Calcium Bentonite Clay

Have you heard of this Bentonite Clay?

I bought a tub of it from the Southtown Health Foods the other day.

I like to keep things simple and a DIY-style mask that costs like seven bucks and lasts a long time makes sense to me.

Apparently this stuff is great to clear the pores. 

First round (me in black) was weird. It felt tingly on my face.  So of course I had to Google it.  Turns out it's normal. #falseALARM

During the hunt I found a likeable recipe. This one said to use apple cider vinegar (ACV) and coconut oil.  First round I did just water.

I'm actually typing this while this new version is in my face and it's 10x less icky on my skin.  Doesn't seem to be drying as..dry, but that's okay with me! (I have pretty cool skin so I'm not looking to clear up tons of problems.)

I'm going to do this regularly over the month and report back with a full analysis.  An analysis you may not need because you may have heard about CBC by now and if you haven't then you will probably Google it on your own.

Let's talk Bentonite clay in a few weeks shall we?

Tata!

Melissa

Yoga Six

Yoga Six is the newest wave of studios to hit Chicago.

I am a big fan.

My favorite part is the environment.  By now I've done a handful of classes at Y6 and I have to say that for a national chain, they're pretty cool.  But don't tie much to that.  There is nothing wrong with being a chain of yoga studios the same way that being 1:1 doesn't make a stu more soulful. (But any time a chain exists you have to wonder about the consistency and authenticity of your experience.  Here I have no doubt that these peeps are on top of their game and can say that the Yoga Six instructors are in it for the love.)

This space is just so chill.  In my experience the desk encounter is always a little quirky since they are brand new here, but once you're in the space you're in the zone.  The bathrooms are superb.  Dope shower area, razors, and this cool "air shower".  The air shower blasts you down after your flow to bring your temperature lower which is especially great for us Chicagoans headed in to wintertime elements aprés savasana.

  

There's a lot of orange and I wonder if it's because the color reps warmth, enthusiasm, and happiness. (?)

The studio floors are probably the greatest in the game.  They're padded and have parking spots on them.  That means that someone went through with a ruler and made marks to ensure that the class can fill comfortably. It's so freaking cool.  They borrow out towels and (Manduka) mats to those who forget or travel light. Personally, I'm a big fan of The Mat by lululemon athletica for all things hot yoga.

From what I understand the classes are formatted from corporate and then instructors just add their own flare from there.  (Which, so far, hasn't been disappointing.)  They also offer warm and hot classes as well as slower pace, deep/restorative, and the power/sculpty style.  The play lists are cool and I'm assuming created by the instructor as well.  (I've heard that chime stuff, the Super yoga chant music, and some Bone Thugs n Harmony).

Check em out!  Currently they are in Lincoln Park (Clybourn), the South Loop (Roosevelt Collection), and Gold Coast.

Lululemon Athletica Halsted is partnering with the Lincoln Park Yoga Six studio to offer free classes at 7:30PM on Tuesdays at their Clybourn studio. 

The welcome to Y6 South Loop!

Camel at Lincoln Park

Here with Jesi (friend & Y6 manager) after a 6AM class at the newest South Loop location.

Dear White People

This past weekend I had Saturday off.  After I was finished with teaching my classes I went to see the movie: Dear White People, at the Harper Court Theater with my mom.

I knew a bit about the film starting maybe a year (perhaps a year.5) ago.

I didn't follow it closely.  I think I just wanted to see it and not get so committed to it that I set myself up to just be too tied to the movement and it be a flop.  Also.. I consider myself to be a black person so I kind of knew the plot and could suspect most of the twists that came up.

So I walk into the theater and this little place, with a seating capacity of 60 or so, began to fill up fast.  It's a small theater in Hyde Park (HP) that has picked up since the University of Chicago renos over in Harpers Court have happened.  We strike up conversation with other guests and wait.  There's an old white couple there (totally NPR listeners--a radio station on which this film got a lot of press), some dudes/bros (total Black fraternity type connection), a lady who loudly admits that she loves to pay for one ticket and then sneak around movie theaters, and the U of C black kids.. maybe Black Student Union or all the engineering majors (I really couldn't tell--but one of the girls was HILARIOUS.  That I know for sure.)

So we sit and wait. 

Remind the manager to start our movie (woops!). 

And just enjoy.  

In the group that came out before us, one of the viewers exclaimed that it wasn't what they expected.  However, I really enjoyed it.  Dear White People touched on so many parts of my life:  White people, black people, institutions, cute white boys that you date, and gay people*. There was enough comedy at th expense of all the characters.  There were handsome people. A message of hope. And a few storylines to follow.  It literally was the perfect indie film.

That kid from the TV show, Everybody Hates Chris, really held it down, too.  He was definitely my favorite character + the white boy that the lead character Sam shares most of her screen-time with.

For the first time in forever, I really recommend a film for everyone to catch.

Dear White People went nationwide on the 24th so should be within 100 Miles of about 3 million people on the internet.  Go out and show support to a great cast, project, and just NOT another Hollywood motion pic from Tinsel Town.  (Sometimes you really just gotta be like that.)

*In no particular order and no show of weight of relevance.

:)

Melissa