Lazy Saturday Edition

I've been away for a couple of days, but I'm back now.  I helped my Mom move last weekend and have realized that I'm not so much a spring chicken anymore, whatever that means.  I'd made big plans to go through all of my closets, drawers and cabinets and do a super purge of stuff I no longer need but can donate, sell or trash.  It's after 1 pm and I'm still in my jammies, though.  I'm pretty sure this will be a next weekend kind of project.  Instead, here are some things I found while screwing around on the internet and not cleaning.

The Body Shop is having a huge sale this weekend. It's in-store and online, so none of that pesky leaving the house business.  Peruse in your yoga pants and Star Wars t-shirt. (It's the official uniform of online shopping.)

Want to work on that screenplay, but don't feel like getting in the car and driving to Starbucks? Bring the noise to your living room.  This may also prove useful when your friends call and accuse you of being antisocial.  "No way.  I'm totally out getting a latte and definitely not sitting on the couch with Netflix muted."

This is an awesome playlist called Let's Snuggle.  Perfect for naps and nuzzling.

I have no idea what the hell this thing is, but I made some dope beats with it. Look out, David Guetta.

Lifehack wants to remove your shame about taking it easy, you guys.  Read this because science.

Off to doze and marathon some Parks and Rec.  Hope you're all enjoying your downtime!

Product Review Wednesday: Natural Calm

I have been under a remarkable amount of stress, lately. I'm looking for a better job, trimming costs from an already tight budget, and trying to keep some semblance of a social life at the same time. This wreaks havoc on my neck and shoulders.  Tension forms there until I'm so tense I can hardly move.

I've also been putting some stress on my body in good ways, by working out.  I'm trying to slim down and tone up, which is going well. It also creates some soreness and stiffness in areas that haven't seen much action in a while. This also comes out as debilitating leg cramps at night. They have woken me up screaming in the past because they were so painful. 

The best product I used the entire time I worked around vitamins and supplements was Natural Calm by Natural Vitality. The magic comes in the form of powdered magnesium citrate, a mineral we don't get enough of in the average American diet. When our bodies are deficient in magnesium we can have trouble getting to sleep, store tension in our muscles, and experience anxiety, salt cravings and even depression.

I put two teaspoons in a mug, add hot water to the powder, let it fizz, stir and sip the stuff like tea. What follows is the slow release of daily tensions until I am simply ready for natural, restful sleep. It was a godsend this weekend after helping my mom move.  I think it saved me from being confined to bed all day Sunday with terrible muscle cramps.It comes in Lemon, Orange, Cherry, Raspberry Lemon and Unflavored. They all taste a little like Alka-Seltzer to me, but I found the Orange one to be the most pleasing.

The only bit of warning I will give is to start out small when you first start taking magnesium. Too much too fast relaxes everything, if you catch my drift.  If you don't catch my drift, I'm talking about your bowels.  Sweet Jesus, just watch yourself, okay?

That said, I don't know how I would get by without this stuff. I can't stop tension from creeping up on me during the day. I can be a blissful, happy girl at bedtime, though. Sound lovely? Get the stuff cheaply here or look for single packets at Whole Foods and Natural Grocers to test them out first.

TV Workouts: Wait, What?

I'm trying to be better to my body. I'm getting to be an age where weight doesn't just fall off if I lay off the soda and chips for a week.  It takes real effort to get that scale to budge. This is heartbreaking for a girl who loves watching television and movies, and sold her Gazelle a couple of years to make ends meet.

Turns out there are actually quite a few workouts created to go along with your favorite movies and shows. Game of Thrones has one, Harry Potter (well, Sorcerer's Stone, anyway), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even New Girl. The idea is to treat it like a drinking game, only instead of taking shots when something happens on your screen you do lunges, squats or chest flys.  If you want to play True American when you're done, that's totally up to you.



This Tumblr has several that geeks like me can appreciate, but there are tons out there. Just looking for something active to do during commercial breaks? Fitness Magazine put this easy peasy workout together for you.  All you need is a couch, throw pillow and a remote! 

I guess there will be no more snuggling in while I continue to marathon House, M.D., but I sure will look cute in my vintage surf bikini!

Music Monday: Rain Edition

Music Monday is going to be a cold and wet one here, so I'm giving  you my top singles and albums to listen to on a rainy day. Settle in with your Earl Grey, put on your alma mater sweatshirt and curl up under your coziest blanket. I've got your ears covered, though.

It took me a while to jump on the Ray LaMontagne bandwagon, mostly because he was sorta preppy cool before I was willing to listen anything that wasn't signed to an indie label. The fact is, the guy's voice will knock the breath out of you. "Airwaves" from his March 18th album, Supernova, is both young and old at the same time. The blue-eyed soul and beautiful lyrics aren't hard to listen to, either. This is possibly my favorite new single this week.

I love Rufus Wainwright. I'd have to say you can't possibly go wrong with any of his albums during a rainstorm.  His lyrics are poetry. His melodies divine.  "In My Arms" from his self-titled debut album is a perfect example.

Belle and Sebastian typically hits it out of the park for me on a dreary day.  Their music is sleepy without putting you to sleep.  It usually keeps the good and mellow feeling going even after the sun comes out.  For this day, I'm picking If You're Feeling Sinister, the band's second album.

My absolute all time favorite song for rainy days, though? Eleanor Rigby. Sure, it makes me tear up a little every time I hear it, but sometimes you just need a good cry. Maybe that's why it rains to begin with.

Geeky Bunny's Week in Review

It's been a busy week for this bunny. I worked on a new song to record with the band, I helped my mom move, and got some kinda crummy news about a new job I was hoping to land. I didn't forget about you all, though.  Here are some things that happened this week that kept me smiling.

The Girl Meets World trailer is up.  It's very short, but worth the watch if you're still suffering from Cory and Topanga withdrawals:



FXX will air all 552 episodes of The Simpsons over 12 days, starting August 21st. Woo hoo!

Parks and Rec was ridiculously funny this week, and had an amazing guest star. I may rerun that bad boy as soon as I procure some blueberry wine.

Shonen Knife and Afghan Whigs both have albums coming out this week.  I'm having teenage mixtape flashbacks as I type this.

And if you do nothing else to round out your Sunday, The Muppets Take Manhattan is currently streaming on Netflix.

My Apologies in Advance

This is really mostly my way of saying that I probably won't be posting for a couple of days, but Netflix is finally streaming House, M.D.  *squee* I don't care if it's formulaic and they use Interferon to treat everything.  I love it and Hugh Laurie's dazzling baby blues, and no one can convince me otherwise!


In the meantime, while you're waiting for a real post, please listen to this amazing Joseph Arthur song from S4E7: Ugly.





 

Au Revoir, Roseland

NYC's Roseland Ballroom closes it's doors today after being a music mainstay for 95 years.  My favorite live album, Portishead's Roseland NYC Live, was recorded there.  Lady Gaga will be it's final performer, with tickets reportedly selling for more than $300 a pop.

Roseland actually started in Philadelphia in 1917, but sought a change of scenery after the city's blue laws kept them from operating on Sundays. Two years later, in the heart of Manhattan, Roseland set up shop in a five story building at Broadway and 51st. It hosted jazz greats like Count Basie, Louis Armstrong and a young Ella Fitzgerald.

In 1956, after the original building was torn down, Roseland put it's roots down in an abandoned skating rink on West 52nd. It saw the rise of rock and disco, it's share of controversy and many and varied events over the years. It was considered a neighborhood menace after a teenager was shot there in 1984. Madonna performed an exclusive show that had fans waiting for days outside the venue only to go home after 30 minutes of music. Fiona Apple had her breakdown there. Hillary Clinton even celebrated her 53rd birthday within it's walls. 

There's no doubt it will be missed by many.  I'm only sorry my vacation will be next year, and not in time to see this piece of music history before it's lights go out. I'm a musician myself, and I'd often daydreamed about singing there. As of now, there are no plans for the building, but hopefully some of it's parts will be preserved as a living memorial of all the wonderful music that has played there over the years.