Bloggers in the City

Good morning from rainy New York City. This is one of those weeks when I’m so blessed to live in New York City! A few times a year, I’m lucky enough to catch up with friends due to events or work commitments which bring them to New York City! It’s even sweeter when their hotel is only a few blocks from my apartment!

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Even though it’s Wednesday, I won’t be heading to the office this morning. Instead, I’m using a vacation day so that I may participate in Fitness Magazine’s Fitness Blogger Meet & Tweet (#FitBlogNYC) event! I was invited to particpate through Fitfluential and am looking forward to learning about new products, fitness trends, digital media, and blogging from the staff at Fitness and a few inspirational bloggers and friends such as Julie, Tina and the amazing Kelly Olexa!

Since this event is taking place just down the street from my apartment, I was able to spend some much needed girl time with a few of these ladies last night at Greensquare Tavern, where we met for a delicious dinner and fun conversation.

IMG_2190  IMG_2197 Located at 21st and Fifth, Greensquare Tavern is a new to me farm to table restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere and a menu balanced between healthy and indulgent seasonal items. Tina and I went with the Lancaster County Honey Roast Chicken which was marinated in honey and herbs and complemented by a side of sweet potato mash and steamed vegetables. While the vegetables lacked seasoning, the sweet potatoes and chicken were divine! I’d definitely go back there, especially for dinner or brunch!

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After dinner we met up with Anne who had just finished dinner with a friend in the city. Never one to turn down time with our out of town friends, Theodora and I gladly accompanied them to Tina’s hotel bar where we sipped Prosecco and discussed today’s event and our upcoming Reach the Beach weekend!

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Only seven hours later, I was up and back in their hotel picking up my morning workout partner, Julie! While we’ve been at many of the same events historically, we’ve never had the chance to spend time together. When she saw me tweet about a possible morning Soul Cycle session, she quickly jumped on the opportunity. Due to popularity, I wasn’t able to snag us bikes in the 7am Union Square class. But, always the trooper, Julie was more than happy to meet me at the early hour of 5:30 so we could walk to the 6am class with Ben T..

Fondly known as the “rooster class” the class left us sweaty and energized. His class was heavier on the arm work which I loved while his second to last track’s hills left me breathless. I’m so happy Kristine convinced us that the early hour would be worth it.

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I’ll be back later to share today’s adventures with you and my own Marathon & Moderation guest post!

Question: What is your favorite workout song right now? I just downloaded a ton of new songs and am seriously loving Back in Time, the new Pitbull song from Men In Black III.

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Hot Figure 4

Friday night, Gia and I had the wonderful opportunity to host 20 of our readers and fellow bloggers for a complimentary Hot Figure Four class at Pure Yoga East with the lovely founder, Kate Albarelli.

Who knew so many other ladies would be interested in breaking a sweat on a Friday night? Maybe they were taking our word for it or maybe they checked out this You Tube video in advance!

Now, I must admit, that it was probably a bit risky of me to co-host a workout class that I hadn’t previously taken myself. But, I knew we’d be in good hands, as I took one of the first Figure Four classes when it originally launched at Pure East last May through Well&Good NYC! You can see my full review here but suffice it to say, I loved it and felt it took the normal barre class to the next level!

But, the one twist in store for Friday’s class was the hot part. This is a new addition to Pure which has been wildly popular due to the detoxifying affect and the heat’s ability to loosen the muscles.

At 6:45 when class started, everyone glared at Gia and me as Kate cranked up the thermostat. Within minutes we were drenching sweat as we started the class.

While I would love to tell you exactly what to expect when you try the class, each Figure Four class is a bit different than the next. This allows teachers to challenge regular students’ muscles daily in different ways and keep things interesting. But, I will give you a loose description of what normally takes place during the normal hour class while students sweat and grimace through challenging moves paired with an amazing playlist.

Dynamic warm-up consisting of leg raises, twists, etc

Quick round of abs/pushups/breathing break

Leg work at the bar (squats, plie, calf raises, deeper squats)

Quick round of abs/pushups/breathing break

Arm work in the center of the room using light weights (tricep, bicep, chest)

Quick round of abs/pushups/breathing break

Abs (done on a foam mat in traditional form, focusing primarily on form while targeting both abdominals and obliques)

Quick round of abs/pushups/breathing break

Glutes (lots of butt kicks and pretzel type movements)

Blissful stretch and cool down session

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After class the group socialized over wine and snacks upstairs in the Pure lobby. The space is gorgeous and very spa like. It was so nice to put faces with readers and fellow bloggers whom I’d never met before while catching up with familiar faces like Laura!    The generous Erica Sara even raffled off a gorgeous necklace for one lucky attendee!

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We can’t thank everyone enough for joining us Friday night and so look forward to the next event. Our goal is to co-host monthly events that will leave your muscles quivering while allowing an opportunity for readers and bloggers alike to spend time socializing with like minded people. Hopefully you’ll join in our fun next time if you’re based in NYC. If you’re not a local, I can’t recommend Hot Figure 4 enough. It will leave you feeling limber, lean, and humble. There wasn’t a single person in class who wasn’t quivering! Check out this link to enjoy your first class at Pure FREE!

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Diamond Derby Party 2012

 

Happy Sunday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed either Cinco de Mayo or the Kentucky Derby yesterday in one way or another. In the city the streets were filled with a mix of sombreros, colorful dresses, and elaborate hats.

Yesterday Bo and I woke up early for a humid run around the West Village and the West Side Highway before a day of prep work. It felt good to stick to my training plan this week as I returned to running and working out.

By 10am our Whole Foods and liquor store shopping was finished and we were sipping coffee while getting organized for the day.

First on my list was deep cleaning the house so it would be guest ready by 5pm. Over the past few weeks we’ve made great headway decorating our home with new additions such as mirrors, artwork, and greenery. We even have a few new “statement pieces” such as the turtle on our buffet which I found in Hawaii, made from Hawaiian wood.

005While I deep cleaned Bo reviewed the menu one last time and started on the homemade mint simple syrup then boiling and peeling eggs.

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Our final menu for yesterday’s party ended up being the perfect amount of food.

Diamond Derby Party 2012

Beverages

Mint Juleps

Bourbon Slush

Assorted beer, wine, and liquor.

Food

Paula Deen’s Deviled Eggs

Hali’imaile Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Southern Living’s Pimiento Cheese

Blue Smoke pulled pork, chicken thighs and brisket

Cornbread

Dessert

Million Dollar bars (made for us by the lovely Laurel)

Derby Pie Bars (made for us by the lovely Camille)

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This year’s crowd was larger than last year even though some of our dear friends couldn’t make it due to weddings and bridal showers. Regardless, it was a wonderful evening with large hats, laughter, and lots of good times. 

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009 010 014 017 018 021 022 024 027 029 031 033 034 037 We’re already looking forward to our next party December 8th!

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