fall Archives - Popcorn and Pandas

3 Week Yoga Retreat

I was an athlete growing up, but yoga is something I discovered in my 20’s after college. Being that person who was always into cardio heavy sports like soccer and basketball, yoga was quite a switch. The quiet, calm music…having to hold balance and stay still in a position for an extended period of time. It was definitely different. But the moment I tried it for the first time, I knew I loved it. There was just something about it that made me feel AMAZING after it was all over. It was a different feeling than I had experienced from exercise before. I normally felt exhausted, tired, banged up, bruised, sore, and more after a soccer or basketball game. But after yoga I felt rejuvenated. I felt a clear mind. I felt a release of stress, tension, and anxiety. I knew that yoga would not be going anywhere in my life.

While living in New York, I have had the pleasure of attending amazing yoga classes from my favorite teacher Brian Williams! If you haven’t taken a punk rock yoga class before, or a class on top of a roof in this amazing city, this guy will rock your world. Seriously. I am still dreaming of taking his week long yoga retreat vacation to some beautiful, tropical location. One of these days, I will make it happen.

But for now…since becoming a mom, it’s nearly impossible for me to make a yoga class (or any other classes for that matter). When my older son was about 18 months, I finally decided to get back into shape by taking my workouts to the living room. I quickly found out I was pregnant with baby #2 and I was going to need something more low impact than P90X. I WISHED Beachbody had a yoga program at that time, but they didn’t. The closest thing they had was PiYo, and I absolutely loooooooooved it. This combo of pilates/yoga/cardio/sculpt/strength + Chalene Johnson will always have a special place in my heart. However, it was not truly yoga.

I am THRILLED that as of yesterday, Beachbody has launched a new *** 3 WEEK YOGA RETREAT *** that you can do inside your own living room!!!! This is the program I have been waiting for!!!! Now I don’t have to feel left out because I can’t make the classes, but I can do them from home. 21 different yoga workouts for 21 days. On demand, so you can not only do them at home, but wherever you need to go. Pretty amazing.

The super yogis will love this, but it’s even better for those just beginning or those needing a low impact workout.

I’m currently doing Hammer + Chisel as you may have seen from my posts yesterday, but I seriously cannot wait to rock out this yoga program as soon as I am finished! I already know that I will love it. <3

Hope you all had an awesome Labor Day Weekend! I cannot believe they are already serving pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks. I am sad for the summer to end, but I do love the fall. School also starts this week for my oldest guy which is crazy! He will be in a 3’s program this year, and it will also be my first experience as a mom packing lunches! Is it weird that I oddly excited about that? I am also a bit excited to get started in our new routine. Yesterday, I was feeling all “Bring Back the Summer,” but today I think I’m embracing the new season.

Namaste!!!

Gina

{36} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull, the co-founder of Pixar on creativity and inspiration in business. It’s one that I have wanted to read for awhile having worked in the animation industry for 8 years. Now with running my own business, I figured it would be a good read.

writing Content for my next team call I am leading for my coaches on time management. So many people ask how the heck I have time to do everything that I do…I am no magic fairy. I have the same amount of time as everyone else. Some days I have it together…and some days I am a crazy person. It’s all about prioritizing, making the most of your time, and nixing things in life that are huge time wasters!

listening To the rain falling down on my window pane…and also, the laundry machine.

thinking About the holidays. Can’t believe it’s all right around the corner. Although it can be stressful at times, it’s definitely my most favorite time of the year.

smelling You don’t want to know…but I have two kids in diapers at home…so take a wild guess. (GROSS, Gina!) I know, but that is my life 😉

watching I don’t watch a ton of TV anymore, but I do allow myself a bit here and there. I have been watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix, and I am a fan!

wishing A lifetime of happiness for my BFF who got married last weekend. And for my cousin who is saying “I do” on Saturday.

hoping For sunshine tomorrow.

wearing Another pair of jeans from my pre-pregnancy closet. SCORE! Loving this 21 Day Fix! Also a flowy top, striped cardigan, and red rainboots.

loving This personalized bar necklace from Brickyard Buffalo. Thinking about this as an updated “Mommy Necklace” to have both of my boys close to my heart.

wanting A raincoat. I can’t believe I have lived in NYC for over 8 years now, and have never owned a raincoat. What is wrong with me? What do you all think of this one?

needing Some hot tea with honey. It’s feeling like fall today.

feeling Energized. Healthy. Strong.

craving Something sweet. Hence why it’s time to go make that hot tea with honey.

clicking Through some healthy recipes and yoga moves for my upcoming Namaste November Free Challenge. There is still time to join if you are interested! Let me know in the comments below.

HAPPY TUESDAY!

What have you been up to lately?

XO,

Gina

{29} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading Just started The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, and so far it has my attention.

writing I have been writing a ton lately. A few opportunities have arisen lately in the writing world, and it’s all very exciting! I’m not quite ready to share yet, but keep a look out in the next month!

listening Love this song, Stay, by tyDi featuring Dia Frampton (Frank Pole Remix)

thinking We had a lovely Friendsgiving dinner at our house the other night. We decided to do a sit down and all write things we are thankful for about each other. We also had a new addition to the crew this year as my friend brought her newborn baby. I am very thankful for my NYC Upper East side loves.

smelling (and eating) lots of pumpkin pie! Mmmm.

watching The hubby and I watched 12 Years A Slave over the weekend. It was an incredible film, and also extremely heartbreaking. I was pretty much in tears the entire time.

wishing Everyone safe travels and a Happy Thanksgiving!

hoping That all my little soccer students enjoyed our session! We had our last class of the season yesterday. It was a lot of fun, and it was definitely a learning experience coaching such young children (ages 2-5) !

wearing Lots of plaid and aztec prints this fall.

loving At how quickly Nico is picking up new words. He is like a little parrot right now just copying everything we say. It’s super adorable, but I realize I also need to start watching my potty mouth!

laughing At Weird Things All BFFs do.

wanting To find some time to edit my personal photos. I am super back-logged! Maybe I will get a chance over the break, although that is probably wishful thinking.

needing To get packing. We are heading back to Maryland for the holiday, and excited to see family and friends.

feeling Motivated.

craving What else? Thankgiving food. Turkey, stuffing, corn, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. All the essentials.

clicking Through family photos to try and pick one for the holiday card this year.

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you all enjoy the holiday week!

XO,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

{28} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading I Am Hutterite by Mary Ann Kirby. An inside peek into the life into a Hutterite community (similar to Amish), leaving the community, adapting to the English world, and trying to reclaim a heritage.

writing A practice schedule for today’s soccer class this afternoon. Since I have some free time on my hands these days and there was desire for a soccer class in the neighborhood, I have spent the last few weeks obtaining a permit from the Prospect Park office, and my class is now ready to go! We had our first one last week, and seemed to go well, so my assistant, Nico, and I are looking forward to the next 8 weeks of soccer fun.

listening To a lot of kid’s music. Luckily, we have amazing bands like The Dad Beats around here which makes listening to kid’s music (somewhat) bearable.

thinking About the next steps I want to take career-wise. Soccer class is great, my Poshmark closet is selling well, and I love spending time with my little Nico, but still craving something a little more creative in my life on the job front (that – full disclosure – can also bring in a little more cash for the family). I have a few ideas in mind, but still researching and will see what might come about.

smelling I can still smell those apple cider donuts in my mind that we ate at Stakey’s Farm on Sunday. Mmmmazing.

watching I FINALLY watched The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. I was a big fan of the series, but wasn’t able to get to the movie theatre when this one was released. It was everything I thought it would be.

wishing Congratulations to Nico’s former nanny who just presented the world with a brand new baby girl last night! So happy for her, and can’t wait to meet that baby!

hoping To find some time to carve the amazing pumpkins we got from the patch. I always say I want to carve, and then I rarely get around to it.

wearing My new custom made Guilty Jean bracelet given to me as a gift from a dear friend. The coordinates are from the place where we originally met. Love love love it!

loving The fact that our neighborhood is currently the set of the newest Steven Spielberg movie starring Tom Hanks. He’s pretty much my favorite actor. And I got to see him on set yesterday which was pretty damn amazing. The film is also starring a friend of mine who I met on an airplane, who at the time was a soap opera actor and asked me to rehearse lines with him on the plane. Although, I was incredibly embarrassed, I obliged because he was so nice. He’s now making movies with Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Way to make it big Billy Magnussen! Can’t wait to see you rock out this film.

laughing At how my son continuously manages to outsmart me.

wanting A date night for the hubby and I in the near future. It’s been too long!

needing To figure out what I am going to be wearing to the black-tie optional wedding we are invited to this weekend! And needing to figure out what Nico will be wearing as well. Looking forward to seeing my cousin walk down that aisle!

feeling So proud of my little guy who took his first steps this weekend! He took even more yesterday, and this mama is going to be in big trouble soon!

craving Candy corn. I’m still wondering why we only eat this one month out of the year.

clicking Away on career research. Thinking of making a switch up. We shall see!

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you are all having a fantastic week!

XO,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

Pattern Mixing

Striped Top: H&M – similar here and here / Floral Skater Skirt: H&M – similar / Sparkly Flats: Nine West / Heart Tote: ban.do / Sunglasses: Vintage Kenneth Cole / Watch: Michael Kors / Necklace: Barami / Lip: MAC Snob / Nails: Essie Sexy Divide

Here is the last of my summer outfit posts, and it’s definitely feeling like fall now. To keep wearing these pieces into the new season, you could always throw on a pair of tights under the skirt or a blazer over the top. I am very into getting as much use as possible out of every article of clothing in my closet for as long as I can! I love the idea of pattern mixing, and I think it works as long as you stay in a similar color palette. Stripes and florals are two of my favorites, so why not mix them together?

This past weekend, we took Nico to the pumpkin patch, and my what a difference from last year to this year! He was so excited about the orange “balls” as he called them, and was crawling all around the patch exploring. We drove out to Stakey’s Farm on the North Fork of Long Island for pumpkin picking, apple cider donuts, and a corn maze. We also stopped off a Briermere Farm for apples and a raspberry creme pie. One way to get me to embrace the colder weather is certainly through my stomach.

Hope you are all having a great week so far!

XO,

Gina

Autumn Days

Autumn is here, which means beautiful foliage to view in Prospect Park. We took a walk over the weekend and enjoyed both the beautiful colors and the warm sunshine. We sauntered over to Drummer’s Cove, which is always a fun place to view people from all walks of life coming together to create music. What are some of your favorite things to do in autumn?

Speaking of autumn…today almost feels like winter! Luckily, the sun is out, but it looks like it’s time to not only start layering but also bundling!

Happy Thursday friends.

XO,

Gina

Cheetah is My Favorite Color

This is probably one of my favorite posts, because of this amazing cheetah jacket I found on sale last winter for only $30! Can you believe that? This faux baby is insanely soft, comfortable and perfect for a night out on the town. I had a big group of friends up visiting last weekend from Maryland, and I wore this out to our group dinner at Supper in the East Village. The family style Italian was to die for, and we had our own private room where it was completely appropriate to start our own dance party. We ended the night at Sing Sing with a little karaoke; always a crowd favorite with my group of friends. Oh what a night!

Cheetah Coat: Ann Taylor LOFT (on sale last winter) / Peplum Top: StyleMint / Skinny Jeans: Zara / Sunglasses: Ann Taylor LOFT / Turquoise Bubble Necklace: Cheerfully Charmed / Butterfly Ring: nOir / Watch: Betsey Johnson / Bow Bracelet: BaubleBar / Polka Dot Bracelet: BaubleBar – sold out but yellow for sale / Buckle Bracelet: Wanderlust + Co. / Shoes: Aldo (old) / Earrings: Aldo / Bag: TJMaxx / Lip: MAC Venomous Villians Cruella de Vil Heartless w/ Wicked Ways Gloss

Photos by: Zack Notes

{Style Envy} Kelly Green Blazer

Blazer: Apt 9 Kohls – similar / Peplum Top: H&M – this one with sequins from LuLu’s is also fun! / Pants: Nordstrom / Shoes: BCBG via TJMaxx / Watch: Michael Kors / Earrings: Forever 21 / Necklace: Forever 21 / Lip: MAC Craving

So here is the 2nd edition of my “Style Envy” segment with my beautiful cousin, Alex. Creator of the beautiful homecoming signs from yesterday’s post, she is also stylish with her wardrobe. You saw her sister, Marisa, in the first edition of “Style Envy,” and the two of them are a fabulous shopping duo. They make some of the best finds and score some of the most awesome deals, like with this stunning kelly green blazer. I’m clearly into colorful blazers at the moment, and this one has such a gorgeous hue; I couldn’t wait to shoot it. I think it looks especially adorable with the peek of peplum coming out from underneath.

What are some of your favorite trends this fall?

Marvelous Mustard

Mustard Blazer: Piperlime by Tinley Road / Blouse: Piperlime by Ark & Co. / Jeans: Seven for All Mankind / Sequined Ballet Flats: Nine West Outlet / Chevron Ring Stack: BaubleBar / Bracelets: J. Crew, BaubleBar (black sold out – in light blue or light pink), BaubleBar, Wanderlust + Co / Lip: Lancome All Done Up / Nails: Essie Over the Edge

I’ve been scouring the world wide web for a yellow blazer, and I finally found the perfect one at Piperlime! As much as I love going shopping, I rarely get out to the stores as much as I used to because of my busy travel schedule. So lately, I have resorted to internet shopping. I know that can usually be hit or miss, but recently, I have managed to get a lot more hits! I have found that the more reviews on the product the better, so you can see beforehand if it’s worth the buy. I hit gold at Piperlime with both this blazer and the blouse underneath. And to top off the look, I recently purchased this Chevron Stack ring from BaubleBar. They did a collection with blogger Blaire Eadie of Atlantic-Pacific, and there are tons of amazing pieces I suggest you check out. I liked this one in particular, because it comes with 5 colors of stackable rings which you can mix and match according to your outfit or preference that day.

A lot of people have been asking how they can help with the Hurricane Sandy relief. I have listed a bunch of websites with tons of information on how you can participate.

Terps Sandy Service Day

Village Voice lists opportunities

NYC Service

Team Rubicon

Style blogger Keiko Lynn lists opportunities

Occupy Sandy

Join the Sandy Swap group on Facebook for Staten Island updates

List of shelters from Red Cross

NY still needs your help, so if you haven’t already donated or volunteered, please do!

Navy Peplum & Black

Peplum Top: ASOS – now on sale! / Black Skinny Pant: Zara / Bow Studded Leather Pumps: Betsey Johnson – now on sale! / Necklace: Barami NYC / Panda Ring: nOir / Watch: Betsey Johnson / Lip: MAC Impassioned

Well, things are starting to get a little bit back to normal here in NYC. There were delays on my subway commute for obvious reasons, but I am super impressed with how quickly NYC is coming back from the disaster named Sandy. I am back to work today and trying to get back into the swing of things. Unfortunately, there are still people out there who need our help, and so I am looking for any opportunities to volunteer with Sandy relief this week if there is anything I can do after work, or for anything during the daytime this weekend. Let me know if you hear of anything!

In other news, I escaped from the city for a quick trip to Maryland this weekend for my high school ten year reunion…yes I said TEN years! How fast does time fly? The Archbishop Spalding Class of 2002 held our reunion at Yellowfin in Annapolis, and it was a blast. There were about 50 of my classmates there, and it was so great to see everyone and catch up. It was a little funny to have name tags on considering in this day and age, most people are on Facebook, and we really know a lot about what everyone is doing already. But it was still nice to have some face to face conversations with friends I hadn’t seen in awhile. ASHS is a place that I remember fondly, and I really enjoyed my four year experience there. It’s a place that I made some of my best friends and a place where we created memories I will never forget.

“We’re the best, you know it’s true. We’re the class of 2002!” -our class cheer 😉