Tag: 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?

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…

To this….

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!

 

Five on Friday {5.12.17}

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Good morning- TGIF! I don’t know about anyone else, but it’s been quite a week! First , one day I dialed into the wrong conference call, next, I emailed Lauren asking why I didn’t get my first workout in the Fit in 15 quickie series, only to have her tell me it starts NEXT week, haha I think between still battling a head cold, exhaustion from the weekend and teaching so many classes, I can’t keep things straight!

So, let’s keep it simple today- here are some things of possible interest!

  • Mother’s Day Pink Ribbon Low Cut Cleat– New Balance is offering a Mother’s Day edition of the baseball cleats some of the pros (Dustin Pedroia, Robby Scott, Hanley Ramirez) are wearing these days. The pink accents represent the fact that they are part of New Balance’s Lace Up for the Cure® Collection, meaning that a portion of the proceeds go to breast cancer research, as well as the Susan G. Komen organization/foundation. As a bonus offer, if you purchase these cool looking cleats, you’ll also win a pair of pink CFX Pro batting gloves! I absolutely love all that New Balance does to support cancer (especially breast cancer) research- they are truly a company all about giving back.

  • Free Spin Class at B/Spoke Wellesley– This Sunday (Mother’s Day),  B/Spoke Wellesley is offering a FREE RIDE to sons & daughters who bring their mom’s to either the 8:15am or 9:30am class. In addition to a free class, you’ll be entered in a raffle for the chance to win gift cards to various other stores in the area such as Gretta Cole, Gretta Luxe, MiniLuxe, Cocobeet & more! If you are interested, email Grace Goodearl at ggoodearl@bspokestudios.com.
  • Gold Medal Bootcamp– On Thursday, May 18th at 6pm there will be a really cool workout opportunity in Boston Common. EF Education First and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, DeeDee Trotter are hosting a FREE, public outdoor workout! Cherry on top? Eliza of Kick It by Eliza (duh!)will also be there an running you through a “Kick It” aspect of the workout. There will be music, refreshments, a New Balance pop-up shop and more that you can check out after the event. If you’re interested in this, make sure you register here. Maybe DeeDee will even let you touch her gold medals?! 😉
  • Sweat, Shop, Snack {Round 1}- On Wednesday, I hosted my second class/event at the New Balance Flagship Store in Brighton. While it was certainly a much smaller crowd (so many people told me they couldn’t go because of other plans- May is a busy month!), the crew who showed up was fierce! Most of them had never done kickboxing before, but you could never tell by looking at them. They caught on SO fast and were so energetic- laughing and smiling throughout the whole workout! Didn’t hurt that DJ Sprino was crushing it on the turn tables (is that still a thing people say?!), per usual. The staff at NB are all SO nice and helpful- they make having events there so easy. Huge thanks to Purity Organics for providing juices again, Hint Water for providing delicious waters and GoMacro for providing macrobars for people to munch on after class! I won’t be doing any more events there until the fall as Seaport Sweat starts up in a few weeks which will add more classes to my schedule and leave less time for other events.

  • GoMacro- GoMacro recently reached out to me regarding their company and product. I had actually tried Go Macro bars when they were on sale at Whole Foods and absolutely LOVED them, so I jumped on board to work with them. For those of you who may not be familiar with GoMacro, it’s a family-owned vegan nutrition bar company based in Viola, WI. They started the company when they decided to switch to a macrobiotic diet, which means they eat in a way that is balanced in terms of what you’re eating and when you’re eating it. They chose to do this as a lifestyle when one of the founders was diagnosed with breast cancer. They had read that a macrobiotic diet could help and figured it was worth a shot. The full story can be found here, but spoiler alert: it did help!

Along with being Vegan, their bars are also Organic and Gluten Free- plus, they taste great! When I’m looking for a pre or post workout bar, I like to make sure I’m choosing something with minimal unnecessary “filler” ingredients, lower sugar count, a decent amount of protein and have to taste good. GoMacro fits all of those criteria and I love that their core principles include keeping everything wholesome, organic and vegan. Plus, with all of the various flavors they have, it’s hard to pick a favorite!

Earlier this week I hosted another event at New Balance and was happy to be able to share some mini bars with my class participants. Everyone who tried them gushed about how “surprisingly good” they bars were. I think people tend to shy away from protein/healthy bars because they think they will taste awful, but that’s not the case with these. I brought some extras into my office and have had so many people stop me and tell me how great the bars are! Bottom line is if you’re using real, wholesome ingredients and you know the right combinations of flavors to put together, you’ll likely (hopefully) have a good tasting final product. People have this notion that “healthy” doesn’t taste good, but I think it’s because they’re misinformed with what “healthy” means- bland, no flavor, no fat, etc. – and haven’t given it a chance. We cook so many “healthy” things that taste great, but again, it’s all about what goes in and how its prepared.

If you’re interested in trying some- I suggest heading to their site as new customers can get 30% off AND free shipping! Thanks, again, GoMacro- loved being able to share goodness with so many people 🙂

Questions for you: How has your week been? have you done any fun workouts? What’s your favorite pre/post workout bar? What are you doing for Mother’s Day?