Thanksgiving and the City…Up Dog, Down Dog, Turkey Split

by Meredith Litz

Flowing solo this Thanksgiving? We’ve got you covered!…

Not everyone is fortunate enough to spend Thanksgiving with their families. Sometimes it’s work, distance or simply lack there of that prevent us from stuffing with stuffing and negotiating with the last piece of pumpkin pie. Well, if you relate to one of the preceding conditions – here are some bright ideas to keep you pumped with prana (life force) this Thursday!

  • DO YOGA at Golden Bridge NYC! – This Thanksgiving Day Join Guru Dharam Singh in a special Kundalini Yoga and Meditation class followed with a community Thanksgiving Day Feast and Gathering. Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm, Meal starts at 1pm. Cost: $25/pre-reg, $35/drop in. More Info: Visit Website
  • SALUTE THE SUN at The Om Factory! This would be kind of like the turkey trot for yogis. Ashley Bouldin has built a special morning Thanksgiving class revolving around Sun Salutations – 108 of them, to be exact. But don’t worry, it’s not about how many you do as much as it is the anticipated radiance you’ll feel afterwards.  Start the day in a happy place! Time: 8:30am – 10:00am. Cost: $17 drop in. More Info: Visit Website.
  • TREAT THE SENSES at one of NY’s Finest Restaurants! Check out the best Turkey Tables for 2009 at NY Magazine’s Thanksgiving Guide.  Or  for a Vegan Thanksgiving Super Vegan has a great list of locales with menus – Lavender chocolate cheesecake from Blossom anyone?
  • BE THE SEER at the 83rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! Ya know, “when in Rome…” ! Here’s a list of talent you can expect to see in addition to the 1500 cheerleaders, dancers, singers, performers and 800 clowns (no I’m not kidding): Bello, Grandma and the cast of the Big Apple Circus, Andrea Bocelli, Boys Like Girls, Alan Cumming, Billy Currington, DJ Lance Rock and the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba!, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Gloria Gaynor, Emily Hughes, Kermit the Frog and Tiffany Thornton, Jane Krakowski, Cyndi Lauper, Ziggy Marley with Judah Marley, Katharine McPhee, Miss America 2009 – Katie Stam, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Mitchel Musso, Keke Palmer, The Pizzarelli Quartet, Jay Sean and Carly Simon.
  • VOLUNTEER TIME at the Woodstock Senior Center! Serve the clients restaurant-style at their annual Thanksgiving Lunch. Woodstock is a single resident occupancy hotel in Midtown, is the only source of nutritional meals for many of its members, both the homeless and the housed. Time: 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM. Register first at NY Cares - Website.
  • CREATE THEN DONATE! Make a “Blessing Bag”.

Every Thanksgiving season The Bowery Mission distributes “Blessing Bags” containing personal hygiene items and other necessities to the men and women they serve. Below are the listed items to include in your donation! Visit Website.
    • Toothpaste
    • Shampoo
    • Razors
    • Socks (white and black)
    • Hats
    • Toothbrush
    • Deodorant
    • Shaving cream
    • Underwear (all sizes)
    • Gloves

They’re responsible for the largest greenmarket program in the country and they’re New Yorkers!

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The Council on the Environment of NYC (CENYC)

• Greenmarkets • Recycling • Environmental Education • Community • GreenLife •

What is it? A privately funded organization dedicated to greening our neighborhoods, creating the environ-mental leaders of the future, promoting waste prevention and recycling, and running the largest farmers market program in the country.

How is it organized? CENYC is funded by grants and contributions. The Board of Directors consists of 11 elects and is also referred to as the Executive Committee and makes up CE, Inc. There are up to 35 members and they are appointed by the Mayor. There are a total of 36 full time employees and 15 part-time/seasonal employees.

How do they achieve this?  CENYC has seven public initiatives. Here are a few…  

The Open Space Greening Program  Empowering people in neighborhoods throughout the city to create, manage and sustain community gardens and park/playgrounds.

Green Markets With 46 market location the open-air farmers markets program connects local farmers with city residents by delivering  fresh fruit, vegetables, and other locally produced products straight from regional farmers to all five boroughs. 

Environmental Education Training Student Organizers Hands-on programs for middle and high school students to directly connect with and improve the urban ecosystem by planting trees in the watershed, building model green buildings, and identifying environmental hazards in their communities.

Can I VOLUNTEER? Yes! To learn how  you can get involved this summer with greenmarket, recycling, open space greening or environmental education initiatives, click here.

Contact Information: For more information on career opportunities, missions and programs, visit www.CENYC.org or call  212-788-7900. The Council on the Environment of New York City is located at 51 Chambers Street, Room 228, New York, New York 10007.

♥ Be sure to check the LS events calendar for the three new events put on by the CENYC – the Greenmarket Flower Markets in Queens and Riverdale and the Chef Tour with Gramercy Tavern‘s Michael Anthony in Union Square ♥ 

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New LavenderSense event calendar – check the sidebar!

UPDATED CALENDAR OF EVENTS

May ♥ 2009

• Culture • Spirituality • Wellness • Yoga • 

12/Tuesday

Free Workshop: Have You Had a Spiritual Experience? at Quest Bookshop from 7-8pm. For more information, visit www.exkankar-ny.org

14/Thursday

INTEGRAL YOGA PRESENTS SNATAM KAUR NYC CONCERT. Sacred Chant Concert with GuruGanesha Singh, Manish Vyas and Tanmayo. Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew 263 West 86th Street. 7:30 p.m. Purchase tickets for $25/$35/$45 and get more information at www.iyiny.org or www.SpiritVoyage.com.

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Weekend FUN for FREE at the ‘Anti-Depression Session’ Artisan Craft Market in Park Slope

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Weekend Fun for Free at the ‘Anti-Depression Session’ Artisan Craft Market

Beat the Recession Blues With Handmade Goods – All Under $30, All From Local Artists & Designers

Commence this month with a burst of pure intention and good karma! Come out this weekend and support Bklyn’s finest local artists in an awesome 4,000ft, multi-level cultural event space in Park Slope!  This is not one of those generic monthly street festivals with pashminas, fake purses and panuelos! This is RAW talent! AKA – You will not find any of these items on Canal St. I’m talking one of a kind artisanal soaps made from natural ingredients, limited edition cityscape prints, organic cotton purses and much more. They’ll be food, drinks and music within a colorful marketplace of handmade crafts all under $30!

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Plant Your Story

Plant Your Story

LavenderSense and MillionTreesNYC

One of the goals of LavenderSense is to introduce awareness into your life. Part of this, is being open and recognizing the remarkable works that take place around you everyday. Every moment there are new ideas being thought of, groups being coordinated and leaders being born! All of which have one common goal – to make this world a better place. Whether big or small, our actions make huge impacts on our mental, physical and spiritual health. MillionTreesNYC is a very special call to action that directly effects everyone living, working and visiting NYC.

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      ”One Miiilllllionnn Treeeees”

dr_evil_one_million12MillionTreesNYC is a part of the 127-point plan introduced by Mayer Bloomberg,  called PlaNYC. The goal is to plant one million trees (1,000,000) in the five boroughs by the year 2017. By achieving this, it will increase our ‘urban forest’ by 20%! “I urge every New Yorker to dig in and be a part of Million Trees NYC,” encourages NYRP Founder Bette Midler.

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NYC Run as One, Sunday April 19th

run_classic_pic13NYC Run As One

I walked, I ran, I conquered.  
Join fellow New Yorkers on the UES next Sunday as they make tracks for a good cause. NYC Run as One is a 4 mile run or 1.3 mile walk to help prevent lung cancer. Definitely do-able!

The festivities continue after the race with food, music, children’s activities, and more at Rumsey Playfield.  Awards for the 4–Mile Run will be given to the top three finishers in each age category. In addition, the top three male and female finishers will receive prize money ($1,000 for first, $600 for second, $400 for third).

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Roses and Lemon “Aid” : New Spring Spa Treatment plus how to make your own unique blend of Chamomile Lemonade!

Roses and Lemon “Aid” Spring Pedicures

One of the themes on LavenderSense lately has been to SMELL THE ROSES! Here’s another great way to awaken the senses and revive your body!

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Usher in the spring by honoring those little toes!! From the fabulous people at Dashing Diva who offer “Girls Night Out” Thursday and Fridays – complimentary cosmos for you and your friends with any manicure or pedicure service, comes their brand new Roses and Lemon “Aid” Pedicure.  Sounds delicious doesn’t it?? This could also be a lovely gift idea for Mother’s day coming up on May 10th! Wink Wink.

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Dream In Color!

Dream In Color, Macy’s Flower Show 2009

3340516200_9420e04aa72 A blossoming dreamworld suitable for Cinderella, within a modern urban landscape. Where can you find such a thing? Nope, it’s not the Botanical Gardens and it’s not Central Park, it’s Macy’s!

To the right of Jessica Simpson‘s peep toe pumps and somewhere near Michael Kors‘ skinny city shorts lies a secret garden –  filled with spectacular flowers, topiaries, and trees from all over the world. For the next two weeks Macy’s is hosting their 35th annual Flower Show offering visitors free activities and events for the entire family. Located indoors on the main floor of Macy’s, The World’s Largest Store will house a magnificently vibrant environment featuring not only flowers, but music, culture and of course, fashion!

jessica-simpson-macys-113-6Grace your eyes with two of Macy’s traditional themes: the Bouquet of the Day, fantasy bouquets created by world-renowned floral/entertainment designers and their fantastic in-door flowering cherry trees. Then, be one of the first to see the newest addition and this year’s main attraction – three pairs of 10-feet-tall flamingo topiaries constructed from live flowers. The dynamic in-store garden displays will feature more than 1 million bulbs and over 30,000 varieties of flowering plants and trees from six continents.

The highly-anticipated Dream In Color event is being held in five cities across the US – Chicago, Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco, and for the first time in Philadelphia.

vector_flowers2Make sure not to miss their famous Broadway windows, featuring six living gardens consisting of thousands of live flowers that portray an oversized flamingo traveling to various destinations including Mexico, Japan, New York City, Las Vegas, as well as a rainforest and a tropical setting.

After this winter, we could all use some color therapy. So, pull your sneaks out of the closet, call your favorite guy or gal and take advantage of this free feast for your senses. Dream in Color!

Where: Herald Square, 151 West 34th Street, nr. Broadway

When: Sunday, April 5 – Sunday, April 19. Closed Easter Sunday.

Cost: FREE

For more info visit www.macys.com

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