DIY Entertainment Club

I dove into August's DIY Entertainment Club a bit early. Justin's birthday is just around the corner and there was something I wanted to order for him so I figured, what the heck, I'd order for me too!

So, I'm finally exploring the all-time creative-blogger musical favourite, The Weepies. I can't wait to have a good listen. This definitely seems like sing-a-long music to me. Singing has been showing up for me lately. Maybe this CD will invite me to let my voice out to play.

Billy Elliot is such a beautiful, inspiring, well-acted movie about a young boy who wants to be a dancer. I've got tears in my eyes just thinking about one aspect of the story and one scene in the film. If you haven't seen it yet, give it a try.

The Trance of Scarcity by Victoria Castle looks really interesting. I'll let you know more as I dive into it. I can tell you that the subtitle wins me over, "Stop holding your breath and start living your life" Amen to that!

The DIY Entertainment club is my commitment to infuse my life with inspiration and enjoyment through a cd, a DVDs and a book each month.

DIY Entertainment Club

I'm so happy that I've created my own DIY Entertainment Club. Every month I put aside some money to invest in a book, a cd and/or a DVD.

This month I got Martha Beck's new book, Steering by Starlight, which I am really enjoying so far. Later on I'll have to introduce you to the lizard in my brain - a bespeckled and studious gecko named Worrywort. Did that pique your interest?

I also bought a Kundalini Yoga DVD by Maya Fiennes. You can see the intro here. Kundalini Yoga has always fascinated me for a variety of reasons. The basic precept behind this yoga is that we all have energy, sleeping like a serpent at the base of our spine. This form of yoga helps to release that energy. I suffer from lower back pain that very much feels like solidified energy, so my instinct was 'this is for me.'

Also, what I continue to hear is that this yoga is among the most esoteric (read 'woo woo') and that piqued my curiosity. It involves chanting and mudrahs and is said to provide powerful healing for the nervous system. I'm very curious to check it out. If anyone has any experience with Kundalini Yoga, I'd love to hear about it.

And yes, I had to buy another Rosie Thomas cd. I've listened over and over with a full heart to These Friends of Mine.

DIY Book Club

I am absolutely loving my DIY Book Club. I put aside $10 a week and at the end of the month I spend it on books/movies/music of my choice. So far I've managed to get 1 of each almost every time.

By talking about this in the blogosphere I do realize that my weakness for dance movies has been revealed. And this month's selection of Stand and Deliver (and last month's Roll Bounce) reveals that my fondness for "believe in yourself, rise above the odds" films extends beyond the dance genre. I am powerfully moved by stories of transformation, whether it's renovating a house, redesigning your wardrobe or redefining yourself.

How to Run a Great Workshop I hope will be an inspiration and give me some great ideas as I continue to move in this direction with my work. I am passionate about creating transformational experiences for people!

And you know, I can't actually remember how Rosie Thomas came across my radar but I've had the name of an older album of hers written down for months. When researching what I might pick this time, I came across this new album and had a bit of a listen on her site and it just felt right. When looking for something to share with you from her there was nothing from this new cd. But I did find this and hope it touches you as deeply as it touched me. Enjoy.

DIY Book Club

A couple of months ago I decided to start a DIY Book Club. The concept is that I put aside $10 a week and at the end of the month spend that on books/cds/dvds for myself. These are my January treats! I can't wait to dig in.

And when you listen to this, you'll know why I just had to get the Serena Ryder cd. I hope this song makes you smile as much as it does me.

DIY Entertainment Club

Recently Shannon and I were talking about how rarely we buy books, movies and CDs. (Truth be told I buy a lot of books but not fiction for quite a while) It suddenly occurred to me that you could create your own version of a "book of the month club." And that's exactly what we've decided to do. My plan is to put aside a bit of money so that at the end of the month I can buy myself either a book, a CD or a DVD. It's like a DIY Entertainment Club.

I started this month. A bit of extra money let me start off with a bang. I have to admit I did go with a business book, Growing a Business by Paul Hawken. You know, once I realized that building a business was a creative project, I've been obsessed! I also bought Kim Delmhorst's Songs for a Hurricane because when I heard the song Waiting Under the Waves on Pandora, I couldn't get it out of my head.

By the way, I just have to express how disappointed I am that services like Pandora are no longer available to Canadian listeners. More and more American internet content is being restricted to viewing/listening within the US. One perhaps unconsidered response to that is that more of us will turn to the rest of the world to see what's happening. There's lots of compelling work being created, like this fantastic CD that rounds out my DIY list by Sara Tavares, a Portuguese artist that a fellow Nia teacher recommended. It's a real treat.

Why not create your own DIY Entertainment Club? What would your first indulgence be?