Lifestyles with our Sponsors Archives - Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk: The Magazines for New and North Castle

‘Bridal Boot Camp’ at the Saw Mill Club Kicks off June 21

June 8, 2017 by Inside Press

The Saw Mill Club, at its two locations, will offer Perks Galore to Brides to Be

Mount Kisco, NY–Saw Mill Club, Westchester’s premier luxury health and fitness club with two locations in Mount Kisco, announces the debut of its first annual Bridal Boot Camp. The six-week program aims to help local brides look and feel their best on their big day through one-on-one personal training, unlimited group fitness, and a handful of beauty treatments, among other perks. Bridal Boot Camp kicks off on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 and is open to non-members of Saw Mill Club.

Bridal Boot Camp offers personal training that is tailored to each bride’s desired fitness results, including a focus on the areas of the body that her wedding gown will highlight. Each bride will also receive unlimited access to Group Fitness classes at both club locations, as well as the option to participate in Small Group Personal Training once weekly. Additionally, the program includes grooming services performed by Saw Mill Club’s in-house esthetician and brow sculpting expert, as well as treatment by a Certified Massage Therapist and beauty specials at Spa Chiara, the medical spa located in Saw Mill Club East. Last but not least, there’s even a club guest pass for the Groom.

“Our team has successfully provided personal training to many brides throughout the years and the outcome has always been rewarding, both for our trainers and the brides,” said Billy Goda, Fitness Director, Saw Mill Club. “We’re excited to officially offer a robust program that specifically meets the needs of a bride who’s wanting to look and feel her best on one of the most memorable days of her life.”

To reserve your spot in Bridal Boot Camp or for program specifics and pricing, please visit www.sawmillclub.com/bridalbootcamp. For additional questions, please email bridalbootcamp@sawmillclub.com Saw Mill Club is located at 77 Kensico Drive, Mount Kisco, N.Y., 10549.

GPS Wrestling in Armonk for Fitness, Health Benefits & Valuable Life Lessons

June 6, 2017 by Inside Press

GPS Wrestling has existed for several years, but has happily settled into a brand new, state of the art facility at 100 Business Park Drive in Armonk, NY. Head coach, Grant Paswell grew up in this area and had a very successful high school and college wrestling career. He used what he learned as a student of the sport and established a multi-dimensional training method that can be applied to athletes of all ages and abilities. Wrestling not only provides health benefits, but it teaches valuable life lessons in confidence, work ethic, and accountability, among others.The company is currently offering training programs for anyone who is at least seven years old. In addition to the regularly scheduled programming, clinics taught by Olympic Gold Medalists and Olympic hopefuls (see pictures) have already been held with more coming. Additionally, new types of programs will be rolling out over the next several months. Please visit us at www.gpswrestling.com to learn more, or if you are in the area, feel free to drop in.

GPS Wrestlers with 4x NCAA and 2016 World Champion Logan Stieber

GPS Wrestlers with Olympic Gold Medalist Brandon Slay

Four Questions for ‘Top Laser Expert’ Josh Fink, M.D.

June 3, 2017 by Kelly Leonard

Considered by many of his colleagues a top laser expert in Westchester County, Josh Fink is double board certified in internal medicine and pulmonary diseases, and is also a Fellow of the American Society of Lasers in Medicine and Surgery. In addition to his laser and cosmetic practice based in Mount Kisco, Dr. Fink is the Director of the Clinical Trials Program at Northern Westchester Hospital, where he and his team of Clinical Research Coordinators oversee all new and investigational therapies. Previously, he dedicated years of his professional life caring for the sickest of all patients in the Northern Westchester Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, where he performed most of the ICU procedures.

“Community is everything,” says Dr. Fink who makes sure that he donates to such causes as Force Blue and Operation Enduring Warrior, which are two Veteran causes he deeply cares about.

What draws clients into see you?

One of the most beautiful things about medical aesthetics is that it combines both Science and Art. As we age the brow sort of flattens a little bit, the cheeks splay outwards and we develop a jowl line. Face shape changes from heart shape to trapezoid. Part of that is due to collagen loss, loss of the elasticity of the skin and fat pads start to shrink as we age, asymmetry becomes more exaggerated.

I like to tell people to think of their facial structure as a table and tablecloth. The table is bone structure, fat, and volume while the tablecloth is the way it looks–wrinkles, pores, redness, and brown spots. We treat both the table and the tablecloth.

We’re known best for fillers and “neuro-modulators.” Things like Juvederm, Voluma, Restylane, Dysport and Botox. I have a background in art and think most fillers require the most artistic expression of any non-surgical based procedure. Lasers are fairly straightforward, fillers and the way you use them and the combination of fillers is very much artistry.

How do you customize your approach to each client’s needs?

I’m not likely to use long-lasting fillers on someone who has never had one before, as they may not like the look. So I may want to give them something that’s on the shorter lifespan of fillers and recommend coming back again in six months and we can do something that lasts a little bit longer. I suggest they grow into it and see if they like it. It’s a smart way of doing it.

There is no one size fits all. So if somebody comes in and says I want to have a pair of Angelina Jolie lips, but the problem is they don’t have the natural spacing for that to be done. We’re all cut slightly different. So when we do filler work, which is really the artistic part of esthetics, one size does not fit all.

Our eye gravitates towards symmetry, it’s really important. So we’ll measure angles and ratios because in beauty there’s science and in science there’s also math. So there is math to what we do, and we’ll actually measure out angles to see where we think what needs to be done and sometimes not often, but 20% of the time, someone will come in and I will say, I don’t think we should do anything with you. I think you look great.

What tends to be your clients’ biggest fears and concerns about any particular procedure?

Bruising. But people do bruise and bruises do go away. I think the biggest concern aside from the practical is they don’t want to look fake. We take care of hundreds of people in this community and I’ll ask [prospective clients], tell me the last time you saw somebody walking around here that looked that way. The nice thing about my practice is, people we’ve treated in the past, we’re still treating. I think to the credit of the practice, when we’ve had people who’ve gone to other locations I’d say half of them end up coming back here because the artistry is different. You can take the same doctors, the same fillers, and get completely different looks.

What are your best tips for optimal skin care?

Moisturizer and a sunblock are the most crucial. Everybody wants to look good when they need to look good but that requires you to do some maintenance along the way. You’re not going to take someone who is 55 and make them look 30, nor should you try. We want them to look really good for their age and that is something that I think can be done.

So stay out of the sun, don’t smoke, hydrate, wear your sunblock; avoid highly restrictive diets if not medically necessary (they can cause hair loss and acne), eat a rainbow of foods of all colors; good skin care products aren’t cheap, cheap products aren’t good and expensive products aren’t necessarily any better. So know your skin care products that you’re using.

There is a commitment that you make to your skin care because what you do when you come here is important but what you do every day that you’re not here is just as important if not more.

Calm, Cool and Collected: Home Furnishing Selections Arrive at Family Britches

June 3, 2017 by Dana Y. Wu

Family Britches current lifestyle look accentuates the pleasure of Chappaqua’s residential life and the calm, natural beauty that the Town of New Castle offers. The community’s bucolic feel is reflected in the natural texture, seasonal color palette and versatility of the new women’s and furniture collections.

Celebrating its 47th year in town, Family Britches occupies space on King Street that formerly housed the post office, a liquor store, a real estate office and a beauty parlor. When co-owners Barry Mishkin and Rick Buggee bought the building in 1972, the Chappaqua streetscape had a driveway that ran through from the back parking lot to King Street. They built a multi-level addition in 1984 to showcase women’s wear and boy’s clothing.

Freshly repainted, the inspired loft space is now stocked with handpicked items set under the building’s original overhead tresses. Visually appealing and intriguing pieces such as fiber pillows, fuzzy goatskin seats, woven fabric poufs, plush throws and luxe upholstery invite shoppers to settle in and enjoy the refined ambience.

Wonderful gifts, all at different price points, such as Buddha snowglobes, poured candles, organic aromatherapy and beautiful pottery are perfect for hostesses, for teachers and for newlyweds. Whimsical items for new parents and handcrafted jewelry designed and made by Family Britches employee, Stephen, including sculptural pendant necklaces and delicate beaded chains are tastefully displayed throughout the store.

Generations of patrons have long trusted Rick, Barry and the staff to graciously assemble outfits for work, relaxation and special occasions. Shopping at Family Britches has always meant the finest clothes that are fitted to the customer’s preferences. Munzer, the tailor, hand stitches each alteration on garments. Family Britches rewards clients who shop in the hassle-free boys department and the extensive men’s section with friendly service and an educated aesthetic. The evolving women’s selections currently features a large selection of contemporary casual spring/summer attire items that look cleaned up but also have a throw-on vibe, like t-shirts, hoodies, Frye boots, in combination with favorites such as Cambio jeans and Repeat sweaters.

“Come in to be inspired, it’s theatre.” Rick adds, “We want our customers to experience what e-commerce can’t deliver. We personally guide you through the best wardrobe options and provide exceptional quality, comfort and surprises.” Just as dress codes have shifted away from white-collar business garb, Family Britches contemporary selection reflects a more relaxed attitude and active, healthy living. The shop’s versatile clothing can be worn for both work and weekend activities, combining classic style with fresh upgrades.

Family Britches collaboration with J. Seitz, a Litchfield County, Connecticut retailer, brings one of a kind items as well as furniture displayed in composed decorative settings. Manufacturers such as Cisco Brothers and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams are known for eye-catching styles that are versatile and simple. J. Seitz offers a custom design service to help clients create a comfortable, stylish environment in their homes, whether traditional or contemporary interiors. “Beautiful pottery from artisan sources as well as cashmere throws and pillows of all kinds are also now available in Chappaqua.

You can now furnish your home as well as shop for clothes, in this new lifestyle shop,” states Seitz.

“The healthy 21st century hamlet is much more than a retail destination,” states the 2017 comprehensive plan for New Castle. Family Britches, a vital institution in this commuter town, is committed to always improving its presence on King Street and being aesthetically pleasing on many levels. “We want to give people more reasons to come downtown,” says Barry. “We want them to find a mix of things that are new and exciting to inspire them.” Family Britches’ serene and thoughtful store windows encourage a relaxed pace of shopping.

Customers who love Family Britches good taste and quality now can have a well-dressed home too, with furnishings, linens, bedding and accents that reflect today’s balanced cool and simple comfort.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF J.SEITZ

Discovering the True Gift of Dance… in an Operating Room

June 3, 2017 by Ari Brandsdorfer

When I started ballet in the 3rd grade, I was immediately thrust into the two worlds of dance: the world of practice and the world of performance. Practice consisted of endless classes and day long rehearsals where skills could be honed in the privacy of a studio. Mistakes were acceptable but promptly corrected and mastery of technique directly correlated with hours of hard work.

Performance, on the other hand, was different. The music enveloped you, bright lights illuminated you and as you look out on the dimly light audience between movements of carefully set choreography you realized there were hundreds if not thousands of eyes in the room…and they were all looking at you.

And while many people think dancers perform only for the applause, the truth is we perform for the intense, adrenaline-filled rush that accompanies successfully completing painstakingly practiced movements while under extreme pressure.

Although we practiced for months at a time leading up to our shows, inevitably every performance comes with its set of unforeseen errors. Props get dropped, people fall on stage, someone stands on the wrong mark, backstage lighting malfunctions, music starts too early or too late (or recently for our Snow Scene not at all!), but it is in those moments of chaos where true performers shine. Maintaining a calm demeanor when your heart is beating out of your chest, thinking up quick, effective solutions to unexpected snafus, and emotionally dealing with the embarrassment of a mistake cannot be learned in the ballet studio; it can only be learned on stage.

When I hung up my ballet slippers in 2011 after 13 years of dance, I felt a void in my life where performance had once lived; the adrenaline-filled moments I experienced on stage were gone. I resigned myself feeling this loss as the inevitable punishment for those who walked away from dance. But then, in my third year of medical school, I rediscovered the excitement in the most unexpected place: the operating room (OR).

In the OR for the first time, I felt an implacable but eerily familiar feeling. Scrub techs and circulating nurses were busy ensuring the surgeon had proper lighting and securing the patient to the OR table. After the patient was placed under anesthesia and covered with sterile drapes the room quieted as the surgeon and his residents entered. They gowned/ gloved up, the room lights were dimmed, the OR lights were turned on, and it hit me; I was at a performance! The OR had lights, cameras, a stage, and audience members. Principle, soloist, and corps dancers were replaced by surgeons, residents, and medical students. Each surgery had a carefully laid out choreography that required precise technique, impeccable timing, and hours of practice before show time.

In those early moments of my surgical training, I realized the gift ballet had given me–the gift of being able to perform. Thanks to years on the stage, it came naturally to me that I could think quickly while under the OR lights, improvise when something was going awry, and keep a calm demeanor when my heart was racing. In the Operating Room, confidence saves lives, and yet again, the confidence that my body would perform as I wanted it to under intense circumstances was there from day one.

To feel sure that you will actually help someone by cutting them open, inflicting wounds onto their bodies–which in any other setting is considered assault with a deadly weapon–and to believe after you have pieced them back together they will be better off (than if you had never touched them in the first place)…these are not convictions that can be learned in the library.

There are so many pieces of my life I am eternally grateful to dance for giving me: the best moments of my youth, great friends I still love seeing, a work ethic which got me through medical school, and the ability to thrive under the pressure of the OR.

Former dance students don’t say this enough to their instructors, and certainly not years later, but to Mr. Logrea, Mrs. Logrea, Nick and Carol, thank you for all the lessons and time you spent with me, I truly believe I am a better doctor and a better surgeon because of all of you.