Tonight I was sitting on my couch, ordering FreshDirect. I know, my life is so exciting. But I digress. A funny little icon caught my eye...a picture of Robin Hood.

So I know the economy is a mess, and as relatively recent grads a lot of us are finding money pretty tight. Well, if you're one of those who happens to be fortunate enough to have an extra $50 lying around, or you're looking to do something special for the holidays, you can be Robin Hood!

Robin Hood is an organization that is working to fight poverty and hunger here in NYC. According to their website, about 1.3 New Yorkers rely on emergency food. Robin Hood has partnered with FreshDirect and for a $50 donation, FreshDirect will provide a Thanksgiving meal (turkey with all the fixins) for a family of eight.

If you're feeling extra generous, there are other ways to donate to Robin Hood, but there are FREE ways you (ESPECIALLY you social media gals out there!) can help! It's called Robin Hood Responds and they invite you to be Robin Hood by spreading the word about poverty in NYC by posting a pic of you holding their downloadable "I am Robin Hood" (or your own) sign on Flickr, donating your Facebook status and photo, or sharing (ReTweeting) poverty stats on Twitter. There are also graphics available to embed on your blog or Web site (like the ones above and below).

I always like to check out an organization's Charity Navigator rating before donating. Robin Hood has received a 4 star (the highest!) rating from Charity Navigator based on their efficiency and capacity.

I am Robin Hood. Are you?

I always consider Halloween the official start to my holiday season.  It's starting to get colder, I have to start making Thanksgiving plans, and I have to start scheduling my time and money for holiday parties and gift purchases.  Bleh.  

However...this year I am anxiously awaiting one event - Shecky's Holiday Night Out (December 17-19).

Marisol originally posted about Shecky's Girls Night Out and this event is pretty much the same deal, but with a holiday twist.

I really love the atmosphere at these events.  I am by no means a girly-girl, but I find myself giggling and talking about boys and celebrities every time I walk into one of these events, and frankly, it feels good.  For the warm-fuzzy (dare I say pink?!) feeling I have after the event, plus the free drinks and goodie bag (usually valued at $100-$125), I think the price of the ticket is well worth it.  However,  right now tickets for the Holiday Night Out and goodie bag are being sold at half price!  Not too shabby for $15.  Plus, I've never felt pressured to buy anything, and I received a ton of free samples of products while shopping (a self-tanner mitten, Softlips, etc.)  My favorite purchase was a necklace made of an Austrian postage stamp from 1972.  Random, but awesome.

Check out my bag o' goodies below (the photos show 2 bags worth of goodies - from two separate Shecky's events)!

***Note: I did run into a snag at my first GNO - they ran out of goodie bags!  Never fear, I received my bag shipped to me about two weeks later, as well as complimentary entry and goodie bag tickets to another Shecky's event!  While it was disappointing to not get my bag right away, a Shecky's rep took my information at the event and contacted me to let me know my bag was on the way.  There was also an option to be reimbursed for the ticket price of the bag - but I wanted my goodies ;)  All in all, I think the situation was handled well, and I did get my fabulous bag at my next event with no problems!***

(Other Gals' Guide cities - Shecky's has events in your cities, too!)

Goodies Galore!!!Shower and skincare products (yes, those are full size bottles)Eyes, lips, teeth, nails, faceFood and supplements (Confession: I ate both bags of veggie chips before taking this picture. Too delicious!)Personal ItemsAnd last but not least!

Books and music

Congratualtions to Meb Keflizighi, Derartu Tulu, and all of the other 2009 New York City marathon participants!  If you missed it, the marathon was this Sunday and it was a beautiful day for it!  If you're a NYCer and have never experienced the marathon, I encourage you to - there were around 2 million spectators this year.  Or better yet, volunteer at the race!  I worked at the start of the race in 2008 and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.  I lost count of the countries the runners I talked to represented, and everyone seemed to have an incredible story about why they were running or how they got to this race.  The 2009 men's winner has a very inspiring story (as I think most marathoners do), and I had goose bumps watching his finish on the news tonight.  The men's wheelchair race came down to an at-the-tape finish between the top two finishers!

I hope to run a marathon someday.  In the meantime, I participate in some shorter races, usually in Central Park.  If you enjoy running (or walking, or just being outside and doing cool stuff), I encourage you to check out New York Road Runners.  NYRR hosts a race almost every weekend at varying distances, from a mile to a marathon, for professional runners, joggers, walkers, and everyone in between.  NYRR also has running classes and clinics, and cross training activities such as deep water running and pilates.  The NYRR races I've participated in in Central Park are always a great atmosphere (even in the rain, 8 degree temperatures at race time, etc.) with tons of support and encouragement along the way.  This is great for a novice like me, and I'm sure gives the more experienced runners a boost, too!  Each race does have an entry fee, but the fees are less for NYRR members.  For more casual (and cheap!) running or walking, I've found that it's easy to find an impromptu group at any NYC park on a Saturday morning.  NYC has a ridiculously friendly running/walking community and I encourage you to check it out!

Are there any other marathoners/runners/walkers out there?  We'd love to hear your stories!

Now let's see if New York City can keep the celebration rolling with the Yankees' 27th World Series title!

Hey NYC Gals!  Well, it's almost November and you know what that means...elections!

Yes, it's that time of year and the New York City general election is coming up on November 3rd.  Polling places will be open from 6AM until 9PM and you can find your polling place by entering your address in this online form.  If you're not sure who to vote for, there is plenty of time left to do your research!  Check out this great voter guide for information on candidates for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and City Council, as well as links to information about other offices up for election.  Personally, I'll be doing my candidate homework while recovering from my Halloween candy coma.  Have a safe weekend ladies so you can get out and vote!  ;)