Halloween Whoopie

Yesterday’s weather was certainly an unexpected Halloween surprise! When I left the gym after an hour long elliptical session, I was greeted by wind, snow, and 33 degree wind chills!

IMG_5154 (640x478) IMG_5155 (640x478)By the time I made it to the NYRR headquarters on the Upper West Side to pick up my bib for the Poland Spring Kickoff there was snow everywhere!   

IMG_5160 (640x478)Don’t worry, the snow didn’t deter our Halloween plans a bit. Instead, it just made me want to rush home and enjoy a few hours of warmth in the kitchen baking pumpkin whoopie pies and staying out of the cold.

As soon as I saw these on Theodora’s blog last week I knew I had to make them for the Halloween party we were invited to Saturday.

IMG_5169 (478x640) IMG_5170 (640x478)The pumpkin whoopie pies were easier than I expected and a double batch only took two hours, start to finish, including an hour cooling period. The best part of the recipe was that I happend to have everything in the pantry so I didn’t have to leave the apartment for a grocery store trip in the snow and sleet.

The whoopie pies were moist and cake like cookies with sweet, delicious cream cheese frosting in between each cookie sandwich.

They were the hit at the party even though I only had 16. I cut each in half and shared with the rest of our friends who were decked out in some pretty awesome costumes.

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I wish I took pictures of Mike and Liz’s apartment because it was fabulously decorated! They bought lots of baby pumpkins, Halloween decorations from Pier 1, and white lights which resulted in a spooktacular apartment. They even made a mini graveyard above their bookshelves!  My favorite costume of the evening was Michael’s Mad Hatter for the mere fact that he used items he already owned and looked spot on!IMG_5185 (478x640)

It’s safe to say that everyone had a blast as you can see from the pictures. I will say, being sober for a Halloween party is not my favorite thing but I was a trooper and stayed out with the gang until nearly 2am.

Here’s a glimpse of the costumes from last night.

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Running, Eating, and Smiling My Way Through the Week

Wow! I can’t believe it’s already Thursday! Where did this week go? Oh yeah, Monday was a mix of Miami and Fourth of July while I’ve spent the rest of the week immersed in my new job.

Even though the week has flown by thus far, it’s been a great week for two reasons: workouts and food!

Workouts

Due to our vacation schedule and Fourth of July plans, Monday was my rest day this week. I spent the day traveling back from our Miami vacation. Tuesday morning, bright and early, I was kicked back into reality with an hour training session. This session left me more sore than any other session to date. We spent time engaging multiple different muscle groups by using the TRX, VIPR, weights, and body weight.

Of all the exercises, the single leg sit down was the hardest and left me quivering!

I’ve also enjoyed two outdoor runs this week, one 3 mile long and the other 5 miles. The 3 mile run was a refreshing evening run which allowed me to release stress before walking through the door. I also enjoyed a new route during this run along the East River and the United Nations!

Yeah, I'm bringing sexy back for sure.

This morning’s five mile run wasn’t quite as refreshing but it was the perfect kick in the butt. For some reason, I’ve had a hard time finding motivation to do longer runs during the week. I can wrap my head around and get excited about a 5k or even a 4 miler but 5 and 6 mile runs are harder. However, Bo got me out of bed this morning for a five mile run through the city and along the Hudson. Even though we listened to music the entire time and I stopped to stretch out my sore legs a few times, we finished the run keeping a 10 minute pace and enjoyed some amazing views!

Bo running along the HudsonWashington Square Park was gorgeous in the morning sun!

My workouts for the rest of the week include another personal training session tomorrow, a long run with Theodora on Saturday followed by Well+Good’s Yoga for Runner’s class, and then finally a spin class or yoga on Sunday.

Food

Today's skirt doubles as a fun backdrop!

Yogurt+Berries+Oats= refreshing Summer breakfastThis is quickly becoming one of my favorite salads!

 Can you see a trend? My breakfast and lunches have been super clean and healthy this week. I’m doing my best to keep my energy high in my new job that matches the amazing new view and sunny window I have by way of a new desk. Therefore, I’m starting every morning off with a huge bottle of lemon water, oats, and a multivitamin and fish oil supplement.

Overall, it’s been a great week and the perfect way to kick off July! If you’re looking for more great ways to kick off your July, check out some of the news on The Go Healthy NY sites. There are a lot of great programs taking place this month including free fruit days, free cancer screenings, and the launch of Great American Health Challenge!

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Beer Bottle Vases and Wine Dates

I’d love to start this post off with a Happy Thursday, as you all would expect, but I can’t really do that. What I can focus on is that the week is finally looking up.

This week has been a tough week and some people have noticed it. I’ve had a few not so happy tweets lately and I haven’t been blogging more than once a day.

imageLast night, Bo and I cancelled our weekly movie date night because of my rough day. Somehow I don’t think red teary eyes and an exhausted girl make for a sexy date. But, since we chose to come home, I was greeted by an amazing flower delivery, compliments of Melissa. She saw that I was having a rough day and spread some joy.

IMG_2605 (640x478) IMG_2604 (478x640) I know, we’re classy with our beer bottle vases. Clearly I need to buy this as soon as possible since our Simon Pearce registry was never completed.

The rest of my evening can be described by this picture.

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Which in turn, is one of the reasons why I slept until 8:15 this morning and clearly missed my Central Park run. Oh, that and the fact that I can barely sit down after yesterday’s intense ViPR workout with my personal trainer.

But, a wine induced sleep was exactly what I needed, because my outlook today was far better than yesterdays.

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I brightened everyone’s day by wearing a smile and bright colors all day in our very stressed out office.

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IMG_2616 (478x640) Somehow these are the two pictures Bo took this morning before work. Neither are perfect but the outfit has quickly become one of my favorite summer go to work outfits! It’s comfortable, bright, and fun! (The sweater and skirt are both from Anthropologie this year.)

I stuck with my normal breakfast and lunch since I know that stress can easily lead to unhealthy habits.

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I made time for the yoga mat tonight with another installment of Yoga for Runners from Yoga Download.

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It felt wonderful but I couldn’t help wishing that I was doing yoga in Bermuda again. Was that trip really only two weeks ago?

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I may have also had a second date with my wine glass. I mean after all, this is a health and wellness blog and wine has been found to have great health benefits, right?

The health benefits of red wine are plentiful: it has powerful antioxidant properties that are derived from the red pigments in grape skins (members of a family of compounds called proanthocyanidins); it contains tannins that can help reduce the risk of heart attack by hindering the formation of blood clots; and studies have shown that red wine can raise levels of HDL, the protective form of cholesterol.

Question: How is your week going thus far? What are you looking forward to this weekend?

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