Weekending: Baby snuggles, Dry Bar, a Wedding & Lots of Errands

Hi there! How are you doing today? This past weekend was a good one- just what I needed after a stressful week.

After work on Friday, I headed to my friend Jess’s apartment in the North End to hang out with her, some other SMC friends and Jess’s sweet little baby girl, Nora. Jess had Nora in August, but because of everyone’s crazy schedules, we hadn’t had a chance to meet her yet. Snuggles with her was the perfect way to relax me 🙂

The rest of the night was spent passing the babe around, drinking wine, eating pizza and just hanging out. They’ve got an awesome little deck off the living room so we bundled up and headed out there to finish the night.

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After teaching on Saturday, I headed to Chestnut Hill to cash in my Groupon for a blow out at drybar in Chestnut Hill. Have you guys ever heard of drybar or been there? If you haven’t, it’s a salon that only washes, dries and styles your hair. Their slogan, “no cuts. no colors. just blowouts.”, is a perfect way to describe their services. What I loved about the place is that it’s such a girly-girl activity! They charge $40 for a blowout which also includes a cocktail… because cocktails make everything more fun, right? I couldn’t help but have a glass of champagne during my 12pm appointment. I literally did burpees and then had bubbly… so fitting 😉

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I was given a “menu” which had all of the styles listed out. The names were names of cocktails and I went with the Cosmopolitan as it was a loose, wavy style.

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Never mind the blowout, I could have had my hair washed for an hour- the scalp massage was so wonderful! From start to finish it was the most relaxing hour, and such a fun way to treat myself to some pampering! Unfortunately, the weather sucked and therefore my hair did not keep the look I got at the salon, but oh well. Nothing you can do!

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Later in the day, RM and I headed to Beverly to attend his cousin’s wedding. While it was freezing during the outdoor ceremony, it was very thoughtful and heartfelt… I just wish I could’ve had a glass of wine to help numb the cold temps! I didn’t take many photos during the night because I was meeting so many people and didn’t want to be that girl taking a million photos, but I’ll say it was a super fun wedding. His family likes to have a good time and we danced all night!

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We slept in until almost 10am on Sunday, which is a very rare occurrence for me. After breakfast we went for a nice walk to soak up some of the nice weather.

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After our walk, we split ways and I headed out to do some major errands. I’m having a party in a few weeks and wanted to get festive decorations so I headed back to Assembly Place with my first stop being Christmas Tree Shops. I love going there to get decorations as they are super cheap!

From there, I did a little shopping at the stores and scored with a great dress at Banana for $12 and new sneakers at Reebok for $50! My last stop was TJ Maxx where I finally was able to find something for the wall above my mantle. What do you think?

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I also decorated the hall area- I love how festive it’s starting to look!

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After decorating and cleaning, I finally made dinner. I sautéed a bunch of veggies and cooked some chicken and made a very tasty chicken and veggie stirfry.

And that sums it up! I could’ve used another 4 hours on Sunday to get everything done, but that’s ok. Although this week is busy, I’m going to do my best to stay calm and focus on one thing at a time. I have so many blog posts I want to write, but I’m going to try to not stress about getting those done if I’m tired and not getting home and sitting down until 9pm each night. I need to give myself more time to unwind at night!

Questions for you: What did you do this weekend? Have you been to drybar? Have you decorated for the fall or Halloween?

A Beautiful Cape Cod Wedding

A few weeks ago, I spent the weekend on the Cape celebrating a fantastic friend. If you read my post about her Nantucket bachelorette weekend, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that her wedding weekend was nothing short of amazing. Whenever my college girlfriends and I get together, it’s ALWAYS a good time, so when you throw a wedding in the mix for one of the most fun girls out of the group, it’s sure to carry on that torch. Not only was Sheila an absolutely beautiful bride, she thought of every single detail to make the day go off without a hitch.

Upon arriving on the Cape on Friday, we had lunch and then got to work putting together the flower arrangements. For all of you DIYers… props to you! Although it’s nice to know you did all of the details and decorations, it’s very time consuming both in the execution and planning. However, everything we helped Sheila with came out absolutely beautiful and her vision was perfect!

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While they were at the rehearsal dinner, some of us had dinner at the house we rented. Our friend Amy is fantastic at finding houses and this one did not disappoint! it was .1 miles from Sheila’s house and had plenty of room to entertain.

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Later that night, we headed to Shuckers for pre-wedding festivities. This bar was right on the water and with the temps and humidity very high, it was a perfect way to cool off. That, and huge goblets of wine also do the trick 😉

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I woke up on Saturday morning bummed to a. feel the intense humidity and b. notice the tremendously overcast weather. I always feel sad when the weather isn’t perfect for outdoor weddings, but I assure you it didn’t rain on her parade (literally and figuratively). After a 4 mile run, Lauren and I headed to the church to set up the flowers. It looked absolutely beautiful and there is something just so peaceful about being in a church when no one is there.

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We held a little cocktail/snack hour before the ceremony and before we knew it, it was time to head to the church.

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To say it was hot and humid both inside and outside of the church is and understatement, but you couldn’t tell by looking at Sheila. She was an absolutely stunning bride and the service was very heart-felt. On top of that, the church was adorable and quaint and just perfect for her beach-themed wedding.

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The reception was held at her parent’s Inn (Seashell Inn, if you’re wondering) which has a great yard area that was perfect for the wedding tent.

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Not only that, but it has private beach access across the street! Cocktail hour on the beach? #dontmindifido

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We had a blast drinking and chatting and taking pictures on the beach. The sun came out for a bit and even though it went back away, the rain held off the entire night! Sheila had flipflops at the beach for all of us to wear since heels are not sand-conducive.

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The passed apps were out of this world amazing. Seriously- the best I’ve ever had! I had oysters, steak with a gorgonzola cream sauce, a cranberry goat cheese thing, lamb and quinoa meatballs served on cucumbers, coconut shrimp, shrimp and kilbasa kabobs… and there were so many other things that I didn’t even get to try! By the time dinner came around, it’s no surprise that none of us were that hungry 😉

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We were ushered into the tent around 6pm for the dinner portion of the night. The tent, tables and decorations were beautiful!

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Dinner was just as delicious as the appetizers. It was the most organized, delicious buffet food I’ve ever had at a wedding. The main entrees were salmon, wrapped in sole with a scallop in a lobster butter sauce (ummm hello, delicious) and steak. Both were absolutely incredible. Best wedding food I’ve ever had!

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It was so nice watching Sheila and her dad dance, and I think he had everyone in attendance shedding tears during his speech. It was so thoughtful and funny and sweet- Sheila will definitely always be his little girl.

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Sheila’s brothers stood in as her “Men of Honor” which is probably the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! Her oldest brother kept fixing her dress throughout the ceremony and their speech was not only hilarious, but also very loving! I love watching the relationship between brothers and sisters.

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Sheila surprised Bryan with a very, special guest appearance. She had Rene Rancourt come to their wedding to sing the National Anthem!! It was seriously the best surprise ever!

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(Press play, then pause, then play again and it won’t be skewed. Not sure what’s going on with my Vimeo videos!)

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The rest of the night was spent dancing, laughing, drinking, and more dancing. The band was phenomenal and played all the best songs to dance to. Here’s a glimpse into what that looked like 😉

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Once the band was done for the night, we all ventured back over to their private beach and went skinny dipping (haven’t done that in YEARS!!!) and then chatted and hung out around the fire.

Sunday morning, we all gathered at a local waterfront restaurant for a wonderful goodbye brunch. It was exactly what all of us needed 😉 Catching up with the girls after nights like that is one of my favorite things to do! I’m so blessed to have such a wonderful group of girlfriends.

The weekend was such an incredible time. Sheila and her mom’s hard work, time and energy going into planning and executing the wedding did not go unnoticed- all of it was perfect! And I know I’m not alone when I say this: Sheila, can you and Bryan get re-married every year?? Cheers to a wonderful lifetime of happiness, laughter and love!

 

 

This Week: Workouts, Preparing To Move & Things I’m Looking Forward To

Good morning! Happy Monday! Although I love getting my workout in early on a Monday morning, I was thankful for the extra sleep this morning. After an incredible weekend celebrating Sheila and Bryan, to say I’m still recovering is an understatement. I can’t wait to recap the day, but until then, let’s get back on track this week!

I had planned on taking this week off from the gym, but between subbing, teaching and moving, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. Hopefully it will soon. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it on here before, but I’m moving upstairs to the second floor apartment in my building this weekend! I’m SO excited to be out of the “garden level” unit (aka, basement). It’s a 2 bedroom and my sister is going to move in with me for a few months until she and her friend get a place of their own. While I love living alone, it will be nice to have her live with me for a bit (plus, the help with rent is never a bad thing 😉 ). So, it’s an exciting week, but moves- even just upstairs- are never easy, so it will definitely be a long and tiring few weeks getting settled in!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I was home in Maine and ran 3 miles before doing the Shapleigh Corner Circuit.
  • Tuesday- I taught my second week of my outdoor bootcamp. It was SO humid… I literally looked like I had just gotten out of hot yoga!

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  • Wednesday- I ran 3 miles before teaching UXF Burn. It was a fun class!

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  • Thursday- After work I ran 4 miles and did some strength stuff in the outdoor gym at Piers Park. I did a full, unassisted pull-up! woohoo!

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  • Friday- I wasn’t feeling great, but knew I needed to get some fresh air so I walked a brisk 2 miles and did feel better! After, I did 25 reps of a bunch of different strength exercises before hitting the road to go to the Cape.
  • Saturday- I got up and ran 4 miles before the wedding festivities started. It was super overcast, super humid and misting a little… it was not very pleasant, but I did it! I also danced my butt off… literally! I haven’t danced that much in a LONG time. It was awesome!

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  • Sunday- Nothing. I hadn’t rested all week and my body was just sore and tired!

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I’m subbing the 6:30 Cardio Kickboxing class at the Watertown BSC!
  • Tuesday- I’m teaching my bootcamp at 5:15.
  • Wednesday- I’ll do some cardio before teaching UXF Burn at 6:30. There’s a chance I may not teach, but it’s a very small chance. I’ll update my Facebook page when I figure it out!
  • Thursday- I’m taking the day off from the gym to move the bulk of my heavy stuff into my new place. RM is going away this weekend for a golf tournament on the Cape and therefore won’t be able to help over the weekend so I want to get the big stuff moved beforehand.
  • Friday- Not sure- I may go running or to the gym during my lunch break. I have to help my sister move her stuff that night so I don’t want to do anything TOO strenuous.
  • Saturday- I’ll be teaching the 10am Cardio Kickboxing class at the Oak Square YMCA. Hope the crowds are bigger now that summer is technically over.
  • Sunday- I’m not sure! Maybe a walk or jog with my sister?

Things I’m Looking Forward To

I think this week will definitely be stressful, but hopefully it goes smooth and we get settled quickly! I’m excited to see my parents again and have their help- my mom has always been the person who has made my bed when I move and has set up my kitchen, so it wouldn’t be the same if she wasn’t here to do that this time! RM asked if I wanted to go to the driving range at Granite Links, so if I get a sub on Wednesday it will be fun to do that with him!

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? Did you try anything new? What are you looking forward to this week? What’s a tip you have for a smooth move?

Road Trippin’… With my parents…

Yes, you read that correctly. Next week, I’ll be embarking on a very long car ride with Sue and Al. My cousin Mary is getting married and she lives in Michigan (as does her whole family. Her dad is my mom’s brother… in case you wanted the whole story!) and when my sister and I decided that we wanted to go, too, I started looking into flights. Mom and dad were planning on driving all long because they love adventures like that, but since I’m not retired and don’t have as much time as they do to have extended vacations, I figured I’d just fly and meet them on Friday.

Well, roundtrip flights were outrageous, so when I started to hint to my dad about potentially hitching a ride with them to Michigan and taking a one-way flight home, he couldn’t have been more excited. To quote him, the convo went like this “Nickie, you have NO IDEA how much I would love for you to do the trip to Michigan with us. Really, it would mean the world to me. We’ll have a nice picnic lunch and if you just chip in for gas we’ll be in good shape.” So, I mean, how could I not agree to that?!

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So, mom and dad are picking me up next Thursday morning at 8am sharp and we’ll drive until our picnic lunch (which, when you’re with the Gagnon’s, is always an event with lots of snacks and fun things to eat… and plenty of wine!) and then keep driving until we get to the Buffalo, NY area (I think). We are spending the night there and then getting back on the road early Friday morning to make the final trek to Sterling Heights, MI, making a pit-stop first at the Detroit airport to pick up my sister (she’s flying from a client site).

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In all honesty, I’m really excited about the trip- even the ridiculously long drive! I always have such a great time with my family and I love weddings because there is so much love and so much dancing!! 🙂

But, here’s where I need your help… I’m bringing my iPad and am in need of a good book or two to download. In addition, I’d love to download a movie to watch. So…

  1. What’s the best book you’ve read lately? I need help picking one!
  2. Can you rent movies from iTunes? Or do I have to buy them? What movie should I buy/rent?

I could really use your help, so please leave your suggestions in the comments 🙂

also, don’t worry- I’ve already decided that if I get bored, I can raid the cooler and snag some vino to keep things interesting… or put me to sleep 😉 jk… kind of…

Christy and Jamie’s Wedding

If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably already know that I was lucky enough to go to Christy and Jamie’s wedding on Saturday, which was one of the best weddings I’ve been to in a long time! What made it even nicer was the fact that it was right in the city, so none of us had to travel or rent hotel rooms- win, win!

The ceremony was held at St. Mary Church in Charlestown, MA and since my friends Jessi and Cristina live in Charlestown, they invited us over beforehand. They had snacks and bubbly- two of my favorite things 😉

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The ceremony was at 2pm so we got there a little early to chat with friends and take pictures- duh 😉

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Big thanks to Jessi’s boyfriend, Chuck, for being the official photographer for us. We must have asked him to take a million pictures 🙂

The church was beautiful! Catholic churches are nothing new for me, but I always love seeing how pretty they are in the inside.

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Two of our friends, Nikia and Amy, were bridesmaids in the wedding and they looked beautiful!

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But, no offense girls, Christy stole the show. She was stunning! From the dress to her hair to her flowers to her makeup, she was everything a bride should be! I always watch the groom’s expression when the bride first walks in because I love to see their first reaction. Jamie was literally beaming from ear to ear as Christy walked down the aisle. Look at her, though! So pretty.

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I was seriously obsessed with her dress. I think trains really make a dress and the lace and little cap sleeves/straps were perfect.

The priest was awesome! He had us engaged and laughing throughout the ceremony (yes, it was a fully Catholic mass- it felt good to be there. I should do it more often). About an hour later, Christy and Jamie walked out as husband and wife.

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They had the cutest trolley waiting outside of the church for them! I loved this idea!

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Since we had about an hour and a half until the reception started, we went back to Jessi and Cristina’s to hang out and drink more champagne.

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The reception was held at the Harvard Club of Boston, which was amazing.

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Nothing like a reception on the 38th floor with views like this:

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Of course we had to take lots more pictures!

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Love all these ladies! The reception hour flew by and before we knew it, it was time to be seated for dinner. The bridal party entrances are one of my favorite parts of weddings. I love seeing what people come up with for their entrance “skit”.

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From that point on, I knew it was going to be a really fun reception. We started dancing before dinner was served, which is something I’ve never seen at a wedding. It was awesome! I’m glad we did end up sitting down to eat, though, as the food was delicious. Crabmeat stuffed shrimp?! Amazing!

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I didn’t get many pictures of Christy, mostly because she was dancing the whole night! I think it’s so fun when the bride and groom spend as much time on the dance floor as everyone else!

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Big props to Christy and Jamie for not doing any cheesy wedding songs or games- they just had a phenomenal band (literally, I was obsessed with them!) and let people dance! And dancing we did; the dance floor was literally packed the entire night, which I think is the number one sign of a good wedding, right?! We had circles and dance offs and trains. They had a box of leis and fun sunglasses so by the end of the night it looked like we were all going on a Hawaiian vacation!

Christy and Jamie organized a post-reception gathering at Carrie Nation, which was a bar I’ve never been to. I think it’s such a great idea when there is a post-reception party because I’m generally not ready for the fun to end when the reception ends! I didn’t stay long at the after-party, which was probably a good thing. I had had enough to drink at that point 😉

All in all, the entire day and wedding was wonderful. Christy and Jamie- thank you so much for having me be a part of your special day! You two have something very special- here’s to many more memories!

Questions for you: Have you ever been to the Harvard Club of Boston? What’s your favorite part about weddings? If you had to pick a signature drink to serve, what would it be?