I used to have a regular column called Current Influences, in which I wrote about the things I was reading, watching and listening to in my spare time. I decided to re-launch it with some fresh ideas. I won’t be including the books I’m reading, because I already do a monthly book review. I will talk about other experiences I might be having, or life hacks that are working for me, and I may share blogs or podcasts that are resonating with me.

I’m SUPER into….

This amazing exercise machine.

I’ve always had this dilemma: what to do with my morning time? I’m an early riser, and my time before the rest of the family gets up is the most fresh and productive of the day. So what do I do with that time? Do I write, or do I exercise?

I write, of course, because that’s my highest priority, and I do exercise other times throughout the week. But I still felt like I could do better. On most work days last year, the only exercise I got was walking the stroller up the hill to pick my son up from daycare. I worked out on the weekends and usually managed to take a walk or bike ride on one afternoon. But I wanted more.

Enter this amazing machine. It’s an under-desk elliptical. Now I can write and work out AT THE SAME TIME. It feels incredibly productive. By the time I go to work, I’ve already knocked out at least two of my writing goals, and I’ve exercised for at least 38 minutes (30 on the elliptical, 8 on the walk to daycare). I used to set goals of 150 or 180 minutes of exercise per week; now I’m easily hitting 270 or even 300. Best of all, this machine was cheap ($89 on Amazon) and easy to put together (I did it myself). If you’ve always been intrigued by treadmill desks but you don’t have the space, this is an awesome substitute!

I’m into…

Frozen crockpot meals.

I went to a friend’s crockpot party a couple of weeks ago where I prepared ten (yes, TEN) bagged meals to throw in the freezer until it was time to defrost and cook them in the crockpot. It took a lot less prep time than I’d expected for ten meals (about an hour and a half at home, and an hour or so at the party, plus shopping time). And I love the accomplished feeling I get when I pull a defrosted bag out of the fridge, dump it in the crockpot and set the timer. It’s so satisfying to have dinner taken care of so fast. The meals are good, too! I’ll definitely be doing more freezer-to-crockpot cooking when we’re done with these ten.

I’m into…

Comedy improv.

Date night last Sunday was the Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood show at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center. They’re two of the guys from “Whose Line is it Anyway,” a quirky, completely improvised comedy show that I fell in love with during college. (My friend Jen and I used to race home from Wind Ensemble to watch…) I was beyond thrilled when they started making new episodes in 2013.

Sunday night was the third time my husband and I saw Colin and Brad’s show, and it was fabulous as usual. Though they play similar improv games, the show is totally different every time, especially here in our hometown (turns out Poughkeepsieans are much raunchier, and sometimes ruder, than those at Westchester shows). I think the thing I love about improv is how much rehearsal must go into making something happen unrehearsed. It’s like writing off the top of your head. No edits, no drafts, just finished product, bam. That takes so much skill and practice, and I think my laughs are at least 50% just plain awe.

What are you into this month?

Have you ever bought something, like my elliptical, that changed the whole structure of your day?