I am very excited to post the items and descriptions for Dori’s Shiny CHARITY AUCTION happening on Thursday, January 21.

I will be running the NYC Half Marathon on my birthday, March 21. This is my first half marathon and I am running it for Think Pink Rocks, a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness about early detection of and genetic testing for breast cancer and to provide funding for screening, treatment and research. My mom, a breast cancer survivor, was diagnosed at age 37. This is a charity that is extremely important to me and I am honored to run my first half to raise money for them.

My donation page is here:

http://www.active.com/donate/thinkpinkrocks/dysterious

To reach my fundraising commitment of $1,000, I am holding an auction on this blog on Thursday, Jan 21 — exactly 2 months from the race! I’d love you all to help me out and bid on something you might really want.

AUCTION RULES

1) The auction starts Jan 21 at 10 am. I will post the list of items and their bid start price. All items start at $20 and will be divided into the following categories: Professional Services/Goods, Homemade, and Baked Goods

2) Each item will have a title and corresponding number. You will email me using either this form or my email address dysterious at gmail dot com with the item NAME and NUMBER in the subject line. I will not accept bids left in the comment section.

3) The auction starts at 10 am EST and will end at 10 pm EST, Thursday, Jan 21.

4) I will post a list of each item and update the top bids throughout the day

5) I will send a confirmation email to the winners. Each winner has 24 hours to donate their winning amount to my donation page. If I do not receive their donation, I will contact the second highest bidder as the winner.

6) Serious bidders only, please! Please read item descriptions carefully as there are NO REFUNDS!

I am really impressed with the generosity of people and companies who stepped forward to donate their time and products. I am so excited by how amazing these items are and I really hope you are too!

AUCTION ITEMS

Professional Goods/Services

(1) Aurorae Yoga Set

Includes:

• Brand new pink “Hope” yoga mat, which was created with the intention of supporting women who have or have had breast cancer
• Rosin bag (for slip free yoga practice)
• Yoga towel

I have an Aurorae mat in lilac and I am in love with it! I even get compliments from my yoga teachers. And when you put your hands and feet on the mat and then move them, you can see the imprints. An amazing mat! I also have the rosin bag and it keeps my hands from slipping.

*Note – the Hope mat debuts in February and will be shipped to the high bidder as soon as it becomes available.

(2) Pastry Girl Cakes – 2 dozen cupcakes, flavor of your choice

2 high bidders will each receive 2 dozen cupcakes of their choice

*Note – Cupcakes are available for NYC area bidders only. If you live outside NYC and would like to bid on Pastry Girl Cakes products, you will receive 2 dozen COOKIES.

Pastry Girl Cakes is a custom cake studio serving New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. We provide delicious and beautiful cakes, cupcakes and cookies for your most special events. We specialize in wedding cakes, birthday cakes, shower cakes and cakes for corporate events.

Pictured – Coconut cupcakes

Find a list of available flavors here: http://www.pastrygirlcakes.com/flavors2.htm

Find pictures of more cupcakes here: http://pastrygirlcakes.com/cupcakes_coconut.htm

(3) Exhale Spa 10-Class Pack of Core and Yoga Classes ($350 value)

Core (CORE FUSION!)

Build a strong core… Develop washboard abs… Improve your posture… Deepen your practice… Focus your mind.

Experience a transformational Core Fusion® toning class, based on Lotte Berk Method fundamentals, Pilates, and 50 years of combined fitness expertise, to achieve a strong, athletic, flexible, and youthful body. Improve your performance in sports with the total body workout, Core Fusion® Sport. Or strengthen your overall wellbeing within a combination of yoga asanas, Qi Gong, core strengthening, and stretching with a Core Fusion® Yoga class. All classes include a cardio element and are fueled by upbeat and inspirational music rhythms.

Yoga

A union of mind and body… linking breath with movement… a meditation in motion… the flow of energy.

Our yoga classes are ritual journeys that respond to the changing needs of urban life by infusing the highest quality of teaching with a revolutionary approach to yoga. For this amazing transformational practice we have created an equally amazing space.

Exhale as you discover your sacred space for this ancient healing practice.

Namaste.

(4) Professional Cooking Lesson for high bidder + 1 guest

New York City area only

Mercedes Vargas is a chef who currently works at the Ritz-Carlton. Formerly pastry chef at Gemma, Pair of 8′s and La Bottega. She also works with private clients on different functions as well as with Great Performances caterers. Her menus mostly consist of fresh, seasonal and local foods.

The cooking class for two people would be approximately 2 hours. The menu will be determined by Mercedes and the client, it would be three courses, all appetizers or dessert, depending on what the client would like to learn. The certificate will cover her fee of $300 for the class. All other expenses are covered by the client.

(5) Personal Training Session with Celebrity Trainer Brynn Jinnett

New York City area only

(6) The Blog Fairy Custom Blog Header

A custom blog header designed by The Blog Fairy, who has designed many blogs including Dori’s Shiny Blog, Missy Maintains, Just Flourishing and more! Visit http://theblogfairy.com to view samples of her work.

(7) Yoga OR Dance Lesson with Emily Oldak (Modern dancer, certified yoga instructor, former Cirque du Soleil star)

High bidder + up to two guests can select a private one hour yoga session or dance class

New York City area only

Emily Oldak was born and raised in NYC. She began dancing when she was 4 years old and became more serious when she attended “The Fame” School where she discovered her love for modern and contemporary dance. Following high school Emily graduated with a BFA from the Juilliard School in 2005. While at Juilliard she danced works by contemporary choreographers such as Aszure Barton, Paul Taylor, Ohad Naharin, Dwight Rhoden, and Robert Battle. Directly after school, she joined Cirque du Soleil for their new Creation of “Love” which was in collaboration with the music of The Beatles. While at Cirque, she learned others street forms of dance as well as aerial acrobatics. In her free time in Vegas she studied to become Yoga certified. After 3 years at Cirque she decided to return to her home to pursue a freelance dance career. She currently works with the Chase Brock Experience and Aszure Barton and Artists. Emily is represented by Mcdonald Selznick Associates. You can catch her in her latest commercial gig with MSA as a body double for Shakira in her newest music video “Did it Again”.

(8) MyPublisher - 20-page Classic Hardcover Photo Book with Book Cover

A customizable 20 page MyPublisher photo book with a personalized photo Book cover

http://mypublisher.com/products/classic

(9) Personal Training Session OR Health Counseling Session with Catherine Hesse (Core Fusion teacher & certified Holistic Health Counselor)

Personal training for New York City area only. Health counseling session can be held in person or via phone depending on location.

Catherine is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition with Columbia University and is trained in all the different dietary theories, eastern and western nutrition, modern health issues, personal growth and development, and health counseling. She is a Core Fusion Yoga Teacher Trainer, and a senior teacher of Core Fusion®, and Core Fusion Yoga, at Exhale Mind-Body Spa, in New York City. She specializes in body image, emotional eating, general wellness and healing through self love. Catherine is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

(10) Tees For Change - Chase Dreams bamboo short sleeve t-shirt

*Two t-shirts are up for auction. I will accept two winning bids.

Made from 70% sustainable bamboo and 30% organic cotton, this tee is luxuriously soft and silky and has an amazing fit.pumpkin tee, yellow text on the front

• pre-shrunk and runs a bit smaller
• fair-trade and sweatshop-free, imported
• available in sizes S (0-2), M (4-6), L (8-10) and XL (10-12)

http://www.teesforchange.com/chase-dreams-bamboo-short-sleeve-tshirt-p-102.html

(11) Six month subscription to TurnUpMyWorkout.com

TurnUpMyWorkout lets you choose your favorite kind of music, pick the intensity level you workout at and each month you will receive a list of motivating workout songs! I’ve tried this service myself and absolutely loved it — it gave me a new list of awesome songs that pushed me through my first half marathon training run! (Will be posting a review soon)

For more information, visit the website at http://turnupmyworkout.com

**Please note the music downloads are not included

(12) Bumble and bumble Hair Care Gift Pack from Missy at Missy Maintains ($200 value)

Pack includes:

• 1 bottle Spray de Mode Hairspray
• 1 bottle Classic Hair Spray
• 1 bottle Bb Gel
• 1 bottle Gellac
• 5 oz. Holding Spray
• 5 oz. Styling Creme
• 5 oz Medium to Thick Curl Creme
• 5 oz Medium to thick Curl Conscious Shampoo
• 5 oz Medium to Thick Curl Conscious Conditioner

(13) Sign Language Lessons with Jenny from ColorHungry –Boston area only

Includes 2 one-hour sessions

Born the child of profoundly deaf parents, Jenny could sign the alphabet by 1 and a half. She went on to learn American Sign Language and as a hard of hearing individual herself, often serves as an interpreter at her workplace for deaf students visiting campus. She has over 20 years of experience.

(14) P&G Prestige Fragrances Sampler Pack from Ashley at Healthy Happier Bear

Includes:

• Flora by Gucci 2.5 oz
• Escada Marine Groove 50mL
• Lacoste Challenge 75mL

Value $192

(15) Health and Fitness Book Prize Pack from Melissa at FitnessNYC

Includes:

- 12 Steps to Raw Foods

- The Secrets of Skinny Chicks

- Extreme Fat Smash Diet

- Runner’s World: The Runner’s Diet

- Fast Track: Training and Nutrition Secrets from America’s Top Female Runner

- The 90 Second Fitness Solution

- 8 Minutes in the Morning to Lean Hips and Thin Thighs

(16) Gold’s Gym – Bailey’s Crossroads (Falls Church), VA – Washington, D.C. Area & surrounding area bidders only

Four items are up for auction. Limit one per customer.

- Three Month Membership to Gold’s Gym + 1 personal trainer session

- One Month Membership to Gold’s Gym + 1 personal trainer session

- One Month Membership to Gold’s Gym + 1 personal trainer session

- One Month Membership to Gold’s Gym + 1 personal trainer session

Please specify if you are bidding on the one month or three month membership when bidding.

(17) PriorFatGirl e-Cookbook

A collection of healthy recipes from the friends of PriorFatGirl! Over 50 recipes + tips from personal trainer MizFit

Homemade Goods

(18) Colorful Bulky Afghan

A gorgeous, high quality handmade multicolored afghan. Looks stunning displayed on a couch and will keep you warm and cozy!

(19) Handmade “Passage to India” Bracelet by Jenny from ColorHungry

(20) Handmade Earrings by Katherine from Low Fat Kat

(21) Handmade Necklace by Katherine from Low Fat Kat

(22) Food Blog Charms by Mara from I Made Dinner

Four items for auction: 2 computer charms and 2 peanut butter jar charms. Please specify which charm you are bidding on when you send your email.

Charms are handcrafted out of lead-free pewter. They come on either a vegan-friendly nylon cord or cell phone charm.

Baked Goods

(23) Seattle Cookie Bars by Mallory from Bacon Wrapped Life

Up for auction: two dozen cookies – one dozen Cherry Almond and one dozen Hazlenut

A Northwest twist on the classic Magic Cookie Bar.

The flavors are inspired by Theo’s Chocolate, a local Seattle love that makes organic, fair trade chocolate that is unbelievable.

The Theo Classic Combination bar, Dark Chocolate with Cherries and Almonds is in the first cookie, along with lots of chopped almonds, dried cherries and shredded coconut. The sour bite of the cherries and the smooth, bitter dark chocolate from Theo cut through the sweetness of the cookie for a really addicting treat.

The 3400 Phinney Chocolate bar, Hazelnut Crunch Milk Chocolate is in the second cookie, along with a ton of chopped hazelnuts and of course shredded coconut. Wonderfully sweet, nutty and delicious. Plus, a couple Theo bars thrown in for good measure, so non-Seattle folks can appreciate the inspiration for the cookies.

(24) Choice of Whole Cake by Maggie from Say Yes to Salad

2 high bidders will receive one of the cakes listed:

• Hot Milk Sponge Cake with a brown sugar and coconut topping. Goes well with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
• Pumpkin Fruit Cake made with homemade pumpkin puree. A seasonal favorite.

Please specify which cake you are bidding on in the subject line.

(25) Peanut Butter Butterscotch Brownies by Jenny from ColorHungry

Jenny discovered these puppies one night when she was too upset to sleep and started baking. Imagine her surprise when these turned out to be some of the tastiest brownies she’s ever eaten. And don’t take her word for it- others have agreed!

Remember — these items will all be up for auction starting at 10 am EST on Thursday, January 21. I will post the item list on that day along with the top bid for each item. I will update this list throughout the day.

http://www.active.com/donate/thinkpinkrocks/dysterious

Good luck!

Thanks so much for all your feedback yesterday when I was debating a gym membership.

After my post, I set out to do some further research. And my research was fruitful!

I am really, really good at the internet. As I said in my last post, my company didn’t offer a real discount. At least, not one that employees could actually find on the intranet. But with my talents, I found another company’s website for employee offers, typed in my own work email address, and before I knew it I was on a webpage for employees of MY company — with an amazing discount right there! All I had to do was sign up and it was mine! Why is this information nowhere on our intranet?

There was one catch, though. In order to take advantage of this offer, I had to commit for a year. I started weighing my options once again, trying hard to rationalize a 1 year commitment. But it kept coming back to one problem — I don’t expect to be employed past April, and there is no way I can pay for a gym membership without having a job!

I rationalized and rationalized. I emailed lots of friends. I had multiple phone conversations with the boy. I tried talking myself into just going for it. I still was not ready to commit. And then I got a phone call.

The membership director I spoke to on Saturday called to check in on my decision to join and to see if I was able to find I discount. “I have a website open in front of me right now with this discount,” I told her. “But it requires a one year commitment and I just don’t think I can do it.”

She started thinking, suggesting all the ways I might be able to use another discount. “Does anyone in your apartment belong to NYSC?” Nope. “Did you used to be a member?” Nope. “Were you a member at another gym recently?” Yes! “Do you still have your barcode from that gym?” Yes! “That’s it. We have a discount for you.”

And that is how I got a pretty good price on a month to month, commitment-free NYSC membership! In order to pay for this, I will be cutting down on one medical treatment a month. If I find that I am suffering too much, I can just cancel my membership (with 30 days notice).  I am so glad I didn’t sign up on Saturday. I KNEW there had to be a better offer and I got one!

I went to the gym after work to sign the papers and get my membership card and I was all set!

That is, until this morning when I woke up to an email from the PR Director at NYSC who read my blog entry about my dilemma with a very generous offer. How cool is that. I love when companies step up. I can’t reveal yet what the offer was since I am waiting to hear back from her on my follow up email, but I am hoping to be able to save a little bit more money . . . it might be too late though.

Either way, now I have a gym membership! I can use my “home” location at any time and all other locations (such as the one across the street from my job) during off peak hours and weekends. Not a bad deal! And there is another location pretty close to me that has some good classes on the weekend’s, so I am sure I will be heading over there a couple times. And working out during the day by my job. I have to start leaving gym clothes at work again. And I can spin again! Once I get the hooks back in my shoes, that is.

Another thing that is annoying about the building gym that I forgot to mention yesterday: I only have access to it when the boy is home because I need his key to get in. That is why I bought the rebounder, which I still plan to use, but now I have this my new gym as an option as well. Perfect.

After all the excitement of joining the gym, it was time to meet some friends for dinner at a restaurant I was very excited for. The plan was for Missy, Melissa, Gena and I to eat at Peacefood Cafe on the Upper West Side. I read about it in a Vital Juice newsletter and given its convenient location to my apartment, knew I needed to try it out. The menu sounded divine!

I got there early and sat on a bench in front of the restaurant. Nearly every person who walked by made some comment about the restaurant’s name. Think “Oh, Peacefood. Just what I need. More peace in my food!” in British accent. I guess not everyone is ready for the Peacefood!

Unfortunately, Melissa had to back out since she was given some urgent work to do, so it was just three of us. The restaurant itself was adorable. We each ordered tea that came in large mugs that I loved. I got peppermint and it was delicious. I had obsessed over studied the menu during the day and wasn’t able to decide between these two choices:

Roasted Japanese Pumpkin (Kabocha) mashed and seasoned with a little sea salt, ground black pepper and extra virgin olive oil, topped with caramelized onions, ground walnuts, vegan goat cheese and seasonal greens

or the

Mushroom Duxelle with roasted sweet peppers, onions & zucchini

As much as I wanted to finally try kabocha after reading so many blog raves, I was really craving pizza so that is what I went with. Luckily, Missy ordered the kabocha sandwich and Gena ordered a side of kabocha, so I could have the best of both worlds.

I made the right choice. Seriously, that might have been the best pizza I have ever had. It tasted amazing, and the peppers and zucchini really added something special to it. Everything was cooked to perfection:

AMAZING. Devour is too dainty a word to describe what I did to that.

Gena got an amazing salad topped with some delicious looking avocado. I took one look at her giant salad and felt a pang of envy. When I see a salad like that, it makes me miss salads so much and depresses me that I can’t eat them (my stomach will not allow it). While I couldn’t taste her salad, I could, however, taste her roasted kabocha!

Cut off a piece, put in mouth. Chew, chew. Chomp. Swallow.

The verdict? Ehh.

Maybe it was so built up to me from other blogs? Maybe it wasn’t a particularly sweet kabocha? I don’t know. What I do know is that I would take a sweet potato over that kabocha any day. It just didn’t taste that sweet to me. I will need to try again, but that is my first impression. So I am not in any big rush.

This is Gena‘s big salad with the kabocha in the background.

Then I tasted Missy’s kabocha sandwich. I don’t have a picture here yet, but when she posts it I will be sure to steal it. The star of her sandwich was without a doubt the caramelized onions. They were so sweet and flavorful! Delicious!

Aside from the food, our meal was great because we had so much to talk about. This was my first meet up with Gena in such a small setting; while we have emailed countless times, we’ve only seen in each other in large groups, so I am thrilled to have gotten the chance to sit down and eat a meal with her. And Missy is one of my closest friends (for those of you who don’t know, we met in Israel 2 and a half years ago), so there was great company!

As I looked around the restaurant, I was especially happy to see that it was pretty filled up. It is so great to see a vegan, healthy restaurant doing such good business.

Of course, we will have to do it again with Melissa — who, I might add, is running in the NYC Marathon on Sunday! Good luck to Melissa, I know she will do great! Melissa is my running idol since she went from not being a runner to running (like me) to running marathons (not like me. yet?). And she introduced me to Girl Talk.

After we paid the check (imagine 3 girls; 2 english majors and 1 blonde trying to do the math) we walked to the counter and spoke to the restaurant owner. This man was so nice! I asked them if they deliver and they said they do! The boy and I are BIG into food delivery. As I mentioned, SeamlessWeb is my best friend. But there aren’t many places on there that are affordable and healthy. The healthier options are a bit pricey. And I am always wary of what goes into making my food these days. So I was so happy to learn that Peacefood Cafe delivers. I plan to start ordering and trying everything on the menu! And I emailed SeamlessWeb to suggest they add Peacefood Cafe to their service.

Before leaving, we approached the pastry display. The desserts all looked so good! I bought a mini brownie (keep in mind, everything is vegan) to take home. When I got home I tore into it! Sorry, no picture. But know that it was so so so so good! I have been craving a brownie for about a week now, and this one really hit the spot. Perfect small treat for my sweet tooth!

If you’re in NYC, I definitely recommend stopping at Peacefood Cafe. They also had a lot of smoothies that I am dying to try, like the Chocolate Mint – Cocoa, Avocado, Mint, Agave. Yum. Wow. I want that right now.

And of course I want to try lots more menu items. I expect this restaurant to become a staple for me.

I’m going to the Seattles tomorrow morning very early, so I probably won’t be back on the blog until the middle of next week. Maybe a little surprise before then. Maybe not. I might be spending too much time smushing this little girl:

As promised, here are some photos of me on my Urban Rebounder:

Aside from being an easy, inexpensive, fun eksusis that you can do at home while watching TV, rebounding touts numerous health benefits. After Maggie got hers off Craigslist, I was motivtaed to do the same thing. Mine even came with 2 DVDs, but until I figure out how to set up the DVD player, I will be rebounding to all my TV shows  this season: House, Nip/Tuck, The Office, Community, 30 Rock, Parks & Recreation, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Desperate Housewives, Modern Family, Law and Order: SVU. Click here to read about the benefits of rebounding!

Missy, Megan and Melissa all selected me as a winner of the Over The Top Award.

In order to accept this award, I need to answer the following questions with just one word answers.

1. Where is your cell phone? table
2. Your hair? blown
3. Your mother? pretty
4. Your father? curly
5. Your favorite food? breakfast
6. Your dream last night? ring
7. Your favorite drink? almond
8. Your dream/goal? writer
9. What room are you in? living
10. Your hobby? reading
11. Your fear? jobless
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? there
13. Where were you last night? wedding
14. Something you aren’t? Asian
15. Muffins?  banana
16. Wish list item? chair
17. Where did you grow up? Queens
18. Last thing you did? type
19. What are you wearing? turtles
20. Your TV? floor
21. Your pets? Santana?
22. Your friends? ugly
23. Your life? ridiculous
24. Your mood? sleepy
25. Missing someone? Henries
26. Vehicle? Manhattan
27. Something you’re not wearing? underwear
28. Your favorite store? health
29. Your favorite color? green
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? tomorrow
32. Your best friend? Rae
33. One place that I go over and over? bathroom
34. One person who emails me regularly? Jen
35. Favorite place to eat? IHOP

I pass this award on to the following bloggers:

Jen from PriorFatGirl
Janna from Just Flourishing
Santana from The Santana Chronicles

You ladies are all OVER THE TOP.

I was also awarded another award from Melissa with a different set of requirements. I will do that one another time!

And now, an XKCD.com webcomic: