New York Summer Streets

Bikers on Park Avenue.

"Summer Streets is an annual celebration of New York City’s most valuable public space—our streets. On three consecutive Saturdays in the summer, nearly seven miles of NYC’s streets are opened for people to play, walk, bike, and breathe... On August 3, 10 & 17, from 7am to 1pm, nearly seven miles of New York City’s streets are opened up for everyone to play, run, walk and bike." Source: NYC.gov

Here are pics from yesterday's lovely walk down Park Avenue from 42nd St. by Grand Central, down to the Flat Iron District in the 20s. Summer Streets goes the full stretch from East 72nd St., all the way downtown at Brooklyn Bridge. Here's the route from the website:

Summer Streets route, including rest stops.

Park Avenue tunnel closed to traffic from 7am to 1pm.

Sharing the streets.

Bikers, rollerbladers (even skateboarders and unicyclers) all welcome!

It looks like they added more Citibikes for rent for this event.

A Gotham-y shot near 23rd St.

Summer Highlights

One of the challenges I find with blogging these days is the "real-time-ness" of posts—chronicling notable and bloggable events on the same day. I'm constantly playing catch-up...or going completely M.I.A., as you can tell with my complete lack of posts for the month of July. Sigh.

But, moving along. I have been meaning to write about season's highlights. I'm a summer girl at heart. Summer is my favorite season, summer is when I feel the most nourished, summer is when I get an ample dose of Vitamin D, and summer is also when I can get dressed in five minutes flat (I'm a matchy-matchy kind of person so you can just imagine the agony of putting together layers in the winter time).

Without further ado, highlights from the last couple of weeks (which, in the blogging world, is eons!):

1) Summer Beauty
Well, it was still technically spring when I purchased these two lip treats from Sephora: Bite Beauty High Pigment Matte Pencil in Pomegranate and YSL Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Balm Crystal Color in Succulent Pomegranate. The former does say 'matte' but it goes on soft and creamy, leaving a rich hue on lips, while the latter is indeed a colored gel-balm that leaves a nice hint of sheer cherry. YSL's packaging is absolutely adorable and I certainly got it for prettiness.

A couple of weeks back, before it got really hot, I got a tube of Brazilian True Tan to kickstart my summer sun-kissed skin. I'd originally planned on purchasing something from St. Tropez, but, after reading the ingredients and giving it a whiff, I went for the former. Brazilian True Tan's formula is supposedly infused with AHA, so you don't have to exfoliate before applying. The color you get is very subtle, hence the claim "non-streak" on the packaging, because you can build on color, instead of slathering it on in one dark dollop. As with any self-tanner, you still have to watch it when it comes to elbows, ankles, and knees—wipe off any excess on these areas.

Okay, it's the weekend—I'm a beauty copywriter by day so writing about beauty on my day off feels like a bus driver's holiday—so I'm moving on to the next summer highlight...

2) Summer Solstice!

Next to Christmas, this is my favorite time of the year. It is the longest day where we get the most sunlight. Fortunately, my husband spotted the invite in the mail to sign up for the yearly Solstice In Times Square event. It was so surreal doing yoga right there, that I kept on peeking during Savasana to look at the buildings towering above me.

Bright and early!

I believe Vasisthasana (Side Plank) was the peak pose for that morning's session. That's me on the left, in the rainbow pink top. I'm quite proud of my Vasisthasana, simply because I could barely do one only a few years ago. Next stop: the full expression of the pose (yogi toe lock, leg extended at a 45-degree angle).

Fun and surreal doing yoga in Times Square!

3) Hova brought sexy back.

We got to see Jay Z and Justin Timberlake in concert at Yankee Stadium! :) The Legends of Summer tour paired the two music heavyweights, resulting in a concert experience to remember! Happy Summer days indeed.

Oops Post

I didn’t get to do my Day 20 post on this date. I got home from work and did about 40 minutes of yoga…and fell asleep! So I also didn’t get to do Nadi Shodhana. Oh well, another day, another night. ;)

I’d meant to post this song, “Cross The Line” by First State ft. Relyk. I heard it over the weekend at SoulCycle—the spinning session, a whole other post altogether!

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 20

Yoga Journey

One weekend at Sonic Yoga. This space feels like home.
(Image courtesy of Lisa Diebold Smith)

When I started the 200-hour teacher training at Sonic Yoga three months ago, here in New York City, I honestly had no desire or intention to teach. I simply was after the discipline and structure that would result from having a schedule to follow for the duration of the training: alternating full weekends from nine a.m. to six p.m.; weekly Monday night conference calls; and weekly Thursday evening classes. As the training unfolded, I would find out that I also had to complete "non-contact" hours on my own, which included practice teaching, papers, observations, and more.

I felt lethargic that first weekend, although I did take plenty of notes. Fast-forward to today, three months after, my classmates and I have just completed our written and practical exams, and spent one fantastic, heartwarming, and fabulous final weekend together! Just a few more assignments and classes away, I can request for my certificate of completion and apply for the 200-hr RYT at Yoga Alliance. I can't wait! (RYT stands for "registered yoga teacher"; and yes, I've just Googled that!)

My light bulb moment? Midway through the training, it clicked: I wanted to teach yoga. It could have been the educational anatomy weekend, learning about Ayurveda, the peace, love, joy, and camaraderie among my co-teachers-in-training, the humor and talent of our teachers, or the accessibility and heart-centeredness of this 5,000-year-old practice... Somewhere along the way, my desire to teach manifested itself, so that's where I am now.

It's an ongoing journey, I've come to learn. Many of us will continue to study and be part of the community: There's the Mentorship Program, 300-hour training, working as a Karmi at the studio... or even as simple—yet profound—as creating a steady and consistent home practice.

Where do I go from here? I will be doing at least one of the above as soon as I finish the rest of my requirements. It truly is an unbelievable journey filled with love for one's self and others. By tapping into the physical aspect of poses, here is a practice that can open up the heart and mind and lead one into a more spiritual, kind, and loving place.

Hooray!

Snap-happy!

I was testing out the Snap Widget plugin the other night and it generated a nice montage of my latest Instagram pics.

And below is the original screenshot (because the above thumbnails will change as I continue to upload photos onto the app):

Summer Instagram

Photos from a warm, happy Friday afternoon/evening :)

It rained early Friday morning, so I went to work in black rain boots…only to step out mid-afternoon in 91-degree weather. HOT! Hence, the instant sandal purchase!
(A good deal, at $18, from a store called Afaze near Herald Square.)

And speaking of footwear, Alvs and I met up at K-town for dinner at Woorijip, and ended up strolling the 10+ blocks to Bed Bath & Beyond in Chelsea. En route, we stumbled upon the new Nike store in Flat Iron, and the not-so-new (and still fabulous) New Balance store where everything was 25% off! Come one, come all! 

Before meeting up with the husband, I actually spent time with two coworker-friends and went accessories-shopping. I picked up the gold hammered(?) button earrings from Afaze, and proceeded to their "secret" haunt in the area.
(Sorry! My lips are sealed!)

My coworker handed me these and said "They're you." Agree. Heart summer colors; heart summer things!

Waay before the shopping and fab finds, my other coworker was headed to a Yankees game and showed me this.
Of course I HAD to try it on! Who can resist full-on, frilly HRH goodness?

Happy Summer, everyone! Hopefully, more blogs in July!

Making Time

I want to...

read books
write books
bake
blog
write for magazines
learn the piano
play the guitar
keep house
kickbox
practice yoga

I get eight hours of sleep, eight hours for work...and eight hours to hopefully get to do all of the above, and then some.

I have a recipe in this book! And how I'd love to work on more of these…

(and blog more often!)

Victoria's Secret Diet?

With tonight's telecast of the Victoria's Secret show (that I have yet to see online as we don't own a TV), today's free paper, Metro, had a write-up on model Miranda Kerr. The svelte stunner reportedly lost all her pregnancy weight in a matter of a few months leading up to the show (she just had Orlando Bloom's child). When asked about her diet and fitness regimen, here was what she told the publication:

"I like to start the day with a fresh green juice with kale, spinach, cucumber, beets and lemon. Then half an hour later, I have a power smoothie which has Sunwarrior protein powder, chia seeds, maca powder, raw cacao, bee pollen, goji berries, noni juice, Vitamineral Green and coconut water. Then an hour after that I’ll have oatmeal or eggs. That’s my three-course power breakfast. For lunch I might have some grilled fish with goat cheese or baby spinach salad and olives. Sometimes I’ll have a sweet potato. At dinner, I’ll have a lentil soup and maybe some chicken. And I love to have my salads with avocado, feta and spinach."

The above, plus a 12-year yoga practice, and Pilates, etc. after having the baby.

I figured, so, I have the juicing down pat. While not as intense as the sexy strutter, I do start my morning with a freshly pressed concoction of carrot, apple, ginger, lemon, kale/spinach/parsley juice as often as I can; and when I am not too lazy to walk a few blocks to the fruit stand/juice cart near my office. I've also been having steel-cut oatmeal for breakfast since discovering it in January, and before that, had also eaten rolled oats regularly. As for the eggs? Check. Yoga? Check. And, thanks to having long been a fan of David Zincenko's Abs Diet—more of an eating lifestyle, than a "diet"—which I credit for the 15 lbs I lost back in 2004 and have kept off since (give or take five pounds), I practically eat the same things as Kerr does…at least the ones she had mentioned in her interview.

So the big question is, why the heck don't I look like a Victoria's Secret model?!

Dessert audit, anybody?:)

Chocolate Secret

DAY 16

of the 30-Day Blog Challenge, 2011

Three Cs of happiness: chocolate, cake, and cookies.
The TKO giant cream-filled cookie from Bouchon Bakery.

 Here's something I've only told my husband this morning, a secret that I've kept for almost four months now: I haven't had chocolate since April 27 of this year. That's right, not a single piece, sliver, or wedge of heavenly cocoa.

I also haven't had a cookie or any cake topped with frosting since that day, for that matter.

Now, this will come as a surprise to those who know me well, because I've had chocolate almost everyday for as long as I can remember. The only other times I'd consciously skipped it for more than one day were 1) my failed attempts at Atkins and South Beach back in 2004 (at some point, I found the ABS Diet that lets one have dark chocolate and ice cream and I've been on it ever since) and 2) certain Fridays of Lent wherein, being sort of vegetarian, I'd chosen to abstain from chocolate instead of meat. The funny thing about the latter is that on those days, I would wait up until midnight so I could have dessert and by then it would be Saturday. Totally defeats the noble and spiritual purpose, I know.

This is how an Oreo cookie would look like if it had gone to Paris.

Holding a "Dirty" cupcake from
Sweet Revenge.

This chocolate hiatus started as a no-dessert experiment which, obviously poses a serious challenge for someone like me who has a sweet tooth. The compromise was to only have sweet things that grew from the earth, or at least weren't placed in a hearth, cooled, and topped with dollops of creamed butter and sugar. Suffice it to say, I've had countless yogurt parfaits and yogurt everything from the time I decided to give up chocolate. I also have a keener appreciation these days for coffee gelato and green tea ice cream.

Yes, there are many ways around this no-chocolate thing that I'm doing. Why did I even start it, you may ask. For several reasons, the first being, it occurred to me one day that what could be a quaint love affair with sugar and the cacao bean may possibly be a full-blown addiction. I do get a delirious high whenever I ingest anything tinged with chocolate. I was listening to an audiobook by inspirational author, Dr. Wayne Dyer, and what he said about overcoming addiction called out to me. I don't remember what he said verbatim, but it has something to do with one's frame of mind and a paradigm shift.

Second, well, I'm sure many of you can relate to praying for something, fervently asking God's help, and, as a bargaining chip, you offer to hold your end of the deal by doing something challenging, or even noble. And, yes, I'm still keeping parts of that a secret.

Third, it boils down to health and wellness. Just like initially cutting out red meat as a novelty, it eventually became a convenient wellness approach to adopt. Don't get me wrong, it will be extremely difficult to turn down a slice of Ms. Polly's chocolate cake (four of which were among our seven cakes at the wedding!). And, if my husband hands over a slice, for sure I will indulge.

All in a Day's Work

A small, but very functional space.

DAY 5

of the 30-Day Blog Challenge, 2011

It's no secret that I've experienced job loss before. This happened not once, not twice, but three times (a lady…sorry, had to say that).

The first time it happened, all I wanted to do in the days that followed was sleep, and maybe make brownies.

The second time it happened, I shipped out, and told myself I never wanted to live in New York again, how overrated the city was. Besides, I also had a wedding to plan: my own.

The third time it happened, I soldiered on. It also helped that I had a part-time writing and editing job that paid very well so I could somehow live decently without going flat-out broke. That, and I have a very generous and hardworking husband who can tell when my wallet's close to empty even without my mentioning it.

So, what is the moral of the story? You simply have to look at the big picture, or wait for enough time to pass so you can see and find meaning in the larger scheme of things. I've always said in this blog that there's a reason for every setback. Had #1 not happened—had I not lost my "dream job"—I wouldn't have met my co-author, Marsha Irving, with whom I collaborated on the Freshman 15 fitness book.

If #2 hadn't happened, yes, I would have had a lucrative proofreading and editing job with a popular fashion retail brand, but I probably wouldn't have gotten around having that fantabulous wedding, AND, I would still have undiagnosed lumps lurking inside my breasts. I'm serious.

If #3 hadn't happened, I wouldn't have been able to embark on the Travel Series, among many other "pluses" and experiences that have occurred since so far. (A number of them, leading to the job that I'm doing right now.)

When something sad happens with one's career, it's almost always a jump-off opportunity to pursue a different kind of success, except that the experience is disguised in a very unpalatable package. To me, it's exactly like a break-up, given how I take my jobs seriously. One still has to go through the requisite living-in-pajamas-not-wanting-to-get-up-and-eating-ice-cream phase, but past the pain, heartbreak, and aggravation is a journey that opens up doors to new opportunities.

Meanwhile, the three instances above are partly, if not, majorly the reason why I have three jobs right now—one, I do full-time, while the other two, part-time and at a very languid, leisurely pace. I have a working home office that can accommodate my writing, editing, and printing needs. While I've had to streamline my freelance writing career at some point early this year (I no longer contribute to the newspaper back home) I tend to welcome assignments without much hesitation. I'll take the $400 articles, next to the $5 tasks, next to the pieces that pay in Philippine pesos that my husband wishes I no longer did because they take up time and pay the equivalent of a trip to Whole Foods (not complaining!). Still, I do not discriminate; work is work, and I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing.

PS—
Have you experienced a career slump lately or have just been feeling down? You may want to read/reread the Inspiration Series :)

I wrote this!

The Official Guide to ZAPPING the FRESHMAN 15 is here! It's my first ever non-fiction book, and I'm super excited that it's finally out. I co-authored it with fitness specialist, model and actress, Marsha Irving, whom I met one fateful day back in 2008. Three years later, we have our humble fitness primer dedicated to college freshmen and health aficionados alike.

I'll post select pages one of these days. In the meantime, please feel free to pick up a copy from the following online retailers: Amazon, (paperback and Kindle edition), Barnes & Noble, and Xlibris (our publisher).

A special shout-out to art director and designer, Claude Rodrigo, whose portfolio you may view here. She also posts more recent works at clauderodrigo.wordpress.com.

Here's what's on the back cover (and I don't have to put quotation marks because they're my words, yay!):

The Official Guide to ZAPPING the
FRESHMAN 15
by Marsha Irving and Mariel M. Chua

Fight the flab with this simple, easy-to-read guide to keeping those extra 15 pounds off during Freshman year…and beyond!

With helpful tips, tricks, and shortcuts to staying lean and eating healthy, this little handbook is your one-stop shop to all things fit and fab.

Navigate the tricky world of fastfood restaurants with a straightforward listing of belly-friendly options, and give yourself a body makeover with a custom eating and exercise plan—all within your busy, busy college schedule.

Not the 'exercising' type? The Freshman 15 lists gym-free moves to get you going, in or out of the locker room, on and off campus. You'll be hopping from class to class, party to party, armed with stress-busting moves and smart snacking strategies to help you make the most of what could be the most amazing time of your life!

Cover design by: Claude M. Rodrigo

Proud *author* (wee!).

Fired Up

Let the sunshine through. Summer Solstice is the day of the year
with the longest period of daylight. (Wikipedia)  

Walking to yoga class earlier, I caught a glimpse of my old office building down the road—a beaming tower of modern glass where I worked during my early days in New York. It occurred to me how the tower became the springboard for all the things that have happened, career-wise, from that time onward.

The thought passed and I arrived in class, not having any expectations other than the usual anticipation of an extra intense session, given that it was a Tuesday and that the teacher on that day always knew how to make everybody/every body sweat buckets.

When I got to the studio, students were quickly filling in and there were two bongo players in the room. It turns out, tonight was a celebration of Summer Solstice—the longest day of the year. It's when the sun reaches its highest point in the atmosphere, if I understood correctly (with the opposite being Winter Solstice). The teacher explained that Summer Solstice is the time we can harness the energy of the sun on this special day to initiate change/s in our life. And, if I go over the last 24 hours, I could very well say and point out special and amazing things that have happened; changes and happy occurrences, which, of course I ultimately attribute to God (because God made the sun, and the universe…).

While laying on the mat, I got to thinking about the words 'fired' and 'fired-up.' The former is a word that many prefer not to discuss, with 'layoff' being the more digestible and acceptable term. I thought, what if we started thinking about the word 'fired' in a way that it signified 'fired-up'…as in that springboard I mentioned earlier. We "fire up" to the next challenge. We "fire up" to the next job. We "fire up" to the next step.

Happy Summer, everyone!

Row, Row...

The real "Winklevii" in action.

Earlier at the gym, I chose the cardio machine near the window, overlooking the water and the bridge. Minutes into my workout, I noticed a small figure moving across, from left to right—it was a guy rowing in a narrow and long kayak. It reminded me of the Winklevoss twins and their crew in The Social Network, and I was quite mesmerized at how the guy was just paddling solo along the length of the river. I wondered whether he'd circled all of Manhattan, or where he'd started.

Within moments, a speedboat arrived, slowing down a few meters away from the kayak. Sosyal! was the first thing that came to mind. All the more I got curious about how one could actually engage in such a cool sport in New York, and where the starting point was (Chelsea Piers?). I then imagined that someday, my husband and I would do the exact same thing. Yes—including the speedboat "support" and all :)

Image courtesy of pennyinkwell.tumblr.com.

Silverthorne & Breckenridge

Second post of the Travel Series

One question I get asked repeatedly whenever the subject of my having family in Colorado is, "Do you ski?" And, for many years, I've had the same answer: "No."

Over the holidays, however, my husband and I hit the slopes in Breckenridge and finally got to try snowboarding. It's still not skiing, but it's close—the rougher counterpart, if you will. I'm too embarrassed to show you a clip of my less-than-stellar attempt at getting up on the board (I didn't even get past balancing to merit an attempt at moving forward). Our teacher said that it takes at least three days to get the hang of it, and then it simply "clicks." I will probably need two weeks—or even more—by the looks of it.

Breckenridge is about two hours west of Denver and is one of four destination ski resorts in the area (the three others being Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, and Copper Mountain). Close by are the towns of Silverthorne, Frisco, and Dillon—all of the above comprising Summit County, Colorado. In the summer, the area is a popular destination for fishing, biking, and hiking. One can also ride the ski lifts/gondolas for the scenic views.

Snow country.

Silverthorne seems to be a favorite among vacationers because lodging (and equipment rental for seasoned skiers) is reasonable, and it's only a 20-minute drive to the ski areas. For non-skiers/snowboarders, it's one fun place to shop: The Outlets at Silverthorne offer over a hundred brand names spanning three "villages"... It's a different kind of workout, alright, and you'll definitely work up a sweat (unless it's 8 degrees out).

Rex, a gorgeous Newfoundlander we met at the hotel.

Sun and snow—lovely combo.

Warming up by an open 'fireplace.'

A crowd gathers.

On the practice slope.

View from the lift.

The husband had fun.

The smile betrays the ache in my behind ;)

Calling it a day.

READ the Travel Series starting with...

1. DENVER

2. SILVERTHORNE & BRECKENRIDGE

3. SAN FRANCISCO

4. SONOMA COUNTY

5. NAPA VALLEY

6. CHICAGO

7. NEW YORK

Eating Well

I particularly enjoyed reading my friend Frances's recent blog post, "Market Day" wherein she talks about how one didn't have to have a lot of money in order to eat well. "I don't really buy into the excuse that poverty equals poor food and nutrition," she shares. "My grandmother lived through the terrible war and she taught me a lot of tricks on how to eat well even if you have just three ingredients." And, she's not talking about ramen noodles.

It's true what Frances said: You don't need plenty of cash to eat well. It's just easier if you did—because you don't have to be extra discerning about where you do your grocery shopping and the cost of food and its preparation. That's just about it. For example, instead of buying, washing, and processing your own produce and fruit, you can buy them pre-washed and pre-cut, usually in fancy plastic containers. If money weren't an object, you could hire a personal chef (just like a superstar), or order those healthy delivery meals—or even something as posh as the Blueprint Cleanse.

The reason why I could still afford to shop at specialty stores and wouldn't think twice about walking into Zabar's and the like—despite having limited funds at the moment—is because I also shop at Key Food in the Bronx and make it a point to buy from fruit stands. Now, if I were more liquid, I wouldn't probably go to three different places to get three different things (or go to Chinatown to buy a pound of fresh cherries), I would probably just do Freshdirect and order my organic eggs, milk and all online, and then pay for delivery costs.

While I do acknowledge the novelty of going through a ramen-noodles-phase—a rite of passage of sorts if you will—eventually, one must explore wiser food choices. It can actually be fun, and again, affordable. Notice that the more fresh produce you place in your shopping basket, the lower your bill is at the cashier. I get a kick out of this, actually.

Mmm...

Here, I've compiled a list of items that make the most out of your cash on hand. Call them staples, call them building blocks, bottomline is, you get value for your money and maximum benefits to your health. (And maybe, just maybe, you'll have some cash left for a delightful pint/tub of ice cream.)

"Upward spirals; not circles."

For the first time ever, I found myself crying in yoga class. Albeit discreetly, I sobbed and kept reaching for my towel at the beginning of the class (thankfully, as we were all on our backs with our eyes closed) to wipe away the tears.

It started when our teacher pointed out that it was the last day we would have the class on the second floor, where, for many years, all the sessions had been held. The new studios would now occupy the third and fourth floors of the same building. Seemingly not a big deal, I know. But last days of anything seem to bring about a sense of melancholy: last day of school, last day of work, last day of a relationship. So it wasn't that big of a surprise to me that when she started to get teary-eyed, I perfectly understood her sentimentality—which then prompted my own sob session.

What really got the tears flowing was when she said the following (and I paraphrase):

"It is when when we move around in circles and find ourselves in the same spot that we ask ourselves, 'Why am I here again? Why is it that I never learn?' When in fact, we're actually moving in an upward spiral, not in circles; that when we end up in the same spot, we've actually gone one level up."

Cupcake Day

DAY 22
of the 30-Day Blog Challenge

My husband posted this on Facebook, aww: "Missing Mariel Chua even more.
She can make this for me, but now I have to settle for getting it somewhere else."

Oops, I did it again.

So last night, yet again, I fell asleep in front of the computer while attempting to write a blog post for the day. I was supposed to talk about Cupcake Day—what essentially yesterday was.

Around lunchtime, I had a craving for the red velvet cupcake sold at a nearby deli. I have a feeling that it's the same one sold at Crumbs Bakeshop, which I actually prefer over the famous Magnolia Bakery.

The red velvet cupcake from Crumbs Bakeshop.

Speaking of the latter, we were called to the conference room in the afternoon to celebrate someone's bridal shower. Scattered all over the large table were an assortment of Magnolia Cupcakes! Vanilla, chocolate, chocolate and vanilla frosting.... One word: Sweet!

On the kitchen front, my baking life seems to be more and more stalling in the backburner these days. Ever since I've moved to New York, I haven't made any dessert. Hopefully—while I'm still shopping around for a good and affordable yoga studio and/or gym membership—I can get around churning out sweet things of my own.

Image courtesy of http://www.paklinks.com.

Great Salad Days

DAY 9
of the 30-Day Blog Challenge

At my new job, I've noticed that everyone seems to eat healthy—which is not unusual in a city where one could buy fresh strawberries, cherries, and blueberries on the street while walking home; and where delis have salad and sandwich bars that cater to the most discerning lunch crowd (low fat here, soy there).

My seatmate (who was actually my boss at another job) shies away from dairy with the exception of ice cream and cheese every now and then. My new boss packs her own organic salad for lunch (an excellent reminder to start organizing and planning my meals to bring to work), and another coworker has the physique of a longtime runner (or regular gym-goer).

It's actually easy here in New York to get fit and fab. Not counting the daily commute wherein one rushes for the trains and constantly watches out for traffic lights when crossing the street, it's hardly ever a challenge to get moving out here. Come winter time, one would rather be huffing and puffing rather than stay sedentary, frozen. As for fitness opportunities other than walking or running, do a quick Google search of "yoga in mid-town Manhattan" and watch multiple balloons come up on the map.

The only challenge probably is cashflow—organic food tends to be pricier—but then again, exercise is free, and buying fresh produce, going to the supermarket, and making one's own meals is still far less expensive than takeout.

Fitness, First

I've resigned myself to the fact that dieting isn't for me, and in order to sustain my love for delightful desserts, savory cuisine, and all other delicious concoctions, I have to maintain an active lifestyle that also includes regular trips to the health club.

Before the wedding, my husband and I signed up for a gym membership, after all, it's cheaper than actually buying a our own equipment. We are not ready to invest in our own Tunturi treadmills, bikes, or elliptical trainers (check out Efitology.com if you're looking to shop online for these) so regular sessions at Fitness First are our best bet at staying fit and healthy.

I must admit, Alvs is more conscientious when it comes to regular workouts. I get lazy sometimes. All the more I admire people like Women's Health editor Lara Parpan, who writes the blog post, "Belly Be Gone!" in the newly revamped FemaleNetwork.com. (They featured NyMinuteNow.com in their favorite blogs! Thanks!) In the post, Lara also mentions model and entrepreneur Tweetie de Leon Gonzalez, who has remained slender, fit, and fab—with four kids!

Anyway, I'm off to the airports for now. Hopefully I could get right back on the fitness track at the soonest possible time after deplaning! Until my next post!

Oh, Shoe!

I never thought the day would come when I would trade fashion-y footwear for cushy rubber shoes. In college, I was more or less known for having the latest trainers and sneakers, and my girliest shoes were a pair of Birkenstock Mary Janes that I wore to the ground. And then there were my Mojo [a local brand with Teva-inspired designs] sandals.

When I started working (and driving), the world of high-heels opened up for me. From wedges to stilettos, the sky was the limit for my teetering frenzy.

In New York, I'd easily adapted to the norm of toting two pairs of shoes on any given day: flats for the subway and heels for work. But eventually, I just got lazy doing this cumbersome—albeit unnecessary for some—switcheroo.

And lo and behold the queen of all switcheroos, I've had with me these beautiful Madden Girl Raleigh booties from DSW Shoe Warehouse for quite some time. I hadn't worn them yet and I'd planned on taking the pair with me back to Manila to happily sashay in them during the holiday season. Alas, I ended up returning the booties and exchanging them for a very, very sensible pair of New Balance 737 women's running shoes.

This is a big deal for me because I've said in the past that I would never get into running again—out of laziness and sheer tediousness of the sport. Just thinking about it makes me tired. Running to me feels like work, perhaps as a result of being 'coaxed' with an iron fist to run in college, and being duly rewarded for completing a successful training program.

However, I recently found myself, despite rebelling so, hopping on the treadmill; and there is a tentative plan to run at the park this weekend. I don't know where this is going this time around, as I still feel exactly the same way about the sport. I guess a new pair of orange-tinged, high-tech trainers is my way of bribing myself to just get on with it.

Image courtesy of Zappos.com