Our Weekend in NYC

This weekend Jay and I were in NYC celebrating our Anniversary and Valentine’s Day.

We started our evening at Trattoria Trecolori with a fantastic dinner. We originally had 6:30 reservations, but they were a little packed and we were enjoying our drinks at the bar so we stayed. We had fantastic service from the bar tender and the pasta, even better.

Then we were off to the main event, Wicked! Jay and I kept talking about how much we wanted to see Wicked on Broadway. After a little discussion, Jay decided to splurge and buy the tickets for us for the weekend. I am so glad we did!

Believe it or not, this was my first ever Broadway show! and it was so worth it!

Plus, I got wear my new dress!! Happy happy girl!

On Saturday, Jay and I walked the High Line, a raised walkway that used to be an elevated railway. I was amazed how many people were out walking even though it was freezing and flurrying.

After our walk, Jay and I headed to Eatly. Eatly is an Italian style market right off of Madison Square Park. You can go grocery shopping in the various sections, buy some wine or eat. We ended up in the seafood section, but apparently you can order off the same menu in each area except the very popular Pizza Parlor. We sat at the bar and had great service from a very knowledgeable waiter. The food was amazing, but a little pricey. I am glad we decided to share their Minestrone soup and Chickpea Fritters with a roasted red pepper sauce.

While the meal was delicious, it wasn’t very filling. We left Eatly full but not full enough for our afternoon venture. How lucky for us that the original Shake Shack location was across the street.

Since it was a celebratory weekend, we decided to splurge and have Concretes. Jay had The Concrete Jungle and I had The Hopscotch. Both were delicious! and very filling!

With full stomachs, we headed to our afternoon activity, touring the MET. I think we managed to explore every room or just about. We were there nearly 3 hours!

Since we hadn’t had enough sweets that day, Jay surprised me with a Red Velvet cupcake (my favorite) when we sat down for a drink.

Since we hadn’t had enough food already, we ended the evening at Katz’s Delicatessen.

You may remember from Katz’s from this movie.

And yes, we had what she was having!!

Jay got the Corn Beef sandwich and I had 1/2 a Reuben with Matzo Ball Soup. I have to say the only thing we were not fond of was the picked cucumber. Alas, it was a very filling meal!!

This morning, we grabbed a bagel and coffee at Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company. I have been craving a NYC style bagel for weeks and this certainly hit the spot and kept me full all the way home!

Now the metro ride once I got home, now that is another story!!!

How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day?

ORLANDO!!

ORLANDO! Orlando... I love you, Orlando! SeaWorld and Disney! And Putt-putt, Golfing!

Jay and I went to ORLANDO for NYE weekend. We flew in Friday and kicked off the weekend at Magic Kingdom. But, guess what we found, a Gamecocks sticker on an MK trash can. Us = classy!

For NYE dinner, we headed to Bonefish Grill. Believe it or not, I have never been there before! I was way impressed by the food and the price.

Bri started the evening with a fruity side-car, which is coincidently my parents favorite cocktail.

We also had Bang Bang Shrimp, Bonefish’s specialty. Delicious!

For the main course, I indulged in Tilapia topped with Mango Salsa, Spaghetti Squash and Potatoes Au Gratin. This meal was a real treat! I am so glad I finally got to try Bonefish.

After dinner we all headed out to Celebration Town Tavern for their New Years Party. We had fun, but it just did not compete with last year. Last year, Celebration had a he celebration with a fireworks show and street party.

Regardless, we had a lot of fun. I am so glad I got to spend another New Years with my girlies. But, the best part of this year was that I got spend it with my cutie. I am so glad Jay was able to join me.

Besides the addition of Jay to our group this year, we also got meet Bri’s boyfriend Mike. He is a great addition to the group!

What did you do for New Years Eve?

The Jersey Shore

Friday night after work Lauren and I traveled up 95 to visit Courtney. Courtney was in Jersey babysitting her niece for the past week.

And, boy, is taking care of a 13 month old hard work! College just did not prepare us for the early wake-up time, running around the house and folding strollers. I learned a lot this weekend and have realized that I do not need a child for another couple of years, just some one else's to play with! :)

While taking care of the baby was fun, it was also nice to have the afternoon to go to the beach. Courtney’s sister’s mother-in-law was nice enough to take the baby Saturday afternoon so we could head out to the beach. :)

This was my first trip to Jersey. Don’t get me wrong, I have driven through Jersey numerous times, but I have never spent the night there before. I was very impressed with how clean and empty the beach was.

This beach was nothing like the show The Jersey Shore, even though Seaside Heights was only a few miles south.

After we got the baby in bed at 6:30 p.m., the girls sat down for some dinner and drinks. Courtney’s sister’s mother-in-law was nice enough to drop off homemade spaghetti and meatballs, all we had to do was reheat and eat!

We also enjoyed some Skinnygirl Margaritas and chips and salsa before watching Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. The movie was good, but the book is so much better.

Overall, it was a great girls weekend. It is so nice to get away with good friends!

Do you go on girls weekends with your friends? Where do you go?

A Weekend at the Beach

As I mentioned Thursday, my friend Val and I went to Ocean City Maryland for a nice relaxing girls weekend.

Friday, when we arrived at the beach, we quickly changed into our bathing suits and ran down headed to the beach. That evening was very relaxing as we enjoyed margaritas, scoured through a Brides Magazine, ate mac N cheese and hotdogs, and talked for hours.

Since my parents had the following week at the beach we encouraged them to join us Saturday afternoon. It was very cute how excited they were to hang out with us. And, like promised they showered us with Rum and Coke’s (is it sad that my parents drink stronger drinks than I do?). For dinner, we followed family tradition and had our favorite pizza at Lombardi’s before heading down to the board walk.

Things have definitely changed on the boardwalk. As a child we frequented the arcade, ate funnel cake, and explored Kitty Hawk Kite Loft. Now that we are older and my parents are empty nesters, my Mom enjoys henna tattoo’s and my Dad frozen yogurt.

Now, seriously, what am I going to do with them? My Mom claims this trip’s tattoo is by far the best one she has ever gotten. She was quite pleased!

Even though, she messed it up seconds after getting it and the artist was nice enough to touch it up for her. (Good thing she tipped!)

All in all, Val and I had a great time. We were definitely entertained by my parents who acted like gitty children. Trust me when I say they have lots of plans for their week at the beach. My favorites being their “annual” sunset Ferris Wheel ride and day trip to Historic Berlin. As Val pointed out, it is very cute that both of our parents are still in love.

Do your parents have new vacation traditions that have evolved since your childhood?

What cute things do your parents (or grandparents) do that show they are still very much in love?

Stop Making Excuses

My brain thinks the terms vacation and splurge are synonymous. Every time I go on vacation I find myself splurging on things I would never consume at home. Soda, sure; extra helpings, sounds great!; s’mores? yes please; and what about one more margarita?!?!? how could I pass that up!

It does not help that I am awful at following through with my working out plan on vacation. My favorite running shoes have a reserved spot in my suitcase, but they never manage to make it out of the bag.

So after a week of giving in, how do you get your habits back intact?

1. Drink lots of water – On vacation I tend to drink a lot of different liquids I am not used to consuming, like soda and extra alcohol. Once I arrive home, I try to drink lots of water to flush out my system. Water keeps you hydrated and can prevent muscle stiffness which is important during that long flight or car ride home.
2. Plan Healthy Meals – The first grocery trip after vacation is very import. Make sure you take the time to sit down and plan your meals before you go. Plan a lot of healthy options for your first week back. Jay and I usually welcome back our healthy eating habits with a large colorful salad.
3. Set a schedule – When I return from a week long vacation I haven’t worked out in, well, about a week… As soon as I get back I set a schedule for the upcoming week. Often this workout schedule is similar to the one I was following prior to vacation with a little less intensity. For example, if I had worked up to a 5 mile run the week before, I may start the week with a 3 mile run. For BodyPump, I try to lift the amount of weight I left off on, but know it is ok, to drop a little weight if needed. I never attempt to increase weight after vacation.
4. Stop making excuses – When working out, I often try to test my physical limits, but my goal is to always work out safely. As many of us know, injuries just stink. The week after vacation, I tend to be cautious in order to prevent injury. The week after that there are no more excuses here!
5. Set a goal – As we head into the spring/summer season there are a lot of events that we all want to look our best for. This spring I will be traveling to my alma mater to see my little brother graduate. Not only did we graduate from the same university, but the same college. Plus, him and his friends were my residents there freshman year. You can see why I want to be looking my best! With only about 5 weeks until graduation, I know I want to attend 8 BodyPump classes, which gives me 2 classes of wiggle room, and adequate time to reach my goal to bare my best arms.
6. Plan for a night in – There is nothing worse than arriving home from vacation only to start running around again. The weekend after vacation, Jay and I try to be low-key (this is soo hard for me). I avoid social activities the week we arrive home. The following weekend, we try to stay local and try not to commit to anything until the last minute. This gives us the flexibility to unpack and catch up from a fun vacation.

What are your tips for getting back on track after a fun vacation?

Sweetie Spaghetti and San Francisco

Tonight Jay made dinner and it was delicious. Meanwhile, I played a lot of Sim Creators on my Nintendo DS. That game is so addictive that I didn’t know what was going on in the kitchen. You can imagine my shock when he showed me dinner.

Did he really cook the frozen veggies with the pasta noodles?!?!?! Yum, yes he did. Once I got over the horror, I tried it and was pleasantly surprised. Not my favorite way to cook frozen veggies, but it definitely worked!! This truly shows that anyone can cook! Cooking just takes a little confidence and creativity!

Now for a little recap of San Francisco, the first stop on our California Adventure. We only had about 36 hours in the city. Believe it or not, a few days out I still hadn’t planned our activities. I had the hotel rooms and campsites booked but completely slacked on making my lists of potential attractions in the city. Thankfully, Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats posted her Top Ten Things to do in San Francisco (and no I wasn’t the one who asked her). Upon her suggestion we went to Bourbon and Branch the first night.

The next morning we woke up at a normal hour considering our flight the day before and Day Light Savings time (Did you have problems Springing Forward?). We ventured around the city for the morning since it was Sunday before 10 am and I thought the crooked part of Lombard Street was at the wrong end…

Then we explored Ghirardelli Square just in time for the Ghirardelli Shop to open…

which was perfect since no trip to Ghirardelli is complete without chocolate!!! It was a cooler day with rain in the forecast, so I opted for the Caramel Sea Salt Hot Chocolate while Jay enjoyed his Peanut Butter Chocolate Sundae.

After our tummies were full of chocolate we explored Hyde Street Pier and saw lots of boats. I was actually impressed with the house boat. I think I could actually enjoy living on one.

By far my favorite experience in San Francisco was riding the cable cars. We bought an all day pass (which is good on all forms of San Fran public transportation) and rode the Cable Cars every chance we got!

We rode the Cable Car right to the top of Lombard Street and the crooked-est street in the world. Yes, we finally got there!!

And we found our lunch stop too! For lunch we ate at John’s Grill. The choice was a complete fluke, but we loved it. It is one of the oldest establishments in San Fran!! Who knew? I had the Jack Lalanne’s Favorite Salad topped with Dungeness Crab. It wasn’t my Maryland Blue Crab but it was definitely a great substitute!

After another ride on the Cable Car, we explored Fisherman’s Wharf. I was actually a little disappointed with this tourist attraction. I have to admit it was probably due to our full tummies and the rain, but still.

With all the rain, after the Wharf we got in the car and looked for the Tanner’s house from Full House. Yes, we really did… and we were so determined that I went to two different addresses. For all of you wondering, the actual house is at '1709 Broderick Street' NOT '1882 Girard Street'. Let’s just say 1882 Girard Street does not exist and the surrounding houses do not match the Tanner feel.

We ended our night at the Fog City Diner. I had a Vegetarian Pasta with Winter Veggies. Hmmm-Hmmm delicious.

The next morning before we headed out of the city we dropped by the Painted Ladies. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

And then over the Golden Gate Bridge we went!

I hope you enjoyed an overview of San Francisco. I’ll be back tomorrow with our trip to Muir Woods.