Friday Favorites: Food, Fitness & Fun

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Good afternoon ladies! I haven’t done one of my Friday Favorites posts in a while, so I figured I’d get back into the groove today. Here’s what I’ve been crushing on this week…

  1. Cat Stevens albums, particularly this song. I used to listen to his music when I was younger and it somehow reminds me to be calm, strong, confident and inspired
  2. The $50 voucher to Basho Japanese Brasserie that my boyfriend bought me from LivingSocial. They definitely serve up the top three Spicy Tuna Maki rolls I’ve ever tasted.
  3. The new FitFluential #proof tanks. Once you sweat, the back reads “#proof” and well it’s an extra excuse to get extra sweaty during workouts!
  4. My super refreshing, delicious homemade summer tabouli. It was so good that I’m actually making it again for a summer BBQ this weekend.
  5. Sticks & Twigs from Mary’s Gone Crackers. These little gluten free, whole grain pretzels are to die for, and contain good-for-you whole grains like brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, and millet.
  6. Grilled turkey burgers with sauteed mushrooms & onions, topped with melted fresh mozzarella.
  7. Running! Yes, I am running again in training for the Newport Half Marathon this October. And
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Friday Favorites: Kombucha, Sweat & Love Letters

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Happy Friday loves! Hope your weekend is off to a good start so far. Today I took myself on an amazing date to Whole Foods, where I stayed for a good portion of the afternoon. I had a lot of work to get done today, and most of it I could do without the internet, so I decided to unplug from my Mac for a solid 4+ hours. However, I did bring an old-fashioned notebook and my IIN iPod in order to catch up on my latest lectures for nutrition school.

I loved everything I learned about today, from the pros, cons, and logistics of soy products to lessons of healthy eating from cultures years ago, like eating REAL, RAW butter and cheese and consuming all natural meat and fish products (fat and all) for nutrient optimization.

It definitely helped that I was listening to my lectures while eating a delicious, wholesome meal from the Whole Foods’ salad bar. My plate included lentils, spicy chickpeas, raw pumpkin seeds, salmon salad, roasted mushrooms, quinoa and feta among some other samplers. I absolutely love the different variations you can make at Whole Foods, and if I could I would go there … Read More!

Friday Favorites & Holy Headaches

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How can you not love these adorable, little jars?

While I’ve been loving how juicing has been making me feel inside and out, I’m really not loving the headaches that I’ve been getting. I’m pretty sure it’s due to the fact that I’ve been cutting back on coffee lately, or not even drinking it at all some days. After a bright green, clean, delicious juice it just seems strange to jump to a black coffee. Those flavors don’t really mesh too well, ya know?

Plus the juicing has so many wonderful nutrients and essential vitamins in it, and the coffee not to much. I strongly approve of drinking a cup or two of coffee a day for yourself and for the health benefits (hey, my great-grandma lived to be 99 drinking coffee daily) but I’ll have to find a way to balance my coffee addiction with my juicing obsession.

Anyway, it’s Friday so you’ve got it, it’s time for Friday Favorites. I’ve been slacking lately on this weekly post, but I really want to strive to bring it back.

Here goes:

Hurraw!: My boyfriend bought me a three-pack of this all-natural, vegan lip balm for Christmas and … Read More!

I’m Back & Friday Favorites

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[source] Faneuil Hall Tree Lighting this weekend!

Hey ladies! Sorry I’ve been M.I.A. all week, but I guess I’ve been in vacation mode ever since our New Hampshire getaway. But now I’m back in action, just in time for Friday Favorites. Here’s what I’m obsessing over this week:

  • Surfing the internet for tasty Thanksgiving recipes to impress the fam. I have to make a comeback after I made the worst gluten free red velvet cupcakes last year. I guess some things are meant to be left alone, or maybe it’s just my poor baking skills.
  • 27th Annual Faneuil Hall tree lighting ceremony this Saturday. I will totally  be attending, and so will Santa!
  • Cupcake-flavored lip gloss
  • Red pea-coats
  • Dad’s homemade turkey chili with turkey & sausage meatballs
  • Snuggling by the fireside with a glass of red
  • Cleansing – This week, I am cutting out all processed foods, corn, gluten, sweets, cheese, etc. (Pretty much anything that comes in a box or a bag)
  • This song (Seriously obsessed)
  • All of the gorgeous holiday recipes lately on Jessica’s blog over at How Sweet It Is like these Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting.
  • Good, ol’ fashioned holiday
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Friday Favorites & New Hampshire Getaway

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Good morning everyone, and happy Friday. I am one very happy girl indeed, ’cause after I get out of work tomorrow afternoon I’m heading up to my family’s condo in New Hampshire to spend the weekend with The Boy and The Fam. We’ll be doing the usual, like eating Dad’s homemade chili, going for a brisk fall hike, and sitting by the fireplace with a glass of wine and some cheese. And the not so usual, like CELEBRATING MY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY with The Boy.

Yup, he and I will be staying until Wednesday to celebrate our one year of being together. We’ve already planned some fun activities like getting hot stone massages, going on a foliage stroll (if there is any left), and simply enjoying each other’s company. I couldn’t be more happy to have met someone like him, and can’t wait to cheers to the big ONE.

Anyway, it’s Friday so it’s time to share some of my favorites of the week. Here goes:

  • Long sweater/ leggings combo
  • Apple pie, pumpkin pie, or any pie-scented candle
  • Fuzzy, bright-colored socks
  • Making a healthy take on kid food & calling it comfort food
  • Sleeping in on the
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So So Sore & Friday Favorites

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who knew 2 TB of these bad boys can aid with digestion, control cholesterol levels & give you a dose of heart-healthy Omega 3s?

Good afternoon ladies! Hope you’re all having a fabulous Friday, and are ready to embrace the weekend. I’m doing great, other than the fact that my body is extremely sore from the Core Fusion class I took last night. It’s a good pain however, you know the kind you get when you know you pushed yourself a little farther and really challenged your body. I did have to skip my morning long run this morning however, but I’m OK with it as I knew it was right for my body and didn’t want to force myself or risk getting injured.

Anyway, it’s Friday and you know what that means: time for Friday Favorites! Here’s what’s on my top list this week.

Flaxseed: I bought a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal the other day, and have been obsessing over it ever since. I’ve always been a fan of flax and know it works wonders for your diet, but I’ve been slacking on this miracle-worker lately. Did you know that just … Read More!

Friday Favorites: Menage a Trois, PranaVayu Yoga & More

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Happy Friday ladies! I’m one happy girl, as this will be the completion of one week living in the North End of Boston. So far, so good. I really don’t think living could get any better… Anyway, it’s Friday and you know what that means; time for Friday favorites. Here’s what made the cut this week:

1. menage a trois: No, not a threesome, silly! Rather, a blend of three red wine varieties. This week, I chose a California Menage a Trois blend with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and red Zinfandel. It was fabulous, and made for the perfect pairing with my homemade gluten free pizza.

2. The Charles: Living in Boston the past 2+ years, I’ve realized I don’t take enough advantage of what the city has to offer. Take the Charles River for example. While I’ve gone on a few runs/walks/journeys to the river in the past, I never made it part of my regular routine. Now that I live closer to everything, I’m starting weekly runs on The Charles in preparation for the Newport Half Marathon. This morning, I went for a long, slow 8 mile run along the river and it couldn’t have been more … Read More!

Friday Favorites: Picnics, Puffs & Pretty Beach Hair

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Beach hair may just be the way to go in this sultry weather…

Happy Friday chickies! Hope you’re all getting pumped for the weekend, and staying as cool as possible. I saw on the news yesterday that there are little things we can do to keep our sweaty & muggy abodes cooler (and conserve energy) like closing the blinds, putting up blankets to cover  large windows, and keeping the thermostat around 70, 71. Hey, it can’t hurt. But something tells me in this kind of heat there’s little we can do to really make a difference other than jacking up the AC. What do all of you do to stay cool in this brutal weather?

Anyway, it’s Friday so let’s get to it with this week’s Friday Favorites:

1. Picnic in the Park: The other day my best friend and I packed up a lunch and headed over to the Boston Common for a picnic in the park. I packed a large salad composed of spinach, mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber, fresh mozzarella, tuna, red wine vinegar and olive oil. It was so nice to catch up with my friend, gossip, and people-watch the afternoon away.

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