Healthy Chicks

I’m a huge fan of trying new workouts, challenging yourself and most importantly finding that exercise that makes you shine (you know, makes you feel beautiful, strong and confident in your body!) After all, that’s what FitFluential means to me.

So when I was invited by Jen and Kerrie from Blog & Tweet Boston to attend a complimentary class a Pure Barre Boston yesterday afternoon, I jumped on the opportunity! While I have taken barre-style classes before through Core Fusion at Exhale Spa, I have  never tried Pure Barre so I was excited to see what was in store!

Pure Barre recently opened their new Boston studio at 350 Newbury Street, which is a prime location for anything & everything fitness and health if I do say so myself. (Side note: sweetgreen will be located just a walk away right by Copley Station, scheduled to launch in June. Boston foodie & fitness peeps, I know you are going to fall in love. You can read all about my new job at sweetgreen here!)

The first thing I noticed upon walking in was the beautiful space: clean, fresh with lots of natural light. Plus, they have lockers and keys available to students, so you don’t have to lug around a clunky lock or worry about stollen goods (huge plus)!

Before class, I chatted it up with some fellow bloggers (new & old). Most of us were new to Pure Barre so we knew we’d be in for a serious sweat sesh! As we were waiting for class to begin, the lovely instructor Fiona went around to shake everyone’s hand and introduce herself. I loved her energy and personal approach, making everyone feel comfortable and pumped for class to start. The studio owner Lauren was also there to take class with us, and help with corrections, which was a nice treat!

The Pure Barre Scoop

Class was an hour long, with loud fast-paced music blasting throughout. Let’s just say, Fiona gave us a killer workout, with pretty much nonstop movement for the entire 60 minutes. I totally felt the burn especially in my abs and thighs, and still do (in a good way)!

We worked everything from arms and butt to thighs and abs, moving from the floor to the mat to the bar. I loved the fast-paced, energetic approach, as I didn’t get bored once!

I also really liked Fiona and Lauren’s genuine care for their students, encouraging us to hold a little longer (or sink a little lower) and correcting our posture. This was especially helpful during the glutes work on the bar, as I totally needed a hip adjustment. We were also constantly reminded to tuck, a super important part of the workout to really get as much as you can out of it. The instructors definitely know their stuff, which is important to me as a first-timer!

I’d definitely recommend Pure Barre for anyone who wants a real challenge, and likes a group fitness atmosphere in a non-intimidating setting. It’s also great for those looking for results, as the barre method has been known to tone and sculpt the body and really work your core.

[me with superstar instructor Fiona! Photo credit: Jess, Little Miss Runshine]

Many thanks to Pure Barre Boston and Blog & Tweet Boston for putting this fabulous event together. Feel free to email me or comment if you have any questions regarding the workout, as I’m always here for honest feedback and advice!

P.S. Here’s my message of the day that I’d like you all to reflect upon, which also happens to be a tweet I posted earlier today!

Have you ever tried Pure Barre? What was your experience like? How can you celebrate and encourage other women?

Last night, I attended a Boston Bloggers Meetup hosted by the lovely Alison and Kate through Eventbrite. (Big thanks to Sara from Boston Eventbrite for taking part!) The event was held at Scampo, a tasty upscale Italian-inspired restaurant inside the Liberty Hotel.

While the wine was lovely (I changed it up with a refreshing Pinot Grigio as opposed to my usual red), the food was delectable (um, can you say sausage-stuffed bacon wrapped dates and mini Endive salads?) the best part of the night hands down was mingling with other positive, fun, like-minded bloggers!

What I love most about these kinds of events is you get the chance to meet people in all different walks of life, with many different passions! Being a healthy living blogger, I find it fascinating to meet fashion, travel, lifestyle, arts & crafts, and even beer bloggers. It completely blows my mind how many talented, created people there are out there with one big thing in common: writing it out & sharing stories.

READER ROUNDUP

Here’s a little snippet from some of the fascinating people I mingled with last night…

Abigail, The Fabulous Life of a Natural Disaster: Spunky, adorable and sweet as can be, Abigail shares simple, affordable fashion tips for the average women.

Clair, Finding Clairity: Clair is a longtime favorite of mine, who I actually met at a past Boston Bloggers event, so it was so nice to see her smiling face! I love Clair’s beautiful photos, creative writing and artistic talents (the girl can sew, cook, you name it!) that shine through each of her posts. Plus, she’s newly engaged and her ring is oh-so-pretty (congrats!)

Agnes, Spoons and Stilettos: Yummy food & stunning fashion all in one spot! Can you say delish?

Anna, Dear Friend Blog: This super-friendly and creative teacher loves photography, and just opened her own photo card shop on Etsy! How cool is that?

Jen, Boston Bachelorette: This girl is The Boston Guru and literally knows everything you need to know about everything in the city! She even gave me some sweet restaurant recommendations!

Celia, It’s a Penguin Life: A lover of style, photos, DIY crafts, and simply soaking up life’s pleasures, Celia does it all! Plus, her beautiful wedding photos were featured in The Knot. How gorgeous?

Janee, Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard: Crafty rockstar. Enough said. He work and custom designs are absolutely stunning! Check out her shop to see for yourself. This girl is talented!

Jodi, Jodi Beans Blog: Jodi is a super-smiley social worker who loves scrapbooking, photography and navigating the city!

Marie, Twin Living: This fun, upbeat lifestyle blog is hosted by two fabulous twins!

Sarah, Hemenway Street: You will get lost in her photography. It’s simply that addicting! I love Sarah’s attention to detail and ability to really capture the moment.

Eileen, CrookedFlight: Incredible writer and travel expert. The girl’s been everywhere and shares some fascinating stories!

Becky, Pop And Circumstance: Becky has a knack for simple, vintage, beautiful things! What’s not to love?

Erin, Hungry in the Hub: Erin just started her blog, so I want to give her a warm welcome to the blogging world! She’s already off to a fabulous start, writing about her food & lifestyle adventures in Boston.

I think it’s safe to say I’ve got some reading to do! Thanks again to Boston Bloggers and Eventbrite for hosting yet another fabulous event.

Last night, I attended my very first Boston Bloggers Meet + Greet, which took place at the ever so chic Sonsie on Newbury. I have been to other local blogger events in the past, but never one hosted by Boston Bloggers, so I was excited to try something new. On that note, I had also never been to Sonsie before but have always heard great things about this little hot spot.

I must say, the event was unlike any blogger event I’d ever gone to before. First and foremost, it was PACKED, which while intimidating at first glance, was a good way to push myself out of my comfort zone.  In addition, there were more than 60 bloggers there, all with different backgrounds and passions which was a breath of fresh air compared to some events I’d been to in the past with ALL healthy living bloggers, or ALL fashion bloggers.

The best part was that one of my best friends, who’s also a blogger and lives in the North End, Megan (Balanced in Boston) came with her boyfriend Ross (Ross Donovan Photography) for their very first blogger event! I was so happy to see them there, even though we tried to meet new people and not simply stay in a clique all night. I think it’s safe to say we did good!

As I sipped my Pinot Grigio, I worked my way around the crowded, dimly lit room to talk to as many bloggers as I could. It was a great way to tell people how excited I am about my new health coaching venture,  spread the word about Healthy Chicks, and make fabulous connections. The event planner’s gave us individual booklets of each blogger attending, along with their blog URL and twitter name which was a great way to keep track of who you’ve talked to! I especially enjoyed chatting with Clair from Finding Clarity since we have so much in common with lots of the same interests. Her blog is beautiful and definitely a creative inspiration.

It was also wonderful bumping into Elina from Healthy and Sane to talk about her latest cooking venture (she’s starting her own company too!), Ryan from EPHAS who started his own company that shares stories and connects people around the world through real-life, raw photographs, and this husband and wife duo Jon and Lindsey from Beantown Eats who blog about all the best food and cocktails in the city!

As you can see, there was quite the variety of people there, which I love. If everyone is the same, life gets boring, ya know?

Speaking of boring, I decided to jazz up the typical caprese salad into something a little more creative for dinner this week (as you know I’m a huge fan of changing up my recipes), and I thought I’d share this super easy, take-it-to-go remix with you!

What Ya Need:

• 1/2 ready-t0-go avocado, chopped
• 1 small roma tomato, sliced into thin wedges
• 1/2 c. fresh baby spinach
• handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
• a few slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 TB olive oil mixed with 1 TB balsamic vinegar
• pinenuts to taste (optional)
• salt & pepper

I enjoyed the salad with a side of Ezekiel bread spread with Trader Joe’s 3-Layer hummus.

Enjoy your day,

Rachel