Ch-ch-ch-changes!

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I'm moving! Again.

...for those of you who haven't been following my (very back-and-forth) adventures on the blog and/or my Instagram (@danaikadzere) I started off at school in Boston, graduated and moved to NYC for two year, spent two of those summers subleasing in Boston, and then moved full-time back to Cambridge this August. This February, I headed back to NYC for two months (subleasing again). And now I'm moving back to NYC full-time!

Phew. In total, I only lived in my Cambridge apartment for about six months. I'm hoping (and expecting) to spend more time in my next apartment. For starters, staying in NYC instead of subleasing in Boston.

It will be a relief to have just one home for a while and to not have to pack up everything I own and unpack it all again every few months. Plus, moving is expensive!

              

I love both Boston and NYC, however, so I'm glad that work will keep me connected with Boston even when I'm not there every day.

For those of you who also have a move coming up, here are a few of my (hard-earned) moving tips!

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How To Find A Summer Sublease

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I cannot remember the last time that I have lived in the same city for a solid year. I live primarily in NYC these days, and have for almost two years now, but there's always a month here, two months there...

...you get the idea. As such, I now consider myself somewhat of an old hat at finding subleases, especially in busy cities like Boston and NYC.

The first time I looked for a sublease, no less in NYC, it felt like falling into an internet pit of inflated rents, stock photos, and poorly written descriptions.

Don't worry, it's not really so scary! I just found my summer sublease in Boston 1.5 weeks ago and I'll be moving back up for the season in just 2 weeks. Yay!

Read on for the best places to look for subleases, whether you're budget-minded or more concerned with amenities.

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How to Make the Most of A Long Weekend!

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It's MLK Day weekend and, while the holiday doesn't generate the same enthusiasm in most as the recent holiday season did, it's still a nice three day weekend and a great break after readjusting to the 5+ day work week that makes most of our lives. Getting back into the swing of things after a long vacation can be tough!

It's easy for a weekend (or even a long weekend) to fly by before we even really realized that it arrived. Here are some fun ways to make the most of this long weekend and really enjoy it!

Have at least one cozy evening in with a book and a movie.

This can be lovely with a loved one or a good friend, or all by yourself. We all need some tranquility and it's important not to skip unwinding over the weekend. That way, we're all rested for the new week!

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goodness Guide to NYC and $100 giveaway!

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Are you visiting NYC soon? Or perhaps making a more permanent move to the Big City?

First of all, yay for you! I've been living here for over a year and I love it more and more every day. There's so much to do, so much to see, so much to taste, and so much to try! I love New York.

Here's my goodness guide to the best of NYC!

Place for Vegetarians and Meat-eaters to Dine Together: Dimes NYC

There are amazing salads, great vegetarian entrees, and incredible acai bowls (at brunch) for the vegetarians, but also a variety of great meat and fish options. I'm dating a meat eater, so it's the perfect Sunday brunch or Saturday lunch spot!

It's also a wonderful place to catch up with the girls over a chic and delicious meal.

Museum for Adults: Metropolitan Museum of Art

The art is amazing. But you already know that! There's something that's probably equally amazing at the Met that you might not know about! Read on to find out.

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Things to Do On NYC's UES

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NYC is an incredibly colorful, vibrant city and I've been lucky to call it home for going on a year and a half now! The city is split into a number of different neighborhoods and, while the city isn't particularly geographically large, it feels enormous because of how many different cultures and subcultures it houses within its different neighborhoods!

I live in lower Manhattan and there is a huge difference between lower Manhattan and upper Manhattan. For the first year+ that I've lived here, I've stuck mostly to lower Manhattan. My favorite bits of the city are Union Square and below (though the Upper West Side is quite nice), so it just made sense. I've recently decided to branch out a bit, however, and took the time to hop on the 4/5 train to the Upper East Side.

Upper East Side

Surprise! It wasn't the stiff and boring home of elderly WASPs that I thought it might be. The UES is as charming as any other bit of NYC! Read on for some of my favorite things to do on NYC's Upper East Side.

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Horizontal Running and Other Reasons To Get Excited for May 15

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The girls that brought us horizontal running, fat hearts, and pitch-slapping are back!

Universal Studios, Schick, and Skintimate are combining forces to bring the Barden Bellas back to the big screen for Pitch Perfect 2 in just over a week! 

Fat Amy is your hot date on May 15 and, unlike blind dates and setups, she's sure not to be boring!

If aca-awesome acapella, witty banter, and Fat Amy's antics aren't enough to sell you on Pitch Perfect 2, the fun plot should be. 

In this sequel, the Barden Bellas start off at the top of their game - but then the fall is faster and steeper than the ascent. After an exposure incident with Fat Amy and the President of the United States of America, the Barden Bellas are not only disgraced, but banned from performing! 

But these girls don't give up that easily.

Instead, they band together again to compete at a worldwide competition that no American team has ever won. The stakes are high and their odds are low, but that's exactly what will make it so fun to watch!

I'm definitely grabbing some girlfriends, a cute girls night outfit, and plenty of water to rehydrate from all the laughing that will happen - Friday night plans, done!

In the meantime, check out any Ahold retailer (including Stop & Shop, Giant, or Martin's) for Schick razors and Skintimate shaving gel to get your legs ready to rock, like I do!

If you buy any 2 Schick women's shave items (minimum $10 value) between now and May 23, you'll get a printout at check-out to redeem a code for a free movie ticket to see Pitch Perfect 2 in theaters!

You can dazzle and get pumped at the same time - beginning April 15, limited edition Pitch Perfect 2 packaging is available in stores nationwide for Schick Hydro Silk Razors, Skintimate Shave Gel, Schick Intuition®, Schick Quattro For Women® and Schick Xtreme3®!

Need some inspiration to Rock Your Legs? Check out this awesome music video!

What's a girls night without lots of photos for the memories, after all? With this beautiful spring weather, it would be a shame to be stuck wearing pants to hide that winter fur. 

I love winter, but I am definitely also celebrating the return of spring. NYC is so beautiful in the spring! Since I'm (temporarily) leaving the city in a few weeks to spend a month in Boston and the next month in Germany, I'm trying to soak up as much of NYC as I can before I go. I'm going to miss my city!

What are your favorite Friday night activities?

Who is your favorite Bella?

Do you sing?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Schick® & St. Ives® . The opinions and text are all mine.

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Healthy Hacks at the Airport

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I love airports!

They're full of interesting people, going and coming to/from interesting places. They're among the absolute best for people-watching.

It's terrible, but hilarious.

They're also among my favorite places because if you're in one, chances are that you're traveling. Yay!

But starting your trip on a healthy note is a good idea, so check out these hacks for being healthy at the airport.

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My Style: New Yorker Chic

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One of my favorite things about NYC, after the convenience of having everything right there and so many great opportunities, is that people are a lot more daring with fashion - and it's totally okay to be!

I'm as guilty as anyone of getting into a style grind and wearing the same jeans and shirts day in an day out, until my fashion choices are more effective than Ambien at causing serious snoozes.

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What Dating in NYC is Like

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Being a twenty-something single girl in NYC sounds so exciting. And it is!

Sometimes.

But then you let your well-meaning, meddling friends and family convince you to 'get out there' (but it's so warm and cozy in here). A whole lot of the following ensues.

You go on a date with someone who randomly asks you out in real life and it goes really well.

If you know what's good for you, you'll stop there.

But who are we kidding? Let's continue.

If that's what luck gives me, a setup from my friends will be even better! Right? Riiight?

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5 Reasons Not to Go to Times Square for New Year's Eve

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This is my first New Year's Eve in New York City and I can't count how many times I have been asked if I am planning to go to Times Square for the ball drop on New Year's Eve.

No, I am not.

While I'm sure it sounds exciting from the warm, cozy comfort of a couch in the suburbs, here is a countdown of five reasons why you really don't want to go to Times Square on New Year's Eve.

5) There are better ways to start the New Year than in a queue. 

We do enough of that all year, why would we want to spend our special occasions in a queue, too?

4) If you thought finding a good spot was hard, try finding a way home.

Not only will it be a huge mess to get out of the square, just because of how many bodies are trying to occupy the same space, but catching a cab will be even more impossible than usual and the subway will be uncomfortably packed.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Uber developed ultra-peak pricing.

3) New York at midnight in the middle of winter is cold.

I don't care how much of a buzz you have going, if you're still able to walk in a straightish line you will feel the biting cold.

2) You're queuing up to watch something fall (in a controlled fashion) out of the sky, as it does every year.



Wow, soooo exciting.

1) No one really likes other people that much.

There's no better way to discover your inner misanthropist than hang out in a Times Square crowded with way too many drunk people for any notion of personal space to be feasible.

How are you celebrating New Year's Eve this year?

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How To Go From So-So To Sexy in Six Simple Steps

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Like that alliteration? I'm so witty, I know - hold the applause, your appreciative silence is enough.

We all feel off sometimes, but if you're an actress or model and you have a job or a casting to go to, you have to make sure that it doesn't show. 

Especially for acting, a lot of emotion is in the eyes. To be convincing, you really need to feel what you're projecting. So how do you feel and project sexy superstar if you have an It Girl-type audition and you're just not feeling it?

Even if you're not in the entertainment industry, how do you rock confidence for a date or a meeting or just your own supercool self if so far it's been a very sweatpants and faceplanting in puddles kind of day?

1) Dress for the part. Note that there's a distinct difference between dressing for the part and simply dressing the part. I'm not saying that you need to go full Christina Aguilera Dirrty.

Really, please don't - someone will probably offer you $5 if you try to hail a cab on a corner. 

In fact, I will probably offer you $5, but only so you can buy a white Hanes and get some clothes on. My goodness, there are children out!

Instead, dressing for the part means wearing whatever you need to wear to feel beautiful. 

For most people, wearing sweats and a stained tee isn't going to make you feel super irresistible. But maybe your favorite heels will, or those earrings you bought with part of your first grown-up paycheck, or even some gorgeous lingerie. 

It doesn't have to be something that other people can see, you're the only one that needs to know it's there to feel the effect!

2) Change the channel. If you're listening to Timbaland's Apologize or Daniel Powter's Bad Day, change to something more along the lines of David Guetta's Who's That Chick or Florence + The Machine's Shake It Out. Or whatever does it for you!

Music can be really powerful, especially for quick mood turnarounds! Make that work for you.

I keep a good collection with different styles/moods of music on my phone for when I'm out and need to quickly prep for an audition or casting. Or sometimes just for me!

3) Smile. I'll save the biology major nerd out, but basically the physical act of smiling releases chemicals in your brain that elevate your mood, even if you're not feeling it when you start. There's some truth to 'fake it 'till you make it'!

4) Keep a quick list of three things that make you happy. It's probably best to keep these topical, so you might want to change out the list every week or every few weeks. 

You can keep it on your phone or on a piece of paper in your wallet, but just jot down three quick things that thinking about will lift your mood. This one will vary person-by-person and over time, as well, but maybe you're happy because you got a new kitten - 

Not mine, but don't I wish?

- your boss called you out for doing a great job on a project, you volunteered that weekend, or your laundry is already done. It doesn't matter, as long as remembering it will cheer you up!

5) Do a jig. Preferably not in public, so you don't just end up feeling awkward, but even a restroom stall works. 

You don't need a long dance session or the entire Beyonce Single Ladies choreo to make it work, just a quick shimmy can lift your spirits and bring up your energy! Vivacity is appealing, as much as Kate Moss and Kristen Stewart might disagree.

6) Think about something you love about yourself. It can be as deep as your unique heritage or as shallow as your complexion. No judgment! 

How do you fight the blahs?

What's your go-to trick for your turning an ick mood around?

Who's your diva-spiration? That's clearly a thing and a term. Who inspires you to up the diva factor?

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Craziest Ice Cream Flavors in New York City

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NYC is the city of everything. New York prides itself on being able to offer anything and everything you could ever want (and many things you probably never would) as long as you have the money and know-how.

Under the category of 'things NYC offers that you probably don't even want' are some pretty bizarre ice cream flavors.

Sure, they're unlikely to replace Caramel Praline Crunch, Cookie Dough, or Cookies 'n Cream as your go-to favorite (I'm still inconsolable about the discontinuation of Edy's Loaded Line, mostly because of the extinction of my beloved Loaded Cookies 'n Cream Ice Cream).

But an unusual ice cream tour of the city could be a fun idea if you're visiting with kids or if you have guests from out of town!

Here's a (not ordered) list of some of the places in NYC offering the weirdest ice cream flavors:

OddFellows Ice Cream Co.

Okay, they have a few normal flavors. But they also have some pretty bizarre flavors on their rotating menu of homemade ice cream!

Flavors like Chorizo Caramel Swirl, Purple Rice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Foie Gras, and even a Tobacco, Smoked Chili, & Huckleberry are on the bizarre ice cream roster.

They really live up to their name!

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Heard of Durian - the enormous Asian fruit that smells so bad that you don't even want to stand near it, much less eat it?

Lucky you, you can get Durian flavor ice cream!



Because that's a good idea. Right?

Morganstern's

Don't be fooled by their long list of standard and even appealing flavors. 

Look a little harder.

Salt & Pepper Pinenut Ice Cream

You'll find what sounds like a HLB made it up (Chocolate Oat, anyone?), the downright peculiar (Salt & Pepper Pinenut) and even the politically incorrect Black A** Licorice.

Il Laboratorio del Gelato

Can't get enough of sweet potatoes?

Head to Il Laboratorio del Gelato for some Sweet Potato Gelato. Perfect for fall! 

Right?

Steve's Ice Cream

Are you secretly Bugs Bunny? Do you love adding veggies to everything?

Try the spicy Carrot Habanero Pepper ice cream!

Max and Mina's Ice Cream

The gourmet ice cream shop's flavors vary, but they don't shy away for the weird end of the spectrum.

They're known for having Lox, Babka, Corn, and more as flavors!

Sundaes and Cones

If you're craving some corn ice cream and it isn't on the menu at Max and Mina's, don't despair.

Sundaes and Cones has Corn Ice Cream on their menu, as well as Black Sesame, Ginger, and even Wasabi Ice Cream.

Would you try any of these?

What's the weirdest ice cream flavor you've ever tried?

If you could create a bizarre new ice cream flavor, what would you create?

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Green Yums Review: Bringing The Farm To The City

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I've been living in NYC for almost two months now and all-in-all, I love it.

I love big cities and small towns. I love convenience and constant access. I love writing, fashion,   crunchy-granola vegetarian food, and acting. Guess where the most auditions are outside of LA (and the only audition-heavy place with a great public transit system)?

It's not a surprise that I chose NYC for my first post-grad home!

There are just a few things I don't love: mobs when I'm trying to walk around, slow walkers, the high costs of EVERYTHING, aaaaaaand - crappy produce options.

Honestly, if I'm paying $3 for a frickin' apple, I expect it to be crisp, sweet, manna-like perfection. That's not asking too much, is it?

And if I'm paying $5.99 for a bag of spinach (with a whopping two servings in it) I expect it to be crisp and green and, well, not wilted and 90% of the way to decomposed.

Zeytuna, Gristedes, Jubilee Market, and all the other grocery stores around here seem to disagree, however. High price, low quality - UM what? There has to be a better option.

^The better option

I decided to give a produce delivery service a spin, because:

(a) it's convenient
(b) it's not actually more expensive than getting groceries from the store, given exorbitant city prices
(c) the quality can really only go up, right?



Spoiler: I'm glad that I did. I ordered from Green Yums and would definitely recommend them to all city-dwellers facing similar produce deserts, because they're not only as convenient as can be, but the value is also so much better than shopping for produce at the grocery store.

Delivery is easy. They packed the produce in a cooler box that held them fresh from their delivery at around 10am until I got home from work (and then my weekly five hour on camera acting class) at around 11:30pm. Impressive!



It's a great way to try new things. Like dandelion greens!



I would never have chosen a bunch of these weed-looking greens for myself (they seem like something I would have fed my pet guinea pig, Diddle, back in the day) but I'm glad that I got the chance to!



They made for a really different, but delicious, green smoothie. Just add extra honey/fruit/sugar/agave nectar, because dandelion greens are more bitter than spinach or even kale!



I also got to try this funky looking leaves:



I'm still not sure what they are, but they're great sauteed in walnut oil with a little grated parmesan or vegan parmesan on top.



Limes, cantaloupe, pears, zucchini, corn on the cob, and nectarines rounded out the list of things I don't normally buy. But my staples, apples, bananas, and cucumbers were also represented!



It was a really great haul that had me inspired to get back into the kitchen - quite a feat after how uninspired I'd been feeling later. It's hard to get excited about wilted spinach from Zeytuna!



The value is far superior to city-priced produce. You don't actually pay more, but every piece of produce was totally crisp, high quality, and even organic! Everything tasted great and nourishing and was visually appealing.



It was a much needed change!

Where do you live - in a city, a suburb, a town...?

Where do you buy your produce most often?

Have you tried a produce delivery service?

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Top Ten Tips for a Successful Move

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Since I'm graduating (can I say that enough times? I'mgraduatingI'mgraduatingI'mgraduating) I'm moving cities - to NEW YORK CITY! Still, a move is a move. Here are my tips, hopefully I can take some of my own advice next week.

Don't count on it.

1) Give yourself enough time.

I'm guilty of breaking this cardinal rule, but I blame it on Manhattan rent - I'm moving into my new apartment on Sunday, June 1 in the evening and beginning work on Monday, June 2 in the morning.

Nobody talk to me. I'm going to be grouch-r-us.

Suffice it to say that I will be living out of boxes. #hobostyle4life

2) Take breaks. Have sleep. Eat food. Drink beverages.

The general point here is that you need to take care of your physical and emotional well-being or moving will closely approximate the seventh circle of hell.



3) Enlist help.

Trade cookies, beer, hugs, or your fabulous company for the assistance of some friends to keep you sane speed things up.

But don't go as far as Budget suggests. Then just hire a moving company.

4) DJ it. 

Music makes 89% of things better, including chores and moving.

Might have bulls***ted that statistic...#disclaimer

5) Don't take it so seriously.

You don't have to go from an empty apartment full of cardboard boxes to something Home & Garden worthy in one or two days. It's fine if you just get it livable at first and work on interior decorating and organization as you go.

Seems reasonable.

This is real life, not an exam. There's a spectrum of acceptable outcomes.

6) Realize that starter apartments are just starter apartments.

So maybe it isn't your dream place and the the shower looks a little dingier than it did in the photos. Maybe three or four roomies isn't what you wanted from your young 20s professional life.

Still, spending 78% of your salary on rent isn't an option and a starter apartment is just that - a start. It's impermanent.

7) Count your blessings.

Around the 35th paper cut and when you've tripped over the same disassembled Ikea table leg for the umpteenth time, your mood can get pretty low. This is around when a cheery reminder of all that's going right in your life is absolutely called for - you have a place to move to! You have things to move into it! YAY!

8) Put up a personal touch or two early on.

It's easy to focus on just what's necessary and, in a way, that's what I've been encouraging you to do thus far. It's equally important to have something that makes it feel like yours and like home, though. Whether it's a poster, a painting, a photograph, or a fuzzy pink bean bag chair, get it up pretty earlier and it'll make your place (and the moving process) much less austere.

Speaking of bean bag chairs, do those still exist, or am I dating myself? #fossilproblems

Don't even care, I want one just like that.

9) Be appreciative of your helpers.

This goes back to #2. It's important to stay friendly, because your helpers don't have to help you. They could make up a million and one excuses not to be there, but they are there, so be grateful.

It's really nice of them to do it and they don't deserve your hangry pouting. If you're getting too snarky for your own good, take a froyo break and start again when you're ready to be a nice person again.

10) Don't be scared to leave a few boxes for next weekend.

Once you have the basics out and the bulk of the work done, it's fine to call it a day and leave the rest for when you have more energy, time, and enthusiasm again.

What are your moving tips?

What's your funniest moving story?

What are your favorite songs to unpack to?

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10 Reasons Why You Have To See 'The Lion King' On Broadway NOW

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The title of this post is less subtle than a female baboon in heat.

So let's get to the point, yes?

*Note - None of these photos are mine, as all digital devices (still cameras included) are prohibited in the Minskoff Theater.*

1) The hats.

Can I have all of them?

I'll be the one in lecture blocking your view with my lioness head. But you won't even mind, because it's that fierce - you'll feel blessed to bask in the glory of its presence. 

2) The acrobatic dancers.

How are you doing all of this bounding and leaping so rhythmically and synchronously without wires? And I can't even walk at night without getting intimately acquainted with the wall.

3) The colors.

Anything vaguely African is going to feature a lot of stunning oranges and golds and reds - The Lion King is no exception. There are a lot of other vivid colors, however, and all of the colors are so warm and inviting and alive. Is that a strange way to describe color? 

But they really are - it's the kind of color you can feel.

4) Rafiki's voice.

I just love Rafiki's voice. I can't explain it, maybe it's a halfrican kid thing, but he reminds me of every hilarious relation on my dad's side ever (male and female). Buyi Zama does a great job.

5) The art.

Every little detail is perfect (it is Disney, after all) but beyond the amazing hat art, baby Simba is so adorable that I wish he were for sale in the gift shop. It almost makes you want a pet baby lion (but don't, because that can only end badly). 

6) Elton John.

Did the music. DONE.

7) Julie Taymor's genius.

I seriously believe she's the most talented costume designer in the world at the moment. You don't know how much I want one of those grass dresses.

The funny thing is that you probably think I'm kidding...

8) The warm fuzzies.

That makes you miss your sisters and cousins, now, doesn't it? We totally walk out looking like that (but maybe minus the hats - we still need to get that part down. And singing in tune and with the right words). 

9) That Disney Magic.

That inexplicable heart-stirring something that only Disney productions have is definitely present. Fangirl for life.

10) The Circle of Life

Because yes, it's awesome on my 'The Lion King' Pandora station (<3 Pandora) and maybe I break into song whenever anyone has The Lion King on and it's that part of the movie. But in real life, with a ridiculously talented cast of Broadway performers harmonizing perfectly?

SOUNDGASM.

Seriously, it's no wonder The Lion King won a half dozen Tony awards in 1998. The real question is, what happened to the other half?

What's your favorite musical?

If you could be in one Disney movie, which would it be?

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