Ballet Beautiful

Since we've officially entered the Christmas season, I thought now would be a great time to write about...exercise! This time of year is filled with extra sweets and treats and can be quite stressful making it the perfect time to make sure you are exercising regularly.



I've been a huge yoga fan for years (seriously, I've been practicing yoga for over a decade). Earlier this year I injured my left shoulder and decided to stop taking yoga until it healed. While I was healing I realized that I wanted to change up my routine a bit by trying something new. I read about Ballet Beautiful on a blog and decided to give it a try so I ordered the book and slowly started learning the exercises. The program was developed by Mary Helen Bowers, who was a ballerina with New York City Ballet (she trained Natalie Portman for Black Swan!), to help regular women attain the famed muscle tone and flexibility of ballerinas.

While I don't think I'll be gracing the stage anytime ever, I'm really happy with my results. I feel so much stronger and I look forward to the stretches and exercises after a long day of sitting in my cubicle. Mary Helen breaks her full-body 1 hour workout down into sections, so it's easy to pick out a 10-15 minute section if you don't have time to do the full workout. If you're looking for a new exercise routine, I recommend Ballet Beautiful. Your library might even have the book or the DVD available for checkout.

The Color of Tea

I just finished reading The Color of Tea on the train ride home from work today. The author writes of heroine Grace's struggles with past and current relationships. Grace opens a lovely cafe specializing in French macarons to escape the worry and pain of her life. As the chapters progress (each named after a creative and tasty-sounding macaron), Grace slowly creates a more fulfilling and happy life.

I loved the author's depiction of friendships and marriage in the novel. And I definitely have a serious craving for macarons! If you are looking for one last summer read, this book will do the trick.

Happy Friday!

Baby Gifts

Recently, Dave and I had occasion to buy two gifts for brand new baby girls. I was a bit stumped at first since I don't buy baby gifts very often.  Both moms had already been given showers and didn't have many fun options left on their registries. Luckily, I read this post on A Cup of Jo about gifts for new parents. Dave and I visited our local bookstore on a dreary October evening and picked out two new books for these sweet babies.

The Runaway Bunny is a classic that I can still remember reading with my mom when I was a little kid.

We also selected Forever Friends which describes a sweet friendship between a bunny and a bird. We loved the story and the gorgeous, creative illustrations.

I hope these babies enjoy their new books!