2011, You've Been The Best Yet

2011 was, hands down, the best year of my life so far.

Which is nice because 2009 suuuuuuucked and 2010 was mostly spent working incredibly hard, planning and feverishly saving money in hopes that 2011 would be as awesome as it has turned out to be.

I celebrated Diwali in Bangalore, trekked in Nepal, taught English to sex workers in Thailand (and met Dabi), refused to eat maggots in Laos, wore giant false eyelashes in Kuala Lumpur, returned to my spiritual homeland of New Zealand, trundled up and down Australia, drank lots of wine in California and rode buses down the east coast.

Somewhere along the way I started working for myself and writing for The Frisky and Boots n' All.  I launched my first ecourse, created another calendar and met 8 million awesome people.  After sleeping on an inflatable mattress in a friend's guest room for a month, I found The Cutest Apartment Ever.

Of course, I also threw up on a piece of poop on a train in India, killed my first computer, went through three cell phones and spent huge amounts of time stalking Craigslist so I could furnish said apartment.

But this year has been totally, totally amazing.  Like, "look around me and nearly weep at my good fortune" amazing. 

Thanks so much for being part of it, you guys.  I hope 2012 is magical and challenging and fantastic for all of us!

Dressing For Your DNA

This is a bit of vintage Yes and Yes from deep in the archives. You'll see these older posts popping up a bit this holiday season - for the first time in 3+ years of blogging, I'm attempting to take some time off!

If you were to slice open my DNA, you would discover that I am three parts Viking, two parts bratworst and one part Ikea. Which I'm sure is a shock to you, what with my deep tan and sexily swarthy coloring and all. Though I have yet to visit Scandinavia, I've been to Germany twice and felt oddly at home there. All those polite, slightly reserved, blond people? Those are my people. Their love of cheese, organization and punctuality really resonates with me. Because, coincidentally, I love cheese and order, too!

All this thinking about ethnic background led me to consider, what my wardrobe would look like if it more accurately reflected my genetic makeup.



Sweden

Anethe lives in Stockholm, but occasionally enjoys calling it 'Rockholm' when she's dancing to The Hives and drinking a bit too much akvavit. She is very much the hip cosmopolitan girl - ducking into secret, un-named clubs every weekend, kissing cigarette-scented boys in narrow cobblestone alleyways and wearing scarf upon scarf. She knows her hipster friends would be thoroughly scandalized by her abiding love for ABBA, so she pretends it's ironic. She does, however, openly admit that her thunderbolt earrings are a nod to Thor.



Norway
Maren has lived the entirety of her young life in Bodo, helping her grandparents run a BnB that caters to the midnight-sun seeking tourists. She spends her Sundays rowing through the Fjords with her boyfriend Hans and picking cloudberries in the mountains. When winter blows in, she saunas with her schoolmates. She loves throwing open the door of the sweatlodge and seeing the northern lights reflected in the snow.



Germany
Greta eats dark bread and cheese for breakfast every day, before she cycles across Berlin for her morning classes. After a few hours a discussing Nietzche and Brecht, she's worked up enough hunger for spaetzle and cheese. She meets a friend in the tiergarten for lunch where they find themselves listening to an old man, clad in lederhosen, squeezing away on his accordian. Secretly, Greta loves this traditional music and gives the man five euros when no one is looking.

What would your wardrobe look like if it reflected your background?

Last Minute Resolution Solution!

This is a vintage post from deep in the archives of Yes and Yes. You'll see a few of these older posts popping up over the next few weeks. For the first time in 3+ years of blogging, I'm attempting to take some time off!

So despite our best efforts, it happened again. 360+ have passed us by and we probably haven't accomplished all of those New Year's resolutions.  At least I haven't.

But wait! There are still a few days ripe for the picking! Whole days in which we can possibly eek out some progress on those resolutions. Or at least get some traction on actually making them happen in 2012.

Resolution: Work out

Last Ditch Effort: Get a free weekly pass at the local gym and use it every blessed day. Check out these sweet, free workout videos on youtube. Shovel the sweet bejesus out of your sidewalk, snowshoe, ski, check out your city's branch of Dance Dance Party Party

Resolution: Spend more time with family and friends

Last Ditch Effort: Take off New Year's Eve and spend it lunching with your sister or mum, skyping with far-flung friends and partying it up with your nearest and dearest. After a few glasses of champagne, tearfully clutch your girls and tell them "I love you, dude. No really, you guys are the besssssst!"

Resolution: Lose weight
Last Ditch Effort: Do a post-holiday detox. If eating fruit gets the best of you, head to The Gap for some very flattering vanity sizing (size 6?! Yes, please!) When all else fails, buy a pair of Spanx and call it a day.

Resolution: Learn a foreign language
Last Ditch Effort: Speak only Pig Latin to your friends for the entirety of New Year's Eve. Learn how to say "thank you" in a million different languages, memorize the many different ways to say "kiss me" and utilize this at your New Year's party.

Resolution: Get out of debt
Last Ditch Effort: Find out your credit score and act accordingly. Maybe put that credit card in a bowl of water, in the freezer? If things are particularly dire, pawn or eBay that 24 carat necklace you never liked, look into getting a roommate or dial down the Starbucks habit.

Resolution: Help others
Last Ditch Effort: Shovel your neighbor's sidewalk, donate all those canned goods that have been languishing in the back of your cupboard (you're never going to eat that creamed corn, friend) buy several $5 gift certificates to fast food restaurants and hand them out when panhandlers approach you.


What resolutions did you make last year? How did it go?
image source

Real Life Style Icon: Shen of Shen Dove Style

This is one of many interviews in our Real Life Style Icon series - in which we talk to smart, funny, painfully well-dressed women we'd like to befriend. Say hello to Shen of Shen Dove Style!

Name: Shenneth also known as Shen Dove
Age: 20 something
Location: Washington, DC
Online haunts: my blog // twitter // facebook

Three reasons that you're awesome:
I'm a creative dreamer that loves setting goals, I'm a life-long learner, I usually have a positive outlook on things.

What are you wearing right now, as you type this?
I'm wearing a black shirt, leopard skirt, flat boots and a green sweater; typical office wear.

What is the last item of clothing you bought?
A black button down with two pockets from Old Navy.

What is the item of clothing you most covet at the moment? I am currently coveting cozy sweaters for winter. I'm also a self-proclaimed skirt collector, so I'm always on the hunt for unique ones.

Tell us about a favorite childhood memory about your clothes!

I loved dressing up as a child and have numerous memories of dressing up in my own clothing and wearing my Mother's awesome accessories.  I even created characters and had "performances" in my outfits. I was quite dramatic back then.

What is your best thrifting score?
That's a hard one, but I'd say the leopard print skirt that I'm currently wearing.

Could you tell us your top three style tricks/DIYs?
1) Dying clothing with fabric dye (like RIT dye) to give it a fresh look
2) belting skirts that are too big or long
3) turning clothing inside out or backwards to give it a different look.

Thanks for sharing, Shen!

Didn't get a Year in Yes calendar for Christmas?

Did Santa neglect to give you the 2012 Year in Yes calendar you wanted?  What an a-hole.  But that's cool because you can just buy one yourself!  And if you order today or tomorrow, you can have a copy in your hot little hands by January 1st!

 

Here's the deal:
You get 12 months of sweet ideas, great quotes, weird-but-real holidays. When you finish a month, flip it over and use the templates on the back to make postcards, gift tags, book marks, greeting cards.

Here's what people are saying about it:

I can't function properly without a wall calendar and I love the your calendar because it reminds me every day that there is beauty in the small things of this world. And it's the only calendar I know that tells me the best day to go buy a ridiculous pair of slippers. It's important!
- Mary

Your calendar came in the mail today and it totally ROCKS! The cover's so stinkin' cute that I already have it hanging on my office wall for inspiration. I dig each months message and I especially love the quirky little playful reminders spread through out each month. Can't wait for April 30th to arrive where I'm encouraged to learn a magic trick. :) Clever. Hip. Playful. Fun! Thank you, Sarah! 

- Gia Duke

How many would you like?

1 calendar $25.00 USD 2 calendars $48.00 USD 3 calendars $69.00 USD 4 calendars $88.00 USD 5 calendars $105.00 USD

Ad Magic

A million years ago, in a different life, I worked in advertising for about three seconds.  It was one of those agencies where there's a tube slide from the second floor to the first, company barbecues every Friday and Dilly Bars every Wednesday.  It.was.awesome.

I still love a well-crafted ad so I was thrilled when a friend suggested The Walker's showing of the 2011 British Arrow Awards.  You guys.  They were fantastic.  Afterwards, I honestly felt all emotionally vulnerable and jangly inside from having my heart strings played three ways from Tuesday.

Here are some of my favorites.  Obviously, most of them involve animals.

What are your favorite ads? Leave links in the comments!

Fantastic Video! Also: January Ad Space

One Day on Earth - Motion Picture Trailer from One Day On Earth on Vimeo.

Are you all overwhelmed by how amazing life is and how diverse our planet is, etc? 

Good.  Then I'd like to leverage your emotional reaction by trying to sell you advertising space.

Sponsorships are available in one, two and three month packages with pricing discounts at two and three months.  All 150x150 sponsors will be included in the mid-month sponsor introduction post and three month sponsors have the option of a giveaway, if they're interested. 

Some facts about Yes and Yes?

Daily unique visitors: 3,200 - 3,500 a day

Page views: 150,000+ per month

Twitter followers: 2,510+

Facebook fans: 1,540+

Blogspot followers: 2,530+
Google Page Rank: 4
Google reader subscribers: 5,390+

Some of the nice things that previous sponsors have said about Yes and Yes?

Advertising with Sarah on Yes and Yes is one of the biggest ways to draw attention to your blog. As soon as my ad went up on her site, I noticed that I was receiving almost 200% more views each day! And Sarah does a great job writing posts throughout the month with links to your blog for extra attention. Advertising with Yes and Yes is a no brainer! - Tara, Deer in a Bottle

Advertising on Yes and Yes was such an awesome investment!  As a blogging n00b, it's been great to see several huge spikes in traffic, growth in my readership, and a bunch of new subscribers and Twitter followers.   Not to mention, Sarah is totally rad to work with.  I highly recommend grabbing a spot on her site! - Emily, Awesomania

Want to sponsor Yes and Yes for January?  Drop me a line at sarah (at) yesandyes (dot) org!

True Story: I'm A Supermodel

This is one of many True Story interviews in which we talk to people who have experienced interesting/challenging/amazing things.  This is the story of Emily Sandberg, who's the older sister of an old friend. She's modeled for the likes of Versace, DKNY, Fendi and Gap!

Tell us a bit about yourself!
Let’s start with the stats: I’m from Rochester, MN. I never tell anyone my age but it’s pretty easy to find online. For fun I blog, for work I model.

I love life.  I love adventure.  I love taking risks above all else.  I have no problem dropping everything, cashing in all my chips and investing in me.  I’m confident and know that my momma raised me right.  

I’m also generous with my time and with my earnings.  I believe in the people in my life.  I keep a circle of advisors around me at all times.  These are people I’m not invested with financially.  And I take all their advice into consideration before making any huge moves.  

How did you get into modeling?
When I was a senior in high school I opted to leave private school and go to public.  The reason I did this was because the state of MN was offering to pay tuition for college if you qualified.  I come from a very large family and knew I’d be paying for college on my own so I saw the opportunity and took it.  

After graduating, I decided to take a year and work to save money.  During this time a postcard for a modeling school came to my mother’s attention.  She and my grandmother encouraged me to go try out for the school.  Of course they accepted my money, I mean me, and I cashed in my bank account to go.  

I did this because it meant that every weekend I’d be traveling to Minneapolis and perhaps would be able to find work there so I could attend the University of MN.  Instead I ended up graduating from modeling school with an agent and lined up work for a local televised home shopping channel.

Once I discovered that I could make more money if I moved to New York, I again cashed in all my savings and bought a one-way ticket.  The rest all happened so fast, I hardly caught my breath for the next 5 years.

What surprised you most about modeling?
I was shocked at the amount of money you can make modeling.  But then I realized the amount of work that goes daily into becoming a top fashion model and the amount of work that goes into a shoot.  It became apparent that this is not easy money and being beautiful is the least of a model’s concerns.

I was also surprised to find out how many intelligent women model.  The ones I met that were incredibly successful were some of the brightest women I’ve ever encountered.  It’s impressive to see and experience what it actually takes to be a model and work at the level I work at.

What are the biggest misconceptions about models and modeling?
I suppose the biggest misconception people have is that models only need to look beautiful to work.  Many people assume that if their daughter or friend is gorgeous they’ll waltz into a career modeling and walk away with a lot of money.  Unfortunately, this is not true! 

What does an average day look like for a model?
An average day consists of starving, working out and getting paid tens of thousands of dollars to stand around in designer clothes.  (sarcasm!)

Actually, if I’m not on set shooting, I wake up and have a normal morning.  I’ll drink coffee and water and eat some fruit and yogurt.  

Then I’ll go to work.  I’ll speak with agents.  Email clients.  Organize photos.  I’ll blog about something that happened and share tips and industry insights. I like to spend an hour a day responding to and mentoring girls in the business.  I’ll go to the gym or workout at home or hike.  I eat correctly.  I’ll meet with clients.  I’ll also do financial administrative work.  I run my own business.

How hard do you work to maintain your appearance?
The past year and a half I took a break while being pregnant to just enjoy the pregnancy and the new life that was unfolding. My genes kicked in and I gained 70 pounds!?! It’s taken a good year to knock off 50 of them and now I’m a normal weight and size.  I did this by following a maintenance portion of a diet I created while modeling.

I normally follow the stricter version of the diet I created that works for me and keeps me healthy and slim for work.  I’ll be going back on that version this year to get the last 20 pounds off.  

I drink a lot of water.  I don’t drink alcohol but I do enjoy caffeine.

I also take care of my skin by keeping it clean and moisturized.  And I sleep as many hours as I can get away with.  Sleep is very important for me.

If you weren't a model, what do you think you'd be doing?  Do you anticipate modeling for the rest of your life?
If I wasn’t modeling, I probably would have ended up going to college and graduating with a degree in psychology.  I had ambitions of becoming a children’s developmental psychologist.  As well, I would like to have furthered my education to attain a law degree and would have built a practice with my father.

Do you have any heros?
My father, Peter Sandberg, is Southern MN’s highest rated attorney and was offered a judgeship on the MN Supreme Court. He’s hard working and he keeps his family and clients as his priority.   I think I get my fearless, risk-taking personality and family values from him.

My mother is the ultimate homemaker.  She pulled together the family business and made all the numbers and activities work.  I get my creative organization from her.

Can you tell us about some of the more amazing things that have happened to you because of modeling?
I’ve been fortunate enough to fly the concord and also fly in private jets.  I must say, as luxurious as they are, you’re still flying and it’s just an airplane at the end of the day.

I’ve met quite a few celebrities but have yet to find any I’d befriend.  That’s fancy isn’t it?

Honestly, there is an incredibly luxurious side to modeling and I appreciated every moment of luxury that happens because I work extremely hard for it. The best thing that happened to me as a result of modeling is I met my husband.  And what a treasure he’s turned out to be!

What are the biggest challenges that come with being a model?
The biggest challenge for me is the amount of time spent alone.  I’m very relational and relationships are important to me.

Often, I’m surrounded by many “best friends” and I like these people.  But when I go back to my hotel room after a shoot or travel to the airport and sit on a plane for eight hours, I am  alone again, in another strange city or country.  I’m so grateful for the internet and it’s ability to keep me connected with my friends in different time zones.  Wherever I am, someone is awake.

What advice would you give to someone who's interested in becoming a model?
Join the Model Wire Network.- it's the newest social site for all things fashion.  It’s a great way to get connected to and share information with other people in fashion.

Also, the best advice I could give would be to send digitals to all your top agency choices.  No makeup.  Just bare bones.  They can tell by your bone structure if you’ve got it for modeling.

Also, keep a list of rejections and supporters.  I use this list for inspiration when I’m feeling low.  I look at it and know that I must prove all these people wrong because there’s an entire list of supporters cheering me on and I must rise to the occasion.

Have any of you ever modeled?  Would you want to?  Any questions for Emily?

Merry Christmas, Friends!

Yo Gabba Gabba - To Give A Present from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Yes and Yes friends.  I hope this holiday finds you surrounded by awesome people and many, many cookies.

See you on Monday!

Remembrances of Christmas Past

Who is that be-aproned, sweatshirt clad rascal? I'm afraid it's me. And the tiny accomplice is Little Sister Von. You'll note that I'm seducing the camera in an attempt to distract from the fact that I am, as per the usual, filching cookie dough.

Making Christmas cookies with my mum and sis is one of my favorite holiday traditions. We always use Grandma Hanson's recipe, which contains five pounds of butter, three pounds of sugar and two cups of magic. It is the best recipe ever for the above reasons, and also because it necessitates refrigeration before rolling. Which leaves it open to further filching opportunities.

Let's share Christmas memories, shall we?

Christmases 1 - 24I help my grandma pipe mashed potatoes back into their skins for twice-baked potatoes. There is running over slick sidewalks in my dress shoes to get inside the church as fast as possible for the candle-light service. There is hour upon hour upon hour of riding in the car. I'm bumping down my grandparents carpeted stairs on my bum. I'm sledding at the golf course with the entire family, intimidated by the old-fashioned runner sled. I'm camping out on the living room floor with my cousins and getting approximately three minutes of sleep.

Christmas 25
It's a tropical winter and I live in Taiwan. Friends from all over the island take trains to Chung Li to sleep in my spare bedrooms and on the dilapidated pull-out sofa. We exchange gifts from the dollar store and experiment with homemade eggnog, which is a weird, milky failure. We get dinner at the swankiest western restaurant in town, where everyone orders steak and lobster for the equivalent of seven dollars. We end the night with several rounds of bowling and convince the owner of the alley to let us play our cds over the loud speaker. We throw gutter balls to the sounds of Johnny Mathis crooning about the White Christmas we're all dreaming of.

Christmas 28
We are backpacking around the South Island of New Zealand, driving rental cars back to their place of origin in exchange for free transport. We arrive in Christchurch on Christmas Eve and check into the only hostel with rooms available. Christmas Day the owners of the hostel prepare a full Christmas dinner complete with Yorkshire puddings and roast beef. We pop the crackers, drink too much champagne and wander down town to the cathedral for the carol service. I have high hopes but quickly discover that my choir days are behind be and those wooden pews? Not comfortable.

Christmas 29
In an attempt to please everyone, my then-boyfriend and I decide to split our holidays between Iowa City and Red Wing, Minnesota.  We eat a large, hurried breakfast, tear through presents in Iowa and head out in to questionable weather so we can be in Red Wing by nightfall.  The weather gets worse and worse and we drive hours out of our way to avoid an ice storm.  We drive 30 miles an hour on the highway for hours and we're crazy hungry.  I remember I received a ball of  wax-coated cheddar in my stocking that morning.  I fish it out of my purse and carve into it with my house key.  We eat hunks of the orange cheese and watch the snow blow across the road.

Christmas 31
I'm in Birtamod, on the border of India and Nepal teaching English at a private school.  I'm staying with the headmaster and his wife; every meal is A Production, prepared by their maid.  I convince them to let me cook Christmas dinner and head to the market to cobble something together.  The best I can do is a green salad and penne pasta with red sauce.  They find the entire thing under-spiced and are non-plussed by the raw vegetables.  But of course are too nice to say so.  They give me a salvaar kameez in red and green, matching bangles and pastel Ganesha statue.

What are your favorite Christmas memories?

Winter Survival series

As a third-generation Minnesotan, I am very, very, very well-versed in the realities of The Winter Blues.  Really, I'd imagine that anyone north of St. Louis is well-versed in that fun-sucking malcontent that seems to roll in around January 3rd. 

So I've been thinking about putting together a little sumthin,' sumthin' to deal with the seasonal mopes.  Maybe a mini-course, maybe a post series, maybe a series of conversations I subject my BFF to.  I'm envisioning 30 days of ideas + activities + adventures that would help all of us get through January 3rd - April 15th. 

Is that something y'all would be interested in?  Is there anything specific you'd like me to address?  Any tricks you use to get through the winter that I should know about?

How To Survive Holiday Travel

This is a bit of vintage Yes and Yes from deep in the archives. You'll see these older posts popping up a bit this holiday season - for the first time in 3+ years of blogging, I'm attempting to take some time off!

In addition to fruitcakes and crowded shopping malls, holiday travel is one of the low points of the holiday season, no? Unless you're actually into standing in check-in lines behind a crying baby with a full diaper. If that's your pleasure, you're a stronger person than I. How do you survive hours in the car, delayed flights and nights spent on pull-out couches without losing your mind?

Be prepared
I have a friend whose life motto is 'always pack a snack.' Like, she applies this to her personal and professional life! And chances are, your holiday travel will be exponentially more awesome if you're sustained by some smoked almonds and dark chocolate. And you know what else you should bring? Some an inflatable neck pillow, ear plugs, slippers, moisturizer, hand sanitizer, gum and the phone numbers of your host/hotel/airline. Even if your flight gets delayed, you hit a traffic jam or you find yourself sleeping on a cot in the hall, you can (probably) emerge from the ordeal looking and smelling good.

Entertain yourself
Obviously, most of your traveling will consist of sitting - at the gate, on the plane, in the car. And sitting, not surprisingly, in not terribly fun. But good lord! Surely you're clever enough to entertain yourself right?! You can always read something light and fun, do some sudoku, listen to podcasts (I love This American Life) or play one of a million games on your iphone. But how about some oldschool people watching? Or a game of Would You Rather? If you're in the car, play license plate bingo or annoy everybody by singing 100 bottles of beer on the wall.

Or you could do always do kegels.

Channel some travel zen
We all know that getting wound up by the snow-delayed flight or the heavy traffic is pointless. It's also worth remembering that in travel, and often in life, things will take twice as long as you expect and cost a good bit more. So give your budget and your schedule a bit of wiggle room and you'll be a lot happier. It's also worth remembering that the annoying guy in front of you who's causing a scene at the baggage claim? He's not trying to be malacious, he's just stressed out and tired, like everybody else. And the baby that's howling behind you? She's not on a personal mission to give you a migraine. Take a few deep breaths, imagine yourself tucking into some mashed potatoes alongside your favorite aunt and try to remember that getting there at 5:45 instead of 4:30 is not going to be the end of the world as we know it.

Use your travel time wisely
If you can't stomach the idea of sitting idly on a plane for three hours, you can certainly use your time to read A Very Important Book you've been meaning to get to, plot your plans for 2012, write your Christmas cards or work on your novel. One of my favorite things to do on any return flight is compile a list of my 100 favorite memories from the trip while they're all fresh in my mind. It's sliiightly more rewarding than watching that screening of Old Dogs that the airline is showing.

Try to find some time/space to yourself
Just being in the vicinity of a million other people can be exhausting.  If you can afford it, consider driving separately to your family Christmas instead of carpooling with your emotional vampire cousin.  Head to your departure gate way, way early before anyone else gets there.  If you're feeling really fancy, splash out on a one-day pass to your airline's first class lounge.  Allegedly, they're deliciously quiet, serene, decadent places!

Are you traveling far this holiday season?  How do you survive holiday travel?

Got the travel bug?  Check out my ebooks and podcasts on making long-term travel a reality!  Only $15 forpetessake!

5 Kind New Habits For An Awesome New Year

This guest post comes to us via the lovely Sui Solitaire.  She writes about self-love and many a wonderful thing on her blog.  Pop over and say hi!

It's almost the New Year, and that means it's almost time to torture yourself with new fad diets, extreme exercise regimens, and a nice healthy dose of beating yourself up for not achieving your resolutions... right? Not in my world. Instead of momentary bursts of self-imposed "discipline" and a way-too-long list of goals that make you feel dissatisfied with your present self, I propose a different paradigm-- resolving (and actually following through) to a self-care and self-kindness practice in the new year!

Let go of all the perfectionism and all the worrisome demands and expectations of yourself, and instead start the year off right by implementing these five essential self-care practices.

Drink more water.
They say that if you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Let's face it-- most of us, even the water fiends among us, probably aren't drinking enough water. Get a reusable water bottle and fill it up every morning before you get to school/work, and take sips (or gulps, if you prefer) throughout the day. You can also refill your water bottles with water fountains throughout the day. Aim to drink at least 60 oz. of water per day, and you'll probably find that you'll have more energy and less blah-ness!

Do absolutely nothing for at least five minutes every day.
This means, no stressing, no worrying, no nothin'. Just conk out, lie on your bed if you'd like, and daydream. It's only five minutes out of your busy day to simply let go, relax, and take time for yourself. You can spare that much time to not give a damn about anything for a moment

Floss.
Yes, floss. I'm no dentist but dental health is a lot more important than most of us realize. And I know we've all had the experience since we were kids of flossing right before going to the dentist's so when the dentist asked, "Have you been flossing?" we can say "Of course!" Start out small by just flossing tonight. Just once. Try to reach every tooth if you can. (If you don't have any floss in your house, go out and get some! I use Eco-dent, because it's environmentally friendly and I'm a tree-hugger.) Ideally, you can work up to flossing every day, or at least every other day, or five days a week. You get the deal. Either way, flossing is important! Take care of your teeth, take care of yourself.

Get enough sleep.
Chances are, you can use a little bit more sleep. (If you're already knocking it out of the ballpark with 8 hours, good for you!) Everyone's sleep requirements are different, but 7-9 hours per night is a good benchmark. At least an hour or so before your intended bedtime, unplug those devices, power down, and relax your mind. Most of the time, we could be getting more sleep if we really tried to stick to a bedtime and actually go to bed at that time. (Or actually unplug all our gadgets and attempt to close our eyes!) If you're having trouble falling asleep, try playing some white noise, listening to laid-back music, or-- my favorite-- think of all that you're grateful for in your life. And cut back on the caffeine after noon. That works, too ;)

Cultivate presence.
What that means is, live in the moment. Bring yourself back to the present moment. It can be as easy as taking a breath and realizing that you're here, now. Try to let go of the past and not dwell on the future. Easier said than done, I know. But when you actually make the intention and do your best, you'll find that it gets easier with practice. The best way to find joy is to find what's beautiful, what you appreciate, about your life now.

Another part of presence is giving someone else your full presence. That means, when you're hanging out with your friend or lover, leave your phone alone! Put it on silent and refrain from the urge to text other friends while you're in front of this one. Give other people your full presence and attention when you're interacting with them. You'll get it back tenfold, and you'll probably enjoy yourself more, too.

These five self-care practices are simple, but they will change your life (and your relationships, teeth, and energy level!). Don't rush in trying to implement them all at once-- give at least one week's full attention and focus to one at a time so you won't get overwhelmed and try to implement a bunch of habits half-heartedly at once. Be gentle, relax, and most importantly, be kind to yourself! If any of these practices end up bringing more light to your life, let me know! I love hearing about people finding more joy through self-kindness.

What new habits do you want to start this year?

Living Boldly! Earrings! Wearing Layers!

Look at all these gorgeous sponsors and fantastic links!  Have a dig through and make some new friends!

Fave products
Let's Make Out print // Daisy Cutter beret in posy pink // Free monthly calendar downloads
Let's be friends!
blog // etsy // facebook // pinterest // flickr

Fave posts
My first love // Top 10 facts about this girl // Casting a spell
Let's be friends!
blog // twitter // pinterest

Fave posts
55 ways to take care of yourself when you're busy, busy, busy //
Turn your life around // I would like to tell you that you are magnificent
Let's be friends!
blog // twitter // facebook



Fave posts
A pullover story // How to layer // Hey!  I know you!
Let's be friends!
blog // twitter // facebook

Fave posts
The secret to a fulfilling life // On Struggle and Pursuit // Couldn't wait
Let's be friends!
blog // twitter // facebook

Fave posts
My marriage is a gumbo // A love story for the modern girl // On living boldly
Let's be friends!
blog // twitter // facebook // youtube

Fave posts
22 tips to make every day a good one // Morocaan red lentil soup //

Why I love Nova Scotia

Let's be friends!
blog // etsy // facebook // twitter



Fave posts
Flam: Norway in a Nutshell // The 1up // Milwaukee Brewing Company
Let's be friends!
blog // facebook // twitter

Fave products
heart-shaped amethyst necklace // the tribal queen turquoise //
gold chevron dangles
Let's be friends!
blog // twitter // facebook // shop

Do you want to introduce your blog/shop/website to my 10,000 smart, funny, clear-eyed readers?  Check out my readership info here or drop me a line at sarah (at) yesandyes (dot) org.

Mini Travel Guide: Azerbaijan

This travel guide comes to us via lovely Colleen  (above) who lived in Azerbaijan for three years, working as a youth development Peace Corps volunteer in Ismailli - a small town in the the Caucasus mountains.

Azerbaijan a Eurasian country of 8.7 million, bordered by Russia, Iran and the Caspian Sea. It is  one of the five most developed countries among CIS members and it has a high standard of living as well as low unemployment and crime rates.  Who knew?

Must go

Xaniliq
Accessible for only a few months each year, this village is thought to be the oldest in Azerbaijan.  The people speak their own language, and have developed a unique way of building houses into the mountain sides.

Xizi-Shamix mountain pass
(Best in May)  Its necessary to rent an SUV (around 180 AZN for the weekend) but its worth the cost. Pack camping gear and pan to spend time walking through fields of wildflowers, fording rivers, meeting mountain cowboys and camping near fresh streams.

Sumqayit
While there is not one specific destination in Sumqayit-outside the abstract Dove statue on the beach, and drinking 60 qap. shots of Russian vodka in the shadow of said statue (a must!)-its worth a day trip to see, what is still considered to be the most polluted city on earth.

Must do

Carnival Rides/walking on the boulevard in Baku
This is where Azeri’s come to strut,see and be seen.Grab a cold beer at one of  the numerous cafes and people watch while enjoying a Caspian Sea breeze.

Teza Bazaar (Fresh Bazaar) 
Bring your camera and all your left over qapik-stare in awe at mountains of fruit,veggies, spices and fresh cuts of meat-vendors will compete for your attention, but don’t mind if you ask to try a piece of fruit/veggie before buying.

Must eat

Carnivore
Try one (or both) of the Kebab varieties: Lula Kebab: minced meat cooked on skewers-Lamb lula is the top choice.  Or traditional Shiskabab (Chicken is the top choice)

Vegetarians
Try the lentil soup (Marajei), cooked chick peas (Nohoud) and shepherds salad (Coban Salat: cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, greens.) 

A visit to Araz is not complete without a few shots of Vodka; local fire is named: Xan and Man (yes you read that correctly!) and must be washed down by a few bites of sliced lemon. A recent 4-hour session with five people eating of all the above mentioned food rendered only 60AZN ($76 US) worth of damage.

Cultural tip

People will stare. A lot.  Mostly in the regions, but also in Baku. Also, you will stick out as a tourist and as such, you will be approached (especially if you are female traveling alone) by amorous males seeking ‘friendship’.  Its best to just ignore the males, unless you already know some good retorts such as:
‘Be Ashamed!’ (Ay ilb osuln)
‘Where is your mom?’ (Senin Mama, hardader?)

Essential phrases (polite):
Hello (Salaam AlaayKum)  
Thank you: (Sag-ol or Ay Sag-ol)
Oh My God: (Ay Allah)
My God help you (Allah komay osuln) 

Travel on the cheap

Baku has a new taxi service - purple metered taxis that look like the London cabs - are generally the drivers who speak English. Otherwise you will have to negotiate a taxi, with drivers charging the unsuspecting outrageous prices.

Another good taxi service, if you or a friend has a phone is 189.  They give you the price over the phone and pick you up from where ever your location is.  This is good to remember if you happen to arrive at the airport at an ungodly hour, which often happens since flights to Baku have only recently increased to include more normal hours.

.
Must bring:
Mark Elliot's Guide to Azerbaijan-This guide literally has everything!  Whether you want to find the halved Lenin statue in Yevlax (in the middle of a field next to a car graveyard and cows) or rent a SUV for the Xizi to Shamix mountain pass-this guide is one of the most accurate available.

Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, swiss army knife(with bottle opener, scissors), water bottle, time, desire to drink more tea than you thought was humanly possible.  Cash!  Even in Baku, many places don’t take cards, so plan ahead and make sure you have cash.

Have any of you been to Azerbaijan?  Any questions for Colleen?

True Story: I'm A Professional Athlete

Tealle gets air (she's the one in the middle)

This is one of many True Story interviews in which we talk to people who have experienced interesting/amazing/challenging things.  This is the story of Tealle and her career as a professional beach volleyball player.

Tell us a bit about yourself! 
I am 26 yrs old from Girard, OH. I now live in El Segundo, Ca to play and train for professional beach volleyball. I also work in transportation, pretty much total opposites! In addition to volleyball I absolutely love traveling, finding new and interesting places to eat and explore, and spending as much time as possible with friends and family.

When did you start playing volleyball?
I started playing organized volleyball when I was 10, but actually fell in love with it much sooner playing in my grandparent’s backyard pool. I’ve been hooked ever since. Through middle school and high school I also played basketball, baseball, and did high and long jump in track.

 Did you go to university on a volleyball scholarship?  Can you tell us how that works?
I went to Duke University on scholarship. The recruiting process can be a very different experience for everyone. For me, I played for an amazing club volleyball team out of Pittsburgh, PA. We competed in national tournaments where college scouts look at athletes and had an amazing coach that laid the volleyball groundwork. It opens a lot of doors and allows a lot of exposure. That’s where it all started!

When choosing where to attend school, it’s all about what the individual is looking for. You choose based on school, location, academics, volleyball, and a real combination of everything that works for you. Academically there was no question about Duke. I didn’t really have any parameters as far as location but I new when I stepped on campus it was exactly where I was supposed to be, and it was absolutely amazing!

What did you study in college?  How did volleyball affect your life at school?
 I studied Public Policy (a sort of business / law background) at Duke with a Markets and Management Certificate. I think volleyball has the same affect as any college sport on life at school. You have to balance practice, weights, training, travel, competition, and classes with social life. I think being a college athlete set the groundwork for life after school in the work force and even as a professional athlete. I find things every day that take me back to my experience at Duke. It’s so cool to have that link!

Now you're a professional beach volleyball player!  Are you sponsored by a company?  Do you play for a specific city or state?
MNX sponsors us with flights etc, and we wear Billabong suits (uniforms). I play professional beach doubles on several tours both domestic and overseas. The new domestic pro tour is the NVL (National Volleyball League). This is their inaugural season and they are doing an incredible job!

The first event was a few weeks ago at the Preakness in Baltimore. It was such a cool experience to play on the infield, and the fact that we won makes it that much better! There is also the Corona Light Wide Open Tour which travels around the US. Both have about 6-8 stops this season. We have also been overseas on the FIVB tour, the international beach volleyball world tour and are looking forward to their next tournament!

How have the people in your life reacted to your career choice?
The people in my life have been the fuel for my career choice. Their reaction has been nothing but love and encouragement. I knew early that I wanted to play in college and then that I wanted to play on the beach. Since I made that decision, my family and friends have been a huge support system for the entire journey.

My parents and brother and sister followed me around weekend after weekend playing club and were always in the stands from middle school through college. Long drives or flights to tournaments and long days in the gym became the norm. On the pro circuit they are at every event that they can be and it means so much to have such rock solid support, beyond words.

How much time do you spend practicing/working out/etc every week?
We do some kind of workout, training, lifting, yoga, etc 5-6 times a week. As far as time for workouts it really varies. In the offseason you go longer and lift heavier as you get your base for the season. In season, you should be ready and feeling good for tournaments so it becomes about maintenance and keeping things where they should be.

What is the average 'retirement' age for pro beach volleyball players?  What do you want to do once you're done with volleyball?
Pro beach volleyball players can peak in their late 20’s through their 30’s. One of the great things about this sport is that athletes can play into their 40’s. With that being said, I haven't really thought too much about life after volleyball! I plan on playing for several years, and even after will probably be coaching along whatever other path I choose. It will always be part of my life.

What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing a career in sports?
To anyone interested in pursuing a career in sports I would say dedication, hard work, goals, and dreams can take you a long way. If athletics is what you love than you should go for it! All of the blood, sweat, and tears come with lifelong friends, one-of-a-kind experiences, the chance to see the world, and live the life of your dreams. Though there is always sacrifice, it’s now or never to get after it and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Are any of you hardcore athletes?  Any questions for Tealle?