Touching Teacher, Co-Worker, and Holiday Host Gifts - Part I

Black Friday has come and gone, and the winter holiday shopping spree is officially upon us! You’re making your list and checking it twice, and it seems that no one's naughty and everyone’s nice, so your list just keeps getting longer and longer! But, when it comes to your family and friends, it can be fun, and even easy, to bestow meaningful gifts upon them. To help you out, the children in your life have been making their list since July; your significant other’s been dropping not-so-subtle hints; and that article your mother gave you about laundry tips just happens to have a list of “Top 10 Gifts to Get Your Mom” on the backside.

So let's fast forward to three weeks from now, and you’re done, right? Wrong! It’s two days before the office holiday party, and you suddenly remember that everyone will be sucking up to the boss with a gift. And then, you check your calendar and remember that you’re responsible for bringing the red and green Jello to your kid’s class holiday party tomorrow afternoon – did you remember to get a gift for the teacher?

You could get these important people the same old gifts as last year - a bottle of wine for your boss, and a Dunkin Donuts gift card for the teacher (which are perfectly acceptable and enjoyable), but I guarantee they’ll get that from 20 other people. Rewind back to today, and you’ve still got time to get them a stand-out sense savvy gift that says you really care about who they are and what they mean to you.

My Top Picks for Teacher and Co-worker Gifts that Will Really TOUCH Them (All Under $40):

For the Ladies:

• Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Collection – Hand Recovery and Hand Therapy: One of my former employees gave this to me as a gift a couple of years ago, and I maintain that it was the best gift I ever got to keep my keyboard hands soft and supple.  Find at Crabtree and Evelyn La Source Collection.
• Origins Ginger Duet:  These luxurious ginger body lotions just scream "take time-out for yourself over the holiday break."  Find at Origins.
• Do Not Disturb – Relaxation Wrap: This lavendar wrap, which comes with a "Do Not Disturb" sign, let's you unwind, relax and wrap yourself with warmth.  Stress be gone!  Find at Do Not Disturb.
  

For the Guys:

• Graphite Sculpture Pencil: - Imagine writing with a smooth graphite pencil that serves as a writing utensil and a desktop conversation piece.  It will be one of the coolest gifts that your recipient ever gets.  Find at Wildlife Wonders .
• Engraved Cross pen:  I still have the Cross pen my parents gave me when I graduated from college, and I love the way it feels in my hand, almost as much as the pride I feel in my head when I use it.  Find at Gift Pens Cross Contour Collection.

These are gifts that you will FEEL great about giving, and your boss or child's teacher will literally be TOUCHED.

Stay tuned for Part II - Teacher and Co-worker Gifts that TASTE great!

Thanksgiving Top 5 Sights and Sounds to Be Thankful For

If you missed the earlier posts in the Thanksgiving Top 5 Series, feel free to catch up at Top 5 Touches and Top 5 Tastes and Smells, then meet me back here…

The way most kids feel about Christmas morning is how I feel about Thanksgiving morning to this very day. Ever since I can remember, I bound out of bed as if it were a Saturday morning - that one day of the week in which I could watch cartoons (it seemed like light-years between each episode of Scooby Doo or The New Shmoo). Those were the days when the adults actually owned the television programming seven days a week, and only Saturday mornings belonged to the kids. There is, however, one annual morning television program, which is eagerly shared by both the young, and the young at heart, because everyone loves a parade…

My Thanksgiving Top 5 Sights and Sounds to Be Thankful For

1. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – Though it wasn’t a Saturday morning, I knew I’d see all my favorite larger-than-life cartoons and Muppet characters floating down Broadway to Herald Square, along side automobile-driven floats and marching bands. My all-time favorite balloon, Kermit the Frog, debuted in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1977. In my adulthood, I still watch the parade with as much fervor, if not more than I did back then. And, certain sights and sounds that were lost on me as a child, i.e., the theatrical performances and marching bands, are appreciated now with almost as much intensity as the balloons.
2. Geese Flying in a V Formation – The honking is unmistakable, and it forces my eyes up to the sky to trace the distinctive sound of the flock.  I just have to know where they're coming from and where their V is heading.  Are they flying from North to South today, or are they headed to a friend’s pond for Thanksgiving? I’m drawn to them throughout the season, but especially on our road trip to my mother’s house for Thanksgiving. On this special day, I put their poop aside, and I'm thankful for the miraculous sensory gift that they're migrartion gives us every year.
3. Thanksgiving Table – Nobody, and I mean nobody, does a holiday like my mother. To make sure it's perfect, she sets up the Thanksgiving table at least two weeks prior to the holiday and then dresses up the dining and living rooms with every musical, gobbling, “Squeeze Me” plush and mechanical turkey toy to be found. It’s a real hoot to watch the kids (and yes, the adults too) play with these crazy creatures while we’re waiting for Tom the Turkey's real-life brethren to come out of the oven.
4. Football Games – As the parade fades into a memory (i.e., Thanksgiving Television Part I), and dinner winds down, the men will disappear, one by one, into the basement for Thanksgiving Television Part II - the multitude of college and professional football games. I’m mostly reminded, though, of my high school cheerleading days, and the sound of the sportscasters and cheering crowds will further heighten that spirited recollection as I prepare for my 20-year high school reunion in just two days (yikes!)
5. Turkey Egg Hunt – Yes, you read correctly…like the Thanksgiving Tree, my mother has become famous for infusing new, and sometimes bizarre, traditions into our holidays. What else do you do with fifteen out-of-control, cooped up kids, but hide a bunch of Easter (uh, I mean turkey) eggs, and then send them on a wild goose chase?  Each egg is worth a dollar bill, but to avoid a massive meltdown, my father doles out the same amount of money to each child no matter what they collect.

Now that I’ve got you LOOKING forward to Thanksgiving, I wish you a very happy, safe, and healthy holiday in what ever ways you enjoy your Top 5 Touches, Tastes, Smells, Sights and Sounds of the day!

SOUNDing off until next week,
Sense Savvy

Thanksgiving Top 5 Tastes and Smells to Be Thankful For

First, if you missed yesterday's post, checkout Thanksgiving Top 5 Ways to Touch and Be Touched, then hurry right back...

Now you know how I feel about our society rushing past Thanksgiving.  Well, shame on me, but I fell off that bandwagon for just a few moments yesterday as I got sucked into a little bit of Christmas/Hanukah shopping. I called Bed, Bath and Beyond to see if they're carrying Snuggies (As Seen on TV) for both kids and adults. If you haven’t yet seen these commercials, the Snuggie is a not-so flattering body blanket with arm holes, which my kids are begging for. I’ll let you know after the holidays if the Snuggie satisfies my Sense Savvy TOUCH criteria, but I can almost guarantee that it’s never going to meet my SIGHT requirements!

Okay, so my head was temporarily in Christmas and Hanukah, but don’t worry, I’m still “in TOUCH” with Thanksgiving. I just came back from my son’s Thanksgiving celebration at his elementary school, and they performed an adorable play about the Pilgrims and the Indians.  Then they each read what they’re thankful for. The answers were variations on the following themes: "I’m thankful for…my family...my friends...my toys.” One boy said, “I’m thankful for Life,” which I thought was absolutely brilliant coming from a 6-year old - his wisdom is way beyond his years, and his parents must be doing something right.  Another popular theme, of course, was “I’m thankful for FOOD.” While I look forward to each sensuous part of the Thanksgiving day, most Americans do consider Thanksgiving to primarily be a food holiday.  So, without further ado, let’s get to the meat of this…

My Top 5 Ways to Savor the Smells and Tastes of Thanksgiving

1. Sniff and Sip – Remember that mug of hot cider warming your hands? Now, inhale those simmering spices, blow on it a few times (do not risk burning your tastebuds and spoiling #2 on the list), and then take a sip…now that’s autumn in a cup.
2. Let the Feast Begin…Dive into the roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and sultry sweet potatoes laced with toasted marshmallows. Need I say more?
3. Try Something Unique – A new guest at our table would find a delicious, but out-of-the-ordinary turnip dish that's become a tradition for us, but is probably not familiar to most.  Does your Thanksgiving Day table feature a unique dish?  Perhaps this is the year to try a new recipe.  Checkout Reader's Digest Unique Thanksgiving Side Dishes.

4. Top it Off…with a slice of pumpkin pie and then a slice of pecan pie, and yes, I’ll have ice cream too.  Start the diet on Monday.
5. Light Your Fire – Remember that sofa you tucked your tushy into? Hopefully, it’s situated right next to a real wood-burning fire with a smell so intoxicating that the thought of a cold winter is actually enticing.

Now that Thanksgiving's practically on the tip of your tongue, don't fret, we're only two days away from savoring it!

Tune in tomorrow for the Thanksgiving Top 5 Sights and Sounds!

Thanksgiving Top 5 Ways to Touch and Be Touched

Poor, poor Thanksgiving. Over the past several years, we’ve seen this underappreciated, non-commercial holiday get swept under the carpet by Christmas. And, this year has been the worst by far. On the day of Halloween, there was hardly a piece of candy or a costume to be found, but I began to see holiday decorations, department store sales, and direct mail catalogs pouring into my mailbox. And, last week I began hearing holiday music on the radio…you can’t be serious! Helloww, it’s only November!

I’m not knocking the upcoming winter holidays, which are all wonderfully sense savvy, but I would just like to put the breaks on for a few weeks. Why are we so eager as a society to jump right over Thanksgiving just so we can get to the daunting task of shopping?

I have to give a quick kudos to Nordstrom department stores right now. A couple of days ago, I went to the mall to meet an acquaintance for coffee, and Nordstrom had a big sign posted that said something like this, “We will not be decking our halls until November 27. Here at Nordstrom we believe in enjoying one holiday at a time. Happy Thanksgiving.” It's beyond me why the store has to defend its choice to actually follow the calendar (novel idea, huh), but nonetheless, I say, way to go!

I hope you agree that we have so much to gain from savoring this multi-sensory holiday.  On Thanksgiving, we can give and forgive; thank and accept thanks; relax and recharge; and most importantly rejoice and reflect on our time together in this beautiful and abundant world. So, let’s stop, touch, taste, smell, see and hear this Thanksgiving holiday with the respect that it deserves.

Top 5 Ways to Touch and Be Touched on Thanksgiving

1. What to Wear – Put on your favorite, warm and cozy sweater – cotton, wool, or cashmere, it doesn’t matter as long as it feels comfortable (and leaves plenty of room for expansion).

2. Huggles and Handshakes – Greet your family, friends, and new acquaintances with the warmest, strongest, snuggly hugs (or handshakes) you’ve ever given them, and feel how we are all connected.

3. Handwarmers – It's too early for gloves in most parts of the country, but the time's just right to warm your hands with a hot mug of mulled spice apple cider (and the spiked kind feels even better).

4. Tree of Thanks – My mother has hosted a bountiful Thanksgiving for more than 25 people ever since I can remember, and in recent years, she began a thoughtful tradition of a Family Thanksgiving Tree. Everyone gets a construction paper leaf, on which they write something they’re thankful for. We go around the table sharing our thoughts - funny, sad, and sometimes boastful - but always grateful. Then we place our leaves upon the Thanksgiving tree poster which remains on the window for the day (2006 below).

5. Sink into the Sofa – Fill yourself up on the bountiful feast, and then take a load off on a soft and cushy sofa.  Your tushy will have something to be thankful for too.

How do you FEEL Thanksgiving? 

Tune in tomorrow for my Sense Savvy Thanksgiving Top 5 Tastes & Smells!

Music Stirs the Soul

My cousin Lisa is taking a Thanksgiving challenge: Every day this month until Thanksgiving, she is thinking of one thing that she's thankful for and posting it in Facebook. Lisa is a beautiful soul, inside and out, as well as a devoted wife, mother, daughter, friend, family member, etc. Her posts have been incredibly thoughtful and inspiring, and yesterday, Lisa's Facebook status was particularly sense savvy...she writes: "Today I am thankful for music. Although I'm no longer a musician, it still plays a very important role in my life. It's helped me to celebrate the good times and has gotten me through some really awful bumps in the road. Thru it all, it has never failed to stir something in my soul."

I loved the comments that Lisa received in response to her post...everyone agreed that music makes the world go 'round, but completely disagreed that Lisa is no longer a musician; they promptly reminded her that she will always be a musician in her heart, and I think we all are, whether we play a "real" instrument, sing in the shower, play the air guitar, or bang on pots and pans...Music stirs the soul in all living things.

Now, I’m a born and bred Northerner, but I went to school in Virginia where I was introduced to a lot of Southern customs, especially country music, and thank goodness, Garth Brooks.  I spent a lot of time in the early nineties, with my arms wrapped ‘round my friends, drunk as a skunk, singing at the top of our lungs, “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places.” I do believe that particular song is deep and profound in its own way, but I’ve since graduated to a few more philosophical and reflective Garth Brooks’ tunes and lyrics. Today, I'd like to share two songs that have been stirring my soul over the past several months, and I’d like to dedicate these tunes to two people…

First, to my husband, Mark, who has dedicated himself to building his own business for over ten years despite my lack of support, which stemmed from my own fears. I understand it all now, and I’m sorry. I love you for the person you were, you are, and you are becoming.

"Life is not tried, it is merely survived, if you're standing outside the fire." - Garth Brooks

Next to my good friend whose name is coincidentally similar to Garth Brooks (you know who you are, and I'm talking to you).  You are incredibly talented, and you are already sharing very special gifts with this world…when the time is right, you will venture where you have never gone before.

"I'll never reach my destination, if I never try, so I will sail my vessel till the river runs dry." - Garth Brooks

Let the music in these two videos stir your soul.  SOUNDing off till next week…have a Sense Savvy weekend!

The River...(if the video doesn't launch, visit this link The River)



Standing Outside the Fire...(if the video doesn't launch, visit this link Standing Outside the Fire)

UP is Uplifting

Last Thursday, November 11 was a glorious day, as is any day that Disney/Pixar releases a new film on DVD. These DVD releases always seem to coincide with the kids “thinking” that they’re bored with the hundreds of DVDs that we already have (being Bored is all relative as I’ll discuss further down). Nonetheless, there is no doubt that the whole family will be thoroughly entertained and enlightened, both visually and mentally, by a Disney/Pixar film, and it’s newest release UP was no exception.

I had very little idea what UP was all about since there was not much hype around the theater and/or DVD release of UP. Similarly, the previous Pixar film, Wall-E, was released with little fanfare as well (Sidebar: The folks at Disney/Pixar continue to rake it in big time on the Cars and Toy Story franchises, and they well know that “if they build it, people will come”). At any rate, what I did glean from a few trailers was that the main character of UP was an elderly man who, for some reason, is floating through the sky in a house boosted by hundreds, maybe thousands, of colorful helium-filled balloons. And, like I suggested, the marketing team at Disney knows that if it’s a Pixar film, and it will keep my kids quiet and engaged for a few hours, I’m buying it.

So last Friday was movie night at our house, and I was eager to SEE where UP would go. In a very quick and clever manner, the film chronicles the life and dreams of couple in love, Carl and Ellie Fredrickson, since the time they met as young children to their senior years together. The early part of the film is incredibly touching, and if you’re like me, i.e., I cry during Hallmark commercials, this movie will tug at your heart strings.

Throughout the film the visuals are stunning, and the voiceover by Ed Asner as the elderly man, Mr. Fredrickson, is a fantastic pairing. The antagonist of the story, Charles F. Muntz (voiced by Christopher Plummer) is an adventurer who Carl and Ellie admired throughout their lives, and the character was no doubt inspired by Charles Lindbergh and Howard Hughes. (Sidebar: Hughes was a multi-millionaire businessman, film producer/director, and aviator who founded his own aircraft company, designed, built and flew his own aircraft, and broke several world air speed records. His most famous aircraft, the Hercules - nicknamed "The Spruce Goose", was an oversized wooden seaplane designed to carry 750 passengers, which was completed in 1947 but flew only once over a distance of one mile).

Ultimately, UP becomes a fantastical, suspense-filled adventure story about the evolving relationship between Mr. Fredrickson and an 8-year old boy, Russell, who was a stowaway on his floating house. There are two very sense savvy lessons not to be missed in this film:

1. The so-called Boring aspects of our lives are truly the simple-pleasures that make us who we are and who we’re connected to. Our lives are happening every moment, and we can find happiness just by paying attention, i.e., Looking, Listening, Tasting, Smelling, and Touching the simple things.

2. Every day can be an adventure if you make it so. It’s heart pumping to have wild dreams, and it can be super cool if you reach them, but never forget to embrace the journey along the way. Case in point - On a family vacation to California when I was a kid, we went to see Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose that I mentioned above, and my mother and I laughed hysterically for hours at the monstrosity. Yes, this trip was somewhat out of the ordinary, but what I remember most is simply laughing with my mother.

Pick UP this film, and SEE how every day life can be the greatest adventure!

Smells Like a Taste

Last night I asked my six-year old son, Ryan, what his favorite SMELL is. He replied without hesitation, “Chocolate.” Continuing down this path, I then asked him why it's his favorite smell, and he answered, “Because it TASTES good.” That cracked me up, but of course I understood exactly what he meant.

It’s true that some things seem to “smell like they taste.” When we smell something aromatic, we often hope we'll get to taste it (think cinnamon rolls), but then there are some smells that we hope to never taste (feel free to come up with your own examples)!  A little boy inherently knows that there is a strong connection between smell and taste, and this makes SENSE because, in fact, most of the sensation of taste actually comes from our nose.

Seventy to seventy-five percent of what we perceive as taste actually comes from our sense of smell. Taste buds allow us to perceive only bitter, salty, sweet, and sour flavors (and don’t forget Umami!). It's the odor molecules from food that give us most of our taste sensation. When you put food in your mouth, odor molecules from that food travel through the passage between your nose and mouth to olfactory receptor cells at the top of your nasal cavity, just beneath the brain and behind the bridge of the nose. The result is an Mmmm! or perhaps an Eeeew! 

And, it’s no surprise that if you have a cold, your food doesn’t taste the same as usual. When mucus in your nasal passages becomes too thick, air and odor molecules can't reach your olfactory receptor cells…i.e., no smelly, no tasty.

I suspect that most of the “smells that we can taste” are originate from foods or drinks that we enjoy immensely. If we were to poll our friends and ask them to identify their favorite smells, and then their favorite tastes, there would most certainly be a very high overlap between the two. Smells/tastes that come to mind: chocolate, baked bread, wine, honey, and coffee.

So, how can we benefit from this smell/taste connection on a daily basis? Not only does food nourish our bodies, but we often use it to nourish our souls in times of happiness and sadness, and in moderation, that’s okay. But, sometimes we are overcome by our emotions, and we turn to foods that are too savory or too sweet, which can lead to weight gain and other health issues.

If this sounds familiar to you, how can you break this cycle? One remedy is to use your sense of SMELL rather than your sense of TASTE to satisfy your sentiments. Instead of reaching for a chocolate bar, light a chocolate-scented candle. Instead of reaching for a honey-bun, wash your hands with a milk and honey-scented hand wash. Instead of reaching for a vanilla cupcake, slather yourself in a vanilla-scented body lotion. And, since drinking water or low-calorie liquids is also a smart solution for curbing emotional hunger, try flavored waters, teas and coffees, which will satisfy your sense of SMELL, satiate your hunger, and satisfy your soul.

Q&A:

Q: What do you do if that chocolate-scented candle makes you hungrier?
A:  Chew a piece of gum.

Q: What do you do if that vanilla-scented lotion makes your mate wild for you?
A: You can thank me later.

The Menu of My Life

This past Sunday, on Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef, I learned the Japanese word, Kaiseki, which translates into a traditional multi-course meal, in which the taste, presentation, and creativity comprise a narrative that says something about the creator of the meal. It’s all about integrity, and how one should respect the ingredients of the dishes by telling a story of personal expression.  This meal is the menu of my life:

Menu de La Vie de Shari (Menu of Shari's Life)

Course One – Hearty Vegetable Soup: From childhood through high school, my life was very well-grounded just like the root vegetables of a soup (carrots and potatoes) and vine-ripened tomatoes and green peas. As part of a nuclear family with two married parents and one sister, my life was typical and safe, but like a good flavorful broth, it was not too bland with lots of fun summers and memorable family vacations.

Course Two – Caesar Salad: In college, my life was more exciting than a house salad, but not too over the top. Living on my own, learning new ideas, and having fun with my friends, it was generally smooth and sensational like a peppery creamy dressing, but the classes were sometimes crunchy like croutons and an acquired taste like anchovies (think Economics I & II).

Course Three – Samosas, a fried Indian potato-stuffed pastry: My early professional years were exciting and spicy like trying Indian food for the first time - an unforgettable tongue-tantalizing experience. I was making money, living with my sister, and embracing my daring, free spirit – I ran a 26-mile marathon along the Chugach Mountains of Alaska. I met my husband, and we were weekend warriors for several years – hiking, biking, kayaking, and then honeymooning in Costa Rica.  My work brought me all over the US, Bermuda, and Europe, and it was an exciting and eye-opening time.

Course Four – Eggplant Parmesan: This Italian take-out is ooey, gooey, and kind of good for you, but fattening as can be…just like having kids! Eggplant parm represents the past seven years of raising children and working full-time...it’s been messy, but intensely gratifying.

Course Five – Baklava, a flakey, nutty, sweet pastry with aromatic spices and honey:  Just like my future - both sticky and sweet (i.e., sometimes complicated but always wonderful). Baklava has many layers, and as I chew through each one it will uncover one mouth-watering wallop after another. Every bite will have me oohing and aahing, and craving more, wondering what will come next – will the next piece be a triangle, a square, or a circle? Will it have pistachios, pecans, or walnuts? Maybe it will even have chocolate inside!

I'm not sure what course will be served up next, but it’s bound to be a delicious surprise! If your food could tell the story of your life (Kaiseki), what would be on the menu?

FEEL the New Moon on Monday

Thanks to my trusty wall calendar, I'm informed that today is a New Moon on Monday. In astronomical terminology, the phrase new moon is the lunar phase that occurs when the Moon lies between Earth and the Sun, and is therefore in conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth. At this time, the dark (unilluminated) portion of the Moon faces almost directly toward Earth, so that the Moon is not visible to the naked eye (Wikipedia). As I searched the Internet for the sense savvy significance of this, I was amazed to find out that there is a multitude of New Moon (and space) implications today…

First, today will mark the beginning of a week-long hype over the well-timed Friday release of the romantic, vampire flick, The Twilight Saga: New Moon. This type of drama does not quite make the sense savvy grade in my book, but if it works for you, have fun enjoying the VISUAL special effects...New Moon Movie Trailer.

Next, NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to blast off at 2:28 p.m. today with tons of spare parts for the International Space Station (ISS). This is totally sense savvy! As some of you know, my best friend’s brother, Garrett Reisman, is an astronaut, and we had the extreme pleasure of watching him launch into space on the Shuttle Endeavour in March 2008. We’re so excited that he’s scheduled to go back to the ISS again in May 2010, and I will be writing many more Sense Savvy posts about this. To indulge your sense of SIGHT today, I highly recommend viewing the launch on TV or visiting NASA.

And by now, many of you are humming the1980’s Duran Duran song, New Moon on Monday, and trust me, the tune will be stick in your head for the rest of the week. The song is catchy, the lyrics are quite bizarre along with the eccentric music video, but it’s good ole' sense savvy fun for your senses of SOUND and SIGHT…Duran Duran New Moon on Monday.

Last, but not least, there are several spiritual rituals, which revolve around the phases of the moon, and I’m settling on the New Moon Manifestation Ceremony to help you FEEL the ENERGY of your intentions. Since the New Moon is the beginning of all the moon’s phases, this is considered a rebirthing stage in which it’s an excellent time to clear your mind, state new goals, and open yourself up to the promise of new beginnings. I’ve provided a link below to the entire multi-sensory ceremony, but if you feel that this rite has too many steps or somehow conflicts with your religious beliefs, the gist is simple and can surely be applied by anyone:

Write down these words "I accept these things into my life now or something better for my highest good and for the highest good of all concerned." or something similar. Below your affirmation statement, begin writing down your desires. Try not to limit yourself. If having many things in your life helps to fulfill you then don't deny yourself wanting these things. Any intentions stated or written down carries power. During the month when an item on your new moon list comes to you, gratefully accept it, and then take the time to rewrite the list in its entirety eliminating the manifested item from the listing. At the same time you may add whatever else that you have decided you would like. It is natural that your desires will change as time advances.

FEEL the New Moon, and set your desires into motion through the New Moon Manifestation Ceremony.  I hope your dreams come true!

Listen and Live in Life's Little Wonders

Let me be clear about this…I would spend my last dollar to feed, clothe, or shelter my family, but my second-to-last dollar would be spent on a great concert ticket, and if I only had $0.99, it would be spent on a toe-tapping, body-grooving iTune. I love music and what it does for my sense of SOUND and my soul.

Big time luck struck this week when my neighbor, Debbie, emailed that she had an extra ticket to see Rob Thomas in NYC. While expenses have been tight these days, I gratefully did not hesitate for a moment to indulge in this very sense savvy experience.

Rob’s voice is distinctive, soulful, uplifting, yet simultaneously grounding as his lyrics are insightful, engaging, and full of his love for life. I’ve been a huge fan of Rob Thomas since his days as the lead singer of Matchbox 20, but I found a very deep, new appreciation for his work when he wrote and performed the song Little Wonders for Disney’s quirky 2007 movie Meet the Robinsons, which is about a young boy-genius orphaned at birth who spends his informative years searching for a permanent family and his place in the world. Of all the songs I hoped Rob would play, I was most looking forward to Little Wonders, which I listen to almost every day, and you’ll find out why in a just a bit.

Back to last night’s concert, I thought we were going to Madison Square Garden, but on the way to the show I found out that we would instead be at the historic, landmark Beacon Theatre. Can it get any better than this!? I’d never been there before, but just a few weeks ago I stumbled upon a television documentary discussing the theater’s recent restoration, in which several legendary artists discussed how there’s nothing better than playing at the Beacon because they feel so up-close-and-personally connected to the audience. They weren’t kidding…there’s not a bad seat in the house, and I’m pretty sure I saw Rob checking me out as I danced my rear-end off in the loge section (second floor balcony).

Rob opened the concert with the usual rock star greeting, “How are you feeling NYC!!!???” And, of course the crowd went wild, but what really makes him a special artist is that he lives an inspired life…he continued with something like this, “Let’s forget about all the crap going on outside because for the next two hours, we are going to celebrate life tonight!”  Rob, have you been reading my blog because you are sooo Sense Savvy!

The concert went on to feel like a spiritual experience as Rob played songs like Street Corner Symphony and Ever the Same, both about people giving each other the love they need to overcome anything (Rob and his wife Marisol are pictured to the right). Then came Little Wonders, and best yet, Rob sat down at the keyboard and provided the inspiration behind the lyrics. He explained that he was tasked with writing a song for a movie (i.e., Meet the Robinsons), and he had been having a bad day, but when he got home, his dog who was clearly just happy to be alive, looked Rob squarely in face as if to say "get over it." 

Follow the link below and play the YouTube video on the right-hand side of the page.  Listen very closely to the lyrics...you’ll understand why I listen to this song nearly everyday for my own inspiration, and why it always turns my kids’ frowns upside down:  Rob Thomas - Little Wonders lyrics

SOUNDing off till next week,
Sense Savvy

So You Think You Can (Watch) Dance

“Dance is life,” was a final remark made last night by tap dancer, Peter Sabasino, as he discussed his journey and subsequent elimination from the hit Fox TV show, So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). I immediately thought:

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” - anonymous

As far as satisfying my sense of SIGHT and my soul, SYTYCD takes my breath away every episode. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, it has been on the air for five years now, and it’s currently in the middle of its sixth season (it had become so popular as a summer series, that Fox just added in a fall season, hence the five years, but six seasons). It features young, undiscovered dancers from all over the country who dance for their lives to win the title of “America’s Favorite Dancer.” My good friend Lisa and I have been hooked on this show from the very beginning because of its eye-popping entertainment, and also because of its authenticity, coupled with the shows ability to bring new art forms to the masses, while appealing to people of all ages and closing the gaps between generational, racial, ethnic, and gender divides.

While I’ve been watching SYTYCD, many others have been tuning into Dancing with the Stars over the years. I only saw one episode of Dancing with the Stars, which was during the season that Emmitt Smith, the former Dallas Cowboys football player, was a contestant and ultimately the winner. At the time, I was working for a male-dominated company, and I was out to dinner in Houston entertaining a potential strategic partner. About 70% of the table was men, and the remainder of the group was professional women. The guys started-up a conversation about football, and while I like watching football, I can’t speak intelligently about the stats, and I was starting to get cut out of the conversation. How can I grab this crowd back, I thought to myself, at which point I suddenly took a huge risk and blurted out, “So, what do you think about Emmitt Smith’s performance on Dancing with the Stars?” I got big smiles from around the entire table, and the conversation immediately shifted to the discussion of dance (phew...she kicks, she scores, and the crowd goes wild!) And so it goes, Emmitt Smith, a 5’9”, 200+ lb, African-American football player, was credited for "making dancing look manly" (Wikipedia).  Hence, helping me to win the TV remote war with my husband as he willingly watches SYTYCD along with me.

Along with the dancers, SYTYCD is a smash hit because of the Emmy-nominated and award-winning choreographers who are becoming household names, including Mia Michaels, Wade Robeson, Tyce Diorio, and Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo (the couple is known together as NappyTabs), along with the show’s gorgeous, towering, British-accented host, Cat Deeley, who lends her compassionate charm and warmth to the audience and the contestants, rounded out by the sometimes critical, but mostly awe-inspired judges Adam Shankman, Mary Michaels, and Nigel Lithgoe.

In the past five years, a whole new world of visual arts has been opened up to me through the courage and creativity of this show. Each week I look forward to being dazzled by dances including contemporary, salsa, hip-hop, waltz, fox trot, Broadway, quick step, jive, ballet, tap, Argentine tango, Bollywood, African jazz, and krumping (you’ve got to see it to understand it, and I love it!) And, the bonus Sense that gets satisfied while watching dance is, of course, SOUND in the form of the music that comes along with it. I've been introduced to amazing new music, and had marvelous memories evoked by the “oldies, but goodies” that show up.

Watching dance makes me feel abundantly alive – I smile, I laugh, I cry, and I sit up in my seat or jump up on the floor to cheer for these immensely talented dancers whose beautiful bodies overflow with joy and emotion.

Let your SIGHT take your breath away...visit So You Think You Can Dance for show schedules and information, and let me know how watching dance adds richness to your life.

Simple Pleasures in the Laundry Room

I've talked about the power of FEELING our clothes, now let's shift from our skin to our nose as you come along with me to SMELL Downy Simple Pleasures. This new line of fabric softeners (liquid and/or sheets) appears in the laundry detergent aisle like a scent-infused artist’s palette – bottles colored in black (Orchid Allure), cream (Almond Cream Bliss), purple (Lavender Serenity), red (Spice Blossom Dare), and aqua (Water Lily Radiance). These five luxurious scents were created by Proctor & Gamble to shift your laundry experience from stinky and unpleasant to fabulously fragrant and expressive.

Standing in the supermarket aisle, I had wished these bottles came with some type of scratch-n-sniff takeaway card that I could examine on my free time; rather, I had no choice but to stand there opening up each bottle sticking in my snout, inhaling and scrutinizing, hoping that I wouldn’t be reprimanded by a store manager. I had a quick flashback to an incident when I was a teenager, in which I sprayed a bottle of hairspray in a discount beauty store, and the manager came running down the aisle yelling at me - it apparently scarred me for life. But I felt the fear and continued on with my Downy examination anyway, and the good news is that no one bothered me as I delighted in the assorted scents. I can thankfully put my fear of obsessive store managers behind me (thank you Downy, I am forever grateful).

Placing each bottle back on the shelf I decided that my favorites were Spice Blossom Dare, Orchid Allure, and Almond Cream Bliss, and I settled on taking home the red bottle of Spice Blossom Dare. Now, you know that I had to go home and do two things: (1) checkout the Downy Simple Pleasures website to find out more about the inspiration behind these scents, and (2) test it out on my own clothes.

The website totally exceeded my expectations in terms of the explanations behind this new line, and it even put me up to a challenge, which I’ll describe below. Here’s a quick glimpse of what you’ll learn on the website:

• Spice Blossom Dare is inspired by sweet spice, cinnamon and cloves, and solicits an unanswered question (it’s true…having tried this fabric softener, I can tell you that my clothes smell wonderfully spicy, but I’ve asked my clothes several times how they feel about the experience, and they’re just not answering back)
• Almond Cream Bliss is simple like a warm hug or a blanket with milky vanilla, peach and cinnamon
• Orchid Allure is like a woman in a black dress with soft hanging fruits, florals, and a deep musk
• Lavender Serenity is soft and relaxing like white clouds with lavender, peach, and orange
• Water Lilly Radiance is sapphire water and lily pads with juicy melon and florals

Now on to the challenge, Downy is asking for customers to help design one of their next scents, and you bet this Sense Savvy girl took the challenge head on.  I developed a scent called Trade Wind Adventure, which has a top note of Air, a middle note of Ginger, and a base note of Coffee. My inspiration is like my life:  Rejoicing in being fully alive, going confidently in the direction of my dreams, catching the trade winds in my sails and blazing my own trail.

Throw off your bowlines to VOTE for Trade Wind Adventure and learn more about Downy Simple Pleasures (now that's Sense Savvy!)

Select Scent Entries, Search for Trade Wind Adventure by Shari, and Click Vote for Scent

Umami, Oh Baby!

Raise your hand if you’ve never heard of the word, Umami (pronounced Ooh-Mommy). Okay, I see a few billion of you out there. Those several thousand of you with your hands down, you’ve probably heard of Umami because you’re a Food Network fanatic like I am, or you’ve seen the Kikkoman commercials touting Umami, or you’ve been to Japan, or you’re just a culturally astute know-it-all foodie (and if so, good for you!)

Whatever the case may be for you, Umami is on my mind, and my tongue, today. Most of you probably know that the tongue has been thought to recognize four basic tastes – sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Umami, however, is known by Easterners, and now Westerners alike, as the fifth taste. And, believe it or not, there is actually an entire website devoted to this - according to the Umami Information Center (http://www.umamiinfo.com/),

“Taking its name from Japanese, umami is a pleasant savory taste imparted by glutamate, a type of amino acid, and ribonucleotides, including inosinate and guanylate, which occur naturally in many foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products. As the taste of umami itself is subtle and blends well with other tastes to expand and round out flavors, most people don’t recognize umami when they encounter it, but it plays an important role making food taste delicious.” That’s all a bit technical for me, so let’s just agree that Umami is a savory or deliciousness taste.

Most of us don’t have a problem identifying foods that are rich in the primary four tastes: sweet (think sugar-tooth syrups, sauces, and candies), sour (think mouth-puckering citrus fruits), salty (think snack attacks and pregnancy cravings – potato chips and dill pickles), and bitter (think “eat your greens!” or if you're Jewish you're definitely thinking, Why do Jews eat bitter herbs on Passover?)

Any thoughts on what foods might be rich in Umami or a savory taste? When I think of savory, fettuccini alfredo immediately comes to my mind (oh baby!), but that’s not completely what the Japanese had in mind when they coined the term Umami. Here’s a more thorough picture of what foods comprise Umami:

• Seafood – Seaweed, mackerel, tuna, cod, oysters, shellfish
• Meat – Beef, pork, chicken
• Vegetables – Tomatoes, shitake mushrooms, truffles, soybeans, potatoes, carrots
• Other – Green tea, parmesan cheese (hooray for alfredo sauce!)

This past Sunday night on Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef challenge, four incredible chefs were shipped off to Tokyo to create bento boxes (compartmentalized lunch boxes) of foods that were all rich in Umami. What a feast for the senses to watch their work and the choice of unique foods they used to capture the Umami taste! For more on this challenge or to find a repeat time, check out The Next Iron Chef.

My TASTE challenge to you this week – create your own bento box with five compartments, and see if you can devise one complete meal that encompasses all five tastes – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and Umami. And, no cheating...you can only use Sour Patch Kids for one of the compartments.

I hope Umami has you saying Oh, Baby!

Feel Loads of Hope Every Day

Perhaps you have a LOVE-HATE relationship with your clothes like I do?

Let’s start with the hate part – they cost money, they pile up and get smelly, they have to be washed at least once a week, they have to be folded, washing wears them out - they’re too big, they’re too small, I need new clothes, and it starts all over again - it cost more money, etc. etc. etc.

Now for the LOVE part – they are warm, they are soft, they are colorful, they are chic, they are glamorous, they are silky, they are cozy, they are history, they are safety, and they are security.

How often do you really think about your clothes? I mean do you ever really think about how they FEEL to your TOUCH, and how they make you FEEL? What would you do if suddenly you didn’t have your clothes anymore?

This is the topic of the Tide Loads of Hope commercials that I’ve recently seen on TV. The Tide Loads of Hope program provides relief, by means of a mobile Laundromat, to families that have been struck by hurricane disaster. One truck and a fleet of vans house over 32 energy-efficient washers and dryers that are capable of cleaning over 300 loads of laundry every day. They wash, dry and fold the clothes for these families for free.

One very thankful woman in a recent commercial expresses her gratitude, “You don’t know how basic essentials are till you have none.” I’m sure that most of us take our clothes for granted, and perhaps we spend more time hating our clothes for the burden they place on our lives, rather than loving them for how they make us FEEL warm, beautiful, hip, nostalgic, safe, and secure.

TOUCH and FEEL your clothes every day as if it’s the first time you’re putting them on. Wake yourself up to the power of your clothes, and let’s give those clothes some LOVIN’ today and every day!

Cost:
• To FEEL the Power of Your Clothes Every Day:  FREE (Awesome!)
• To Help Others FEEL the Power of Clean Clothes through Loads of Hope:

• $20 for a Tide Vintage T-Shirt (now that's nostalgia!) – All profits go toward the program.
• About $9.50 for a 50 oz. bottle - A portion of the proceeds from every bottle of yellow cap TIDE goes toward the program.

Details:  Tide Loads of Hope

Sense Savvy Living - Savor each Day!

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.”

– Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

I recently received this quote in an email from the president of my high school class of 1989. He sent it to our fellow classmates in a last ditch effort to get everyone together for our 20-year high school reunion coming up in 4 weeks.

It’s a profound thought, and I generally don’t mess with a classic, but I’m going to have to add my own twist and maintain the following:

“If you don’t stop, look, listen, touch, taste, and smell life every day, you will miss it."

- Shari Ciapka, a.k.a. Sense Savvy

What has past is past, and what's in our future is yet to be known, but what is happening now, at this very moment, is the journey we’re all on together, and I know this to be true…

LIFE

Looks Luscious, Feels Fabulous, Smells Superb,

Tastes Terrific, and Sounds Splendid

On that note, I proudly introduce to you my new Sense Savvy Living logo. A little bit about this simple design…

The body form represents the entire precious intake system for how we experience the joy and present moments of our life. It is abundantly alive and open to all there is to touch, taste, smell, see and hear. It is you, it is me, it is a he, it is a she, it is a man, it is a woman, it is a child. It is every thing good about nature and humanity.

The logo itself will only appear in black or white since there is no answer to the following question – what is the color of life? Sense Savvy Living rejoices in all the colors, and I will alternate the blog header background depending on which way the wind blows, or in other words, I will “paint with all the colors of the wind.”

My goal is to help you make smart, sensory health and lifestyle choices that will have a positive impact on your daily joy, creativity, and well-being. These are the foundational steps for Sense Savvy Living:

Step 1: Practice good sensory health. Prevent sensory damage, and maintain and sharpen your senses.

Step 2: Surround yourself with simple, positive sensory stimulation every day.

Step 3: Be thankful, and share what you’re feeling with others.

Step 4: Indulge every once in a while.

Step 5: Savor each day, and repeat.

If you've just discovered Sense Savvy Living, or even if you've been with me since the beginning, I’ve posted over 35 entries, and I encourage you to peruse the entries from the past several weeks and provide me with your feedback via the Comments.  This blog is for you, and I’d love to hear from you - “Anyone? Anyone?”