Can I CELEBRATE something with you? I’m really excited about this and proud of what I’ve created. Will you join me?
https://bit.ly/bitesizedcomfort042020
It’s no April Fool’s joke, I just didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to start talking about it. Promise! I hope you’ll join me. – Keridwyn
“In solidarity, we distance,” my friend Angelica Kushi shared in her Facebook Live video today. While we’re physically distancing, this is an opportunity for us to socially connect – online. We’re staying in (unless we are one of the heroes working a front line job to keep the community alive). We’re keeping ourselves 6 feet or more away from others in the necessary times we do go out. We’re discovering new ways to experience life from indoors. We are voicing and naming our feelings, mitigating our stress and anxiety, and finding the “bright spots” where we can.
It is imperative for our wellbeing, for our own self-care and for our ability to show up for others, that we do things to relax and recharge when we can. Reach out to others and offer support. Be a helper. And prioritize your own self-care too. Take time to breathe deep throughout the day. And find ways to play, explore, and experience delight. Your brain needs you to keep these healthy, play-seeking, gratitude-seeking neuropathways going now more than ever.
I wanted to share a few free virtual events and experiences with you today:
Ebooks and Audiobooks from the Library
Got a library card? Download the Libby app and sign up with your card – you’ll be able to check out ebooks and audiobooks for free. If you need help with the technology, reach out to a friend to walk you through it over the phone (or message me if you don’t have someone to turn to and I’ll pair you with a helper).
See what the Sea Otters are up to
The Seattle Aquarium offers webcams of the Sea Otters and Harbor Seals!
We Heart “The Stranger”
The Stranger has collected an awesome list of virtual events for us – check out their full list. This page shares virtual events for tonight/Friday/Saturday/Sunday and ongoing dates. You’ll want to subscribe to get future updates from them.
Free Hypnosis Session
Join me Sunday as I host a free hypnosis session online “Mindful Hands: keep your hands comfortably away from your face.” If you can’t make it Sunday, you’ll be able to watch the replay. Join my free Reframe Your Brain Facebook group here for details. (If you aren’t on FB and want access to this recording, drop me a message at keridwyn.com/contact)
Dance it out
Dance Church is offering their next fab-energy dance workout event on March 22 at 10am. Free (donations welcome). Live stream will be here. Learn more about Dance Church here. (I’m going to be in an online class at that time but hope to make the next one – not sure what the dates are yet.) If you attend, I want to hear about it!
Reach out to others
Reach out to friends and even acquaintances that may need more connection. Think about which friends who are “distancing in solidarity” and living solo (or with a roommate situation that is tricky for them). Consider what folks of older ages you know and see how they’re doing (maybe ask if they need any support with learning how to video chat or other tech needs you can walk them through on the phone). Seeing each other’s faces gives us more feelings of connection than just texts or even phone calls. This is the time to connect, as we distance in solidarity.
Angelica Kushi’s Online Yoga Class
My lovely friend Angelica (who I quoted at the top of this post) is hosting a yoga class ($9 suggested or pay what you can) on 3/20 and 3/23 at 9am Pacific Time on Zoom. She’s also offering great rates if you prefer a one-on-one session with her. Details here.
It’s time for a Weekly Pocket Roundup. This is a potpourri of events, experiences, giveaways, things to do while staying in, and other content you can enjoy.
GIVEAWAY! Movie passes and an Airbnb gift card:
Enter to win two tickets to Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island (for any Regal movie theatre in the Seattle area during the run-of-engagement) and a $50 travel gift card for Airbnb. About the movie: From the producer of Get Out and Halloween, Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island stars Michael Pena, Maggie Q, and Lucy Hale. I hear that this movie turns the idea of “be careful what you wish for” on its head. Will the movie’s vacation winners uncover the island’s secrets? Only in theatres, starting February 14, 2020. Enter to win, here.
FICTION book I read recently:
I love the feeling of being obsessed with a good book/audiobook. “The Power” by Naomi Alderman likely bumped something out of my Top 20 Fiction Booklist. It is not for the faint of heart (violent scenes are described in detail) but if you can handle that, I highly recommend it: fans of The Handmaid’s Tale, science fiction, and/or dystopian novels will likely enjoy this book). The audiobook reader, Adjoa Andoh, is a perfect match for this story. It. Is. Intense. And good enough to make me skip watching TV or listening to podcasts during my downtime because I just wanted to dive back into the story. Check out the book description on Goodreads and my full review on Instagram.
Photo (used with permission) by @booksonblue
NON-FICTION book I read recently:
“Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle” is written by twins Emily & Amelia Nagoski. Like most self-help books, this is packed with lots of story examples (I’m more of a get-to-the-point-and-give-me-some-tools sort of reader, but I understand other folks love more storytelling as they learn). There are many concepts in this book that I look forward to applying to my life and sharing with my clients and the Reframe Your Brain group. Some of the book was review for me (re-learning is also an important part of my personal journey) and some of the concepts and advice were new to me. While I wasn’t blown away by every section – or rather, I should say, not every section was about something I could relate to – as a whole I found reading this book incredibly valuable and am grateful to the authors for writing it. I’ve already started to change some habits and add some new practices in my life based on advice from this book. Check out the book on Goodreads.
PARTY at the museum this Friday at Burke NiteLife: EARTH
This Friday, Jan 23, 2020, in their own words: “Get a close-up look at our planet at this rockin’ after-hours party! Chat with Burke experts about minerals that sparkle and shine, mushrooms that make our soils, spiders that burrow, and more. Feel the ground move under your feet with live music from DJ Phenohype. Enjoy a cocktail by Westland Distillery (on the rocks of course). Mingle with and see performances by drag artists Cranberry, Kylie Mooncake, Noona Kween, Rylee Raw, and Sir Killer Bunny. Make an EARTH-inspired woven ring with CHamoru artist Roquin Siongco. and more! Enjoy themed cocktails (on the rocks – get it?) by Westland Distillery, beer by Two Beers Brewing Co., cider from Seattle Cider Company, and hard seltzer from Sound Seltzer.” Tickets here.
New SONG I’m listening to:
“Seams” by Peitho. A lovely local friend has launched her first single, “Seams.” I’m so thrilled and inspired by Peitho for achieving this goal! The single is available on Spotify, Deezer, iHeartradio, Google Play, Youtube, Amazon Music, and will soon be on iTunes.
More about Peitho: “Peitho is an artist native to the Pacific Northwest. She was classically trained to perform on stage at the University of Washington, has performed in several operas, and toured in Hungary and Latvia. Eventually, she was seduced by electronic music, drawn to trip-hop and dream pop aesthetics. She is excited to begin this new project and share it with you.”
What else I’m up to:
If you haven’t checked out my free Reframe Your Brain group on Facebook, join us today! I share articles and advice to support you on your journey as you improve your mindset and mental and emotional wellness. Not on Facebook (or trying to use it less)? Contact me at keridwyn.com/contact and I’ll hook you up with a non-social-media option to access the content.
Wishing you a week full of pockets of joy,
Keridwyn
P.S. Let me know with a comment, message, or Facebook message what you think about the Weekly Roundup Pocket format for posts! I also accept submissions if you have content you want me to consider sharing in a future roundup. I love hearing from you.
By Keridwyn Deller
” “An anarchist streak still runs through me,” says Rizo, the singer-sophisticate who was once a teenage punk rocker. “I love the idea of claiming something that’s uncool and making it authentic.” To that end, the NYC-based artist has earned a name for herself by transforming nightclub-pop into experiences that are more soulful, more theatrical. A provocateur with an electric wit, Rizo is a vessel for the spirits of Edith Piaf and Freddie Mercury.
The New York Times once referred to Rizo (né Amelia Zirin-Brown) as “a formidable belter who can sustain phrases and notes even when sprawled on her back on a piano and scissoring her legs.” They’re not alone in that enthusiasm. Rizo — who released Indigo, her second album, in 2017 — has collaborated with Moby, Reggie Watts, and Yo-Yo Ma, the latter on his Songs of Joy & Peace album, which won a Grammy Award.
Taking a cue from Piaf, Rizo fully embraces the role of chanteuse. In recordings, she is a mysterious figure, a siren ushering you through tableaus of heartbreak, lust, and the murkiness in between. Live, she is an eyeful. “Freddie Mercury embodied songs with his voice and body,” she says, admiringly. Like the Queen singer, she too can make even the simplest sentiment feel voluminous.”
By Keridwyn Deller
The Toast of Seattle is back on January 17, 2020. If you’re a regular reader of Seattle Pockets blog, you know that this is my favorite networking event in town, because of the cleverly designed structure that allows you to connect comfortably and easily with at least other 20 attendees.
This time around, Toast will be at the Silver Cloud Hotel on Broadway on Capitol Hill on January 17th. You’ll get breakfast with the event along with those good feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes with effective and fun networking.
Be sure to bring at least 20 business cards with you!
Read on for your chance to get a free ticket for this wonderfully formatted networking morning event.
Why is Toast of Seattle so special? The format. You start by finding a table to sit at while you enjoy breakfast. Then, after some opening remarks, you will network in a sort-of “speed-dating” inspired way (though it doesn’t feel rushed. Each person has 2 minutes to talk about their business. At the end of the round, everyone changes tables (you open up an envelope that shows you what table to go to next, no decision making required) and starts again. They guarantee you meet over 20 people in 2 hours. The structure makes networking efficient, productive, fun, and easy. It’s introduced me to some great people and I have learned a lot about other wonderful organizations in this great city of ours.
Early-bird priced tickets are available now.
To enter to win a ticket to attend this great event follow these easy steps:
1) Comment on this blog post
2) Comment on my Facebook post at fb.com/seattlepockets (tag friends and/or tell me why you’re excited to network more this month)
2) RSVP interested or going on the Facebook event page
That’s it! If you aren’t on Facebook, you can still enter by leaving a comment on this blog post and signing up to get emails when future posts are published.
Giveaway ends 1/7/2020 at 11:59pm Pacific Time. All local, state, and federal rules apply.
By Keridwyn Deller
It’s the perfect time for a giveaway from local Seattle business, Lumio Designs! It’s been such a joy to see this local business grow, helping to bring joy to so many. Lumio Designs owner Liz Larsen has a sparkling personality, so it seems so natural that she would create a line of reusable wearables and accessories that light up the night and encourage others to shine. While Lumio Designs are fun to wear year-round, they are extra delightful this time of year when it gets dark so early.
Read on to learn more about the company (including how they work with Refugee Artisan Initiative, helping to empower women refugees in Washington State). You’ll have the chance to enter to win one of Lumio Design’s fun light-up accessories.
My favorite accessories from Lumio designs include:
Their light-up scarf/boa. I treated myself to one of these beauties earlier this year and it kept me warm at night at my favorite festivals. I was delighted to find out that the scarf is washable and you can put different types of lights in the scarf for different looks. One of the things I love most about Lumio Designs is that they are reuseable lighted gifts (just change out the batteries when you need to). It’s been a lot of fun to wear this warm and cute scarf around Seattle. You can imagine that people smile and make eye contact a lot more when you’re glowing! I love seeing smiles on other people’s faces as they walk by when I’m wearing this scarf.
The Lumio Designs accessory that is the most recent addition to my collection is the darling feather collar. This collar comes in white or pink. I’m going to be sporting mine this weekend at a holiday party and look forward to wearing it out dancing in the coming months as well. I think it may be a great addition to my traditional New Year’s eve outfit too.
Check out the light-up hats, scarves, gloves, cat ears, and much more on Lumio Designs website or Amazon Prime page. Use code LumioHolidays for free shipping on their website right now. You can also visit the Lumio Designs booth at Enchant Christmas in T-Mobile Park now through December 29th, 2019.
These unique holiday gifts will be sure to delight many folks on your wish list (I fully support getting yourself something too). Not only are you supporting a local business (one that reduces waste with rechargeable battery packs), you’re also supporting the work of Refugee Artisan Initiative, a Washington State organization that creates jobs that pay a living wage. The feather collars are specifically created by women through RAI! And I’m giving one away now!
To enter to win a Lumio Designs Feather Collar:
You can enter via Facebook or Instagram or both. If you don’t have social media, that’s ok – your comment will enter you into the giveaway.
In the meantime, the holidays are coming so be sure to buy those Lumio Designs gifts now for everyone on your list.
Photos via Lumio Designs.
File this under: I can’t enter to win but YOU can!
First:
Swink Style Bar is giving away movie passes to see the new “Charlie’s Angels” movie at Pacific Place in downtown Seattle. You can enter via their Instagram @swinkstylebar here and via their Facebook post here.
Second:
“Kitten N’ Lou Present CREAM! A Spanksgiving feast of decadently sickening burlesque, drag, and cabaret” at The Triple Door for two nights (four shows) in November. This show stars Love Connie of RuPaul’s Drag Race and The Atomic Bombshells. You can enter to win tickets on their Instagram post here and their Facebook post here.
Let me know in the comments which you entered: the movie, the show, or both!
