Weekending & Preparing for the “Big Move”

August 31, 2015August 30, 201511 Comments

Good morning! It’s hard to believe we are entering into our LAST week of summer, huh? I mean, I know September generally bodes good weather, but it’s crazy to think that Labor Day Weekend is right around the corner. The Cape seemed to be a bit quieter than normal this past weekend, and I wonder if it’s because a lot of schools have already started so people don’t hang around as long on Sundays anymore? Whatever the reason, I’ll take it! Here are some pictures from the weekend- it was a good one!

Part of our dinner on Friday night- whipped up this delicious quinoa salad… hope to share it with you this week!

RM had a bunch of stuff to do for one of the apartments he’s renting so after I taught I went to the beach in East Boston for a few hours.

Ahhh, finally made it to the Cape just in time for cocktail hour 😉

Have you guys tried these Spiked Seltzers? I loveeedd it and want to try more flavors!

Soaking up the sun on a beautiful Sunday beach day. The water was the perfect temp and was so fun to play in!

Traffic was on our side on the way home, too- love when that happens 🙂 What I don’t love, though? Is packing… it’s just the worst. I haven’t talked much about it on the blog, but RM and I have decided to move in together! We are moving into a house his family owns in Watertown/Newton Corner and while I’m sad to leave East Boston and the “city” life, it will be nice to have a bigger apartment… with a yard… and a big driveway, so even though we won’t be a few short T stops into the city anymore, it will be nice to have all of those things. Plus, I think it’s going to be a lot of fun living together and it is going to make my life so much easier because I won’t have to pack a bag and head to his place every night like I’ve been doing for the past year+.

While I’m a little nervous about moving in with a guy (this is a first for me!), I definitely feel like it’s the right time and something I really want to do. We spend so much time together anyway, that it will be nice to be able to do that in a place of our own, which is much different than doing it at his apartment, even though I feel super comfortable there. I’m sure there will be some adjustments that we will both have to make, but at the end of the day, I think our lives in terms of living will mesh really well together and I’m excited to have someone to come home to every night! I’m also excited to cook and shop together (even though we already do this all the time now) and have one “home base” to share so that no matter what our schedules are like, we know we will at least both be going to bed together every night.

So, I’m moving out of my place on Thursday and then we are both moving to Watertown officially on Tuesday the 8th. I know you’re probably going “why wouldn’t you just move in at the same date together?!”, and I get it… we are questioning the same thing! I think originally the plan was to have me moved out in early September so the new renters could move in. They are doing some renovations to the apartment we are moving into (new countertops, new sink, new dishwasher, new stove, putting in a washer and a dryer, etc.), so we were hoping to have that finished before officially moving in, which is why his move date is a few days out past mine. It’s going to be a little chaotic, but hopefully things will go smoothly!

I’m hoping to keep my blogging fairly regular over the next few weeks, but if I seem to go silent, at least you’ll know why 🙂

Questions for you: What was the best part of your weekend? Have you tried the spiked seltzers? Do you feel ready for summer to end? Any tips for moving in with your significant other?

Wednesday Workout: Ramp Lunges & Total Body Circuit Bootcamp

August 26, 2015August 24, 20152 Comments

Hi! I hope your Wednesday is off to a fantastic start 🙂 I think you’re really going to like today’s workout… 1. because it’s no equipment necessary so you can do it anywhere and 2. because it makes the booty burnnnn! I’m always trying to come up with fun and unique workouts for my Tuesday night bootcampers. These girls are paying me money to workout for an hour, so I want them to feel like they’re getting their money’s worth AND be able to hopefully take some of the workouts home with them to do on their own.

I usually try to get to the gym during my lunch break to do MY workout so that I can focus on them during class, but last week it just wasn’t in the cards for me to get to the gym before teaching so I ended up doing it with them. It was fun to be getting sweaty and breathing heavy with them- I think they appreciated seeing me work as hard as them 😉 I also heard one of the girls asking another how class was since she wasn’t able to make it. I walked in on her going “oh, that must have been a hard workout. She always makes the workouts harder when she does them with us!” I had to laugh because although this workout did leave me sucking wind, I had planned the workout long before I realized I’d be doing it with them! It worked out perfectly, though, because this was a workout I didn’t want to miss- hope you like it as much as we all did!

So, the way it works is you’re always going to be going back to the benchmark exercise, which is: lunging up the hill or ramp (we used the ramp in a parking garage!), jog down, sprint up the hill/ramp, jog down and then repeat it once more. When you finish 2 rounds of that, you’ll do each bodyweight pyramid circuit above. The moves should be fairly common moves, so I’ll spare you (and myself!) from writing out all the details 🙂 I will give you some notes in terms of reps:

30 side dips- 30 to each side
20 side lunges- 10 to each side
30 butt kicks- each leg comes up 30 times
20 1-legged deadlifts- 10 on each leg
50 high knees- each knee comes up 50 times
30 mountain climbers- each knee comes in 30 times
20 plank w/shoulder taps- each hand taps to the opposite shoulder 20 times
HRPU= hand release push-up

This is a great workout to take on the road or to do outside near your home if you’re looking to try something knew and not go to the gym. I don’t know about you, but I’m trying to avoid the gym as much as possible as the summer comes to an end. We’ll have all winter long where we won’t be able to workout outside, so soak it up!

Questions for you: Have you ever tried lunging on an incline? Do you like to sprint? Are you avoiding the gym, too?

“What Does A Healthy Person Like You Order At the Bar?”

August 25, 2015August 24, 20154 Comments

A while back at my company outing, while standing in line to get a drink someone came up to me and said “what does a healthy person like you order at the bar?”. I had to laugh to myself because my immediate response was “whatever I feel like drinking!”, but when I thought about it a little more, I understood what she meant in her question. If health and fitness isn’t a passion of yours, making “healthy” decisions and choices may not come as easily or naturally to you. In fact, it may even be totally overwhelming for you. I’m not saying they have always come naturally to me, but at this point after all of the articles and blog posts I’ve read, choosing the healthier option generally comes pretty easy to me.

So, with that in mind, I responded saying that I normally drink wine, well, #becausewine 😉 But I also said I drink whatever I’m feeling… in moderation. I’m not going to go out and have 5 glasses of Sangria or 5 margaritas because those can be laden with sugar and calories, but one or two? Not going to erase all my hard work. A few beers? Same thing. If I’m going to have drinks, I want them to be something I ENJOY (again, which is usually wine!). I’m not going to drink straight tequila just because it’s supposedly the “healthiest” alcohol (Paleo approved! It’s got to be good for you! <– hope you can sense my sarcasm…). And I’m not going to slay back beers because everyone is doing it- I was the girl in college ordering wine at dive bars when that totally wasn’t the “thing” to do 😉

But, as long as I’m enjoying what I’m drinking and being mindful about my decisions, I’m not going to worry about it or regret it… well, unless I have one too many of whatever I’m drinking! Here are some tips to help me make healthier choices at the bar or restaurant:

Think about what I feel like: If it’s a hot, summer day, I’ll probably want a cold, refreshing beer. If it’s a cold winter night, a nice glass of red wine. If I’m at a Mexican restaurant- hello margarita! Cocktail hour- usually white wine. Out at a bar at night- definitely white wine- way less stains that way 😉
Order a water with your drink: alcohol can cause some serious dehydration and because it tastes so refreshing on a nice, hot day, you will probably drink more than intended in order to quench your thirst. However, if you drink water consistently while you’re enjoying your bevvies, you’re likely to drink less and feel less of the effects the next day.
Pick one “fun” drink and then switch to something lighter: If you’re really craving a daiquiri or margarita or something else like that, have one! … but then switch to something that’s maybe not going to be filled with so many calories.
Don’t let others drink choices or drink quantities influence you to do the same: I get it- you’re out getting drinks with friends or coworkers and every time your drink gets low it seems someone is ordering another round. It’s so easy to get caught up in that and then next thing you know you’ve thrown back 4-5 drinks in a short amount of time. Not only is that possibly a recipe for a hangover, but it’s also going to up your calorie intake and if you’re looking to monitor that, you might want to skip out on a few rounds of drinks.

These may not seem like earth shattering tips, but sometimes the simplest of tips/tricks to making healthier decisions can be exactly the ones that often get forgotten. Being healthy and making healthy choices doesn’t have to be boring and doesn’t have to be all about sacrifice. Sometimes it’s more about making small compromises in order to get the best of both worlds- consistency and splurging. And lastly, even if you don’t make the “right” decisions all the time and have a night where you throw back 6 margaritas, it’s ok. If you had a blast of a night then there’s no need to fret- you can always get back on track tomorrow!

Questions for you: What’s your “go-to” drink of choice? Do you prefer simple or do you order fancy drinks? Do you have a tip to help you drink and enjoy your night mindfully?

Chicken & Veggie Zoodles- Scampi Style

August 24, 2015August 23, 20152 Comments

Good morning! It’s hard to believe that we are entering our last full week of August. On the one hand, this summer has gone by in a blur, but on the other, I feel like it’s been one of the most relaxing summers I’ve had in a long time. We only had 1 wedding, we didn’t have any big trips planned and we were able to get to the Cape for a few nice weekends. Even though I always want a nice, sunny weekend, this past one- rainy/gloomy/humid weather and all- was actually welcomed.

It was nice to be able to do stuff inside my apartment rather than go to the beach! Plus, my parents came down on Saturday for the night to help my sister and me with some packing and to celebrate my dad’s birthday. We ordered lunch when they got here on Saturday and then headed to Piers Park to hang out and relax before going food shopping in order to make dinner on Saturday night. We ended up grilling burgers- some were beef/veal/pork and the others were plan ol’ beef burgers. So good! On Sunday , mom and I went to church and then we all helped pack up some stuff that they were gracious enough to take home for us. All in all, it was a great weekend and so nice to just be home. I can’t remember the last time I woke up in my apartment on a Sunday and then had most of the day to do whatever the heck I wanted to do (which, consisted of watching part of a movie, doing a quickie workout, cooking, reading and blogging).

Anyway! The point of this post was to share an easy “zoodle” recipe with you. It seems like spiralizers are all the rage these days, and I can’t lie- I love using mine! I’ve used it for carrots, zucchini and summer squash, but zucchini is my favorite. This recipe came together pretty quickly and I enjoyed it all week. Loaded with wine and garlic and veggies, you can’t really go wrong 😉

Ingredients- rough estimate- I didn’t measure 🙂

2 large zucchinis, spiralized
1 ear of corn, steamed and kernels cut off the cob
handful of small Brussels sprouts- cut in half
4 chicken breast tenders
2 tbsp. pine nuts (or nut of choice)
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup EVOO
1/4 cup white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
S&P to taste

Directions

Steam the corn & cut the kernels off. Meanwhile, cut the Brussels sprouts and steam for 2-3 minutes to speed up the cooking time.
Spiralize your zucchini and set aside. Head a skillet at medium heat and let the oil, garlic, wine and lemon juice simmer.
Once it’s simmerd a bit, add in the steamed Brussels sprouts and let them cook for a bit. Once they are mostly soft, add in the pine nuts and corn and raw zucchini. While that is cooking, heat up another skillet and cook the chicken.
Once the chicken is cooked, chop it up and add it to the veggies.

I’ll be honest, I had no idea what I was creating when I started this dish- I just knew I had a bunch of things in my fridge that I needed to use up so I went with it and I have to say- I’m pretty happy with the end result!

I loved the flavor combination as well as the bright green and yellow colors- and the slight crunch from the pine nuts was great for a texture queen like myself.

I ended up even eating it cold throughout the week and it tasted just as good as when it was nice and hot.

I tend to eat more veggies in the summer (because everything is fresh and they are light and easy), and this meal totally hit the spot in that department. Nothing like quick, easy & healthy meals to throw together and eat throughout the week!

Questions for you: How was your weekend? Has your summer been busy with weddings and travel? What’s your favorite dinner to make in the summer? Do you have a spiralizer?

Weekending in Boothbay Harbor

August 20, 2015August 20, 20157 Comments

Hi! Last weekend was one for the books, so I just HAD to share 😉 My friend Meredith was getting married in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, so we figured we might as well make a little weekend out of it. I hadn’t taken time off of work since Italy, so it felt nice to have a 4 day weekend planned. After a long walk and breakfast, RM and I hit the road.

Since it was such a gorgeous day, we planned to leave early enough to accommodate a stop at Wells Beach for a few hours. The sand was soft, the sun was shining and the wine was flowing… not a bad start to the weekend!

(side note- have you seen these CANS of wine? they are the perfect thing to take on the road with you and I have to say, the rose was delicious!)

We packed up and hit the road to make the remainder of the trip around 4pm and unfortunately hit lots of traffic. We finally made it to the Inn around 6 and were ready for a shower and dinner. The Inn we stayed at was Topside Inn and we cannot say enough good things about our stay there. The owners, Mark and “Buzz”, were awesome and have done a really great job with the business that they bought just a year ago. The rooms were gorgeous and very “beach-y” feeling, everything was immaculately clean and detail was paid to just about everything you could think of- including leaving a wine opener with the wine glasses in each room 😉