Like my silly little list?  I seriously cannot make up my mind if I should relocate to NYC or stay in Chicago for another year.  I’m doing better financially now that I’m done with graduate school, but am I doing so well I should take a gamble on a move to New York City?

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As you may have read, I love New York. In the few days I spent there roaming around, I loved the many shops, art, the street fashion and of course- the food.

I left New York longing to have a Vespa of my own and dreaming of all the fancy restaurants I have yet to try. One of my big life goals is to go back to NYC and watch a taping of The Daily Show and SNL. I will totally wait in line in horrible weather for that!

The fashion in Manhattan is what you’d expect- meaning, it’s everywhere. Fashion is deliberate on window dressings, people walking down the street, small street merchants catering to our love of design and color and even in the wait staff for some small hole-in-the-wall bakeries and restaurants. Honestly, I wish I had taken more pictures but at times I was too entranced with the experience to think to whip out my phone. So, here it is…

1.  The notorious NYC subway which wasn’t as scary as I remember (my last trip at 19 yrs. old was a doozy!).

2.  The view from my window in Manhattan, you can see the reconstruction of Ground Zero in the distance.

3.  I didn’t make it to the Brooklyn Bridge, next time baby!  For now, I enjoyed the flowers & architecture.

4.  Ground Zero is still under massive construction and to see the reflecting pools one needs reservations (it was crazy busy).

1. Stopped in a little cupcake shop for a rice pudding.

2.  Oh…and I also got a cupcake at said cupcake shop.

3.  …and I might have stopped nearby for a mani-pedi (I had to get party ready!).

4.  No, I didn’t buy these fab Betsey Johnson shoes (I did though pick up a different famous pair, more on that later!)

1.  For Julie’s book launch party, we surprised her with flowers, homemade confetti and some champagne.  Cheers!

2.  So I cut it close getting to the airport…distractions, distractions.  Silly Hello Kitty stops me every time!

3.  Spotting Julie’s book in a Manhattan bookstore for the first time was such a thrill!  We squealed like little girls..haha!

4.  Fabulous ladies posing for photos at the book launch party-  there’s Julie & Jenny!

1.  Roaming around Manhattan I saw this sign and had to giggle…no honking, really?!

2.  Not-from-a-package Japanese ramen w/ all kinds of yummy stuff floating in it.

3.  Isn’t this glamourous?  Christian LouBoutin’s NYC location bathroom…expensive boxes chillin’ by the toilet. Lawlz.

4.  This is my dream.  Live in NYC, have a gaggle of pugs, ride a Vespa scooter.

I’m still deliberating if I shall be making the move to NYC.  I’ve been talking it over with trusted friends, mentors & family…and heck, anyone with experience making the move to see if it’s a good move.  Needless to say, I’m pumped and want to make it work.

Chances are, my business could take a turn for the worse (I hope not) and if I end up eating rice/beans, if I had to live on the financial edge, I’d want to do it in NYC.  I’m 25 years young,  impetuous and adventurous with no strings attached (hell yes!) and since I have no interest to move to London or Paris, this seems like the right move.

I have yet to make a final decision though my heart has already hopped in the metaphorical moving box, but feel free to weigh in.  I get that NYC is crazy, expensive, cliché in some respect and could totally kick my ass…but that’s why I want to experience it.  I’m ready for the risk, I’m curious about the reward.

Last week I was in NYC for several days to celebrate the launch of a game-changing new book, The Work Revolution by Julie Clow.  I have gotten to know Julie through the process of the book launch, and both her ideas and her influence in my life have been life changing…but don’t worry, the book review is coming soon!

The last time I was in NYC it was a rough experience.  At 19, I’d never been to a city like that before and found it totally overwhelming- plus I was in a large tourist group, so it wasn’t the intimate exploration of one of the city I’d hoped for.

This time around I fell in love NYC:  Head over red-soled heels in love.

I realize I was in “vacation mode,” not every day can be spent roaming coffee shops & picking out celebratory champagne, but oddly, I felt at home.  I did most of my work from a local coffee shop and spent the days roaming the busy streets of Manhattan.  I felt grounded and excited-  despite the hustle and bustle I was ready to dive in.

Being in New York for those few days was a game changer- it illustrated the big “what ifs” that I’ve been attempting to ignore.  Not only was I hanging out with the amazing Jenny Blake and phenomenal Julie Clow  who are total inspirations, but I was able to maintain my workload from a coffee shop in between roaming the nooks and crannies of Manhattan- a dream come true.  My days were spent hopping from shops to salons to restaurants to the book launch party.   I was in heaven.  Even when I got lost on the crazy streets, I felt I knew exactly where I was going.

I’m at a weird part in my life.  I just launched my own business, Cake Mix Media for social media consulting and I blog.  As of now, my work is location independent.  Additionally, in less than 30 days I will be done with my Master’s Degree.  My lease will be up soon and I have absolutely no plans.

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Not only am I a workaholic but I also am die-hard frugal.  As I wrap up my graduate degree and launch a new business (which the site isn’t done yet but you can check it out here!) for my social media consulting services I am typically strapped for time, cash and at times, energy.

Admittedly, I watch way too much TV right now.  Netflix Instant is cheap and easy- during the week I find that I turn it on and work into the evenings with my laptop on my bed while a show is on.  Never in my adult life have I consumed this much television, but during a Chicago winter when there’s work to be done, turning on the telly is a welcome respite to a tired mind after a long day.  Additionally, when you work from home it’s comforting to have that white noise to break up a long day of quiet creative work in a home office.

I was pondering how to mix things up a bit when I came across Gala Darling‘s post detailing that she’s going to be nixing television for  a month.  Could I do that? 

TV is my default- it’s easy.  It’s an easy supplement to daily living, but perhaps that’s why I hate it so. I get that I’m busy and working a lot, but really, is TV all I have to decompress with?  I’ve been trying to brainstorm ways to ween myself off this newly formed workaholic/tv addict habit I’ve created for myself.  I don’t find television particularly fulfilling but it’s an easy way to decompress and relax after a long day of work and school, but I have to ask- is this all I can come up with?

What scares me most is the fact that I seem to rely on television in the first place... I never used to have time for tv.  In undergrad I was in a ton of clubs and a sorority along with a double major.  I was out and about, traveling, socializing.   As a grad student now, I work from home, do tons of near-pointless homework and I wonder if my old social-butterfly self has resigned herself to being a shut in a pacifier for the shackles of my workload?   Usually I’m strapped on time, the weather is challenging and my home base means I’m 40 minutes from anything good (or hell, fun?) but am I just being lazy?  When and why did this happen?  Something’s gotta change, this is pathetic..but I must ask:

When I graduate, will my behavior change or is this newfound television dependence a symptom of a larger, different problem than just my workload?

I read, walk the dog, chat with friends and I write/blog a LOT.  I still use my creative and social side plus brain power, just in new ways even if my interactions aren’t face to face like they used to be.  I spend a lot more time alone in my home office than in business meetings, but way more brain power and emotional energy to make online interactions personable and my business profitable.

TV is an attempt to mentally veg out, but I need to find ways to relax that don’t cost a lot or require too much energy to plan and implement.  I love to read, but sometimes I’m just mentally tired & my normal proclivity towards business, non-fiction and memoirs just doesn’t excite me after some long days.

While I’m not excited about the thought of going tv-less for the month of April (since it’s crunch time for work and I’m wrapping up my degree), it’s something I might try in the future.  Then again, I hear I’ll soon have my hands on seasons 1-3 of Castle so that might not be a smart move!  Maybe in June, hmmm!

So, what do you do to decompress for cheap that doesn’t involve TV?   Meditate?  Craft?  Bake?  I need ideas.   Do you think you could go a month without TV? (yes, online shows count too!)

Life has busy down on the ranch.  Yes, apparently my cheap apartment on the upper north side of Chicago is known as a “ranch.”

I’m finishing up my M.A. and have to finish my last class and some papers and that should be that.  I also have launched two new sites, can ya dig it?

The Frugalpreneur is for enterprising broke people that want to start a business and well, not be broke anymore.  I blog on behalf of people that want big venture for little capital and oh ya, there’s a podcast too.  I would love if you could look me up on iTunes!  Right now I’ve been working on getting podcasts up and running but eventually will stick to a schedule of twice monthly on Thursdays.

Podcasting has been the most uncomfortable and challenging thing I’ve done since I started blogging.  Not only does it feel weird to hear your own voice on iTunes but everything that could be annoying, frustrating or baffling about making the transition from print to audio comes to sharp focus.  Needless to say, it’s been a learning experience but I’ve totally had to confront how many times I say “Um” (more than I thought) in a given conversation and how long it takes to make a finished product when the record button’s been hit…I feel like the Winnebego Man.  Damn flies.

Oh  ya, I also launched a new giveaway site-  Beautiful Giveaways and it is fabbbbbbulous.  Right now we’re giving away a $150 Gift Card to Achoo! Allergy and a delicious Bistro MD Tasting Tour giveaway.  Blog giveaways launch every Monday & Thursday and every Friday there will be a giveaway link up!

So yes- I’ve been a smidge busy.  I need to get back on the “Shannyn having a personal life” train so if you have any ideas for me to unwind and decompress, let me know!   I need to wrap up some craft projects I’ve had sitting around but besides that, it’s the dead of winter, I’m low on cash and need to find something awesome.

I’m thinking.. more baking, more cooking, more crafting and taking a serious inventory of my wardrobe.  I want to be able to have fun without breaking the bank and spending what can amount to gobs of cash at restaurants.

I need to find some domestic inspiration…that doesn’t involve pretending on Pinterest.

I’m  pinning my life away, emulating a domestic goddess without actually picking up a spatula or casting onto something beautiful, that’s gotta change!

I’ve found that the busier you are and the more you push yourself, the more you take yourself for granted.  If you don’t schedule personal time to “slack off,” do something silly or catch up on whatever really recharges your batteries- no matter how trivial, you will burn out.

The hardest thing for me to do is to literally schedule in personal time. If I don’t actually write it down and pick an activity I don’t do something awesome with whatever free time I do have. 

So I think the point for this weekend is to celebrate the work that has been done even if the progress isn’t as substantial as I’d like, and play house for a bit.   I hope you’ll enjoy my two new sites, I’ve been working hard to get them set off and would love for you to check them out!

I would absolutely love your ideas for crafts & cooking…if you have a favorite recipe for this time of year or something your working on, send me a link!  Have a fabulous weekend!