March 2011 - Page 5 of 13 - My Healthy, Happier Life

ashleyd / March 20, 2011

Ain’t No Party Like a Diamond Party: Part 1

Well friends, one thing is for sure, there is no party like a Diamond party and boy did we have fun this weekend.

In case you’re just catching up, Bo’s sister Meg came into town this weekend to celebrate her 21st birthday with her best friend Amelia.

But before birthday celebration started last night, I had a very productive day, believe it or not! Luckily I drank plenty of water on Friday night during our late night shenanigans so I woke up a little tired but otherwise ready to complete my to do list!

Enjoy the beautiful New York City Spring weather
Workout and professional stretching session at Equinox
Shopping for fun new outfits for the party and Las Vegas
A dose of Vitamin D from Solar Salon
Manicures with Meg and Amelia

I am going to do a separate post about the importance of proper stretching and when it’s important to invest in a professional stretching session. But, needless to say my body felt amazing after 30 minutes of deep assisted stretching.

My shopping trip was more successful than I ever imagined! I took Sara’s suggestion and visited Club Monaco for the first time! I went to their flagship location on Fifth Avenue and was greeted by the friendliest, most helpful retail staff I have ever encountered. I told them that I was looking for two different outfits, one dressy work top and a dress for the 21st birthday party which would be “NYC club approved.” Within twenty minutes I had four pieces, not two, for under $200! The staff found three pieces from their huge sale section and then one new item which met all my requests. Watch out JCrew, Club Monaco is quickly vying for the favorite store spot. (FYI, Club Monaco is launching their online retail store next month but until then you can find certain items on ShopBop.)

While we were relaxing on the couch after our productive day, Bo pointed out the benefit of late reservations.

“It’s so nice to have dinner reservations at 10:30 because you can still have a relaxing evening before going out.”

We spent the early evening hours enjoying an iTunes dance party, couch laugh session, and part of a Tracey Anderson workout Amelia had memorized!

Around 8:30 the party really started as we turned up the music and took full advantage of our small apartment’s two bathroom.

Sharing makeup, giving each other application tips, and straightening the back of each other’s hair made me feel like I was back in my Delta Gamma sorority house getting ready for a social or date night.

By 10pm, we were in a cab heading towards a delicious dinner at ValBella and dancing at Marquee.

My eyes are requesting an afternoon nap. Therefore, I’ll be back with the dinner review and celebratory pictures later.

Until then, congratulations to the many lovely ladies who rocked their races today including Theodora, Tina, and Megan.

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ashleyd / March 19, 2011

Let’s Get This Party Started

Good morning and happy Saturday! I can already tell this is going to be a wonderful weekend filled with a few late nights, lots of dancing, laughter, and wonderful food. Bo’s sister, Meg, and her best friend Amelia are staying with us this week to celebrate Meg’s 21st birthday! They spent the past few days visiting museums, shopping, and enjoying the city while Bo and I worked. But, as you can tell from last night’s blog post, we get to really start the celebration!

Last night, we kicked of the celebration with a late dinner at the Hurricane Club followed by dancing at a small dive bar near our apartment.

The Hurricane Club was the perfect restaurant to bring out of town guests as the vibe was very young, the decor is beautiful, and the food and drinks are delicious! Bo and I enjoyed Friday Date Night at the Hurricane Club a few months ago and therefore new it would be perfect! Our reservation weren’t until 11:15 but we entertained ourselves in the bar area, enjoying their signature drinks and people watching.

Meg’s red pepper drink, which came in a hallowed out red pepper, was a spicy but delicious balance to Amelia’s fruity drink in a coconut. Since I’m gearing up for the National Half Marathon next weekend, I took last night easy and tried to stick with simple drinks. I enjoyed one liquor drink at Hurricane Club, a ginger beer, cucumber, lemon, and Pims drink. It was delicious and very refreshing.

Once again, the Hurricane Club’s delicious Pan-Asian food impressed each of us!

We started with their appetizer sampler, which was filled with their top appetizers ranging from shrimp spring rolls to ceviche.

The shrimp spring rolls were the hit of the table, stuffed to the gills with fresh shrimp and herbs.

Since we were celebrating, and had 5 people, we decided to split one of their huge “to share” drinks was served in a watermelon. However, the drink did not taste like watermelon, much to my surprise and delight. Instead, it was a fresh, fruit infused Kettle One cocktail with five straws for sharing. I enjoyed a few sips, but chose to stick with water during dinner. However, all the fun we had with this drink explains why I have no pictures of our actual main courses.

We did however, enjoy the meal family style, and shared everything. The top dishes were the lobster and peanut chicken.

Of course, before we left the restaurant, there was an obligatory photo session!

The next few hours, three to be exact, were spent entertaining a bar full of people with our singing and dancing ability. Needless to say, spending time with college kids makes you lose your inhibitions and let loose. It felt so great to just have some fun with these gals last night!

Luckily, my 4am bedtime came complete with Zensah sleeves to ease my screaming legs, a bottle of water, and an ibuprofen. Surprisingly, I’m alive and awake right now, ready to enjoy a quick workout session and my first Equinox stretching session before spending some girl time with Meg and Amelia this afternoon shopping and enjoying a manicure.