Category: Bubbly

More Weekend Catch-Up

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Hi! How’s everyone doing? Did you survive Monday? I always feel a little better once Monday is over!

Since I didn’t do much weekend recapping except for Sara’s shower, I wanted to fill you in now! Everyone left our place by 6pm on Saturday and at that point, my sister and I were ready to get out of the house. I had a $20 OpenTable gift certificate and she had a $10 UBER credit, so we decided to take advantage of both and go grab dinner somewhere. Most restaurants were pretty busy, but one of our go-to favorite restaurants just happened to have some availability! I stumbled upon Anthem Restaurant in Faneuil Hall a few winters ago when I was planning Rachel’s bachelorette party and we have been in love with it ever since! I’ve taken my parents there, work friends there, college friends there… Pretty much any time we don’t know where to go, but want good atmosphere and good food, we go there.

Anyway! Since we were not too hungry, we ordered some wine and chatted before placing our meal order.

042Once our stomachs began to rumble a little, we placed an order of their Boston Bibb salad and Margarita Pizza. Nothing too heavy, but enough to satisfy us!

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045Yum! The salad looks boring, but the dressing they use is what makes it so good!

My friend and former co-worker, JP, met us out, which is always a good time. He and my sister can be bad news sometimes, though, because they egg each other on in drinking competitions and whatnot. Youngin’s, I tell ya!

046JP was also able to catch this on camera. I have to say that she did a much better job carrying me this time. I blame it on my heels!

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I woke up Sunday feeling much better than I thought I would, which is always a nice surprise. After blogging and eating breakfast, I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and go for a walk. Danielle joined me so it was nice to have someone to talk to! We covered just about 2 miles and then I worked to get my garden ready for planting. Let me tell you, raking and tilling and pulling weeds is a great upper body workout!

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050Even though I could have stayed out in the sun and warm weather all day, I had to go in and shower and get ready for my friend Christy’s bridal shower. It was at the Daily Catch in the Seaport and it was absolutely lovely. I had never been to that location, but it was so much nicer than I had imagined. Plus, the view of the harbor on a gorgeous sunny day didn’t hurt, either. It was great to get to catch up with a bunch of my college girlfriends and be a part of Christy’s special day. It was a surprise bridal shower and it seemed like Christy was 100% surprised!

I didn’t get many pictures, but I did grab some of the adorable center pieces that my friend, Amy, made, as well as a delicious mimosa and the menu.

058It was a 3-course meal and everything that I tried was really good! I got the caprese salad to start, fish n chips for my meal (everyone deserves a splurge day or meal!) and obviously didn’t turn down a piece of cake (I am a sucker for all things dessert, especially when it involves frosting.).

After the bridal shower ended, I picked up Danielle and we hit up the grocery store. I had all intentions of making a nice Sunday dinner, but when I looked in the fridge and saw how many leftovers we had from the shower on Saturday, I decided to postpone my meal for tonight (only night I don’t teach, so I actually have time to make a nice dinner after work!). This was a big move for me… I ALWAYS make a “Sunday Dinner,” so when I don’t, something feels so off!

And, I think that about sums it up! Weekends being surrounded by best friends and family are the best, in my book, and nice weather is just icing on the cake (pun intended!).

Questions for you: What was the best part of your weekend? Do you like to garden? Do you try to make a nice meal on Sunday nights or do you prefer to cook during the week?

Birthday Celebrations

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Ok, ok. I know. You’re probably all sick of hearing about my birthday, but I promise this is it! I want to have this as a reminder of how wonderful my birthday was this year. It was definitely one for the books. So many cards, texts, flowers, emails, Facebook notes… I feel SO blessed and loved. I wish it could be my birthday every day!

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Most of you probably saw how I spent my Saturday, but if you didn’t, go check it out! It was a busy day for sure, but it was fun because I was able to pamper myself a little! Saturday night, some of my closest girlfriends and I got all done up and headed to The Brahmin for dinner before other friends met up for drinking. The girls know me so well because Jessi, Danielle and Amy all got me Prosecco! Amy also got me flowers:)

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We headed to the Brahmin around 7pm so that we could eat and relax and not worry about the ridiculous line that forms there by, like, 9pm. It’s insane!

033The food was really quite tasty and we loved that it was all tapas style since we love sharing food! The waitress brought over shots and I think that’s what got me going to a drunken place I don’t tend to go! Luckily, I remembered dessert! 😉

020I was so happy to have so many friends around to make my birthday so special!

031And, a gym friend even came! Of COURSE we had to bring the guns out… it’s a gym thing.

030Not long after this, it was time for me to go home. Luckily, Rachel was nice enough and got me into a cab safely. THANK YOU, friend! JP sent me this photo the next day and it pretty much sums up the night and how happy I was:

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My parents came into the city on Tuesday for post-birthday celebrations. We totally lucked out and had gorgeous weather. The city was still a little somber after Monday’s Marathon events, and the security/police presence was bigger than I’ve ever seen it, but we still made the best of the day. I loved seeing all the marathon runners wearing their blue jackets. I wanted to run up and hug every one of them.

We opted to stay in the Faneuil Hall and North End part of the city, which was fine by me. We played tourist walking up and down along Quincy Market,

016and decided to have lunch at the Salty Dog. Lunch was delicious (I splurged on a fried catfish sandwich!), the beer (first Sam Summer of the season) was so refreshing, but the company was the best part!

025After lunch, we walked along the water and up the back end of Hanover street. My mom wanted to take some cannoli’s home, so obviously Mike’s Pastry was a necessary stop. I couldn’t believe it-the line was short! This is unheard of at this place. I got a red velvet cupcake and then later stopped and got a gelato. So tasty!

024All that walking around really made us thirsty, so a stop at Bell In Hand was a perfect place to quench our thirst before my parents went to catch their train at North Station.

020I was sad to see them leave, but so thankful that I got to spend such a fun day in the city with them. They are just the cutest little people around!

So, there you have it- my 28th birthday celebrations are FINALLY all documented! If you made it this far, thanks for sticking through this monster post!

Questions for you: What’s the most memorable birthday you’ve had? Do you play tourist in your city?

Easter Recap

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Happy Easter, Burpees to Bubbly readers:) I cannot tell you how sad I was to leave Maine today… a 24 hour trip is just NOT enough!

Did the Easter bunny come to your house? He sure came to ours!

006Mom filled our baskets with some fun treats. I was especially excited about the Greek Yogurt cookbook; I can’t wait to make something from it!

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We all got decked out in our Easter outfits and headed to church. Prior to leaving, my dad came in the house and announced that Easter is so great for parents with 5-year-old girls because they get to see them all dressed in their white Easter dresses. Like, what?! What does that even mean? Haha. Danielle and I were not really sure how to take that, but once he saw us dressed in our non-white Easter dresses, he didn’t seem too disappointed. Random side note ended.

My mom got busy in the kitchen when we got home from church while my dad and sister dealt with insurance stuff and I created a cute “Easter” workout. Confession: I didn’t actually do the workout since today was my rest day, but I think it’s a good one!

Easter WorkoutIf nothing else, the Easter theme is enough to make me smile!

Brunch was absolutely delicious. We all agreed it was one of the best ones we could remember!

011Mimosas, ham, quiche, asparagus, ricotta & asparagus pinwheel (omg delicious. Definitely getting the recipe and making it asap… Mom kept saying how “blog worthy” it was) and delicious fruit! I was so happy that we had leftovers to bring back to MA with us:)

Since Easter usually falls right around my birthday (April 14th), we have started to celebrate my birthday and Easter at the same time. More presents for me! 😉 This year, though, my mom will be heading down to MA next weekend so she wanted to do my presents and cake then, but I did coax her into letting me open one!

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013A few weeks ago my mom had a “girls weekend” trip in North Conway, NH and she picked up both of these things there. The wine is from a local vinyard- I can’t WAIT to try it! And, the glass serving platter is beautiful.

And, with that, Easter and the weekend are over. Whomp, whomp:( Besides my normal teaching schedule, this week is quiet and I am so excited about that! Oh, and tomorrow starts Birthday Month AND the April Arms Challenge. April is going to be SO.MUCH.FUN!

Questions for you: How was your Easter? Did the Easter bunny bring you anything good? What does your week look like?

Tips to Stay [Relatively] Healthy on St. Patrick’s Day

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Hey there! Can you believe that tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day? After seeing this delicious treat on my friend Meredith’s blog, I was immediately jealous that I hadn’t thought ahead to do anything creative! Oh well… Maybe I’ll add some green food coloring to my wine or something! For anyone who lives in the Boston area, I am guessing that 80% of you are planning on heading to Southie for the parade. I am embarrassed to say, that in my 5 years of living in the Boston area, I have YET to make it to Southie for their annual parade. Shame on me!

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I announced in class last night that we had to work extra hard since most of us would be partaking in some type of celebrations this weekend. At the end of class, I had a member come up to me and ask if I had any tips or suggestions for what to drink in order to be a little on the healthier side. It got me to thinking that some of you might find it helpful for me to post a couple of tips/suggestions to keep in mind when going into whatever festivity(ies) you may have lined up.

  • Stay Hydrated

We all know that we tend to get dehydrated when drinking alcohol, especially when we are drinking in excess (we forget to drink water when we are drinking since the alcohol makes us think we are not thirsty).  If you hydrate well BEFORE you drink, it will help keep you in better control that day and help lessen the hangover you might have the next day. Also, try to have a glass of water in between every drink… every little helps! I usually try to carry a water bottle with me as a helpful reminder.

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  • Pace Yourself

If you’re going to be drinking all day, you don’t need to pound 4 beers or a couple of glasses of wine in the first half hour you’re there! Try to space out your drinks to 1 drink an hour for the heavier stuff (hard liquor and wine) and maybe 1 beer every 30 mins or so. I have totally been guilty of getting to a party and drinking way too quickly to “catch up” and let me tell you, things never end as well as I want them to when that happens.

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  • Bring Snacks

I generally don’t “forget” to eat, but I’ll admit that when alcohol is involved, sometimes it does slip my mind for a bit (until I sober up a little and want to binge eat on late-night pizza). It’s a good idea to bring a couple of snacks with you to make sure you’re staying fueled and to try to soak up some of the alcohol;) My favorites are Luna bars, goldfish, animal crackers, etc.

gold fish Luna

 

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  • Avoid Sugary Drinks

As good as a big margarita or pina colada or other fruity mixed drink may taste, they are PACKED with calories.  Alcohol has enough calories as it is, so I try to avoid those drinks (I’ll always have a margarita at a Mexican restaurant, but limit it to just 1).  I usually stick to wine (I am a total wine-o and order wine even at the bar) or Sangria (you can make it so it’s not too sugary), Champagne or Prosecco (duhhh) or vodka and soda water with a lemon or lime.  These are the best ways I have found to drink, but leave out some of the calories. Personally, beer makes me full and feel gross, so I would rather drink more slowly and drink something that I enjoy. If you like a different type of booze, just make sure your mixers are low or zero calorie because drinking those calories is just silly!

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Have fun!

Even though I try to always be mindful of what I am putting into my body in terms of food and drinks, we all have to let loose and have fun every once in a while without beating ourselves up too much. I always tell myself that if I have an “off” day or get a little heavy-handed with my late night snacks, the next day will be a new day and after a workout and some clean eating, I will be all back to normal.  Afterall, the best hangover cure is a workout!! You may think I am crazy, but trust me on this one, it works! I do feel badly for others around me as I am sure they can probably smell the Chardonnay seeping out of my pores. Sorry;)

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Questions for you: What do you do to try to stay “healthy” when enjoying drinks and partying? What’s your best hangover cure?

Where did my weekend go?!

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Oh, that’s right… 8 hours of it was spent at the South Station BSC. It’s amazing how much faster the weekends go by when a whole day gets taken away from you!  Let’s get caught up, shall we? I don’t have many pictures, so I apologize in advance for the wordy post!

The kickboxing exam went pretty well, I think.  I won’t know for another 4-6 weeks whether I passed or not, but I think I definitely passed the practical part of it.  The written part, on the other hand, was incredibly hard! All those joint actions and muscle talk is so hard to keep straight! I found myself doing the movements- awkwardly- while I was trying to figure out if a jab had a shoulder flexion in the execution phase. Bored, yet? The best part of the day was the instructor. Her name is Aimee Nicotera and not only was she incredibly knowledgeable (and jacked!), but she was hilarious and totally made us feel like rock stars… definitely helped to settle my nerves! Plus, she gave us some sweet hand wraps:

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I mean, I felt pretty B.A. when I had these on! I wonder what my students would think if I showed up to class with these on?! I might try it just to see their reactions…

I finished the exam around 5 and I promptly opened the wine I had chilling in the fridge for me as soon as I got home. I bought it for the name, but I’ll be honest, it was not my favorite chardonnay I have ever had. Now, don’t let that fool you into thinking I didn’t drink it… that is basically a sin in my family… no wine shall ever go to waste!

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I got up this morning and immediately felt every muscle I worked yesterday (love that)… I was especially happy when I realized it felt like I had done 200 bicep curls yesterday.  The bicep muscle is one of the antagonist muscles when throwing a jab, meaning it is working to retract the arm in the second phase of the punch, so that means I was punching correctly, yay! (again, thanks Aimee).

Best way to loosen up tight muscles? Head to the gym, of course! I NEVER get to go to the gym to do my OWN workout anymore, so I was so excited. Plus, the Wellington BSC just put in this awesome work area:

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It was like play time at the gym!! My roommate has a personal trainer so I did a couple of rounds of one of her workouts- killer! I am obsessed with TRX bands, but I could live the rest of my life without ever touching those ropes again:)  And, I was in Dynamax heaven when I saw all those balls! Anyway, amazing workout… I was especially happy about it when I saw the buffet at the Langham Hotel. Cafe Fleuri sure knows how to serve an unbelieveable brunch!! There was a sushi station, pasta station, omelet station, meat carving station, fruit station, crepe station… and a chocolate fountain. I died and went to foodie heaven!

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009Of course I had dessert, too, but I got too excited and forgot to take a picture.  If you’re in the Boston area and looking for a phenomenal brunch, definitely check out Cafe Fleuri… it is worth every penny!

Phew! That was a lot to catch you up on! I am hoping for a relaxing night filled with some cooking, a little wine and maybe even some TV! Really living on the edge now;)

Questions for you: What did you do this weekend? Busy or not busy? Go to brunch anywhere good? I want to know!