2015: A Year In Review

January 5, 2016January 3, 20164 Comments

Good morning! 2015 has officially come and gone and at this point we are in our first week of 2016- wow! I have to say, though, what a year 2015 was- from work accomplishments to blogger events to the biggest and best thing of the year- getting engaged- 2015 was one for the books. Here are some of my favorite/most memorable memories:

Ridiculous amounts of snow– which was fun at first, but got old reallll fast. I will say, though, I think I gained some upper body strength from all the shoveling. And, I will also say that I was happy for the upper body strength I had gained prior to the storms because it made my shoveling job much easier.

Ski trip to Sugarbush– I hadn’t been skiing in nearly 10 years, but I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to keep up with the guys (well, for the most part!)

Snowy Valentines Day- We decided to cancel our plans as soon as we figured out we would likely be snowed in. We ended up walking to Kelly’s Pub for dinner and it was perfect!

San Francisco with some of my college bests- OMG this was an amazing trip and break from the ridiculous winter back in Boston. We did so many things, but most of all it was just nice to be with a few good friends, drinking delicious wine and exploring an amazing city. Recaps are here, here, and here.

Mom & dad came to Boston– My sister gave them a hotel room for the night as their Christmas gift and we had a blast going to 75 Chestnut and then dancing at Whiskey Priest!

Kia’s Bachelorette party & wedding- These were back to back weekend events which were so fun! The bachelorette party was in North Conway and wedding up in Vermont. Loved celebrating these two!

Birthday Celebrations part 1– wine fest & Cinquecento– 30 was a big birthday! And RM, my family and friends made me feel so special! The wine fest was awesome and dinner at Cinquecento was really delicious.

My first SoulCycle class and birthday lunch with my sister is also such a great memory! We had a blast and it was so nice of her to want to do that for my birthday.

Birthday Celebrations part 2- “surprise” party at Carrie Nation– RM wanted to throw me a real surprise party, but it wasn’t going to work out, so I knew about the date, but I didn’t know any details. He did an amazing job pulling everything off- such a lucky girl!

Italy– a fantastic nearly 2 week vacation. I want to go back! If you missed those posts, you can read them here, here, and here.

Window performance at Lululemon– I loved getting a chance to workout in the window at Lululemon! You can check out the workout here.

Participating in the #bikinirebellion challenge– I did a full recap here, but in short, this was an amazing challenge that really helped change the way I look at myself, working out, etc.

Running my own outdoor bootcamp- This was such a highlight of my year! I hope that it continues to grow throughout the years!

Lots of Cape Cod weekends– we were able to get down to the Cape a lot this past summer which was such a nice way to escape the city for a bit. So many beach days, Big Squeeze Beers & ice creams!

Vermont with my family– Now that my sister and I each have significant others, we don’t do things with just the two of us and our parents very often so it was nice getting a chance to get away and spend some quality time just the 4 of us… not to mention it was in one of my favorite cities and old stomping grounds!

Fitness photo shoot- Getting a chance to work with Janelle of Janelle Carmela Photography for a fitness photo shoot was a blast and I’m so happy with how the photos came out!

Our only summer wedding- Celebrating Meredith and Brandon up in Boothbay Harbor was such a fun way to spend a weekend away!

NBGNO events– I was lucky enough to attend a few NBGNO events this year and it’s always to great to be surrounded by so many empowering women and stories. If you’ve never made it to one of these events, it should absolutely be on your “must try” list for 2016!

Moving into a new apartment with RM– This was a big step for our relationship, but it couldn’t have been a more perfect move for us. As RM said best, it put a sense of calmness on our relationship.

Getting ENGAGED!!! Hands down this was the BEST, MOST AMAZING part of my 2015. RM literally made me the happiest girl alive when he asked me to marry him- it was such a special day and I seriously can’t wait to marry my handsome Italian!

Getting a new 5K PR- I hadn’t run a race in forever so I was a little nervous to run the Oak Square YMCA race, but I ended up getting quite a bit of a PR (23:30 I think was my time?) AND coming in 3rd for my age group.

Wedding Venue Hunting & Picking the Date/Venue While this was a very stressful time, finding The Wentworth was the best thing. We are so excited for July 4th!!

Getting out of my comfort zone in the gym– I’ve wrote about this a few times here and here), but meeting Meghan and trying out classes at her gym (Foster Fitness) has been such a wonderful part of my fitness journey. She’s pushed me in ways I absolutely needed pushing and I’ve gained so much confidence with regards to heavier lifting!

Book club-This has been something I totally look forward to every couple of months. I’ll admit that even though I love to read, these days my “spare” time is spent blogging, so having an excuse to put the computer down and pick up a book is the best. Plus, I love getting together with my girlfriends to drink wine and eat good food… and yes, we do talk about the book 😉

Friendsgiving- it was our first time doing a “friendsgiving”, but I really hope it’s not our last! I loved another excuse to do the whole Thanksgiving meal thing without the pressure of having to travel or split the holiday.

Thanksgiving in Boston– My sister and her roommate hosted Thanksgiving this year at their apartment in Dorchester so it was fun to be able to see both my family and RM’s family all in the same day without having to travel out of state!

Wedding Dress Shopping– This was probably the best part of planning our wedding! I thought I was not going to enjoy it, but it ended up being such a great experience and I wish I could do it again!

Birthday Celebrations & parties- Between my sister’s birthday, RM’s birthday and Jessi’s Christmas party, December was full of parties!

My amazing classes! My members show up every week, ready for whatever craziness I decide to throw at them and it couldn’t make me happier!

Cristmas & Christmas Eve- Having RM come up to Maine to join us for our annual Christmas Eve party was such a nice treat! We also had a nice dinner with his family on Christmas day.

Phew… did you make it this far? I realize that this list is long, but as I said, 2015 was a really great year! And with that, bring it on 2016!

Questions for you: What was the best part of your 2015? What are you looking forward to in 2016?

New Years Eve & Weekending {girls luncheon & PMC Resolution Event}

January 4, 2016January 3, 20168 Comments

Good morning! I have to say… going into this week knowing that I have to work a full week is really not that fun. As much as I am ready to be back on a more normal schedule with regards to working out and eating (and not having so many social engagements to go to), I was really quite fine with working shorter weeks 😉

Did you guys have a good New Years Eve? Did you do anything fun? This year, we decided to not make any plans- if we ended up doing something, great. If not, that was fine, too. I was just tired of the big NYE hype and then never really having as good as a time as I wanted, so having no expectations was how I wanted to spend this NYE and you know what? I had the best one I’ve had in a long time!

When I got home from work, I decided to skip the gym or any sort of workout and instead snuggle up with some bubbly and a book. I had been getting oddly sore from my workouts and felt a little off all day so I decided that rest was best!

This book was fantastic and I was so happy I decided to relax and finish it!

RM had been feeling under the weather for a few days, but managed to rally enough to walk to the Social Bar & Restaurant for drinks and dinner. We didn’t think we would stay late, but it was nearly 11:30 by the time we got home!

We were both happy to see that the restaurant was busy, but also that we were able to snag seats at the bar only after a short wait. We started with drinks (bubbly for me-duh- and beer for him) and then decided to do sharsies and pick a few things of the menu.

We also split a phenomenal burger and then finished with this Nutella bread pudding…. thank goodness we had a little walk to get home to help digest!

What I loved about the Social was that you didn’t have to buy a ticket, so it was very non-committal. They also had a DJ and party favors and a champagne pour at midnight (which we didn’t stay for). I love that we have a handful of great dining options within walking distance from our apartment- ranging from sushi to pizza to wings to the American style food at Social.

We ended the night watching the ball drop in our jammies on our couch- perfect!

New Years Day started with some eggs and toast for breakfast and then was followed with lots of save the date work. I’m mailing 98% of them today- feels amazing!!

Once we both got hungry for lunch, I decided to walk to Max & Leo’s and order a pizza and some wings. It was SO good and totally hit the spot!

Later that night I started to feel like I was getting sick from whatever RM had, which was not going to be a good situation since I had a lot of fitness things over the weekend I did not want to be sick for. RM suggested I go to bed early so I did just that- 8:30pm and I was sound asleep! I set my alarm for 7:30, thinking I would absolutely be awake before that, but next thing I knew it was 7:30 and my alarm was going off. I was amazed at how much I could sleep, but you know what? I woke up feeling great- imagine that 😉 Thank goodness, because I didn’t want to feel sick for my first class of 2016!

I thought the crowds at the Y would be bigger than they were- hopefully they’ll pick up in a few weeks!

The rest of my Saturday was spent lunching with my girlfriends. We went to Not Your Average Joe’s in Medford and then decided to get one more drink at Regina’s since no one had anything else to do for the day. It was such a fun afternoon!

Saturday night was very lowkey, so we were up relatively early on Sunday. I was on pancake duty again and then took down all of the Christmas decorations before heading to The Club to participate in The Resolution ride by PMC. In short, it was an incredible event and I’m so happy to have been a part of it! I ended up raising enough money to do 2 rides, so at noon I rode with Elise and Cara from The Handle Bar and at 1 with Rich & Mick from Turnstyle Cycle. Both rides were a blast- The Handle Bar girls did a Bieber/Senena Gomez ride and the guys from Turnstyle did more of an older mix of intense songs with a good build in them. Needless to say, by the time my second ride was over, I was totally spent!

The rest of my Sunday was spent relaxing on the couch. I can tell I’m still fighting something because I’m feeling more worn down than usual after my workouts this weekend… so rest it is!

I’m subbing tonight at the Watertown BSC for Dana’s 6:30pm Cardio Kickboxing class- come sweat with me if you can!

Questions for you: How was your NYE? Do you like to make big plans or do you prefer laying low? How was your weekend? Did you get your first workout of 2016 in? Have you ever participated in a fundraiser event?

Wednesday Workout: 20 Minute Bodyweight AMRAP {Cardio/Full Body}

December 30, 2015December 29, 20154 Comments

Good morning! It’s been ages since I’ve posted a workout for you, right?! I’m changing that today, though! I love the holidays for an excuse to get off of my regular schedule (eating, drinking, working out, working, etc.), but I have to say that getting back ON schedule is a pretty awesome feeling, too. So, if you’re feeling anything like me and craving a bit of normalcy, then I hope you give this workout a shot- it’s so very normal and classic Monique-like 😉

I did this when I was at home at my parents house a few weeks ago. I wasn’t sure I wanted to workout, so I came up with something that included some of my favorite exercises and told myself that if I didn’t get into it after the first round, I could call it quits. Well, 20 minutes later, I was sweaty and so happy I got in a quickie workout. I’m sure you’ll feel the same way!

A few explanations/videos in case you need a little clarification on anything…

Narrow & wide squat jumps– you’re taking a standard squat jump, but adding a little intensity. Check out this video for a demo.
Inch worm push-up w/knee tuck– I posted this on Instagram a few weeks ago- check it out here
Cursty lunges- alternate right to left, making sure you keep your hips facing the front direction and that your knees don’t go over your toes.
T-raise side planks- I posted this on Instagram a few weeks ago, too! I used a band, but you could easily do it without. Check it out here
Burpee Jacks- Perform a standard burpee (with or without the push-up) and then when you come back up instead of jumping, do a full jumping jack.
Supine Extension- Lying on your back with your core engaged, lift your legs and shoulder blades off the ground and then crunch up and then extend back out.

If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I hope you give this a shot- it’s perfect for those days/weeks where you don’t have a lot of time to workout.

Questions for you: Did your schedule change at all throughout the holidays? How do you deal with schedule changes?

My 5th Stitch Fix Review

December 29, 2015December 28, 20152 Comments

Good morning! It had been months since my last Stitch Fix (<– referral link! You get one when you sign up, too!) and since I had some referral credits and since they gave a code that waived the styling fee, I figured I might as well sign up for another fix. I usually do a “fix” in the spring/summer and then in the winter; it’s always fun to do it as the seasons change since they usually have some cute options.

This fix was another great one- had everything fit me great, I might have kept it all (the 25% discount for keeping all of the pieces is also very enticing!).

Here’s a recap of what I got in case you do fixes and want to pin any of these to your boards on Pinterest.

Kathy Striped Fit & Flare Dress by Pixley- $68– As soon as I saw this dress I just knew I needed to get it (as long as it fit, of course). I loved everything about it- the stripes, the 3/4 length sleeves, the flowy skirt. I knew I could wear it to a party or gathering AND to work, and doubly whammy outfits are always a good thing 😉 Luckily, it fit great and I’ve already worn it 2 times!

I paired it with a red belt and loved how it brought a festive flare to the dress!

Paula Cable Knit Cowl Neck Sweater by Mak- $68– This was another piece that I loved as soon as I opened the box. I’m not usually a big sweater person, but I think it’s because I haven’t had the right ones. I love the detail on this one and how it’s fitting, but because of the cowl neck it still has that warm, comfy feel. I’ve worn this a few times as well and love how soft it is!

Denna Skinny Jean by Kut from the Kloth- $78– I really wanted to keep these, but unfortunately they were a bit too big around the waist and knees so I decided to send them back which is a shame because they were so incredibly soft and comfortable. I have another pair of Kut from the Kloth jeans that are my absolute favorite so I knew I would’ve loved these, but I wasn’t sure if they would shrink enough so I decided I shouldn’t keep them.

Myler Keyhole Back Blouse by Le Lis- $48– I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of the pattern of this shirt when I pulled it out of the box. When I saw it accessorized on one of the fashion sheets they provide, it grew on me, but I just knew that I wouldn’t wear it as much as other similar shirts that I own so I sent it back. I did like that the material had a little stretch to it, which isn’t common for silky type shirts.

Tannika Ruffle Detail Zip-Up Cardigan by Monoreno- $58– This was another piece that I wasn’t crazy about when I opened the box. It just reminded me of something I owned when I was in college and not something I tend to wear these days. It also didn’t fit well as it was one of those “short and wide” situations- and not in the “crop top” sort of way that I really like. Needless to say, it was a no-go.

And that does it! I’m so happy I told them not to send any jewelry or accessories because I’d much rather have another piece of clothing! Overall, I think it was a pretty good fix and even though I always want to love everything, it’s nice when things don’t work out because with my “planning a wedding” budget, I shouldn’t really be dropping lots of extra money on clothes 😉

If you’re interested in checking it out, here are some details:

Use this link to head on over to the site
Create your online styling profile by answering their questions and filling in your sizes, likes, dislikes, etc.
Schedule your “fix” to arrive whenever you want it
Once your fix comes in, open it up and try everything on. You just have to return the pieces you don’t want within 2 or 3 days, but they make that so easy for you since they give you a pre-paid bag to use and all you have to do is drop it off in a mailbox or at the post office.
Share your referral code with friends and family because every time someone signs up and orders a fix, you get a $25 credit!

If you’re interested in checking out how fixes can differ from one to the next, check out these posts:

My First Stitch Fix
My 2nd Stitch Fix
My 3rd Stitch Fix
My 4th Stitch Fix

Questions for you: Have you ever done Stitch Fix? Do you like to online shop or shop in person at stores? Do you do any other monthly subscriptions?

The Week In Review: Birthday Celebrations, Christmas, Weekending

December 28, 2015December 27, 20156 Comments

Good morning! It feels good to be back 🙂 Besides one post last week, I decided to take the week to just detach a bit- I had no desire to blog so I figured it was a sign I should take a little break. I’m back today, though, to recap the week! With RM’s bday on the 23rd, Christmas week is always a little crazy and chock full of celebrating (read: indulgent food, lots of dessert and plenty of drinks). Even though I’m off today, I’m excited about getting back on a little bit of a schedule this week… that is, until New Years Eve 😉

Monday- Last week I organized a little holiday celebration for a few of the teams at my office. We went to Kings in Lynnfield and had a blast drinking, bowling and munching on various passed apps.

Tuesday- After work on Tuesday, I went into the city to meet up with my sister and some other people at Back Deck for a drink before they went to the Nutcracker. I had wanted to go, but with it being the day before RM’s bday, it was just too much.

Wednesday- I used a floating holiday on Wednesday which was a nice way to ease into the holiday. Since it was RM’s bday, I told him I would make him whatever he wanted for breakfast. He decided on banana cinnamon French toast- how delicious does this look?! It was 2 pieces of Ezekiel bread, 2 eggs, dash of milk, plenty of cinnamon and sliced bananas that I sautéed in the pan.

After breakfast, I left the house to let him study for his big broker exam (who schedules a big exam on their birthday?!) and hit up a class at Orangetheory. The first time I went to that studio was over the summer and the class was good, but not crazy hard. This one? Much harder! It was endurance day so we ended up starting the class on the treadmills for nearly a half hour! My base pace was 7 and my pushes were in the 8’s and then sprints in the 9’s and 10’s… I was dying by the end!! The strength session was also more challenging and I was sore the next day. Can’t wait to go back!

I finished up with shopping and wrapping while RM headed into the city for his test. A few hours after the test started I hopped on the bus to be in the city when he finished so I could take him out to dinner. Luckily, he passed the exam so not only were we celebrating his bday, but also that! It was a very good day and Davio’s did not disappoint!

Thursday- We took our time getting up on Thursday and eventually went into the city for birthday massages (well, birthday for him) at Exhale Spa. Per usual, the whole experience was wonderful- it’s really the best place to get massages!

had to rick my “mistletoe & mimosas” T!

After we were finished, we hit the road to head to Maine. I went to Christmas Eve mass with my family and then we prepped for family friends to come over. It was a another successful Christmas Eve party! Good group of friends, plenty of delicious food, lots of bubbly and laughs. I did not take many pictures as I was just having too much fun being present in the night.

Friday- We woke up later than normal on Christmas morning and found ourselves nearly rushing through presents- oops. We all got lots of great things, but I have to say that my sister’s gift to me was probably my favorite -it was so incredibly thoughtful and I loved that it was wedding themed since up until now, I hadn’t really received anything wedding-related. The ring holder is absolutely perfect, the shirt is so “me” and the book filled with all of the important things so far (“the ring”, “the Date”, “the location”, “not the dress”, “the band”…) nearly made me cry! I can’t wait to fill it up with things throughout the wedding process and then with photos from the big day.

After presents, we packed up and headed back to MA to do Christmas with RM’s family. I didn’t take any pictures, but his mother and sister made a delicious meal, we had fantastic wine and opened more presents. I loved the sweater and necklace that his mom and sister got me- now it just needs to get cold enough to wear them 😉

Saturday- I started out the day working on our wedding website and then hit the pavement for a 3.5 mile run, followed by some upper body strength circuits. After a rest day on Christmas and indulgent food for a few days, it felt very good to move!

After lunch, the post holiday blues started to hit me and I had to laugh as I realized my outfit was coincidentally mirroring my mood.

I knew I needed to get out of the house so I returned a few things, went to the library to get another book for book club and then decided to grab a glass of vino at Branch Line while waiting for RM to be done with his things for the day. I brought my book in and totally enjoyed sipping my Chardonnay while I read (even if it did seem weird to people who saw me).

The rest of the night was spent relaxing- we ordered in, I kept reading and was in bed by 10. It was perfect 🙂

Sunday- I decided to get up and make us healthy pancakes. I changed the recipe by adding in another egg and we both agreed they may be the best batch yet!

The rest of the day was spent being incredibly productive: 2 loads of laundry, changed the sheets on the bed, put away Christmas gifts, cleaning the entire apartment, grocery shopping, meal prepping and blogging. I did get RM to food shop with me and happened to sneak in a bouquet of flowers 😉

Meal prepping isn’t always something I want to do, but once I get going- and especially once I’m done- I’m always SO happy I did it. I still have to make a meatloaf and cook the kale today (and RM has string beans and broccoli he wants to cook- we go through veggies so fast in this house), but knowing the most time consuming part is done is amazing.

And that about does it! I know this post was long, but hopefully the pictures kept you reading. I can’t believe Christmas has come and gone, but at least we have our wedding to look forward to in the next 6 months or so!

I hope all of you had a fantastic holiday week!

Questions for you: What did you do to celebrate the holiday this year? Do you have to split holidays? Do you have any traditions? Meal prep- love it or hate it? Did you do any shopping after the holiday? Are you taking any time off this week? Any good workouts to share?

Burpees to Bubbly

Because good workouts deserve bubbly rewards!

2015: A Year In Review

Wednesday Workout: 20 Minute Bodyweight AMRAP {Cardio/Full Body}

My 5th Stitch Fix Review

The Week In Review: Birthday Celebrations, Christmas, Weekending

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: