Thursday, March 21, 2013

The THIRD Annual Spin for Strays!! Sign up details!!

My support for Secondhand Mutts and my love for pscyle have both been very well documented on this blog. For the past two years, Jenn and Scott Sommers, owners of pscyle, have been amazing champions and supporters of Secondhand Mutts by hosting the annual Spin for Strays fundraiser.



The past two years have been an incredible success, and I hope that this year is no exception. We have changed a few things this year though-- unlike in prior years, the THIRD ANNUAL SPIN FOR STRAYS is being held on a Saturday. This way, no one has to rush in from work, and it doesn't interfere with Friday Happy Hour. We've also timed it so that it doesn't impede Saturday naps, or Saturday evening plans, and still gives riders the opportunity to stick around for a post-ride adult beverage!

The details!
When: Saturday, April 27th, at 4 pm

Where: pscyle: 24945 Detroit Road (between Clague and Columbia Rd. exits on I-90)

Why: This is a donation only ride, with a suggested donation of $15. All proceeds from the event go directly to support the pups at Secondhand Mutts. Also, you will burn a boatload of calories (between 500-800 on average), get sweaty, and have a LOT OF FUN!!!

Who: EVERYONE!!! This is an all levels ride and no prior spin experience is necessary. Its a great time to try spinning if you've never been before, and a ride at pscyle is very different from a lot of other spin classes around town. For one, you ride to the beat of the music... and the music? IS AWESOME!! Jenn will have an incredible and energizing playlist to guide you on your ride. If you've ever wished you were in NYC or LA to experience the celeb-favorite SoulCycle, a psycle class will give you a good inkling of what to expect.

How: sign up here. (alternatively go to pscyletherapy.com, click on schedule, and then click on events to sign up). There are ONLY 32 bikes, so make sure you reserve yours today.


Last year was SUCH a blast--- take a look at some of the pics:


Getting our ride on!


Meeting adoptable pups prior to the ride


Bloggers on bikes


You can view more pictures here.

So, I hope that you join me for this incredible event. Its only an hour of your time, and really, such an incredible cause. Secondhand Mutts has a lot of great dogs available for adoption right now, and while the website is being revamped, you can find them all on petfinder! You can also follow Secondhand Mutts on Facebook for up-to-date info! Hope to see you there!! 

XO 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Things I Want: Music Accessories

For someone who LURVES music as much as I do, you would think that I would have a better pair of headphones than the ones that come with the iPhone. Turns out, I do not. However, I do have my eyes on this gorgeous pair... I mean, if you think about it, they really double as a piece of jewelry....





I believe one of my favorite local DJs also owns a pair (or one similar) 




Ooooohhhh shiny!!!!!!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Listening Now: Gabrielle Aplin

Lately, I feel like there's been a flood of young, female singer-songwriters that actually have good voices-- Birdy, Paloma Faith, Jessie Ware.... and now, Gabrielle Aplin. Her sound is a little folksy, and while she doesn't have a full length album out (yet), she does have a few different EP's available via iTunes.

Her newest song is Please Don't Say You Love Me... hope you like it as much as I do!


Monday, March 18, 2013

St. Paddy's Day Weekend

I had big plans for this weekend.

Saturday-- hot yoga, baby shower, Burning River Roller Girls, dinner, drinks.
Sunday-- Downtown at Allison's party, and then wandering out downtown and in Ohio City with N and loads of our friends....

NONE OF THESE THINGS HAPPENED!!!!!!!!! Why, you ask? BECAUSE I WAS STRUCK DOWN BY THIS GROSS VIRUS GOING AROUND CLEVELAND. I spent the weekend parked on my couch, watching endless episodes of Dance Academy, doing shots of cold meds, surrounded by Kleenex. I hold this ever changing weather 100% responsible.


Dance Academy. So addictive.




Is it Spring yet?

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Money Well Spent

Since the beginning of this year, I have made room in my budget for two things that have been nothing short of life changing. Seriously, I cannot believe I waited this long for either of these things...

First off, I decided to sign up for a locker + laundry service at my gym. Those of you who follow me on twitter may have noticed me checking into Lifestart Gym around lunchtime each day. Yes, I am lucky enough to have a job where most days, I can make it over to the gym to workout during the day. With the exception of hot yoga (which I do at Inner Bliss), I'm not a head-sweater. Meaning that for the most part, I don't need to wash my hair after I work out. My gym has shower facilities in the locker room, and this year, I finally pulled the trigger and decided to pay the extra $15/month for a locker and laundry service. The benefit of this is (a) I leave all my gym stuff AT the gym, and so I'm not hauling stuff between home and gym everyday, and (b) I'm saving myself at least a half a load of laundry EACH week (and I HATE doing laundry). The biggest benefit of this whole system is that for the weeks that I'm not traveling, I've been making it to the gym 4x/week on average!!!!!

In addition to hating laundry, I also hate cleaning. Don't get my wrong, I LUUUURRRVEEEE a clean house... I just HATE spending time cleaning it. So earlier this month, N and I decided to cut back on eating out to fit a cleaning lady into our monthly budget. She comes once every other week, and her first day was this past Thursday. I cannot even describe to you the sheer joy of coming home to a spotlessly clean house. Seriously, she is amazing!!! I know some people are squeamish about having a stranger in their home when they are not there, but the best way to overcome this is to go with someone who is a referral from someone you know. Our cleaning lady has done work for my neighbors and many of their friends for a number of years, which certainly made me more comfortable hiring her. And for those who are curious, no, I do not clean the house myself before she comes. I usually just throw out unnecessary paperwork and consolidate unopened mail in one pile!!!

Seriously, LIFE.CHANGED. I'm making it to the gym more often, and I'm not stressed about having a messy house anymore. If that's not good for my health (both mental and physical), I don't know what is!!!! 

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Listening Now: Alt-J

A few weeks ago, I purchased the debut album by Alt-J, An Awesome Wave. Alt-J are an English indie band (yes, again, I know... I can't help it... my musical taste is currently inclined to what's coming out of England), who will incidentally be performing at sxsw this Thursday, March 12th. They are also coming to Cleveland, June 11th!!!!!!!

To be honest, I enjoy the whole album-- its sorta mellow... perfect for listening to at work. One of my absolute favorite songs on the album is a little more upbeat... so without much further ado, I bring you Dissolve Me...



Monday, March 11, 2013

An Evening At Be Studios

WARNING: For all my immature, giggle-prone readers (there is no shame in this, I am one of them), this post has a few #TWSS moments

This past Friday, I joined Anna and her friends at Be Studios, to celebrate her 25th birthday with a lesson in, well, sexy. If you've never been to Be Studios, it an spa and fitness studio on the near West Side of Cleveland, that offers, among other things, pole dancing. FOR FITNESS!!! You can choose to attend a group class, or go the route that Anna went and gather some friends for a private party. The best part of the private party route is that they allow you to bring in alcohol, and lets just say that if this is the very first time you're doing this, a shot or two of tequila really helps you loosen up!!



The pole dance studio is really cute-- 3 well secured poles run across the middle of the room, which is accented with lots of mirrors. 



They also have cute and sexy props on hand-- ridiculously high heels, tutus, corsets....



The view from the other end...


The birthday girl!!!

Our private lesson (9 ladies) was led by our fabulous instructor Peanut. Peanut was very focussed on getting us comfortable in our environment-- the class started with some basics, such as walking sexy. Yes, there is such a thing as a sexy walk. From there, we graduated to some more complicated stuff, including swinging around the pole. IT WAS REALLY REALLY HARD!! First of all, it involves a lot of ab work and upper body, and if you accidentally swing too fast, you might end up either on your ass, or running your thigh/shin into the pole. And it hurts!!!!  The ceiling has all these signatures from those incredibly fit women who managed to shimmy all the way up to the top!! Anna made it up with a boost, I couldn't get any higher than 3 feet. 

Then Peanut took the pole, and showed us how its done......



Seriously, amazing...... She made it look so incredibly easy, and having done the very basics, I can tell you that it was anything but.... 

Not gonna lie, I really want to get a group of girlfriends together and do this again!!!

Have you ever tried pole dancing? What did you think??

Thursday, March 7, 2013

So Ready for Spring...

Its a good thing that we're finally getting a break in the weather this weekend because Spring is definitely on my mind.  And while I'm likely to never embrace floral pants, I am certainly not opposed to a floral accent, or even a dress.....



Is it Spring yet?!?!?!??!?!?!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Board Meetings Are Fun

What do you do in your spare time? Do you workout? Do you read? Do you volunteer? As much as I enjoy going out and having a great time, some of my most personally fulfilling moments come from the time I volunteer to Secondhand Mutts. My favorite volunteer activity is chaperoning the dogs at various events. I absolutely LUUURRVE dogs, so any one-on-one time that I can spend with them is certainly time well spent!! And in addition to volunteering, I'm also a Board Member for Secondhand Mutts.

Last night, we had our Board Meeting, and unlike most meetings, this week, our Board was joined by five, 6-week old puppies. And then this happened...




If you're looking for volunteer opportunities at Secondhand Mutts, you can find more information here. If dogs are not your thing, there are literally hundreds of non-profits across Northeastern Ohio that could use your time. Just find an organization that interests you and contact them!!! You will help support a cause that means something to you, have an opportunity to meet some amazing people, and might even have an opportunity to take on a leadership role!! Give it a shot... you might surprise yourself!!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Listening Now: The March Playlist

Another month, another playlist! And to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I've added a throwback Irish band at the very end!

1. Back to Black-- Wolfgang
2. Between the Raindrops (feat. Natasha Bedingfield) -- Lifehouse
3. Inhaler -- Foals
4. The Power of Love -- Gabrielle Aplin (more to come on her in March)
5. The Real Thing -- Audra Mae and The Almighty Sound
6. I'll Be Allright -- Passion Pit
7. My Heart Is The Eastern Horizon -- Clemency
8. Flaws -- Bastille
9. We'll Be Coming Back (feat. Example) -- Calvin Harris
10. Up All Night -- Alex Clare
11. World On Fire -- The Royal Concept
12. Kemosabe -- Everything Everything
13. Never Say Never -- Tristan Prettyman
14. Move Like U Stole It -- ZZ Ward
15. Dreams (Tee's Radio Mix) -- The Corrs

Have a safe and happy St. Patrick's Day all, and maybe I will see you out and about downtown!!!
XO

Monday, March 4, 2013

Muse and MIX

This past Thursday, N & I joined Allison and Nadine to see MUSE perform at the Q. It was my first time seeing MUSE live, and I have say WOW!! I was completely blown away!! I've watched MUSE perform on various awards shows, and they've always been great, but nothing compared to a full concert.




Awesome vocals, incredible visuals, and an truly awesome light show--- seriously, MUSE set the bar for 2013 concerts very, VERY high...

Friday, Sara, N and I headed out to The Cleveland Museum of Art to attend its MIX event. If you haven't been to MIX event, you really should check them out. Each event is very different, but they're ALL a lot of fun. This month's event focussed on the Pompeii exhibit, and included live interactive performance art, which included use of the escalators!



While the actors paraded around with foam swords, we somehow ended up in a riveting discussion on most underrated actors...


Ahmed, Sara and N 


CK, Alexa, Sean, and Matt

As you can see, it was a VERY animated discussion, and some of our nominees included Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Ed Norton... while we debated the merits of our respective choices and energetically argued against others, we suddenly realized that it was past 10 pm, the Pompeii exhibit was closed, and we were being ushered out of the museum.

And so the night ended in our kitchen, with wine and Doritos, and squeals of laughter over goats.



Seriously, if you have not watched this video, you are missing out!!


Saturday was pretty low key-- psycle, nap time, puppy walks, and a late dinner at Tremont Tap House with Wes and Danielle.

Sunday was another low key day- brunch, laundry, more puppy walks and play time, and snuggles on the couch while we watched Argo (seriously, I was stressed out the ENTIRE time!! I can't imagine that the whole hostage crisis actually happened, and more so that it STILL happens across the world!!! SO CRAZY AND SCARY!!!)

And now its Monday... here we go again : )