Blog Posts by Sarah McColl, Shine staff

When I sat down to come up with a list of tunes that would help all of us shake up our workout playlist from its usual "Hey Ya!" and "Crazy In Love," I didn't intend to come up with a bunch of songs neither of us had ever heard. But as I clicked and dragged Prince and the B-52's, I thought: as great as these songs are--and they are fantastic--there has to be something else. Something a little more surprising than another three minutes jogging with Wham! And guess what? There is!

I fell down a radical rabbit hole of jangly '80's indie pop, post-punk, and new wave that actually made me want to take a run in the park. Yes, it was that inspiring. There are bands here you've heard before like The Go-Go's and R.E.M., but their playing some of their lesser known '80's songs. And then there are some bands that were new to me (and hopefully to you, too), like the deeply awesome The Three O'Clock, Shop Assistants and Delta 5.

And as I accidentally stumbled across more and more songs that a

I love an expert opinion as much as the next gal--that's why I regularly tune in to Oprah--but there's something to be said for the everyday experts in life. And when it comes to dressing well, day in, day out, these are the women who make my head spin. They're not tailed by hair and make-up people, they don't have Rachel Zoe in their pocket, and they're not working with Carrie Bradshaw-sized budgets. Naturally, it was to these women I turned for advice on how we can all make over our closets from something stuffed with crap into something marvelous. Here, their tips for looking good without breaking the bank:

1. Find one 4-season item that you love and makes you feel great. When you are frequently living out of a suitcase and still managing to look chic in places like Croatia and Portugal, you learn a thing or two about getting dressed--especially when you manage to do it all on a non-glamorous budget. Frequent flyer Katie suggests that "every woman needs an every-season dress that

The cruelty of office cubicle land gets particularly bitter in the summer, when birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and you, poor dear, are stuck inside in the land of gray. We've got some simple tips to help you bring nature's stamp not only onto that corporate-issued space, but in your home, as well. A bouquet of flowers look just as lovely on your bedside table as it does on your desk, and some of the ideas here are perfectly fit for transforming your standard box apartment into a forest of enchantment. Read on, nature lover!

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Most of us would probably consider ourselves generously spirited people, genuinely happy for others when good things come their way. Even still, most of us can say we are no stranger to that familiar pang of jealousy over someone else's career, house, or crazy long legs. I myself felt a twinge of this recently when all the coolest people in my 'hood were profiled in a magazine as being fabulous and creative, which they are. I felt stoked for their publicity. But that little whiny voice inside could still be heard saying, "Why aren't I in the magazine?" As much as of any of us try to not pay attention to whatever the Joneses are up to, jealousy can still creep in. Here are five ways to keep that green-eyed monster in check:

1. It's usually not a zero sum game. Feelings of jealousy usually get set off when we see someone with more than us: more money, more love, more Manolos. But their stuff doesn't have anything to do with us. Their success in scoring a life-long love or the house of

If the wall of humidity hasn't hit you yet, chances are it will at some point in the next three months. Hot, steamy air is anathema to a crisp, ready-to-take-over-the-world work look, but a few well-chosen summer pieces can make you ready for action, regardless of the day's heat index. Here are ten examples of summer workplace essentials. Find the shapes and colors that work best for you, but in general, think cotton blouses, breathable fabrics, swirly skirts and easy shirtdresses. And don't forget a light cardigan for those high-octane air conditioners.

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Modern life's got a few things going for it. We've got the internet (and thus online shopping), supermarkets, and indoor plumbing. But for all our innovations, there are still some very, very old ideas that have stood the test of time. One such system of solutions is Ayurveda. Sanskrit for "science of life," Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old tradition of Indian medicine. So what's that got to do with you and your Blackberry and your treadmill? As it turns out, a lot.

The June issue of Whole Living includes an article on "Modern Ayurveda," and how this ancient health system can potentially heal the stressed out, harried, and overweight through diet, lifestyle, "detox" massage, cleansing techniques, and herbal remedies. And to put this in a nutshell, it's all about balance. Paging Ms. Modern--isn't this something you always say you're after?

According to Ayurveda, each of us has a primary energy, or dosha: vata (movement), pitta (transformation), kapha (stability). Take this quiz to find

There's an underrated Cyndi Lauper song called "Money Changes Everything." Yesterday's news story about a father's plot to murder his own son in order to keep $16 million in lottery winnings for himself drove this point home loud and clear. Stories like this illustrate the ways in which sudden wealth changes people for the worst, mucking up relationships and screwing up priorities. Is it any wonder that Roseanne went seriously down hill once the Connors were rich?

But money, as we all daydream about as we gaze out from our cubicle, can spell freedom. If you imagine yourself rolling in dough, you take away one of our oldest excuses in the book for not going after what we want: "Yeah, I'd visit Italy/go to cooking school/have a baby...if I had the money." Imagining that you've got millions burning a hole in your pocket can reveal what you really want out of life. Because after the shopping spree loses its thrill and free time seems less dazzling, you'll have the means to craft the ideal

Three hamburgers, countless tortilla chips, and eleventy-million beers later, I know how you feel. Sometimes that third day of weekend "Sure, let's eat pizza for breakfast!" is just enough to tip you into too-much-vacation territory. This is a state of being so overindulged, you begin to crave bulgur and the crisp snap of asparagus. You have overdone it. But there's nothing like hitting rock bottom to get you swimming back towards the surface.

What is mindful eating? It's applying the principles of mindfulness--bringing purposeful attention to the moment--to our daily, often automatic act of eating. Psychology Today defines it as, "deliberately paying attention, being fully aware of what is happening both inside and outside yourself - in your body, heart and mind - and outside yourself, in your environment. Mindfulness is awareness without criticism or judgment."

The glory of mindful eating is tuning into ourselves and food: the sights, smells, and flavors of what we're eating, as