Get fit with Body By Gilad!

It's getting towards the end of the month and I am still focusing on working out and eating healthy. If you want to get really fit with fast results,may I suggest "Body by Gilad" workout programs. I have been utilizing his exercise as far back as high school so I know it works. I have tried all sorts of exercises but find that I get bored real easily. With Gilad's programs,you will never be bored. He mixes it up with a combination of cardio,weight lifting,squats,abs,you name it. And they work! Choose from a variety of dvds that target all types of body parts and you will be strutting North Ave Beach in no time.

Check out  Body by Gilad for further ordering information,or tune in to your local listings on Fit Tv.

Doodleganza at the Museum of Contemporary Art

Just found a neat event that is held  the first Tuesday of each month at the Museum of Contemporary Art. "Doodleganza" is basically a free event where people can come and experience some hands on art while they feature different artist to guide the participants into making it. It's not quite an art class,but more of an "art party" that does not require any expertise of art whatsoever.

This event occurs the first Tuesday of every month and starts at 6pm. A great "happy hour" event where you can relieve some of that stress from work. It can be very therapeutic if I say so myself.

Check out different free events every Tuesday by checking out MCA's site.

Healthy Eating in 2010!

I vowed myself after New Year's that I was going to eat more healthy. So far so good!

After much reading,I learned that fruits and vegetables,not carbs,should make up the majority of your diet. I have also incorporated a trail mix of nuts and raisins so I can snack on in a healthy way between breakfast and lunch to curb my appetite. As far as proteins,egg whites,chicken breast,and lean turkey meat are some of the things I have included as well.

Stay tuned as I blog about my exercise regime with Body by Gilad.

Material Posessions or Having "fun"?

I have been debating on this forum on this particular topic and most people got the question. The question I posted was" would you rather spend your money on material things like nice house,car,etc or,would you rather spend your money on vacations,eating out/having drinks,etc. Most of the people on there got it but one particular person has not gotten the concept,she believes you can do both.

Really both? Are you well-to-do?Living at home? Then ok,I can see the point there. But for the average Joe,some take priority of having a nice place to live and spend money towards that than to splurge on eating out at fancy restaurants 3-4 times a week. Some prefer to enjoy life more and are perfectly fine living in a shack and not drive a car.

I honestly think this girl still lives at home with her parents and don't know quite yet how it is to live in the real world.

It really is about where your priorities are in life. I also believe you can have a great blend of both lifestyles,as long as you don't go one extreme to another,unless you want to be among the millions that are in great credit card debt that can't seem to pay off their bills.

I think that this is the reason why the economy is in the state that it is right now-I am hearing countless stories of people that have not seemed to "learn their lesson" and continue to just not care.

I had an interesting conversation with someone the other day. She hails from a poor country and have always had a low standard of living. So when the economy went downhill in the US she pointed out that she was able to cope with it because she has been living this way for a long time out there. My husband says this to me also. People that have been put in this situation before tend to be more resilient than those that are not used to it.

Maybe this concept will now be coming to the US,we don't know for sure if the state of the economy is going to recover completely to where it was during the Clinton years. Perhaps people will start living like the people in France for instance,small housing establishments and taking public transportation,or just own one car instead of 4.

One Year

So I did it. One year since I started my blog.

It seemed like yesterday I was writing up about New Year happenings in Chicago. A lot has happened this year,I had my wedding finally in Macedonia,where my roots are from,and it was a great experience. I turned 30 this year,I huge milestone as I now step into a new decade with great new experiences and new challenges. I have to say,I had it pretty good during my 20s and am proud where I am today,but it doesn't stop here.

I have to definitely thank God for getting me through this year and that I still have my job and most importantly my health,that alone is wealth right there.

One of my New Year's resolution is to promote my blog more out there and take great care of my health,including going to the doctor's and exercising and eat healthy,I know so cliche but I really do mean it(I promise).

To everyone,have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

My Birthday!

Yesterday,December 2nd,marked my 30th birthday. The big 3-0. Wow. I still can't believe it and it has not hit me yet. I feel that my 20 something years have just gotten lost in the blackhole,nowhere to be found again.

First off,I celebrated pre-birthday over the past weekend at Cuvee lounge. It was really classy,but expensive. It was free for ladies but for guys it was 20 dollars cover. Then to top it off, 12 dollars was the cheapest drink there. I had a great drink called the Kir Royal,which is Chambord and Champagne,that was served in this pretty purple color in a elongated tube-like glass. The music was great. The thing with this place is, if you don't have reservations for one of the booths that are located smack in the middle of the lounge,then you are pretty much standing around the whole time.

Yesterday I went to Pancho Pistolas with my husband in the great neighborhood of Bridgeport. I work in the Northwest suburbs and if I didn't I would be definitely living on the southside. Home of the Sox, this is the first neighborhood that me and my now husband spent frequently since he used to live out there. It's a place where hard-working blue collar families live and it is the neighborhood where Mayor Daley grew up in.

Sure,I love to glam up, and go to shi-shi places,but Pancho Pistolas was a great atmosphere that was relaxing,fun,with great food. I have been to many restaurants,including high-end ones that you can find on Rush St.,but the best places for me are those with a fun atmosphere where you can still get great food without all the pretentious attitude in the air.

Desperate Housewives?

Well,not exactly but...

I am sure many women can relate to this topic-I was talking to a particular woman one day who recently had a baby. She is a young career woman as well as a mother,two roles that are hard to balance,as most of you women with careers know.

As women get married,have babies,get careers,etc,they tend to lose themselves-their social circles become limited since their lives get so busy that they don't have time for the outside world. Things come up where you have other responsibilities and you may have to decline those invitations.

This women that I talked to recently got facebook and although it's got its cons she definitely enjoys it because she was able to reconnect with a lot of her friends and is now able to keep up with the latest events outside her bubble that she had created over the past year or so.

I feel the same way,with facebook and twitter,and even this blog,it is a great way for me to connect with other women and gives me an outlet to the outside world. I also do not want to give up writing as it is one of my favorite activities. I recently got married so with that comes a lot of responsibilities also-saving money,household duties,a career outside the home,etc.

I hope that although I have entered a new lifestyle now that I will still be able to retain my extracurricular activities. Living in Chicago has allowed me to have great opportunities through social networking events and also the fact that there is so many things you can do out here to keep your interests alive. I know many women who after they have gotten married just stopped doing everything altogether and have lost their identity over the years.

For those of you who live in the Chi,search for networking events in your area-and if you are worried about costs have no fear-may of them feature free cocktails and appetizers. Also,many of these events take place usually during after work hours and end pretty early,convenient for those who work 9-5 everyday. Have fun ladies!