5 Good Things – August 5th, 2017

Our move to Minneapolis, Classic Summer Recipes, and more!

Hi! Here’s what’s new, exciting, and thought provoking from our Life is NOYOKE world.

(This is the online version of our weekly email newsletter, 5 Good Things. To get it delivered to your inbox on Saturdays, you can subscribe right here.)

1. New blog posts, site updates, and other things we’re proud to be sharing

Good morning from Minneapolis!

Yup, we live here now.

And since we’ve yet to unpack our kitchen, we’re changing it up a bit this week. Recipe reruns and some learnings from our move.

But first, here’s a 37 second video.

Watch: Our new YouTube channel trailer.

This vid is nothing like our normal videos. So if you do like this one, definitely do not click this to Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

2. Learnings from our (almost entirely) stress-free DIY, intrastate move from Chicago to Minneapolis

Our do-it-yourself (DIY) move, despite being fairly chaotic, was mostly stress-free.

Exhausting, no doubt.

But aside from a single, very-brief, emotional breakdown (by me, Lenny), the moving process (packing, loading, coordinating, driving, sleeping at family’s houses, unloading, moving into our new apartment) was an enjoyable experience.

Really! It wasn’t bad at all.

A few takeaways:

1. Know your role. Shalva and I work really well together. A lot of it is because we understand each other’s strengths. Mine: physical, spacial, user-experience, and knowing her. Hers: organization, details, design, knowing me. (For the record, she was an absolute all-star throughout the entire process.)

2. Cede control. She’ll say this was more important for her; to cede control to me. I’ll say I was the one who had to let-go. And, I think this is why it worked so well.

3. Just roll (with it). The first two rhymed, so, yeah.

During this move, so many things went wrong.

• Inexperienced movers. (You get what you pay for.)
• Moving truck broke down an hour before we were supposed to pick it up.
• Movers who didn’t show up. (Once again, you get what you pay for.)
• Road construction resulting in a one-hour detour to find diesel fuel.
• Shaky internet.
• An over-zealous, inexperienced, opportunistic, stand-in, buyer’s attorney during our condo handover.

All these things could have caused stress. But instead, every time, we said, “okay, how do we proceed?”

We just rolled with it. Take it and move forward.

Tony Robbins is famous for saying, “Trade your expectations for appreciation.” Absolutely perfect mindset for “just rolling with it.”

Of course, getting upset at the misery of moving can be a valuable tool. I lost my sh*t while trying to maneuver a heavy, floppy, queen-size mattress on a steamy morning down a flight of stairs, around corners, and up and onto a moving truck with the help of three pregnant women, two hungry toddlers, and one dog intent on rolling in fresh deer excrement.

In that moment, had I done a better job of knowing my role, ceding control, and “just rolling with it” our big move would not have been 95% stress-free. It would have been ?.

***

Prologue: Here’s a necessary mention of the (delicious!) green juice (with kiwi!) my mom made us the morning of our move-in. Thanks, Mom!

3. Classic recipes we’re re-showcasing

This is not a blender recipe. But ’tis the season. Grandma’s Pickles. Make a batch this weekend!

+ Energy balls like these Hula Bites are so nice to have around on busy summer days.

+ Interested in making some sophisticated popcicles? These are fab: Peach Jalapeno Popsicles

+ Hosting an outdoor dinner this weekend? Here’s your “wow sauce”: Chimichurri. Great on grilled anything.

+ Got a bunch of baby carrots that need to be eaten? Try this Invigorating Citrus Carrot Juice. Delish.

+ Need to make a salad? Put this apricot poppy seed dressing on pretty much any combo.

+ We first published it last week, but it’s an instant classic. Here it is again. The most delicious thing that’s come out of our Vitamix: Bermuda sorbet.

4. Vitamix news and updates we’re enjoying

Guys, exclusive deal alert on the Pro 750. You can get one of these for $399.95 (black or red; +$30 for Brushed Stainless). They’re branded as Certified Reconditioned, but I’m 99% sure they’re brand new, untouched, mint machines. My guess is that the only reason they are not priced at $599.95 is because they sat in a William & Sonoma warehouse and were returned to Vitamix HQ to make room for Ascent. Get one while you can.

+ Some more info on these deals we’ve been getting lately. Last month, Vitamix called us and said they wanted to give us first crack at selling the small lot of 780’s that just became available. So we broadcasted live onto Facebook (replay here) to let you guys know. The result? Overwhelming success. You guys bought them all. Yup, they’re gone. Flew off the shelf. So this Pro 750 deal is just the latest deal. And if you don’t catch this one, there will be more to come!

+ Planning to buy through us? Please use our → link to vitamix.com before you checkout and look for (06-NOYOKE) near the promotion code box to ensure we get credit. Thanks!

5. Articles, posts, and products from around the web we’re thinking about

Eating fast-food is much more expensive than you think. Employees are often the working poor requiring help and those who eat the food are sick and need expensive medical treatment. The government foots the bill. We all know this. But worst part of it all? How Fast Food Chains Supersized Inequality.

+ On a much more positive end to this week’s newsletter for those who actually make it to the end, The Secret Life of the City Banana. ?

Okay, all for now.

Thanks and good things,
Shalva and Lenny

P.S. This is was our final photo from our Chicago apartment (and studio). Total role reversal here with Shalva wanting to snap a picture and me being way too overdone. 🙂