Hat fetish

I don't usually wear hats because my hair is usually styled beautifully and I don't want to spoil it by having hat hair. Anyway, since I am missing my hair stylist Philip... and I can't find another stylist in Chicago, I have decided to grow out my hair. Yes... shock, horror, I am going to "attempt" to grow it out again. I think it has been about 10-11 years since I have had long hair. Ah well... we'll see how long this will last. I am already thinking about chopping it off again.
Anyway, in order to keep myself warm in frigid Chicago, I went shopping to get a new winter jacket. I found one I really liked but it didn't have a hood. So I "had" to get a hat. This started my new obsessions with hats. Check out my collection so far:

This is a bowling style hat - bought from Ann Taylor. This was the first one I bought but not one of my favourites. Haven't worn it yet. Will have to find a time and place to wear it.

Got this beret from Banana Republic. Loves the fact that it matches my hair colour. Love everything about it. Will wear it everyday if I could. Unfortunately, it doesn't cover my ears so when the wind blows in the Windy city, my ears might drop off.

Simple black hat from J.Crew... bought it because I was desperate for something to cover my ears. Kinda makes my head look like an egg but it is thin and warm. Easy to carry around with me. Convenient but I haven't really put it to the test yet.

Fun and colourful hat from Forever 21. Good for casual wear and if you are having a bad hair day. Clashes with some clothes from my wardrobe though... But then again, who cares?!

I need to stop shopping.

Latest exercise obsessions...

My obsession with yoga began when I had my first class with Vincent Tam. It wasn't the first time I tried yoga but it was the time I really started enjoying it. It is a lifelong practice and even though I may not be the most flexible or the most fit person in the class, the beauty of yoga is that you practice at your own pace and challenge yourself rather than anyone else. What I like about it is that it makes me feel good. Years down the road, I am still enjoying it.

I try to put some variety into my workouts because quite often, the lazy bug hits me and I just feel like lazing around and not doing anything. Only a few months ago, I started to enjoy running. I have always found it hard to run continuously because I think my body is just not used to doing it but I find that doing intervals (running, then walking, then running, repeat) spikes up my heart rate and I work up a good sweat.

This year I have also picked up Stott Pilates using reformers. I have never really liked pilates before because I felt it did not give me a good workout. I think I was probably not doing it correctly because if you do it the right way, it helps... It really does! It is definitely beneficial to strengthen your core and your back.

I found out about Zumba fitness a couple of weeks ago. It is basically an exercise class that incorporates some Latin American dance moves. It was a class offered in the gym close to my current client. I am not a big fan of group classes in the gym. It is just so crowded and people are not focused on technique but just doing anything they want. However, for Zumba, all you need to do is have fun. I guess it is a bit like Body Combat and Body Jam... If you feel that your motivation to exercise is flying out the window, it is good to try this. Put some fun back into your workouts.

Some of my friends have this hula hoop that they claim helps slim down the waist. Frankly, to slim down my waist, I probably need to diet more and exercise more. Anyway, I am always one to jump on the wagon to try something new so I also bought this Health Hoop. To reap the benefits, they say you need to do this for at least 10 minutes continuously every day. I can barely do more than 30 seconds right now. I guess I need to learn how to move my hips a little bit more. The little bumps in the hoop is supposed to massage your stomach and helps to increase blood flow to that area. It gave me bruises. Ouch! Ah well... Try try again I guess!!