KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER PRATT TALKS PETS AND THE HOLIDAY SEASON

With the holiday schedule in full swing, we have been juggling events, getting the perfect gifts, taking some me time and more. We pretty much have everything thought out. But are we thinking about our pets? How are we ensuring that our four-legged friends are being taken care of when we travel, when we have more people over and how we incorporate them into our holiday cards? We chatted with Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt to get her advice on how she would go about this!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about pet adoption and why that is so important to you?

KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER PRATT: Pet adoption is an incredible gift in my life and has been such a treasure in my life to be able to have rescued my dog Maverick. I was introduced to that world after I graduated from college and I decided to foster some puppies. I had never done that before and my sister and I decided to do that around the holiday in order to help a local rescue organization to take care of some dogs over the holiday season. It was such an incredible experience for me and when I got my final foster puppy, which was Maverick. I had a foster failure as they call it and decided to rescue him and made the decision to adopt him. It’s been such a blessing in my life to be introduced to others as well as the incredible world of animal rescue is a cause that I am really passionate about and feel really lucky to be involved in.

AM: Do you have any advice for pet parents that will be away from home for the holiday season or who will have a lot of people over with their pets there as well? Are there things that they should look out for?

KSP: For sure the comfort and well being of your pet is something to be aware of. Be mindful of the holiday season. A lot of people have others that come to their house and you want to make sure that you have a space where your dog feels comfortable and safe is super important. When you are traveling, be willing to have someone that is trusted and that you know that they will take really good care of your dog. This is also really important. I remember the first time that I was going out of town and I had to leave Maverick, it was really stressful for me. To be able to have someone that you feel really comfortable with and that your dog Is really comfortable with is really important – especially during the holiday season.

AM: What are some gifts or ideas that we should keep in mind when it comes to gifting our pets or giving to someone who has one?

KSP: The amount of outfits that I have my eye on from Petco this holiday season is pretty embarrassing. I love the matching pajamas because I can do a full photoshoot with Maverick under the Christmas Tree. My sister and I have done it ever since our very first Christmas with Maverick. I’m really excited about all of these holiday sweaters that are at Petco. The matching pajamas are going to be something that I think are going to be a huge hit this holiday season. Obviously, they also have these incredible plush toys and treats. There’s a huge wide range of gifts at Petco – but I’m all about that pajama set.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

THE OFFICIAL WATCHMEN PODCAST

HBO

Spotify

The last HBO podcast we enjoyed listening to was Chernobyl and for avid viewers of WATCHMEN, HBO has brought back the companion podcast which brings back the host, Craig Mazin. This show also has insights by Co-Creator, Writer and Executive Producer, Damon Lindelof. Together, they share and provide behind the scenes information on the 9 episodes of this season. New shows drop after the 3rd, 6th and 9th episodes.

Each episode talks about what we're watching, how things are unfolding, ties back into elements from WATCHMEN the movie as well as thoughts about why the characters interact with one another the way that they do. It also presents information on Damon's approach to how he works on programs from LOST to the importance of him taking on a number of issues and where he found the inspiration to do so.

TOM CLANCY'S

JACK RYAN

Amazon Originals Amazon Prime

Season 2 of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan is back for more episodes of espionage and saving the world. We head into season 2 where he's tracking a possible shipment of illegal arms in the Venezuelan jungle. We reconnect with CIA Officer Jack Ryan to South America where he investigates what took place. His interest threatens to uncover an expansive conspiracy which brings him and additional operatives on a mission across the globe.

THE IRISHMAN

Netflix

If you didn't head to the theaters when The Irishman came out, on Nov 27th, this movie comes to Netflix and takes us through the memoirs of Frank Sheeran, a truck driver became a hitman who gets involved with mobster Russell Bufalino. Martin Scorsese's film shares Frank's story that involves secrets he kept as a loyal member of the Bufalino crime family which included his time working with Teamster Jimmy Hoffa.

In addition, a number of noted actors from Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci (who came out of unofficial retirement to be in this film), Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale and more.

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisue Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST MURRAY'S MAC + CHEESE

We've always enjoyed a bowl of Mac and Cheese - regardless of the time of year; however, at this time of year - there definitely feels like there couldn't be anything better then this as temperatures continue to drop! In NYC, there is an undeniable cheese destination known as Murray's Cheese where you can purchase a number of meats, cheeses as well as to make your favorite buratta, as well as ordering your favorite grilled cheese sandwiches when you're in the Greenwich Village for lunch!

Earlier this year, we noticed that next door to the Bleeker flagship sat a comfort pop-up destination called, Murray's Mac and Cheese. Although we have been on a number of occasions, it's important to know a few things before making your first order as there are over 30 mix-ins that you can do to make your own Mac and Cheese or you funds for Breast Cancer Awareness, they offered a Beet and Capri Mac and Cheese where $1 went to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Size options include: Snack Mac (8 oz.), Meal Mac (12 oz.), Hungry Mac (16 oz.) and Family Mac (28 oz). Enhance your order by adding $5 to include a soup or a salad and a select beverage (a number of waters, cold brew coffees and seltzers are offered). Although we don't like choosing favorites, their signature offerings of Cabonara (Fontina, Mozzerella, Pancetta and Peas) and French Onion (gruyere, raclette, caramelized onions, and bacon) are on our list for an upcoming visit - we also definitely want to create our own Mac and Cheese with Black RIver Blue Cheese, English Peas, Pancetta and Basil Pesto!

MURRAY'S MAC AND CHEESE

250 Bleeker St

NY, NY 10014

www.murrayscheese.com/mac-and-cheese-pop-up

IG @murraysmac

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List Murray’s Mac + Cheese in mag.

RIDING IN STYLE: HOW TO CHOOSE WHICH HOVERBOARD IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Since its on-screen debut in Back to the Future II, there is no denying the rise in popularity of hoverboards. In fact, over 40,000 hoverboards were entering the United States every day in 2015. Despite all the gadgets and technology that came out recently, hoverboards made the list of top gadgets that defined the decade according to The Verge. Celebrities like Jamie Fox, Justin Bieber, and Nicki Minaj started riding these boards and soon enough, their fans followed. But with all the options out there, is it important to figure out what you want from your hoverboard and how to narrow down your decisions. Here’s how to choose which hoverboard is right for you. 

Rough Terrain Versus Smooth Terrain

Where you plan to use your hoverboard is a major factor in deciding which model to get. While the more popular options are used indoors or on paved roads, buyers are growing an interest in hoverboards designed for rough terrains. Since the off-road models need to be tougher, they are made heavier to  meet the hoverboard safety regulations. So, if you’re a beginner, consider the standard hoverboard that works great on smooth terrains. However, if you’re more experienced in riding, off-road boards have larger batteries and riding time than their standard counterparts. 

Battery Life And Charge Time

Knowing the battery life and recharge times is vital when considering the activities you plan on doing with your board. After all, nobody wants to run out of juice mid-tour. Knowing how long it takes for the batteries to charge can help you plan your activities to maximize your time while waiting. So, if you plan on using it to commute to work or simply ride around the neighborhood, choose a board with a long battery life. 

Accessories And Extra Features

Some of the latest models now offer a wide variety of features that include Bluetooth speakers and GPS. The GPS is used for tracking stolen boards while the built-in speakers allow you to enjoy your favorite tunes while you ride. There are even models with remote car keys that will turn on/off the device as desired. However, it is important to keep in mind that these features will increase the overall cost of the hoverboard. 

With so many versions becoming available on the market, there are several companies in the race to produce the ultimate board that will take on all terrains. Not to mention, there is strong evidence that the real hoverboards will soon flood into the market and give every rider a chance to literally hover above the ground.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

#TRIBEGOALS

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see #TRIBEGOALS in mag.

THE BACHELOR | MEET THE CAST

Next month on Jan 6th, ABC’s The Bachelor kicks off where Peter Weber looks for love with a number of amazing women. We’re still a few days away from being able to see how this plays out and if Hannah G (last year’s Bachelorette) will come back. Either way, we’ll be live tweeting (@AthleisureMag) each episode with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith (@ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place! For now, you can check out each of the ladies, think about the 4 women that you can envision will be going to Hometowns and click their names to get their bios from ABC and we’ll see you at 8pm EST!

Right now if we had to make our favorites for Hometowns, we’re thinking Courtney, Eunice, Natasha and Tammy. Right now, we think Peter and Eunice would be a great couple! Each week, we will share who has been eliminated, and who our 4 pics at the moment for HOMETOWNS are. We’ll also keep you in the loop on a number of other news that we come across as well as our favorite tweets during the night as we chat along with a number of people each week!

We also suggest a podcast that is new to us, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour which is hosted by Rachel Lindsay one of our faves hands down - contestant on The Bachelor Season 21; The Bachelorette Season 13) who shares with their listeners all things Bachelor and Bachelor related! Earlier today, we listened to a new episode that was co-hosted with Becca Kufrin (contestant on The Bachelor Season 22; The Bachelorette Season 14) talking about the 30 women for this upcoming season as they had just received the imagery as well as the bios! They gave their first impressions and insight on what it’s like to be in the house as well! We’ll definitely be checking into this podcast to get more information as well as to see if there are other things that they will be able to let us know what’s taking place!

OUR HOMETOWN PICKS

COURTNEY

EUNICE

NATASHA

TAMMY

---

ALAYAH, 24 - Miss Texas 2019; San Antonio, TX

ALEXA, 27 - Esthetician; Chicago, IL

AVONLEA, 27 - Cattle Rancher; Fort Worth, TX

COURTNEY, 26 - COSMETOLOGIST; Venice, FL

DEANDRA, 23 - Home Care Coord; Plano, TX

EUNICE, 23 - Flight Attendant; Chicago, IL

HANNAH ANN, 23 - Model; Knoxville, TN

JADE, 26 - Flight Attendant; Mesa, AZ

JASMINE, 25 - Client Relations Mgr; Houston, TX

JENNA, 22 - Nursing Student; New Lennox, IL

KATRINA, 28 - Pro Sports Dancer; Chicago, IL

KELLEY, 27 - Attorney; Chicago, IL

KELSEY, 28 - Professional Clothier; Des Moines, IA

KIARRA, 23 - Nanny; Kennesaw, GA

KYLIE, 26 - Ent Sales Assoc; Santa Monica, CA

LAUREN, 26 - Marketing Executive; Glendale, CA

LEXI, 26 - Marketing Coordinator; NY, NY

MADISON, 23 - Foster Parent Recruiter; Auburn, AL

MAURISSA, 23 - Patient Care Coord; Atlanta, GA

MEGAN, 26 - Flight Attendant; San Francisco, CA

MYKENNA, 22 - Fashion Blogger; Langley, British Colmbia, Canada

NATASHA, 31 - Event Planner; NY, NY

PAYTON, 23 - Biz Dev Rep; Wellesley, MA

SARAH, 24 - Medical Radiographer; Knoxville, TN

SAVANNAH, 27 - Realtor; Houston, TX

SHIANN, 27 - Admin Asst; Las Vegas, NV

SYDNEY, 24 - Retail Mktg Mgr; Birmingham, AL;

Tammy, 24 - House Flipper; Syracuse, NY

VICTORIA F., 25 - Med Sales Rep; Virgina Beach, VA

VICTORIA P., Nurse; Alexandria, LA

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW WITH NO KID HUNGRY'S JENNY DIRKSEN AND CHEF ELIZABETH FALKNER

Over the past few years, we have enjoyed sharing initiatives that No Kid Hungry creates in order to ensure that childhood hunger is not an issue that has to be a concern in this country. We caught up with No Kid Hungry's Jenny Dirksen who is the National Director of Champion Engagement and Chef Elizabeth Falkner and talked about No Kid Hungry, their initiatives throughout the year and with Thanksgiving and Holiday festivities underway, what we can find on their dinner tables this year! We held this in-depth conversation at The Flatiron Room in NYC.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’re so excited to have both of you here as we have worked with No Kid Hungry for a number of years and sharing your chef’s stories as well as your initiatives with our readers. We’ve also been fans of your storytelling through food as well Chef Falkner so having both of you here during the holiday season is a treat!

Chef, we’ve seen you on a number of TV shows whether you’re competing, judging, or culinary events such as StarChefs which we just saw you at a few weekends ago in Brooklyn, can you tell us the moment that you realized that you wanted to cook?

CHEF ELIZABETH FALKNER: I never thought about cooking as a culinary profession until I was out living in San Francisco going to art school and working at Williams-Sonoma part-time. Really because what we now call the California Food Revolution was happening all around me. So it felt like an art and political and everything kind of movement. A handful of mostly female chefs were getting all of the agriculture sort of more exciting and most interesting product with more farm to table kind of stuff almost 30 years ago. So it kind of swooped me up. AM: What was the moment for you when you realized you wanted to work within the culinary industry. You have an amazing background as a chef and then being in a managerial role.

PHOTO CREDIT | Paul Farkas (L: Chef ELizabeth Falkner; R: No Kid Hungry’s Jenny Dirksen)

PHOTO CREDIT | Paul Farkas

PHOTO CREDIT | Paul Farkas (L: Athleisure Mag Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director and Co-Exec Producer and Host of Athleisure Kitchen podcast, Kimmie Smith)

JENNY DIRKSEN: I grew up loving food and loving mostly to eat! I took on self-imposed vegetarianism and really educated myself on nutrition and making my own meals. I don’t think that I understood until college that that could make a profession out of that. I was working as a barista at Heyday which is no more, but is like a Dean and Deluca which is also no more and I watched the folks working which were all dudes in the prepared foods part and I thought, “how do you get to do that?” That was the beginning for me and I did get to cook for a few years and I chickened out and went to the office side of the world.

CHEF EF: I wouldn’t call it chickening out, you probably said, “that’s not for me – I want to do something else.”

JD: I think that I had actually injured my back and I said, “I’m not capable of standing up at my station right now chef.” And I had the opportunity to work in the office of the restaurant and not realizing how much fun that would be in supporting everyone that was delighting the guests all day long. Through that, I had the opportunity to move into the executive office where I spent a good chunk of my time and learned that restaurants and chefs can create social change and that was the coolest to me.

AM: How do you define your style of cooking as I know you do sweet and savory and you’re so versatile.

CHEF EF: Well first of all, I don’t like to be stereotyped at all which is just a part of who I am. I love exploring everything through the medium of food. To me, food is a lot like learning languages and I am just really interested in storytelling as food evolves into different places at different times. I think of my style as much more explorative as opposed to a specific genre or ethnicity. I really like exploring everything and the more things that I don’t know, I like to know more about them.

AM: As the National Director of Champion Engagement at No Kid Hungry, tell us about the role you have in this position?

JD: I’m really fortunate as I work alongside our entire team that engages with chefs. So all of the ways that chefs help us to fundraise for the work itself - Taste of the Nation a broad scale tasting event, No Kid Hungry dinners – sometimes they’re intimate sometimes they’re galas, Chefs Cycle and we’re able to take all of these culinary professionals that have worked with us to help us fundraise and we say, “hey do you want to come to Capitol Hill and actually meet with your legislatures and talk to them about what you are fundraising for and ask them for legislative change or appropriations to support legislation that we’re really enthusiastic about? Would you like to lend your voice to media and tell others what we’re doing. Come see the work up close and bring them into schools to see how what we do works up close. I also am in regular touch with some of our most engaged culinary professionals to let them know what we are up to. There is so much nitty gritty in the work and those that say that they really want to know what we are up to, we get that message out to them. What we really want to do is to create a community of caring individuals who are passionate about ending childhood hunger and through doing that, they allow us to grow new fundraising platforms and also new ways of getting the actual work done.

PHOTO COURTESY | The Flatiron Room

AM: How did you decide that you wanted to be a part of this?

CHEF EF: Well a couple of things. First, I’ve been cooking for a long time and I have done events with No Kid Hungry and Share Our Strength many years ago when it first started on the cooking side of things. I do a lot of charity events still even though I don’t work in kitchens full time and that’s just because chefs have this power to influence and to just cook and raise dollars as well as awareness for a lot of things such as No Kid Hungry.

Chefs Cycle has been something that I have been wanting to do. I was running half marathons and the NY Marathon in 2016 and I was like, “how am I going to do both?” I was raising money for Team for Kids because I like for kids to exercise too! Then after last year when I was running 3 marathons, my doctor said, “I don’t think that you should run as much.” I was like, “Great! I’ll sign up for Chefs Cycle.” So I started to do cycling and that’s how it started! Because of that, that it’s not this simple thing to train for. Riding for 300 miles is no joke and training for that is no joke. So I just like the idea that I still like to cook for these kinds of events, but to also be able to do something athletic that’s way out of my comfort zone is also such a good message to show how important it is, but also a great message for chefs to do something like that.

I’m kind of one of those people that are always telling other cooks and people in general that being aware of what you’re eating and ultimately what you’re physically doing is going to help you in the longevity of your career.

AM: How do you train for that? I mean, it’s 300 miles!

CHEF EF: I mean what’s really cool about it is that this year, when we do the ride in Bend, Oregon next June – we’ve formed a team. Adele Nelson, Director, Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry, connected me with Jess Cerra a professional cyclist who just retired. So we just decided to form a team, Team Themyscira because that is where Wonder Woman is from. It’s not exclusively a team for women, but the focus is to get more women riding. Stephanie Izard (first female chef to win BRAVO’s Top Chef Season 4, Chef/Co-Owner of Girl and the Goat, Little Goat and Duck, Duck Goat in Chicago (and James Beard Foundation Award Winner) is also riding and actually just texted me last night asking if men could participate in this. Obviously, we’re not sexist, but it’s a team of really great women. Some have done this race before and Hillary Sterling (Executive Chef at Vic’s in NYC) said, “Hey I am going to be riding” and I told her she had to join my team! Duskie Estes (Food Network food personality as a contestant and judge as well as Chef/Co-Owner of The Black Piglet and Black Pig Meat Co) are also going to ride as well. It’s a bunch of really cool people.

What’s cool is we have a couple of professional cyclists on our team.

JD: Oh yeah, across the board! The cyclists are like, “Cool, we get to hang out with these chefs!”

CHEF EF: They’re already giving us tips and training if we want it. Like, I didn’t know that you’re not supposed to wear underwear underneath your shorts.

AM: Yup, you learn that real quick!

CHEF EF: I was like thanks, I needed to know that this year!

PHOTO COURTESY | The Flatiron Room

AM: When you have completed this race, what do you do after that? Does your body just feel incapacitated for like 2 days?

CHEF EF: By the time you have trained for it, you’re so amped for it. This year in Santa Rosa it was nice the first day and then it rained the last two days. I had never ridden in the rain before so I was a little scared about that as it was something that I hadn’t really done. I was like, I will try it, but if it feels scary, then I will stop. We ended up riding the whole day except for when I met this women from Canada who had a flat about half way in the day which is fine and we came back which I was fine with because it was freezing. Then we got rain gear and on the 3rd day, we were maniacs and we just didn’t really care and we were riding around in the pouring rain. But the camaraderie was just so much fun and everyone was so supportive and it’s a really great event and it raises a lot of money too!

AM: We were just going to ask how much did you raise?

JD: I don’t know the year by year count, but since we have started, we have raised $2.5 million just in the rides and we have about 4 or 5 under our belt.

CHEF EF: Like I raised, $8,500 last year and I’m shooting for at least that this year.

AM: How do you decide on your end what chef goes into what program and what is that process like?

JD: Again, I’m fortunate to have started at this organization which was 20 years in. There were a wealth of chefs that were already taking part. My old boss, Danny Meyer (Founder and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group) had been on their board for years and years. Knowing people through No Kid Hungry had already been a connection point for me professionally. We’re very lucky that people come to us and that a number of people come through other chefs like when Elizabeth will say, “I did this crazy ride and you have to come do it too.” Sometimes we’re branching into a market that we haven’t been in before and I’ll ask the chefs who we work with who they know. We’ll do some reading. We’re thrilled to have chefs who have been reviewed and have received rewards, but that is not the starting line. I want people who are passionate about food and feeding others and wanting to make a difference. Those are our people.

AM: So non-chefs can also participate?

JD: Everyone has a role in ending childhood hunger! For my specific work, we talk about engaging culinary professionals because there is front of house, beverage folks, office types and those that are involved in making restaurants exciting places for eating and a lot of fun. We want all of those people working with us!

AM: With Thanksgiving, knowing that you guys do things year around, what are initiatives that are taking place during this season that we should know about?

JD: The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as Giving Tuesday and it’s a very big day for charitable giving whether doing it in person or online. That’s Dec 3rd this year. You can go to NoKidHungry.org to see everything that we are doing or following us online @NoKidHungry. I think that 2 things that are especially interesting are the generous community at Food52 is benefitting us in our work through their Food52 Holiday Swap which has gone on for years. You bake something and send to someone else and they kind of match make between the bakers and everyone makes a contribution to be involved. That is happening at Food52.com.

This year, we’re benefitting from a fun holiday auction that Bon Appétit is doing they issue a bunch of different covers to go with the Nov issue and you can collect them all. To do that, you can go to Ebay for Charity for No Kid Hungry on that page.

AM: As we head into the Christmas season, are there specific ones for that as well?

JD: I think that end of year giving is the big push at that point. Throughout the year we have these incredible culinary events that we have mentioned: Taste of the Nation, our No Kid Hungry dinners and you can find out more about this through our events page on NoKidHungry.org. Of course there is also Chefs Cycle and we look for folks to make a contribution and to support their favorite chefs at ChefsCycle.org.

CHEF EF: Yeah, you can just support a rider on the website or a team – like Team Themyscira.

AM: Just in case you wanted to know about one team in particular ha!

As someone who is out there whether you’re cooking to raise funds, being at events, charitable functions being on social media etc – how important is it for chefs to do this kind of visibility and activity in terms of their culinary careers?

CHEF EF: I don’t think that a chef has to do things like that. Some people may think that you have to in order to be more successful. I think it depends on where you are. I know a lot of chefs who work in their kitchens and they don’t have time to do stuff like that and I don’t think it’s a negative and you can probably see it in their food. You put that much more work into your food, it’s going to show! I think it’s great when people are showing stuff and the power of social media where people are able to show their food and what they are doing – I think that that is amazing and how that can go around the world.

AM: Will there be another restaurant?

CHEF EF: It’s not my goal to open another restaurant. I have already done that for a good chunk of my life. It’s not that it’s too hard work for me. It’s just that I’m so involved in food policy, food waste and I talk a lot about helping kids, teaching kids and speaking a lot more on all of these different issues. I’m constantly doing recipe development. I don’t even know how I would have another restaurant at this point in my life because I’m so busy!

JD: Well that’s a nice thing!

CHEF EF: Well there’s a lot to do!

AM: We enjoy seeing your social and seeing you do all of the things that you have mentioned and really just getting in there and doing the work.

CHEF EF: I learned a lot from the food business too and if you can do that in what I like to call a theater – the restaurant, but you can also take it on the road these days. I ended up cooking in China this year and I ended up cooking in so many places this year at all of these different places and I actually like cooking with ingredients from different parts of the world too because it helps me change it up.

AM: What are your 3 favorite ingredients to have on hand?

CHEF EF: Oh my goodness. I have to have Olive Oil, that’s a critical one. It changes, but I’m in love with some of the things that I experienced in Asia. I came back loving this fermented Broad Bean Paste which is slightly like fermented Chinese Black Beans which is more like a Fava Bean. It’s a fermented spicy Chinese Sichuan specialty that’s in Mapo Doufu for example. I have this obsession with Chinese food that makes me hungry just thinking about it!

Then I think having Meyer Lemons is kind of one of my favorite ingredients. I’m from California and I need that zest and I love citrus. I still try to sprinkle into my food whenever I can.

AM: What are your 3 favorite ingredients to have on hand?

JD: I’m a big stock person. My slow cooker is always going with chicken stock – I feel that it boosts us. Ginger so good – it’s great for external and internal. Cardamom is another one. It's so holiday to me.

AM: What’s for Thanksgiving this year?

CHEF EF: It’s so funny. I’m making breakfast for my brother and girlfriend for this Thanksgiving. Then they’re going to go to her parents house which I love going to. Her mom is Korean American and I enjoyed going there as she is a really good cook. It’s a cross between classic Thanksgiving dishes and a number of Korean ones and I think that I like all of the Korean ones better! So then I am working on a project right now so I don’t have time to really spend around Thanksgiving so much – so I think that I will just spend time making more Chinese food!

JD: I’m actually getting together with my neighbor and we’re going to brainstorm our menu as we are cooking together. Lots of things happening at the Green Market right now. I have one of those mega Brussel Sprout branches right now. The top sprouts are so huge it looks like Choi and the farmer told me that he actually had people taking it and slow roasting it whole with the stalk in the oven – I’m very curious and may have to go there. Lots of squash – love a red curry squash. There will still be turkey, there will still be pie.

CHEF EF: I feel like, unfortunately, that it’s put all on one day which is not how I really think about this time of year. I think Thanksgiving lasts from Oct – Dec because it’s all about this harvest.

AM: Is there anything else that you want to share with us?

JD: I want everyone to know that everyone has a Strength to Share in the fight against hunger. There are so many ways to get involved and make a difference. You can certainly donate online, host a bake sale, a personal bake sale that you do on your own, attend our events and find an opportunity to speak up on behalf of kids to your elected officials. Once again, all of that can be found on No Kid Hungry.org.

CHEF EF: I just want to say that every dollar helps and I don’t think that any kid should be hungry when they’re going to school or summer programs. How are you going to be able to think or do all the things you need to be a kid at school if you’re hungry?

JD: Elizabeth is right. Every dollar that No Kid Hungry receives, we can connect a kid with up to 10 meals so it’s really impactful!

IG: @NoKidHungry

@ChefFalkner

Hear No Kid Hungry's Jennifer Dirken and Chef Elizabeth Falkner this month on our show, Athleisure Kitchen which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know with No Kid Hungry’s Jenny Dirksen and Chef Elizabeth Falkner in mag.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2019

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Holiday Gift Guide 2019 in mag.

THREE SECRETS OF YOUNGER LOOKING MEN

Why do some men the same age appear so different? Some guys seem to have all the luck when it comes to aging well, while others can appear old before their time. However, it’s not all down to luck or good genes, and there are steps that any man can take to turn back the hands of time.

If you’re approaching a crossroads in life, perhaps after a divorce or when facing a career change, it makes sense to think about your appearance as your shop window. If you want a potential employer or partner to invest in you, then it’s time to ensure that you’re looking attractive, groomed and worth a second glance. Here are some ways that you can invest in appearing or coming across as a younger version of yourself.

Posture

The way a man stands says a lot about his self-confidence, energy levels and youthfulness. Standing tall is important at any age, but poor posture can add an entire decade onto a man in his 50’s and beyond. Talk to your doctor about posture, as this can also affect your spine in later life. You may need specialist help to realign your back, or it might just be a case of remembering to stand and sit with a straighter back until it becomes a habit. This is one completely free way to improve how you come across in person, and it might even prevent future medical problems.

Your skin

The skin on your face has been exposed to sun, wind and pollution for your entire life. While women tend to protect their skin from their 20’s with a barrier of moisturiser and even sunscreen, men tend not to bother until it’s almost too late. If you’ve neglected your skin, it’s possible to literally peel away the years with a chemical peel, which will remove things like surface sun damage, old acne scars and even fine wrinkles. The depth of peel is up to you, with the more intense peels requiring several weeks of downtime while your old skin comes away and your fresher, newer face is revealed underneath. If that’s too extreme, milder peels can retexture and refine your skin over the course of several months.

Sort your hair out

If you’ve had the same hairstyle for over 10 years, it might be time for a restyle. Hair loss is a major age giveaway, and even very elderly men look more youthful and sprightly with hair than without it.

Could you change your hairstyle? How about using a subtle dye, or a thickening product to bulk it up? Perhaps you’d like to consider a hair transplant as an investment in your future.

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9LIST STORI3S | HARLEY PASTERNAK

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S with Harley Pasternak in Mag. If you’ve missed previous 9LIST STORI3S or other 9PLAYLIST - see them here.

9PLAYLIST | STAR NETWORK POWER'S LALA ANTHONY

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THE 9LIST

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ATHLEISURE BEAUTY

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THE BEST HOBBIES FOR A NEUROLOGICAL WORKOUT

The concept of brain training has been around for a number of years. While we can lift weights or run marathons to train our bodies, people are more often than not neglecting their minds. Instead, you should have at least one hobby which is going to give you a brain work out too. Here are some of the best hobbies we could think of.

Games

Playing games can be great for your brain! Whether you are sitting down to play a popular board game with your closest friends or you are just logging on to play something online, you can experience the full benefits of games. They teach you to strategize, they teach you to be creative, and they allow you to relax and have fun!

Why not seeing what an online casino has to offer? Table games like blackjack and poker have lots of strategy which really requires you to think carefully about your moves. Playing them online might be more convenient than trying to head to your local casino. If even this does not appeal to you, you could try a tabletop roleplaying game to really push your creativity.

Puzzles

Everyone loves trying to work out a puzzle. They can also be one of the best ways to work out your brain! For a quick and easy fix, download a puzzle app for your smartphone. Whether it is an anagram game, sudoku, or just a good old-fashioned crossword, you really can’t go wrong with a puzzle.

If you want to take your deduction skills to the next level, grab some friends and head to an escape room. There are escape room companies popping up everywhere. Themed around everything from a jail cell to a wizard’s study, they are filled with puzzles to help you escape. This would make a cute date if you can find a puzzle for just two people but you can find rooms which take you and all your closest friends for a real challenge!

Instruments

It has been proven time and time again that playing an instrument has some amazing benefits for your mind and coordination. Learn to read sheet music and it is very akin to learning a new language. You then have to learn exceptional coordination to be able to handle an instrument.

Dedication is also one of the most important parts of learning an instrument. You need to sit down for a scheduled time each week to practice. This sort of dedication can be difficult but it can teach you a lot about yourself.

If your body is in top shape, there is no reason why you cannot train your mind to be the same. Pick a hobby which you love or try something new to kick off a new year. You might get more enjoyment than you could ever imagine out of training your mind. With the right hobby behind you, you might be improving yourself without even thinking about it. Whether you are on this journey alone or with friends, it will hopefully be a lot of fun.

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IN OUR BAG YOUR AIRPORT LAYOVER

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HOW TO DRESS FOR HOLIDAY DINNER TRAVELS

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47TH HONOLULU MARATHON

On Dec 8th, 26,000 runners and walkers lined up on Ala Moana Boulevard for the 47th Honolulu Marathon, sponsored by Japan Airlines. Nearly 20,000 of those were there for the full 26.2mile event, and the rest for a shorter 10km race, both finishing in Kapiolani Park. This is the 5th largest marathon in the US and provides $150M in revenue for the local economy. Yesterday’s temperatures were warm and humid and this course is known to be difficult due to several challenging hills.

This race has unique elements that include: not having a time limit, allowing participants to run or walk at their own pace. Everyone is greeted at the finish line with a finishers medal and finishers shirt.

PHOTO CREDIT | Photo by Ezra Shaw /Getty Images for HONOLULU MARATHON

PHOTO CREDIT | Photo by Ezra Shaw /Getty Images for HONOLULU MARATHON

Titus Ekiru (winnings included $50,000 in prize money and time bonuses) and Margaret Muriuki, both of Kenya, were crowned champions of the 47th Honolulu Marathon in Waikiki today.  Ekiru, who won the race last year, was timed in 2:07:59.02, the fastest-ever time in the state of Hawaii.  Muriuki ran 2:31:10, a personal best.

The top American was Renee Metivier of Bend, Ore., who qualified for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials by running under 2:45:00 (she was timed in 2:43:18).

PHOTO CREDIT | Photo by Ezra Shaw /Getty Images for HONOLULU MARATHON

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WHY WRITING IS GOOD FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

People write for several different reasons. To some, they write because they need to express themselves, as well as share their thoughts with others. Meanwhile, to others, they write because the art of creating, writing, and documenting their ideas please them, and a lot more.

Whatever the reason may be for taking the pen or placing the fingers to the keyboard, research reveals that writing offers a lot of benefits in our mental health. So, to know more about this effect, here are some of the many connections between writing and mental health.

Understanding Excellent Mental Health

Your mental health affects the way you think, behave, and feel in daily life. Also, it influences your capacity to cope with pressure, build relationships, overcome challenges, and recover from different hardships and setbacks in life.

Strong mental well-being is not merely the absence of any mental health problems. Being emotionally or mentally sound is way more than being free of anxiety, depression, stress, or other emotional concerns.

Instead of mental problems, strong psychological health attributes to the presence of excellent and positive characteristics. So, in what ways can writing help us mentally and physically? Here is how.

Writing Can Help Organize Your Thoughts

Journaling or writing provides an opportunity to establish the thoughts and feelings you have in one place, which might help you to build connections or make more sense of a particularly disorganized situation, day, or set of emotions. Also, writing things might help you more efficiently determine and create solutions and improve your problem-solving skills.

Writing Can Help You Overcome Tough Memories

If you are holding onto difficult or traumatic memories that remain to cause you sadness, journaling, or writing can aid you to begin to act through them by delivering emotions in a writing app and involving both of the brain's hemispheres.

Writing Can Boost Your Mood

Those people who practice journaling and effective writing often report reduced negativity and elevated moods. This effect is because writing offers you a channel to release your emotions and work through unfavorable moods and feelings constructively.

In particular, expressive writing or the action of writing down emotions and feelings resulted in reduced stress levels and enhanced well-being.

Writing concerning the feelings you endure and strive to determine as to why you have such, can considerably help in dealing with the agony and accepting the results experienced.

Writing Can Help You Learn Emotional Intelligence

Painful emotions can eventually lead to depression, but writing can help you overcome extreme sadness by exercising your emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is a skill that we can learn, and making writing as a habit is one of the most effective means to exercise it. You can use it in the very same manner as mindfulness; when you describe a specific happening or thing that you see at the moment or replacing a past negative emotion with a new one.

Writing Can Improve Self-Awareness

Journaling or writing can be a useful approach to enhance your self-awareness, and therefore, can improve your understanding of why and how you may respond to a situation in a particular way.

By cultivating a bigger level of awareness, then you will be capable of understanding your emotions, which can stop yourself from responding negatively.

To Conclude

Many people are not aware of the benefits of writing, and that is why some are having a hard time dealing with hardships in life because they do not have a channel to express their emotions.

Writing is food for your mind. When you feel emotionally and mentally drained, writing the things that trouble you can help you organize your thoughts, and promote a peaceful mind.

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ARE PSYCHICS REAL?

Psychics have been using their powers to help people for thousands of years. Science still hasn’t been able to figure them out, and therefore people sometimes like to dismiss psychics as quacks or frauds. But there is so much evidence out there that psychics are real. From people with prophetic abilities to psychics who can locate missing people, we know from experience that there is something to it. Psychics are definitely real.

How can we tell if someone has real psychic abilities?                                                              

Sadly it is true that there are some frauds out there masquerading as real psychics. How can you tell difference? There are best practices that you can follow in order to evaluate a psychic before you begin working with them or at least within the first few minutes of speaking with them.

If a psychic is trying to scare you, it’s probably a scam. If they are trying to sell you something or they are promising you the world, you should be careful. Check out our tips on avoiding psychic scams and frauds. Once you understand how psychic abilities really work, you will easily be able to tell apart the real psychics from the fakes.

What kinds of questions can a psychic answer?

The key to having a successful experience with your psychic is finding the appropriate skill set and personality for you. A psychic can answer any kind of question, but some will be more effective in certain areas. If you are seeking advice and insight about a love relationship, work with a love psychic. If you are seeking to make a connection with a loved one that has passed away, work with a medium.

Once you do your homework and learn the basics of the different kinds of psychic abilities, you will recognize what will best serve you. Also, be sure to take the time to read through the bios of the psychics you are considering working with. Psychics are often able to combine multiple kinds of psychic abilities for maximum effect. Also, definitely read the customer reviews that have been posted about your psychic. To explore more about psychic reading visit https://www.psychicguild.com/ and share your experience with others. Someone may have extraordinary gifts, but if their personality doesn’t jive with yours, you won’t have the best possible experience.

A successful psychic reading requires you to be open-minded, calm, and willing to receive. This is best done with someone who you feel you can place your trust in. When you begin your session, the psychic’s comments should resonate with you right away. They will know things that you haven’t told them and see things that others can’t. This is how you will know right away that they are real.

Are online psychic readings legit and how do they work?

Online psychic readings are the same as any other kind of psychic reading. Although it is nice to be in the physical presence of your psychic, it is not necessary for them to complete their work. Because psychics work in extra-sensory energetic fields, they can accomplish their work from anywhere.

The great thing about online psychic readings is that you can choose from the best of the best. Because location and proximity isn’t a barrier for you, you have a much bigger pool of professionals to choose from! Psychics can work with you via telephone, chat, video chat, or even email. Once you begin communication with your preferred psychic, they immediately tap into your energy field.

I’m still not sure if psychics are real - what should I do?

If you’re curious but still on the fence, go ahead and try a free psychic reading first! That way you risk nothing and if you discover its not for you, you haven’t lost anything but a few minutes of your time. There are lots of free offers for first-time customers from the best psychic websites on the internet.

When you get your chosen psychic on the phone, keep the following tips in mind:

●      Use the first few minutes of your free session to see how your connection feels. You can always terminate if you are uncomfortable.

●      Don't volunteer too much information during your session. See what they can figure out on their own. When you see their abilities at work it will reassure you of their abilities.

●      Make sure the psychic is asking specific questions instead of general ones

●      Test your psychic! Only answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to their questions!

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ARGUMENTS ON WHY COLLEGE ATHLETES SHOULD BE PAID

Coming up with a good quality argumentative essay is not easy, especially if it is your first attempt. To put your worries at ease, we at AdvancedWriters are providing you with a well-written sample essay that is well researched and detailed. The topic is an argument on why college athletes should be paid.

College sports is something that is very popular in America with sports like football and basketball being televised and drawing in huge crowds. This is something that brings in a lot of money for television networks. Over the years, there have been plenty of debates on whether college athletes should be paid when they play or not because of how valuable their teams are. Below is a list of valuable college football teams. 

Source https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2018/09/11/college-footballs-most-valuable-teams/amp/

There are two main reasons why college athletes should be paid. The first reason is college athletes put their bodies on the line and risk injury to entertain people. College athletes are young and full of enthusiasm and this makes the games very competitive because they play with heart and passion. While this is something admirable, football and basketball are contact sports. Many college students do suffer serious injuries, and some can be career-ending.

This can put their scholarship aspiration to a complete stop because they have put their bodies on the line and not being paid for it. Serious injuries to the knee, for example, can leave someone crippled for life. A concussion, for example, can cause serious brain damage, depression, and even dementia at a very young age. Since there are serious health risks when college athletes train and play on game day, they deserve to be paid.

The second reason why college athletes should be paid is college sports games bring in a lot of money.  Below is a diagram which shows the average revenue for schools by sports.

https://amp.businessinsider.com/college-sports-revenue-2016-10

There is no doubt that a lot of money is made from college, but many believe that paying the athletes will make them become complacent and make it less competitive. Instead of playing for pride, college athletes might start playing for a paycheque. Fans love to see the passion and feel the money will ruin that, but this is not true.

Many major corporations in America are making millions off college athletes by asking them to wear their brands without pay during games. These players feel used by these corporations, and no one can blame them for feeling that way. Stopping them from being paid is a way to make sure that purity is preserved, and it remains competitive.

The third reason why college athletes should be paid is it makes them fitter and healthier. When students are earning while they play, they will not need to look for part-time employment to support themselves. This lets them focus more on education and getting better marks, which is good for the school they are attending.

The fourth reason why college athletes should be paid is the funds can provide relief to families that are struggling financially. Not all students come from families that are financially well off. On top of paying for their child’s tuition, they need to buy sports gear for them to play in. A family might sometimes have to rely on loans just to get their child through college. When a college athlete is paid, they can ease some of the financial burdens on their family and pay for their own tuition and up keeping rather than rely on their family.

The last reason why student college athletes should be paid is it motivates them to play. Many college athletes never make it as professionals in their respective sports. In fact, only 2% of college athletes end up making a career in the sport they are playing in. This is because they prefer to become a pro in the field they are studying as play for their college team to socialize and be fit. 

Overall giving students a huge amount of money while they are not ready for it is not a good idea as they can be targeted by predators who want to use them for their money. No one wants to be a victim of fraud, but since college students can sometimes be naive, they can leave themselves exposed to people who do not have their best interests at heart. On the other hand, not being paid while you are doing a job is wrong. Everyone deserves to be paid for a job, especially one that has serious health risks like basketball and football. Some of the money a student might earn if paid can be used to pay for the best medical treatment when they suffer serious injuries.

References:

• CollegeXpress Student Writer (2017) Should College Student-Athletes Be Paid? Both Sides of the Debate. [Online] Available at https://www.collegexpress.com/articles-and-advice/athletics/blog/should-college-student-athletes-be-paid-both-sides-debate/ [Assessed on 01 Dec 2019]

• Abigail Hess (2019)Majority of college students say student-athletes should be paid, survey finds [Online] Available at:https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/11/student-athletes-should-get-paid-college-students-say.html [Assessed on 01 Dec 2019]

• Chris Smith (2018) College Football's Most Valuable Teams: Texas A&M Jumps To No. 1 [Online] Available at https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2018/09/11/college-footballs-most-valuable-teams/amp/ [Assessed on 01 Dec 2019]

• The perspective (2019) Three Reasons Why College Athletes Should Get Paid [Online] Available at https://www.theperspective.com/debates/sports/college-athletes-get-paid/ [Assessed on 02 Dec 2019]

• Times Staff (2019) College athletes should be paid[Online] Available at https://sjcctimes.com/12832/sports/college-athletes-should-be-paid/[Assessed on 02 Dec 2019]

• Editor in chief (2019) 14 Should College Athletes Be Paid Pros and Cons [Online] Available at:https://vittana.org/14-should-college-athletes-be-paid-pros-and-cons [Assessed on 01 Dec 2019]

• Steve Cameron (2019) The NCAA brings in $1 billion a year — here's why it refuses to pay its college athletes [Online] Available at:https://www.businessinsider.com/ncaa-college-athletes-march-madness-basketball-football-sports-not-paid-2019-3 [Assessed on 02 Dec 2019]

• Cork Gaines (2016) The average college football team makes more money than the next 25 college sports combined [Online] Available at:https://amp.businessinsider.com/college-sports-revenue-2016-10 [Assessed on 02 Dec 2019]

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