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Friday Favorites – July 8th, 2016

rockaway beach

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Happy Friday!

This week was short but intense. I’ve been in a Summer cold haze most of the week but after lots of sleep I am finally starting to feel like myself again. Bo and I are heading to Garth Brooks tonight with friends and then tomorrow I’m heading out to Rockaway for a surf+yoga workshop with Tangerine Yoga. Follow along on Snapchat tomorrow for what is sure to be a hilarious sight as I have never surfed before!

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.

  • In preparation for our beach trip down in Avalon, New Jersey later this month, I finally ordered two new swimsuits from Athleta! I snagged the Grenada bikini top and bottom as well as the Aqualuxe top and bottom during their sale this week. These should be perfect for playing in the waves as well as relaxing with a good book!
  • After years of using only skim milk, I finally have embraced full fat dairy products. After enjoying a full fat or 2% iced latte I feel far more satiated than I do after a skim latte. This week’s Well+Good article explains the science behind this as well as the multiple benefits of enjoying that full fat yogurt, milk and cheese.
  • Four years ago I fell in love with Uplift Fitness for their welcoming and supportive atmosphere as well as their challenging classes. After a few months away I took their POWER class last night and remembered why I love this spot.  My favorite classes are Endurance and Power and my favorite instructors are Kat and Liz B! If you’re in Los Angeles or New York City, definitely check out this studio!
  • I always find myself gravitating towards red or corral nail polish and CND Lobster Roll is the perfect combination. A bright, orange red color it is a vibrant polish that pairs perfectly with any Summer outfit and is available in both CND’s shellac and weekly polish.
  • I saved $50 this week just by walking three blocks to my public library. Over the past few months I’ve found myself reading more than ever and quickly this healthy habit cost me more than $200 in iBooks and Kindle. Instead of spending more money, I went to the library and searched for ten of the books I had marked as “To Read” in GoodReads. Minutes later I exited with four books and a bill of $0! While I will still use my iPad to read while I’m flying or traveling for business, library books are perfect for the beach and reading at home.
  • July and August typically bring unbearable heat and humidity to New York City. This heat can make running even just a few miles miserable. Luckily Runners World rounds up 10 tips for making hot weather running more bearable, regardless your fitness level.
  • I can’t believe that Sarah Brown had a child just a few months ago and still competed in the Olympic trials this week! Even though she didn’t get her fairy tale ending, I can’t wait to follow her journey.
  • This easy-to-use pesto guide was very helpful last weekend when I made pesto from scratch for the first time. We made the classic version but I really want to try the arugula mint and sun-dried tomato.
  • Last but not least, as you guys know Bo and I both love our ClassPass membership. If you’ve been considering trying it out, they are offering $30 off if you sign up between now and July 29th! (If you use this code, I get $30 too!)

Have a great weekend!

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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Seven Things That Happened This Weekend

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.

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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! IMG_31752. 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.

IMG_31853. 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.

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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.

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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. IMG_3250 IMG_32516. 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!

IMG_31957. 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!

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