Album Review: Norah Jones ...Featuring

Confession: I haven't bought  a Norah Jones album since Come Away With Me (2002). I still listen to that album (or tracks off of it) regularly, though. Jones's soft ballads make a great soundtrack for life when you want to slow down or relax a bit. So when I had the opportunity to review her new album ...Featuring, I signed up immediately*. In fact, I signed up so quickly that I didn't even realize this was a compilation album.

It turns out the collection includes songs performed with a variety of artists from a broad range of genres (from rock to country and blue grass, to hip hop and rap and everything in between), as well as performances from her side projects El Madmo and The Little Willies. The tracks were recorded throughout her career and, placed side-by-side in a single album, you can clearly see just how musically flexible Jones can be.


I've been listening to ...Featuring over and over since it arrived in my mailbox a couple of weeks ago, and each time I listen I discover something new. It occurs to me that I've listened to and enjoyed many of these songs before, songs like Q-Tip's "Life is Better" and The Foo Fighters' "Virginia Moon", but wedged among sons like El Madmo's "Bull Rider" and Jones' own version of Blue Bayou featuring M. Ward, even the familiar songs have a fresh feel to them. It's an eclectic mix that on the surface seems discordant and jumbled. But I enjoyed the variety of sounds and voices, all connected by the cool, sultry voice of Norah Jones.

I'll definitely be putting my favorite holiday song, "Baby It's Cold Outside" (covered by Willie Nelson) on repeat this season. And since everything in my life seems to come back to yoga these days, I've can't help thinking as each track plays which yoga class playlist it'll go on. Talib Kweli's "Soon the New Day" will be perfect for a Vinyasa Flow class and Ray Charles' "Here We Go Again" has to be included at the end for lower-key stretching and cool down. I think that's what I like most about this album. There's something on it that fits every musical mood, something that will connect with everyone. My one worry for ...Featuring is that, unless there are a lot of die-hard Jones fans out there who have as eclectic music tastes as I do, there's not enough of a single sound on the album to connect with any one group of listeners. That won't stop me from recommending it, though. I think everyone could stand to broaden their musical horizons a bit, and this album is a safe, comfortable way to do that.

For more info about Norah Jones and her music, check out her website or find her on Facebook and YouTube.

*Disclosure: You can rest assured that all opinions expressed in this review are my own. However, I received a free copy of ...Featuring through One2One Network and by writing this review I was entered in a contest to win a gift card.

Product Review: Elations Makes My Knees Happy, But Not My Budget

I come from a family of weak-kneed women, and I don't mean that in the swooning sense. My mother has always had trouble with her knees, and my little sister has knee issues, as well. While a lot of that trouble may stem from begin overweight in my mother's case, and doing a lot of running and high-impact exercise as a middle-schooler and teenager in my sister's case, it's clear that the problem is at least partly hereditary.

When I gave running a try a couple of years ago, I quickly found my knees weren't going to be up to the steady pounding unless I was willing to pop ibuprofen and put up with the constant clicking and crackling. And even after I stopped running, my knees never forgave me. Walking up stairs, and sometimes even plain walking, can cause my knees to pop and crackle.

About a year ago, my sister suggested I try taking a glucosamine-chondroitin supplement. She swore it made a huge difference for her, so I gave it a try. Low-and-behold, the crackling and popping subsided, although it didn't go away completely. When I came across the opportunity at FitBloggin'10 to try Elations, a liquid supplement that claimed to help maintain healthy joints and promote healthy joint function, I wasn't interested at first. I was already taking a glucosamine-chondroitin supplement, after all. What was the point in trying something new? But eventually I gave in and traded my current supplement for Elations, which includes not only glucosamine and chondroitin, but also boron and calcium.

I'm glad I did. Surprisingly, within a few days of taking the daily liquid supplement my knees seemed to get even better than they had been using the regular glucosamine-chondroitin supplement. The bottled supplement, which I tried in Cranberry-Apple, Black Cherry and Raspberry White Grape flavors, wasn't my favorite. The flavors were a bit strong for my liking. I loved the powdered packets that I was able to add to my water, though--probably because I could temper the strength of the flavors with extra water. I really liked the Raspberry White Grape flavor this way.

Unfortunately, once I ran out of the three week supply of Elations, I wasn't able to afford it. While I consider glucosamine supplements to be pretty pricey (I usually pay about $30 for a 90 day supply), Elations is even more so ($6.97 for a 6-pack of liquid or box of 7 powder sticks, or about $30 to $35 for a 30 day supply). If the cost doesn't bother you and you're interested in giving Elations a try, you can find it in the vitamin and supplement aisles of most stores. You can also get a $1-off coupon from their website.

If I decide to start running again, I might have to reconsider Elations and readjust my budget to include it. For now, though, I'm back to taking my regular glocosamine-chondroitin supplement, and my knees are relatively happy.

*Disclaimer: I received samples of Elations in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. The opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.

Yoga Tune Up

As a writer I sit at a desk in front of a computer all day long. Even though I do my best to sit up straight and stretch now and then, by the end of the day my shoulders are tight and my back is stiff. I feel tension in my upper back and neck almost constantly. When I attended FitBloggin'10, I received an offer to try out this innovative self-massage kit and I couldn't pass it up, considering that I'm always looking for ways to get a free massage.


Enter Yoga Tune Up. From their website:

Yoga Tune Up® is a head-to-toe health and fitness system combining Yoga, Calisthenics, Corrective Exercise and Body Therapy in a way that heals damaged muscle tissue, increases overall strength, and bolsters the immune system.

They offer several kits to target different areas of your body, as well as full kit that includes the therapy balls and instructional CDs for all 5 target areas. I received the Neck & Upper Back kit, which included a set of two therapy balls in a mesh carrying bag and an instructional CD. After a long day at work, I quickly pulled out the balls and gave them a try using only the instructional booklet that came with the CD. The booklet contained illustrations of the positions and instructions on how to move to obtain the massage affect. Trying to do the moves without the audio instructions turned out to be a huge fail on my part, though. My placement of the therapy balls wasn't accurate and the movements hurt so badly I gave up half-way through the sequence.

I didn't want to review the Yoga Tune Up system without giving it a fair shot, though. So after a couple of weeks, I pulled it out again and tried it a few more times, this time using the audio CD for guidance. The sequence was much easier with the added audio instructions helping me to find the correct placement for the balls. When I was finished, I can honestly say that there was much less tension in my upper back and neck and I felt much more relaxed. Now that I know how to use the Yoga Tune Up balls and have seen the positive effects, I'll definitely be using the system more often. It seems to be the perfect solution for people who spend their days at a desk hunched over a computer keyboard -- people like me.

Disclaimer: I received a free Yoga Tune Up Neck & Upper Back kit. I am not, however, receiving any compensation for writing this post. The opinions shared here are solely my own, based on my personal experience with this product.

Pure2Raw Treats

When I attended FitBloggin'10 back in March, I met the two lovely ladies who run Twin Cakes Bakery, "Raleigh's first completely gluten-free, wheat-free, vegan, peanut-free, corn-free, soy-free, and casein-free bakery", and Pure2Raw, their raw, uncooked bakery. Now I admit, I was totally hesitant to try any of their products. My experience with "free" and raw products hasn't been stellar in the past. But when the twins, Michelle and Lori, provided samples of their baked treats and raw snacks for one of our snack breaks, I was pleasantly surprised. So surprised, in fact, that I emailed them and told them I'd love to review their products on my blog.

As a wanna-be foodie who is always looking for healthy snacks, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to spread the word about my new discovery. Within days of emailing the twins, I received a carefully packed box of treats cushioned with recycled packing materials, because these girls aren't just concerned about the health of their bodies, they care about the health of the environment, too. I couldn't wait to get to work trying these snacks out.

First up were the Pure2Raw flat breads. I had three variations to try: Purple Kale Onion, Swiss Chard Black Sesame, and Onion-free Spinach. My favorite flavor was the Swiss Chard Black Sesame. The sesame flavor was a great addition to the chard but wasn't overpowering. The Onion-free Spinach variation was an easy second favorite, with just a tiny hint of tang (vinegar, maybe?) and a perfectly balanced spinach flavor. The Purple Kale Onion flat bread was a bit too onion-y for me, and I love onion. The flavor was a little sweet with a bite, but the onion just took over. Overall, the flat breads were great. They were dry enough to give a little crunch, but not so dry as to be flavorless. They'd be great for mini open-faced sandwiches or topped with hummus.

Next up were the Pure2Raw crackers. There were four varieties of cracker to try: Cheez, Rosemary, Collard Green Onion, and Pumpkin Seed Kale. Overall, the crackers were crunchier than the flat breads, as would be expected. Their flavors were fantastic and I liked them all. My favorite was the Rosemary cracker, with a flavor that was the perfect combination of savory and sweet. The Collard Green Onion was another favorite, with just enough onion that it didn't overpower the cracker. The Cheez and Pumpkin Seed Kale crackers didn't disappoint either. Their flavors were interesting without being too potent or strange. And I'm still trying to figure out how the Pure2Raw ladies managed to create the "cheese" flavor without actually adding cheese.

Finally, I got to dessert: a Gluten-free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie, a Raw Brownie Bite, and a Mint Chocolate Bite. I'd take any of these desserts any day of the week. The Chocolate Chip Cookie was surprisingly good. It wasn't soft, but it wasn't hard either -- the perfect chewy texture and chocolaty sweetness. The Raw Brownie Bite had a great dark chocolate flavor with a hint of coconut. The texture was chewy and the flavor was lightly sweet, the perfect fix for any chocolate craving. I saved the Mint Chocolate Bite for last because it's what grabbed my attention at FitBloggin' and prompted me to write this review in the first place. I love mint and it's addition to the Brownie Bites only makes them more perfect.

After having the opportunity to try some of Michelle and Lori's wonderful products, I'll most definitely be ordering from them in the future. If you're in the Raleigh area, stop by and say hello at the Carrboro and Durham farmers markets on Saturdays. And if you're not lucky enough to live nearby, you can always check out their products online and order from there.

Thanks to the twins for letting me check out their products and share them with my readers. I wish them the best of luck in their business. We could use more innovative bakers like them!

Disclaimer: I received free samples of the products mentioned in this post from Twin Cakes Bakery. I am not, however, receiving any compensation for writing this post and all opinions expressed here are solely my own.