Friday Favs_1.17.14

The weekend is upon us and I'm so excited! Tonight, we are FINALLY going to see American Hustle. All of my favorite stars in one movie... it's going to be great! This weekend, I'm taking my niece around Boston to go to the Aquarium and get dinner. I'm so excited... she's 7 years old now... the time really does fly!

I hope you are all getting ready for a GREAT weekend! Here are my fav things of the week:

Last night, I met up with Janet and Rebecca at the new Ward 8 that opened up in the old Nebo location in the North End. The vibe was really cool and the food was great. The drinks, though... amazing! This one here isn't on the online menu, but, I believe it is called the Espinosa. It tasted like strawberries and cream - you cannot go wrong.

This video on how sugar effects the brain will make you rethink that bag of delicious swedish fish. 

This review from Refinery on fitness bands provides the best info I've read so far on how they work and which one is best for you! (I think I need one... stat)

photo courtesy of Refinery29

I can't remember the last time I had a pop tart (maybe when my mom bought them during our last Martha's Vineyard trip - 7 years ago!) I don't buy them because they are loaded with junk... but these... THESE are homemade. Need to try this recipe that I found on Pinterest via Oprah.com

And finally... in a world full of "BUSY"... Let's remember to.....

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Enjoy the weekend... every moment. xo

This salad has potatoes in it.

It took for-ev-errrr to get home from work tonight. Drove home from CT and hit traffic... so, no boxing for this girl. A late, at-home workout was my best option. I decided to start out with some pull-ups (guys, I can do two in a row now - woooot) and then hit the mat with burpees, squats, bicycle kicks, etc. I mostly did this workout that I posted last year. It's one of my favorites. Check it out and let me know what you think.

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                                                                Ab hold!

I was craving a lean, mean salad (probably because I knew there was goat cheese in the fridge). So, while I worked out... I toasted up some chickpeas that I had already pre-baked (o/o, salt, pepper, any herb you like at 350 for a half hour) and also thinly slice 1/3 of a sweet potato with o/o & salt and threw them in the oven at 425 for 20 minutes. 

Then, I started to build my salad:

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Almonds, cranberries, baked chickpeas, sweet potatoes, grape tomatoes, organic baby romaine & spinach, goat cheese, extra virgin o/o, and balsamic. Healthy standouts: Fiber, Protein, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Antioxidants, Calcium, Iron, Lycopene & MORE.

                                                                                                  Getting there....

Andddd done... in minutes, really. It was absolutely delicious... the addition of the sweet potatoes, goat cheese, and chickpeas really make it! This meal is loaded with nutrients and is also vegetarian. 

Enjoy and have a happy hump day! xo

Weekend reWind_1.13.14

It's been a while since I've done a Weekly reWind post! The series is coming back!

It was SO NICE to get some relief from the cold this weekend.  Polar Vortexes make me want to hibernate in my condo, cover myself in blankets, and eat spaghetti. Not exactly a recipe for healthy living. This weekend felt like Spring. Rob and I went to Back Bay to do some shopping and get lunch... it was exactly what we needed after a few weekends of cold 'stay indoors' weather.

Thursday night kicked off with a healthy and satisfying meal of sole with parsley butter, smashed sweet potatoes, roasted potatoes and broiled asparagus. Yum! (Message me for deets)

Friday night, Rachael and I met up at Post 390 to catch up on some major girl time/bff talk. Martinis and a jar of almond joy cookies served as dessert. Seriously? So good. (Also, realized that I had just missed bumping into my favorite blogger, Grace Atwood... bummer! We basically had the same photo uploaded on instagram... sigh, next time)

On Saturday, time was well spent at Apple. I got my first MacBook, a 30th birthday gift from my family members and me to me. Ta Da! Bring on more posts!

This week's motivation is simply stated and doesn't need much explanation. I find that this advice, is really all that is ever needed. I hope you all have a great week! xo