Geek in Heels - Page 47

Jun 2, 2012 • In Art/Design, Geek, Wishlist

Reebok X Marvel Limited Edition Sneakers

Athletic apparel company Reebok has teamed up with Marvel (!) to design a limited edition of shoes that were inspired by some of the comic powerhouse’s most popular superheros.

Perhaps they are emulating the success of the Star Wars & Adidas collaboration (previously featured here and here)? Perhaps they are capitalizing on the current wave of fantastic superhero movies and related merchandise?

Whatever the reason, you can bet that these will be in high demand, and will be snatched up by geeks and sneaker aficionados alike.

My favorites are Captain America, Deadpool, and Black Widow. Which ones are yours?

Captain America:
Continue reading »

Disney Characters as Hunger Games Contestants

My vote is on Shang and Mulan to win. Who would you pick?

Via 9GAG.

P.S. — I know I’m about 2 months late on this, but I absolutely LOVED The Hunger Games movie. I honestly believe it was the best book-to-movie adaptation I have ever seen. I can’t wait until Catching Fire and Mockingjay are released in theaters!

P.P.S. — Speaking of popular books, what’s the big deal with Fifty Shades of Grey? Is it worth reading? Is it just as the SNL Amazon Mother’s Day Ad portrays it to be?

Hot Yoga: 10 lbs in 6 Classes!

One of the steps I am taking on my road to recovery is to exercise — not only for the physical benefits, but for the added endorphines as well.

As mentioned in a previous post, my doctors have recommended yoga to help my neck heal and as a way to help me relax. I also remembered reading that Tony Horton, the founder of P90x, said in an interview that if he had to choose just one type of exercise, he would go with yoga.

The problem was that I have always found yoga to be boring in the past. So to make it more interesting for myself, I decided to check out hot yoga.

(I thought it was interesting to learn that there is a difference between hot yoga and Bikram yoga. In a nutshell, all Bikram yoga is hot, but not all hot yoga is Bikram.)

I was able to find a hot yoga studio near my parents’ house, and as luck would have it, the same company has a studio near where we live. My sister had warned me about the potential dangers of hot yoga, but I knew that my laziness would not allow me to push myself too far. I thoroughly read through the FAQs (what to expect, what to bring, etc.) and mentally prepared myself for my first class.

As I signed in at my first class, I told the instructor that this was my very first hot yoga class. She was welcoming and enthusiastic (without being annoyingly peppy), and told me that my goal for my first couple of classes should be just to stay for the entire 90 minutes. She added that I should not feel bad about myself if I am not able to do certain poses, or if I even need to sit down or lie down to give myself a break during class. Also, if I had to leave the room, I should just make eye contact with her to let her know that I’m okay, and quietly leave.

The studio I attend is simply gorgeous.

During my first class, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was not in quite as bad shape as I thought. I only had to sit out a couple of poses, and — the best part — I was able to stay the entire 90 minutes!

As for the heat? I had expected the room to be uncomfortably hot and humid, stuffy and malodorous. However, while the room WAS hot, it was not unbearably so. And the smell? The entire room smelled clean — no B.O. or harsh chemical smells — just a nice, fresh scent. Additionally, ceiling fans would periodically run to keep the air circulated during class. (Later, I was to learn that the studio cleans and disinfects everything between classes, and that they adhere to a very strict range of heat and humidity.) Continue reading »

Giveaway: Too Faced “The Naked Look” Makeup Palette

Thank you all for all your kind comments and messages regarding my last post on depression.

I am doing better, but I believe that we are still a long ways to go to start feeling like my normal self again.

My therapist is encouraging me to partake in activities I once enjoyed, and to take up old (and perhaps some new) hobbies again. To carve out some time for myself each day, even if it’s just a few minutes, to do something that will be beneficial for my own well-being. And as we started to create a list of things I can do, I realized something:

I’ve missed blogging.

So I’m back. I can’t promise that I’ll blog every day like I used to, but I want to try. Because as I once told a good friend, even when things got so hectic and life seemed so chaotic, blogging was an activity I looked forward to because I had full control over it, and I knew that I was doing at least an okay job of it.

And to celebrate my return, I’ve decided to host a small giveaway —

One lucky winner will receive a Too Faced “The Naked Look” makeup palette!

I received this palette after trading in 500 Sephora Beauty Insider points. I always save up my points forever, waiting for something good to come along, and when I saw this palette as an available perk, I was immediately reminded of my Smashbox Perfectly Polished Lids Giveaway and decided to snatch it up for my readers. Continue reading »

At a Crossroads

My “big announcement” isn’t so much of an announcement as it is an update for those who read this and genuinely care about what has been going on in my life and what caused, and will continue to contribute to my absence from this blog.

My depression has returned. I am back on therapy and meds.

I am not entirely sure what caused my black hole of despair to return. Sometimes there really is no reason for depression — it is a horrible illness I would not wish on my worst enemy — but I do know that the past couple of years have been particularly rough on me, and the past few months have been some of the most trying on me and my family.

I knew that I needed help when I would start crying whenever I was alone. And because finding ANY alone time is so difficult these days, I would cry the most while in the bathroom. A hot blubbering mess in the shower? A regular occurrence. Sobbing while on the crapper? As pathetic as it sounds, this happened/happens all too often.

I knew that I needed help when I had a sudden urge to smack my child for being fussy. I have NEVER had violent thoughts toward my children before and this scared the crap out of me. I called J at work in tears, and asked him to come home immediately because I didn’t trust myself with the girls.

I knew that I needed help when just the act of getting out of bed became too unbearable to even think about. When I looked forward to each and every day with dread. When I failed to see joy in my children’s smiles. When I wanted SO badly to check myself into a mental institution and the only thing holding me back was knowing that we could not afford it.

I knew that I needed help when I began to have repeated and detailed thoughts of death and suicide and how much better off all my loved ones would be without me.

Both my psychiatrist and psychologist have told me that my getting out of bed, getting dressed and making it to their offices were courageous acts. They tell me that if I were not brave, I would have given in to the disease. I would not be taking care of my kids and trying to support my parents despite the fact that it physically pains me to even just sit up. When it takes all my energy to not be crying ALL the time.

But I certainly do not feel courageous.

And as much as I love my parents, even after all my struggles with depression in the past, they still questioned me when I finally confessed to them my condition: can it be that I’m just being overly dramatic, too pessimistic, too selfish, too irresponsible, and too lazy?

Who knows? Perhaps they are right. I am working hard to find the answer.

Healing and Recovering in the Suburbs

There has been sooo much going on in my life lately that I do not know quite where to begin.

First, my neck is recovering nicely. I am still in a bit of pain but it is nowhere near as bad as it was two weeks ago, and through acupuncture and chiropractic therapy I am even slowly regaining the reflexes in my right arm!*

My chiropractor tells me that I now only need to return to him if my pain worsens. As for acupuncture, I am continuing the sessions because our focus has now shifted to lessening my stress levels and trying to reverse the physical damages that it has already caused to my body. I am taking hanyak, the Asian herbal medicine, and receiving acupuncture sessions once a week.

Both doctors have strongly recommended yoga as a form of exercise, relaxation technique, and additional therapy for my back and neck. I have always found yoga to be boring in the past (I much prefer fast, high-impact routines), but then again I have only tried it by myself at home with DVDs and I now believe that being in a class setting with a licensed instructor may be more beneficial for someone like me. As such, I will begin yoga classes next week!

(I am also hoping that yoga will help me get back into shape. I know that it will not be a miracle worker, but here’s to hoping that it will be the first step toward getting back into my pre-pregnancy clothes.)

How do I make time to go to doctors and yoga classes with two young kids? While it may be true that me and the girls are staying at my parents’ and have three people — my parents and my sister — around for help, they all have work too. They have been rotating their schedules so that at least one person is home with me at all times, but this can get tremendously difficult and it always does not work out. Additionally, I still hardly ever get breaks (when both doctors tell me that I need as much rest as possible) because there’s usually one adult per baby.

So we have decided to send Claire to daycare, at least temporarily.

Right before I took this picture, I asked Claire, “How old are you?”

We have discovered that there is an in-home daycare just two houses down from my parents’! It has been running for over 15 years (funny how I never noticed it until now — despite my YEARS of walking and driving by it — and stupidly thinking that the people living there must be a large family) and has received pretty good reviews online.**

There are actually two facilities in our neighborhood, both run by the same woman: the first is for 3 to 5-year-olds while the other, the one that is closer to my parents’ house, is for 15-months to 3-year-olds. Coincidentally, the owner of the daycare met Claire on a walk the day before before I first contacted her, and had taken a liking to her almost immediately. She was very understanding and sympathetic to our situation, and thought that Claire would make a nice addition to her toddler class which currently consists of 10 children and 3 teachers. Continue reading »

Joyeuses Noces de Cire!

Four years ago today…

Happy anniversary, my love. It’s been nothing short of wonderful.

Thank you to all who have been checking in with me. I am currently at my parents’ house with Claire and Aerin, and will stay here for at least a month. (J is living alone in our condo, driving up on weekends to spend time with us.) Things are expectedly very hectic as we adjust to our new living arrangements — e.g., no cribs for the girls — and life in the suburbs. I will try my best to return to blogging as soon as life slows down some.

Tomorrow is a big day for us as Claire and I will be checking out an in-home daycare just a few houses down from us. Wish us luck!

Herniated Disc

I woke up this morning to horrible pain in my neck and shoulders.

I immediately called out to J, who had to take yet another day off from work due to my health problems, and phoned my mother to see if she could come watch the girls while J took me to the doctor.

I had actually been meaning to go to a chiropractor for some time now because my back, neck, and shoulders are constantly in pain and have been ever since I was pregnant with Claire (so that’s over 2 years). As luck would have it, I had managed to find one nearby with good reviews just the other day and called him as soon as his office opened. He would be able to see me that same day.

He knew almost right away what the problem was: a herniated disc in my neck. After an examination, the diagnosis was confirmed.

The scariest part of the examination was when he was checking my reflexes. Because as it turns out, my nerves are so damaged that I NO LONGER HAVE REFLEXES IN MY ENTIRE RIGHT ARM.

I know that this isn’t that big a deal; after all, I still have full motility and sensation in all parts of my body, including my right arm. And according to the doc, the damage to my nerves did not happen overnight — he estimates that it’s been at least a year since I first developed the herniated disc (I had just written off the pain as normal aches and pains from having a baby to take care of) — so I had been living with this minor damage this entire time and hadn’t even noticed!

But it was pretty scary to see your left arm twitch and jump just as it should be, only to have the doctor perform the same exact tests on my right arm and see it lie lifeless and still.

I received some physical therapy today, and will be returning to continue receiving therapy for however long it takes for the pain to go away. (Luckily, the burning OHMIGAWD MY NECK AND SHOULDERS ARE ON FIRE sensation only lasted through this morning.)

The doctor told me that if the pain does not lessen soon, he would like to send me for an MRI. He said that while most insurance companies will deny MRI coverage for herniated discs, they will approve them in cases like mine where there is nerve damage. (Hearing this scared the crap of me too.)

The worst part about this entire ordeal is that I still have Claire and Aerin at home.

After some arguing and even a couple of tears on my part, we have decided to send Claire to my parents’ for the rest of the week. And depending on how I am doing, we — meaning me, Claire, and Aerin — may stay at my parents’ for a little over month, until J’s parents return from Hong Kong late next month. J will stay at our home, visiting and sleeping overnight occasionally, but the commute from my parents’ home to NYC is almost an hour each way and it will be too difficult for him, especially since his work hours do not fall during rush hour when trains run often.

And although my mother would love to stay at our place to help out, she still has her store to manage and the frequent drives here — 45 minutes without traffic — are becoming too difficult. At my parents’ house, Claire will be watched by my sister and mother and father, each able to cover for the others when they have to work.

I will still need to watch Aerin by myself until the end of the week, but having one baby to watch is exponentially easier than two.

I had to fight back tears as I packed Claire’s things, and I started bawling as soon as she was out the door. I may enjoy occasional breaks from my children, but I have never spent a night away from Claire since she was born (aside from hospital stays), and I know that I will miss her horribly.

(The original plan was for me and the girls to all go to my parents’ today, but there was already so much stuff to pack and bring just with Claire…we simply did not have the time, space, or energy to do so today.)

I have recently started to get acupuncture and have been taking Asian herbal medicine for my failing health too. I hope that this, in addition to the chiropractic therapy, will help me get in better shape asap so that I will be able to take care of my girls the way they deserve.

“Darth Vader and Son”

What if Darth Vader were around to see Luke grow up? What if he took an active role in his childhood and did all the things that ordinary dads do with their sons?

Author and illustrator Jeffrey Brown has taken up this challenge in Darth Vader and Son, which paints a lovely and hilarious alternate reality of Darth Vader as an everyday father. Among the many scenarios depicted in the book, Vader teaches Luke how to use a lightsaber, takes him toy-shopping, and even goes trick-or-treating with him!

Reverent Sundays: “The Power of the Cross”

Happy Easter!

I consider Easter, not Christmas, to be the most important holiday in my calendar. My old youth pastor who inspired this shift in thinking had told me, “Yes, Christ’s birth is to be celebrated…but Christianity in its entirety not have existed without His resurrection!”

Today I would like to share with you one of my favorite Cross-themed songs: “The Power of the Cross” — written by Keith Getty and performed by Stuart Townend. I have also included the lyrics below the embedded video.

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

This, the power of the cross:
Christ became sin for us.
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Every bitter thought,
Every evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees,
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
“Finished!” the victory cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death,
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

This, the power of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Happy Easter once again! Rejoice, for Jesus has defeated sin!