Simple Joys of the Week, January 10th Edition

Thus far, 2014 = "wicked cold" + much more relaxing than 2013 + already flying by + super fun. I don't know about you, but I'm thinking that if the past week or so is any indication, 2014 is going to be a great year. 
 
Later today, I'm heading to Boston to pick up one of my DC besties, who is coming to visit as a last hurrah before she has her second baby (due in late Feb!). I can't wait to see her and her cute preggers self, and can't wait to spend a weekend catching up and exploring the Cape together. 

But, I'm getting ahead of myself, as per ushe. Lets take a moment to reflect on the past week and discuss our simple, sensory joys, shall we? What brought you happiness over the pasy 7 days? My SJOTW are below...

HEAR: My new January playlist! 
For those who have been listening to/following my class playlists for a while, you'll notice that my music choices have shifted slightly since moving to the Cape. Here's why: 

Before we moved, when I was teaching in DC/VA, my music had gotten a bit out there [for yoga]. I was in my comfort zone, people knew me, they knew what to expect from my classes (musically and class level-wise), and I felt at ease experimenting with my music choices and mixing it up. However, now that I'm the new kid, I felt that I should reel it in a bit, so that people wouldn't be turned off or distracted by my music in class. Many of the teachers on the Cape use very traditional, quiet, relaxing yoga music, so I thought that playing Passion Pit in my first few months might not be the best idea. Therefore, my December and January playlists are still upbeat and I still stand by them 100%, they're just a bit less "progressive" for now ;) 

SEE: TEDx Talk by Lizzie Velasquez, entitled "How do YOU Define Yourself?"
Lizzie Velasquez has a strange, unknown genetic ailment that prevents her from gaining weight. She has never weighed more than 62 lbs (in her entire life!), and is also blind in her right eye. When she was 16 years old, she found a video of herself on YouTube labeled "The World's Ugliest Woman"--and the video had 4 million hits. However, she decided not to let ANY of this define her, and has become a true inspiration to others. I was very moved by her talk, which you can watch below. 

TASTE: "Hint of Lime" Tostitos Tortilla Chips
Don't judge, but I'm addicted to these tortilla chips. To the point where it would be wise for someone to stage an intervention. I enjoy them in moderation--I really do (!)--but I don't want to. I want to eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I want to eat an entire bag every day. I'm not going to, but I would if I could. I'm assuming this means that they've been chemically created in a lab somewhere, made to taste as incredible as possible so that you cannot put them down [I'm not dumb enough to think that the "hint of lime" is actually lime!], so although they're representative of many of the things that are wrong with food in America today, they're still a SJOTW. Sorry I'm not sorry.

SMELL: Clementines. Again. Forever. 
I've written about Clementines before, but if you're a long-term reader of this blog, you'll just have to know that once per year, when they're in season and I'm really enjoying them, they'll be back on SJOTW. They're just one of my favorite simple joys ever, every single year. In fact, I also love my former picture of them so much that I had to include it again. Three hoorays for Clementines! 

TOUCH: Putting together our "new" guest bedroom!
Ever since we moved to Cape Cod (back in November), I've been wanting to do something with our extra room--the one that we planned on turning into our guest bedroom--but that was currently a staging area for shipping artwork, storing empty boxes, and unpacked items that didn't have a home. Finally, yesterday, in preparation for our houseguest this weekend, I tackled the room. I put together the risers for the bed, I cleared all of the debris off of the floor, I made a makeshift bedside table (will have to do for now), and I hung a few pics on the wall. It's a real room! We can host guests now! I'm so excited! 

Other SJOTW? Teaching the first class of my new e-course on Wednesday evening, seeing Ben get sworn-in as an official Barnstable County Prosecutor (!), long walks outside in the cold, crisp air, watching Downton Abbey on the couch with my sweetheart, attending Sayde's first training class on Tuesday night, and teaching two *newly added* yoga classes :) 

I hope that your week was also FULL of simple, sensory joys, and that your weekend is even FULL-ER ;) Don't forget to take the time to stop and reflect!