Inspired by Tina’s morning post, I thought I would use the same format to share a bit more details behind my weekend.

In short, my weekend was exactly what I needed after a busy work week in New York City. The week was really productive on the work end but the busy days and evening work dinners meant that there wasn’t much spare time for friends. Luckily I was able to fly back to Geneva Sunday evening so I could squeeze in time with friends Friday through Sunday.

1. The weekend began with a manicure and pedicure date with Liz at my favorite nail spot in New York City, Blooming Nails & Spa. If you live or work near 20th and Park, this spa not only gives phenomenal manicures and pedicures which last longer than average, but also the most incredible deep tissue chair massages while your nails dry. Man do I miss NYC manicure prices and those quick chair massages! 2. Agave never disappoints for delicious margaritas and reliable Mexican food. I love that you can book a table ahead of time on OpenTable which means you don’t have to worry about waiting in line for hours. I don’t have time for that when I’m only in the city for a few days. Theodora, Liz, Kristine and I enjoyed one too many agave nectar margaritas during the course of the evening but life is all about moderation! We had such a great time and our table in the back of the restaurant allowed us the privacy to hear our conversations without having to yell, which is often the case when you’re in the front of the restaurant near the bar area.

3. Meg and I snagged a spot in Michelle’s 9:30am Uplift Strength class, which was a favorite of mine when I lived in the city. Uplift Studios has received a facelift since I was last there back in January and looked amazing! The studio was buzzing with personal training appointments, packed classes and lots of coffee induced chatter Saturday morning. Michelle’s class packed a TON of new to me moves into the 55 minutes. I am hoping she will share a few of them with me so I can include them in a new workout for you guys soon.

4. I reunited with the girls of our supper club for a Brooklyn based afternoon on Saturday. There has been a lot of exciting news and change between the four of us – Meg received a promotion, Elizabeth and Geoff are expecting in a few short weeks, Brad & Margaret have both changed jobs over the past year.  We meandered through the Brooklyn streets, popping into shops and cafes before settling into a late brunch at Vinegar Hill House.  A cozy restaurant with reasonable prices and delicious comfort food, this was the perfect spot for a casual brunch. If you are local, definitely go there for brunch or dinner as the food was terrific and the service was also great! Each dish was a unique twist on a traditional comfort food such as pumpkin, sage grilled cheese.

5. Saturday night was low-key and relaxed, exactly what we all wanted. Due to the late brunch, we enjoyed some cheese, crackers and pumpkin beer while watching college football and then renting the movie Begin Again. If you’re looking for a movie that will leave you feeling good while also making you question the characters decisions, this is a perfect pick! The soundtrack is equally wonderful and includes tracks from Adam Levine and Kiera Knightley, two of the movies main characters. 6. After 9 hours of sleep we enjoyed a coffee from Van Leeuwen while running errands and picking up ingredients for brunch. Russell and Meg whipped up Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes while I packed. I am in love with this healthier version of the seasonal favorite!

7. We used the final few hours before my flight to explore Brooklyn. As mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’ve never spent much time in Brooklyn other than long runs and an occasional dinner. We walked through Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights and Carroll Gardens stopping to explore Smorgasburg, do some shopping in boutiques such as Duman Home and Community Bookstore. In addition to its regular Saturday location in Williamsburg, Smorgasburg is in Brooklyn Bridge park every Sunday until November 23rd?  I ended up adding Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, 6 placemats and 4 egg everything bagels into my carry on bag!