By Sheila Lane
The holiday season is a time to sit by the fireplace, knock back some egg nog and dream of the things we want to do to become better people. In other words, it’s a time for New Year’s resolutions. It’s easy to ponder the ways you’ll become stronger, smarter and kinder in the warm coziness of the holiday, but when the stark, bright light of January 1st rolls around, some of us begin to backpedal on those dreams. This year, there’s no reason to give up before you’ve even begun. The good folks of Larchmont Boulevard are ready to turn your resolution into a reality. How? Well, let’s examine a few common resolutions:
GET IN BETTER SHAPE
Attending classes at Flywheel and Yogaworks can help you reach your fitness goals. Flywheel offers a high-energy roster of indoor cycling classes, which are led by enthusiastic instructors with motivating music.
Natalie Floyd, the studio manager of Yogaworks, said her yoga studio offers a variety of classes and teachers for “everyone, every age, and every body.” Floyd suggests new students take advantage of the studio’s “Two Weeks for $25” trial to explore which classes are right for them.
“I always say that the hardest part of yoga is showing up!” said Floyd. “Once you get to your mat, it is the most gratifying form of self-care.”
To encourage those committed to making yoga part of their lives, Floyd suggests that students plan their class time along with other priorities and appointments when they are scheduling their week.
“It is common to get caught up in our busy lives and claim we are ‘too busy’ for self-care,” said Floyd, “ but the hour or two that you shave out of your schedule for your yoga practice will contribute to the rest of your day, week, and life!”
DISCOVER A NEW HOBBY
Take a good look at the magazines sold at the Above the Fold newsstand and you will see a cornucopia of interests present themselves: cooking, photography, fashion, motorcycles, rock climbing, avant-garde art, gardening, martial arts, cars, design, aviation, comics—the list goes on. And with snazzy titles like Octane, Juxtapoz and design antho/ogy, you can feel like you’re opening the door to a new experience before you even get past the cover! Exploring these magazines is a great way to learn more about an interest you’ve always had or to discover a new one. And while you’re at the newsstand, pick up one of the many newspapers available to take care of another resolution: Be Better Informed.
LEARN AN INSTRUMENT
There it sits in the corner, the guitar you swore you were going to learn how to play. You
could start the year by pretending you don’t see it, or you could shake off your musical regrets and head over to the Rhodes School of Music and learn how to play it.
“So many people took lessons when they were younger and still have a family piano sitting around unused, or a guitar they meant to start learning but never really got to it,” said David Rhodes, owner of the school. “We offer trial lessons, but after that, students need to enroll in weekly lessons so it really encourages people to jump right in.”
Rhodes School of Music primarily focuses on private one-on-one lessons and is open to students of all ages. Lessons are available for piano, guitar, voice, clarinet, flute, drums, saxophone, violin, viola, audio production, cello, electric bass, upright bass, ukulele, trumpet, and trombone
“Adults can learn a song they’ve always wanted to play, or learn an instrument as deeply as they wish,” said Rhodes. “Parents can also satisfy some of the resolutions they have for their kids by reaping the vast rewards of music education.”
TRY A NEW HAIRSTYLE
The New Year is a great time to shake things up and get a new look. Whether you know exactly what you want, or aren’t quite sure, Vincent Hair Artistry is the place to go. Co-owner Jürgen Sauer said that at his salon—which serves women, men and children—the first step is a phone call. Once a client tells the staff at the front desk what they generally have in mind, Sauer selects the right hairdresser for that particular client to meet for a free consultation.
“We have really seasoned hairdressers here,” said Sauer. “They’ve all been in business for a long time.”
Once a client and hairdresser partner up, they discuss possible options. If a client brings in a picture, the hairdresser will point out what was done to create that look and what kind of maintenance it requires. Once the duo has agreed upon what the client’s new look will be, pricing—including suggested products— is discussed.
“Products are big part of your look on a daily basis,” said Sauer, who carries Aveda and Bumble and bumble products. “If you’re going to spend a decent amount of money on your hair, you should also spend a decent amount of money on product to keep your look as long and as beautiful as you can.”
Vincent Hair Artistry also offers manicures and pedicures, including gel and chrome techniques. Full-face air-brush make-up is available as well as tattoo cover-up services. And later in the year, the salon will be offering microblading, a semi-permanent technique that allows you to keep your desired eyebrow shape for a year or more.
SAVE MORE MONEY
With no less than four banks on the boulevard—Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Chase Bank and US Bank—options and advice on how to best save your money and make it work for you are readily available.
EXPLORE THE WORLD
Perhaps your resolution is to set your wanderlust free and plan a dream vacation. To get the most bang out of your buck, it’s time to do a little research. Head over to Chevalier’s book store and pour over their travel section. The shelves are loaded with fact-laden guides on places near and far—from Anaheim to Zimbabwe. In addition, a collection of travel writing from journalists and literary writers will give you a deeper layer of understanding about the lands you want to see.
TACKLE A REMODELING PROJECT
Ever have one of those mornings when the shower handle comes off in your hands? You may think to yourself, “but we just put in this shower…..twenty years ago.”Unfortunately, things fall apart, but the New Year is a fine time to take on a remodeling project. Bob Vacca of Lipson Plumbing has been helping local residents and businesses do just that for over 40 years.
“We work with a team of exceptional professionals involved from marble to tile to carpentry to paint to roofing,” said Vacca. “We have a conglomeration of guys that we have compiled over many years and we work together.”
If you’re looking for a smaller project, Vacca has some suggestions. One is to make sure that all of your toilets are compliant with the current codes of 1.28 gallon flush or less.
“That helps reduce water consumption and thus lowers the water bill,” said Vacca, “and they actually perform better than the old conventional water-waster types of toilets.”
The second is to check to see if you have a gas earthquake valve installed. If not, Vacca can remedy the situation. Finally, remember, should any plumbing emergency—big or small— come up during 2018, Vacca and his staff will be standing by to help you out.
GET TREASURED KEEPSAKES OUT OF BOXES AND ON DISPLAY
While keeping one New Year’s resolution–cleaning out the garage/attic/drawers—you may stumble into another one. What if you come across some fabulous vintage photo or keepsake of a beloved family member? Are you going to shove it back in the drawer or are you going to give it the spotlight it deserves?
Gary Fuss, owner of A Silver Lining frame shop, has helped many clients preserve what’s most important to them.
“Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of old family photos,” said Fuss. “I’ve even received things from Vietnam.”
Fuss explained that a client came in wanting to preserve the memorabilia from his father who served in Vietnam and has since passed away. Working with the client, Fuss put together a shadow box that showcased medals, photographs and other ephemera.
He has done similar work with another client who wanted to honor his musician father by displaying the tickets, photographs and programs that stemmed from his years on tour.
Whether it’s a large project, or simply taking one photo of a grandparent out of shoebox and placing it into a suitable frame, Fuss will guide you through the process.
SPEND MORE TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Laughing over a cup of coffee, discussing future plans over dinner, commiserating over an ice cream cone—what better way is there to get closer to people than to share a meal or nosh? No matter the size of one’s wallet or preference in cuisine, Larchmont truly does offer something for everybody. Not sure where to go? A quick scan of the eating establishments listed on this website’s directory will reveal the place that’s best for the kind of experience you want to share with your loved ones.
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