2014 = realistic resolve

While I don’t believe in making New Year’s resolutions, that’s not to say there aren’t plenty of areas with room for improvement.

I learned in my early 20’s that resolutions almost beg to be broken. I’d set idiotic or unrealistic objectives – “This year I'm going to quit smoking, cold turkey, in three days. And no more Diet Coke for breakfast. That will help lose the 15 pounds I've been loathing.” – with no advance planning or thought to how to achieve said goals.

No wonder I failed at the time.

BuzzFeed is chock-full of testimony and lists of the many things we don't know in our 20s, and (gasp!) I'm finding a lot of them to be both humorous and true.

What I didn’t know then is that sometimes it takes more than a year to get where you want to end up. Habits are hard to break.

It took me the better part of a decade to finally quit smoking. It was only after years of unlimited access to Diet Coke while bar-tending in college that I learned (through saturation) I prefer water to soda.

Those 15 pounds have come and gone several times. I’ve accepted I’ll never be able to swear off pizza and to just be thankful that I’ve got enough to eat. First-world problems, right?

So what’s on the to-do list this year? Plenty. But they’re mainly general guidelines rather than specific goals with hard deadlines.

Make sense of the chaos: The lease at our infuriating apartment complex is finally up in May, and during our countdown to liberation I plan to weed out items to be donated or trashed. My hope is we won’t end up packing/moving/unpacking and finding a place for junk we don’t want or need. (Again.)

There’s a household/organizational purge on Pinterest that suggests getting rid of – either via trash, recycle or donation – 10 items every day for 30 days. Challenge accepted. Anyone have a favorite consignment shop to recommend?

Be gentle: After years of struggling with insomnia, I’d like to start getting more sleep.

Perhaps I’ll literally schedule time during the week (outside of yoga Tuesdays) for some physical activity. Not to lose weight, but because it makes me happy.

I might also try to offset the pizza-consumption by cooking at home more often and adding more produce and unprocessed food.

And that stack of books I’ve been collecting with every intention of tackling might become part of a regular routine.

Be realistic: For better or worse, my 20’s are behind me. Along the lines of lessons learned, I think I’m ready to break up with my MasterCard. We’ve probably had far too much fun together over the years and it might be time to truly make it “in case of emergencies.” (No. 17.)

Get involved: I love talking to senior adults. And helping animals. Literacy (at any age), homelessness, the environment, mental health and poverty are just a few areas I care very deeply about.

So instead of binge-watching a season of something on Netflix during the weekend, I am committing to volunteering with an area organization at least once a month. Because if I’m able to do more than just cut a couple checks, my hair and donate blood, why not?

It looks as if I’ll have plenty to keep me busy and out of trouble in 2014 (and beyond.) We’ll see how much of it actually sticks and gets accomplished.

Need some resources for encouragement and sticking to your resolutions?

The Fitnessista blogger Gina Harney shares five tips with Stitch Fix to make taking care of yourself a little easier.

Whole Foods has a wealth of information when it comes to healthy eating. They offer expert advice on how to make a sustainable transition to healthier eating habits. (See entries on affordable, batch cooking.)
Regardless of where you shop, their site has a ton of recipes.

More inspiration?

Yoga instructor Nancy Nicholson shared this with our class on Tuesday.

Help Me Believe In Beginnings from the book "Guerillas of Grace" (adapted by NN)

"I’ve known death and birth;

I’ve been brave and scared;

I’ve hurt, I’ve helped;

I’ve been honest, I’ve lied;

I’ve destroyed, I’ve created;

I’ve been with people, I’ve been lonely.

I’ve been loyal, I’ve betrayed.

I’ve decided, I’ve waffled.

I’ve laughed, and I’ve cried.

Help me to make beginnings:

To begin going out of my weary mind into fresh dreams,

daring to make my own bold tracks in the land of now;

to begin questioning the unquestionable that I may know truth;

to begin disciplining that I may create beauty;

to begin sacrificing that I may accomplish justice;

to begin risking that I may make peace;

to begin loving that I may realize joy.

Help me to believe in beginnings, to make a beginning, to be a beginning

so that I may not just grow old, but grow new

each day of this amazing life."

Holiday giveaways

Less than two weeks till Christmas. What the what?

I had big plans of parceling out reader give-aways throughout the month to help everyone feel festive. But clearly, my time management skills are lacking and we'll have to improvise instead.

Basically, there's a drawer full of swag from a number of companies and it all needs a good home. (If you want to re-gift, I won't tell.) So read on for an unofficial and unexpected gift guide, brought to you courtesy of my random desk drawer.

For the feminine:

L'Occitane en Provence makes incredible hand cream. Years ago I found myself in NYC in January with chapped, cracked, miserably stiff claws where there should have been hands. I'd packed a tube of the "Shea Butter" hand cream that Santa brought, but I had yet to try. I nearly cried it was so lovely.

It's the only product of L'Occitane's that I've used, but I'll vouch it's worth every penny. 

So what does it mean for you? Free stuff that's probably amazing. 

There's a full size tin of "Rose Tenderness" ultra rich body cream, which is apparently "exceptionally concentrated" with 25 percent shea butter. It's my impression this is a limited edition fragrance, and while the product itself is sealed, when you open the tin you catch a waft of something dreamy.

Also for giving, we've got a squeezy-tube of the limited edition "Jasmin Passion" lip balm. I have no idea what it smells like or how well it works, but I suspect it's likely legit.

For the techie/minimalist:

Pursecase was seen on ABC's Shark Tank and is touted as being a "stylish and elegant" way of carrying an iPhone, cash and compact mirror without wrestling around inside the depths of our beloved "Mary Poppins" handbags.

Available for iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5, Pursecase comes in a variety of solid colors (including a neon yellow that glows in the dark), has a chain handle and front clasp that bear resemblance to an iconic line of quilted hand bags. 

These cases run about $30 on the official website and a coworker gave one a whirl for a few days. She felt her phone and cards were secure and said she would likely buy one for herself. ("Definitely, if I was still clubbing.") 

Pursecase has been mentioned in the Los Angeles Times, Glamour, Lucky and Real Simple, among others. 

For those who like to go hands-free, Pursecase also offers a cross-body chain strap addition for $8 that's currently sold out on the website.

Want one? We've got a hot pink iPhone 4 Pursecase for to give away.



For the nostalgic:

Personal reflection is essential for mental well-being and this delivers in a non-painful way. The 90's gave us so many treasures, and "The 1990s Coloring Book" is an entirely entertaining reminder of things forgotten not-so-long ago. 

Giga-pets. The song (and ensuing fashion statement) "Rico Suave." AOL.  The phrase "If the glove don't fit, you must acquit."

Solid gold.

Inside you'll find a quirky mix of pop culture, outdated technology and activities such as 'Design your own Trapper Keeper."

For $10, this could make you the most popular gift-giver of the year. It's available online in a number of places and physically at Barnes and Noble, Urban Outfitters and others.

Totally.

For those with curly/natural hair, I've got multiple items for you.

Cantu has provided four, full-sized shea butter products from their new line. I wish I could say I've tried and loved these products, but my hair couldn't be straighter and these would be wasted on me.

But here's how Cantu describes what we've got to give away:

Shea butter coconut curling cream- heals dry, damaged hair while providing moisture and strength. Also defines, conditions and adds manageability to curls. Can be used on damp or dry hair. 

Shea butter daily oil moisturizer- helps prevent breakage, tangling and frizz; restores moisture to dry or damaged hair and scalp; provides silky texture with lasting shine.

Leave in conditioning repair cream- stops and mends breakage and is formulated for severely damaged, dry or coarse hair. Can be used for daily styling or overnight as an intensive leave-in treatment. It supposedly promotes strong, long and healthy hair when used daily.

Shea butter for natural hair deep treatment masque- moisturizes and repairs "extremely dry, damaged hair" that's brittle, and there are several ways to use this masque, depending on the level of damage already done.

See something you liked? 

Email me by 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19 with "Giveaway" in the subject line and a note about what you'd like to have turn up in the mail. (Please include your phone number and mailing address.) We'll announce winners and start shipping on Friday.

Pink Ribbon Pilates giveaway

Tuesday is yoga day at the Observer, when certified Kripalu yoga instructor Nancy Nicholson comes to the building and leads a class at lunchtime.

I've worked in enough other offices to recognize this is conveniently wonderful. Because once you get over the initial awkwardness of doing downward dog in front of one of your 12 bosses, it really is nice to get away from your desk and do something that helps prevent feeling like (too much of) a crazy person.

So, in the interest of physical and mental wellness for all...

Gaiam has released two new products in its Pink Ribbon Collection: the Pink Ribbon II yoga mat and a Pink Ribbon Pilates dvd, from celebrity Pilates instructor Mari Winsor. ($1 from the sale of each of these goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. )

This is Gaiam's second annual Pink Ribbon (3 mm) mat, which features inspirational messages and comes with a free download for a yoga workout. Suggested retail is about $22.

Pink Ribbon Pilates features four 20-minute Pilates workouts and includes a resistance band to help you get more from each session. Suggested retail is about $15.

We've got one copy of Pink Ribbon Pilates to give away. Email me with the subject line "Pink Pilates" and include your name and daytime phone number. We'll pick a winner Friday afternoon.

(And if you're ever in the area around noon on Tuesdays, you're welcome to come to yoga day. The first class is free.)