Monday Musings 2/3/14

It's been a while since I shared some musings on a Monday.  But here are some thoughts for today:

1. It is much less fun to watch Super Bowl commercials when you have already seen them.  

In the past, Super Bowl Sunday always gave me three things to look forward to: exciting game, entertaining halftime show, and new unique commercials.  Last nights game was clearly not what anyone expected, but I definitely knew what was coming with the commercials. I say this because I had seen a majority online or on tv in two weeks leading up to last night.  Apparently the advertising world is now "teasing" Super Bowl commercials to get people excited to watch them during the big game.  I found this had the opposite effect for me.  Instead of eagerly watching each commercial last night, I found myself getting distracted to do other things after saying "Eh.  I've seen this already."  Anyone else feel this way?  I understand that clips become popular online, but why not release them AFTER the Super Bowl?

2. There are way too many delicious looking treats to bake on Pinterest. 

I love to bake but I don't do it as frequently as I'd like to. Everytime I go on Pinterest to find a new recipe inspiration, I suddenly find 10-20 new recipies for beautiful baked creations. Of course, all of the recipies also have photos of a magazine cover worthy finished product. These delicious images get pinned to my "yum" board and then hang out there forever.  I repeat this exercise every couple of weeks but I can unfortunately report that I have only attempted to ever make only one item.  Obviously I can't bake constantly (since D and I need to eat real food ;-), but I've decided I'm going to try to actually bring a post on the "yum" board to life once a month.  

3. I don't mind snow but...

I hate slush. And that seems to be what is outside all the time now. :-(

4. Spin shoes are amazing

After years of regularly attending spin classes at the gym, I had been told by many instructors that having real bike shoes with clips would allow me to get more out of my workout.  I always put this advice on the back burner since I felt like spinning with regular sneakers was fine and it was easier to not change shoes.  Last week I finally purchased my own new pair of spinning of shoes.  Wow.  They really do make a huge difference!  Now I can feel both the down AND up pedal strokes.  My next adventure will be to see what all the hype is at Soulcycle and Flywheel.  I'll keep everyone posted. 

That's it for now!  February boxes should start arriving soon....

Monday Musings 1/6/14

Happy 2014!  I realize this version of Monday Musings is coming a day late (aka Thoughts on a Tuesday), but I've been spending the past few days thinking about what I want to do with this blog in the new year.

1.  Staying true to Subscription Boxes
I started thinking of possibly taking my posts in other directions, but I worry that risks making this blog a personal journal.  Though there are many subscription box blogs out there, I'm going to continue to focus on reviewing the boxes I receive.  Hopefully reading them is enjoyable/helpful to people interested in possibly subscribing to something new and want to read about past boxes.  I'm going to occasionally try some new boxes as some others get put on hiatus early this year (Birchbox Man and Barkbox).  I'm also going to return to weekly posts with reviews of our Plated or Blue Apron meals.  And although it is not box related (and sort of journal like) - I will continue to post Monday Musings if I have something to post about.  So get ready for the January Boxes to continue to arrive!

2.  I love my new tea diffuser 
Now I will be more motivated to use all the loose tea I have taking up a whole shelf!  Making one cup is so much easier than a whole pot if I'm the only one drinking it.  Like every year, I'm going to try to drink more water in 2014 so getting excited about tea again definitely helps! 

3.  Getting ready for movie award season
It's my favorite time of the year as so many good movies come out.  I try to see everything nominated for the Best Picture award at the Oscars.  Even though the nominations aren't out yet, it's easy to get a head start with movies that are receiving critical acclaim.  Gravity, 12 Years a Slave, and Wolf of Wall Street were all amazing.  The only disappointment so far was American Hustle.  Yes, the acting was good but the plot didn't really seem like anything new.  D and I both didn't see what all the fuss is about.

4.  Polar Vortex
Is this the first time a cold wave has been giving a name like a tropical storm gets?

Anyone else have thoughts on award season movies?  I'd love any suggestions of what we should see before the nominations are official!

#mondaymusings

Monday Musings 12/16/13

Happy Monday everyone!  As December continues to fly by, here are some of my latest musings!

1. We put up our first Christmas tree!

Here is our Christmas tree!  Picking out a tree in NYC is a little different than how it was done while growing up, but this one is perfect for our apartment.  We don't have a massive ornament collection yet so candy canes were the perfect solution to empty branches.  The only issue we are having is that it doesn't seem to be drinking much water.  I think it's drinking a little but not enough that we have to refill the stand every day.  We put it in water about 10 minutes after getting a fresh cut, so I don't think that would have been enough time for the trunk to close up with sap.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Christmas is only about a week away and we don't want to un-decorate it to make a fresh cut.  :-(

2. We like to play Chess

We're big TV and movie fans.  It also seems like there are many distractions online every day.  D and I have been trying to play chess together as a way to unwind a bit instead of zoning out digitally.  Sometimes our games last for quite a while, but D usually wins.  I'm getting better though. 

3. OMG Homeland and Revenge!

Without giving away spoilers from last night, I was totally shocked by what happened on both shows. Especially Homeland.  I wonder where the show will go from here.  

4.  I'm still trying to find a niche for the blog

It's been about 6 months of blogging. Yea!  I'm still not sure where this adventure will take me.  The box reviews are fun, but I know there are many other box blogs.  Any suggestions from the world out there of how to make the blog even more interesting?  Any requests for posts?  ;-)

That's all for today!  More box reviews coming soon!

#Mondaymusings

Monday Musings 12/2/13

Happy First Monday of December everyone!  It's back to reality after such a beautiful time in Antigua.   Here are some thoughts I have as the week gets started.  

1.  K vs. Pinchy 

There were lots of cute little crabs crawling around our resort last week.  I thought they were hermit crabs but I'm really not sure.   On our last full day, I decided I wanted to befriend one.   I remember holding hermit crabs during beach visits as a kid so I thought it wouldn't be a big deal.  As D and I were lounging beachside, I saw a crab cross our path.  Of course, I named it Pinchy and got up to go pick it up.  D told me not to.  I should have listened.   As I approached, Pinchy hid inside his shell.  I picked it up anyway.  This was a very stupid idea.   The next thing I knew, Pinchy emerged with a giant claw and latched on to my finger.  Yes, Pinchy broke skin and drew blood.  After panicking and shaking my hand, he let go.  I can report that I am now almost fully healed and no harm was done to Pinchy.   He hid in his shell for a bit before crawling away.  The lesson to be learned from this story is to not pick up creatures on the beach.  Here is a photo of Pinchy after the incident.  

2. Book Review: Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan

During my beach and pool time last week I finished this latest novel by Amy Tan. The Joy Luck Club has been one of my favorite books for many years so I looked forward to enjoying this over vacation.  This novel again focuses on mother/daughter relationships but within a single family.  The story moves very quickly and to be honest I had a hard time putting it down. I highly recommend it. 

3. Finding gym motivation.  

I've always been someone to workout fairly regularly and I was SUPER motivated to workout before my wedding  (of course).  Now that work hours are longer and daylight is shorter, I admit it's sometimes hard to motivate and get moving.  Variety definitely helps me but that can also sometimes backfire.  It's always a risk to try a new class or program if it ends up not being a good workout.  On the flip side, finding a great new class is a major win.  Even though it's not the new year yet, I'm going to make a resolution to make sure a workout happens 4 times a week.  And now that it's on the blog, I have to make sure it's true. ;-)

That's all for now!  Happy early December to everyone!

Monday Musings 11/25/13

Welcome to Monday Musings Island edition. :-)

1. Antigua is beautiful

We are having an amazing time here in the beautiful Antigua.   It's my first time staying at an all inclusive resort, and I'm quite impressed.  The frozen cocktails and delicious food just keep coming. Here is the view from our beachfront room - complete with a rainbow. 

Here is a picture is a red footed tortise.  I named him Elviki. :-)

We don't plan on doing much other than enjoying the soft sounds of the ocean waves, but on Wednesday I'll get to show D my Katnis skills with a bow and arrow. 

2.  Kids do not belong at R rated movies

The weekend before leaving on our vacation, D and I went to go see "12 Years a Slave."  It is a very powerful film and will definitely get attention during awards season.  I realize the harsh images and vocabulary are a sad reality of American history, but that does not mean someone should bring a 7 year old to this movie.  A couple in front of us brought a small child to the theatre.  As I keep thinking about the movie, I also continue to be disturbed someone would bring a kid to see this.  The movie is rated R for a reason. :-(

3.  I'm over the juicing craze

I was becoming a fan of occasional juice cleansing before our wedding and I still maintain if anyone is curious to give it a try the Blueprint cleanse is the way to go. Last week I decided to try a similar cleanse offered by a new juice bar near our apartment.  I don't know if it was the fact the juices were different or if my body is now just decided to be tired of juicing, but I didn't even make it half a day.  By lunch time, it felt like crap and ended up eating lunch.  I realize this doesn't make much sense but I'm still done with juicing.  

That's all for now!  Happy Thanksgiving week to all!!

#Mondaymusings

Monday Musings 11/11/13

Exciting news!  My Monday Musings are on time this week!  Here are some random thoughts of mine as the week gets started.

1.  Does anyone else always seem to have printer drama?

We have a wireless printer connected to our home computer.  I'd say I have the need to print something maybe once every 2 weeks or so.  For whatever reason, it seems like I frequently find myself having to reset/redownload/reconnect something.  Before I know it, I discover that it's taken me 45 minutes to print one page.  I have no idea why this seems to be a persistent issue.  On a positive note about the printer, I figured out (with D's help) how to transfer an address book into Word and print labels.  That was a huge printer success, so I guess I should be happy with that.  

2.  I'm obsessed with Candy Crush  

I'm one of those people who is totally obsessed with this silly game.  Anytime I'm alone with my phone, it seems I'll play a level or two.  I thought for sure I would be tired of it by now, but the levels continue to keep me engaged.  There is both a sense of pride and embarrassment when I admit that I'm on level 285.  

3.  ARTPOP

There are plenty of people expressing their opinions of Lady Gaga's new album so I figured I'd join in too.  ARTPOP contains the eclectic mix of randomness found on her previous 3 albums, but I find myself being intrigued by how all the tracks fit together.  Many of the songs lack the typical pop catchiness found in most other mainstream releases.  The album seems to work best when listening from beginning to end, but there are a handful of songs that I predict will end up doing well as singles in the long run.  My favorite tracks are Aura, Venus, Do What U Want, Dope, and Gypsy.

4.  Sick people should NOT go to the gym

This morning I went to spin class.  Everyone was ready to get their week started with a good workout when someone came in right as the class was about to start and took the last available bike.  In addition to her water bottle, this woman arrived with a large stash of Kleenex.  She started coughing.  She didn't stop coughing for the entire 45 minutes.  Everyone in the room was giving her dirty looks, but it accomplished nothing.  As soon as class was over, everyone else in the room pretty much ran straight to  the hand sanitizer.  All the coughing and risking getting everyone sick was bad enough on its own, but it was also apparent that through the whole workout everyone else in the room was looking around being worried about catching whatever illness this sick person had.  I'm not a crazy germ-a-phobe, but I really wish those with un-controllable coughs would wait until they are feeling better before going to gym.  

That's all for now.  Feel free to add your thoughts on any of these Monday Musings!

Monday Musings 11/4/13

My "Monday Musing" post is a little late this week, but I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel and call it "Thoughts on Tuesday" just yet.  Here are few of my random musings as November gets started.

1.  Halloween time seemed to last forever this year
I love any chance to dress up (especially in costume), so I've always been a fan of Halloween.  This year though, it seemed like the Halloween season was never ending.  I can't quite logically think of why.  Of course it extended even longer since the actual day was on a Thursday so D and I continued to see people dressed in costumes all weekend.  Perhaps people celebrated extra this year after Sandy ended much of last years festivities?  I'm convinced people are just starting to celebrate holidays approximately 1-2 months early.  That brings me to my next thought.

2.  Apparently the Christmas season begins on November 1.
The Christmas season beginning early is not a new phenomenon, but now it really seems like as soon as Halloween is over (and in some cases even before) it's time to start getting ready for Christmas.  There have been Christmas commercials on TV for at least 2 weeks now and many stores have already decked the halls with boughs of holly.  As I start to hear Christmas carols, I secretly fear holiday festivity burn out.  I'm going to do my best to keep my distance and continue to enjoy the beauty of a November autumn (and pumpkin season!) before I start drinking egg nog.

3.  Why are all the best TV shows on Sunday night?
Maybe it's just in this house, but it seems like on Sunday night there are too many things on TV especially when it seems like there is nothing on the rest of the week.  There is also football to watch during the afternoon.  Thank goodness for DVR.  Clearly this is a first world problem, but it is truly amazing that there aren't many shows we regularly follow that don't originally air on Sunday nights.  This leads to....

4. Yes, I have been watching Teen Mom 3.
I don't know why, but I continue to watch this show.  It seems like the families on this season have even more problems than usual.  I know there have been critics of the show saying how the show glamorizes the situation these people live with, but I really don't see how that's possible.  I end up feeling bad for all of them.  :-(   It's actually quite a downer to watch (again - why I keep watching, I have no idea).  Good thing the season is almost over.

5.  I may have messed up boxed brownies.
Usually I do all my baking from scratch, but I decided to give a batch of boxed brownies a try since we found a box while cleaning out some cabinets over the weekend.  I don't know if it's our taste buds who have gotten picky or if I possibly added too many walnuts (D asked for them to be nutty), but they ended up being a disappointment.  Has this happened to anyone else?  The texture was perfect, but the chocolaty taste was lacking.  Looks like I'll have to make another batch from scratch soon for a scientific comparison.... ;-)

6.  Instagram makes me feel like an old person.
I have an Instagram account and I'm going to make a real effort to begin posting on it - hashtags and all.      Since I seem to only be using it as a way to post random photos like I do on Facebook, I'm sure I'm missing the boat on how to use the app at its full potential.  Any tips would be appreciated.

That's all for today!  Hopefully November boxes will begin to arrive any day now!

#mondaymusings

Monday Musings 10/28/13

Happy Monday everyone!  There have been a couple of random thoughts I've had lately, some relating to items from boxes but not all of them, and I think a weekly posts on Monday's with some of these thoughts would be enjoyable.

1.  It's a super exciting Monday for St. Louis sports fans!
I'm a diehard Rams fan and tonight is their first Monday Night Football appearance since 2006.  Unfortunately the starting quarterback is out for the season and the matchup is against one of the best teams in the NFC (the SeaTurkeys).  I try to stay optimistic before all games, but I'm a little concerned about how this is going to go - especially since a potential disaster will be nationally televised.  Of course, the St. Louis Cardinals will be playing game 5 of the World Series next door (both games are in STL!).  Hopefully they can pull ahead at make the series 3-2.  It could be an AMAZING night if both the Rams and Cardinals can pull off a win.

2.  Who are all these people that have reality TV shows?
I'm a pretty avid TV watcher and I feel like I'm pretty up to date with what is going on with pop culture, but it seems that there are many reality TV shows about "celebrities" that I have never heard of.  Who are these people and who decided giving them a whole TV show that will probably only last one season was a good idea?

3.  Blueapron and Plated are still awesome
Even though I haven't been posting our weekly meals, D and I have had some delicious meals from both these companies over the past few weeks.  A couple plates even earned an elusive score of 10/10 from both of us.  I seriously can not recommend these services enough!  If you would like to try Plated, please use my referal link: https://www.plated.com/invites/c68767.  If you would like to try a week of Blueapron for FREE, comment below and I'll send a free week your way!  :-)

4.  Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish is also amazing
This has been one of the best Birchbox discoveries I have had in a long time.  I ended up purchasing a full sized bottle of this cleanser and the toner as well.  My skin is very sensitive and a bit unpredictable. After 2 weeks, my skin has never been so soft and clear.  I'm apparently not the only one who loves this product as it's currently sold out at Birchbox, but it's definitely worth trying out if you ever have a chance.  

5.  I love spinning but....
I really enjoy going to spin class as part of my usual workout regimen, but I never am able to get into the class as much if the instructor plays music I don't know or music without lyrics.  I really think that being a good spin instructor also requires being a good DJ.  I have yet to try out the Soul Cycle phenomenon, but when I do I'll be sure to report back.

6.  Rent the Runway is one of my favorite things ever
My friends all know what a fan of Rent the Runway I've become over this past year.  I've been able to wear some amazing dresses this year (especially with all the wedding related festivities!) without spending a fortune and ending up with dresses filling my closet I'll only wear 1-2 times.  They also just opened a new showroom in Henri Bendel's in NYC.  I went to check it out last week and it's great to see so many of their options in person all at once.  They deliver nationwide so if anyone wants to give them a try, please use my link and also get $20 off your first rental.  http://www.renttherunway.com/referral/Sparklie59

That's all the random things to share today!  Now I'm off to find a Halloween costume with minimal commitment.....

#renttherunway
#plated
#blueapron
#birchbox