In defense of food: My problem with the Discovery Channel

A few nights ago, my family and I (zakka girl, the husband, and our two kitties) were snuggled on the couch, watching a little bit of television, when the husband decided to flip over to the Discovery Channel. …

My kitties were, naturally, thrilled. (Correction: Atticus - our 5-year old - was thrilled. His 4-year old girlfriend, Leah, could care less.) Atticus loves any animal that bounds across the screen (especially arctic foxes, wolves, and polar bears) and he gets visibly tense when he sees an animal stalking around, like he cannot wait to see what happens next. Adorable. …

Sample sale heaven (no fighting)

I love sample sales: the thrill of finding some dreamy designer item - like this season’s must-have handbag, two months after release, or cashmere sweaters, after the first of January - at an incredibly low price. What I don’t love, however, is all of the waiting involved in sample sales, and the mad-rush of violent and crazed women, who always seem to want whatever I happen to be holding, and who aren’t afraid to throw elbows to get it. …

Zen and the art of furniture arrangement, part 1

As someone who’s interested in zakka, it shouldn’t be surprising that I’d also be interested in feng shui; after all, both are about improving your life and outlook. Today, a trained feng shui practitioner came to our home for a whole home consultation, to teach us a little about feng shui and provide suggestions for improving our home’s flow of energy, or qi. …

Update: Is it possible to lose 20 pounds of fat in 30 days?

One week ago, I started a little self-challenge: To follow Tim Ferris’ slow carb (or low-GI) eating plan for one month. Basically, to be your little guinea pig, trying out this nutritionally sound plan so that you don’t have to. Unless, of course, you’re trying to attain optimal fitness and radiant health. In which case, you might want to join me. …

The importance of lifestyle design

Lifestyle design is the art of living deliberately. It is about living your ideal life now, instead of waiting until some magical time in the distant future when all of your little ducks have (hopefully) settled in a row. In a nutshell, it’s about embracing a lifestyle that reflects your values, desires, and wildest dreams. …

Shirataki ‘pasta’

When I lived in Japan, I would regularly eat shirataki ‘pasta’, a translucent noodle made from tofu and the konnyaku plant - which is a beautiful, tropical-looking elephant yam. I would buy dried shirataki noodles and add them to a simmering pot of miso soup for the perfect cold-weather meal. The most amazing part about these noodles? An entire bowlful - and I mean, heaping American bowlful - has around 40 calories or so and 4 grams of carbohydrates. …

Yoga love and asana-envy

It has been about nine years since I first discovered yoga - although, I admit, I had tucked it away and only rediscovered it a few years ago. Since my first class at university, I have ‘tried on’ various styles of yoga, including mixed-method classes, Ashtanga (including Iyengar method), Kundalini, Anusara, and vinyasa yoga. I also love Bikram yoga, although it is a little less feasible for home practice year-round (since it requires a room that is 100 degrees). …

Is it possible to lose 20 pounds of fat in 30 days?

I wouldn’t doubt it. Is it reasonable or healthy? Unlikely.

Imagine my surprise, then, to read about Tim Ferriss’ incredible results on the Four Hour Work Week blog. In about six weeks, Tim went from about 180 to 165 pounds, while adding about 10 pounds of muscle to his frame by following a slow-carb (sometimes called a low-GI) diet. That’s a total loss of about 25 pounds of fat! And he accomplished this without starving himself and while doing no more than his regular workout routine. …

Why zakka?

Zakka is a Japanese word that means ’sundries,’ and refers to the mundane objects that fill up our everyday lives. Zakka are clutter and kitsch. But in the hands of the right people, such mundane objects are transformed into something extraordinary.

Japanese women collect zakka that embody their vision of the perfect life. It’s largely an exercise in lifestyle design; after all, it’s sometimes the most mundane things that prompt the most profound changes.

In a little flutter of synchronicity, this website came together on New Year’s Eve. I typically greet this time of year with mixed emotions - I love the promise of the new year, but don’t like suddenly having to wait for a treadmill at the gym. (I’m sure you know what I mean.) This year, however, I’m trying something different and making resolutions of my own …