Instant Karma: Namaste

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Today's Instant Karma said to stop the work that I was doing and place my hands in the position of Namaste, the position of respect and thanks.  Alas, today wasn't filled with work.  I woke up relatively early for the weekend because Michael was leaving to play baseball and instead of going, I stayed behind because I felt a little under the weather.  It was the perfect time to just relax and reflect.  

Aside from browsing the internet and watching too much Food Network and cheesy romcoms, I did take a minute out of my day to think about everything going on around me.  I thought about the priorities in my life, everything I've accomplished so far and everything I wanted to accomplish in the future.  Above all, I thought about what I was thankful for in that minute of my life: The family and friends I have, the rent free roof over my head, food, and more than anything, Michael who is not just my boyfriend but also my best friend when I need him to be.

I think that taking the time out of your day to think about these things really help, especially if your day has been stressful.  It's definitely something I want to continue doing. I think that it's easy to get lost in your own thoughts and let stress and anger take over your emotions.  A mini session of meditation definitely helps release some of the negative energy and, even in yoga, a concentration of your thoughts and breathing help you form a clearer plan on how to tackle whatever problem is presenting itself at the moment.  More than anything, just focus on the positive, focus on what you have and not what you want.
I'm glad I've returned to doing this series again, I can't wait to see what's next.
Namaste, Karen A.

Springtime.

Now that spring is in full force, Michael and I have been going on little walks with Mila.  It felt like winter had been here forever and I wasn't sure it would ever leave but New York definitely delivered with the prettiest spring.  There are daffodils in bloom, leafy trees everywhere, and just colorful flowers all over.  It is definitely exciting.  We live about a mile away from the closest grocery store so we've been walking and getting some fresh foods to cook on the weekends and on my days off.

In other news, the above picture was edited on the "A Beautiful Mess" iphone app that was released today and I am in love! It's just so cute and the writing, borders, and little signs and fonts are adorable. I've always loved their writing on the blog and the way their pictures look so I am beyond excited to use this app all the time.

This weekend, Michael and I will be doing a cancer walk for my friend.  The weather looks like it's going to be 65 degrees so I'm not happy about that (it's not warm until it reaches 80 degrees for me).   I am, however, happy about seeing my friend Maya and then going to brunch afterwards.  We're looking for relatively cheap brunch places in the city and so far Sunburnt Cow seems to be winning.  I heard brunch is like an Olympic sport in New York City, hopefully we don't have to wait an hour to eat. Super excited for the weekend even though it's only Tuesday!

Mother's Day

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day.  Though I could not be with my mother in person, I did Skype with her in California and was happy that she was having a great day celebrating with family back home.  I asked my little brother to send me a picture of me and my mother and this is the one he chose.  I really dig my mother's 80's vibe.  

I've been away from blogging for so long but I really want to get back into it.  I miss taking pictures and documenting all the little moments as life moves us forward.  Here are some highlights of the past few weeks:

1.  Michael passed the bar exam! I could not be more excited for this news.  We celebrated locally with drinks and it was just awesome.

2.  Despite having only been at my job for 3 months, I recently got a raise.  I love my job.  Working with animals every day is kind of amazing.

3.  Michael and I also celebrated our 3 year anniversary together.  Oh, how time flies!  We went to a restaurant in Roslyn called Besito.  Best Mexican food I've had since I've moved.  Why doesn't avocado come with every food?

xo.

Picnic.

With the spring season upon us, its time to get off the computer and head out to enjoy the beautiful weather.  When we moved to New York, one of the things I looked forward to the most was the changing seasons.  In California, we didn't have leaves changing colors or apple picking, and when spring finally arrived, it was hardly noticeable.   But here in New York, there are birds chirping, the weather gets significantly warmer and flowers bloom everywhere.  What better way to enjoy the beauty of nature than to have a picnic outdoors?  Honestly, dining without a roof over your head is a simple pleasure, whether it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

A friend of ours has  invited us to a Mexican picnic later this month at Central Park and we immediately said yes.  Not even a day later, I took to Pinterest to plan a feast.  Though not entirely "Mexican" related, I have decided that this spring we will hopefully be having many picnics because my head is already filled with ideas.
As far as drinks go, the main problem is packaging.  There are picnic baskets with plastic wine glasses which are handy so they don't break but I don't like having to clean them up after.  My favorite are Sofia Minis by Francis Ford Coppola Winery.  Tiny pink cans with perfect servings of sparkling white wine, they even have tiny straws attached! They're also only $5 a can or buy a pack of 4 for $20.  Anything else, alcoholic or not, I prefer to store in mason jars. The packaging is cute and you don't have to worry about spills.

Though the picnic I'm going to is Mexican food only, I did find a link for 101 easy recipes to get ready in 20 minutes or less specially for picnics. Really though, the main goal is to keep it simple.  Sandwiches are always a classic because you can make so many different variations and you don't even need a plate.

And finally, for the super fancy picnic lady:

 

Kate Spade New York's Champagne Box and Picnic Basket.  So adorable.  You can't really go wrong with Kate Spade :)

Birthday Boy.

Yes, I'm back!  I've been away for way too long.  I have to admit, I haven't had much going on.  I have been working hard at my job and my schedule has left little time for any other shenanigans.  The weather also didn't help but the good news is that the hot weather finally broke and it was a delicious 80 degrees in New York.  Also, more good news: my amazing boyfriend turned 25 this past Thursday! He is such an old man now (Jk! I'm 24. haha :D)  I got out late on Wednesday night but made it home in time to surprise him with cupcakes and a bottle of wine.  We also celebrated his birthday again on Saturday night by heading into the city and doing some exploring.  It wasn't as warm as it was today but it was beautiful and sunny, a perfect day for celebrating.  We started by heading to Gray's Papaya.  I know I try to be super healthy but my gross secret is that I actually consider hot dogs, like, my second favorite food ever. (First is sushi, OF COURSE)  Then after we hopped on the subway and headed to Grand Central station.  There is a restaurant/bar above Grand Central called the Campbell Apartment and I really wanted Michael to check it out.  If you love the 1920's, you would love this place.  It used to be an office to 1920's tycoon John Campbell and it specializes in cocktails from back in the day.  The decor is like a blast from the past.  We both fell in love!  The we headed to the east village for more drinking shenanigans.  It doesn't stop there, Michael also received Yankees tickets for the game this Saturday!  So excited! I'll definitely have pictures to share in addition to other fun posts.  (Like Instant Karma posts, I missplaced the book in the moving process and didn't find it until recently!) 
-Karen A.

Google Reader Madness.

This news of Google Reader being shut down has me distraught to say the least.  My mornings usually consisted of hot coffee, sitting quietly as Michael checks the computer and I cuddle on the couch behind him and check Google Reader where I keep ALL OF MY BLOGS.  I'm used to it, it was just easy for me. I just...

I know, however, that all of my whining will not bring Google Reader back (I don't think the petitions will work either but it's worth a try) so I have decided to give BlogLovin a try.  I've heard many good things about it and they even have an app so we will see how this works out.  If any of you lovelies would like to keep up with this little blog of mine, I do have an account there so just click the link on the left.  It's greatly appreciated :)

I still can't get over it though! Haha, I hope everyone else is taking it a lot better than I am.  Maybe I need to get out of the house more. :P

Nemo.

For all of you on the east coast, I'm sure you've all heard of the snowpocalypse that hit.  I have never been in blizzard conditions.  I'm from Southern California, for goodness sakes.  I had no clue what to expect but honestly, it was just so much fun. 

I love the snow.  It's probably because I didn't have any snow in my life growing up but when people complain about it here, I just laugh to myself.  Mila also loves it, as seen above.  She jumps around in it like a little bunny rabbit and dives nose first into the powder. 

Last night, Michael went outside to shovel snow and I assumed he took Mila with him.  After a few minutes where I didn't hear anything outside, I went to check on them both.  The door was slightly open, which I found odd.  I walked outside and called their names, thinking they were hiding behind the cars.  They weren't.  I walked out the driveway to find Michael walking back with his hand firmly on Mila's collar.  Apparently, Mila got loose and ran down the street.  Michael ran after her and lost his shoes on the way.  He chased her into backyards and down the open street for a few minutes before he finally caught her.  I felt so bad! And his shoes were never recovered.  Time to go shopping for new shoes!

I hope everyone stayed safe during the storm.  Personally I was scared that I would have to leave work at 9 at night and end up being stuck and unable to spend the night with Michael and Mila.  Luckily they let me leave early so we spent the afternoon cuddled in front of the TV.  Having forgotten to stock up on alcohol, we sipped on what we had left which ended up being champagne so we made mimosas for the night.  It was lovely and fun.

And now we wait for the snow to melt and for spring to arrive.