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toast-connoisseur · 5 years

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All the "weird asks"

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans? -I’m actually obsessed with coffee mugs and tea cups even though I don’t drink coffee nor tea.

2. chocolate bars or lollipops? -Chocolate bars

3. bubblegum or cotton candy? -Cotton Candy!

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you? -It’s funny because I actually found some of my old report cards recently... they range from “a pleasure to have in class!” to “danger of failing the course” even though my grade for both of those would be an “A” ?

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups? -The soda from a bottle from Mexico hits completely different.

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear? -Personally, I don’t dress like any of those but I am attracted to tomboys.

7. earbuds or headphones? -Depends. Mostly, earbuds.

8. movies or tv shows? -Movies.

9. favorite smell in the summer? -All the seasonal smells from the stores!

10. game you were best at in p.e.? -Softball or tennis.

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day? -One slice of toast and one egg.

12. name of your favorite playlist? -I made my friend a playlist called “Emo Turn Up” and I like that one a lot.

13. lanyard or key ring? -Key ring, but I have a lanyard because I tend to leave my purse in the car and that way I can just carry my keys around my neck. Also, my lanyard is Nightmare Before Christmas themed, so she’s beautiful.

14. favorite non-chocolate candy? -Lollipops, actually lol

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment? -Rosemary’s Baby. Although, I kind of got to pick the book for my assignment.

16. most comfortable position to sit in? -One leg is usually elevated while the other has my foot flat on the ground.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes? -My Chuck Taylor’s!

18. ideal weather? -I have two technically. I love blue skies with a slight breeze but I also love windy rainy weather.

19. sleeping position? -On my side, on leg curled up and the other straight (kind of like how I sit) while I hold a pillow to my chest.

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)? -Notebook and post its!

21. obsession from childhood? -Stickers!! Although I never actually stuck them anywhere except on other papers or just left them on their page. I collected them so I didn’t like them getting ugly.

22. role model? -Dita Von Teese!

23. strange habits? -I guess if it’s habit, I probably wouldn’t consider it strange. I do write everything down. Like, everything. I have a list of every movie I’ve ever watched (I had to stop updating it because it was giving me anxiety due to how many movies I watch), I make post it notes that I eventually compile into notebook pages. Any information I never want to lose gets written down somewhere.

24. favorite crystal? Aventurine

25. first song you remember hearing? -It would’ve been something in Spanish. Most likely one of the many songs my mom used to sing to me.

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather? -Although I rarely get to do it: sitting in the sun/going to the beach or a pool. If it’s warm with a breeze I can lay outside for quite some time.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather? -Watch movies on the couch with a blanket over me.

28. five songs to describe you? -Brown Eyed Girl (the original is nice but I love the Reel Big Fish version), Because I’m Awesome (The Dollyrots), Hot Mess (Cobra Starship), I’m Just a Kid (even though I’m almost 25. Simple Plan), Independent (Webbie)

29. best way to bond with you? -Be open and honest. I love talking about books, movies, and music but talk to me about conspiracy theories and ghost stories and you’ll have my heart. I love when people have stories revolving around their culture. I’m Mexican and we have lots of myths and stories to swap so it’s awesome.

30. places that you find sacred? -A person’s bedroom can be sacred. Call me silly but Disneyland is kind of sacred to me. It hold so many wonderful memories. I only like to share certain spots with certain people sometimes.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names? -Probably whatever outfit I have on at the moment. I don’t really plan to kick anyone’s ass let alone want to plan a whole outfit for it. I assume leggings and a t shirt will do?

32. top five favorite vines? -omg I miss vine! I was actually going through vines on YouTube recently... The “Miss Keisha” vine always kills me, any vine with Sarah Baska, anything that Zane and Heath ever made, Jay Versace has really funny vines too, and I still quote the “welcome to Chilis” vine constantly. Picking 5 is way too hard.

33. most used phrase in your phone? -“it be like that sometimes” or “yaaaaaaas”

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head? -The Red Robin commercial and the O’Riley Auto Parts one play in my head on loop at the worst times.

35. average time you fall asleep? -I lay down around 9ish but don’t actually fall asleep until 10PM

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing? -That’s way too hard to remember. Probably something I would consider really stupid now.

37. suitcase or duffel bag? -Depends on how long I’ll be away/how many clothes I’ll need. Usually, a suitcase.

38. lemonade or tea? -Lemonade.

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie? -omg why would you make me pick?! Lemon meringue pie though...

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school? -I went to a public high school in LA. We mostly had riots and fights and I stayed away from all of that.

41. last person you texted? -Jayla. I need her to wake up so I can tell her about my dream about Beyoncé.

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets? -Por que no los dos?! I like buying men’s jean jackets because they have pockets inside though...

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket? -Depends. I tend to get cold easily so I usually start with a cardigan but I love jean jackets.

44. favorite scent for soap? -just plain ol clean??

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero? -Fantasy

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in? -Depends on the weather but usually just shorts and a t shirt.

47. favorite type of cheese? -Mozzarella

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be? -Grapes. Sweet and sometimes a little sour lol

49. what saying or quote do you live by? -“Let your imaginarlo run free”. I actually have it tattooed on my right bicep.

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have? -My friends always get me to laugh really hard. I think the hardest I’ve ever laughed was when my friend tried to say something and she completely botched the sentence so it was pure gibberish and yet I understood her? We just looked at each other and burst into laughter.

51. current stresses? -Work, school, life... the usual??

52. favorite font? -Arial

53. what is the current state of your hands? -I am typing my answers to these questions on my phone...

54. what did you learn from your first job? -I only have infinite patience for kids, not adults.

55. favorite fairy tale? -Used to be Cinderella, but I was never really one for fairy tales tbh

56. favorite tradition? -I don’t actually have any. Never really had anyone to have traditions with.

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome? -2018 was an entire struggle, car crashes because idiot drivers crashed into mine and totaled mine (TWICE), my entire life as a whole has been a struggle tbh. Every day is one that I try my hardest to overcome.

58. four talents you’re proud of having? -I don’t really consider myself as someone with any talent, let alone four, but... A mathematician once taught me how to divide any number by five in my head, I’m pretty good at mimicking certain accents, idk of this counts as a talent but I can drink quite a bit before I actually feel anything, I can recite certain movies down to what song will play during certain scenes, and I would consider myself the ultimate Disneyland tour guide. That’s five but it’s all I can think of so if one doesn’t sound like one, we have an extra.

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be? -“Oh shit, here we go again...”

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be? -I know nothing about anime so I wouldn’t even know. I would want to make a joke about being in the ones that are essentially pornos but I’m probably wrong with that too.

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.? -“The greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” Idk if the line comes from elsewhere but I first heard it in the movie Moulin Rouge and it has stuck with me since.

62. seven characters you relate to? -Oh geez, I don’t really relate to any tbh but seven characters I like: Princess Tiana, Shane from The L Word, Theo from the Netflix version of A Haunting of Hill House, Satine from Moulin Rouge, Wall-E, Cassandra from Saved!, and The Grinch (as wonderfully played by Jim Carrey)

63. five songs that would play in your club? -Act Up (City Girls), Motivation (Normani), LGBT (Cupcakke), Alcohol (Millionaires, lol), My Type (Saweetie)

64. favorite website from your childhood? -Neopets!

65. any permanent scars? -I have one from when I stuck my hand in a garbage can because I was looking for something and wound up cutting myself on all the glass that had been thrown in. The scar is super tiny and on my pinkie lol

66. favorite flower(s)? -Roses and carnations

67. good luck charms? -I don’t have any anymore.

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried? -I tried sea urchin once and I swear I can still taste it.

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned? -All leaves have symmetry (unless tampered with)

70. left or right handed? -I’m right handed but I use my left hand as dominant for a lot of stuff? It’s weird.

71. least favorite pattern? One that isn’t symmetrical.

72. worst subject? -I was once good at math and now I’m horrible.

73. favorite weird flavor combo? -Some think syrup on bacon is gross but I love when the syrup from my pancakes falls on it!

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen? -10

75. when did you lose your first tooth? -I have no idea. I lost all my baby teeth early on. I’ll go with 5 or 6...

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)? -Can’t go wrong with French Fries!

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill? -I recently revived the orchid my boss has on his windowsill and I’m quite proud of that.

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store? -I don’t drink coffee but I love sushi...

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo? -Now, my driver’s license photo. I retook it recently lol

80. earth tones or jewel tones? -Jewel (with a mix of earth?)

81. fireflies or lightning bugs? -There’s a difference? Fireflies, I guess?

82. pc or console? -Console, though I love PC games.

83. writing or drawing? -I’m shit at drawing but I love to doodle. Writing is my favorite though.

84. podcasts or talk radio? -Podcasts

84. barbie or polly pocket? -My childhood nickname is Barbie (my middle name is Barbara) so I only played with Barbies even though I only dressed them because I liked their clothes and then then threw them to the side to play other games.

85. fairy tales or mythology? -Mythology

86. cookies or cupcakes? -Cookies

87. your greatest fear? -Being buried alive.

88. your greatest wish? -To be truly happy.

89. who would you put before everyone else? -My family/close friends.

90. luckiest mistake? -My entire life? I guess it would be taking a job in a field I knew nothing about which led me to learn about said field. I’m now somewhat successful in that field.

91. boxes or bags? -Depends on what I’m carrying but I love boxes. Bags are much easier though... I guess I’ll go with bags.

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights? -Sunlight/sunset.

93. nicknames? -Barbie, a friend in high school used to call me West Side Story because my first name is Maria, Barbz...

94. favorite season? -Fall

95. favorite app on your phone? -I like IG

96. desktop background? -Wildflowers

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized? -5? My friends have changed their numbers before so I remember their old numbers only lol

98. favorite historical era? -I love the fashion of the fashion and cars of the 1940s but I would never want to go back. We’re barely making any progress towards equality as is so going back would not be an option for me.

Thanks for the questions, Anon!💞

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meditationklaus · 7 years

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I’m Jess Rose, And This Is How I Yoga

Jess Rose is a world-traveling, adventure-seeking yogi who teaches alignment-based vinyasa flow at international workshops and retreats, and teaches online to thousands of students with her 30 Days of Yoga Challenge and other programs on DOYOUYOGA.

Currently dividing her time between Mexico, the U.S., and Germany, Jess loves to travel the world to teach, write, and find inspiration in both the outer and inner worlds she finds herself in.

Name: Jess Rose Occupation: Explorer, Sloth, International Yoga Teacher Location: Anywhere and everywhere Favorite yoga style: Alignment-based vinyasa flow and hatha Favorite yoga pose: Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose) Yoga is… fun, and challenging, and confrontational, and therapeutic. It has the power to bring about the deepest feelings of peace in me, or spark my passion and drive…it just depends on the day and the practice. No matter what, yoga is a direct portal to a deep relationship with the self, learning to observe and transform how we react to challenges, finding the peacefulness at the very pit out our beings, and tapping into who we really are under all the layers of how we present ourselves.

Credit: Dagan Beach

What Do You Love Most About Yoga?

I love how versatile yoga can be, so that I can change up my practice everyday to fit exactly what my body or heart is asking for. It doesn’t take on the weight of being a chore, like something you force yourself to do and is exactly the same everyday. You can mix and match and get creative with your practice—you can just lie on the floor in sweatpants and breathe mindfully, you can chant OM 108 times under your breath in the line at the bank, read the Gita, or you can listen to a yoga podcast with your legs up the wall.

Yoga is so all-encompassing when you think of it as an amalgamation of physical practice, breath work, meditation, thousands of years of philosophy, and a path to a better, happier life. There is always some aspect of yoga that I am excited to explore any given day, and yoga and I have had a very long, interesting evolution together without the flame ever going out.

How Has Yoga Changed Your Life, Personality And Physique?

Yoga has had huge effects on my life…where to start? A couple things happened that made me realize just how much yoga was seeping into my veins while I was still pretty new to it. The first was being in a plane that got struck by lightning and the power going out.

When it happened, I had my mala beads in my hand and was using them to meditate. The plane went dark and we were cruising without power, people were screaming…it was pure chaos. I made the decision to keep meditating and not to freak out. I had no control over anything anyway, so I wanted to die peacefully.

I know that sounds really intense, but I felt a huge swell of tranquility wash over me—it was surprising. Ever since then, I try to always choose surrender and peace over fear-based action or panic.

The second thing I noticed, is that I will always skip going out and partying with my friends when there is a yoga class the next morning that I absolutely don’t want to miss. My social life has suffered immeasurably since becoming a yogi! But I’m much happier and healthier this way, so no regrets at all. And, I’ve made a whole new group of like-minded friends who also think that going to bed at 9:30 to be fit for yoga in the morning is the cool thing to do, haha!

Physically, I’m a lot stronger than I used to be, which has helped me in the ways of carrying my luggage or pushing cars that are stuck in the sand, for example. But, more seriously, yoga has taught me how to move better. I feel more graceful, much more aware of my body in space, and totally comfortable with my body in all of its beauty and perfect imperfections.

Credit: Chris Hannant

What Everyday Things Did You Get Better At Because Of Yoga?

I’m very proud of the fact that I can now sit still for over an hour without freaking out. I don’t know if it’s because the flexibility let me be more physically comfortable, or if mentally, I can accept stillness and being present and content with where I’m at and what I’m doing.

So now I can also peacefully sit through movies, which was never an option before, or enjoy a long meal without feeling compelled to get up and rush to the next thing. It’s slowed down my life and allowed me to be present and really appreciate what I’m doing in every single moment, and that is incredibly life-changing.

How Do You Keep Your Yoga Practice Interesting And Challenging?

On days when I’m not in the mood for a strong physical practice, I study philosophy or biomechanics or practice pranayama, and find the other limbs of yoga just as interesting and challenging as asana. But as far as my physical practice, there are always poses that scare me in a good way and teach me new things about my mental flexibility much more than my physical abilities.

Certain inversions still intimidate me, and I love to throw them in just to see how I react. Being a yogi who frequently does asana on camera has also upped my game and made it possible for me to explore poses I wouldn’t otherwise have had the drive to try on my own. This is why, when I meet students who have done beautiful inversions with me, alone in their home with no external forces cheering them on, I am so absolutely amazed and inspired.

What Book, Website Or Person Inspires You?

I’m really inspired by Buddhist philosophy, in particular Alan Watts and Pema Chödrön, for their graspable ways of bringing mindfulness and understanding to my frenzied and confused human existence.

I seem to repeatedly find myself in some sort of mental or emotional exhaustion revolving around love, work, or an existential crisis of some kind, so the ideas of impermanence and non-attachment always help me get myself back on track. I also love bringing a philosophical or psychological perspective into my yoga classes from time to time, and the Buddhist ideas on fear, power, surrender, change, and non-attachment seem to resonate powerfully with me and my students as well.

Which Yoga Pose Challenges You the Most?

Hands down, standing split. I really, really struggle with this one! I think it’s because I consider myself to be pretty flexible and pretty strong, but in this case, the parts do not equal the whole. I can do the splits on the ground, but there’s something about that deep forward fold, and the glute and hamstring power to lift the top leg, that my body has not been able to unravel.

So even after years of practice and many, many attempts, I often feel like a chunk of rigid concrete block with a very stern-looking human head on one end and a wobbly twig of a leg aimlessly drifting in space on the other end.

Credit: Chris Hannant

What are Your Go-To Yoga Poses When You’re Stressed or In Need of an Energy Boost?

When I’m stressed, Supta Baddha Konasana is my best remedy. Something about opening the hips softens my mental state, and if I prop my heart up on a block or a bolster, my chest can really expand to allow my breath to deepen and slow down.

For energy, inversions are the way to go. If I’m really low on energy, then headstand is great, but if I can muster the strength, a long handstand at the wall gets my blood pumping, sends fresh oxygen to tired cells, and gives me a little jolt of adrenaline to get me buzzed and reinvigorated.

What Do You Listen To When You Practice Yoga?

For more dynamic flow practices, I really like to move to Nu, Nicolas Jaar, D.Lissvik, and Earthrise Sound System. I like eastern-inspired instrumentation with a slow, pulsing beat in the background to give a bit of a mystical sensuality to my practice.

For yin or restorative practices, I really love to put on Masood Ali Khan, Jane Winther, and Steve Ross. I have pretty eclectic musical tastes when it comes to my yoga playlists, but most important for me, is no vocals. Or, if there are vocals, they are either so reverb-y that they are just dreamy and incomprehensible, or in Sanskrit or a language that neither I nor my students speak.

I’ve been annoyed by lyrics and pop songs too many times in yoga classes—even singer/songwriter music made by yogis is too much for me on the mat. I love having my yoga practice be a time to focus on my breath and my body, not hear some dude whining about his lovelife, or talk about how we are all made of stars and fairy-dust or something like that, while I’m trying to guide myself into a standing split!

What’s The Best Advice You’ve Ever Received?

I got this advice from a friend when I was living in France, and it has stuck with me for over a decade: “Reculer pour mieux sauter.” It roughly translates to, ‘step back, in order to better jump forward’. It’s been a personal mantra of mine ever since it was told to me.

I have the very reptilian-brain tendency to go into fast-acting fight mode when I feel threatened or uncomfortable, and this saying reminds me to give myself some space before I make a move. I also apply this advice to my yoga practice by doing plenty of yin and restorative sessions in between strong vinyasa days. This stepping back and slowing down to let my body unwind and re-pattern actually helps it to bounce back stronger and wiser than before.

What’s Your #1 Piece of Advice for Those Just Starting Their Yoga Practice?

Find your teacher! I have been incredibly lucky with my teachers over the years, but I’ve also been to a few classes where I felt totally uninspired (and even been injured!) by an inexperienced teacher. It doesn’t matter whether they’re online or in-person, shop around until you find someone you relate to, who makes you feel not just safe and supported, but also, motivated and empowered.

Without my teachers, I might have dropped my yoga practice years ago and never looked back. It’s all about keeping your focus, being constantly inspired, and being encouraged to keep learning and evolving, and the best teachers are the ones who meet all of these criteria for you.

Website: jessrose.yoga Facebook: JessRoseYoga Instagram: @jessroseyoga Twitter: jessroseyoga

The post I’m Jess Rose, And This Is How I Yoga appeared first on DOYOUYOGA.COM.

#Yoga #doyouyoga.com #Health

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elevatorupcompany · 7 years

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What's good right now

Elevator Up has a well balanced venn diagram of interests, hobbies, and skills. This week our team put together a list of things making positive waves in their current day to day.

Emily, designer

Facebook Events: The Discover Section My primary use of Facebook is finding all sorts of events happening locally. I’m particularly fond of Facebook’s option to discover events not only by location but by date. This has been awesome for planning for friends visiting or to check out events while traveling.

Signo Pens As a journaler, a doodler, and queen of annotations on nearly everything, a set a killer pens has been a real heart warmer. Is that brown-black ink you ask? Why yes, how subtle and easy on the eyes is that!? Brand of choice: Uniball Signo (0.38mm)

Bowling I can’t stop. Bowling is cheap, the beer is cheap, it brings friends together, and the expectations for success are fabulously low. My current go to is Clique Lanes: late night bowling for nearly pocket change. Who’s in?

Andy, developer

Founders Azacca Named after the Haitian God of agriculture, the Azacca hop has a tropical aroma with hints of citrus and mango, and a touch of caramel malt for a sweet backbone. Azacca is my current favorite, non-lawnmower beer. Salivate at: foundersbrewing.com/our-beer/azacca-ipa/

Zillow.com Realtors are great at many things. Hiring people to write usable web apps is not one of them. When looking for property for sale, I skip the local MLS app and go straight to Zillow.com. It's just as up to date (often more so), much easier to navigate and has superior mapping and list functionality. Related: there is no real estate left for sale in Grand Rapids. Find your McMansion at: zillow.com

Frontier Ruckus A Michigan-based multi-instrumental foursome playing melancholy power pop. Mathew Milia's honest and raw lyrics paint painful pictures and landscapes of lost loves. Their back catalog is available on Bandcamp, and the new album dropped this February. Listen: music.frontierruckus.com/album/eternity-of-dimming

Tori, studio manager

Essential Oils + a Diffuser I’ve been getting into the essential oil scene. I love how many healing uses they have on the body and mind. A diffuser kicks it up a notch as another way to get the beneficial effects of essential oils without placing it on your skin. Feeling crabby? 3-4 drops of lemon oil. Need help falling asleep? Use lavender and run it before bed. Find it here: amazon.com/dp/B01AEPWY86?psc=1

Tropical Everything Bring me your lovely bunches of coconuts...why yes, I do like pina coladas. Ever since coming back from Costa Rica, I can’t...get...enough...tropical things! I’ve noticed that travel is a big inspiration to the things I cook. I’ve always loved coconut and in Costa Rica, coconuts are aplenty. They pop up in most of the dishes and drinks. So, I’ve been pinning all sorts of coconut and caribbean recipes, inspired by what I ate there.

Huckberry I was introduced to Huckberry about 3 years ago and fell in love despite it being a site for men. Huckberry is a men’s store, magazine, and space for inspiration and community. It speaks to 20 to 30-something guys who “lived in the city but lived for the outdoors” and features unique and high quality products. From clothing to gear to home goods to art, there is a lot of thought and research that goes into the brands they feature. It is my go-to source for gift inspiration for anyone, and yes, they are starting an arm of the company just for us LADIES. :)

Amelie, community manager

AirBnB Every time I travel, I use AirBnb. I love discovering nooks and crannies of towns and getting tips on eateries and nightlife directly from people who live in the area. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to stay at great homes and see the way people live, what their style is like, and bring some of those ideas home. Pictured above: Bucktown, Chicago.

Improv Comedy I had heard about the benefits of learning the basics of improv on podcasts from fellow coworking professionals and have been generally interested in learning more about how it might infuse in my daily life. In December, I signed up to take the basics session and in April, I’ll be in the advanced class. Since I’ve begun practicing, I’ve noticed a huge improvement in my listening skills, coaching, and overall stress level. The basics of improv revolves around listening, teamwork, and making the other people in your group look good. Sound familiar? ;) I’m looking forward to participating more in the local scene, and continuing to see shows when we travel around. Pictured above: Curious Comedy Theatre, PDX. This is the actual scene that made me fall in love with improv.

Solid tunes Music has always been engrained into my life in one way or another. Sometimes I come home from work, plug in, and close my eyes for a good hour. It really helps me reset. My husband and I began having “creativity night” on Saturday nights during the winter months. Sometimes I spin records, and sometimes I put on a playlist, but either way, we set up a bit of a cowork at our kitchen table to get shit done. Whether we’re reading, writing, drawing, or chatting, we get to practice some of the things that make us, us and live a little slower.

Henry, program manager

March I love comics and graphic novels because of the creative content they offer and the unique position as an interesting storytelling medium they have. I’ve been doing research on the south during the civil rights movement because it seems like an interesting setting for fictional stories. I was recently referred to the March series as a great read to get an understanding of how to capture the climate during that era in a graphic novel. I definitely recommend this series for anyone who wants a good graphic novel.

Sketch I know I’m late to the party on this one, but one hole in what I’ve learned for web development is being able to work with designs someone else has made and turn them into functional sites. I’ve had a little experience with photoshop, but was recently told to check out Sketch by Jeremy Abrahams who teaches the Modern Web coLearning course. After playing around with it for a bit, I’ve enjoyed using it and would like to boost skills so I can even help put new assets together for future coLearning campaigns.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Technically this isn’t out yet, but the anticipation alone has been an obsession in itself for me. This game will kick off the launch of Nintendo’s newest hardware, the Nintendo Switch which you can play both on a big TV at home and on the go pretty seamlessly. More importantly though is the fact that Nintendo is taking Zelda back to it’s open world roots with a beautifully designed world where you can actually go to any of the landscapes you see on the horizon.

Mike Miller, designer

A ruler One of the most overlooked tools in a designer’s toolset is the ruler. Alignment is critical when designing user interfaces and a ruler helps you get a little more realistic idea when planning out designs. I’ve been using rulers in my design process for quite sometime, but lately it has been getting some pretty heavy use! Any old ruler would do the job! This one just so happens to be one my dad used back in the day.

NBA Jam - Super Nintendo I had some buddies over a few weeks ago and we were all playing a handful of old school emulated games when one of my buddies said we should try NBA Jam. Next thing I knew we were in heated 2v2 tournaments yelling quotes from the in game announcer like “He’s on Fire!” and “Boomshakalaka!”. The game is super easy to pick up because it has 3 buttons, and you can play it on pretty much any PC or Mac using this emulator. It also works with Xbox 360 controllers and Playstation controllers. Definitely worth reminiscing of the old days.

Uppercase Macbook Keyboard Cover A super common thing that happens to someone’s macbook keyboard is that the lettering on the keys wears out and fade. I recently replaced a super cheap $2 macbook keyboard cover with the Uppercase cover. It’s pretty much perfect. Doesn’t take anytime to “break in”, protects your keyboard from fading keys, and might even save your computer from a Redbull spill. Buy it yourself: amazon.com/UPPERCASE-Ultra-Clear-Keyboard-Macbook/dp/B007FL6100

Jim, developer

Speciation Artisan Ales I love my beer, and sours in particular. Speciation Artisan Ales recently opened up in Comstock Park and quickly capture my heart (and taste buds). They are a small brewery focusing on small batch sours and farmhouse ales, specifically doing bottle releases once a month. They don’t currently have a taproom (hopefully one day), but the two releases they’ve had so far have been delicious.

Joel, product manager

Nest Camera + App I’ve had a Nest Cam setup inside our house for about a year now and love how clear it is. The fact I can log in from anywhere and see what’s going on inside my house is a whole new level of security and peace of mind. For Christmas I got an outside camera and I installed it at our main entryway. I’ve setup alerts within the Nest App for specified coverage areas and it even tells me when it detects a person at my door. I can’t wait to install about three more around the perimeter of my house.

SmartThings + App In the same vein as the Nest Cam, I have a number of sensors and switches in my house that I can control with the SmartThings app. Automations allows me to trigger an action when specific conditions are meet. For example I have 4 automations that turn ON and OFF my outside lighting at specified times. I have them scheduled to turn on 1 hour before sunrise in the morning, then turn off 30 minutes after sunrise. The same type of schedule is set for the evening: 30 minutes after sunset through to 3 hours after sunset. Another major feature is that I can open both my garage and front door remotely. So if I need to let a contractor in to do some work, or our neighborhood dog walker, I can do it on-demand. That kind of power over my house is freakin’ awesome.

Kendell, developer

Myo

I am a big fan of alternative user input products. Most recently I have been toying with some controllers called Myo’s. I have been using them to connect a storytelling experience to a set of projectors displaying planets and moons from our solar system. The myo’s detect subtle electrical signals that are emitted from the muscles in your arms as they contract and relax. Check it out: myo.com

Chris, marketing and communications manager

Childish Gambino “Awaken My Love” This guy, Donald Glover, first he’s an actor then a rapper, then his newest album “Awaken My Love.” Yeah, it came out last year, but I still listening to it all the time. The vinyl comes out April 28 so that’s something else to look forward to.

Television There are so many good TV shows, but you have to go to Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime to get them. There are too many to list, but “The Night Manager” is one of my recent favorites. Hugh Laurie, is damn creepy. One of my other favorite genres is British cop dramas, check out “Luther”, “Happy Valley” and “Broadchurch” to get started.

Criminal Podcast There are also a lot of great podcasts. “Criminal” stands out because the concept is simple - there was a crime. They are true crime stories. Various people share their stories. They are always interesting, sometimes sad and sometimes funny. Phoebe Judge, the host, has one of the most soothing voices ever. Bonus. Check it out: thisiscriminal.com

What is your office loving right now?

~Emily, Designer

#recommended #teamculture #interests

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