Weekending: Playing Hookie, Engagement Photos, Birthday Party & Enjoying the Weather!

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Good morning! I know everyone is talking about the weather, but I mean, common- is it really this warm in FEBRUARY?! I’ll take it, though. If there isn’t going to be snow I don’t really want frigid cold temps.

Did you guys have a good weekend? Although I was feeling a little anxious going into it because of how many plans we had, it ended up being such a great one! My sister and I decided to “play hookie” on Friday afternoon so we met up at Assembly to go shopping. RM and I were having our engagement photos on Saturday afternoon and I hadn’t been able to go shopping prior to, so it was nice to have some extra time on Friday to shop without being rushed. It was also nice to get to hang out and catch up with my sister- lunch, shopping and drinks on a Friday afternoon- can you get much better than that?

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I was on a mission for just a few necessary things for our photoshoot: white jacket, new jeans and new black booties, all of which were found- and most on crazy sale! My friend suggested going to Wilson’s Leather for jackets and I’m so happy she did because I got both of these for $84! I don’t think I would’ve gone in there on my own… I mean, I didn’t even think this store still existed!

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After our shopping I went to my friend Jessi’s apartment for some vino, apps and girl talk before making my way back to Newton Corner. I didn’t want to leave, but I knew I wanted/needed to be rested for Saturday. I grabbed a pizza from Bertucci’s on the way home, we watched an episode of Breaking Bad and hit the hay by 10:30. It was fantastic.

Saturday started with an incredible cardio kickboxing class- 60 members came and gave it their all. It makes what I do so rewarding!

After class I cleaned up quickly and went to Queen Bee Nails to get a much-needed manicure followed by heading to Waltham to get a hair cut and blow out. I always try to plan my hair cuts around when I have something going on at night because it makes my “getting ready” time much easier and faster!

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I ended up wearing this for the photos:

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Later that afternoon, we headed over to East Boston to meet up with Janelle at KO Pies since it seemed only fitting to kick off our engagement photos where it all started! Janelle and I worked together a few months back when she did my fitness photos, so I’m so excited to be working with her again! The owner of KO Pies was so happy that we were doing our photos there that he asked if he could take a picture and share it with our story- the photo isn’t great, but it was so cute of him to be so excited for us!

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Janelle’s photos, though? She shared a sneak peek and I love it so much. I can’t wait to see the rest!!

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After the photos, RM and I headed back home quickly before parting our separate ways for the night. I was going into the city for my friend Sheila’s surprise party at Stoddards and he was going to meet up with some guys on Moody Street in Waltham. Even though I was exhausted and so tempted to stay home, I’m glad I went because nights out in the city with these ladies just don’t happen as much these days!

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In typical grandma fashion, I was home by 11:30 😉

We ran out of eggs on Saturday so we decided to go out to breakfast on Sunday, something we rarely (if ever) do! We went to the Delux Town Diner and it was fantastic. Veggie Hash & eggs for him, breakfast sando for me and their unbelievable sweet potato pancakes to share. I forgot how good diner breakfasts are!!

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After breakfast and food shopping, we went into the city so RM could take some photos for his new website. I wanted to go for a walk anyway so this was a great way to do both things. The weather was just too nice to be inside!

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We swung by his mother’s for dinner after and then when we got home I did some food prep, including this incredible looking spaghetti squash which has sautéed onions, garlic, red pepper, zucchini, summer squash, spinach and ground pork. Topped with a little cheese and you’ve got your self a super tasty and healthy meal!

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I’m gearing up for a busy week between subbing for Lauren’s Build & Burn classes tomorrow night (if you’re a YMCA member, come!), teaching my class on Wednesday and then teaching the kickoff sweat-KICK class at Foster Fitness on Thursday, so I’m happy to have a dish that will be quick and easy to re-heat for dinners!

Questions for you: How was your weekend? Have you ever played hookie? Did you get any good workouts in? Did you try any new recipes or restaurants? What’s going on this week?

Five on Friday {1.29.16}

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Good morning! I had some of these drafted to post last week, but I ended up getting home later than expected after the blogger event at Social so I didn’t have it in me to break open my computer and finish the post. I’m sure you didn’t lose sleep over it 😉

Are you guys having a good week? I am! As I mentioned on Wednesday, I’ve been focusing on yoga this week and it’s been really great! I’m a little nervous for next week, though, because I’m teaching 4 classes in 3 days- way more of an intense schedule than I had this week! It’s all good, though- I’m excited for all of the events and classes I have lined up 🙂 here’s some noteworthy Friday things for you today:

1. Chromecast- RM finally took the plunge and got us a Chromecast so that we can start streaming Netflix through out TV. Also worth noting, we finally upgraded his subscription to be from receiving DVD’s in the mail (Yes, he was still requesting DVD’s to be sent to him!) to be a streaming subscription. We had already started recording Breaking Bad episodes on our TV so we’ve been watching them there, but once that is done it will be nice to be able to just stream Netflix. Welcome to 2016, Monique & Roberto.

2. Wedding room block/Registry- We’ve received an update on who has booked their rooms for our wedding and it’s SO exciting!! I seriously can’t wait until the big day is finally here. I am also obsessed with our wedding registry. While it was a little stressful and overwhelming at first (what to register for, what do we want/like/need, where to do it, etc.), I’m kind of loving it now. I check it daily and add new things- the worst that can happen is people don’t buy them for us- big deal! I’ll also admit that at first I didn’t think we needed anything, but then I realized that this may be the only time (for a long time) that we are able to start fresh and having matching everything- the Type A in me LOVES this.

3. Trillfit Event on 1/31– Looking for a workout on Sunday? Consider checking out the Trillfit event at the Hotel Commonwealth from 10am-2pm. From their site: TRILLFIT presents BRUNCH + BURN, Boston’s first wellness day party. Join us at Hotel Commonwealth for two high-energy, sweat-inducing workouts, delectable + healthy brunch bites, on-site beauty treatments and more . Celebrate your 2016 resolutions, grab your squad, and get live to a set by TRILLFIT’s own DJ Nick Bishop. 10AM: TRILLyoga with @LadyDork (60 min – *bring your own yoga mat*), 11AM: TRILLfit* with Melisa Valdez (60 min), 12PM – 2PM: Brunch + Day Party. Sounds like a blast, right?

4. Easiest Buffalo Wings– RM’s brother sent him a recipe from Bon Appetite (I think) and we decided to whip them up for the game the other weekend. We usually do wings in the crockpot using RM’s signature honey-garlic recipe he created on his own, but this recipe is WAY easier and faster. Get this- you just bake the wings in the oven at 450* for 35-45 mins, take them out and toss them in a mixture of 2tbsp butter and 1/4 cup sriracha. Could you get any easier? NOPE!

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5. SWEAT-Kick Event 2/4– I’m saving the best for last! If you follow me on social media, I’m sure you’ve seen me advertise the launch event for my first class at Foster Fitness, which is next Thursday at 5:30pm. The gym is in Wakefield and the event is going to be a blast- we will run through some cardio kickboxing combinations, throw in some bootcamp exercises and core work at the end and then refuel with protein shakes and salads from sweetgreen. If you’re interested in coming to the FREE event, please let me know- I would love love love having the support from friendly faces in the crowd!

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And that’s that! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Tomorrow is a busy one for me/us, so I’m happy to have taken a half day today to hang out with my sister and have some time to amp up for the weekend.

Questions for you: Do you have a Smart TV or Chromecast where you stream Netflix or Hulu? Did you watch Breaking Bad? What was the best part of your week? What are you looking forward to this weekend?

 

Embracing another week of yoga

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Good morning! If you’re here for my weekly “Wednesday Workout” post- sorry! Changing things up a bit this week. With good reason, though: I’m embracing another week of yoga at Corepower yoga. I’ve had another free week to use before the end of January and seeing how the next couple of weeks are really busy with lots of teaching, I figured this was the perfect week to take a step back and focus on a gentler way to workout.

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While yoga can be a challenging workout, it can also be taken down a notch and made into more of a restorative flow so it’s a great recovery type of activity… one I’m actively trying to do more of this year.  With all the stress of wedding planning, teaching, etc., it’s so important for me to take time to take a step back and give my mind and body a little TLC, which is where yoga comes in.

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So I guess that’s a long way of telling you that I don’t have a workout for you today because I haven’t done any sort of workout besides yoga since last Thursday, if you can believe it! I have to admit, so far I have totally enjoyed this break from my traditional workout schedule. I’ve always been a big fan of group exercise and class environments so the fact that all I have to do for yoga is change into my workout clothes and show up is awesome. No planning out a workout. No planning out a playlist. Just showing up. Which is sometimes the hardest part about working out, right?

The last time I did a week of yoga I shared some things that I learned throughout the classes I took. While some of those still reign true this time, one thing I noticed was that it was much easier to get back in the yoga groove since it hadn’t been as long between classes. Muscle memory continues to amaze me- we can go days, weeks or months without doing something and then when we get back into that thing, although it may not feel as good or easy as it did while you were frequently doing it, our bodies remember what to do. It’s pretty freaking awesome, if you ask me!

Even though I am ready to get back to lifting heavy weights and sweating not just because it’s 100+ degrees in the room, it’s been a welcomed week of lower intensity movement that both my mind and body really needed. It was also a nice reminder that it’s good to give ourselves a break every so often- whether it’s a break from working out or going out or working extra or whatever else you may have on your schedule that might be hard on your mind or body- sometimes we just need to slow the effff down and breathe. To shut down our thoughts or our to-do lists or work related tasks. To just be still and let our minds focus on breathing in and breathing out. It’s amazing how rejuvenating a simple act of breathing and slowing down can be for me!

Questions for you- When’s the last time you took a break from a normal activity in your life? Does the break happen easily or do you struggle with straying from your norm at the beginning? Have you done any workouts worth sharing with me for when I head back to the gym?

A Neighborhood Gem {Social Restaurant & Bar Review}

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If you’ve been reading B2B for a while, then I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about Social Restaurant & Bar at least a few times by now. I hosted RM’s surprise birthday party there last year, I saddled up to the bar a little while ago for pizza and bubbly and then we also went there for New Years Eve– clearly I’m a big fan of the restaurant so when I connected with the owner about hosting a blogger dinner there was I was super excited.  I haven’t ever planned a blogger event like this and while it was a little stressful trying to coordinate between various people and schedules and things like that, it was a really fun experience. Plus, when you get to spend an evening chatting, eating and drinking with these lovely ladies, how could you not enjoy yourself?!

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Going around the table you’ve got Lauren, Becki, Cara, Jenna, Caroline, Stephanie and Athena

Let’s talk about the food, though, because it was incredible! I’ve eaten there enough to know that they serve delicious food, but last week was a whole other experience.

When we got there, we were able to mingle over cocktails and my favorite chicken “lollipops” (buffalo and BBQ) and spicy pork tacos. What I love about the lollipops is that there is way more meat on them than your standard wing. And the tacos? I mean, I loveeee tacos so it’s no surprise that I loved them, but even if I didn’t love tacos I would still think they were great. I loved the spicy kick and the pork was really flavorful.

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Once we had enough time to get to know everyone and catch up with those we did know, we headed to our table. I liked that it was a small enough group where we could sit and still be able to talk with everyone. They sent out some cocktails for us to taste and even though I’m not a big mixed drink person, I was a big fan of the ELDER STATESMAN (ketel one, st. germain liquer, lemon juice, splash of soda- $10). I didn’t get to try the RED MOJITO (bacardi silver, fresh limes, mint, drunken cherries-$10), but the others said it was delicious.

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For starters, they sent out the Fall Kale Salad (honey crisp apple, red radish, scallion, almond cider green goddess dressing ) and the Heirloom Beet Salad (golden & candy stripe beets, goat cheese, panna cotta, toasted hazelnuts half), both of which I went back for seconds on. Next, they sent out a super neat dish called Hot Rocks, which was thinly sliced brandt beef drizzled with white truffle oil which we were able to cook at the table! Our last starter was another favorite of the night: Yellowfin Tuna, which was rare seared and served with  sticky rice, spicy green beans, pickled daikon, avocado and sweet soy ginger sauce. It was absolutely incredible and would be something I’d easily order again.

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We thought we were done here, but boy were we wrong! We were pleasantly surprised when they brought over an entire roast chicken that was cooked to perfection. The flavor was on point- maybe even the best I’ve ever had? Which is a big statement since I have roast chicken frequently. Alongside that was a serving of their Maple Roasted Squash Farro, which perfectly complimented the chicken. I could’ve just eaten a bowl for that and have been happy! It was a flavor party in my mouth 🙂

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And finally, when we thought we couldn’t eat anymore, they brought out their Chocolate Lava Cake and Nutella Bread Pudding (which we had on NYE!). Even though I was so full, I am a firm believer that dessert holds its own separate space in our stomachs so of course I ate my share of both 😉

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I can’t say it enough- if you haven’t checked out the Social Restaurant and Bar, I highly suggest getting yourself there! It’s literally right off of Exit 17 off the Pike and they validate parking on the weekends.

And lastly, a huge thank you to Bill over at the Social and for all of these amazing bloggers who took time out of their busy life to meet up and check out the Social!

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After such great conversations with everyone about life, work, blogging and working out, I left there feeling so blessed to be able to have connected with such strong, empowering women. Thank you, ladies!

 

Weekend Eats & Drinks

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Good morning! Our weekend was relatively low-key, but it was filled with some good eats, drinks and restaurant visits so I figured that was worth sharing- enjoy!

Friday

My company always does pizza lunches before big sport games, so last Friday was no exception. I haven’t been in the office to reap the benefits of any of the recent pizza luncheons so it was a nice treat for me this past Friday! I always take a whole plate of salad (if available) and start with that because it ensures I get in some veggies and it helps to subside most of my initial hunger before inhaling 3 pieces of pizza and then feeling sick from stuffing my face with too much pizza!

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I had some gift cards to use at Hopsters so we went there for pizza, salad and drinks for dinner… you know it’s a good day when you have pizza for lunch AND dinner! We got the sausage and arugula pizza and the beet and goat cheese salad- both were fantastic!

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Saturday

After an incredibly hard yoga sculpt class at CorePower (no seriously, it was so hard!!), I met up with my sister and friend Jessi at Loco in Southie for lunch to chat about my bachelorette party. While the margaritas were awesome, I picked the wrong food entrée. The waitress suggested the burrito so I took her suggestion, but it had too many big potatoes and not enough meat… not to mention it was served WITH potatoes. Thankfully my sister shared some of her burger with me which was really good. We ran into one of my friends from work which was such a fun addition to the lunch!

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For dinner, we decided to make some quesadillas. I kept it basic with just peppers and onions and leftover coconut crusted chicken. They were SO good and successfully kicked my Mexican craving that was not satisfied at lunch.

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Oh, and bubbly. Snowy nights most definitely call for bubbly… but then again, I’m not sure what nights DON’T call for bubbly 😉

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Side Note: We finally started to watch Breaking Bad- have any of you watched that show? So far it’s a little intense for my liking, but I’m giving it a shot! We are only 4 episodes in.

Sunday

In traditional Sunday morning fashion, I whipped us up some healthy pancakes first thing. It was another great batch and we think it’s almost time for me to perfect the recipe and share it with all of you! I added raspberries to some of mine and it was a very tasty addition.

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We ended up having RM’s brother and sister-in-law over for the game so I set out some healthy-ish snack food while we waited for the wings to cook. We made two kinds: baked buffalo and then slow cooker honey garlic and I have to say, the buffalo stole the show for most of us! I also made some chocolate chip banana bread bars which were a big hit.

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And that about does it! I hope you all have a great week- and be on the lookout for some exciting news that I’m sharing on Friday!

Questions for you: Where is your favorite pizza place? Did you go out to eat at all this weekend? Where do you go for Mexican food? What did you do for the game?