Category: Five on Friday

Five on Friday {11.17.17}

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Hi, friends! Happy Friday 🙂 I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve popped in with a casual post like this. When I looked through my phone and realized I had lots of things to share, I figured today was as good as any day to do that.

On a side note, can you believe Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK?! We are hosting this year, and while I’m SO EXCITED for this, I have to admit – I’m pretty damn nervous about having the responsibility of cooking the turkey. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips on how to make sure the turkey comes out nice and – dare I say it – moist?! Thanks in advance!

And now onto my Friday shares 🙂

  • Maple Holistics– A while back, Maple Holistics reached out to me asking if I’d be interested in trying any of their products. When I took a look at their website and read about their high standards for products, I decided to give it a try. At a high level, all Maple Holistics products are made in the USA, they are all natural, cruelty free and sulfate free. After perusing their site, I decided to try the Coconut Oil. With the winter months quickly approaching, I figured having a liquid coconut oil on hand would be really beneficial for my dry skin. I love coconut oil for many reasons, but what I don’t love is that unless it’s hot in the house, it lives in solid form. With a bottle of coconut oil in liquid form and with an easy pump dispenser, it makes it so easy to quickly add a little to my dry hands, hair, feet, etc. If you’re interested in trying some out yourself, or any product on their page, I encourage you to go to their free samples page and take advantage of their offer to send you a free sample of a product of your choosing!

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  • Thanksgiving with Whole Foods – Did you know that Whole Foods has everything you need for Thanksgiving? You could literally order your entire meal there, should you wish to do that! A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity of going to a Whole Foods event where they showcased all of their holiday meal & entertaining options. It was such a fun event and everything tasted delicious! I also love how friendly all of the Whole Foods employees are 🙂
  • Health Warrior new flavors – As a Health Warrior Ambassador, I’m lucky enough to receive random packages from them with new bars to try. The best surprise was when I received a package of their brand new Caramel Sea Salt Chia Bar, which, I promise you, is as good as it sounds! I love that the bars are small, because they make for a perfect pre-workout or teaching snack. I had one of those and a half of a banana before my Monday morning class and it was the perfect amount of fuel.

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  • Fall Fashion – I’m trying to dress a bit more trendy these days, but I’m also trying to do it on a budget, so when I found these awesome distressed jeans at Lucky’s (in D.C.) for $25 I had to get them! I had also wanted some slip on shoes and found these Vans at DSW for I think maybe $40 or $50, which I thought was a good deal. I’m loving the look of the distressed boyfriend jeans and a baggy sweater – it was a great fall outfit!

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  • New “must try” restaurants – Over the past couple of weeks, RM and I have enjoyed some Saturday day-dates in the city. While I love getting all dolled up for date NIGHT, I have to say, day dates are pretty fun… and you get to be home in your comfy clothes nice and early 😉  The first day date we had was at Explorateur on Tremont Street near the public gardens. RM had walked by it earlier and suggested it when we found ourselves looking for a good lunch spot. I loved the open concept where the front of the restaurant was more of a “cafe” feeling where students were studying and ordering from the cafe, but I also loved that the back part of the restaurant was filled with a bar and tables with table service. We saddled up at the bar, per usual, and enjoyed a really delicious lunch consisting of bubbly, beer, French Onion Soup, a mini burger and a Croque Madame. Everything about our trip there was great and we will definitely be going back.

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  • The next place we tried was Kava Neo-Taverna, in the South End, and judging by all the comments I received after I posted a picture of us there, it seems to be a popular among many of you! But, I can see why – everything was incredible! We didn’t get much, but everything we got (baked feta & honey, grilled octopus and braised short ribs) was so flavorful. Plus, the wait staff were all very nice and I loved the bright, white feeling in the restaurant – very Mediterranean feeling!

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And that does it for me! I hope all of you have a great weekend 🙂 We have friendsgiving in Maine tomorrow, which I’m looking forward to, and then i’ll be busy prepping for Thanksgiving!

Questions for you: What’s your favorite pre-workout snack? Have you been to any good new restaurants lately? Do you prefer day or night dates? What’s your favorite fall fashion item?

Friday Shares

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Hey there! I was looking through my phone and realized there were some (mostly random) things that I wanted to share with you in case you’re interested.

  • Homemade sausage night – a few weekends ago, RM and I headed over to our friends’ new house in Westwood to make sausage. Sounds random, but it was SO fun! On top of making our own sausage, we made homemade sauce, pasta and even the salad dressing was homemade. We had 2 Kitchen Aid mixers running pretty much non-stop – good thing the vino was flowing well 😉 It was such a fun dinner, especially knowing that we made almost everything we ate. Thanks for having us over, Jessi and Chuck! can’t wait to do it again!

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  • Cooking Light Mac n Cheese – Last weekend, it was a gross, rainy Saturday and RM and I didn’t feel like going out to dinner since we had gone out the night before. After much debate on what to cook/eat, I remembered this delicious mac n cheese recipe from years ago (2011, to be exact). Luckily, I still had the magazine and with a quick trip to the store, was able to whip it up. We added in our homemade garlic, Parmesan and parsley sausage and it made for SUCH a good dinner! We also used Jovial’s brown rice pasta and you honestly couldn’t tell it wasn’t the “real deal”. We enjoyed leftovers for a few days – definitely recommend this dish next time you’re craving comfort food!

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  • Apple Crisp – we went apple picking last weekend and I couldn’t WAIT to make apple crisp. I quickly googled a few variations and ended up making this gluten free one, which came out incredible! Seriously so tasty, especially served with Talenti’s Vanilla Bean gelato (our absolute favorite brand).

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  • Revere Pre & Post Workout – A few weeks ago, I was contacted by someone from Revere, the startup providing plant-based powder formulas derived only from natural, whole foods to help users maximize the results they get from their exercise routines, to see if I’d be interested in trying out their products. I had recently seen a bunch of other fitness professionals sharing things about this product, but, as with any “supplement”, I was skeptical. That is, until I read more about the product and ingredient list. Normally these types of products come laden with ingredients we can’t pronounce, but not Revere! I plan on doing a bigger recap later, but wanted to share a quick bit now. I’ve been using them for a few weeks and totally love them, mostly because the ingredient list is SO clean, but also because they just mix with water (and they give you an awesome bottle to mix it in!).  Besides vitamins, the only other ingredients are things like sweet potato, beetroot, green tea, pomegranate and a little sugar, but nothing artificial! If you’re interested in learning more in the meantime, check out their page where you can find all the info. Also,if you like what you see, I will have a discount code for you soon!

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  • Seaport Sweat – This is just a reminder that Seaport Sweat is continuing through the END of October!! Though it’s getting dark MUCH earlier these days, there are plenty of lights that give it such a nice ambiance 😉

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  • Lululemon Treats – Speaking of Seaport Sweat, a group of the new Seaport Lulu employees came to my class on Monday and surprised me with this amazing top! I’m seriously so excited because it’s the perfect top to workout in the cooler, but not yet cold, temps. Plus, it’s super cute. Thanks, ladies!!

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  • Since We Fell – this is our new book club book and so far, I’m absolutely obsessed and cannot put it down. Has anyone read it?

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  • DC Weekend – Next weekend, RM and I are heading to DC for a little 3 night getaway. We rented an amazing little Airbnb apartment that looks to be in the heart of restaurants and sites, but otherwise have no plans. Anyone have any restaurant or sightseeing suggestions?

And that does it for me! I hope all of you have a great weekend – it’s supposed to be another warm one 🙂

Questions for you: Have you done any fall baking recently? How about any fall activities? What are you reading these days? Have you tried Revere products? Do you use any protein powders or anything before or after a workout? 

 

Five on Friday {9.8.17}

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Hey there! Happy Friday! I know it was a long weekend, meaning this was technically a short week, but does anyone else feel like it was a long one? Friday couldn’t come fast enough! I have some fun things to share with you today, so I hope you enjoy it!

  • Vegan Pesto – Roberto watched the documentary “What the health” and it has caused him to think about his diet and the amount of animal products he (we) consume. In an effort to try and reduce some of this (but definitely not eliminating entirely), he has made a few changes here and there. He found a recipe for Vegan Pesto and he made it the other night and it was incredible! We used Nutritional Yeast which actually did taste just like cheese, plus it has vitamins in it! We used some brown rice pasta and topped it with tomatoes and I added grilled chicken to mine. SO good!

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  • Booty By Brabants– There was a sale on BBB last week and I finally took the plunge and bought myself a pair. It seems as though EVERYONE is wearing them, so I had to see what the rave was all about. The verdict? I love them! While they feel a little snug going on, they are actually incredibly comfortable. I’ve seen them be a bit see through on some people, and while I initially didn’t think that was a problem for me, last night they did look a little see through when I squatted. Luckily, it’s dark in the room so I hope no one noticed 😉 Next time I will have to try out the thicker version of the pants (the Croco’s, I think).

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  • Get Sh*t Done – Erol and I have been connected through social media for years now, so when I saw his latest endeavor (I Digress Podcast) and the awesome tanks he was selling to go along with it, I just had to buy one. Get Sh*t Done is basically my life motto, lol. If you’re interested, reach out to him via Instagram! It was $20 + $3 shipping.

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  • Planet Fitness 25 Year Anniversary Sale – Now that summer is nearly over, you may find yourself in the gym more often. If you cancelled your gym membership over the summer (I’ve talked to a bunch of people who did this), you might want to consider checking out Planet Fitness. As part of its 25th anniversary celebration, new members can join the Judgement Free Zone® for only 25 cents, then $10 a month, with no commitment. The offer kicks off in Massachusetts and New Hampshire on Sept. 5 and then nationally on Sept. 11, continuing through Sept. 13.
  • 2017 Hub on Wheels Citywide Bike Tour – On Sunday, September 17th, TD and the City of Boston will host the 2017 Hub on Wheels Citywide Bike Tour. This year’s ride will benefit pediatric cancer research at Boston Children’s Hospital. I’m so excited to be taking part in the event this year, and I wanted to share details with you in case you’re looking for a fun activity to do an great way to raise money to help fight kids cancer. The bike ride (10 or 40 miles, your choice!) will take you down a car-free Storrow Drive and all around Boston and its surrounding neighborhoods. What’s really cool about this event this year is that Hub on Wheels is proud to support Boston Children’s Hospital, with $5 of each $50 registration fee automatically going to support the efforts to find a cure for pediatric cancer. Riders may also consider becoming Hope Riders , fundraising before the big day with 100% of donations supporting kids cancer research at Boston Children’s Hospital. Check out any of the links above to get more information, or shoot me a comment. I would love to have some friends/familiar faces to ride with!

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That about does it for me! I  hope you all have a great Friday and a fantastic weekend. Hoping to pop in with a few good posts next week!

Questions for you: What was a highlight of your week? Did you get in any good workouts? Did you do anything different or fun? What’s on tap for the weekend?

5 on Friday {Catching Up! 9.1.17}

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Hi there! Can you believe it’s SEPTEMBER?! Honestly, where did the summer go?! While we didn’t do a lot of the things we normally do in the summer like lots of weekends on the Cape and trips up to Maine, as I look back, we had a really fun summer! We spent weekends in the city which was a nice change of pace, we went away for our anniversary, we went to a wedding in Maine, I ran the Falmouth Road Race, we did a TON of biking, we grilled a lot, I taught outside a lot… all in all, pretty awesome!

Today I wanted to catch up on some things of possible interest – enjoy!

1.Health Warrior Products – Did you know that I am a Health Warrior Ambassador?! It’s pretty cool, because I love their products! I’ve shared some sneak peeks in my Instagram stories, but wanted to share a little more here. So far, we have been enjoying the Pumpkin Seed Super Food bars and the Chia Mango bars – both are super tasty and full of great ingredients! If you’re interested in trying some, be sure to go to healthwarrior.com and use the code burpeestobubbly30 for 30% off your purchase! This code expires on September 30th, so make sure to order soon!

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2. Chin-ups – Have you ever wanted to learn how to do an unassisted chin-up? My girl Athena is hosting a FREE challenge called “Over The Bar Chin-Up Challenge” that is going to help you get there! She’s also asked other fitness professionals to give tips and advice and/or why we love them, so be sure to check it out to see what I had to say! You can get more information and sign up here.

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3.Favorite Summer Cocktail – If you’ve been following me on social media, then I’m sure you’ve seen lots of posts with an orange looking drink in it. If you don’t know what it is, it’s called an Aperol Spritz and I’m totally obsessed with them! I was first introduced to them in Italy and ever since I drink them anytime I can. We even bought Aperol at home to make them! They are the most refreshing drink for summer days or nights, but be careful- they are SUPER easy to drink 😉 If you want to make them on your own, all you need is Aperol, Prosecco and club soda, although we don’t use club soda anymore and it’s fine without. It’s 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol and 1 part club soda and garnish with an orange. You can thank me later 😉

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4. Books I’ve read – I just finished reading The Noticer, by Andy Andrews, which was a really awesome read. It’s all about perspective and how a simple change in perspective can shift your entire outlook on that situation and/or your life. It has stories/examples that I think can be applicable to so many people – definitely worth a read! I am now in the midst of reading The Commonwealth by Ann Patchett, which is about 2 families and how their lives are intertwined. It’s a super easy and quick read, and the author grabs you from the start so you don’t want to put it down!

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5. Seaport Sweat Extended! Seaport Sweat has been extended throughout the end of October, which is so great!! The crowds have been incredible the summer, so if you haven’t gotten to a class yet, grab a friend or coworker and get there – you won’t regret it! There are so many classes to choose from AND there’s the best DJ in town, the best views and a super fun area. More info and links to sign up for classes is here.

That does it for me today! I hope all of you have a really great long weekend! We are kicking ours off with going to see Lady Gaga at Fenway tonight and I’m SO excited. It’s not that I’m a totally crazy fan of hers, but I assume she puts on a hell of a show and I’ve always wanted to go to a concert at Fenway so I’m looking forward to it. Otherwise, we don’t have much planned besides some car shopping and relaxing 🙂

Questions for you: What have you been up to? Loving any products you want to share? Read any good books? Done any fun traveling? 

Five on Friday {6.2.17}

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Hey there! Happy Friday! Usually holiday weeks end up feeling longer, but this one flew by for some reason. I’m not complaining, though- bring on the weekend! I feel like I haven’t blogged much lately, so I wanted to pop in quickly to share some topics of interest- enjoy!

  • Rose all day – I know I’m not the only one who tends to turn to rose as the weather gets warmer so I wanted to share 2 rose’s that I’m loving right now. I found both at the Whole Foods in Lynnfield, just an FYI. Presto Sparkling Rose comes in a single-serve can and while I was a little nervous about how bubbly out of a can would taste, I was pleasantly surprised when I took my first sip- it was crisp, refreshing and almost too easy to drink 😉 If bubbly isn’t your speed, we can’t be friends I would highly suggest pushpin global rose. It’s light, dry and, again, so easy to drink. We really loved this!

  • SoulFu3l– Did you guys place your SoulFu3l order yet? Nourish will get you 10% off! I can’t wait to order again, but in the meantime, I made their Guacomole Stuffed Chicken “Nuggets” earlier this week and they were amazing!! So easy, and so delicious. I even forgot to use seasoning (oops!) and they were still delicious. RM wasn’t even hungry and ate 3 😉

  • Brewer’s Fork– Speaking of food, on Monday RM and I had a day date and when he said he was craving good pizza, some how I remembered about Brewer’s Fork and suggested we go there. I knew they had a good craft beer list, too, which RM would enjoy. Brewer’s Fork did NOT disappoint- the beers, salad & pizza were all incredible! Seriously, we were surprised at how good everything was.

  • Seaport Sweat– It’s finally time! Seaport Sweat started last night and I cannot wait for my first classes next week! As a reminder, I’m teaching Box & Body (kickboxing bootcamp) on Mondays at 6pm and Boxers Conditioning on Tuesdays at 6:30pm. All classes are held on the Seaport green area right next to Gather & District Hall. They’re FREE, but signup on Eventbrite is suggested. Hope to see you there this week!!! Also, Leigha L will be taking over my Tuesday Beats class at GymIt until October 🙂

  • College Reunion- This weekend is my 10 year college reunion, which still sounds and feels so crazy. I am so happy that RM will be able to come, too, because I want him to see SMC and I’m excited to hang out in Burlington together.

From this…

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We’ve been through so much together and I’m so lucky to call these ladies my best friends! can’t wait to be together this weekend! xoxo

And that does it for me! I hope all of you have a great weekend!