11/26/08 - I'm home!

Nothing smells better than fresh, New Hampshire, fall air! Especially if you now live in New York City. I'm so happy to be home and I hope you are headed to people you love soon.

My brother just introduced me to Brett Dennen. Check out today's song Blessed. I think you will like it.

11/25/08 - The Power of Granola

My friend has a great blog called Lick My Spoon (find the link on My Blog List). She is passionate about food and is able to make recipes for seemingly difficult and extravagant dishes clear and easy to follow. She posted a recipe for homemade granola on 11/14 and I tried it last night. It came out great (tooting my friend’s horn, not my own) and I had a wonderful time making it. I have always enjoyed cooking but I often find it stressful; making sure you have all the ingredients, trying to get everything to come out at the same time, etc. But I found making the granola very relaxing. All the ingredients smell amazing and you have to mix them together slowly. As I was carefully kneading the warm ingredients with my hands I was trying to figure out why I was enjoying it so much and I realized I never do anything slowly any more. I type, run, talk and even change the channels as fast as I can. I think we all do these days. With the priority we have put on speed I think we have lost sight of the pleasure that comes from taking our time. Things get crazy around the holidays, so I suggest taking the time to try this granola recipe. It will relax you and it makes a POSITIVELY wonderful gift.

While my post is about relaxing and taking your time, I have been thinking about a song with a little kick for today. Please rock out to Black Betty.

11/24/08 - Pumpkin Butter

This blog is all about things to make you happy and nothing makes ME happier than a good breakfast. This weekend a friend introduced me to Kitchenette, a wonderfully charming restaurant on Chambers and W. Broadway. The menu is full of comfort food with some creative twists. We had gingerbread pancakes with pumpkin butter. If you live in New York you should leave your desk right now and head to Kitchenette. But don't worry you non-New Yorkers, I wouldn't want you to miss out on the joy that is pumpkin butter. Check out the recipe at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Butter/Detail.aspx. It will POSITIVELY add a holiday flavored sweetness to your pancakes, toast and muffins.

Today's song is Van Halen's Top of the World. I've always loved Van Halen (don't tell my dad...he would disown me).

11/21/08 - Hiccups

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I was grumpy! On the subway I was ready to punch anyone who bumped me, looked at me or even breathed near me (see, Positively Anna is not always so positive). I was wracking my brain for something to cheer me up but I just couldn’t pull out of it. And then I got the hiccups. Who gets the hiccups in the morning!? Plus mine are always loud and make me sound like drunken cartoon character. So now my grumpiness was reaching a new level, almost to bitchiness (eeeek!), but then the guy at the bagel place laughed at my hiccups, then the lady in the elevator, and then our receptionist. And finally I even a cracked a smile. Sometimes that is all you need…just a little “hiccup” to cheer you up.

And I just realized something! Today is my 101th post. Thanks from checking out Positively Anna. I hope the songs pick you up and that you keep coming back. Today’s song is Whitney Houston’s I Get So Emotional. Perfect Friday song!

11/20/08 - No Cable!!!

Our cable went out last night! It was horrible! It was torture! Actually it wasn’t that bad. Once my roommate and I decided not to pay our neighbors (neighbors in New York = people you have never met or even seen) $1,000 to let us watch their TV, we resolved to have a good night anyway. I made a big dinner, my boyfriend brought some wine and we all just talked! I felt like I was in a college dorm (in a good way). Now I don’t want you to thinking that all I ever do is watch TV and don’t talk to my friends, but when you live in a one bedroom apartment that has some how been converted into a 3 bedroom apartment you just don’t have a table and the only place to eat is in front of the TV. So if you don’t have a table like me or just choose not to use it, try not turning on the TV every once and while. You will POSITIVELY enjoy your meal and your company more.

Today’s song is Jean Knight’s Mr. Big Stuff. Have a great day!

11/19/08 - Team in Training

Have you ever heard of Team in Training? It is a wonderful organization where you train and raise money to compete in a triathlon or marathon. The money raised goes to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. As we all know at someone who has been affected by these diseases, supporting this kind of research is very important. Training for triathlons and marathons can be very challenging, so the athletes work closely with leukemia and lymphoma survivors to help remind them how important what their doing is. My friend Tricia will be competing in her first triathlon this spring. She has been touched by the cancer patience at the hospital where she works and wants to go beyond her every day duties to do something to help them. Please support Tricia in her efforts http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/wildtri09/tdelmonaco. If you can't make a donation today, you can find this link in the "For A Good Cause" section here on PositivelyAnna. Today's song is Gwen Stefani's Sweetest Escape. Fun song! Enjoy!

Tip/Thought of the Week: Who Says There Is Nothing Good On the News

While I was trying to stay up to speed on the election coverage I stumbled upon something really wonderful on CNN. It is the CNN Heroes campaign. People from all over nominated others who they feel deserve recognition for the work they have done to make the world a better place. CNN then chose 10 finalists and put together a short bio about their charity work. Go to http://heroes.cnn.com/default.asp. Vote on the Hero you feel deserves the grand prize that will help their organization grow. Take some time to watch the video bios. They are only about 2 minutes long and very inspiring. I voted for Marie Da Silva who opened a school in Malawi for children who have been orphaned by AIDS. It is hard to pick though! All 10 finalists are truly amazing people. I know we are all strapped for time these days and money is tight. We may not be able to do all that we want for charities and other good causes, but voting for CNN Heroes is a great opportunity to lend your support to some one who has dedicated their lives to helping others.

11/18/08 - Crazy Scots

Today's song is The Proclaimers' "I'm Going To Be". While this song may remind you of the movie Benny & June, where we all first started to fall for Johnny Depp, it will always remind me of when I lived in Scotland. The Proclaimers are Scottish brothers who are not only celebrated as rockstars but as symbols of Scottish independence. Without fail, every night in every bar across Scotland they will blast "I'm Going To Be". And everyone goes crazy! It is great! Think of your favorite "chill" bar (To qualify as "chill" a bar cannot include any of the following: a line, velvet ropes, table service, snobby bouncers or even snobbier bartenders). Now imagine that they can some how play Livin' On a Prayer, Sweet Caroline, and Don't Stop Believing all at once. You know everyone in the bar would go nuts! This is what it is like in Scotland every night. "I"m Going To Be" comes on and everyone stands up, sings as loud as they can, cheers and hug strangers. It is amazing and very contagious.

11/17/08

How was your weekend? I spent Saturday night having my mind blown by a Led Zepplin cover band called Led Blimpie with a lead guitarist named Thor! Only in New York!

I am always on the look out for fun stories to give you a little pick-me-up and I came upon a great one the other day. My boyfriend watches a lot of sports. A lot, a lot! And if we aren’t watching the Red Sox or UNC basketball I often tune them out, but something caught my interest the other day when we were watching a Texas Tech game. This September a local radio station in Lubbock held a contest where a lucky fan would get the opportunity to win free rent for a month if they were able to kick a field goal. During the 3rd quarter of the game a student named Matt Williams came on the field and crushed a 30 yard field goal to win the contest. The Texas Tech coach saw Williams’ kick and asked his staff to find out who that kid was. Williams was invited to try out for the team and now is an official member of the Texas Tech Red Raiders! Since late September he has kicked for 21 consecutive extra points. I love that story!

Today’s song is a fun one from The Holloways called Two Left Feet. Have a great day!

11/14/08

Today's song is my favorite new one! Beyonce's Single Ladies is so much fun. Blast it when you are getting ready to hit the town tonight or when you are getting ready to have lots of pizza and beer and sit on your couch ;) Have a great weekend!

11/13/08

Almost to the weekend! Hang in there! Today's song is Pat Green's Wave on Wave. This song is about the people that help you through the tough times and keep you afloat. And if you haven't noticed, I've added the Positive Quote of the Day at the top of the page. Check it out and I would love you to send me your favorite quotes at positivelyanna@gmail.com

11/12/08

I heard this song at a wedding last year. The couple played this song for their first dance. It is a very sweet song and kind of quirky. Please enjoy Ingrid Michaelson's The Way I Am. Have a great day!

11/11/08

This Tuesday is not as exciting as last Tuesday but I hope you have a good day anyway. Today's song is very cool and great for head bopping (you won't be able to help it!). Please enjoy the White Stripe's My Doorbell.

11/10/08

How was your weekend? Do anything fun? I think it is finally officially fall in New York. Here is a super fun song to start off the week. Feel better Al. Happy Birthday Mom

Tip/Thought of the Week: A New President

What an exciting night! What a historic night! Last night millions of Americans and people around the world celebrated the election of our new President. I took to the streets, along with many other New Yorkers, to shout, clap, hug and to be hopeful for the future of our country.But there are millions of Americans who did not vote for Obama. There will also be Obama supporters who will inevitably disagree with some of the decisions he makes while in office. But no matter who you support, Barack Obama is your new president. My hope is that we all continue to take part in the democratic process, which is never over, that when we disagree, that we do it with civility and respect, and that we all strive to make this country a better place. Below you will see an excerpt from last night’s speech that I hope will inspire you no matter what party you belong to.“To those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.”

11/7/08

Happy Friday! Who is ready for the weekend? Doing anything fun? Here is a song that always puts me in a good mood. Please enjoy Jackson 5's ABC and have a great weekend.

11/6/08

How's everyone doing today? Changing up the vibe a little bit today with the song. This song always makes me laugh. Please chill out to G Love's Baby Got Sauce.

11/5/08

Please check out the new Tip/Thought of the Week. Please also enjoy Bruce Sprintsteen's The Rising.

11/4/08

And if the redesign of Positively Anna isn't enough to get you in the voting mood, here is a wonderful Ray Charles song. VOTE!

11/3/04

Happy November! How was your weekend? Did you have a good Halloween? What was the best costume you saw? Here is a fun song that is impossible not to sing along to. Please enjoy Life is a Highway.