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Friday Favorites – September 2nd, 2016

Oh guys. It has been a week. I have been in Las Vegas since Monday and I am ready to get home. I firmly believe, even moreso after this trip, that there are two types of people – people who love Vegas and people who loathe Las Vegas. I will be the first to admit that I loved the fun and novelty of Las Vegas the first five or so times I traveled here for work between the ages of 21 to 29. This time I found myself counting down the hours until I could head back to New York City.  Unfortunately, now that I’m able to go home, my flight back to NYC is delayed for technical reasons and will not land at JFK until 3:30 AM.  While an airport delay isn’t good for many things, it does provide a perfect opportunity to clean out my work email inbox and get this week’s Friday Favorites done early.

Now, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

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  • Doesn’t this Fall salad look delicious? The dressing is one that I’ve never tried and can’t wait to recreate at home!
  • I was introduced to this face mask during my vacation facial and loved it so much that I bought some immediately following my facial. I have used it once a week for the past three weeks and can already tell I’ll be ordering it again! Rich in minerals, it nourishes and softens my skin as it deep cleans. My skin looks and feels radiant and soft for days after using it.
  • Remember when I was looking for a cheaper version of this Joie blouse?  This blouse is similar and 50% off this weekend!
  • When you’re an A cup, wearing a sports bra basically makes you feel like a flat pancake and very unfeminine. Luckily, when the team at Brooks sent me two sports bras to try out this month I discovered a style that not only fits perfectly, is comfortable, breathable AND has contour cups which give me shape while working out. Suddenly I am able to workout and still feel feminine!
  • If you’re in NYC or Dallas, join other health and wellness influencers as we workout for philanthropic good during FITWeek.  From September 12-17th you can workout at studios across these two cities to make a positive impact on local and global education!
  • As I mentioned on Instagram yesterday, I feel as if I’ve finally started to find my running groove again. During each of my three runs I’ve felt happier and more content than I have in months and can’t figure out if it’s the great podcasts (Another Mother Runner and I’ll Have Another) or my mindset.
  • When I asked Instagram followers for their podcast recommendations,  these were the ones they shared, in case you want to check them out:
  • After being a lackluster PT patient these past few months, I’ve recommitted to doing my homework and even found this great 10-minute post-run workout that can help build strength, mobility and stability.
  • I loved reading my friend Abby Bales’ inspiring story  about running through IBS in this month’s issue of Competitor Magazine.
  • Speaking of inspirational women, this woman’s story and her life mission left me teary-eyed and in chills.
  • I know it’s not officially Fall yet but I am already pinning pumpkin recipes on Pinterest including these pumpkin chocolate protein balls. They’d be perfect before an evening workout or as an afternoon snack.
  • Have you all ever heard of Goodreads? It is a site that allows you to keep a list of all the books you want to read as well as see the books the friends with whom you are connected are reading, have read or want to read. Some people write full book reviews but I primarily use it to discover new books and keep track of everything I want to read.  Now that I’m reading each night before bed, I’m reading an average of five books per month!

Okay guys, it’s your turn! What Fall recipes are you looking forward to making?

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

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Rock’n’Roll Montreal 10k Training Update

Old Navy Timex image

Good morning guys!

As you may recall, I’ve been in Las Vegas for a busy week of meetings. Our days start at 7:30 and end most evenings around 10pm so there hasn’t been time to explore Las Vegas or take in many of the sights. I have, however, made time to workout every morning I’ve been here. Having a training plan again has been great motivation when my alarm clock goes off at 5am.

Last week’s training went pretty well though I am definitely still finding my groove.  If you recall, here are my goals for each week leading up to the September 25th Rock’n’Roll Montreal 10k.

10k Training Plan

  • Runs: 3x a week (1 speed, 1 mid-distance run and 1 longer run at goal 10k pace per week)
  • Yoga: At least 1x a week
  • Cross Training: At least 2x a week

Here is a look back at how things went last week.

 

  • Monday: Uplift Express at Uplift Studios
  • Tuesday: IMAX Shift Brooklyn spin class
  • Wednesday: Unintentional rest day but still managed to walk 6 miles while running errands after work.
  • Thursday: A 5.5 mile run with Katie and Nicole through Prospect Park in the morning followed by a 70-minute Basic Yoga class at Area Yoga with Heather that night.
  • Friday: Unintentional rest day but still managed to walk 4 miles throughout the day.
  • Saturday: 75-minutes of tennis followed by a hot 2 mile run which 1.5 miles of speed repeats.
  • Sunday: An afternoon 5-mile run along the Brooklyn waterfront.

Thoughts: Overall, this was a good first week back as I completed the cross training sessions, yoga and ran three times. I wish I hadn’t waited so late in the day to run and therefore could have had stronger runs on Saturday and Sunday.  I am going to try to incorporate at least one Mile High Run Club class per week between now and the 10k as I believe this will help me start getting accustomed to running faster again.

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Mast Brothers Brooklyn Chocolate Tour

There are few things more fun then spending an evening learning and tasting chocolate with friends after a long day at work.

mast brothers maple

Almost a year ago, I discovered the brand while perusing the chocolate section at our local grocery store and since then have visited their Williamsburg location two times. Previously our small chocolate stash was primarily Swiss chocolate, heavily influenced from our time living there, but over the past few months more and more Mast Brothers chocolate has found its way into our house.  Therefore, when Gilt City invited Heather, Diana, Alanna, Christine and I for private tour at Mast Brothers Chocolate factory and show room in Brooklyn, I was elated!

Mast brothers bloggers

mast brothers behind the scenes

This behind-the-scenes tour which took place at their original, Williamsburg location provided us with a better understanding of not only how they make their chocolate but also how it is different than other chocolate brands.  During the tour we learned a great deal ranging from the details behind the process to the history of the brand.

mast brothers

  • The company was started by two brothers, Rick and Michael, one a chef and the other a business man.
  • They sold their first bars (17 to be exact) on their first day at Brooklyn based Artists & Flea
  • They now have three locations: Williamsburg, LA and London.
  • They pride themselves on including no more than 6 ingredients in any bar.
  • Cacoa nibs are made of half cocoa solids and half cocoa butter.
  • The nib portion boast many health benefits due to the fact that each serving contains flavanoids, antioxidants, 9 grams of fiber, magnesium, and potassium!
  • They have a base line of popular chocolate flavors but also introduce seasonal collections each year.
  • They do their best to source the ingredients for the chocolate from local or small farms and business partners such as Stumptown Coffee for the coffee that goes in their coffee bar.
  • Their recent collection is an herb collection, of which lavender is their most popular!
  • My personal favorite flavors are sea salt, goat milk, and lavendar in the perfectly portioned small 1.0 oz size bars.

If you want to enjoy your own tour of the factory, check out the great deal Gilt City is offering through tomorrow which includes a $20 credit to spend on chocolate! It saves you more than 50% and would make a great date night or weekend activity with friends or out-of-town guests!

Interested to try Gilt City? One lucky reader will win a $50 Gilt gift card! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Gilt City covered the cost of this tour but we were not compensated and all opinions, as always, are my own. 

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