The 5min Blog

If you are like me and completely over did it with Halloween Candies last weekend, but are a firm hater of the gym, don’t worry we have some tone up treats for you. All you need is a couple of chairs and bit of determination.

Ok so now your tummy is tucked and your bum is toned after your Halloween indulgence. Now time to start training for the next big holiday THANKSGIVING! What will you need to train for, you may ask???? Well presents are heavy and you’re going to need to strengthen those arms if you want to carry all those gifts to your loved ones. Or that huge turkey that you have to heave home from the shops and stuff in the oven.  Candy carrying arms won’t cut it you need to beef the arms up to present carrying arms.

So follow these tips and get yourself ready and then pop back to FusionFitnessTV so figure out how to tone up after your turkey madness.

Tags: body strengthening, exercise, fusionfitnesstv, hoilday fitness, home exercise, home fitness, home workout, muscle toning

So with the winter holiday season looking ahead, you’re probably already considering the inevitable New Year’s resolutions to follow. If you’re anything like me, it means you’ll end up vowing to yourself – and anyone around you who could still stand to listen – that you’ll give up on Diet Coke lunches. You’ll refrain from listing Peanut M&Ms as a food group in its own right, and thus defend your right to exist solely on these babies. And you’ll probably cough up the cash for a gym membership – good for you! Go on with your fit self, but keep in mind that when it comes to breaking a sweat, fashionistas need to check their ego and wardrobes at the door. Case in point? What NOT to wear to the gym.

In this video from ExerciseTV, personal trainer and fitness “it girl” Zen Gray walks you through a list of fitnes fashion faux-pas to be avoided – after all, the point of going to the gym is to work out, tone up and feel awesome about yourself!

Zen Gray’s Fitness Fashion No-No’s:

1. Legwarmers: while they may look cool (FAME nostalgia, anyone?), legwarmers may actually cause you great discomfort when burning calories at the gym. Please, ladies – save these for your dance classes or for the next Eighties revival.

2. Bling: Ditch the chunky bling and clanky metals when hitting the gym for a workout. Intricate and dangly jewelry can get caught on your clothes or towel, or even worse, the machinery you’re using for your workout. The best accessory for working out? A bottle of water – it’ll keep you cool, too.

3. Perfume: Remember Pepe Le Pew? You don’t want to smell like him when you work out. Spare yourself (and other gym-goers) the unpleasantness of scents gone wrong, and ditch your perfume when heading to your local fitness center. Instead, opt for a lightweight deodorant which will keep you dry and comfortable.

4. A Hole in One: Sweats or workout garments that have holes anywhere near the crotch are probably a bad idea, not to mention one awkward fashion statement. Leave these at home, folks!

5. Sweaty T: Heading to the gym? Leave your sweaty tee at home, or better yet – toss it! Look for lightweight cottons and “smart fabrics” meant for working out and breaking a sweat in.

6. Make Up Madness: If you’re going to the gym with the intent of doing more than watching, don’t paint on a perfect face before leaving the house! You’ll end up a drippy mess, not to mention nothing is sexy about clogged pores.

7. Too-Short Shorts: Shorts are a hot item and provide freedom of movement when working out, but please – if your shorts expose more bum than a buff bod, leave them at home. What works for Kylie on the dance floor was not necessarily meant to pump iron in.

Tags: better body, Exercise TV, extv, fitness, fitness tips, fitness training, gym clothes, personal trainer, The Skinny, toning, toning up, weight loss, wellness, what not to wear to the gym, work out, working out, workout, workout clothes, workout tips, Zen Gray

I’ve never been a very sporty person. After all, it runs in the family: my mom hates sweating and my dad’s favorite quote is: “Those who can’t do teach. Those who can’t teach, teach gym.” My sisters weren’t any better, so when it was my turn to prove myself, my sports teachers already knew that I belonged to the Ming Dynasty of Laziness, so I didn’t really have any chance to get into the world of fitness.

Luckily for me, the baby fat (I was the chubbiest baby ever) disappeared at a very young age and since then I’ve remained petite. But staying fit it’s not only watching your weight. It’s  letting your body absorb the minerals that you need and let your muscles stretch in order to avoid all the sedentary-related pains. To achieve a healthy state of mind, exercise is the key.

It’s easy to say, but  hard to do. Although in the last seven years I’ve practiced Yoga regularly, when it comes to cardio I automatically start begging for my life. That’s why some weeks ago, I did something I never thought I’d do: I joined the gym. So far, I’ve taken it very slowly, but I’m beginning to feel some change and I have to admit it, to feel better.

My trainer has faith, something I had never seen on anyone that saw how I struggle with the most basic workout routines, and gave me a few exercises that will make my Lilliputian muscles get stronger and in less than two months, look like Madonna’s.

So beware!

Or follow ExerciseTV’s tips on hot to get your arms in shape too…

Tags: arms workout, ExerciseTV, extv, Madonna, Madonna's arms, Million Dollar Baby, Ming Dynasty, The Skinny, Woody Allen, Yoga, Zen Gray

Although I only studied Architecture for three years and it was a long time ago, there are certain habits that I’ve maintained: I still do some sketches when I travel, I still have a slight preference for white when it comes to rooms, and most of all, I still write like an architect.

The truth is, I don’t regret not pursuing the architectural career, or at least not where I used to study it. A hippie community that relied on rotting materials, this Architecture school spent far too many hours on poetry and reviving the 60’s.  I was more traditional when it came to studies and if I had to get into the term poetry, it would only be through Aristotle. Also, call me a criminal, but I’m a big fan of ornaments.

And yes, after all these years, some of my friends still think they’re the Rimbaud of Architecture. Others keep on bringing up Gordon Matta-Clark although I’ve never seen them drilling anything. And some of them have pursued fascinating careers, taking sustainability and green (not rotting) materials  into consideration when it comes to creating their projects.

Now, if you want to give Architecture a try, you should start from the very beginning. That is, learn how to write. And remember, it’s like riding a bike. You’ll never forget!

Tags: architecture, Doug Patt, Gordon Matta-Clark, how to architect, how to be an architect, how to write like an architect, Loos, Ornament and Crime, Rimbaud, the belly of an architect

Several months ago I wrote here about my beautiful new urban garden. It was quite exciting to put together and take care of in the first couple of weeks; I’d say hello to my plants in the morning before leaving for work, and check to see what transformations took place each night as I came back.

One day, when I went outside in the morning, something didn’t seem right,  it took me a minute to realize that my lovely cherry tomato plant was missing, gone, stolen under the cover of the night. I was somewhat shocked and a bit confused as to who would steal a cherry tomato plant, but in a typical Pollyanna attitude hoped that the tomatoes found a good home and people who’ll take care of them and that it won’t happen again. However, like the characters of a cheesy teen horror movie, all of my plants went missing one by one.

For a while there I lost faith in urban gardening and the human race, but then I watched IdealBite’s gardening competition, The Golden Hoe,  and got inspired all over again. In these videos Hanah, Mike and Heather try to grow vegetables in their different San Francisco home settings: indoor, backyard, and rooftop.  And the Golden Hoe goes to:

Tags: backyard garden, container gardening, DIY gardening, garden, Gardening, Ideal Bite, IdealBite, indoor garden, rooftop garden, San Francisco, The Golden Hoe, urban gardening

Last time I checked, when people talked about colors, it was related to fashion. Some years later, I see that color is used in therapies that are supposed to balance your energy, and even children are labeled with colors .

Indigo Children is a concept that was developed by Nancy Anne Tappe, and that states that Indigo children are more evolved and therefore have paranormal powers, such as telepathy. While some people strongly believe that Indigo children (named after the color of their aura) should be treated in a special way in order to allow them to develop their abilities, others think that there is no evidence that supports this theory and that the characteristics exposed by Indigo children are very similar to the ones displayed by children with  ADHD or other brain disorders. Sometimes parents tend to use the “nicer label”, when it comes to their children, which is good, but it needs to be done to a certain extent, as the misuse of a label may have harmful consequences on your child.

Personally, I wasn’t a specially sensitive child (I was more interested in the Big Bang theory than the existence of angels ) and when it came to facts, I was eager to hear a scientific explanation. After all, my dad is a very skeptical man and I was a skeptical kid myself.  This doesn’t mean that I believe that what you can’t prove doesn’t exist, or that some kids aren’t in fact different. This only means that if my child starts telling me about his past life I’ll have to do a lot of research before I decide to dismiss the British education I’m all for and send them to an Indigo school.

Tags: ADHD, Big Bang Theory, color therapy, Health Central Network, Illumistream, Indigo Children, Nancy Anne Tappe, New Age

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or are currently too young to operate a keyboard on your own, you are probably already familiar with common Google shortcuts, such as finding exact match phrases by using quotations, such as “You affect the world by what you browse” (special kudos to the first commenter on our blog to identify the origin of this quote and post below, BTW!), or performing a search on a specific site, using site:5min.com tricks.

But did you know there are plenty of other Google tips, tricks and shortcuts which could potentially save you time and money, help you better plan your day and potentially save your life? Below, 5min Partner PCWizKid, who was recently honored as a 2009 Microsoft MVP, shares some of the best Google tricks up his sleeve to help you make the most of the search engine that changed the world:

1. Define It: Even without a dictionary, Google can definitely help you avoid ending up befuddled, by allowing you to easily look up words and their meanings – for example, try typing in define: befuddled.

2. Calculate It: Got to crunch those numbers, but don’t have a calculator on hand? Sure, you could use the fairly basic calculator functions found in most computers, but why bother? Just type in a formula, no matter how complex, and get the answers you need.

3. Convert it: Need to know how much it’ll cost you to order smashing new threads from your fave Japanese shop? Don’t worry your pretty little head – just turn to Google, and use the calculator in order to convert your local currency into the Japanese yen. How awesome is that?! Aside from calculating how much money you’ll really be blowing online, you can also calculate weight and size conversions, to make sure you’re ordering the correct sizes.

4. Clock it: Got news you can’t wait to share with your friends or colleagues who happen to be stationed in another hemisphere? No problem! Simply type in time and the name of the city where your friends are, and find out if it’s still a socially acceptable hour to phone or Skype them.

5. Watch it: Want to catch a matinee on your day off, but got lots of other errands to run? Plan your day wisely by finding out the local showtimes for the movie of your choice. by typing the movie’s name and your postal code and hitting “Search”, you’ll be able to check out local listings and movie showtimes in your area.

Got a Tech SOS? Be sure to check out more tech tips, tricks and tutorials from PCWizKid here on 5min, and follow PCWizKid on Twitter!

Tags: Google, Google hacks, Google search, Google tips, Google tricks, how to use Google, PCWizKid, save time, search engines, search queries, search tips, search tricks, tech tips, tech tutorials, web search

While some people spend a lot of time preparing their Halloween costume and getting into the crafty side, others don’t have time and have to get theirs in the local store. Now, that can go either way: you can look like a cheap character of one of Ed Wood’s movies, or you can rock the place. If you want the second option, there are some simple tips you should consider before buying your Halloween outfit:

-Quality Over Quantity: If your costume is going to be simple, pick a quality item over a bunch of accessories that have no Halloween value. Don’t go with that cheap wig and a beach shirt dressed up as “the wig dude”. There is no such thing as a wig dude, and people know it. Halloween is like the Oscars of the holidays: if you get a perfect imitation of a famous character, you’ll get an award for sure! Choose an emblematic element, such as Mike Myers original mask (pick a good one, otherwise no one will be scared) and stick to your character.

-Get in the Mood: While some girls prefer to be the sexy vampire, others might want to use that long black hair and whisper “seven days”. For a guy? Wear jeans, a leather jacket, take a (fake) axe, and greet your friends with a creepy “Here’s Johnny!”. If you have the looks, try Baby Firefly. If you have the attitude, the rest will come.

-Get Something That Will Fit Your Body Type: If you don’t have the time to elaborate a concept, choose something that will make you look good. This will make people forget that you were lazy and didn’t work enough for your costume.Now, if your laziness goes beyond any possible effort, try some humor. Laughter is the best medicine:

Now, if you still aren’t sure on what to wear for this Halloween, check what The Style Network has to say. After all, there is a costume for every person.

Tags: Cate Blanchett, ed wood, Halloween, Halloween costumes, Mike Myers, Samara Morgan, The Shining, The Style Network

OK this year I am super excited about Halloween, I mean I’m usually excited about Halloween but now I have more reason. This year I will have a boyfriend to dress up! I was never into the whole barbie or Cindy scene as a child, give me a truck or combine harvester and I had a smile for days. But the more I grow the more I feel I missed out and so I’m regressing a little bit.

Now the reason I am excited about dressing this particular boy is because he wears Clark Kent glasses.  what else could I dress him as, than Superman! He may not look exactly like superman but he’s pretty darn close. Now I could go out and spend an arm and a leg on a costume or I could follow a few steps and make myself well make him one.

Now that I have him sorted, what about myself, now the the easiest thing for me would be to go as Lois Lane, but really no-one really liked her especially not me. So how about his arch nemesis Lex Luther? I’m extremely good at being mean and moody…. But hey if I go by the comics (which all we should go by really) I could be wonder woman…  I don’t want to spoil it for you but they get it together and make a baby, with batman as the godfather! In fact I could get a good friend to go as Batman and we’d be one big comic book happy family…. Although with batman’s exoskeleton (you’re going to have to read the comic) playing with little rug rats may be a problem. Wow Comic book fantasy coming to life, Life really does imitate art.. Oh and if superman is reading this, only get scared when I become as strong as wonder woman!

Tags: batman, comic book, comic book heros, costumes, dc comics, dress up, Halloween, Halloween costumes, holiday costumes, Holidays, Marvel Comics, super heros, superman, the green girls, thegreengirls, wonder woman

There are many people who feel that anything worth doing in this world must involve power tools.  The mythical god of all these fine individuals has to be Tool-Time Tim.  Before the classic ‘Home Improvement‘ I used to think that power tools were there in order to help us do house chores and DIY projects. Then I realized it’s the other way around;  the projects are just the excuse people use when they want to play with their ultra-cool power tools.

Personally I’ve witnessed a great and usually sensible man, who will remain anonymous,  shave down an entire garden just because he enjoyed using the electric hedge trimmer. Not to mention all the times I dragged home pieces of dirty old furniture for the pure joy of using the electric sander.

In these two amusing DIY Network videos you’ll see why Halloween is the best time to take out your tool box:

Ahmed Hassan shows us that carving a pumpkin is a totally different experience once you do it with a drill and a saw.

And in this video Jason Cameron a.k.a  “Jason the Crazed Carpenter” goes all out and creates a truly gory pumpkin.

Tags: carve a pumpkin, carving pumpkins, DIY network, Halloween, Home Improvement, power tools, pumpkin carving ideas, Pumpkins, Tool-Time Tim