Tuesday, March 22, 2011

A Balancing Act

Lately I've sucked at life. And by that I mean that I've spent most of 2011 stressed out, irritable, and frequently overwhelmed. For the most part, I only have myself to blame: I over-schedule my life and then get overwhelmed when I can't take care of stuff like laundry, or cleaning our house. Most of the time, this overwhelming feeling is all in my head, and all I need is a little perspective. In an attempt to find this perspective (on what is hopefully a more regular basis), I have restarted my yoga practice (yet again!). Seriously, I've stopped and started so many times, but as a yoga instructor told me, I'm not the only one that does that, so at least that's something, right?

Anyway, as part of my attempt to reintroduce yoga to my life, clefoodgoddess and I joined a 3-week beginners yoga class at Puma Yoga. Our 3-week series ended a couple of weeks ago, but there is another series beginning in early April, so if you think you might want to explore yoga, you should definitely try it out.

Having been to a number of studios in Cleveland, here's what I really like about Puma Yoga:

1. Its not very big, so it has a really intimate feeling. And by intimate, I mean personal, not cramped.
2. Love the orange and yellow color scheme.
3. Its a hands-on studio, so if you're not comfortable with people touching you, this may not be the right space for you. That's not to say that they will not accommodate your no-touching request, but you don't get the same impact as a hands-on adjustment.
4. Minimal chanting. Maybe one per class. I'm not big on the chanting.
5. The studio is warm but not hot. You will get sweaty, but you're not going to feel like you're going to pass out. Also, it helps you stretch deeper.
6. The studio smells really good.
7. The instructors. Here's my thing about yoga: I like it for exercise and peace of mind. I'm not big on the "the universe is sending you a message" type spirituality. And I'm not big on excessive talking (shocking! I know, but its true). I like the instruction and direction, and maybe some explanation on the how/why of a pose, but that's about it. The instructors at Puma Yoga have a really nice verbal balance, and I REALLY REALLY like that.


So if you've been stressed out and generally feeling not like yourself, give yoga a try, and let me know what you think!!!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Another fabulous Playhouse Square Party

If you read my blog last week, then you know that I was SUPER excited to attend the Lexus Dark Ride Event at Playhouse Square this past Saturday. It was everything I expected and more!! Jessi, clefoodgoddess and I walked in and were immediately ushered onto a red carpet for pictures. That set the tone for the rest of the night, and keeping with that theme, I have to warn you that this is a picture-heavy post!


Above and below: The scene that greeted us as we walked in. There were two platforms with dancers performing interpretive dance while a DJ played in the background. 




Above: with contest winner Hungry in Cleveland 



Above: my fellow fabulous Cleveland bloggers that hosted giveaways on their blogs: Allison, Alexa, and Alana. I felt left out not having my name start with the letter "A". : )


Below: The Absolut Wild Tea Ice Sculpture. They had this peach cocktail that tasted exactly like peach iced tea!






Above: The whole reason we were there; the Lexus CT 200h. And Below, me in the car. It smelled like glorious "new car" and had a really comfortable drivers seat. That was pretty much the extent of my car-exploration; I was ready for some MUSIC!!




With the always fabulous JV





And, the Talent, Dev (who was so fun!!!). I will be downloading her music ....


 ...and Jay Sean 



Not to be outdone, Seanski decided to get in on the act...


And so the night ended with me hobbling on my excruciatingly painful feet, which I continue to nurse back to normalcy today. The night was SOOOOOO worth the pain. I CAN'T WAIT for next year's event!!

Friday, March 18, 2011

AND, the winners are....

As promised, I'm picking winners today, courtesy random.org. So, without much ado, the winners are:

rue Random Number Generator  
Result:
19Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Who said:Sounds like an awesome party.
kevin.ropenus@gmail.com

AND, 
rue Random Number Generator  21Powered by RANDOM.ORG
Who is also Hungry in Cleveland, and said:My email is steph112084@yahoo.com
CONGRATULATIONS to Kevin and Steph!! I will be emailing you both today!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

A Cloud and a Silver Lining

If you've been reading updates by Kiss FM on Twitter, then you know that Lupe Fiasco is ill and under strict medical instructions to rest his voice. SADNESS!!! I've been listening to him on Pandora all week!!! Luckily, its only Tuesday night, and I have the rest of the week to listen to music by Jay Sean, who is graciously taking over Lupe's spot at Saturday's Dark Ride extravaganza! Its going to be a great night, with some great music, good food, yummy drinks and fabulous people!!! Keep those entries coming!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you haven't entered my giveaway to win tickets to Playhouse Square's Lexus Dark Ride VIP Experience, what are you waiting for?!?!

Monday, March 14, 2011

We like to Party

If you've been reading my blog for a while now, then you know that I LUUUUURRRVVVEE a good party. And if you read my post on Jump Back Ball 20, then you know that Playhouse Square  knows how to throw one fine party. Why am I bringing all this up? Because this Saturday (March 19th), Playhouse Square and Lexus are coming together to host what promises to be one of the best parties of the year: Its called Dark Ride, and its the the official Cleveland launch of the all-new Lexus CT200H. Its a Lexus, its a hybrid, and its targeted at mid 20s-mid 30-year olds, so its affordable. Affordable luxury!!!!! YAY!!

Like the Lexus brand, the launch party is going to be one luxurious event. Starting at 8:30 pm, guests will be treated to fabulous cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, as DJs spin some very danceworthy music, and bubbles (of the drinkable variety) are passed around. At 10:00 pm, the party will move to the State Theater Stage, where DJ Flaco will warm up the crowd for opening act DEV, who will then be followed by the main event, Lupe Fiasco!!

I mentioned that the event is luxurious, but have I mentioned that its exclusive? So exclusive, in fact, that you CAN'T BUY a ticket. There's only a few ways to get a ticket:
1. Go to Metro Lexus (13600 Brook Park Road) from 5:00-6:00 pm on March 15th to win tickets
2. Win a ticket through 96.5 Kiss FM or Metromix Cleveland
3.  Follow Playhouse Square on Twitter or Facebook for a chance to win, and finally
4. Win one RIGHT HERE!!!

Here's what you have to do (you MUST be over 21 to enter):
- Leave a comment on this post with your email address for ONE ENTRY
- Follow me on Twitter and tweet:
I want to win @cleshopaholic's  #LexusDarkRide contest @playhousesquare
 for ONE ENTRY
- Follow me on Facebook for ONE ENTRY

Please leave me a comment for each entry!


The contest will end on St. Paddy's Day, and I will announce the winner on Friday! Here's the best part: I will be picking not one, but TWO WINNERS, each of whom will receive a pair of tickets!!! So get your dancing shoes ready, pick your most picture-worthy outfit, and good luck!!!!

Disclaimer: Playhouse Square gave me tickets to the event, as well as tickets to give away to you, my fabulous readers! 

Friday, March 11, 2011

Cheap Chic: Halston

I luuuuurrrvvveeeee Halston. And while I would love to spend $300+ on a single dress, its really not a feasible option. However, a couple of weeks ago, while I was at Bakers, I saw this beauty:


Upon closer inspect: Halston!!!!! FOR BAKERS!!!! and only $90!!! Great looking summer style at a wallet-friendly price!! Oh happy day!!!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

A happy Friedday at XYZ The Tavern

No, that is not a typo. That is "Friedday" you see up there. And when I tell you what N and I did on Friday, it will make complete sense. N and I usually eat out on Friday nights, and this past Friday, we decided to return to XYZ the Tavern to finally eat a meal there.



Their daily specials are up a blackboard at the back of the restaurant, and they all looked delicious. Somehow, N and I ended up going fried fried fried ALL the way! And although my body probably hated me, my taste buds didn't. I don't have a picture of our Oyster Po-Boy, but here are the pics of the delicious  Broccoli Tempura, recommended by seanski, and the Chicken and Waffles, which is an obvious order for N, every time it appears on a menu.




If I have to sum up the food in one word, it would be OHMYGOD!! Its really really good, and very reasonably priced at $6-$15. Have you been to XYZ the Tavern? What did you get, and what did you think?

Prepping for rain

As it starts to get warmer, it starts to get wetter. Its inevitable. I hate walking the dogs in the rain; its squishy and I hate getting mud on my shoes. So, this year, in an effort to make walking in the rain more pleasant, I think I'm going to invest in a pair of these:


I've been eyeing these Hunter boots since the fall; they are functional, comfortable, and so incredibly CUTE!!!
What's your stay-dry strategy this Spring?

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Jump Back Ball 20

This past Saturday, N, Jess, Dave and I attended our very first Jump Back Ball at Playhouse Square, along with oh, 950+ other people! First of all, I have NO IDEA why I waited SO LONG to attend this spectacular event. I had such a ridiculously great time, I don't even know where to begin! We arrived about 7:45 pm and made our way to one of the many, many, well-stocked bars. Gin was my drink of choice, and turns out, it was a horrible choice, but hindsight's 20-20, and since I'm all better now, it doesn't matter anymore : ).  Playhouse Square was absolutely transformed. It was so beautiful!! There were tons of fabulous Clevelanders, including some of my favorite bloggers: alexa, seanski, allison, and alicia, just to name a few. We danced, and mingled, and had an all-around fabulous time!!! And now, some pictures:










I can't wait for next year's event!!!