Bookish Journal #5: A Typical Not So Typical Day

Today was one of the more chaotic days in my life. I had to take my cat in for surgery and then had two press events before going to work at night. I love being a freelance journalist because it means I have the time to be a part of the movie industry that not many people get to do.

First off though, I dropped my cat Pan off at the veterinarian to be spayed at 8 in the morning. I admit that I was incredibly nervous about leaving her for the first time. I have never thought myself to be maternal but in so many ways this cat has become a soul mate of mine and I was worried. But the deed had to be done so I hugged her goodbye and took the subway downtown to the first event.

Earlier this week I saw a screening of 'Stoker', a psychological thriller of sorts from critically acclaimed director Park Chan-Wook. It stars Mia Wasikowska as a young woman who discovers a dark past about her family as well as haunting secret about herself. Nicole Kidman plays her fragile mother and Matthew Goode as her seductive uncle. Today's press event included interviews with the director, Goode, and supposedly Wasikowska but she failed to show at the last moment which is typical of these events unfortunately enough.

Director Park was so inspiring to listen to as he spoke about his interpretation of a script and the message he wants to get across to audience. Goode is simply a great guy who was quick to defend his performance in 'Watchmen', even though that had nothing to do with this movie. You'll be able to read the interviews in full on The Daily BLAM soon.

Afterwards I had to go uptown to The Playwright Irish Pub for the press day for '21 And Over', a new comedy by the writers of 'The Hangovers'.  Usually press events are held as expensive hotels such as The Waldorf or The Ritz-Carlton, but this one was held at a bar! I loved the set up of beer cups, mardi gras beads, with poker chips and cards. 

I was most excited to meet Miles Tellers, who plays Miller in '21 And Over' because of his previous roles as playing Willard in 'Footloose' both on broadway and in the 2011 remake. Against popular opinion I love the hell out of the remake, especially the character of Willard because he was always my favorite part of the show and Tellers portrayed him perfectly. At the end of the interview I was able to tell him this and he signed my blu-ray of 'Footloose'. He also complimented me on my Iron Man phone case and called me a "pretty nerd". Another celebrity crush met!

Right after this interview I had to race across Manhattan to pick up Pan from the vet and bring her home. She has a shaved stomach and isn't feeling well, but is especially pissed for having to wear a collar around her neck. She is still however as feisty as ever playing with her toys so I'm not worried.

And so that is a typical day for me, in the way that none of my days are very typical. I don't have a set schedule which makes life interesting. If you're been keeping up with my latest blog posts then you'll notice that today I did not mention the detox I have been currently doing. I realized that after I felt so sick yesterday that I needed not to put so much stress on my body. I will continue eating better and eating as clean as possible, but I'm going to add coffee back into my diet (Thank god!) The detox was worth it because I did lose weight and I learned more about how to balance my diet. I just did not enjoy eating the same foods over and over again.

That's all for tonight, until next time!

5 Day Detox: Day 3

Today has been a weird day with the detox. I have not been following the plan as closely as I could be because 1.) I feel like I need to eat more and 2.) I'm was not really in the mood for the meals today. Instead I ate

Breakfast:

Oats with blueberries, strawberries, chia seeds & cinnamon

Snack:

Hummus and celery

Post gym snack:

Kashi Honey Almond Flax Bar 

Dinner:

Egg white omelet with green and red peppers and tomatoes with seasoning

Snack:

Handful of white cheddar all natural popcorn

11pm:

Another egg white omelet

Frozen grapes

At 11pm and I was still hungry, which makes sense because I really didn't eat that much today. I also did an hours worth of work outs at the gym:

• Elliptical Machine for 30 minutes, 3 miles, 375 calories burned
• Stair Master for 10 minutes, 33 floors climbed, 80 calories burned
• Treadmill for 20 minutes, 1.67 miles, 185 calories burned

Today I was just left tired and hungry all the time. Everything I ate was off the Detox menu except the popcorn & Kashi bar but I couldn't stick to it because I wasn't in the mood for the food. I was hungry but had no apetite.

Good news is I lost 3lbs in 3 days, but I know I have to be more organized with all this. In any case, I'm exhausted and going to bed<3 p="">

The Tea Cup SlingsHOT

Check out this tea cup design by Samir Sufi featured on Yanko Design! This is a great concept because  so often I make a mess of my used tea bag. Besides, who wouldn't want a tea cup designed to use a slingshot?! Hopefully hey start production on these babies so we can cuddle with our books & cups of tea even longer.

Simple Sugars Spotlight & Giveaway!

On of my last visits to visit my family, I tried out a sugar scrub my younger sister had in the shower.  Immediately I was obsessed with the texture, smell, and how incredibly soft it left my skin. The label read Simple Sugars and I Googled them right out of the shower.

Simple Sugars was created by Lani Lazzari, who wanted to make an all-natural product that would be safe for sensitive skin hers without sacrificing a wonderful smell. I fell in love with the adorable products and reached out to Lani to ask her more about Simple Sugars:

What was the first Simple Sugar Scrub scent you made, and what inspired you to start your own business making them?

The first Simple Sugars scents were Vanilla and Almond. I decided to start making the products because I have had horrible eczema ever since I was a baby, and I couldn't find a product that would help. So, I decided to make my own. I decided to turn Simple Sugars into a business when I gave my scrubs out for Christmas gifts and got an amazing response from my friends and family. I realized I had come up with a really awesome product!

 Do you have a favorite scrub in your collection?

My favorite scrub is definitely Almond. It reminds me of Almond Macaroons. Yum!! And also Green Tea Facial Scrub. I can't go a day without using it!

Why is it so important to you to make your scrubs as green as possible?

I think it's important to try to be as green as possible as a company - we only have one earth, and I truly believe that we should all do our part to be kind to it! We chose all of our ingredients and suppliers with this in mind, and really make an effort to be as eco-friendly as we can!

Lani was kind enough to send me samples of her products and my favorites of the bunch are these:

Sugar & Spice Body Scrub

This was the one my sister had, and the smell is just intoxicating, a Christmasy scent that isn't too strong nor too sweet. 

Green Tea Facial Scrub

I love the natural green tea scent that leaves my face silky smooth. My friend Angela tried this while she was over and fell in love with it.

Happy Feet Peppermint Foot Scrub

In the winter our feet are prone to be dry & these left my feet feeling healed & soft.

Smooth for Men Eucalyptus Spearmint Body Scrub

I gave this one to Pietro to try out & he loves it! The men's products smell incredible.

And because I LOVED these products so much, I'm doing a GIVEAWAY! Enter below to win one of two packs! Each pack comes with one Men's Lime Body Scrub & one Simple Sugars Sugar n Spice Body Scrub! You'll love the one for yourself and gift the other to some lucky person in your life!

5 Day Detox: Day 2

Today was my second day doing a 5 Day Detox and my goal was to make sure I eat more because yesterday I don't think I ate enough and as a result I had a migraine by the end of the night and was starving. To cure my hunger I ate some frozen grapes and drank more green tea. 

This morning my stomach felt incredible cramped, which is probably because of my body went 24 hours without salt, sugar, or bread. My meals included 

                                                        

                                                          

    Breakfast:

Oats with cinnamon, strawberries, & blueberries

Snack:

Frozen Grapes

Lunch:

Spinach with egg whites & lentils

Dinner:

Green peppers, red peppers, broccoli, lentils stir-fry  

At the Event:

Seltzer water, 2 Appetizers (1 grape on top of cinnamon toast chips & dollop of cheese)

10 pm Snack:

Smoothie (chia seeds, almond milk, strawberries, & kiwi)

Hummus & Celery

Tonight I ate when I was hungry and I did really well on my night out! There was an open bar at the Kenneth Cole event I went to but I only had Seltzer water & two appetizers. Afterwards Pietro and I stopped at McDonalds but I didn't eat a single fry (whoohoo!) I don't miss coffee (surpassingly) but I am craving bread like no tomorrow. 

The best part about this experience is really learning how to cook vegetables and how affordable produce is! Do any of you guys eat clean, vegetarian, or other specific diets? (Not including pizza diets!)

  

5 Day Detox: Day One

Today I started a 5 Day Detox created by Nikki Sharp of Stay Sharp and Be Strong. I had found Nikki originally through her popular Instagram account where she posts motivating pictures of a healthy lifestyle as well as Before/After pictures people have taken as a result of using her detox.  After weeks of reading the success stories I decided to purchase the Detox Plan for $8 through PayPal, after which one can download the 20 page PDF file onto any device.

I was iffy about paying money for a detox plan when there are so many available for free online. What finally convinced me with this plan however, is that the main goal is to not actually lose weight, but to teach you how to balance your meals in order to achieve the correct amount of nutrition. I am a vegetarian, and have been for almost 3 years now, but I never really learned how to eat a balanced diet. I know I don't eat enough protein and I consume way too many carbs. I've been very lethargic lately which I want to kick in the butt.

Every day this week I will blog about doing this detox, how easy or difficult it is and of course my results at the end. 

My cat Pan super excited about the groceries

The Food: My biggest concern about buying the detox (as well as many other readers on Nikki's blog) is how expensive all the ingredients are. Turns out there is a pretty big list of things you need to buy in order to make the meals. Below is the complete list and the prices I paid for each (if I bought them). You won't know how to make the recipes or what to eat when so I don't feel bad for giving this information out, if anything it will only encourage potential detox-ers. If I don't include the price, it means I haven't purchased those items yet.

Food Shopping List

Herbs: Basil, Cilantro or Coriander/ Mint

Spices: Cayenne Pepper ($1 for 5.5 oz), Cinnamon ($1 for 5.5 oz), Ginger Powder, Turmeric

Extras: Green tea ($2.59 for 20 bags), Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($3.99 for 375 ml), jar of tahini, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar ($1.29 for 1qt)

Fruit: Strawberries ($2.50 for one box), Blueberries ($1.67 for one box), 3-4 Apples ($3 for 4), Kiwi ($2 for 4)

Protein: Almonds ($8 for 16 oz), Firm Tofu ($4.99), Chia Seeds ($18 for 16oz), Black Beans ($1 a can), Lentils ($1 a can), Quinoa, Plain Oats ($1.59 for 16oz), Egg Whites ($3.99)

Produce: Lemons ($.50 each), Spinach ($4.99 for large bag), Limes, Cucumbers ($3.99 for pack), Broccoli ($1.67 for one bunch), Red Peppers ($1.56 for 2), Avocados (5 for $6.25), Asparagus, Tomatoes ( $1.56 for 2 large ones), Carrots ($1.99 for pack), Mushrooms ($1.99 for pack), and Garlic ($2.99 a pound)

Lunch Salad

So a grand total with all of that is $90 which is pretty damn expensive for my taste. However, I was able to get a great deal on most of this (as you can tell). The real killers for me were the Chia Seeds for $18 and the almonds for $8. But the chia seeds bag is pretty big and will last me a long time, as will the spices and extra ingredients. This also seems like a lot of food for only 5 days and will last me much longer I'm sure. Considering how much I've previously spent on Starbucks & eating take out, I am 100% okay with this price, however I did not buy all the ingredients as to cut down on costs.

I also live in New York City, so this may change the availability and the price compared to where you live. I have a ton of specialty health food stores near my apartment so the ingredients were all accessible to me. 

First Day Evaluation: I feel great! The whole day I have had energy and I haven't had any headaches nor have I felt lethargic. The recipes were also super easy to make, which is a relief on my part. I am not a cook and I don't have a great history with cooking meals properly (i.e. burning food). However, I personally think I did a job well done on preparing my food for the day.

Dinner Stir Fry

Breakfast was a simple oats & berries combination, lunch was a salad, and dinner was a veggie & tofu stir fry. At 9pm I was hungry so I ate an apple with cinnamon, but now it's nearly 10pm and I'm hungry again. I'm not sure what I'll eat to curb this, probably some more salad. 

The key is to remember that this is a detox, not a daily meal plan. So after 5 days I can incorporate more foods. This is also the first time in my life that I will be eating totally vegan. Normally I have a lot of dairy (such as eggs and cheese) in my diet and a ton of bread. After this week I plan on adding eggs and a little bit of cheese into my diet but I'd like to continue not eating processed food or adding artificial sweetener to everything I eat. However, for the first time today I did not get a headache from not drinking coffee which is strange.

My biggest challenge this week will be the events I'm attending for work. Tomorrow night I will be at a  Kenneth Cole event with free cocktails, and alcohol is no go for the detox plan. Then non Thursday I will be going to two press events with expensive free food so eating "clean" at both places will be very difficult. Especially ignoring the delicious desserts they always have. I also am not allowed to have coffee either! 

However, I'm veyr motivated to keep at this and I'm ready to make a change!

You can read more about Nikki's 5 Day Detox on her site, read the testimonials, and check out her Instagram for the Before/After pictures people sent her!

Her Universe Launch The "Year of the Fangirl" Campaign for 2013

I love Her Universe products for the simple fact that most of the geek clothes I own are tailed for men's bodies. However, thanks to Ashley I can rock my Princess Leia hoodie or similar attire to show off my shape & geekyness. Do you have a favorite Fangirl? Show your love by nominating them:

Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano on the television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and founder of Her Universe™, the groundbreaking sci-fi apparel line for fangirls, announced today a very special year-long campaign to highlight and recognize one of the fastest growing and important segments of the sci-fi/fantasy/pop culture audience...women. Geek Girls, as they sometimes are affectionately known, can be found in every walk of life and beginning today, HerUniverse.com will shine the spotlight on a different fangirl every day showing their diversity, dreams and interests. Featured fangirls will be selected from submissions by way of fans and a team of 5 fangirl contributors, personally picked by Eckstein, who will be searching across the U.S. and the world for individual stories of every day female fans. 

"From day one, it's been very important to me to make Her Universe a positive and supportive community for fangirls," said Ashley Eckstein. "I've traveled the nation over the past 2 ½ years with Her Universe and I have been inspired by so many amazing women. There are several great outlets that highlight fangirl celebrities and pop culture news but I wanted to create a place where we will share the stories of everyday women who are proudly letting their geek flag fly! If she considers herself a fangirl, we want to hear her story!"

Eckstein is encouraging fans to submit their choice for a "fangirl of the day" on the Her Universe website. Fangirls of any age can be nominated and profiled; however, fangirls under the age of 13 must be nominated by their parent or guardian. Starting today, the fangirl form can be found on the Her Universe website (www.heruniverse.com) with questions to be filled out about the female fan to be profiled. Once completed, individuals can submit the form on the site, and attach a photo (optional). Each day, Eckstein and the fangirl volunteers, will spotlight a "fangirl of the day" on the Her Universe website and its social media platforms.

The Geek Girl contributors Eckstein has assembled for this project reflects the variety and creative nature of the fangirl community:

Tricia Barr - a professional engineer, author, and founder of FANgirl Blog, which focuses on discussing Star Wars, strong female characters, and storytelling.

Erin Kelahan - a longtime sci-fi/fantasy fangirl and passionate supporter of Her Universe and fangirls everywhere. Erin's goal in life is to help as many people as possible find and embrace their inner geek.

Amy Ratcliffe - a freelance writer, Star Wars enthusiast, twitter addict and all-around geek who enjoys most things sci-fi and fantasy. Amy has written about comics, cosplay, conventions, and other topics around the internet and in print.

Victoria Schmidt - a veteran cosplayer "Scruffy Rebel," and co-founder of the geek girl fashion and style blog, "Set To Stunning." A geek fashion trendsetter who has spent her life devoted to a broad range of fandoms.

Lillian Skye - a Star Wars fan since before she could hold a lightsaber, now a junior in high school, Lillian writes for a student run publication published weekly by the Tampa Bay Times and has her own blog for geek chic Star Wars fans called "Fangirls in the Force."

The "Year of the Fangirl" campaign officially launches today, February 25th, on www.heruniverse.com but additional elements and opportunities for Geek Girls will be added throughout the year, including a very special event in coordination with San Diego Comic Con. More information will follow soon.

2013 Academy Awards Predictions & Wishes

I have not seen all the movies up for Oscar nominations so this list is a compilation of my own personal and very biased opinions in every category. I like guessing who actually wins compared to who I want to win. In the past I have had excellent Academy Season (such as when Lord of the Rings Return oft he King won 11 Oscars) and I have had bad years ( when 'Gran Torino' was snubbed and Sandra Bullock won Best Actress, events I will never stop complaining about).

This year I have strong opinions on certain matters, such as Daniel Day-Lewis should win Best Actor hands down for his heart breaking portrayal of Lincoln. I also would love for 'Argo' to win but Ben Affleck was snubbed for Best Director so I am uncertain that he'll win the Oscar. However, most of all I want the Disney's 'Paperman' to win Best Animated Short Film (for obvious reasons). 

And so without further adieu, here is who I think should/will take home Oscars tonight:

Best Picture:
       'Argo' (I don't think it will win but it by far the best movie I've seen all year. Lincoln might win)

Actor in a Leading Role:
        Daniel Day-Lewis (Without a single doubt in my mind)

Actress in a Leading Role:
         Jennifer Lawrence (I have no solid opinion on this, anybody could win at this point)

Actor in a Supporting Role:
         Christoph Waltz (He will probably win but I would also be happy with Tommy Lee Jones)

Actress in a Supporting Role:
          Anne Hathaway (Hands down.)

Animated Feature Film:
          'Wreck-It-Ralph' (This movie should win because it was the best but I have a feeling 'Brave' will)

Cinematography:
           'Life of Pi' (This will probably win but 'Django' equally deserves it)

Costume Design:
           'Les Miserables'

Directing:
           Steven Spielberg (Affleck & Tarantino were both snubbed, so Spielberg will easily win)

Documentary Feature Film:
           'Searching For Sugar Man' (I didn't see any of these films but this has the most buzz online)

Documentary Short:
            'Open Heart' (Same as above)

Film Editing:
            'Argo' (This film had me me literally on the edge of my seat. It NEEDS to win this.)

Foreign Language Film:

             'Amour' (This was also nominated for best picture, so it'll probably take home this category)

Makeup & Hairstyling:
              'The Hobbit' (I did not enjoy this movie but the Academy seems to like the team so perhaps)

Music:
              'Lincoln' (John Williams did the score, enough said.)

Original Song:

              'Skyfall' by Adele (I mean really, how can this song not win?)

Production Design:
              'Life of Pi'

Animated Short Film:

              'Paperman' ( 'Adam & Dog' is the only other film that could win but I would be shocked if 'Paperman' didn't win.)

Live Action Short Film:
               'Curfew' (I haven't seen any of these but this movie has the most buzz.)

Sound Editing:
                'Argo' (But 'Django' equally deserves it)

Sound Mixing:
               'Les Miserables' (They shot all the music LIVE. Seriously.) 

Visual Effects:
                'The Avengers' ('Life of Pi' might win because it's a favorite. 'The Hobbit' had horrible effects other than the scenes with Gollum.)

Adapted Screenplay:
                 'Argo'

Original Screenplay:

            'Django Unchained' (Tarantino 100% deserves this but the Oscar might go to 'Zero Dark Thirty')

Do you strongly agree or disagree with any of my predictions? Call me out! I want to know what everyone else thinks too!

Getting 'Lord of the Rings' & 'Paperman' Tattoos With the Best Friend

Waiting to get tattoos

A week ago today my best friend Angela & I went to get our 'Lord of the Rings' tattoos, and then some. You may recall that a few weeks ago we had set up a fund to back our geeky tattoos but then the internet came out of no where and actually supported us-so we had no choice but to get them. 

Now, before this I had never gotten a tattoo before. I've wanted a few for many years, however my parents promised to pay for my entire college tuition as long as I didn't get inked until I moved.  Since I moved to the city back in September, tattoos were inevitable.

Angela and I have known for a long time that we wanted matching 'Lord of the Rings' tattoos to commemorate our undying love for the story as well as each other. (We are not lesbians, just to clarify since many people make this mistake. We are just in love in a Frodo & Sam sort of way). We discussed for about four hours on night to decide what exactly kind of LOTR tattoo we wanted. We toyed with the idea of getting the Leaf of Lothlorien, but none on the tattoos I saw on the Internet came out good enough for my taste. 

I really liked the idea of getting "Frodo" on myself and "Sam" on her since that's our relationship but it wasn't geeky enough for us. Other words were thrown around, though we wanted something different than all the other 'Lord of the Rings' tattoos out there. That was when I thought of it- what was the single most important part of the story we loved?

"Periandenor"

Simple: the Shire. The Shire is the beginning and the end. It is what Frodo and Sam were fighting for their whole journey. It is our idea of a perfect place and what we long for most in life. Unfortunately,  many people who get tattoos in Quenya (Elvish), translate using an online generator, and not a human being. This means many tattoos are actually gibberish. I had a professional, the genius behind Quenya 101, to translate "Shire" for me, and it came out like the picture to the left.

In Elvish it says 'Periandenor' which literally means "Halflingland". The picture above is the translation we received in the different fonts of the of Middle-earth. I decided to get my tattoo in the first one (top left hand corner) because that's the font the cast of the movies got their tattoos in. Angela wanted the fancier one used on the One Ring so she used the one to the left of mine.

Angela befriend the parlor pup

For our appointments at Red Rocket Tattoo in Midtown, New York City since I found it to be the  cleanest, most affordable for the best talent. Our tattoo artist was Ellen Murphy, who did a fantastic job with our tattoos. However, I would only recommend her to people who know exactly what they want and have had tattoos done before. Ellen is a non nonsense kind of person who may be small, but she is fierce as hell. 

I went first because I was actually getting two tattoos done that day. I wanted my 'Shire' one as well as the paper airplane from the Disney short animated film 'Paperman'. You can read why this short means everything to me here. I decided to have both tattoos done on the same day because I knew that once I got my 'Lord of the Rings' tattoo I would be dying to get my Paperman one right afterwards. Also, it was only $30 more if I got my paper airplane done on the same day due since I was already paying the base fee. 

Paperman tattoo!

I had the Paperman tattoo done first and at that point I kind of wanted to throw up due to panicking a little. I wasn't sure how bad it was going hurt and what it was going to feel like. I've been terribly curious about tattoos my whole life and I always felt that I would have a strong pain tolerance for them.

The best way I can describe the feeling is, its like a needle is being dragged along the skin. Very similar to a cat scratching me deep, and slowly. It hurt for sure but it was tolerable. Not at all enjoyable, as some people have told me. (You crazy masochists you!) I winced a lot and had to have Angela talk to me to keep me distracted but I mustered through it.

My tattoo

The 'Shire' tattoo came next and that one was on my right ribcage. Now I know that ribs are infamous for being one of the most painful places on the body to get a tattoo but Ellen was a superb motivator. She gave us a speech on how if women were built to shove a giant mass of flesh from our vaginas then we would be able to survive a tattoo. She was right.

I laid down out on my side and Ellen began tattooing away. At first it was slightly more painful than the one on my arm but it quickly became very painful. It felt like getting a shot very deep into my side. I managed not to cry but I did let out a whimper once, which Ellen would not have any part of. She quickly snapped "Cut that shit out!"in a humorous, no nonsense way I appreciated. Nobody wants a fucked up a tattoo.   

Some parts went deep and near my rib cage and it hurt like bitch, so I asked Angela to talk to distract me. She in turn read me Sam's speech from the end of The Two Towers, which is only a best friend like her would do.

Angela's tattoo

Angela was able to survive her as tattoo as well, muttering death threats once in a while but I distracted her with stories about our misadventures and the dumb things we've done over the years. After the tattoos were completed, we were exhausted. The stress and anxiety depleted our energy supply so we grabbed some McDonalds and went back to my apartment to watch more 'Lord of the Rings' and sleep for the rest of the afternoon.

And so we became hobbits for life, and survived our geeky tattoo adventure. During most of it we kept asking ourselves what the hell we were doing, but in the end we knew we'd do anything for the Shire.

Most of all, thank you to everyone who backed these tattoos. I'd give you shout outs on here but I think most of you preferred to be anonymous. Have no fear, your thank you cards will be in the mail shortly. I am forever grateful for the kindess my internet friends show me, and now I'll be able to carry that kindess with me always.

Company Spotlight: My Cotton Bunny

I have become a huge fan of subscription box services lately. Yesterday I reviewed Pawalla, which is a monthly gift box for your pet. I like the idea of unconventional boxes that are different than mainstream ones such a Birchbox. I searched for ones with themes I'd love and stumbled upon My Cotton Bunny and fell in love. They cater specifically to a woman's unfortunate time of the month stating, "Put a period on your period." I love the feisty and fun approach to having to deal with a painful uterus and I am SO glad that I got to try out their February box: "Tealight Bundle".

The box is packaged adorably with pink tissue paper and comes with a letter addressed to myself introducing this month's package. Inside:

Kotex Click brand box of 18 tampons. These sells for $4.99 a box at Walgreens, and are so stylish I felt like one of those girls in the tampon commercials who aren't clumsy enough to smudge their lipstick in public. The black tampons are especially funny because they look like little bullets in my purse that I'm saving for annihilation. In a way, I guess I am.

The little treats came with Sweetheart candy hearts, a chocolate flavored tea bag, and a floating tea light. The box also came with a handmade crochet headband, causing me to let out a squeal of delight when I opened the box. I have actually wanted to buy myself one of these and My Cotton Bunny did one better- they sent me a hand made one. 

For $13.75 a month, I think this is a great deal! I love them purely for the fact that I don't have to run out and buy tampons at a moments notice because I can never remember when I'm supposed to be on my period. x__x

You can check out more about My Cotton Bunny on their site, on Twitter, and their Facebook page!

Company Spotlight: 'Pawalla'

Now most of us geeks are also pet owners. We love having furry companions that act as side kicks on our adventures. My black cat Pan is around 4 months now, and I enjoy spoiling this furball of claws. That's why one of my favorite themes for a subscription box, is Pawalla. They cater to dog or cat owners, and when you sign up you tell them what kind of cat you own, how old they are and how much they weigh. In turn they send you products that are most suitable for your pet!

When I received my box I immediately noticed how great the packaging is and was impressed with the organic products inside. As soon as I opened up this box Pan jumped in and attacked the tissue paper. The blue cat nip toy is still one of her favorites to play with.

The box came with 

- 4 cans of wet cat food

- bottle of "Meowstard" to put on food

- packet of freeze dried chicken snacks

- another bag of chicken treats

- a pack of 10 litter bags 

- cat nip toy

At $26 a box, including shipping, there is a lot in here that pet owners can benefit from! You can purchase a few different ways from Pawalla. If you join month to month the price is $26 but if you purchase a year in advance it's $21 a month. This is an easy way to spoil your pet every month, or to even show some love to a pet in someone else's life such a long distance significant other or your mom's dog.

There is also now Pawalla Mini! You get one treat, one toy, and one surprise for your pet! This option is more my style because it's affordable and I would rather spend my money on cat food I know Pan will eat for sure. The prices for the mini subscription are: $12 if you buy for 12 months, $13 if you buy for 6 months, or $14 a month if you buy month to month and all have Free Shipping. 

You can join Pawalla on their site, check them out on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.

If you are a dog or cat owner, what type of products would you like to see in a monthly box?

Bookish Journal #3: "There's Some Good Left In This World, Mr. Frodo".

Hello InternetFolk! 

I've returned after a short hiatus that was a result of my laptop finally calling it quits. I wasn't sure what I was going to do since I couldn't afford a new computer and so much of my life relies on the use of a computer. However, one of my Twitter friends decided to buy a MacBook Pro off my Amazon Wish List for me without telling me, and it arrived yesterday as a surprise!

I am entirely grateful for the kindess of people I have never met before and am humbled by everything you all have done for me. Sometimes  well, more often than not, I lose hope that my goals and dreams are too lofty or I'm not good enough to make them come to fruition. But somehow in my lowest of times people surprise me and inspire me to keep working hard.

The other night on the subway I witnessed another act of kindess that proves humanity isn't all done for.

I sat on a crowded subway and a man walked on asking for help. In New York City every other subway ride features somebody asking for money. It's heart breaking to see so many people in need of serious help. However, this city is also known for having countless con artists who make thousands a year off of sympathetic tourists. Unfortunately this deters people from helping out those really in need.

Which is why when a man came on on my subway car and asked for a job, instead of money, he earned himself second glances. This man was in his early thirties, dressed in a clean jacket and jeans. The man told his tale of having been laid off six months ago and was looking for work of any time to support himself. 

A woman next to me, well dressed and in her late 20s, called over to him.

"Are you really willing to work?" she asked him.

"Yes m'am."

"Would you mind working the night shift?"

"No M'am."

And then she proceeded to write down the address of the company (somewhere on 5th avenue) and when he asked what kind of clothes he had to wear, she simply said to wear the cleanest clothes he had.

The woman then told him to come in at 10am the next day, and the man began to tear up.

"Thank you, thank you so much, I won't let you down m'am."

At the next stop the man and the woman got off, disappeared into the crowd, and that was that.

I can only hope that the man did show up the next day and continues to do so. I tweeted a more condensed version of this story and it currently has been RT'd more than 30 times. I'm glad I'm not the only one who was moved by this simple yet outstanding act of kindness.

And so, I am reminded that there is still good left in this world and it's worth fighting for. 

Yoga Class Review: Life in Motion: Hatha/Basic

Life in Motion: Hatha/Basic with Nikki

Life in Motion is located 2744 Broadway between 105^th and 106^th street in the second floor on the Upper West Side, New York.

Studio Environment: As I walked up the stairs, before I even entered the studio, I came across signs that said neither coffee nor shoes would be allowed beyond this point. I contemplated this forced coffee ban and found myself secretly enjoying it as I left my shoes in one of the provided cubbyholes. Once I entered Life in Motion, I was immediately drawn into a place of warmth and comfort. The floors are carpeted and there are minimal decorations on the walls, proving less is more. The woman behind the desk gave me a short tour of the spinning room, the changing room as well as the mats and blankets for us to use. The exposed brick wall brought comfort to the room while the other two walls featured full-length windows with colorful drapes hanging from the high ceilings. The noise from Broadway was muted, and did not distract me during the class. The temperature remained warm, and cozy, which relaxed me instantly.

Instructor: Nikki is a sweet and friendly person who arrived early and welcomed everyone, even latecomers. Through out the class she remained focused on the breathing and movement with very little to no allusions to religious or spiritual practices. She was a comforting teaching and brought a sense of safety her students.

Class: There was a mixed demographic in my class composed of six other woman of different ages, ethnicity, and levels as well as two vastly different men. Nikki started off with having everyone tell their names and if they have an injury or physical ailment to be aware of before we start. The class was very fluid and calming with moves that were basic yet challenging at a consistent speed. This was good for a beginner, but it would require someone to have taken a yoga class before to understand how or what was going on.

The class was 90 minutes long with a good amount of time dedicated to warming up and Savasana at the end. Nikki reassured each yogi to do poses at the level in which they were comfortable with. She was hands on with her students constantly realigning their poses and providing helpful feedback. There was music playing but quietly so that I hardly noticed it was there.

Overall: This was the first yoga class I have taken since moving to New York City and previously I had been with the same instructor for years. Nikki provided a safe and welcoming environment and I would recommend her class to anyone who has some basic knowledge of yoga. The atmosphere of Life in Motion is homey and inviting, a quaint little getaway in the midst of a bustling city. 

Tokidoki Announces New Collectible Phonezies

Tokidoki is one of my favorite brands for their uniquely fun and ridiculous character designs. I am a sucker for their products, everything from sweatshirts to toys, and especially their line of Marvel cell phone charms. (I admittedly bought countless secret boxes until I had them all). Now here are even MORE irresistible accessories for me to collect:

Tokidoki, the pop culture brand meaning “sometimes” in Japanese, is thrilled to introduce its first-ever collectable character Phonezies; fun accessories for smart phones.

Tokidoki ‘s most popular characters now have a new place to sit.  Each Phonezie is .75” PVC plastic sold in a blind Mylar envelope promoting collectability of all 12 characters.  MSRP is $3.95

Phonezies are available now at specialty stores nationwide, tokidoki ‘s LA store and tokidoki.it.

Bookish Review: "The Little Red Book of New York Wisdom" by Ed Koch

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed that I have been posting pictures of quotes about New York City lately. There are few things I love more than New York City, especially stories and personal accounts of life in this place I'm lucky enough to call home.

This book is especially important today because this morning was former Mayor Ed Koch's funeral, and he was the editor of this book. Mayor Koch passed away three days ago on February 1st, and he is remembered for his exceptional dedication to his beloved city. He was the Mayor of New York from 1978 to 1989, and during that time he restored fiscal stability to NYC.

"The Little Red Book of New York Wisdom" is a solid hardcover with 256 glossy pages packed with quotes about this city and about it's eccentric people. These musings are remarkable and full of emotion- the angry, longing, and humorous emotions of New Yorkers. This is a must read for those who hold this city dear, whether it be your home or a place you have visited. 

This is book is now on sale on Amazon for only $6.78, which is less than half the cover price! Do yourself a favor and add this little gem to your collection. It inspires me, and reminds why I moved here in the first place.

"I loved every single movie that was set in New York, every movie that began high above the New York skyline and moved in, every detective story, every romantic comedy, every movie about nightclubs in New York or penthouses." 

-Woody Allen

"New York is a different country. Maybe it ought to have a separate government. Everybody thinks differently, acts differently. They just don't know what the hell the rest of the United States is." - Henry Ford

Super Bowl Movie Ads for IRON MAN 3 and THE FAST & FURIOUS 6 Rank High

IRON MAN 3 and THE FAST & FURIOUS 6 Super Bowl advertisements scored big. In a targeted survey of  nearly 3,000 active moviegoers conducted by MovieTickets.com, IRON MAN 3 rated as the #1 movie-related Super Bowl commercial most remembered; and the spot for THE FAST & FURIOUS 6 most convinced moviegoers to see it in theaters when released.

MovieTickets.com, the leading global provider of advance movie ticketing, conducted a survey of active moviegoers to rank the most effective movie commercials aired during yesterday’s broadcast of the Super Bowl. The survey targeted actual moviegoers to determine which spot cut through the media clutter, and how effective those commercials were at convincing viewers to buy tickets.

Of the nearly 3,000 MovieTickets.com registered users that were surveyed, 65% said they watched the entire game from kick off to the end.  Of those that watched the entire game, MovieTickets.com collected the following data which includes data about social media usage and YouTube:

What movie ads made it through the media clutter?

·         The commercial for Iron Man 3 was the most remembered, with 79% saying they remembered seeing the ad during the game followed closely by the commercial for The Fast & Furious 6 (77%). The complete list is below:

Iron Man 3 – 79%

The Fast & Furious 6 – 77%

Star Trek Into Darkness – 69%

Oz The Great and Powerful – 68%

World War Z – 48% 

·         Men remembered the commercial for Iron Man 3 most, followed closely by The Fast & Furious 6.

·         Women also remembered Iron Man 3 most, followed closely by The Fast & Furious 6.

·         The commercial for The Fast & Furious 6 (84%) and Iron Man 3 (82%) nearly tied for the top spot of most remembered by those under the age of 25.

·         The adults age 25+ had a little different view from the under 25 crowd with Iron Man 3 (74%) followed closely by The Fast & Furious 6 (70%). 

·         Among the women under 25 years of age that took the survey, the commercial for Iron Man 3 and The Fast & Furious 6 (74%) tied for the most remembered movie advertisement.

·         Among the men under 25 years of age that took the survey, the commercial for The Fast & Furious (86%) and Iron Man 3 (84%) was the most remembered movie advertisement.

What movie commercial was most effective at encouraging the viewers to see the film in the theaters?

·         The Fast & Furious 6 was the most effective movie advertisement.

·         The Fast & Furious 6 had the highest effectiveness among the men in encouraging them to see the movie in the theater

·         The Fast & Furious 6 had the highest effectiveness among the females in encouraging them to see the movie in the theater

·         The Fast & Furious 6 had the highest effectiveness among the population under the age of 25 in encouraging them to see the movie in the theater

·         Iron Man 3 had the highest effectiveness among the adults 25 years of age and older in encouraging them to see the movie in the theater

Mobile Apps & Social Media Participation

The topic of the new Star Trek Into Darkness mobile app was a favorite among MovieTickets.com survey respondents. Overall, only 3% of survey respondents that watched the entire game also downloaded the new Star Trek Into Darkness app.

·         No Surprise. The app was downloaded more by the under 25 population.

Social media is still a hot topic for MovieTickets.com survey respondents. Overall, 67 % of survey respondents said they used social media (e.g. Facebook; Twitter, etc.) while watching the game.

·         69% of males used social media during the game.

·         66% of females used social media during the game.

·         76% of the Under 25 audience used social media during the game.

·         59% of the adults 25+ used social media during the game.

 Power of YouTube

58% of overall MovieTickets.com respondents (whether they watched the entire game or not) rushed on to YouTube to continue watching SuperBowl Ads.  The film related commercial they were most eager to search and watch again was Iron Man 3 (59%) followed closely by the commercial for The Fast & Furious 6 (51%).

YouTube is still a growing and viable marketing tool. 59 % of overall MovieTickets.com respondents said they Often/Very Often view videos on YouTube.

·         57% of males said they Often/Very Often view videos on YouTube.

·         63% of females said they Often/Very Often view videos on YouTube.

·         72% of the Under 25 audience said they Often/Very Often view videos on YouTube.

·         46% of the adults 25+ said they Often/Very Often view videos on YouTube.