Holiday Honey

Tech Check! StumbleUpon.com

I know that for me personally, the internet has been a wealth of information that has virtually changed my life. I've found so many amazing websites by so many like-minded women and men, and I love finding new content that might influence my life in some way. Most recently, I've found a great tool for avid web surfers, called Stumble Upon. Are you familiar with it? Stumble Upon works almost like a remote control for your web browser. You just click the "Stumble" button to be redirected to a site that other people in your niche have already given the thumbs up to. And when I say thumbs up, I literally mean, literally a "thumbs up" button and have pre-approved a site for you. You do have to install a toolbar on your browser to get all these handy new buttons, but it takes under 5 minutes and doesn't require any work on your end. You can create a free profile at StumbleUpon and being following friends with similar interests (in our case, women's health, fashion, food & drink, and spirituality). I've found some great blogs like:

Tastespotting -- amazing photos of food

Life Should Feel Good -- by Caroline Middlebrook, blogging & lifestyle extradorinaire

Money Under 30 - self explanatory

Please be sure to make friends with HolidayHoney on Stumble Upon so we can share our favorites online! Oh, and whenever you have a moment, please come back and give us a thumbs up using your handy dandy new toolbar!

Coolest Concept Ever: Wanderlust Festival Blends Yoga With Live Music & Partying

Comprised of artists like Miachael Franti & Spoon, blended with prominent yoga teachers like John Friend & Shiva Rea, set on the mountains of Lake Tahoe 4,000 people spent three days getting limber and rocking out. Is this not the coolest thing ever? I can't imagine a more fun weekened. Wanderlust, a word meaning "strong desire or impluse to wander, or travel the world," was $170 for the weekend of yoga and rock'n'roll fun in the sun. How did this shebang get started?

“We want people to leave feeling better than they did when they came, transformed in some positive way,” stated Jeff Krasno, owner of Velour Music Group in NYC, who just happens to be married to Schuyler Grant, a yoga teacher.

Schuyler wanted “to incorporate the exuberance and the joy and the fun of a music festival, and the deeper experience of a yoga retreat,” and states “To go to a three-day fairly hedonistic experience where you’re going to be drinking, probably, and smoking a joint, maybe, and dancing all night, and then do yoga and walk away feeling good, how cool would that be?”

Their extensive list of sponsors included tons of brand names, all of which you'd expect to sponsor a festival of this calibur; including Burt's Bees, Luna Bar, and Gaiam. See you there next year?

Yoga Definition: Yoga Mudra [muːˈdrɑː]

What the h*ll is a Mudra? You may be thinking. Or perhaps you already know. Either way, I'll provide you with a bit of background this morning. This is one of those postures that, while in class you may wonder what it is, but it isn't quite life-changing enough to ask your teacher it's origins once you've sounded your final om. 

A yoga mudra is a symbolic gesture done with the hands. There are actually around 100 mudras, but perhaps the most common (even to non-yogis) is the index finger touching the thumb to form an "O" shape. The translation from Sanskrit of "mudra" is "seal of authenticity." This is formed to emotionally seal your practice, while simultaneously allowing energy to flow through you, and balancing the elements of nature within you. I like to form a mudra while meditating or proclaiming a personal mantra for the day. It can bring power to you and make you feel whole. Additionally, during times when you feel low on energy, it's beneficial to form your favorite mudra while chanting your mantra silently. It can restore your energy and purpose to the moment.

This next part is a bit "new agey. "The human body is said to have the five components of nature, and each finger represents one of those. The gestures correspond to teaching, protecting, balancing, and loving. For more information, check out this guide to the ten most popular mudras.

Are Women Becoming More And More Attractive?

According to evolutionists, yes. So maybe this is the reason that your girlfriends could rival Daria, Kate, and Natalia. Apparently the cause for this progression is the essential "filtering out" of less attractive women, based on two things:

1. Attractive women are more likely to reproduce more children than their less attractive counterparts.

2. These "more attractive" women are reproducing more girls, and going on to proliferate their hotness.

This observation has been the result of a series of studies of physical beauty and it's correlation to reproduction in humans. According to Markus Jokela, a scientist at the University of Helsinki, pretty women have 16% more children (daughers and sons) than their more homely friends. These studies were predicated by Satoshi Kanazawa, an evolutionary psychologist at the London School of Economics. Kanazawa found that attractive parents were more prone to having daughters, and that this was somehow part of human DNA.

While this might explain why the latest crop of Victoria's Secret models is so insanely gorgeous, I've got to assert the opinion that attractiveness is subjective. What looks good to one person may look entirely different to another. And while I notice hoards of beautiful girls and women on a daily basis, women have always been beautiful. Think Jaclyn Smith, Bridgett Bardot, Diane von Furstenberg. And hello? Haven't they ever heard of Cleopatra? I suppose though, from an evolutionary standpont, the human race will probably continue to grow more and more refined. And that's my scientific theory for the day...

So does this mean in 20 years our daughters are all going to be Megan Fox look-a-likes? Who knows... But one thing I will agree with, according to the scientists, men are allegedly haven't changed a bit ;)

Gift Ideas: The Law Student

My lawer-to-be BFF has a birthday coming up. She's had a really challenging year, so I want to get her something super-special. A law-themed gift perhaps, but without being too cheesy. Definitely something practical that she'll be able to use in her studies, but nothing that's going to reinforce the way she's feeling which is: "ALL I DO IS STUDY!" I instantly thought of my girl Elle Woods from Legally Blonde... Girly, but still professional. Studious but sweet. Here's what I came up with:

What do you think?

Lacking Morning Momentum?

Momentum: force or speed of movement; impetus, as of a physical object or course of events:

Positive momentum leads to growth. Imagine if every morning, you just rolled right out of bed and into your running shoes? How great would you feel if within 1.5 hours of waking you'd had a cup of green tea, a healthy breakfast, a 45 minute jog and a shower? What a way to start the day, right? So what keeps us from doing this on a daily basis? According to Tony Robbins, it's lack of momentum. Anyone can begin an exercise program and be all about it for 2 or 3 days... But what happens after two weeks, after a month, or after 6 months? Why do we often lack the momentum to keep up with our positive goals? The key to momentum is to focus your thoughts & feelings on your goals, particularly during moments of weakness. Also, prepare for the weak moments. They WILL happen, so make sure that you don't let them thwart your efforts. Before bed, try picturing yourself doing whatever it is you aim for in the mornings. Keep your running shoes or yoga mat right by your bed. Set your coffee to brew the at night. Keep your alarm clock ten feet away. Whatever gets you up and moving.

Everyone gets lazy, every has that ultimate "I'll do it tomorrow" syndrome. What separates those who grow vs. those who remain stagnate, is that growth oriented individuals constantly focus on their goals, and therefore constantly improve. Focusing on goals during weak moments may prevent you from doing something you might regret (like hitting snooze or eating a box of chocolates). Learn more about momentum here.

 What are your "momentum - vampires?"   
hitting the snooze button? getting down on yourself? thinking you have plenty of time? for better results maintaining momentum, identify the factors that keep you from being momentous as well as those that help build momentum.

Find Local Farmer's Markets Near You!

I'm always on the prowl for some fresh, ripe, delicious, juicy summer produce. And I don't really think getting it at the grocery store sounds like as great of an idea when you can have locally grown fruits & veggies for lower prices while still supporting the farms in your area.

Check out this site! LocalHarvest.org. You simply type in your city or zip, and it will give you a Google-powered map of places in your area where you can get local, fresh produce!

Bonus: Buying from farmers markets helps the environment by being one less contributor to the use of gas for shipping to grocers.

Simple & Delicious: Caprese Salad

Especially in the summertime, there is absolutely nothing in this world that tastes better to me than a Caprese Salad. Originated in Capri (as I'm sure you could assume) , this salad typically has tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, sometimes onion, and is dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. 

Here's what you do (no measurements necessary):

• Dice tomatoes
• Break up  mozzarella into small peices
• Chiffonade a few leaves of basil
• Add chopped onions if you'd like
• Dress with 2 parts EVOO and 1 part balsamic
• Salt & Pepper to taste!

As you can see from my lovely photo, I took the extra ingredients and did a little remix on my Caprese salad that included slices of baguette. I simply brushed the baguette slices with some extra virgin olive oil, and topped it with a slice of tomato, a slice of mozzerella, some of my basil chiffonade, and another drizzle of EVOO. Then, I broiled them on a cookie sheet for about ten minutes. The cheese melted beautifully and the bread was perfectly crispy on the outside/soft on the inside. It was delicious, refreshing, healthy, and my family was very impressed.

Return of The Rachel Zoe Project

    I was absolutely BANANAS for Season 1 of the Rachel Zoe Project on Bravo, and much to my delight, she's coming back to the small screen on August 25th!. Last season gave a tiny glimpse into the life of the sensitive yet OCD Mega-Stylist, who lives one of the most glam lives I've ever seen. Rachel's style is totally vintage/glam/bohemian/rock. You can see her talk about that very style and about her personal fashion idols here. Plus, you can sign up for her free daily fashion advice, straight to your inbox. Click here for more on the Zoe Report.

Quote of the Day

Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift.
-- Oprah Winfrey