Halloween: going green- Costumes for the eco-friendly / budget friendly conscious

It's that time of the year!! Happy Halloween-
I love Halloween, it's up there with one of my favorite holidays because I love getting dressed up. I was probably a huge pain in the butt for my mom because, even to this day, I tend to get big ideas when it comes to costumes rather than keeping it simple. I blame the creative, diy'er in me-- and I brought my wonderful, talented mother with me on the ride until I was in college, then it was my Aunt Lucielle and her sewing machine that suffered. 

I was a tissue box one year- resulting in my now refusal to wear a box with any costume, a piece of pie, a fat ref, and then there was my sister who every year went as a witch, I mean like every year. 

Here are a few samples of costumes over the years---

The one year my sister went as Peter Pan instead of a witch. I mean look at that scarecrow- well done mom, I think she made me costume crazy- that lady brought it.

Because like all tween girls, I wanted to be a fat referee...

Awe 4th grade- white tights and a cherry pie costume sewn by my mom, it was super comfortable and rather adorable.

 

Although not a great quality picture, these Aladdin and Jasmine costumes were a labor of love made from scratch on my aunt's sewing machine-which I managed to jam like five times with the silk and thread.

The astronaut was easy, painters coverall, patches from paper, and straps from electrical tape. I wore all grey and silver that I had at home and just bought a pair of $5 volleyball shorts form Academy Sports that I have worn under dresses and with other costumes.

Holly Golightly- one of my favorite characters. I went to the thrift store and bought a huge tuxedo shirt, threw on tights and volleyball shorts, and the day of made the mask from material, gold trim (both bought for super cheap) along with some crystals I had at home and finished it off with tassel earrings. I can reuse this shirt for Mary Poppins one year, the shorts were form the alien costume and the tights have made a number of appearances.

For me, spending about $50-75 on a costume, especially if both of us need  a costume, is just not an option so here are the steps I tend to take to pick out a costume.

1. Get Inspired- look at your DVD's are there any characters or people you would like to play

- think about when you were little, any toys you use to play with that would work

-is there anyone people tell you / significant other that you look like (Christian gets Aladdin sometimes so we went with that)

2. Get Resourceful- use what you, your friends, and your family have. If you need something, head to the Thrift store--maybe there you will find inspiration as well.

-if you must buy something, buy something that can most likely be used again, for the alien costume I wore that shirt out all the time.

- keep the basics, nude tights if taken care of can be worn another year, false eyelashes can be resused (clean them)

3. Get Crafty- When you make your own costume you can be sure that no one else will have the same costume as you.

- it doesn't have to be perfect, if you go for the overall idea with some good details people will get the look , and it is a costume so if you need to clew and staple instead of sew go for it

4. Costume Box- afterwards keep all your stuff organized in a costume box, it will come in handy the following year, you can loan things out to friends, and you never know what you can reuse. If you have kids or one day will this costume box will provide hours of joy and years of costumes. 

Crafting Basics- news paper or an old towel to craft on, hot glue gun, pins, and an imagination.

I am soooo excited what Christian and I came up with for this year--it's going to be one for the books.

Hint: Shopping list includes--feathers, blue and purple paint, red material, cardboard, duct tape. The inspiration came from my sister!

Pose of the week: paschimottanasana (seated forward fold)

As the weather gets colder and our bodies begin to crave warming and grounding foods, paschimottanasana serves that same purpose but as a pose. The act of folding forward is introspective, we fold onto and towards ourselves by hinging over our legs and flexing our toes towards our torsos;  and we also move inwards in regards to perspective, it is a moment to come back to the breath and your intention. Unlike back bends which are heart openers, forward folds protect our heart making us feel secure and safe. Because of this, paschimottanasa calms the nervous system as we fold and ss the sits bones root down and the backs of the legs press towards the earth we feel  grounded physically as well as emotionally. 

 

 

 

This is a great diagram for coming into the pose from dandasana!

I am sure my yogini Meghan would not believe that this is my pose of the week because when we were working on this at TT (teacher training) we made adjustments on each other so that we were in the pose without a curve in the spine. I got as far forward as the man in figure 3/3, I was bummed. I had this beautiful image of me laying out over my legs with a straight spine and my nose to my knee. EGO check and runners hamstrings- I swore I wouldn't ever teach it. I was just joking of course, because as the saying goes, "the poses you like the least are the ones you probably need the most." Amen- here is to practicing my Poschimottanasna. 

Benefits:

• helps with digestion (can aide in weight loss)
• combats anxiety, depression, insomnia
• helps relieve menstrual aches and pains
• relieves headaches and certain back pains
• can increase appetite
• stretches HAMSTRINGS
• legnthens out spine
• releases shoulders

Coming into / out of the pose:

• sit on a blanket with your sits bones at the very front edge of the blanket
• with legs out in front of you, remove the junk in yo trunk so that you can feel both bones on the blanket.
• sit up nice and tall as you inhale
• flex your feet, toes towards your face
• exhale pull bellybutton towards spine and HINGE AT THE HIPS
• keep your back straight for as long as possible, once at that limit take a nice long inhale and legnthen
• exhale drawing your naval in again, fold deeper into the space you just created and feel free to round the spine (rounding evenly thoughout) 
•  either relax the arms along side the leg or reach for the feet

Modifications: 

• use a strap around the feet if you can not reach them on your own-- you are not driving a herd of wild reindeer so relax your arms and hands on the strap to a gentle grip.
• if you can easily reach your feet you can place a block on the other side of your feet and reach for the block
• You can prop yourself up for a restorative variation by placing bolsters on your legs and relaxing onto the bolster.

Forward folds are great counter poses for twists and back bends. This is a mild forward fold and is used to counter camel, danurasana (bow pose), simple seated twists, and ardha matsyendrasana (half lord of the fishes)

photo 1:http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5148/5762110332_2e15f0220c.jpg

photo 3: http://compassionworks.com/832/

5 things to help you fall asleep and sleep deeper

I have always had the great talent of being able to fall asleep almost anywhere. I was always the first one asleep at sleep overs and I rarely make it through a movie that starts after 7 pm-- always have been this way and probably always will. Staying asleep or going back to sleep is a whole other ball game- once I am up, I'm up.

Over the last year or two I have found myself waking up in the middle of the night with a racing heart and not being able to slow my mind down enough to fall back asleep. At some point last year, grad schools started to affect my ability to fall asleep- NOT OKAY WITH ME!

These five things help me fall asleep-- and I truly believe help me sleep deeper. I use one or multiple combinations of these tools every night depending on time available and my resting heart rate.

1. Lavender Oil- I rub a few drops of lavender oil on my feet (then rub my hands on my sheets and or temples). The lavender oil helps to calm the nervous system (aromatherapy) and it is believed that if you rub essential oils on the soles of your feet they will get carried throughout the body to where they are most needed. Plus your sheets smell amazing.

2. Bath- I love a good, long, hot bath. I will add some epsom salts and essential oils depending on what time of year it is or how I'm feeling. Bubbles are always beautiful and luxurious as well. To me there is something calming about the water and not doing anything else. Light a candle- it's all about a calming, soothing environment.

3. Meditation- The whole point is to calm the mind and to release tension. It is recommended to shut down all electronics and screen interaction about a half hour before trying to fall asleep in order to begin quieting the mind. Meditation is a great way to spend that time- start with just ten minutes.

4. Chamomile steamer (or other variation)- Any sleepy-time or chamomile tea will do. Steam a glass of milk or even just heat it up in the microwave, steep tea bag in the hot milk, add a small bit of honey and enjoy (maybe in the tub).

5.  Breathing-  no you don't need a mask but I liked the visual. A good calming breath that I use to fall asleep begins with a regular inhale and then I slowly work to extend my exhale so that eventually it is twice as long as the inhale. It is recommended to do this through your nose but I am an open mouth sleeper so I do this with my mouth instead of nose. The focus on your breath helps to calm the mind and the extended exhale is soothing to the body. I use this one every night at some point- especially if I wake up in the middle of the night.

Hope this helps some of you find some deeper quality sleep or find sleep a little sooner.

Good Night

ZZZ...


5 things to help you fall asleep and sleep deeper by cloch1 featuring tea cups

Friday Five: little things I am grateful for this week

1. Quinoa- I love this grain/protein combination. This week I added it to my veg. chili and it fives it a similar texture to using ground beef.

2. My wool fuzzy socks- they are so warm, since temperatures at night and early morning are in the low 50's I really enjoy tucking my toes into these warm little suckers.

3. Our Variegated Rubber Tree- The beautiful colored leaves are so fun to look at and we have done a great job of growing it, watching it survive makes me proud.

4. Poncho- I scored an amazing poncho at a resale store, it is gray, comfy, and warm. I just find there is something elegant yet cozy about a well done poncho. Pair with skinny jeans, flats, bag, and a hot cup of coffee and I am set.

5. Steamers- Two weekends ago I decided to iron and starch all my husbands shirts while watching a show (it was an attempt at validating watching TV instead of reading by making the TV watching productive--yes I am slightly ashamed of my motives). I sometimes think I was meant to be a 1940's-60's housewife baking, crafting, decorating, and playing bridge with the ladies but every time I try to iron I am reminded that I wouldn't hack it and that my husband would always have to go to work with wrinkly shirts--unless we had a maid to iron which I am not against. I am also super thankful that we have a steamer and that C is an enthusiast steamer and does it each morning while I lay in bed getting those last ten minutes of yummy, cozy sleep.

Friday Five: little things I am grateful for this week by cloch1 featuring thick wool socks

Pose of the week: Parvritta Janu Sirsasana

AKA: revolved head to knee

 

I mean holy hotdog sir! This would be one of the fullest expressions of the pose, for the rest of us we will be somewhere around here---->

 

or

 

All of which are great

Benefits: the why

•   great hamstring and groin stretch on the extended leg
•  the twisting action helps to cleanse the liver and kidneys
• lengthens the side body and spine 
• stretches the shoulder 
• helps fight anxiety, insomnia, depression, and fatigue
• is good for mild backaches and headaches

Coming into and out of the pose:

• sit with your legs extended out in front of you, sit up tall with your sits bones rooting down
• open your legs wide into uptavista konasana
• bend your right leg placing your right foot on the inside of your left thigh
• inhale your arms overhead
• exhale extend over your left leg, keep the chest open(ing) towards the sky
• bring your left arm along the inside of your left leg

Modifications and props:

• place a blanket under your sits bones to help you open up 
• keep top arm in cactus, wrap it around the back, grab the toes

Switch sides to even out!! 

My Yoga Road-- my first class reflection.

Yesterday I did something, well two things, that I hadn't done before.  I went to an Air Fit class with a friend and while I was getting dressed I started thinking about my first experience with yoga. I don't know what inspired it and I am not sure why I have not already looked back at that first class at some point during this past year while my practice greatly evolved and totally changed my life.

My first experience with anything slightly resembling was Body Flow at the gym I belonged to with my parents the year after I graduated and  lived at home. It was a combination of Tai Chi, Pilates, and a little yoga. We did some warrior poses, a dancer here and there, and savasana. I liked the ab work pilates offered and I enjoyed dancer pose because I could use my flexibility, but savasana-- I HATED it, I would usually leave before the awkward five minutes where we uncomfortably, sweatily, laid on the floor.

My first official yoga class was at the gym I belonged to near New Orleans and was with a great instructor who was Iyangar trained. I have always been, what I considered, pretty flexible-- I mean I set records in the school sit and reach each year, but little did I know that according to yoga I was far from flexible. I was so UNCOMFORTABLE and FRUSTRATED the entire class.

From the moment I walked in the door I felt lost, there were blankets, straps, huge pillow (read bolsters) and everyone in the class already seemed to know what to grab and how to set up, so I copied them all. I set up my mat and looked around at people stretching-- wasn't this a class to stretch? Why were they stretching ahead of time? This is a question I still sometimes ask myself.

 There wasn't a flow during this class (thank God), I would have been lost. I was constantly looking at the other people to see what I was suppose to be doing. I felt that in each pose the teacher had to come and adjust me and once she did I felt that pose in places I didn't know exisisted. We used the props to make the poses more intense.  When the instructor said fold forward I just bent forward bending in my back, SPINAL Flexion vs. HIP Flexion as I now know it, she came over, had me stand up, stick my butt out and hinge at the hips. HELLO HAMSTRINGS!

Finally we got to a point where we laid on our backs with a bolster under us and our legs up the wall and I thought THANK GOD! Just when I thought it was starting to wind down, now I was awaiting the awkard laying on the ground moment at the end of class, we did some funky roll/handstand/body to the wall move and the work began again.

I remember looking at this man in his 50's and being super impressed with his flexibility, he had said he had been practicing weekly with a private lesson for him and his wife once a week as well.

I left that class sore, tired, sweaty, and frustrated feeling highly inflexible. I went back a time or two but it wasn't until I moved down the street from a great studio that my practice started to pick up. I would go to the community classes twice a week- one a gentle and the other an all levels vinyasa. Little by little I started to catch on.

The best decision I made was to join a six week beginner class at Namaskar studio with Tina Ward. We focused on a family of poses each week, down dog and tadasna one week, warrior two series another, etc. I was able to go into higher level classes from there and feel confident in my alignment and execution of the poses.

It was during those six weeks that I thought huh, this is it, this is why people go back, I learned about breathing, patience, the idea of a practice, and I was hooked!! I signed up for a work study at the studio and a year later I was completing my 200 hr. training.

YOGA IS A PRACTICE, give it time, give it a solid number of classes, and be patient with yourself before you give up.

Friday Five: five little things I am grateful for (a day late)

1. Walls: I love the various ways to use walls during yoga class.
2. Baking Soda: One of the best home made cleaning product ingredients- pair it with vinegar and it's cleaning gold.
3.  Baskets:  Although the majority of mine are plastic, baskets help make organizing  easy and fridges/closets/shelves look prettier.
4. Mint.com: A financial planning website, was introduced to me by my friend Lauren who's husband is an accountant, and it is great for helping set budgets, goals, and know where my money goes (which is mostly my stomach).
5.  Popcorn:  Some people might call it an obsession or addiction and I wouldn't disagree. I have a massive popcorn problem and watching terrible old Spanish plays via dvd is made more enjoyable by my fluffy, salty friend. There are worse things I could be snacking on, but I probably should eat less of it in one sitting.


Friday Five: five little things I am grateful for (a day late) by cloch1 featuring a sunbeam air popper

Swedese home decor, $1,190 / Framed chalkboard / Sunbeam air popper / Baskets - Living Room - Danmark, $31