In a New York Minute…

The last 24 hours have been SO much fun! Really, life is absolutely awesome right now for us and we’ve been lucky to be surrounded by great friends!

Last night we had dinner with the lovely Jess and Jacquie at Gramercy Tavern. Even though we’ve lived three blocks away for over two months we still had not tried this New York institution. In fact, after hearing that Jacquie has a special relationship with this restaurant, we chose to wait until her arrival. It was fabulous as was the company. A thorough review will be coming soon because it is more than deserving. We had a great meal, wonderful laughs, and fun with friends!

IMG_3511   This may be the most adorable restaurant bathroom ever! Yes, those are all fresh flowers! IMG_3528 IMG_3520 Jacquie was able to point us in the right direction when it came to dessert. Clearly we were ready to indulge. Hey, life is about moderation, right?IMG_3514 IMG_3513 Sweet BreadsIMG_3512

Calamari and carrot salad

Saturday

Our good friends Meg and Spencer are spending the weekend with us. This is Spencer’s first trip to New York City so we wanted to ensure we could squeeze as much as possible into his 36 hour trip.

We met this morning at 8:30 because we had places to go and things to see!

First stop: Empire State Building

Copy of IMG_3532 Copy of IMG_3531 Copy of IMG_3530 Copy of IMG_3529

IMG_3535 IMG_3555 IMG_3554 IMG_3544

Our trip to the Empire State Building was perfect. We got there at 9:30 which meant there were no lines and the staff was still in a great, very friendly mood!

Our next stop was the Mint Rental Car location.

IMG_3557

IMG_3561  Ever seen a car elevator?!IMG_3562

Vroom, vroom! Meg recently had leg surgery which meant her mobility isn’t up to it’s normal levels. Bo and I wanted to make sure that Meg and Spencer were able to see the entire city. We took advantage of a Gilt special this week and purchased a year membership to Mint for $40 which also included a $75 driving credit!

This ended up being a perfect option as it allowed us to navigate the city from the Statue of Liberty views at the Southern most tip IMG_3567 IMG_3565 IMG_3563 all the way to Spanish Harlem! It’s a good thing Bo enjoys driving in the city.

Two hours later we parked the car and quickly dashed across the street for a delicious snack and sightseeing tour.

IMG_3558

After a quick lunch and tour we headed to the Time Square to grab the 7 train to Flushing Meadows. The UGA Alumni Association offered discount tickets to the Braves vs Mets game this afternoon which was a perfect outing for a group of Georgia natives. Furthermore, Spencer is a HUGE Braves fan. Forty minutes later we arrived at Flushing Meadows within steps from the stadium. There were dark clouds in the distance but luckily they held off and game ended up being filled with sunshine.

IMG_3571 IMG_3570IMG_3577

Our seats were on the promenade level at Citi Field which meant we had a great view of everything! It’s still weird to see Pepsi signs everywhere after growing up surrounded by Coca Cola.

The best parts of the game included the Braves win and the food! IMG_3581IMG_3582

IMG_3586 IMG_3583IMG_3584IMG_3585     IMG_3579

The Shake Shack and a Blue Moon makes for a perfect baseball game viewing experience. The Shake Shack fries are worth waiting in line for but the burger didn’t meet expectations. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad at all and tasted very fresh. But, after having it once I don’t think I’d try it again. I do however want to try one of their city locations. I know that restaurants in stadiums and airports are often license locations. Therefore, the quality may not have been equal to one of their main locations.

After an express ride back into the city we ended our night with a perfect sunset at Frying Pan!

IMG_3588 IMG_3592 IMG_3590 IMG_3589

Share Button
Follow:

Bar Method Soho Review: Pain with a Smile

IMG_1927.JPG
Tonight I had the great opportunity to check out the newest Lotte Berk kid on the block in NYC thanks to Jes free class she set up for her readers. I’ve enjoyed classes inspired by the Lotte Berk method previously at Core Fusion and Physique 57.
In preparation for class, I reviewed the basics of The Bar Method.
The Bar Method™workout creates a uniquely lean, firm, sculpted body by combining the muscle-shaping principles of isometrics, the body-elongating practice of dance conditioning, the science of physical therapy and the intense pace of interval training into a powerful exercise format that quickly and safely reshapes and elongates muscles.

I’ve found from previous experience that taking a bar class 2x per week results in definite body changes. When I was taking Physique 57 classes last year 2x per week I noticed arm definition and my thighs were more slender. It has similar results as swimming.
The Bar Method Soho location is located on the second floor of 155 Spring Street right in the heart of Soho. Upon entering the space this evening I immediately noticed the warm, bright lighting and clean lines. This environment is definitely refreshing after walking through the Subway station grime.


The reception was warm and attentive as each reader entered. Everyone was smiling and more than happy to give us a tour of the space so we could make it our own. First up, the necessary water and treats in their kitchen area. I’ve never seen this before in a studio!


They offer filtered water to refill your water bottle or sell bottled water for $1.25. In addition they offer herbal teas for post class refreshment.

As you can see above, the lobby area features a plethora of lockers and benches which students may use to store their belongings. The lockers have key locks which remove and hang in the rooms during class which makes it easy to know your things are safe and sound.
Next stop on our tour was the ladies locker room. Once again there are plenty of lockers in the locker room along with changing space, bathroom stalls, towels, and a small shower area featuring a few stalls.


This locker room was definitely easier to navigate than both Physique 57 and Core Fusion. There was plenty of space even when 10 of us were in there changing. In addition, the new space has been kept up very well and is still spotless!
After meeting some of the other attendees, many of whom I’d met previously at other events, we were ready for a great class.


The class itself was very, very similar to both Core Fusion and Physique 57. The class is an hour long and best practiced while wearing socks or special grip socks which are sold at the front desk. I wore my Core Fusion socks and they worked perfectly.

I would really like to enjoy more Bar Method Soho classes but right now it doesn’t fit into my monthly gym budget since I already enjoy an Equinox membership. However, I think this is a great class to enjoy with friends every now and then. It forces me to focus on the difficult, small movements. If you are interested in learning more, their website is very thorough! In addition, a few other ladies have reviewed the classes: Jes, Dori, and Missy. Thank you Jes and Bar Method Soho for an amazing evening and workout! Hopefully I’ll be back soon to receive more pain with a smile.
Here are some of my favorite aspects of tonight’s class:

                                         Amy, one of the founders, led our class and had an amazing knack for learning names. She complimented and critiqued each of us throughout the class while addressing us by our names. This made me focus more since I knew I wasn’t “invisible”

    • Everything was done with a smile. The instructors and all staff must have been extensively trained on service and it shows!
    • The music was awesome! I’ve found in other classes that the music is dull at times and rarely actual music, especially during my experiences at Core Fusion. Tonight’s music was a great mix and really helped me stay with the beat.
    • I enjoyed tonight’s thigh sequence at the bar. It wasn’t necessarily as long as Physique or Core Fusion’s but I felt it very effective.
Share Button
Follow:

Monday Funday

This has been the best long weekend in ages! It has had the perfect mix of friends, outdoors, indoors, to do lists, and relaxation. In case you missed it, here are the posts!

Crazy Friday and YogaWorks

Extreme Team

Happy Fourth

Today was all about checking off our to-do list. It wasn’t a bad task since there were lots of fun items on it!

Bake vegan macaroons

Workout

Toy Story 3

Organize the fridge

Clean the house

Whole Foods

It’s 8:15 and I’m excited to say we accomplished everything on the to-do list!

As always, we ensured that Whole Foods was the first thing on our to do list as the lines get crazy the later you wait. We were in and out pretty quickly as we had a list put together ahead of time and have leftovers to enjoy tonight. We’ve even gotten in the hang of bringing our own bags which makes it 10x easier! No more breaking paper bags on our walk home!Blog Pictures 2010 455

All of these groceries meant that our tiny fridge had to be organized. This is a weekly task that Bo has down to an art!

Before:

   Blog Pictures 2010 453Blog Pictures 2010 454 

After

Blog Pictures 2010 478

After that we made a quick lunch before heading out to the movies! We heard great things about Toy Story 3 from our friends and decided that a fun, mindless movie was exactly what we needed on this hot day.

Blog Pictures 2010 456 Blog Pictures 2010 457   The movies always mean a Coca Cola Zero treat! Blog Pictures 2010 459Blog Pictures 2010 460Kettle Baked chips provided the perfect salty crunch in between sandwich bites!

Blog Pictures 2010 458Delicious sandwich made from Whole Foods Sourdough Whole Wheat bread, lettuce, tomato, Annie’s Naturals Honey Mustard, and Whole Foods deli balsamic turkey.

I love using large purses to bring lunch and snacks into the movies. I figure that the movies make enough on ticket prices.

The movie was exactly what we expected though it was a bit shorter. With the extra time we decided to take a stroll around the East Village. It was hot but bearable for two people from South Georgia.

Blog Pictures 2010 462       Cute stores abound throughout this area including a Meg, a boutique sharing my friend’s namesake and a sake specialty store, Sakaya, the size of a normal wine store. 

Blog Pictures 2010 463

We discovered I Coppi Italian restaurant just begging us to return!

Blog Pictures 2010 468 Blog Pictures 2010 467

Love the reflection in the window!

We had a blast looking at vintage glasses and clothing though we were surprised by the prices! Most of the clothing was over $50!

Blog Pictures 2010 464 Blog Pictures 2010 466 Blog Pictures 2010 465

After our hour long walk home, we quickly changed clothes and heading over to Equinox for a swim. We decided to run there, using the camel bak sans water holder, to hold our goggles, caps, and suits. We completed the 1.3 mile run in 99 degree heat in 12 minutes! I had NO back pain.

Unfortunately, upon arriving at Equinox we found out that they have a 6 person maximum for the 3 lane pool. Therefore, there was a line 5 people deep waiting for the pool. We decided to head upstairs and pound out a few more miles instead.

We had an exciting treat that made our miles go by faster. This friendly face was enjoying a run and incline walk workout next to Bo. Actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson arrives at the 27th Annual PaleyFest Presents "Modern Family" on February 26, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson happens to play Mitchell, Bo’s favorite character on Modern Family. I’ve never seen Bo so excited.

I did 2 miles on the treadmill (6.2 pace) before completing my arms and abs workout followed by back stretches.

The last item on the to do list was finished just a minute ago as I took out the last batch of my Vegan Macaroons. Unfortunately, the original winner from Bobbi’s bake sale never received her package I sent last time. I made a double recipe for her tonight and will ship them out tomorrow morning!

According to my taste tester, Bo, these are the best yet! I highly recommend this recipe as it is quick, easy, and never disappoints!

Blog Pictures 2010 475

Blog Pictures 2010 473  Combine dry ingredients and mix.Blog Pictures 2010 474 Combine wet ingredients and mix.

Blog Pictures 2010 476  Mix wet and dry ingredients together.  Blog Pictures 2010 477Shape into balls and then bake on a tin foil lined sheet at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes.  

Blog Pictures 2010 479

Let cool and then enjoy!

Hope you enjoyed a wonderful long weekend and have a great start to your week! At least a 3 day weekend always means a 4 day week. 🙂

Share Button
Follow: