books – Stylishly Zen

Five Faves While Social Distancing

Published on March 31, 2020March 30, 2020 by soreiyaLeave a comment

Hi Everyone!

It feels really weird to be writing this post today. Regardless of where you are in the world right now, you have been touched in one way or another by the global pandemic that we are currently experiencing. While the situation is frightening and anxiety inducing, it has also really given me some perspective and allowed me some time and space for some much needed clarity in my life. I wanted to share my five faves at the moment that are helping me to stay sane, keep my anxiety at bay and smile a little bit brighter as we take the steps necessary to flatten the curve of cases of COVID-19. Here are my Five Faves while practicing social distancing and self isolation:

Working out with Melissa Wood Health

Like most people I have been forced to modify my workouts. I am a bit of cardio junkie so not being able to hop on the treadmill or elliptical trainer at the gym has been a huge change. I decided to embrace this as an opportunity to switch up my work outs and I purchased a subscription to the fitness app Melissa Wood Health. The moves are low impact and seem so simple but it is so hard! It is a great way to challenge my body and keep me active while I practice social distancing. If you are looking for less expensive ways to work out then hop onto Youtube, there are a ton of videos there that will help you to get moving and relieve some stress.

Cooking with Jennifer Fisher Kitchen

I have always been a fan of Jennifer Fisher. If you are unfamiliar with her, she is a very talented NYC jewelry designer who is also a really good cook. I have been loving all of the recipes that she posts on her website and she walks thru a lot of her recipes on Instagram Stories which really helps to keep me motivated to try new things. Over the past week and a half she has been posting more recipes and videos and everything looks so good! Since I began self isolation I have made her banana bread recipe twice, sautéed artichokes and her recipe for twice baked potatoes. Whole roasted cauliflower, pantry soup and more banana bread will be a part of my meal planning for this next week. If you are looking for some delicious and easy recipe inspiration check out her recipes on here Instagram page @jenniferfisherkitchen or on her website here

Jennifer Fisher’s My Mom’s Da Bomb Banana Bread – it is sooooo good and addictive!!!!!

Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone

If you have been following this blog for a while then you know that I am a total design junkie. Athena Calderone is the creator of the gorgeous blog Eye Swoon (www.eye-swoon.com) and she just released her second book Live Beautiful in early March. Within this book, Athena goes into the homes of incredible designers around the world and shows us their spaces and their design choices. The homes are gorgeous and endlessly inspiring. If you are searching for a gorgeous design book to get lost into for a few hours or if you are searching for some fresh inspiration this book is for you.

Breathing App

My job in manufacturing has issued temporary layoffs during this uncertain time and I live alone so there have been moments that I feel a little uneasy and anxious. I think that it’s important to acknowledge these feelings rather then suppress them, sit with them and unpack them to really understand why I am feeling the way that I do in that moment, so that I can move forward in a healthy manner. A part of this process is learning to take moments to focus on my breathing. Some people are trying meditation during this challenging time but I have had better luck with consistently taking moments to focus on my breath so this is the method that I am sticking with right now. The Breathing app is something that I heard about last year and immediately downloaded it. Developed by Eddie Stern and is inspired by resonance which is “the scientific name that describes what happens when our heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure and brainwave function come into coherent frequency.”(via http://www.eddiestern.com). It helps to regulate your breathing so that you instantly feel calmer and more relaxed. You basically follow a ball – as it expands for a count of 4 you inhale and as it contracts you inhale for a count of 6 for a total of one minute. You can adjust the breath counts to what you feels what works best for you. The app is free and I have been using it at least twice a day (morning and night) and I cannot recommend it enough. If you feel that you need some help taking a moment to help regulate your breathing and feel calmer in the moment then this app is worth trying.

Ugly Delicious Season 2 on Netflix

I love food shows and Ugly Delicious is no exception. Season 2 dropped on Netflix earlier this month and it is soooo good! This time off has allowed me to catch up on a ton of shows that I have been meaning to watch but this series really stands out. I especially loved the episode about Indian food which featured the supremely talented chef Floyd Cardoz who sadly passed away last week after being diagnosed with COVID-19. I love learning about cultures thru food and Ugly Delicious does a great job showcasing both the similarities and subtle nuances between cultures. If you are searching for a cool, fun and interesting show to binge on then Ugly Delicious should definitely be on your list.

Thank you for stopping by Stylishly Zen today. Please feel free to share in the comments things that you are currently loving, and tips that you are using to stay sane during this crazy time in the world. Please stay safe and take care and I look forward to hearing from you! XXS

Five Faves

Published on November 3, 2019November 2, 2019 by soreiyaLeave a comment

As this year (and this decade) wind down, it feels like the days are going faster and there have been more then a few moments where I am struggling to stay in the moment. Does anyone else feel this way or is it just me? With two months left in 2019 my goal is to try and stay in the moment as much as possible, develop a deep breathing practice that I can actually stick to (I will keep you posted on how that goes), and work on things that actually make me happy such as this blog and decorating my apartment. For now though, here are the five things that I am currently loving:

It was love at first sight when I first saw this padded shoulder t-shirt on Instagram and the fact that it was sold out only made me want it more (clearly I am a marketer’s dream). Despite the fact that it is ridiculously expensive for a t-shirt, I signed up for the waitlist and immediately ordered it when it (finally!) came back into stock. The quality is fantastic and it fits really well. As basic as this t-shirt may seem to some, it makes me really happy and I love wearing therefore making it my perfect t-shirt.

While I haven’t seen every episode, I occasionally enjoy watching My Next Guest with David Letterman. While scrolling thru Netflix the other day though, I came across his most recent special featuring Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and I nearly screamed with excitement. While I rarely have an opportunity to enjoy a Bollywood movie, like many other people on this planet Shah Rukh Khan is one of my favourite actors – he is just so damn cool! The interview was fantastic as he is charismatic, humble, articulate and interesting. I highly encourage you to check out this special to see just why this man is one of the most famous actors on the planet even if you have never heard of him before this.

This cashew butter is a recent discovery for me and it is safe to say that I am hooked. Made in small batches, Logan Petit Lot’s mission is to offer new twists on classic flavours of nut butters. Cashew Coffee is by far my favourite and I enjoy a spoonful on top of my chia pudding every morning. It has minimal ingredients, taste great and I love the fact that it is locally made – a win win in my opinion.

I have heard a lot about a lot of the benefits of positive thinking and yes I have read The Secret in the hopes that it would help me to shift my mindset and put me on a more positive path. Needless to say I find it a struggle to keep a positive and focused mindset all of the time and I tend to fall off of the proverbial bandwagon fairly often. When I heard about Gabrielle Bernstein’s new book though, I was willing to give the whole attracting your dreams to you concept another try. I have not yet finished reading it, but so far it is an enjoyable read that offers a number of tools to help you to attract what you want into your life. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have to put in the effort, but this book helps you to become more self aware. I am by no means willing to say that I am some success story, aside from greater self awareness I don’t think that there has been any other shifts in my life at the moment. But even if the only thing that I get from this book is greater self awareness I will be happy that I read this book.

I have been in love Eye Swoon’s Athena Calderone’s New York home from the moment that I saw it. It has since been profiled (along with Athena herself) in a few major publications including Architectural Digest and Porter magazine. I recently came across this image of her living room on Pinterest and I once again fell in love with this space as it is chic and modern, yet comfortable and cool. Athena has managed to strike just the right balance of fabulous throughout her home. This picture along with many others of the home are on my vision board to help motivate me to capture the same vibe and perfect balance in my own home.

Thank you for stopping by today, let me know what you are loving this month in the comments below! XXS

Images via http://www.frankieshop.com, netflix.com and http://www.pinterest.com

Five Faves

Published on October 9, 2019October 9, 2019 by soreiyaLeave a comment

Hi Everyone!

How is your fall going so far? With the leaves changing, stunning sunsets (like the one above that I captured yesterday) and fabulous fall fashion, I am loving the new season so far! Here are my five favourite faves for the month:

With the cooler temps I am craving warming foods and getting creative in the kitchen every chance that I get. This grilled zucchini with stracciatella looks simple enough to make yet delicious enough to want to enjoy on a regular basis as a health side dish.

I recently ordered this coffee table book and I am loving it! As you know travelling and decor are two things that I love so the combination that this book provides is perfect for me. I find myself escaping into it whenever I get the chance, love it!

Fall fashion is always my favourite and this season is no exception. I am especially loving pairing blazers with everything from a full suit to jeans, leggings or even a dress. Here are three outfits that I am currently pulling inspiration from and my causal version for days when I am rushing but still want to look put together.

I often find myself feeling really stressed out and it’s often difficult to change the way I think about stress. I found the above image on Instagram (via @mindbodygreen) and I have decided to change my narrative. Here’s hoping that I birth something great due to my narrative shift!

I am overwhelmed with decorating decision for my condo which means that I have done very little. I found this image for a bedroom recently in my home design file (via @coveteur) and it perfectly captures the vibe that I was hoping for in my new place. It is now front and centre on my vision board as I move forward with my home decor project – wish me luck!

I hope that you are having a wonderful October so far, let me know what you are currently loving in the comments below. I hope that you have wonderful day! XXS