Posts Tagged ‘fun’

You don’t have to go far to get some of the best food around. Here are my favorites!

Mexican: The Tortilla Press – Collingswood, NJ
Cuban: Casona – Collingswood, NJ
Chinese: King Wong – Marlton, NJ
Thai: Bangkok City – Voorhees, NJ
Vietnamese: Pho Eden – Cherry Hill, NJ
Korean: Myung Ga – Cherry Hill, NJ
Italian: Carollo’s – Marlton, NJ
Wings: The Pic-a-Lilli Inn – Shamong, NJ
Pizza: Tarentella’s – Medford, NJ
Sushi: Tokyo Bleu – Cinnaminson, NJ and Miyabi – Mount Laurel, NJ
Bagels: Medford Bagels – Medford, NJ
Hoagies: DiVello’s – Medford, NJ
Mussels Fra Diablo: Carollo’s – Cherry Hill, NJ
Crabcakes: Bobby Chez – Marlton, NJ
Water Ice: Leo’s Famous Yum Yum – Marlton, NJ
Ice Cream: Sundae’s – Berlin, NJ
Brunch: Izzie’s – Medford, NJ

Photo by Kevin H.

If you’re looking to push yourself a little harder and get “competitive” in a fun and friendly way, workout with a partner! It’s a great exercise approach — especially if you’re used to just doing your own thing.

Two awesome runners, kickboxers and fitness enthusiasts — Tina and Tasha — demonstrate an explosive and challenging partner exercise.

In this photo, Tasha is holding a plank position while Tina executes a side-to-side lateral jump.

Plank: Lie face down with palms flat on the floor, elbows aligned directly below your shoulders. Push yourself up into a position where your back is flat and your weight is in the balls of your feet and upper body/elbows. You can keep your hands flat on the ground or together as Tasha has hers placed. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for three to five reps.

To make the plank more challenging, hold the position with all your weight on one side. Keep one foot on the floor as you lift the opposite leg off the ground and “wrap” your foot closely around your base foot — crossing your ankles. Switch sides. If you are doing a plank without a partner, you may want to lift one leg straight up off the ground, hold, and switch sides.

Side-to-side lateral jump: Stand on one side of your partner, and bend your knees into a slight squat. In an explosive movement, jump over and to the side — landing with knees bent into a squat. Continue jumping from side to side for 10 seconds to one minute.

To make this jump less challenging, stand about one foot behind your partner — and do the same side-to-side movement.

To make this jump more challenging, tuck your knees up to your chest as you move side to side. Also, speed up your time — as soon as you land, explode into a jump in the other direction.

Photo by David Michael Howarth Photography.

Billy and I are like night and day — sometimes. I’m really out there and adventurous. I’ll do just about anything once. I talk too much and I wear my heart on my sleeve. Billy’s reserved. He’s private at times and not boastful, and likes to do his own thing. I like creative stuff like dance shows and plays — and he’s a horseshoe tournament champion and loves his Yankees and Giants. When we decided to do something together — he wasn’t into my mud runs, rock climbing, etc. — we picked tai chi. We had the special shoes and all.

What is tai chi? My definition = a slow, peaceful karate-dance.

Tai Chi promotes the circulation of chi — or life energy — within the body, encouraging wellness and vitality. Basically, you do a series of flowing movements and your body is in constant motion. The exercise is not strenuous — your feet are always planted, and your move your torso and arms in graceful, deliberate, and sequenced movements. They say tai chi can: reduce anxiety and depression; improve balance, flexibility and muscle strength; improve sleep quality; lower blood pressure; relieve chronic pain; increase energy, endurance and agility; and improve overall feelings of well-being.

It was a pretty cool experience. I’m not going to lie though — it was challenging! I’m very high energy, so I have a hard time being quiet and just calming my mind, moving slowly and measuring my breaths. Some of the moves were difficult to follow, but I think that’s with any new type of exercise until you get used to it. At the end of six weeks, I still didn’t think I was any good though. (Billy wasn’t any better! )

I really liked calm and gentle energy in the room …

If you’re looking to try a class, just do a quick search online. You might find that your local karate studio, gym or wellness center offers a tai chi program. You may even find a tai chi studio — TRY IT!

Photo by Diana bella computer is in hospital’s.

You never know what you’re going to find when you go exploring the local flea market. It’s a one stop shop for all kinds of food, music, jewelry, cell phone accessories, things “As Seen On TV” and the latest trends — right now, scarves in high demand. To me, that’s a wonderful thing.

I first fell in love with flea markets as a little kid. Every Saturday, my dad used to take my brother and I to the Berlin Farmer’s Market (Berlin, NJ). I remember holding on to two of my dad’s fingers or and even riding on his shoulders. We’d get gigantic flavored popcorn balls and those little boxes of white things that < <::SNAP::>> when you throw them. (Does anyone know what they’re called?) That’s where I fell in love with that cardboard/pizza rink pizza, orange soda and Bubblicious gum.

One time, my dad got us a bunch of parakeets! We had an entire cage full. Oh, the best was when he’d get freshly cut cheesesteak from the butcher and we’d have homemade sandwiches for lunch.

Now, it’s a treat to go to the flea market. I usually go with my BFF, Danielle to the Columbus Farmer’s Market (Columbus, NJ). It’s pretty routine — she comes to my house on a Sunday at 8ish and we head out. On the ride, we catch up and listen to music, stop to get cash at Wawa and put a shopping strategy together.

We’ve gone through a number of obsessive buying trends — for example, those stretchable Italian charm bracelets and “designer” handbags. I remember when my dad got us “Oakley” windbreakers there! Man, I was the coolest thing in sixth and seventh grade.

Now, Danielle gets her candles from a store inside; I get “meat on a stick” (yes, that early); we eat Pete’s Pizza; and get bags of candied nuts. The last time we were there, I got a pile of hair accessories for $5. It was four for $1, fill a bag for $5. No lie, it was all stuff by Conair and Goody. I strategically stacked everything inside the little plastic bag. I swear, there were 25+ packages of pins, clips, rubber bands, headbands, etc. — all with cute designs on them.

I guess the main reason I like to go is to walk around, get exercise and try new foods like roasted corn, fried oreos or pizza on a braided pretzel. You never know what kind of bargains or random things you can buy or eat!
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I love living serendipitously — accepting invitations, taking chances, starting conversations and learning whatever I possibly can. With this outlook, the sun is always shining. The opportunities unfold. I laugh a little harder … and I’m less stressed because life’s an adventure.

I’m amazed at the people I’ve met. Published authors, athletes, crafters, designers, business owners … it’s pretty awesome. And, I’m happy with my adventures and the stories that go with them — mud runs, flea markets, photo shoots, traveling, trapeze classes, rock climbing, fundraisers … and more.

There is so much out there, and it’s a shame that sometimes we get so “stuck” in routine. Well, you know what? I encourage you to do something different and have an open mind about it. Try a new class. Have lunch with a co-worker. Cook a new recipe. Host a theme party. Volunteer. Set a new goal. Start a new hobby.

When you open yourself up to adventure, you never know what could come of it. Life is meant to be enjoyed. GO FOT IT!

Photo by happyshooter.

If you don’t know Daniel Tosh, you’re missing out on life. Daniel Tosh is by far, the funniest person I know. Seriously, I KNOW him. Well, maybe I just watch his show — Tosh.O — follow him on Twitter and am a fan on Facebook. But if he wasn’t famous, we’d totally be friends.

So this is his deal. He’s got his show on Comedy Central. Right now, the second season is over. But you can watch him on Comcast On Demand (assuming you’re a Comcast customer). You can also stalk him out on DanielTosh.com, follow his blog and get show updates on the Comedy Central website.

He’s hilariously random. On Tosh.O — kinda like Talk Soup, but not really at all — he shows all these random video clips and cracks jokes. I’m trying to think of a good one to explain, but I don’t want you to think I’m a mean or racist person. That’s exactly it though. He’s pretty offensive. But the good thing is that he offends everyone equally, so it’s all ok. In fact, I like his Asian jokes. (I’m Filipino so I can say that.) Here’s an example — he had all these clips of Asians Doing Christopher Walken Impressions.

Recently, he had this whole thing on Surprise Trust Falls.

That’s all I got about Daniel. You gotta see it for yourself.

Daniel, if you’re reading this … and you just might be (because you have nothing better to do) … if you want to be in my wedding, you totally can. You can dance down the aisle in the church, and you can carve the roasted pigs at the reception. Actually, there are two more groomsmen than bridesmaids, so there is definitely a place for your somewhere. LMK!

Photo from DanielTosh.com.

Last night was a great night to TweetUp. Special thanks to Chef Mark Smith of Tortilla Press (Collingswood, NJ) and Tortilla Press Cantina (Pennsauken, NJ) for hosting our fun night!

What’s a TweetUp?
A TweetUp is when Twitter friends meet up in person. TweetUps can have a theme, an agenda or just a designated date, time and place.

Host your own TweetUp.
Pick a date, time and place. For this TweetUp, Dawn Bricker and I spoke (actually tweeted) with Mark and got his “ok” to host at the Tortilla Press Cantina. We picked a date that worked for all of us, and moved quickly with promoting the event.

Get the word out. Similar to our last few TweetUps, we assigned the hashtag “#SJTweetUp.” Adding the hashtag (“#”) makes the subject SJTweetUp “searchable” on Twitter. So, you can search for “#SJTweetUp” or click on “#SJTweetUp” within someone’s tweet to find more information or people that are tweeting about that subject.

For example, some tweets to promote tonight’s event were:

@AllThingsGwen: #SJTweetUp tonight at @TortillaPress Cantina – Pennsauken, NJ. You’ll meet @dawnbricker @chefmarksmith and many others! http://ow.ly/1dbqv

@kdevito: Tweetup Tonight: #SJTweetUp RSVP here: http://twtvite.com/c4jbaa #SJTweetUp #twtvite

@EileenOBrien: South Jersey friends join me & @allthingsgwen for margaritas at #SJTweetUp tonight 6-8 pm @TortillaPress: http://ow.ly/1dbqv

Communicate and RSVP. We used Twtvite to get the word out and keep things organized. It was easy to type in the event details and include our hashtag, #SJTweetUp. From there, we included a link to the Twtvite within our tweets — similar to http://ow.ly/1dbqv or http://twtvite.com/c4jbaa in the examples above.

Plan event logistics. We brought name tags — so people could write and “wear” their name and twitter name. We also brought index cards so we could collect names and contact information. That way, we could all contact each other after the event.

Other than that, we just had fun with it! Awesome food, fun tweople and a great night out!
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Hello, Friends! I’m wishing you an awesomely healthy and energized week. Hope you like this “mixed tape” I put together — just for you! Feel free to comment or add your own suggestions. I have more mixes coming soon.

1. “BOYZ” – MIA
2. “American Boy” – Estelle
3. “Boom Boom Pow” – Black Eyed Peas
4. “Make it Clap” – Busta Rhymes
5. “I’m a Hustla” – Cassidy
6. “Do it to It” – Cherish
7. “Love Lockdown” – Kanye West
8. “Bonafied Lovin’” – Chromeo
9. “Shawty Get Loose” – Lil’ Mama
10. “King of the Dancehall” – Beenie Man
11. “Jook Gal” – Elephant Man, etc.
12. “Calabria” – Enur
13. “Get Me Bodied” – Beyonce
14. “Long Way to Go” – Cassie
15. “D.A.N.C.E.” – Justice

Photo by massdistraction.

Sometimes, being “sexy” and feeling “sexy” is a state of mind. It’s true … when you look great — you feel great! In honor of Valentine’s Day, get a little flirty, fun and playful with your workout routine.

Here are some creative fitness moves you can do at home. All you’ll need is a chair, music of your choice and good attitude.

Hip roll, head roll – Stand behind your chair. Roll your hips to the right and to the left. Then, roll your head to the right and to the left for a quick stretch. Keep one or both hands on the chair for balance. Suggested: Do one to two sets of 15 reps.

Long stride, short stride – Take a sexy walk around your chair. Try big steps and work your way around with just five steps. Take small steps and work your way around with 10 or more steps. Suggested: Go around the chair a total of 10 times, alternating your stride (5 steps – 5 times; 10 steps – 5 times).

Close-open, close-open – Sit on your chair and open and close your legs. Make your movements slow and measured to really work your inner and outer thighs. You can also add your own “resistance.” Focus on squeezing your outer thighs with each “open” movement, and squeeze your inner thighs as you bring your knees together. For an extra challenge, keep your feet off the ground and grip the seat underneath you for balance. Suggested: Do three sets of 15.

Flirty kick – Sit on your chair and move forward so you’re on the edge. Lean back and grip the seat underneath you. Lift your legs up, squeeze your abs tightly, keep your knees together and kick — tiny little kicks — to work your abs. Suggested: Do three sets at 30 seconds each set.

Drop it like it’s hot – Sit down on your chair and stand up — to work your quads, hamstrings and glutes. Concentrate on that squat position to make a 90⁰ angle with your lower half and squeeze your glutes tightly as you stand back up. Suggested: Do three sets of 15.

Dip, baby dip – Stand with your back facing the front your chair. Grip the edge of the seat and keep your fingertips facing toward you. Bend your elbows to make a 90⁰ angle and bend your knees to make a 90⁰ angle. Lift and lower — keeping your hips up — to work your triceps. For more of a challenge, do the same arm movement and keep your legs straight and extended. Suggested: Do three sets of 15.

Sexy lunge – Stand behind your chair and push one leg back, squeezing your glutes. Bend your front leg and make sure your knee is on top of your ankle at a 90⁰ angle. Hold on the back of the chair and slowly pull your back leg up to meet your front leg to work your legs, hamstrings and glutes. Suggested: Do this 15 times each side — two to three sets.

Lean back – Sit on your chair backwards. Hold on the back of the chair and lean back to stretch and exercise your back. Shake your head to toss your hair! Do three sets of 15.

Step-up and walk away – Place one foot on the seat of your chair. Push though the heel of that foot and step up to pull yourself up and work your quads, hamstrings and glutes. Step down and walk away. Do this 15 times each side — two to three sets.

Open and up – Lay with your back on the ground in front of your chair. Stretch your arms out to the side or keep them under your hips. Open your legs to be on either side of the bottom of the chair, then bring your legs together to work your abs. Do three sets of 15.

If you want, show your “honey” these sexy fitness moves … and enjoy your night!

This blog was also featured on MrsMosNJ.com. Photo by B G.

I asked my Twitter friends to tweet me their favorite quote. Below is what they sent. Enjoy the inspiration!

@Amethystnangels: “Well-behaved women rarely make history!” — Unknown

@>@mikeshippey: “There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there you’ll be fee if you truly wish to be.” — Willy Wonka

@>@michellemyers24: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.” — Wayne Gretzky

@>@Lalicat: “There is a place where you can touch a woman that will drive her crazy. Her heart.” — Unknown

@>@LesMacDee: “If you listen carefully, everything sings.” — Warren Deer

@>@ToddWeissCFA: “Work like you don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never been hurt. Dance like nobody’s watching.” — Satchel Paige

@>@PrincessLV: “All great achievements require time. “— Maya Angelou

@>@onepowerfullady: “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but the spirit of power, love and self disipline.” — 2 Timothy 1:7

@>@AmyTara19: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” — Jimi Hendrix

@>@liakov: “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” — Frankie Lora

@>@onlyoneHalcyone: “The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter.” — Unknown

@>@JeffMello: “In every passionate pursuit … the pursuit counts more than the object pursued.” — Bruce Lee

Photo by @>Niklas Plessing.