Beach Day Escape!

Each Summer, my boyfriend and I pick a day to take off from work and we head down to our favorite beach spot at the Jersey Shore in West Long Branch.  We leave our house early so we can be in our spot on the beach to watch the sun fill up the beach.  In our cooler, we come fully prepared with champagne and orange juice to whip up some Mimosas to get the day going.  Pure perfection!  

This year we got a little worried about the weather so we didn't leave our house until the forecast was clear of rain.  We got to the beach at about 10am with a basket full of snacks- fresh fruit, cheese, nuts, veggies, and hummus.  We were one of about 5 couples on the beach at that point.  We picked a nice private spot and settled in.  All we could hear was the sound of the waves (and the popping of our bottle of champagne...or 2;-))  This year was also special because it was Harris's birthday the next day.

We really lucked out with getting some perfect beach weather considering the forecast was nasty the day before.  While the sun got strong, the day didn't get above 80 degrees and there was a slight breeze.  I was able to comfortably sip on my mimosas and get through a big chunk of the book I'm reading (Misty Copeland's "Life in Motion" -- every former dancer should read it!).  We stayed in our spot for a good 4-5 hours before heading to a late lunch at McCloone's Pier House.  This is the 3rd year we have gone to this Mcloone's and we love it!  I had a fresh grilled shrimp salad and Harris had a seared ahi tune salad.  Both were very tasty!

Happy to be settled in our spot!

A nice empty Beach:-)

Smooches for the Birthday Boy!

I wish we could have fit in a few more beach days this summer, but we both had a lot of stuff going on.  It's so nice to just be away from our work commitments and unwind!  Sometimes these one-off day trips are THAT much more special because we only do them once in a while.  This is one of my most favorite days of the year and I'm looking forward to continuing our special one-on-one beach day for years to come!

Cowboy Salad

I wanted to share one of my favorite summertime BBQ sides- Cowboy Salad!  This recipe is satisfying and flavorful and a healthy alternative to those mayonnaise-filled salads sitting out.  It also takes less than 15 minutes to make…and you can't beat that!

COWBOY SALAD
1 can Low Sodium Black Beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can Low Sodium White Beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can Low Sodium Dark Red Kidney Beans (rinsed and drained)
1 package of frozen corn (cooked)
3 stalks of Celery diced
1/4 cup of red onion diced (more if you love onion)
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 Teaspoon of Onion Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder (more if you want a stronger taste)
Optional- Chopped fresh Cilantro

Combine everything in a big bowl and mix it all up! Cover and place in the refrigerator 2-3 hours before serving.

You can't beat the gorgeous colors in this salad too.  If you put this out in a big clear serving bowl it looks gorgeous among the rest of your spread!

Not only does this dish make an awesome addition to any summer BBQ menu, but I like to make a big batch on Sunday and bring it to work for lunches during the week in little jar or tupperware.  It makes a great side for chicken during the week as well.

Let me know how you like it!  I hope everyone is having a tasty summer!

Summer Check-in- Barre3

Who is loving the summer sun, citrusy drinks, smell of fresh cut grass, & outdoor activities?  I hope everyone is having a great summer doing all the activities the winter hinders us from doing.

This Summer has been fantastic so far and I love that we're only about halfway through.  In the past month I have had a trip to Europe and I have become a certified Barre3 instructor. Both being eye-opening experiences.

I'm dedicating this post to Barre3.  If you haven't tried a Barre3 class, you're missing out on a 60 minute, core-blasting, mind-body workout that is unlike any other hour long sweat session.  The benefits of this workout include functional training for your everyday life like lifting kids or groceries and keeping up good posture, strengthening & lengthening stabilizing muscles to prevent injuries and look long and lean, providing Balance in the body mentally and physically, and bringing a sense of community and friendship into every class. Multi-tasking BLISS combining element of YOGA, PILATES, and BALLET BARRE:-)

Outside of the amazing, body shaping workout it is, through my certification process and spending a lot of time in the Livingston, NJ studio, I have met some incredible ladies who all share this love of health, wellness, and fitness.  I'm talking ladies from Nashville, Scottsdale, Portland, Orange County, and Austin (in addition to the community of women that make Barre3 Livingston possible).  

Although being a Barre3 instructor is a 2nd job for me, it is what I look forward to most every single day.  I can now get creative with music and workout sequences which is a lot of fun to prepare:-) It's a great compliment to my desk job I have during the day! I'm so excited to see where teaching more and more of these classes takes me and how I progress as an instructor for the Barre3 community.   

Check out Barre3 online and find a studio close-by for you.  You'll love it!

My Favorite Things- "Summer"-ized

I shared a bunch of my favorite things mid-winter when all of us East-coasters were snowed in and bundled up in comfy sweatshirts and cozy pajamas pants.  Well folks....Summertime is upon us!!! I thought it would be a good time to share what I'm absolutely loving right now and what is kicking off my summer, promising a great 3 months ahead!

- BARRE3 (two words-  BODY TRANSFORMATION!) www.barre3.com  Check it out!

- Warwick Winery Hard Apple Cider (Gluten Free, Sugar Free, and Wheat Free!)

- Orange is the New Black (I'm even reading the book now)

- Evening Walks (Fresh Air and a setting sun is sometimes all you need)

- Lululemon No Limits tanks (I've been making excuses to splurge on these amazing tank tops)

- Adorable Black&White Tuxedo Cats (Named Reebok;-))

- Herb Gardening (Rosemary, Basil, Cilantro, and Parsley have been the most successful

- My Balcony (Nothing quite like a good book and a glass of wine outside during the late afternoon/evening)

- Fresh Salad Dressing (I make a batch in a mason jar on the weekend.  Salads are THAT much more tasty when the dressing is fresh)

 What are your must-haves right now for Summer?

Summer Fun & Dessert Skewers!

It has been a loooong while since I blogged!  It has been a VERY busy couple of months and now...It's JUNE!  June happens to be one of my favorite months.  Not only does the air get little bit more summery, but the pools are open, we're stocked up on peachy white wines, the sun stays out into the evening for us, and our windows are opened up wide!

March, April, and May were filled with commitments left and right.  I'm happy that I have a really fun summer planned with a vacation to Europe, a family Girl's Weekend, 4 important birthdays, and all the outdoor activities I can possibly fit in- hiking, tennis, & running!

With the hot summer days, comes some incredible food and drinks to go with it.  An easy favorite to bring to summer parties and BBQs are fruit and/or dessert skewers.  They are portable, easy and quick to assemble, healthy (unless you decide to make them indulgent), and they are are total crowd pleaser for kids and adults! 

For Memorial Day, I made fruit skewers with a Red, White, & Blue theme using Strawberries, Blueberries, and Marshmallows.  AND THEN, knowing that the friends we were BBQing with LOVE their dessert, I cut up some tiny brownie bites to add onto the skewer.  They were festive and indulgent.  I had added the marshmallow just to get that white color in there for the Red/White/Blue theme, but when it came around to serve dessert, someone thought it would be fun to try to stick them on the grill with a little foil underneath!  It turned into a warm, gooey, and decadent dessert which everyone loved! Yay, dessert success!

Some other ideas for skewers are grapes, any kind of berry, melon balls, cubes of pound cake or angel food cake, cookie dough bites, and even cubes of cheese for more of an appetizer.  I've done these with veggies before too.  Endless options!

Let me know if you try these out and what you use! I'm always open to new ideas.

Cutest Reeboks Around

I'm very excited about a new roommate I have!  I have adopted a 5 year old, black and white, full of life cat.  Meet Reebok!  I mean, doesn't he have the cutest white Reebok sneaks around?? ;-)

Reebok belonged to my aunt Jodi who past away around Thanksgiving last year.  My aunt was a huge cat lover, and even though she was sick with a heart condition all of her life, she found great comfort in caring for cats.  According to my aunt's best friend Lynn, my aunt had expressed on many occasions how much joy THIS cat had brought to her.  Reebok was a great companion to her.  He always loves to be brushed and pet and he loves the reassurance that someone is around and that he is safe.  I think my aunt and this cat found a lot of contentment with one another.

It was a sudden and heartbreaking event to lose my aunt and I had started to wonder what future would hold for Reebok.  I asked my mom where the cat was going to go and she replied that she wasn't sure, but he was not that friendly and wouldn't go to anyone.  But when I went over to my aunt's house to help my mom with a few things, I met the little guy for the first time.  I leaned over to pet his head and he went up on his hind legs, put his front paws on my shoulder and hopped into my arms.  My mom couldn't believe it!  I knew I had to take this cat!

I arranged to pick him up from my Grandma's just last weekend.  I brought him to the vet for a checkup and grooming and then off to Jersey we went.  I really feel for him because I know he's going through a big adjustment.  A lot of people wouldn't think about this, but cats get stressed and go through tragedy and change just like people- you just don't know what they're thinking and they don't voice it.

So far, he loves the linen closet, our dining room table chairs, and right under the foot of our bed.  In true cat fashion, he's been sleeping most of the day, and then gets his energy at night to play around and be brushed.  It's so nice to have him around and have something to take care of:-)  He's being going in the litter box and only scratching his claws on our welcome mats, so that's a huge plus!

I know it will take some time for him to get used to a new home, and I'm thankful that he's not "acting up".  He already makes us smile.  I know that my aunt would be happy to know that he's with me living a healthy, safe, and happy cat life.  So I hope she's still smiling at him too:-)

Cold Weather Favorites

There are 10 things that make Winter time a little more tolerable for me.  They make me warm and comfortable and they take my mind of wanting the spring season to make it's way.  These are the things that make wintertime and staying inside fun, cozy, and enjoyable.

1) TEA  

2) CROCK-POT

3) RED WINE

4) UGGS SLIPPERS

5) TURKEY CHILI

6) FLEECE BLANKETS

7) BIG MUGS

8) GOOD BOOKS

9) YOGA

10) CANDLES

11) Oatmeal

12) MOISTURIZER

Spring and Summer may seem to be a long ways away after the East coast winter we've had, but they'll be here before we know it.  T-shirts, sunshine, and outdoor runs are ALMOST here. In the meantime, savor the winter moments with a few of my favorites:-)