Tag: Boston

Five on Friday {2.26.16}

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Happy Friday, friends! Have you had a good week? Mine has been pretty good- nothing really out of the ordinary, which isn’t a bad thing! It was funny- when I saw my mom last weekend she goes “did you do your ‘Five on Friday’ post this week? I love that!”, which was so sweet. I told her that I had nothing special to share with you guys last week so I just saved it for this week. Here we go!

Recycle Studio’s new South End location– I was able to snag a saddle in their second class at their new location earlier this week. Unfortunately about half of the people didn’t show up for the class (that’s what happens when it’s a free class) so I felt bad for the instructor- it’s so much harder to teach a half full class than it is a fully packed class! She did a great job, though- loved getting to check it out!

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Straight Up Strength- Even fitness instructors get bored with their own workouts, right? Lucky for me, my girl Lauren over at The Fueled Physique created a workout program so I jumped at the chance to sign up for it. I did one of the lower body exercises on Monday and the upper body one on Tuesday and I was SO SORE from them. If you’re looking for something new to spice up your workouts, I’d suggest signing up for her program (check out her site and shoot her an inquiry!).

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Gapfit Line– When I was shopping with my mom and sister last Friday, we popped into Gap Body on a mission for underwear (TMI?) and although I didn’t walk out with any, I did walk out with this amazingly cute top. I can see myself wearing this all the time to and from the gym and even out and about on the weekend. I was lucky I only left with this because as we looked around, I was seriously impressed with their entire athletic line. I definitely plan on going back and getting more stuff.

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Boston Housing Market- RM sent me this article the other day and it absolutely baffled me. It’s amazing how much the housing market in Boston has increased over the past couple of years, but I have to agree with the author that it’s interesting- and frustrating- that they are only tailoring to the wealthy with the “luxury condos”. What about the average people who just want a nice, affordable place to live?

Kittens- You guys. I want a kitten SO BADLY! We’ve been talking about getting one for months and months, but just recently I’ve really been itching for one. I’ve called a few shelters but none of them have any so I thought I’d ask you guys- do you know of any shelters with kittens or anyone who has any? We really want a female. Any help would be appreciated!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! Ours is pretty low-key- hoping to go out for sushi tonight and then I’m teaching Saturday morning. Other than that there are some other plans up in the air, but I hope to have lots of time to work on my Box Fiit certification! Whatever you have planned I hope you  have a great time!

 

 

 

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?

Weekending: Home improvement is hard work!

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Good morning, friends! How was your weekend? This was the first weekend in a really long time where we were around ALL weekend, without many plans, too! It worked out really well since RM and I were really itching to finish home improvement projects and get more unpacked. Living in a half unpacked apartment for 2 weeks has been challenging, to say the least!

For those of you who may not know the whole story, no, we did not buy a home! We are renting a 2 bedroom apartment in a 2-family home that RM’s mother owns (she doesn’t live in it, in case you’re wondering 🙂 )and it really needed some serious updating. To help keep the costs down for his mom, we have taken on projects that we can do: painting, sanding, etc. Ideally, we would’ve done this BEFORE we moved in, but we didn’t want her to go a month without rent so we’ve been living and renovating at the same time. While it hasn’t been terrible, we are both really ready to be done the renovations and be fully settled in!

But, before we got to renovations, let’s talk about the weekend. I met up with RM in the city after work since it was such a gorgeous night (and because I had an appointment in the city at 6pm so it worked out great). We started at Vanderbilt (used to be The Vault) and then decided it was too nice to have drinks inside and went over to Sterling’s because they have a great outdoor patio.

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Once we got home, we decided to walk over to Buff’s Pub since it’s so close AND so good. I got a delicious Gyro-style wrap and RM got their famous wings. Both were delicious!

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After kickboxing on Saturday, I ran a bunch of errands, including a stop at Watertown Main Street Florist, where my friend Jen works on Saturdays. She hooked me up with a beautiful bouquet of fall-esque flowers. Thanks, friend!
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Chicken & Veggie Zoodles- Scampi Style

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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).

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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 😉

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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

  1. Steam the corn & cut the kernels off. Meanwhile, cut the Brussels sprouts and steam for 2-3 minutes to speed up the cooking time.
  2. Spiralize your zucchini and set aside. Head a skillet at medium heat and let the oil, garlic, wine and lemon juice simmer.
  3. 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.
  4. Once the chicken is cooked, chop it up and add it to the veggies.

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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!

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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.

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

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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?

 

 

 

Summer is a great time for juices, smoothies & acai bowls! {Review: Thirst Juice Co.}

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Good morning! I’m finally back to the grind after a mini “vacation”. RM and I took Friday and Monday off for a weekend getaway in Maine. My friend, Meredith, got married up in Boothbay Harbor so we figured we might as well extend the trip since we didn’t have any summer getaways besides Cape weekends. I can’t wait to share pictures from the wedding and the amazing Inn we stayed at, but first, let’s talk about juices, smoothies and acai bowls.

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I’ve mentioned a few times that I hate making smoothies. I love drinking them and think they are a great way to sneakily get more fruits and veggies into your diet, but the thought of getting out the blender and ingredients to make one, and then cleaning the blender after, just isn’t appealing to me. I also find myself not always feeling satisfied after a smoothie or juice because I haven’t gone through the act of actually CHEWING anything. Weird, I know, but I do think that’s something I can train myself to get over, so when Heather, one of the owners/founders of Thirst Juice Co. reached out and invited me into the shop to try out some juices, smoothies and acai bowls, I happily agreed to head over!

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There are so many things that I love about the company- I love that Heather and her husband left their corporate jobs as lawyers in NYC to come to Boston to start up a juice/smoothie company. I love that she and I chatted nonstop about health/fitness. I love that all of the options were healthy- truly healthy. I love that she was so knowledgeable and passionate about the company and benefits of juicing and power smoothies. I could go on and on, but first let’s talk about what I tried. Unfortunately RM wasn’t able to join me, but they did a good job of giving me smaller samples so I could still get a taste for everything.

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For juices, I tried the Kaleidoscope (kale, spinach, carrot, pineapple) and Buddabeet (beet, carrot, pear, pineapple, ginger)- side note: how fun are these names?! I thought they were both delicious, which says a lot because I am not a big “juicer”. Even though Heather said the Buddabeet is their sweetest/least vegetable tasting juice, I thought the Kaleidoscope was actually sweeter!

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Next up were the smoothies- my favorite! I forgot to write down what ones I tried, but I *think* I tried the Vitamin “G”reen (Kale, spinach, mango, banana, pineapple, coconut water) and the Peruvian Pick Me Up (Mango, rolled oats, banana, dates, almond milk, maca). Both were really, really tasty- and super filling!

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My final sample was the infamous Acai Bowl! Loaded with anti-oxidants, it seems as though Acai Bowls are allll the rage these days. The first and only other time I had one was in Hawaii, long before they were as popular and trendy as they are now! I choose the Peanut Butter Acai Bowl (Peanut butter, acai, cacao powder, blueberries, banana, almond milk, topped with granola), but we put the topping from the Coconut bowl because it was more fun (granola, banana and coconut flakes). The verdict? I LOVED it!

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The only problem is that it was so pretty I almost didn’t want to eat it… almost 😉

All in all, I really loved my visit to Thirst Juice Co. and left there with a very full belly 🙂 I think Heather and her husband have done a tremendous job of bringing a little more “healthy” to Boston. If you’re looking to see more of what they have to offer, head on over to their menu page- everything sounds so delicious!

Thanks for having me in, Heather- I can’t wait to go back!

Questions for you: Have you ever had an Acai bowl? Do you drink smoothies or juices?