ashleyd /

Succesful fire sale and organized chaos

Last night Bo and I posted three items on Craigslist in hopes of selling them before our big move on Friday. We were aprehensive since they were all big ticket items. But, our fire sale was very succesful and we were able to end the day with all the items sold! I was sad to part with a few of them but due to the new layout they just didn’t make sense. In addition, we were able to order a few great Pottery Barn pieces for our new apartment and take full advantage of our wedding registry discount! It’s almost hilarious to say, but one of the pieces is the SAME exact desk we sold today except in espresso versus white. I guess you know a piece of furniture is great when you sell it one day and buy it again the same day in order to make it work in your apartment. I bought the Pottery Barn Bedford desk upon college graduation with some of my gifts and it served as my first desk and the platform for many a conference call, strategy meeting, and hard work during my first two years with P&G.
 

These sales and the furious packing that took place today left our apartment looking like this:

Yes, it looks like a tornado blew through our apartment. Bo insists that this is organized chaos not just chaos. Today he spent most of the afternoon dismouning speakers, cables, pictures, moving our sold furniture (hence the tv on the window sill), and purged all our cabinets and closets of old clothes, trash, junk, etc. I have quite the donation bag to drop off tomorrow, that’s for sure!

During the day we kept things pretty simple and healthy as we had two main goals: eat as much of our food on hand as possible and spend most of our time focused on moving versus cooking. In addition, after a week of travel and stress we both were craving some healthy, clean food! Breakfast was on the skimpy side since we only had 1/4 cup of Egg Beaters and 4 eggs which had to be split between the two of us.

We headed downstairs around 1pm for a quick break. I’d written 25 thank you notes at this point and Bo had finally removed all the pictures and speakers. I can’t believe we have to basically do this all over again next weekend when we move in our new place. *sigh* I was craving a hearty salad and luckily they had a California Salad downstairs that was delicious. It featured some strawberries, mango, blueberries, mixed greens, tomatoes, and raspberry viniagrette. I added a boca burger for some extra protein and staying power. It was HUGE and therefore I left at least 1/4 of it in the bowl.

I headed downstairs for a quick workout later and was inspired by Naomi of One Fit Foodie. She featured a great HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout on Missy’s blog today during her guest post. I jotted it down and hit the treadmill for a 30 min session. Today’s workout went like this:
Minute Speed

0-2 4.0, 4 % incline (warm up)
2-3 6
3-4 6
4-5 6.5
5-6 7.0
6-7 7.5
7-8 8.0
8-9 6
9-10 6
10-11 6.5
11-12 7.0
12-13 7.5
13-14 8.0
14-15 6.0
15-16 6.0
16-17 6.5
17-18 7.0
18-19 7.5
19-20 8.0
20-21 8.5
21-30 6.0

Phew! This left me breathless but refreshed! I loved the speed intervals and my lungs are improving each day! I stayed on the treadmill for another 20 minutes at 4.0 speed and 6.0 incline while catching up on this month’s Self magazine. I spent the final 20 minutes doing some bosu ball ab exercises, squats, and arms. All in all this was a great, convenient, and quick workout. Immediately upon return, I made a chocolate covered strawberry shake! It was a new one for me but hit the spot and satiated my hunger.

5 strawberries chopped
6-7 cubes ice
1/2 c Almond Breeze
1/2 c water
1/2 packet Amazing Grass Chocolate
1/2 spoonful of protein powder
Dinner tonight was also quick and simple as we were both engrossed in the movie Singles. I’ve never seen it before but love the soundtrack and am enjoying the 90’s flashbacks. Our dinner really felt like our first summer meal. We enjoyed grilled pork chops which brined all afternoon, corn, roasted broccoli, and small salads. It had been ages since we’d grilled pork and I forgot how much I love the flavor especially when paired with barbecue spices! Bo did a great job tonight manning the grill pan.

Goodnight New York! I have four more thank you notes to write before curling up in bed! Have a great week!
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Spring Has Arrived and Yoga Deals the Groupon Way!

WANT FREE FRUIT NOT FAT GALAXY GRANOLA? Click here to enter before Friday at 2pm!

Thanks to last night’s awesome workout and this morning’s gorgeous weather I am in the best mood today! It is supposed to reach 70 degrees in NYC today and the sun is already beckoning us to come out and play. In honor of Spring, I enjoyed another yogurt mess this morning featuring some wonderful Spring berry flavors.

This delicious yet unphotogenic mess is the following:
1 Dannon Light n Fit Blueberry Yogurt
5 strawberries quartered
1/3 c Nature’s Path All Bran Buds alternative
1/2 c Special K Protein cereal
1 Tbsp ground flax
This breakfast is flavorful, filling, and filled with healthy protein and fiber. It’s lighter on my stomach than oatmeal and screams SPRING! Better yet, it keeps me full for at least four hours and is easy to prepare at the office.
In other news, today’s NYC Groupon offer had me quite excited! If you aren’t a member yet, click here to join for free! I definitely purchased it immediately and would love for others to join if interested. The offer is TWO WEEKS OF UNLIMITED YOGA AT YOGA WORKS FOR $15.

The first master yogis bent themselves like twist-ties around their enemies, smothering them with relaxing vibes. Today’s Groupon offers a similar chance to defeat work-related stress with two weeks of unlimited yoga classes at YogaWorks. For $15, you can gumbify yourself in over a dozen varieties of bendiscipline at any of six YogaWorks New York locations (a $30 value), for either new students or those who’ve not attended a YogaWorks class in at least a year.

Classes vary from location to location, but together you’ll have your pick from more than 100 sessions a week, some starting as early as 6 a.m. and others as late as 8 p.m. YogaWorks’ impassioned and experienced instructors remix pliable poses from well-known traditions such as Ashtanga and Vinyasa with samples from lesser-known paths to lithe enlightenment like Iyengar, known in secret circles as the “way of the swift-handed dancing snake.” There are also specially crafted classes for pre- and post-natal women, kids, and seniors, and hybrid classes such as BarWorks and SculptWorks.

Different poses unblock dammed channels of energy, and deep breathing suffuses the fatigued spirit with renewed vigor, just like blowing into a Nintendo cartridge. Finally become flexible enough to eat your food with your feet and touch your earlobes together. Yoga veterans malleable as warm wax and neophytes unable to touch their hands are equally welcome, with different classes attuned to different levels of ability and a perpetual emphasis on increasing satisfaction and skill

So far, Jesse of  Jesse Runs NYC and I have bought this deal and plan to grab a few yoga classes together. EDITED TO ADD: Just now, when I returned to the site to buy a pass for a friend’s birthday gift, I found this great review on today’s Groupon portion:

The class was a combination of strength, dance and ballet. I really enjoyed it, it was restorative, but never once boring. We moved through arms, legs, butt and abs, and back through, never performing more than one set of each exercise, which is fabulous. – Melissa, Fitness NYC

I love that they featured Melissa’s review! If Melissa enjoyed it then i’m sure I’ll love it! Please let me know if you join the trend and we can have a few group yoga sessions!! I’ve heard great things about Yoga Works!



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Devil In Disguise Surprise No Longer

At least two times per week, I have a morning meeting which features a catered breakfast. Some people would look at this as a blessing as it means that they don’t have to worry about packing or buying breakfast. My co-workers watch the door with bated breath as the Cosi, Pax, or Europa cart wheels in to see what the morning surprise is. This is a new temptation for me as I worked from home during my previous role. While I’d like to say that I normally eat my oatmeal during the meeting it is often akward to eat something different than everyone else especially if it’s an external meeting. Therefore, i’ve been enjoying my favorite breakfast offering each week for the last few months. I figured that it was the lesser of all evils. It isn’t quite as decadent as the scones are donuts, it isn’t all empty carbs like the bagels, and it isn’t laden with fat like the bacon. But, let me tell you, my “lesser of all evils” was a devil in disguise!
Cosi Strawberry Yogurt Parfait
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 11.5 oz
——————————————————————————–
Amount per Serving
——————————————————————————
Calories 426 Calories from Fat 54
——————————————————————————–
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 13mg 4%
Sodium 257mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 84g 28%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Protein 13g 26%
——————————————————————————–
——————————————————————————-
Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 12.7% Carbs 78.9%
Protein 12.2%

When I saw these facts I knew it was time for an intervention! Therefore, yesterday I brought the ingredients for my own healthier version! I even put it in a Cosi cup we had sitting in the office kitchen so I didn’t stand out during the meeting. It was a delicious alternative and kept me full for hours! As Spring and the warmer months arrive I think this will replace my winter morning oats! I hope you enjoy this too!

1 carton yogurt (I used WW Blueberry since it was on sale this week)
3/4 c sliced fruit (I chose strawberries since they’re in season)
1/3 c Grape Nuts
3/4 c Special K Protein Cereal
Layer the yogurt, cereals, and fruit for a parfait replacement. This healthier version boasts lots of healthy protein, fiber, and calcium for HALF the calories!
 
Want to win over $300 in beauty swag compliments of the CEW beauty bag? Click here!


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