Friday Five: Lately Life in Verbs

Hi Friday people — I’m alive!

It’s amazing how when you stop making something a habit, it’s so easy to just push it to the side. I have no intentions of quitting my blog life, but I honestly haven’t felt any overwhelming desire to post late, for one reason or another…or else when I do sit down to write, I can’t seem to focus on anything cohesive or put a post together.

Maybe it’s that I’m too busy livin’ & lovin’ summer life, or that I don’t feel that I have enough interesting stuff to write about, or don’t put any forethought into my posts. Or maybe it’s just that I fell into an unplanned break and have no reasons for that. Regardless, I’m still here, but sort of struggling with what to blog about these sunshiney days. Do I just share about my life? Do I need to take more pictures in NYC, when in reality I haven’t been going out that much because I work all.the.time?

So, here’s an end-of-August update on me, as I link up with Mar, Courtney & Cynthia for the Friday Five.

1. Running. It’s going. I mean, it’s going fine, even well, and I’m still totally enjoying it — but I’m not really marathon training, to be honest. We had 3-4 weeks of overbearing heat and humidity here where it was basically impossible for me to get any long runs in, so the only long runs I’ve done in the past month are two 11-milers in July and a 12-miler this past weekend — and while it felt great, it’s still a far cry from where I should be if I’m planning to run a marathon in 6 weeks. I think I like the idea of running this race again as it was an amazing experience for me last year and I’m chasing a revival of that all-the-feels-and-pride feeling — but I don’t know that I’m that into it this year. I need nice weather and lots of time on weekend mornings to do long runs the way I want…and lately, I’m refusing to run far in crazy humidity and finding myself wanting to do 10 miles (tops) and then go enjoy my day. I’m also giving myself the space to recognize that this is okay and that I do not have to want to run this marathon and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ll see how the next few weeks of long runs (or not-so-long runs) go and decide if I should defer til next year or keep trying to tough it out and push past the resistance.

2. Wearing. In runfashion news, I’m absolutely crazy about my newest running capris and cannot NOT share with all you fit freaks: Athleta’s Mesh Sonar Capris. Love.

3. Wining. I’ve had a few new-to-me red wines that I really enjoyed this summer, with the most recent being 1000 Stories Red Zinfandel last night at this absolutely darling speakeasy in the Flatiron called The Grain. I immensely enjoyed this California wine and will be running right to the wine store on my way home from work today to snag some! It’s aged in bourbon barrels, which creates a unique flavor, and it was so smooth and lovely. 

Also, has anyone jumped on the whole “frosé” aka frozen rosé trend? I’m hearing about it everywhere lately and although I’ve yet to try it, I know it’s totally my thing. I’ve been saying for years that I want to make frozen sangria a thing and open up a shack serving that and tacos on the beach in San Diego…and this seems like a step toward that dream.

I’ve seen a whole mess of recipes for diff types of frozen wine slushies and love this article that has 15 drool-worthy choices. The boy and I are planning to try our hands at a red wine berry slushy concoction tonight to bring down to the Jersey Shore for a beach day with friends tomorrow, so I’ll keep you posted on how they turn out. Test run for Labor Day!

4. Reading. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.

One of my best friends read this a couple of years ago and raved about it, so I finally borrowed it – and am so glad I did. It’s a really insightful, reflective book focused on the concept of having the courage to embrace vulnerability in all areas of our lives and reframe what we think “being vulnerable” means. This call to vulnerability is paired with a lesson in understanding shame and its destructive forces, and how battling shame is most effectively accomplished through the process of choosing to be vulnerable and authentic. She’s best known for her amazing viral TED talk on this subject called The Power of Vulnerability, which is actually the most-watched TED talk ever. She’s awesome.

5. Feeling. This is everything. This is what I hope to build my practice around — helping others live out authentic lives devoted to the daily pursuit of owning their own uniqueness and voicing their own story, in whatever way feels truest to them, so that they never tire of the lifelong journey toward the best version of themselves. ❤

Have a lovely weekend, lovies. ❤

Best part of your week?
Something you’re learning/an area of growth you’re experiencing lately?

Friday Five: July Loves

This is how I’m feeling right about now:

Ready for flip flops & summer skies & carefree everything — feeling those weekend vibes! Hope you’re counting down to something fun this weekend, wherever you are.

Today’s Friday Five linkup with the DC ladies Mar, Cynthia & Courtney is a “Free Friday,” which I’m interpreting as July Loves (aka things I’m loving this month).

ONE: Casual Fridays. This is a sweet perk about my new job that I haven’t had before, and I’m loving it. I’m actually wearing pants (obsessed with these wide-leg linen pants I got in Chicago this spring) for the first time since I started working here and it’s so nice to be so comfy at work. It also helps create such a laid-back atmosphere, which is always welcome on a trading floor. 

TWO: Balance board. We have standing desks at work, so my friend who sits next to me had the brilliant idea of ordering balance boards to stand on!

So rad, and totally catching on — I wouldn’t be surprised if a bunch more people will jump on this bandwagon! (I bought this one off Amazon.)

THREE: Rosé. All day. This has definitely been the drink-of-the-month for me…and every other white girl in America, I know I know. Hey, if the shoe fits…

FOUR: Marathon training. Having a plan for my running is a nice change again and I’m excited about sticking to it and mapping my progress. Also doesn’t hurt that I just got these babies my second week into training and am loving tackling a race with a fresh pair of kicks!
Feels oh-so-good. This will actually be my first full marathon in Nikes, now that I think of it! I ran the Brooklyn Half this May in these exact sneaks (diff pair/color) and have been having so much success with them this year, so it’s out with the Asics and in with the swoosh. I find I tread much lighter in these and haven’t had any shin pain thus far, so I’m praying they do me well all the way through. 

FIVE: Athleta. I love Lulu’s sports bras like no other, but I’m definitely a fan of Athleta’s colorful tights/capris and just got a new pair this week:

Their Mesh Sonar Capris in this cobalt color = so cute. I felt like I had to give them a shout-out today because they’re having an awesome sale right now that you definitely want to check out: an extra 20% off their already reduced sale items thru Monday 7/25. DO IT.

Hope you have a lovely weekend, friends! Mine will be full of running, fruit, lake time and people I love…in other words, exactly how I like my world to be. ❤

Whatcha up to this weekend?
Anyone else drink copious amounts of rose in the summer? Any favorite kinds?

Friday Five: The Girlfriend Edition

By definition, Fridays are yay. I mean, we just love to love them, for all the obvious reasons, so I knew I’d be in a good mood today regardless. But when you wake up on a Friday morning to find it’s 70 degrees and flawless outside, and you were half afraid you’d sleep through your morning workout because of a girls’ night the evening prior but miraculously managed to not only hit the path for a 6am run but actually really enjoy it, and you found a cute sundress you totally forgot you had and have casual Fridays at your new job and know you’re seeing your boyfriend tonight, well…

Friday just feels extra fabulous.

Linking up with the DC ladies Mar, Courtney & Cynthia for the Friday Five’s free Friday!

Five Things You Learn from Your Girlfriends

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of my girlfriends and am constantly gushing about how grateful and blessed I am to have the very best friends a girl could wish for. After waking up with a happy heart from last night’s girl date, I knew this topic deserved today’s post.

1. Sometimes, you just need to be girlie — and be okay with it. Last year, one of my girlfriends (who has since left me and returned to her home city of Seattle, and whom I miss dearly!) told me, “You’re the girliest tomboy I’ve ever met.” An adorable and funny statement, and I actually think it’s a pretty accurate description. I don’t see myself as all that girlie, but if I’m at a flapper-era speakeasy and one of the drink choices is a gin-and-champagne cocktail served in a dainty rosebud teacup, well…that needs to happen.

2. The importance of genuine listening & empathy. Okay, so girls love to talk — but it’s more than that. We all have “stuff” that impacts us, and even if our stresses and annoyances and day-to-day struggles all look very different from one another, they’re very real and personal and important to each of us. To have friends who acknowledge the weight of those situations (even if they don’t relate to them specifically) and are willing and happy to listen as you vent (even ad nauseum sometimes!) is absolutely invaluable. We all need to feel heard and validated, and we’ll all need more support at some point or another, so to have those authentic friendships where you know you can bring any and everything to the table and not have to think twice about how you’re expressing yourself or what they’ll think of you is such true gift.

teacup cocktails & conversation = happiness

3. How to be a cheerleader. Last night, we were talking about how crucial it is to choose girlfriends who build you up and are always on your team and want you to be the absolutely most successful, best version of yourself, howsoever you define that. It made me think of this quote, which stopped me in my tracks the first time I read it:

Isn’t that the point of being a true, loving, supportive friend –that we share our friends’ successes and joys and don’t see them as having any adverse affect on our personal paths or life stories? Sure, it’s hard if you lose your job or break up with your boyfriend or have a health issue or anything else life might throw your way, but that doesn’t mean you have the right to begrudge someone else their slice of happiness. I have friends who own beautiful homes and make more money than I do and take amazing vacations and have their dream jobs, and I couldn’t be happier for them and want the people I love and value to have everything their wonderful hearts desire — and I know they feel the exact same way about me. That makes my heart so very, very happy.

4. Celebrate your differences. I didn’t grow up in a very diverse area, and it really wasn’t until I moved to NYC and met so many people from all over that I learned the true beauty of diversity and felt the desire to meet as many people who were different from me as I possibly could. Today, almost six years later, I feel so fortunate to have a truly diverse group of close girlfriends from all over the world and different parts of the US, with different cultural backgrounds, personalities, affinities, careers, and unique traits that make learning from and with one another such a blast. It’s one of my favorite things about living in NYC, the ease of interacting with people from virtually everywhere, and I feel that I’ve learned so much (about others and myself) and grown exponentially as a person because of my friendships with amazing girls who are so very different than me.

5. Heart talks & wine make anything better. And there’s no need to expound upon that.

Cheers to friends being the very best things you can ever collect.

Favorite girlfriend dates?
A valuable life lesson you learned from your girlfriends?

Friday Five: Solo Running Love

There are other work days, and then there are Fridays. THANK THE LORD.

Linking back up with the DC ladies Mar, Cynthia & Courtney for this week’s Friday Five, which is a free Friday and up to interpret howsoever our little hearts desire. Considering I’ve been on such a run high lately and feeling so good, this was an easy choice for me.

1. Sometimes, this is the only real “me” time I get all day. We’re all busy humans and it can be hard to fit some personal time into our days, and we all require different amounts of this “me” time. I often feel like I’m running around like a nutbox from one thing to the next from sun-up to sun-down, and I so crave these runs as time to just focus on myself. Ever just feel like you need to not talk to people for a while?? I’m a people-person to the max, but man, I love my alone time these days.

2. I have complete control. Should I run at 6am, or 6pm? Do I want to go uptown or downtown? Do I want to stop and stretch, or pee, or walk for a bit, or pet that cute dog and inquire about its breed is for my future dog-parent reference, or do some bench push-ups, or take my best friend’s phone call, or splash some water on my face at as many water fountains as suit my fancy? Or all of those in one run? I can if I want! This is all mine!

3. It makes it less competitive and more organically enjoyable. Sure, running with people could probably push me and challenge me and make me a stronger runner, but my purposes for running have always been so personal — because it makes me feel good about myself; because it’s my “me against the world” time; because I naturally love to do it and haven’t allowed myself to turn it into something competitive or stressful. I’m so happy with the place I’ve carved out for running in my life.

4. It’s free. Can’t beat that, amiright?! Classes don’t come cheaply in NYC. I’ve done some run-based outdoor workout classes and while I enjoyed most of them, it’s just not worth it for me to pay someone to push me to do something I already have all the drive to do on my own. They can serve as great motivators if you need an extra push to get out there and want a trainer and group holding you accountable, but that’s not my story right now and so I save those dollars for things I can’t get for free (like red wine & train rides upstate). At this point and I benefit much more from running on my own (both physically and mentally, financials aside!).  🙂

5. It’s empowering. Regardless of what kind of a day/week/month I’ve had, one thing always remains constant: I can awake with a new dawn and lace up my sneakers and choose to tackle the day, just me against the world, independent & strong & determined to push myself and better myself and surprise myself, again and again and again. Once you fall in love with something so completely and allow it to settle at the very center of your being and define you in so many ways, you can’t help but see how much it’s changed you, for the better, and made you a more resilient, resourceful, stronger version of yourself. Running has done that for me.

Friday Five: April Fitness Goals

So, today was destined to be a good day. First of all, FRIDAYAY. Secondly, this is a fun thing to be able to say:

Don’t get me wrong — March was an overall great month for me. I’m just stoked we’re counting down the days til it feels like Spring has truly sprung, and “April” just sounds so much happier. It’s really such a nice word, too, I think, and I’m all about words that make me happy. 🙂

What’re you looking forward to in April? I have some good things: my man’s bday, the arrival of my bff’s second baby, a family trip to Chicago, and nicer weather for running —

Which segues nicely into this week’s Friday Five Linkup theme with the DC Ladies Mar, Courtney & Cynthia:

5 April Fitness Goals

1. More morning running. I miss my days of running outdoors regularly at 6am before work, and with the advent of warmer weather, I’m determined to get back that. I’m making it a goal to run before work at least two days a week this month, on top of one after-work run and my weekend runs. This also means earlier bedtimes, I hope!
2. Easy does it with the leg workouts. Granted, I’m saying this in the wake of a “Whoops that was too much” leg workout earlier this week from which I’m still unable to walk easily, but I really do try not to overdo it on the leg strength session when I’m training for a race, as it negatively impacts my ability to run in a big way. With the BK Half coming up in May, I need to keep my legs in good running shape (ie, I’d like to be able to walk without wincing). 😉
3. Strength train 2x a week. This has been going really well and I want to keep doing 2 mornings a week, primarily upper body (see #2 above!). Push-ups, kettlebells and planks are the name of my game, and I’m really happy with how strong I feel.
4. Speedwork. Okay, so this is something I’ve rarely incorporated into my exercise routine, and never consistently — but the past two weeks I’ve done a bit, and I rather enjoyed it. I want to try to commit to one speed workout a week and take it from there, even if it’s nothing too crazy. I think it’ll be good for me.
5. Watch the nutrition carefully. To me, healthy living is a balance between working out and paying close attention to what I eat, and I’ve been feeling better lately since I’ve made an effort to clean it up even more. I’m eating almost entirely gluten and dairy free, with very little sugar or processed foods, and eating a lot of lean protein and good fats — and I’m happy with the results and want to keep monitoring what I eat and how I feel.

With that, I’m off to see a client, meet the boyfriend and kick off this wonderful weekend! Hope your Friday finds you in high spirits as well!

Enjoy today, friends. ❤

Any April goals, fitness or otherwise?
What’s April weather like where you are?
Favorite “clean eating” meal or snack?

Friday Five: Eating Healthy on Vacation

helllloooo, friends! it’s no secret i’ve been MIA in the blogosphere lately, and i’ve had good reason: i was halfway around the world, trying to figure out a way to stay in Maui forever. i maintain that God allows Maui to exist to give us a glimpse of what Heaven will be like. i will absolutely be reviewing my trip at length in upcoming posts, but today, i’m joining up with our DC gals Mar, Courtney & Cynthia for the Friday Five Link-up. since this week’s theme revolves around food & drink, i thought i’d keep it vacation-relevant:

i’m definitely someone who takes my healthy-eating habits on vacation with me and makes every effort to eat as healthy as possible, especially when i’m on a vacation in a tropical place, where i want to be running outside and wearing bikinis every day. the boy and i did really well on our food choices for this trip and i came back feeling great and healthier than ever, and am committed to maintaining these habits!

ONE: all the fruit. i was craving fruit the whole trip, thanks to the endless sunshine & summery days. apples, mangoes, bananas, dried figs, berries — these became staples in our diet, and were so easy to pack on our day trips. eating multiple pieces of fruit a day also totally curbed any sweets hankerings, and a week without chocolate was much easier than i would have thought, especially when all i could think about was mangoes!

TWO: eat the fishies. every time we went out to eat, i ordered grilled fish tacos or a salad with grilled fish. light, healthy and just the right amount of filling, i consider fish the perfect meal to stick to when on a tropical vacation. i’m sure it goes without saying, but the fish in Maui was sooooo good. Hawaii has a local fish called Ono, which means “delicious,” that lives up to its name. we found the cutest little beachside tiki restaurant called Duke’s just a short walk from our hotel that had great fish tacos & sandwiches, and live music during early evening and sunset. such a gem of a spot.

THREE: easy on the alcohol. because let’s face it: too much is never good! neither of us are big drinkers, and coupling that with the fact that we wanted to wake up early every day to work out before adventuring, we barely drank on this trip — and it felt amaaaaazingggg. no wine with dinner, no random day drinks at the beach — and the few times we did order drinks, i tried to be adventurous and order tropical cocktails that i wouldn’t have at home, of which i knew i’d never drink more than one or two.

Mai Tais are musts in Hawaii, but they really didn’t do much for me, which i guess was a good thing, as i was one and done (and felt great the next morning to run at 8am!).

FOUR: walk the aisles. we were super fortunate to have a big grocery store across the street from our hotel, which we frequented for our breakfast foods and daily staples. not only did we save a lot of $ this way, but we made much healthier food choices and saved time when on the Road to Hana or at the beach by packing snacks. fruit, nuts, bars (Larabars are still my faves), raw veggies, almond crackers, Puffins, coffee — we became experts at healthy vaca snacking!

FIVE: kombucha. this i’m adding as my own personal Maui-specific newbie addition, as i tried a couple of kombucha brands and flavors on this trip and became a believer. kombucha became my new champagne this past week — love those bubbles!

Maui’s Valley Isle Kombucha in Lilikoi (passion fruit) was a refreshing beach day treat,

& i realllllly loved Health Ade’s Power Greens. this hybrid kombucha and pressed green juice concoction was phenomenal. of course, i found this in the San Francisco airport and the local store by me doesn’t have this flavor yet, but i’m hoping that changes soon!

at $6 a bottle they’re certainly not cheap, but on top of being so delicious, they’re good for you, so i can justify this indulgence every now and then.

enjoy your Friday and hope your weekend starts off wonderfully! i’ll be sure to give you the low-down on my trip to Maui soon! 🙂

Best thing you ate/drank this week?
How do you (try to) eat healthy on vaca?

Friday Five: 5 February Fitness Goals

Before I delve into this week’s Friday Five, I want to acknowledge a horrible event that happened not far from my office building this morning: a huge crane collapsed on a street in TriBeCa, with current injury reports claiming 1 fatality and at least a dozen injured.

This is so scary and devastating, so please keep my city in your prayers today.

Trying to switch gears after being rattled is a bit tough, I can’t lie…

I’m joining the DC ladies’ (Mar, Courtney & Cynthia) for the weekly Friday Five link-up, interpreting today’s “Fitness” theme as:

ONE: Run outside more. I spent more time on a treadmill than I was hoping to in January, mainly because cold + dark at 6am = wasn’t feeling it. I’ve managed to do 2 outdoor runs this week and really enjoyed both, so I’m hoping to keep this streak going.

TWO: Run at least 20 miles a week. My mileage has slipped a bit and I think setting a weekly  goal will help me raise it. I’m willing to ease up on this goal if I experience pain, however, as I don’t want to get injured, but otherwise I want to hit this as a minimum weekly goal (regardless of whether I’m outside or on a treadmill).

THREE: Plank almost every day. I actually really like doing planks, and I have no excuse not to do them, as I can spread out my yoga mat on my bedroom floor and do 5 minutes in the morning or at night regardless of how busy my day is. I want to incorporate this into my daily routine as many days a week as possible. I definitely feel stronger and able to hold them for longer lately, and that whole “this is torture” phase has worn away.

Although this is the cutest:

FOUR: Two strength sessions a week. Even if one of these is short and includes mostly push-ups, squats, lunges & light free weights, I want to make sure I’m doing more than one a week. I’ve been consistent with this lately and it’s feeling great. (My legs are hurtssogood sore all the time, but I don’t hate it.)

FIVE: Buddy sessions. Fitness is something the boy and I totally bond over, as he’s also a workout/healthy living junkie (I swear that’s not the only reason I date him — he’s pretty fantastic across the board :)). As we don’t live in the same city (sad) we spend the full weekends together, and since neither Saturday nor Sunday are “rest” days for me, we’ve fallen into a habit of getting up and working out both days. I totally look forward to this routine and it reminds me how nice it is to have a workout accountability partner, so I want to make sure we keep this up  every weekend, even if we’re away.

Have a great weekend!!

Any specific February fitness goals?
Do you workout with your significant other or friends?

Friday Five: 5 Weekly Faves

soooo, this is how i’m feeling today:

and you’ll see why if you keep reading. 🙂

linking up with the DC ladies Mar, Cynthia & Courtney for our weekly dose of Friday Five fun, with this week being a “Free Friday” where we can choose whatsoever topic suits our fancy. as i did a pretty specific one last week on nutrition bars, i decided to go a bit more lax this week and go with a list of random favorite things from the last week of January.

1. florals. i came home from a double-job, 12-hour workday on Monday (did i mention i’m a therapist a few nights a week now? if you are looking for a therapist or life coach, i’m happy to work with clients remotely as well!) to find these beauties hanging out on my dresser, along with the sweetest note. it was the perfect surprise to end my long day. & i totally won the human lottery, for real. he’s so good. ❤

2. School of Rock. what do you get when you mix Broadway theater + hilarity + a total Jack Black double + adoooorable and talented children + all the enthusiasm and energy in the world?

School of Rock the musical, that’s what. this was SUCH a cute show. the lead actor clearly studied Jack Black ad nauseam for this role, and totally crushed it — he was hilarious. and the kids?! OMG they were fantastic. such a wholesome, rowdy, energetic, fun-filled, non-stop show that made you laugh so hard & made you “awwww” & made you feel good about theater still reflecting the genuine heart of humanity at its core. i really, really liked it and would recommend it for all ages. basically if you liked the movie, you’ll love it.

3. bottoms up. i went out with guys from work for a drink last night to Ward III in TriBeCa, a dark little cocktail bar that has a great novelty drink list, talented mixology bartenders, and this menu gem:

a list of house rules. this adds such character and serves as a great conversation piece. we especially liked #2, Don’t Be Creepy, which lets us gals know that if a guy is bothering us, the bartenders are happy to ask him to leave her alone. genius.

i ordered their signature drink, the Ward III, which was fantastic and one of the best drinks i’ve had anywhere in a long time (also the first, since i haven’t been drinking anything but wine for months!):

definitely a different order for me, and it was SO good. i’d return just for this.

4. inspiration. i love this.

5. travel. so, about that first image from this post…

it was entirely apropos for today, as the best thing that happened to me this week was booking a trip yesterday for me and the boy…

to the beach in that picture above.

Ka’anapali Beach, Maui — i’m coming for you in March. eeeeeeee!! ❤

hope you all are having a fabulous Friday, friends!!

Best part of your week?
What’s on tap for the weekend?

Friday Five: The Nutrition Bar Edition

why is it that i always feel compelled to start every Friday post with “Happy Friday!”? i mean, yes, we all love Friday and want to celebrate its fabulousness, but i think i need to come up with something more original to replace that…or else just embrace its cliche nature and get over it. 😉 i DO love this Cure song, though, so let’s go with that this week:

there. Friday image problem solved for one week.

i’m back to linking up with the DC ladies Mar, Cynthia & Courtney for their Friday Five link-up. they’ve changed things up this year, so every 4th Friday of the month is “Free Friday,” where we choose our own adventures in the fives.

this week, I’ve decided to go with a food-based theme:

i am a nutrition bar/granola bar/protein bar/fruit & nut bar (whatever you want to call them) gal for sure. yes, i fully understand that certain bars are little more than glorified candy bars and that granola is basically candied oats, half the time, and yes, i pay attention to ingredients and weigh my options and am careful about what i choose. i know not all bars are created equal, and i know we all have our favorites. i’m not judging anyone else’s choices, by any means; some of us prefer gluten free, some of us go for protein content, some of us watch the fat, some of us are picky about sugar (or substitutes). i’m not a nutritionist, but here are some my top choices for (what i consider to be) healthy nutrition bars (all are vegan, gluten free, dairy-free, non-GMO, whole-food based):

1. Larabar.

these babies are comprised entirely from whole foods (no additional preservatives or additives or sugar): the only ingredients are unsweetened fruit, nuts, and spices. bam. they’re all date-based and make healthy taste good. i’m a fan of the Apple Pie and Carrot Cake flavors (both 190 calories). all carbs & sugar come straight from the fruit.

this week’s airplane snack, paired with Athleta leggings.

2. Picky Bars. i was first introduced to these bars when a friend sent me a marathon care package from California this fall, and although i haven’t bought them again (i haven’t come across them in stores in NYC, but they sell them on Amazon), i was totally hooked. they’re created by pro athletes (a triathlete and a runner couple) with the mission of devising a bar that combines real food & fuel for performance, geared at keeping athletes sustained through strenuous workouts. (hence, they made perfect sense as a marathon-package treat.) i love the overall vibe & feel of their marketing and branding, and they have have a rad, fun website as well, which can explain their story and the science behind their bars much better than i can, so check them out.

3. Oatmega. i’m sitting here with one of these wrappers in front of me at the moment, as i just had one for part of my breakfast (and just tried my very first one last night! so far i’ve had the Chocolate Mint Chip & Vanilla Almond Crisp – both great, prefer the vanilla). they’re delicious, first of all, and with 14 grams of protein and under 200 calories, i see them becoming regular additions to my diet.

they’re gluten free, non-GMO, omega-3 laden, protein-packed by grass fed whey, and come in some great flavors. (you can check out their ingredients list here.) they also are big on social responsibility and giving back to the community, which we all love to love.

4. Kind bars. i couldn’t very well leave these popular favorites off the list, now, could i? i don’t eat these as often as i know many people do, as i try to go easy on the nut intake, but i do enjoy them every now and then. my mom & i tried a bunch of flavors when i was in Florida this week, and these were my two faves:

Cashew & Ginger Spice (i’m such a ginger fan)
Apple Cinnamon & Pecan

5. Macrobars. so i don’t actually eat these myself, but my boyfriend recently discovered them and i’ve tried bites of his, and they’re pretty delicious. they pack more calories than i prefer in a bar (over 200), but are all organic and whole-food based, and offer some pretty tasty combinations. Macrobars have a great story as well: they were created by a family who adopted a macrobiotic diet after the mom was diagnosed with cancer. they bought a farm in Wisconsin to start their business, and these bars are their way of sharing their commitment to a healthy, whole-food based lifestyle with the world.

happy snacking, friends. oh, and start your weekend off well, willya??

Fave bars?
What do you look for in a nutrition/energy bar?

Friday Five: Favorite Winter Activities

while i undoubtedly look forward to Friday every.single.week, i’m especially stoked for today, because it commences my week-long Christmas vacation! i’m going home tonight for 9 full days of fun with family, friends and the man, and i couldn’t be more excited about this. ’tis a merry, merry Christmas indeed, starting tonight for me!

for this week’s link-up, our DC hosts Mar, Courtney & Cynthia chose the following theme to help remind us that there are some fun things to be done even when we’re freezing our bums off (especially in the Northeast, although this year has been marvelous thus far!):

ONE: snowboarding. i’m not a big fan of the cold but i’m also not one who complains like it’s the end of the world each year as well, and one sure way to get me out there & loving Winter is to put me on a mountain. i was hoping to ride at least a day or two next week over break, but considering we’ve accumulated zero snowflakes so far this year (and man-made snow isn’t my favorite thing), that might not transpire.

TWO: running. thank goodness for Under Armour & Nike, who make some pretty great cold-weather gear, because i try to suck it up and get out there even when it’s chillll-eee. nothing like a good run to warm up the cold blood!

THREE: wine bars. in Summer, i like to be “outdoorsy” and take advantage of patios and rooftops; in Winter, a quaint & cozy little tuckaway of a wine bar serves me just right. with lots of windows, of course, so i can see the snow as i cozy up.

FOUR: anything related to Christmas. this counts, right? i’ve always been a Christmas-lover Winter –> all things merry & bright give me the fuzzy, i-love-everything-and-everyone feelings. & it’s so easy to love Christmastime in NYC! speaking of — the boy and i walked 5th Ave on Tuesday and checked out Bergdorf’s amazyyyyzinggg window display (at a time when the crowds had thinned, thankfully!). Bergdorf collaborated with Swarovski this year to create truly brilliant, glittering, fantastic displays made out of thousands of gems and stones, with names like “Glitterati,”  “Treasured,” “The Crystal Ball,” “Hidden Gem,” & “The Crown Jewels.”

 

 

 

these photos hardly do them justice — they were spectacular. “Treasured” (the ocean scene) was so winter blues lovely and opalescent in person, and “Glitterati” (the first image) was such a crazy, chaotic, fun explosion of colors representing the 12 months of the year with 12 cakes made out of their birthstones. it was just so, so well done.

FIVE: traveling somewhere warm. okay so i know that’s a total stretch of a “Winter activity” but like, also sort of necessary. by the time we head out for our annual girls’ weekend to Boca & Miami at the end of January, i’m pretty ready for some sun. last year i went to Miami & Austin in the cold months; this year i hope to have some similar warm-weather trips to break up the chilly stretch.

hope you enjoy your weekend, friends!

Favorite Winter activities?
Snowboarders/skiiers: What’s your mountain of choice?What island should I visit this year??