate, or some combination of practices that enable them to listen to their bodies more.

So in summary — clean eating, workouts that combine strength training and cardio, and connection with the body, mind, and soul.

With that, I’m going to do my poem for the day. The theme is “reflection.” How’s that for connection to the soul?

On Your Mark, Jet Set, Go!

Posted on by maljoylove

I’ve had another busy week, but I feel like I’m getting a lot done tonight. I decided to “sleep in” today until 6:45, rather than go to the gym. I got to enjoy my morning wake-up with Aaron as a result, and even had time to do a face mask before work. It was a work-from-home Wednesday, which is always a lovely reprieve. I tend to take Wednesday mornings for myself to have a nice leisurely morning. It’s a great way to celebrate “hump day”. Tuesdays tend to wear me out more than other days.

During my lunch “break,” I did all the dishes in my sink and took care of a few other chores. I got to end my work day with a clean kitchen that immediately got messy again when I hurricane’d my way through to make dinner.

In between the end of my work day and making dinner, I decided to make up for the lack of a morning gym trip by going for a run. It was a sunny afternoon but there was good wind blowing. It’s nice to see my neighborhood awake with dogs on their post-workday walk, families bringing home the kids from their schoolday, lawn and cable workers smiling wearily as they return to their cars to go home for the night… we’re all on our routines.

I alternated between walking and running, and it reminded me of when I used to walk to and from class. Those daily walks kept me sane, and I don’t think I ever appreciated them.

After thoroughly appreciating perfectly grilled quesadillas (filled with veggies and meatless crumbles for me… with a side of homemade guac, thank you!) and welcoming Aaron home from work (I may have made him a bowl of edible cookie dough — the trick is to not use eggs!), I cleaned up from dinner and wrote a quick poem about body image for today’s “escapril” (that 30 day poetry challenge for National Poetry Month).

So we have:
Productive work day
Quality Workout
Cleaned living space
Nutrient dense dinner
Poetry of the day completed

Not bad, right? Now all that’s left is to wash my hair and pack for my trip.

Oh yes, I’m going back to New York. It’s a quieter trip this time, as I’m visiting to spend the Jewish holidays with my family (happy almost Passover!).

Here are a few fun travel tips I’ve picked up over the years (from experience and from family members instilling it from day one):

  1. DON’T PACK THE MORNING OF YOUR TRIP. Guess what? You need a new charger. You can’t find that shirt you were going to wear. You forgot to pack socks. Don’t wait until the morning of, especially if/when there’s a risk you’re going to run out of time.
  2. GET TO THE AIRPORT TWO HOURS BEFORE YOUR FLIGHT DEPARTURE TIME. I adjust this as needed, since holiday flights tend to make me a bit more cautious and I’ll add time. As well, certain airports I’ve visited are frequently D-E-A-D, and I can push it to an hour and fifteen minutes before the flight leaves. I’d rather sit in the airport with a book (or treat myself to a magazine) for an extra thirty minutes than risk huffing and puffing from a line to my gate (or worse… missing my flight).

    Fun travel anecdote: Once, an entire flight I was on checked in early. The pilot showed up and said “Hey, you guys are all here, you wanna just take off early?” and we left ahead of schedule! It’s only happened once, but when everyone plans ahead, we all win.

  3. TREAT YOUR SKIN RIGHT IN-FLIGHT. I’ve stopped wearing makeup and contact lenses on red-eye flights. Sometimes I wear makeup if I know I’m landing during the day, but if anything, I’ll do my skin routine before I head out and then apply makeup when I know we’ve hit that “last ten minutes before the descent” sweet spot. MOISTURIZE. I personally have started doing sheet masks on airplanes. It is just… blissful. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS.
  4. Your “personal item” should have a zipper. Pick something sturdy that won’t accidentally fall open and spill everything during turbulent bumps mid-flight.
  5. Start the security “strip” process two people before you get to the conveyor belt. Lose the shoes, take off your sweatshirt, grab your laptop/kindle and your “clear bag of liquids and aerosols.” Once your time has come, BOOM, slap your carry-on bag/personal item on the belt, placing your shoes next to them then grab a tray for your needed products and immediately place it on the belt. Your speed will benefit you, both in terms of convenience for the people around you, and also startling them into paying attention because wow, you’re moving really fast, you’ve DONE THIS BEFORE, HAVEN’T YOU? Yes, I have. Thank you for noticing.
  6. Pack warm pajamas. Nine times out of ten, your hotel room will be cold, not hot. I perpetually have cold feet, so I bring fuzzy warm socks no matter where I’m going.
  7.  Download Spotify playlists. In this post-iTunes library world, I recommend saving your favorite Spotify playlists to your phone so you don’t have a soundtrack-less flight. I sleep on flights regularly, and I have a few relaxing musical playlists saved to my phone to get me in that nice zen state of mind. If you want to use your three hour jaunt to catch up on podcasts, don’t forget to download those, too! I’m still of the opinion that paying for in-flight wifi is a waste unless you need to complete business work. If I can go seven hours without Instagram, so can you. I PROMISE.
  8. Pack for every quick-fix necessity. Advil. Pepto tablets. PADS. You will hate yourself for not planning ahead if you get nausea or are surrounded by a chorus of screaming children on your flight.
  9. FREQUENT FLYERS – Create a separate makeup kit for your travels. They don’t have to be perfect, expensive palettes like your normal everyday wear. Wet n’ Wild products are bomb and tend to be cheaper, which make them ideal for when you want to have a full face without risking leaving your Fenty in a hotel room. Those samples you get after spending too much at Sephora? BRING THEM. THIS IS THEIR TIME. Don’t forget makeup remover wipes! 
  10. BRING CASH. ALWAYS. Tips. Credit card mishaps. Things, life, just happens. Be prepared. That’s what this whole list is about, honestly. Be prepared beforehand so you can enjoy everything else when you land.

With that, it’s 9:23. In bed by 10:30? Let’s give it a try.

The Many Moods of a Workout

Posted on by maljoylove

This week has been one of mediocre workouts. To be honest, I haven’t had a GREAT workout in a while. I haven’t left the gym feeling sweaty and accomplished in a few weeks, and I’m disappointed about it. I agree that working out regularly is more than can be said for a lot of people, but if I’m waking up at the crack of dawn, missing out on an extra hour or two of sleep, to do something good for my body, shouldn’t it be time well spent?

To me, the only two things you need to have a good workout are motivation and the right soundtrack. I have three playlists that I work with regularly. If you’re reading this and wanting some new “tunage” for your workout, maybe some of these will help!

The “Superhero Playlist”

This is my playlist for when I want to feel super strong. When I want to watch my form in the mirror and see my muscles “jump” with each movement, this is my go-to. I tend to stick to this playlist when I’m strength-training, and it makes me feel like Wonder Woman. Or Thor.

spotify:user:1271959391:playlist:7nfgDk94crwsVacZfurTxp

 

The “Happy Playlist”

I save this one for when I’m just… D E A D. Some days I feel foggy but still alert, it’s the same sensation that, if I decide to let it put me back to bed after turning off my alarm, I end up playing on my phone until 6:30 instead of sleeping. When I recognize that mental/physical state, this playlist gets me up and at ’em at the gym. It’s all feel-good, can’t help but smile songs.

spotify:user:1271959391:playlist:3xAYxdp7A7SmZ54o0sJUMT

This music always gets me ready to bounce my way through a workout. I regularly dance from one set of weights to the next using this playlist! I kNoW, I’m such a DORK.

“Chapter Ten: The Lost Weekend”. Riverdale, The CW. 17 April 2017.

The “CW Theory” Playlist

I’ll talk about this with anyone who will listen: EVERYONE ON THE CW IS ATTRACTIVE. Think about it: Stephen Amell, Nina Dobrev, Jared Padalecki, Madelaine Petsch, all GORGEOUS people. “Gossip Girl” aired on the CW and EVERYONE on that show was beautiful. 

Katie Cassidy has been on four shows on The CW so like case in point.

Moral of the story is, find a fanvid on Instagram of someone on a CW show, and chances are that song will motivate you through your workout: be hot enough to be on the CW. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

spotify:user:1271959391:playlist:12zKqGIrRSpSey4klHq4PL

I’ve barely listened to these playlists for the past month. I bet that has SOMETHING to do with it. I will return to this roundup with this week’s workouts.

Have you ever had a Marionberry Pancake?

Posted on by maljoylove

I’m obsessed with Portlandia, because it reminds me of Burlington. In their “Brunch Village” episode the daily special of the popular brunch spot is marionberry pancakes. I think they were going for the most obscure berry they could think of to obtain that “why is it” niche. Literally, take half of these sketches and put them on Church Street, and you wouldn’t notice.

“Brunch Village.” Portlandia, IFC. 9 March 2012

This week has been exhausting, especially compared to how blissful the weekend had been. Thankfully, nothing too maddening happened this week, but as we get further into our site migration, there’s more for us to learn-by-doing.

That said, there are a few things that I feel myself losing patience on frequently this week. People are trying to adjust their website without knowing how to do it. Imagine being a mechanic and standing next to someone with a flat tire, and the person wants to repair the flat tire on their own, but wants you to explain it to them, and when you tell them “You need a spare tire” they ask what a spare tire is. At that point, just let the mechanic repair the tire. This is not your time, my love.

With that, there is a sense of camaraderie with my coworkers. We know what it means when “Beverly” needs help, or when “Fred from Chicago” is on the phone. Then comes the pregnant pause after the phone call ends, and the coworker is like “OH. MY. GOD.” and we can all reply back with “Dude, I know.” It also helps me with appreciating the GOOD customers more. I’d give my life for “Carly.” Call me with help with the website whenever you need it, okay?

I’ve come up with a tactic when I feel like I’m about to snap. I just close my eyes and pretend I’m floating in the ocean, and I’m surrounded by tiny seahorses (solid “Napoleon Dynamite” reference). Then there’s jellyfish in my head, and I move my hand like it’s a jellyfish. The movement REALLY calms me down and diffuses my tension.

Light. Happy. Free. It’s me.
This image is from Tumblr.
I’m not certain if this is a real jellyfish it looks animated.

The theme song for Portlandia is really chill, too. It’s called “Feel it All Around” by Washed Out, and it does remind me of walking Church Street like I did in college.

It’s flashback Friday, and I’m feeling the nostalgia tonight for UVM hard. I’ve been doing a poem a day, and today’s theme was “Back to Nature.” I kept thinking about the times I’d just walk through the colors of UVM, whether it was the trees on campus or lying in the snow on a dead silent night. I have a lot of good memories. I can’t wait to move to New York, but I want to retire in Vermont. I want to have a nice home where I can hike and go to a farmer’s market for fresh vegetables.

I will make it happen one day. For now, I’m going to get ready for bed.

After one more episode.

Thoughts on Gratitude

Posted on by maljoylove

I feel like lately, I’ve been struggling with me. Work has been stressful with golf season in full “swing” (come back I’m not done), and I have a lot of self-imposed pressure to look perfect for my wedding in 200 days (give or take). I’ve had mini breakthroughs along the way, but I’ve noticed my low moments more and more and felt powerless against them.

This weekend has left me with a lot of gratitude. I’m lucky that I have family who made me feel safe and loved. Out of frame of this shot sat a kind of person I didn’t think existed until we met. I’m grateful for him.

Not long after taking this photo we wandered over to Strawberry Fields, where dozens gather to commemorate John Lennon (who, yes, is not my favorite Beatle, but his music matters). A guitarist sat nearby and someone walked past and requested “Imagine”. The crowd of strangers sat on the benches and listened as this girl strummed and sang the words we all knew. Everyone quietly joined in for the chorus and applauded at the end (I know “and everyone applauded” is very r/thathappened, but it did, I swear. No whoops or cheers, it was very polite applause). A girl sat with her mother crying and thanked the guitarist for playing that song, because it was her father’s favorite.

I’m grateful for that moment of community and love.

Before heading to the airport we found ourselves at One World Trade Center. It reminded me to be thankful because, as Lin-Manuel Miranda once so eloquently put it, “senseless acts of tragedy remind us that nothing here is promised, not one day.”

There were many beautiful things about this weekend, from our hotel to the food to the weather to the multitude of dogs. An absolute peak came from visiting 30 Rock. Twelve years ago, I was an awkward middle schooler who was obsessed with “Mean Girls,” and excitedly watched Saturday Night Live for the first time as Tina Fey hosted the show for its return after the end of the WGA Writers Strike. I am grateful to have had her voice guiding me through high school and college and helping me fall in love with comedy, writing, and strong female friendships (I hold Leslie and Ann strong in my heart, but the first big one was always Amy and Tina).

I wanted to work for NBC after that first SNL episode, and I’m so happy to say that now I do. It reminds me of how far I’ve come, and how much farther I have to go. A lot can happen in twelve years, so who knows where I’ll be at 36?

So today, I am thankful. I’m full to the brim with love and appreciation for the time spent this weekend, and I’m equally grateful for all the steps and missteps that got me there. I think twelve-year-old me would be proud of our journey. I resolve (and dare I say manifest?) to keep her with me as i move forward with this week, with this season, with the next 200 days, and the next twelve years.

If you read this, thank you. I love you. You can do this. Flurm.