Stretchy stretchy
Feels good to be home 🙂
Today ended up being a longer day than anticipated, so lunch break was a blitz through the house to grab more food and clothes
teach some more (it was a Zumba day! Always a great thing)
and then back home to my favorite people.
(I’m sad that picture turned out blurry)
With a sleek, groomed puppy
(who was looking a little homeless before her appointment. Sorry Bellerton.)
and a voluptuous glass of red.
We sat on the patio and caught up on our days while picking through the last of the chocolate.
Our system goes like this:
-Take a bite, describe the flavor, and offer the rest to the other person
Dinner is cooking away
and we’re going to enjoy it al fresco on the balcony 🙂
Pimp my stretch playlist
At work, some of my work friends were talking about stretch teaching styles, because everyone teaches stretch differently. Some are really hilarious and throw in awesome jokes (like one of the girls who yells, “stretchy, stretchy!!”) and others are more what my friend likes to call “Airy Fairy.” I fall into the Airy Fairy category. I joke around a little bit, but make it make it more of a yoga-y, pay attention to the movement of your breath, breathe into the muscle, namaste type class.
Here’s the thing, though. I’m still using the basic playlist than I was using before I went on leave. I added a couple of new songs, like the Jason Mraz song I posted yesterday and “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri, but that’s it.
Do you have any relaxing, noodly, namaste tunes to share? I always love your suggestions and will post my new stretch playlist when I get it revamped.
Time to eat!
See ya in the am <3
xoxo
Gina
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Love your stemless wine glasses! And chocolate sounds like the perfect appetizer 🙂 glad you had a good night.
The posts with your family make me so so happy 🙂
Its not really a stretch warm up, but I do listen to it while I warm up for my walk around the track at the gym “We found Love by Rihanna” I find its the perfect tempo to start slowly and warm up to a decent pace for the sweaty mess I am about to do. 🙂
I cant believe how big she is getting!!! Love it 🙂
Hi Gina! I’ve talked to you a few times and as you know I love your blog. It ended up inspiring me to start my own little bloggie and I just posted 2 songs a friend of mine sent me. Take a look if you get a chance. The second one is particularly relaxing and makes me smile so hopefully it does for you too 🙂 Can’t for the new playlist!
Mmmmm red wine 🙂 LOVE your quote! I was at my moms house venting to her about my horrible day and she told me about a 47 year old ALS patient she has a work (shes a nurse at the VA) who’s actively dying. Definitely puts things into perspective and makes you realize that no matter how bad you think it is, someone always has it way worse.
the yoga station on pandora always comes up with some good stuff. Thievery Corporation is a good funky sound to throw in sometimes too.
Some of the music I like to listen to for relaxing, quiet moments are: The Blow (“True Affection” is great!), Priscilla Ahn (“Lullaby” is really pretty and soothing), Bon Iver (pretty much anything from their self-titled album, I particularly like the song “Holocene”), St. Vincent (I especially like the song “Strange Mercy”), Stars (the song “Dead Hearts” is so pretty), and Beach House (I like the song “Apple Orchard”). Hope this helps!
I love the picture of Bella – just letting the wind blow through her hair, haha.
I like ur chocolate system I should do this with my husband!!
I go searching on the Squeezebox radio stations for something ‘ambient’. Sometimes it’s a win and sometimes I just waste 15 minutes of my time testing stations that aren’t what I’m after at all. I love it when you post playlists BTW, it saves so much time thinking about what to download for workouts. Playlists and music vids are my favourite things that you post.
that pic of Bella is adorable! and the cute little family pic, even though its blurry. 🙂
Ruby Frost and Mt. Eden- Oh That I Had. Has to be my all time favorite song to wind down to 🙂 I love the quote, it’s so important to be thankful for every new day, something that I need to be reminded of from time to time!
I love a lot of the slow songs from the different seasons of So You Think You Can Dance. So many great options.
Deva Premal, all the way on mood music for what you describe you want.
And those artichokes look great…and the way you describe your chocolate taste-testing…classic, priceless 🙂 It’s what I do, too!
I fully approve of chocolate and wine before dinner! 🙂
You had me at wine and chocolate. And then with that pic of Olivia.
I love stretchy yoga music. After an intense workout it feels sooo good to do sun salutations and twisty lunges. I agree with Avery too–Deva Premal is great–but check out these tunes–I love them:
Amos Lee–“Colors”
Aimee Mann–“Save Me”–from “Magnolia” soundtrack
Angus and Julia Stone–“Big Jet Plane”
Baka Beyond–“Ohureo”–beautiful and haunting!
Bon Iver
Anoushka Shakar– “Beloved”
Iron and Wine
These are some of my faves!
Ong Namo by Snatam Kaur is an amazing song for what you’re looking for. I Am What I Am by Aykanna is another good one. And if you go to tadasanafestival.com they have a free download of 30 songs from the festival.
I want a box of chocolates RIGHT NOW!
I always end Piloxing with a stretchy relaxation song. The current one is an ultimate favorite song ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvHJOus1pRo
It’s beautiful.
My favorite cool down song: “Fade Into Me”~ by David Cook. Every time my sister and I hear the song we chuckle cuz it’s time to stretch 🙂
I love the song “After Tonight” by Justin Nozuka; energizing but relaxing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrJG6MUBFHI
i have that same lululemon bag that you were holding in the first photo.. so handy and the perfect size! 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nwdjQmc_N8&ob=av2e Emeli Sande- Next to me. Absolutely amazing when stretching!
Xx
You had me at red wine…then the chocolate. That’s my dream dinner, er, I mean treat. 🙂
I needed that quote. I was having myself a little pity party last night for no apparent reason (just one of those days). Then I wake up this morning refreshed and read that. It makes me look at my life and smile!
Little Bella cracks me up in her pictures. She’s either acting crazy or being kinda dramatic, as in the one above. All serious, with her hair blowing in the breeze.
she is outta control 🙂
I used to take this yoga class where the instructor would play zen-like music the whole time. One class, he forgot his usual CD so he put on Sade’s Lover Rock and we did the class to the whole album. It was awesome! Such great stretching/yoga music!
how are u cooking/going to eat that boiling artichoke?
would love a how-to on it! 🙂
I just love this inspirational pic/quote – so true!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I apologize if this is already on the list, but I love “somewhere over the rainbow” by the Hawaiian artist Iz. He has a huge long Hawaiian name that I can’t spell or pronounce, but I think he went by Iz.
Lost by Anouk is my go to relaxation song, also Giving Everything Away for Free by Daniel Merriweather. And anything by James Morrison, mainly because his voice melts me : )
Oh and Dream by Priscilla Ahn
Hey Gina! Try listening to “Just Breathe” by Telepopmusik. It’s the most soothing & amazing song in the world to me 🙂 Hope you like it!
Bella’s just letting her newly trimmed mane blow in the wind… SO adorable. 🙂
After reading the Hunger Games that quote really rings true. I love the family picture of the three of you, and Bella looks so happy with her hair blowing in the wind!
It’s kind of old school, but I like to listen to Cat Stevens when I stretch. It’s nice and relaxing!
“The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack” by the Liars is great for stretch. I have heard it a few times while taking a yin yoga class and it is perfect!
That’s such a cute picture of your little family! Wine and chocolate while waiting for dinner to cook sounds like a perfect night and I’m excited to hear what’s in the pot– it looks delicious! What a wonderful quote too- I think we all could use that reminder!
I really love the song “Other side of the World” by KT Tunstall. So relaxing
Haha- I love Bella’s ears flowing in the breeeeeze! It’s cute that you have a baby carrier in your ready-to-head-to-work photos now.
In terms of stretchy music inspiration… 10 years ago I might have said Enya! 😉 But I probably go with music without lyrics as a general rule for relaxation sessions conducive to stretchiness.
For a really chill song I absolutely love Sia’s “Breathe Me”. She’s an Australian singer who isn’t that well known over here although she was just featured on Flo Rida’s “Wild Ones” – which is funny because it’s a world away from the type of music she does on her own, but I love ’em both!
In one of my classes we always cool down to Jason Mraz’s cover of Rocket Man. I love love love it!
loved this one!!
You’ve got a nice family, Gina 🙂
I keep seeing artichokes all over the place – I’ve only ever had them in a dip before. Are you boiling them in that picture?
yep!
Ooh I was going to suggest Bon Iver and Beach House too!
Norah Jones is my favorite when it comes to laid back jams.
I love your wine glasses!!! Where are they from?
And, I rarely eat chocolate, but when I do…my system is pretty similar to yours unless I happen to get one with caramel or peanut butter. Then it is all mine!
Yay, a whole family shot! I’m sorry it’s blurry, too. My song suggestion is Coldplay’s “The Scientist” and given that you are a fan ,Christina Perri does an amazing cover of it.
i can’t wait to download that!
Ah, red wine and chocolate! DOES LIFE GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT?! 😉
nope. i don’t think so 😉
Seems we share the same “eating chocolates from a box” technique!
Cute pic!!!
GREAT Quote, the BEST really. 🙂
Olivia is such a pretty baby Gina!
How are cooking those artichokes, boiling or frying?
My son loves artichokes (he is 10 years old), and I usually steam them and we eat with a balsamic or lemon vinaigrete for dipping. But I am always looking for ideas on how to make them since we are all fans of the artichokes at our house!
Ana
boil/fry- boiling water with jalapeno olive oil in there for 45 min
Check out Gossling “Ancient Love” and ” the only way” are my favs from her. Birdy’s “skinny love” is good too. Oh, and Santigold “disparate youth” and so many others!! ( Im’ a lyrical dance teacher- lots of stretching songs on my ipod;)
I love that you called your glass of wine volumptuous! LMFAO!!!!!
Hi Gina, i like the picture of you coming home and of you and your two favorite people. you all are beautiful couple and baby Livi!
thank you, kari! <3