Createlive

Workout Regimens are Always Tentative

2013-05-22T09:50:00.000-05:00

Last week, I shared my tentative fitness plan. Well, you know what they say. The best laid plans of mice and (wo)men... often go awry when you're having fun?

I actually didn't stray too far from the plan, but there were a few deviations. On Saturday, instead of Spinning, I did a leisurely 4 mile run. I was in recovery mode. You know why...

Then, instead of taking a Muscle Definition Class on Monday, I opted for a 3 mile walk/run because my sister was in the city for an interview. How can you not hang out with your sissy? Not possible. So, instead of going to the class, we had hummus and salads in the beer garden at Grandview Tavern.

Other than that, I think I pretty much nailed it.

Wednesday: 3.5 mile interval run
Thursday: Bodypump (60 minutes), 15 minute Stairmaster Sprint, Body by Science (BBS)
Friday: Mercury Method Hot Pilates Class ("Control" class, 60 minutes)
Saturday: 4 mile run
Sunday: Bodypump (60 minutes), CXWorx (30 minutes ab class)
Monday: 3 mile walk/run
Tuesday: Pilates (60 minutes), 3 mile run
Wednesday: Treadmill HIIT, 4 mile total run

Some thoughts... I apparently have done a lot of short runs this week. I'm not exactly sure why or how they slipped in there, but 3-4 miles seems to be my go-to. It's easy to squeeze that amount of time in, I guess.

Also... I love bodypump. Planning to post later about how I've managed to increase my weight, but let me just say... you can always do more than you think.

QUESTIONS:

Do you set an exercise schedule in advance or just wing it?
Have you ever tried Bodypump or another weights class?

Bruleed Bananas and Dates in Chobani

2013-05-21T09:39:00.000-05:00

I used to focus so heavily on recipe posting that my recipe list would grow by 2 or 3 each week. Now? As I focus a bit more on real life, the recipes have been few and far between.

#Oops. I guess this blog is as versatile and changing as real life. #SorryImNotSorry

That said, sometimes I make something that is just so delicious, it pretty much comes out of the oven screaming "SHARE ME ON THE BLOG!" Like a mandrake root kind of scream (Harry Potter for the win). A girl has to oblige.

This recipe is an awesome breakfast, mid-day snack, or even dessert. Don't hesitate to swap out ingredients, like using a different greek yogurt (or regular yogurt, if you must). If you want it a bit sweeter, feel free to use vanilla instead of plain yogurt.

Bruleed Bananas and Dates in Chobani

Ingredients:

1 Banana
1 tbsp Sugar, for sprinkling
3 Dates
2 tbsp Organic Shredded Coconut, No sugar added
1 tbsp Sliced Almonds (Walnuts, Pistachios or Pralines would be delicious here, too)
1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
Parchment paper

Directions:

Slice banana into 1/2-1/4 inch pieces. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet and sprinkle sugar on top of banana pieces. Broil for a few minutes, until the sugar has browned. Set aside.
Chop dates.
Scoop yogurt into a bowl or cup. Add banana slices, then sprinkle with dates, shredded coconut, and almonds.
Enjoy the heck out of that bowl of delicious goodness.

My Hangover Cure

2013-05-20T10:19:00.002-05:00

...the completely unofficial, and only once tested remedy.

Disclaimer: This is not a normal practice and I don't advocate being in the situation to even NEED a hangover remedy. But, we're all human, and sometimes we wake up with a banging headache that is screaming at us for having one too many drinks.

I woke on on Saturday morning feeling like I took a freight train to the face. Between drinking strong drinks, dancing at a concert, and eating octopus at midnight (why?!?!), my body was pretty angry.

Step One: Go to Brunch.

If you can handle it, and it's relatively close, WALK THERE. As painful as it is, the fresh air and sunlight will help you a lot. When you're there, order something delicious and filling. I encourage eggs, meat, and bread. I ordered Naan with chicken chorizo and two sunny side up eggs. ALSO, DRINK WATER WHILE YOU'RE THERE!

Step Two: Add Nutrients. Another thing to do at brunch, if possible. We decided to hit up Meli Cafe, where they have freshly juiced beverages. I had a delicious beverage with a ton of freshly juiced ingredients, like oranges, carrots, apples, and beets. If you can't get it at brunch, at least add some fruit or take a multi vitamin. ALSO, WATER!

Step Three: Take A Nap

Now that you've stuffed your face, it's time to fall into a fitful coma for 3 hours. Or as long as you need to sleep. I napped while my fiance watched sports (what sport? no idea. didn't care). I am a strong advocate of napping to golf, because it is by far the most boring sport to me, and I can always nap. Other good options are: Friends Season DVDs, Avatar, any movies that are long.

Step Four: Sweat

This is the hardest one for me. Now that you've eaten and rested, you may feel just a little bit better. No, you're not ready to conquer the world. But, you are ready to sweat a little. Get the rest of that booze out of your system. You will probably want to sleep instead, but trust me, it's worth it. DO NOT FORGET TO BRING A WATER BOTTLE!

If you're worried about balance, stick with a bike or elliptical (don't want you hurting yourself!). I, for one, was brave and hit the treadmill. I ran 4 miles, but it took me a full hour. I alternated between walking (4mph), walking on an incline (3,8mph, 5-9 incline), and a light jog (6mph).

I know what you're thinking... how on earth will I get myself to work out when I feel like death? Well, the answer, my friends, is water and entertainment. I brought my iPad and started catching up on Revenge (awful show, still have to watch it for some reason) and drank a LOT of water.

Step Five: Get Pretty

Now that you've eaten, napped, and sweated (and PLEASE tell me you've been drinking water), it's time to put yourself back together. I had plans for a friend's birthday party that night, and we were meeting at Blow by Blow to get our hair done, so I showered (had to) and did my makeup, then got dressed. I donned a good old arm party and headed over to Blow by Blow. Before and After pics below... it obviously helped.

Step Six: Have A Drink

Notice I did not say "Get drunk" or "Drink a bottle of wine." Having one drink is fine, but over-doing it will put you in the same predicament you are finally easing out of. So, chill out, have one glass of wine, and don't get too excited about the alcohol. I'm a big fan of red wine when I'm not feeling so hot, because it keeps me warm and feels somehow nourishing (again, this only counts if you're only drinking a little bit!).

Step Seven: Eat Again

Eat again, and eat a lot. You're finally in the clear, for the most part. I was at Pump Room and ordered a Kale Salad (read: nourishment, vitamins), a salmon over rice pseudo-sushi (read: healthy fats, light carbs), and some fried polenta (read: carbs and cheese in my belly).

Step Eight: Learn From Your Mistakes and Just Go To Bed
Don't go out. Don't go drink more. Just go to bed. I cannot even describe how amazing it felt to crawl into a nicely made bed and curl up, knowing that I could drift off into sleep.

Question:

What's your hangover cure?

Go Big or Go Home

2013-05-16T14:57:00.002-05:00

More than a few times this week, I've made the decision to Go Big. On Saturday, at CostCo, I spotted my favorite white roses. It's not the biggest splurge of my life by any means, but it's still not something I do every week. But, into my cart they went. Now I'm enjoying them in three rooms in my house. Well done, Carly.

Example two... Pizza and wine. On our way home one afternoon this week, we walked past our favorite neighborhood pizza place and saw that they had half priced wine. Delicious coal-fired pizza and discounted vino? Not a hard decision. Done and done.

White pizza with lots of cheese, basil, and extra parm. Winning combination. So worth it.

Part three... the next day, my fiance got a text inviting us to watch the Cubs game that night from the skybox at Wrigley. Yet another easy decision... free seats, free food, free drinks, and great company? Done.

And then there's the dessert cart. I had a peanut butter cookie (peanut butter with peanut butter cups in it, omg) with a scoop of ice cream on top and a side shot of kahlua in a chocolate shot glass. Yes, I ate the whole thing. Yes, I enjoyed every bite. #GoodDecisions

Do you go big every once in a while?

What are your big "splurge" items?

Absent Minded Professor - WOTDs

2013-05-15T09:44:00.000-05:00

At my gym, there are lockers with keypads you can use to lock them. This means I can no longer just search for my lock and know that my stuff is inside... because all the locks look the same.

Earlier this week, I totally effed up and forgot where my stuff was. I mean, they all look the same. I had to get someone to let me into like five different lockers before we found my stuff. Pretty sure she thought I was some kind of gym locker bandit.

Now, I have to resort to things like taking a picture on my phone of my locker number, or writing it in pen on my hand. Actually, the above picture is from when I signed up for a spinning bike and thought I'd forget what my number was.

This is the story of my life... complicated theories? Got it down pat. Logic games? Nail it. Remembering a simple number? Impossible.

Wearing the same pants over and over? Check. Okay, no, I don't wear these Ellie camo workout capris every day... but I have worn them twice this week and taken a picture in almost the exact same pose. Time to throw those babies in the wash...

And finally, an awful "I just woke up, why the eff am I at the gym?" picture. This is real life, folks. Also, I was terribly pale in that picture. Don't worry. The situation has been remedied.

WORKOUTS OF THE WEEK:

Wednesday: Juice Cleanse, No Workout

Thursday: Juice Cleanse, No Workout

Friday: First day off Juice Cleanse, No Workout

Saturday: 20 Min Ab Work, Spin Class

Sunday: CXWORX (Ab Class)

Monday: Body By Science, Muscle Definition Weights Class

Tuesday: Pilates

Wednesday: 4 Mile Interval Run

I've put together a pretty awesome plan for the next few weeks. If you haven't noticed, I'm a huge planner, especially when it comes to food, workouts, and travel. Here's a sneak peak of what the tentative exercise regimen will be: Weights, Resistance, Cardio, Weights, Resistance, Cardio, Weights.

80 Sips and Post-Cleanse Moderation

2013-05-14T11:24:00.001-05:00

Friday night, my fiance and I had VIP Press Passes to a fabulous wine tasting at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. Bordeaux Wines was kind enough to reach out to me and provide the passes to the event, which was hosted by Bottlenotes and dubbed "Around The World In 80 Sips."

I ordered food just before leaving work so that it would be there when I got home at 5:30. Since I'd just finished a cleanse, I'm staying away from cheese and dairy, and trying to keep away from gluten, so sushi seemed like the best way to go.

My fiance and I demolished the sushi as he finished up a few work calls. At 6, I changed into my wine tasting clothes (read: dark colors). There's red wine. Mistakes happen.

We hopped in a cab and headed to the Museum of Contemporary Art. Once we got inside, they looked us up on the list and gave us our press passes. Hello, Carrie Bradshaw and company.

They also gave us engraved Bottlenotes wine glasses.

After checking our coats, we walked upstairs to where the event was being held. The museum has an "Emerging" exhibit, which is where they display new artists whose work they don't feature yet but are considering adding. The event included that exhibit and some open space nearby.

The first thing waiting for us at the top of the stairs was a DJ. Yes. Somehow, this just made the whole night better for me. Wine tastings can be stuffy and stale sometimes, so this was a really neat way to keep it fun and casual.

For the next hour, we got to taste the VIP wines before the ~~general public~~ plebeians were let in. I'm happy to say that we didn't taste a single wine we didn't love.

A bit later, we stopped by the Bordeaux Wines table. They had a huge crowd around them, so we chatted with Sherry, who was managing their Social Media. She is seriously the cutest little thing.

Next, Sam was our tour guide through Bordeaux wines. He walked us through the reds we could try (we were trying to keep it simple by staying dark) and gave us a bit of a story about the Bordeaux region.

I was mighty pleased.

After a bit more wine, we hit up the food stations. It was catered by Wolfgang Puck, so naturally, it was utterly delicious. And by delicious, I mean that I ate some nuts and grapes and two bites of bread, while my fiance demolished the rest.

The next day, we also had plans to attend the American Beer Classic, a beer tasting at Soldier Field. It was freezing and the tasting was outside, so it was kind of rough for me (I'm a cold weather wimp).

I won't get into a ton of detail, but I will say a few things. First, I had a brown ale by Kona Brewery that TASTED LIKE COCONUT. Go buy it. Now.

Second, I'm allergic to wheat beer (am I allergic to gluten? do I need to get tested? #halp) and ended up getting really sick, but before that happened, there were smiles:

Two alcohol events in one weekend is pretty unusual for us, but it just so happened that our friends were planning one and we had free press tickets to another. So, those were my adventures in post-cleanse moderation. Here's to keeping it up... cheers?

QUESTIONS:

Do you fuel up before wine/beer tastings? Or do you just rely on the event-provided food? I obviously pre-fuel. I never know what they're going to have there (and the beer fest at Union Station charges a hefty price for crappy food - thumbs down), so I just make myself get something good before.
If you've ever done a cleanse, do you try to keep up the good habits afterward? I'm trying to stay away from dairy, wheat, salt, and sugar as much as possible... I'm trying to limit my boozin', too, but it's about to be Chicago in the summer, so let's be real... there will be some consumption.

GRATITUDE:

Dear Bordeaux Wines,

Thanks for giving us sweet tickets. It was a valuable and special date night with my fiance, and we were thrilled to be part of the event!

Love, Carly

Post-Juice Cleanse Wisdom

2013-05-13T09:52:00.002-05:00

The Three-Day Cleanse I just did has really increased my awareness of my body and its needs. I didn't realize it during the cleanse, itself, but it became readily apparent on my first day without it. Here's the story.

I'm not hungry for as much at once.

How I learned: For breakfast, I started with one banana and two tablespoons of PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter. I had read that you shouldn't add nuts back in immediately, but my body really wanted it, so I listened. I had roasted a bunch of veggies the night before and was pumped to eat them, but once I finished my banana, I realized I was no longer hungry, so I packed up my veggies and some fruit and brought it all to work.

Coffee isn't that great.

My first attempt: I tried to have some coffee with breakfast. I'm trying to stay away from dairy (very hard for a cheese lover), so I just added a few drops of Vanilla Stevia to black coffee. I tried a sip and "icked" out loud. Not for me. I just didn't like the flavor all of a sudden, so I didn't drink it.
My second attempt: A few hours later, I wanted to try again. I decided to try a Tall Soy Latte from Starbucks. It was definitely delicious and easy to get down... But, a few hours later, I found myself craving my juices from the past few days, and I realized I wished I had done a juice instead of coffee. Maybe I need to start juicing in the morning and bringing it to work as a pick me up?
What my body told me: I took my juice cravings as an indicator that my body wanted the nutrients it had gotten used to receiving on such a regular basis. This was actually really encouraging to me, because it made me realize how seriously my body takes everything I put into it. Apparently soy milk and caffeine do not count as a quality snack (though it did wake me up). Big surprise there... not.

My body is talking to me... about sodium.

How I used to feel about sodium: I generally try to stay away from high sodium soups and such, and try not to add salt to my cooking, but other than that, I haven't had a history of looking up sodium counts.
What my body's saying about sodium: I had been planning on a quinoa bowl from Protein Bar for lunch, but for some reason the thought of it was making me uneasy. I figured there was something about it that my body knew was wrong for me, so I looked up the stats. Turns out, their menu is fairly high in Sodium (like 40% of the recommended sodium intake for someone on a 2,000 calorie diet... which means even more than 40% for a tiny person).

The moral of the story?

MY BODY WANTS HEALTHY THINGS IN APPROPRIATE PORTION SIZES! It's like the cleanse was a functional "re-set" button on my nutritional habits and now all I crave are healthy items. Let's see how long I can ride this baby out...

Peeled Cleanse Day 3: I Would Have Sold My Firstborn Child For A Piece of Broccoli

2013-05-09T19:49:00.001-05:00

**In case you missed it, I'm doing a 3 day Juice Cleanse from Peeled Chicago. Read about why I'm doing it and what it entails here. **

Juice Cleanse Day 1

Juice Cleanse Day 2

Juice Cleanse Day 3

Well, they were right. The second day was the hardest! Day 3 was a piece of cake (ugh, cruel reference to make in a post about juice cleansing) by comparison!

You know how I mentioned I was getting a ton of sleep? Well, as it turns out, there may be sheer quantity, but the quality is not particularly good. Here's how I clocked in last night...

A lot of hours? Yes. But my REM cycles are all kinds of wonky and I apparently kept waking up. It's like my body had no problem being unconscious but refused to get quality and long deep sleep. What's up with that? Maybe because I'm STARVING.

Juice 1: The Green Lantern

A bit after waking up, I had my first drink. The Green Lantern. I added a bit of lemon juice to it to alter the flavor a bit, and it was good enough to wake me up.

Juice 2: Haute Lemonade

I was pretty excited for my lemonade. I did the same thing as yesterday and heated up half water, then added half Haute Lemonade. Check out how much pepper is in this baby. Remnants above.

Juice 3: Maroon Five

Nope, that's not red wine I'm drinking as I watch Sex and the City on my lunch break. I usually take a run on my lunch break when I'm working from home, but today I'm taking it easy because of the cleanse. I sort of enjoyed my Maroon Five. It's just funny to me how this drink was my absolute favorite on day one and ended up being in last place by day 3.

Juice 4: Green Lantern

I just wanted to share this picture to show you how the juices settle. They look kind of odd when you first grab them from the fridge, but it's nothing a good shake can't cure! I had this one around 2:30 or 3, and sipped it as I did some work.

No, I did not eat that!

The most difficult part of my day came at around 6:00 when I was making my fiance dinner. He's been really busy with work and some studying up, and I had all the time in the world since I wasn't hitting the gym and had worked from home all day. So, I ended up putting together a dinner of chicken, quinoa with parmesan and feta, and sauteed vegetables with Bobby's All Purpose Seasoning (delicious and gluten free). The hard part was not tasting it. I would have sold my first born child for just a piece of broccoli.

Juice 5: Maroon Five

I didn't get to this one until around 6:30. I only had a small cup of it and didn't finish the bottle, because I just wasn't desiring it, and I've been told it's important to listen to your body during a cleanse. So, I drank about half the bottle and popped it back in the fridge. Today is my last scheduled day of drinking it, but I figured I could sub it for a snack tomorrow if I wanted to (will I?).

Juice 6: Cashew Milk

I had been looking forward to this all day. I decided to drink it straight up - no ice cubes, no blender - because I legitimately wanted to savor every sip. I took a picture toward the end as I said goodbye to my favorite delicious treat. I actually got a little sentimental... about cashew milk... obviously this cleanse is getting to my brain.

Overall:

I am feeling... happy, content, not really hungry. I feel like I could actually keep going if I wanted to. Too bad I have to attend a wine tasting tomorrow night, so I've got to be able to at least put Quinoa or something in my stomach just to take a few sips.

I am craving... Vegetables. This is so weird. Yesterday, I just wanted carbs and pizza and bagels and pretzel buns, but now, on day 3, all I really want is broccoli.

Physically... I feel pretty darn good. I almost feel like I could go on a run or go lift weights but I know better than to do that on pretty much an empty stomach. Point is, I have energy. Yesssss.

Rate the juices... In order from favorite to least favorite: Cashew Milk, Haute Lemonade, Green Lantern, Maroon Five

Peeled Juice Cleanse Day 2

2013-05-08T20:30:00.000-05:00

**In case you missed it, I'm doing a 3 day Juice Cleanse from Peeled Chicago. Read about why I'm doing it and what it entails here. **

Juice Cleanse Day 1

Juice Cleanse Day 2

Juice Cleanse Day 3

I slept like a freaking baby last night. 8 hours and 54 minutes of sheer unconscious bliss. The write up on Cashew Milk said it would prepare my body for a good night's sleep... and that, it did. I woke up with a slight headache, but that almost always happens to me when I sleep more than 8 full hours, so I'm not sure if that is cleanse related or not.

Juice 1: Green Lantern

I left for work at 8am. After packing my mid day juices in my trusty back pack, I grabbed my Green Lantern and drank it in transit. I still enjoy the taste, but I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed that I have to keep drinking the same things. I realized that I will drink The Green Lantern 6 times within these 3 days. Same goes for Maroon 5. Why do I have to drink the same things so many times? I wish Peeled would have varied it a bit more for me. Kind of disappointing.

Also, my stomach hurts.

In likely related news, I am obviously cranky. That rant above, itself, proves my point.

Juice 2: Haute Lemonade

Since getting to work, my stomach had been hurting pretty badly. I was also extremely thirsty but had no appetite for water, itself. So, I hit up the green tea... only to take a few sips. What's with being really thirsty and yet not being able to drink? It's like a hangover.

Anyway, I popped open my Haute Lemonade around 10:15 and sipped it as I worked. I was just so cold and started to think it was from consuming only cold things, so I decided to make this drink warm. I wasn't sure if it was safe to microwave the juice, though (after all, they're big on raw veggies, so... ), so I just filled my cup half way and then topped it off with hot water. It wasn't hot, but it was pretty warm, and really helped warm me up. Plus, it made it at least slightly different than yesterday.

Juice 3: Maroon Five

On my lunch, I walked to LaSalle and the Chicago River to meet my fiance. He knew I just had a juice, so he kindly ate his lunch at work before meeting me. We walked around for a bit as I drank my juice, and it was okay. Not amazing.

Also, my fiance tried it. His judgement? "Tastes ginger-ey." Yep, sure does. I like that part of it, though. Helps take the edge off of an otherwise dark and heavy drink (carrots and beets, you know).

Juice 4: Green Lantern

2:00 rolled around and I wasn't particularly excited for my green drink. I just wasn't hungry yet and was kind of on overkill on the green and red juices. Finally, around 3, I grabbed it and sipped away as I did some work at my desk.

Juice 5: Maroon Five

Totally skipped it. Wasn't feeling it at all and had no desire to open it. Just wanted my Cashew Milk!

Juice 6: Cashew Milk!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was SO excited for this by the time 6:30ish rolled around that I "milked" it for all it was worth. I blended it up with ice cubes and cinnamon for an "ice cream" treat (read: I got to use a spoon for the first time in 48+ hours!), and drank the rest of it without ice. So delicious... so happy... apparently this is now my favorite one.

Before bed, I had a little hot water with lemon. I wanted something warm to prepare me for bed for some reason (read: still fREEZING). So, I sat in bed and watched Sex and the City on HBOGo (had to be something that required like zero thought) and drank my lemon water.

Overall:

I am feeling... empty, hungry, tummy hurts. Hungry hungry.

I am craving... CARBS! And anything crunchy. I found myself making a list of things I wanted to eat... The funny thing is, these are mostly foods that I rarely eat, and yet they are what I am craving during the cleanse.

<--things I want to eat

Physical side effects... My skin is freaking out a little bit, runny nose, sore.

More tomorrow!

Peeled Juice Cleanse: Day 1

2013-05-07T20:08:00.000-05:00

**In case you missed it, I'm doing a 3 day Juice Cleanse from Peeled Chicago. Read about why I'm doing it and what it entails here. **

Juice Cleanse Day 1

Juice Cleanse Day 2

Juice Cleanse Day 3

Day one. Since my cleanse was starting and vigorous cardio or weights is discouraged, I got up early for a Pilates class. I don't plan on working out the rest of the days, but I really love this class and figured it wasn't too intense so I could try it out. By the time I got home, I was pretty hungry and really excited to try my first juice.

Juice 1: The Green Lantern
"Green means go. Start each day of your Peeled Cleanse with our signature green juice. Cold pressed with chlorophyll rich romaine lettuce, young spinach leaves, vitamin C-rich cucumber, iron packed parsley, the alkalizing qualities of celery stalks and fresh lemon, immune boosting ginger root and naturally sweet organic green apples -- this is the most important drink of the Peeled cleanse program. A multi-vitamin and the combined nutrients of 5 full servings of fruits and vegetables in just one 16-oz drink."

At almost exactly 8am, I popped open the first drink. I have read that some people don't really like this one, but, to be honest, I kind of enjoyed it. It definitely tastes "green" (there's a lot of parsley flavor in there), but there is some really yummy spice to it. I finished it pretty quickly and felt very satisfied. Thumbs up.

After the Green Lantern and before my next juiced drink, I had a cup of water with a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar (allowed... I think?) and a cup of Green Tea (definitely allowed). I'm a semi regular coffee drinker (I drink it 3-4 times a week but if I'm in a rush, I skip it and have no problems), so the warm green tea simulated the comfort and ritual of drinking coffee. I also drink green tea on the regular at work so it wasn't a huge departure from normal life.

Juice 2: Haute Lemonade
"Continue to further alkalize your system with our spicy Peeled cayenne lemonade - a tart and energizing twist on an everyday classic. Naturally sweetened with organic agave nectar and grade A maple syrup, our lemonade works to further cleanse the intestinal walls of the digestive track and increase the alkalinity of the blood and water in our bodies. Lemons diminish the oxidative effects of free-radicals."

I was really looking forward to this one, and pretty much counted down the minutes until 10am, when I cracked it open. I'd heard a lot of good things about Haute Lemonade, plus, sometimes I make my own water with lemon and cayenne, so I figured I would like it. The first sip was VERY strong, and at first I worried that my expectations would be wrong. But, when I continued drinking, I loved it. Beats the Green Lantern, which I also liked, so... Thumbs up.

I then proceeded to down ANOTHER cup of Green Tea. I felt like I was still half asleep for some reason. As I mentioned, I only drink coffee about 3-4 days per week, so I'm definitely not in the situation where missing a morning of coffee gives me any issues... so I'm not sure what exactly was causing my issues.

Juice 3: Maroon Five
"This maroon concoction will leave you feeling renewed and refreshed. The betacyanin of the beets and carrots are natural anti-cancer agents, while the juice itself acts as a diuretic. Beet juice along with the lemon and ginger aids in elimination of excess fluid from the system while this sweet kick gives you energy. Antioxidants stream straight into your blood stream, liver and for continued detoxification and furthered alkalinity."

Just after noon, I grabbed my third juice and headed over to State Street on my "lunch" to pick up a gift. It was a lunch-on-the-go, so having a pre-juiced option was really nice. I started thinking that, once I get a juicer (one of many things on my wedding registry that I want to buy now but am forcing myself to wait for), I should pre-juice some lunches and do it on the go.

Of all the cleanse juices, I was most worried about the Maroon 5. No, not because it's named after a screechy pop band, but because it sounds weird (beets? carrots? iffy). Plus, it's red and looks like TruBlood. Truth be told, I actually ended up loving it. I think for now I'll place it in between Haute Lemonade and Green Lantern.

Juice 4: Green Lantern
"Return to green, Your body has officially undergone the first series of the Peeled cleanse - returning to your green drink is your body's opportunity to absorb the greatest quantity of nutrients available in this drink. The further we cleanse, the more easily healthy whole foods integrate with our system. This drink will provide you with improved energy and alertness - a perfect boost for mid-afternoon!"

At 2pm, I opened my fourth juice. I had a class at work this afternoon, so I casually brought the juice to my class and popped it open, like clockwork, right at the two hour mark. I enjoyed it just as much as I did in the morning, and honestly, it was kind of fun to watch people around me trying to figure out what the heck I was drinking.

Juice 5: Maroon Five
"Your vitamin-rich beet, carrot, apple-based juice returns as your fifth drink to refresh and re-vitalize your system. The vitamins continue with a kick to keep your day of detoxifying strong!"

At 4pm, while still in my class, I slipped out to the fridge and grabbed by next Maroon 5. Loved this yet again. I was actually craving it (since I knew it was up next) by the time 4:00 rolled around. I was a little cranky because this is usually the time of day I start thinking about what I should make for dinner. All I wanted was some freaking crunch.

Also, no picture on this, but the Maroon 5 seriously turned my teeth red. I didn't notice this until I saw myself in my desk mirror as I was talking. #OOPS

Juice 6: Cashew Milk

"You did it! Your blood and body are running on high. Brimming with the nutrients introduced throughout the day. This is your body's energy in its most natural state. Listen to it and relax into our deceptively decadent cashew milk - a creamy protein rich smoothie full of healthy lignans and vitamin E. This is the perfect nightcap to a day of healthy "drinking." Your belly and mind will thank you for this gentle and most welcome indulgence. The combined scent and taste of sweet and spice work to comfort the senses and prepare the body for a good night's sleep."

When I got home from work, I was really tired. I just wanted to curl up on the couch and watch something mindless (Sex and the City? Friends?) and go to bed. I finally opened my Cashew Milk at about 6:30.

I was really looking forward to something creamy... but, to be honest, I just wanted a freaking bagel. And I don't ever really eat or crave bagels. I just wanted something to chew on, something crunchy. Bagels, Pita Chips, Sun Chips, Fries... Any of it would have put me over the moon. On top of that, I made my fiance dinner (chicken breast with cheesy quinoa) and I really wanted some of the Quinoa, just because I made it so darn cheesy (why did I do that to myself?! ah!). But, I made it through and ended up loving the Cashew Milk. It's very rich and I think the fats and proteins were just what my body needed.

Another tempting issue? My order from Vitacost came in, which included CORE ProBars, Quest Bars, PowerCrunch bars, and KIND bars. I opened them all up to put into little bags for my fiance so they are pre-combined and he just has to grab a bag... but it was so hard not to try one of the Quest bars and KIND bars. Serious self control.

Overall:

I am feeling... Excited, physically confused, very very cold.

Still pretty excited. I don't think my system started realizing it was a cleanse until the evening. My fiance told me that my eyes looked like I was getting sick, so I'm guessing my body was starting to struggle from some kinds of withdrawal. Also, starting around lunch time, I have been extremely cold and wearing multiple layers of sweaters, jackets, and blankets.

I am craving... Something to chew on.

Physical side effects... Just very tired.

More tomorrow!

Peeled Juice Cleanse

2013-05-07T10:17:00.001-05:00

Today starts my juice cleanse! I'm doing a 3 day Cleanse from Peeled Chicago.

I had it in my head that starting the cleanse a day or two after returning from NYC would be ideal. But, as life would have it, I was not on top of my game and forgot to set it up with Peeled. They were very helpful in working with me to schedule a time that was as soon as possible (I must have seemed so dramatic - they obliged, though!).

Why am I doing a juice cleanse?

It seems like the right time to do it. When I went to New York, let's just say it was a gluttonous weekend.
I need to jump-start my nutrition plan. I knew in advance that I wanted to do a juice cleanse afterward, to jump-start a pretty strategic eating/nutrition plan in anticipation of summer and the big event.
I want to try something exciting and new. I'm always jumping at new fads and concepts (to my fiance's dismay, probably). I've been yearning to do a juice cleanse for a while, now.
Discipline my cravings and need for food. I get hit hard by the hunger troll. It tends to happen around 2 or 3 pm and occasionally leads to me eating half a box of banana nut cheerios or a whole box of Special K Cracker Chips. Is this the end of the world? No. But it's not a need and it bothers me that I become suddenly hit with a desire to eat something that is not even very good for me. So, part of this process is to teach my body that I don't NEED to eat crunchy chips and crackers at 3pm to survive.

What does the cleanse entail?

Each day will include six 16-ounce bottles of juices, to be drank every 2 hours. They will total an average of 1,200 calories per day.
I'm allowed to drink plenty of water with lemon and a cup of green tea in between.
They suggest that you chill it out on exercise during the cleanse. Probably will do some very light stuff like take the dog on a long walk and maybe do yoga and pilates.

I picked it up last night and am now on juice number two. Will update you more later...

Juice Cleanse Day 1

Juice Cleanse Day 2

Juice Cleanse Day 3

It's Tulip Time

2013-05-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

This weekend, my fiance and I headed back to Holland. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about when I talk about Holland, it's a town in Michigan that's nestled right on Lake Michigan as well as another lake that sort of pops in from the lake.

Image Credits - No, I did not take this from a plane

I used to not be "into" the state of Michigan as a whole (I lived in Columbus for 9 years, there's a rivalry), but I've definitely come around. Holland, in particular, is awesome. White beaches, clear water, amazing summers. The Eastern coast of Lake Michigan definitely got the better deal (sorry, Wisconsin).

Anyway, Holland is highly Dutch (my fiance is from there and is fully Dutch, go figure). Every May, they have a celebration called Tulip Time, which is apparently tied into the Dutch traditions. There are parades, people everywhere, and, of course, tons and tons of tulips. My fiance said that the tulips are so highly prized that you can get arrested for picking them. Whoa.

We drove in on Friday night, and got in pretty late. Saturday morning, I slept in (Hallelujah!). I had a delish breakfast of Oikos, some Agave Syrup, and Raspberries that my fiance's mom put together.

Afterward, I decided to go on a 5-6 mile run. Actually, it started out as "a short 30 minute run" and ended up being pretty long because Pandora was rocking it and the puppy looked happy. She was my running buddy - we had a great time running around Holland and peeking through and around the houses at the lake.

We went for lunch at an Irish pub in downtown Holland called Curragh. Afterward, we spent a few hours laying out at my future in-laws, soaking in the sun. I also cat napped and read a book. Perfect.

I was sickeningly white so it needed to happen. We were talking about going on a walk around the lake, when my future brother in law's girlfriend (wait, this is getting confusing...) asked if we wanted to meet up downtown. So walk, we did, and we enjoyed the masses in Holland that were not only celebrating Tulip Time, but also throwing a Cinco de Mayo festival.

It was actually quite crowded, but I fear the picture below does not do it justice...

We also stopped at a FroYo place for some sugar. First, we spent about five minutes debating which of the frozen yogurt shops to stop at. Then, I accidentally grabbed a huge bowl and proceeded to quite literally stuff my face with frozen yogurt, whipped cream, and heath crumbles. #Oops #SorryImNotSorry

We walked around for another hour in the sun, trying to walk off the food coma induced by said frozen yogurt. It's also really fun to walk around downtown Holland because there are a lot of old, cute, cottage-and-victorian-style houses.

We headed back "home" to change, then went to dinner in a nearby town. My phone promptly died as we pulled into the parking lot (Android, I have mixed feelings about you...), so I have no pictures of the delicious salmon and lentil dinner I consumed.

Sunday morning, I woke up slightly sunburned. Mostly in a "V" at the top of my chest, where my dress wasn't covering me up while we walked around

We had breakfast on the patio. I had sauteed mushrooms, onions, peppers, and cilantro topped with a fried egg.

We went on a 6 mile walk around the lake (not all the way around, just part of it), then packed up and headed to lunch at the Itty Bitty Bar. I had a Corona, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, and my fiance had tacos. That counts... right?

Unfortunately, we left just like thirty minutes too late. There had been a pretty bad accident on the highway that took out all lanes going in both directions. So, what should have been about a 2.5 hour drive turned into 7 (yes, 7). I spent a while working on our wedding invitations, but then my computer died. With my phone close to its death, we had to find other ways to entertain ourselves. Boo, technology.

We were also STARVING and stuck with only this awful tasting PowerBar to share...

That said, the pup was extremely entertaining. She found no less than ten positions to sleep in. Long live the cuteness.

QUESTIONS:

What do you do to pass the time when you're stuck in longer-than-you-expected car rides?
Do you squeeze in workouts on vacation?

GRATEFULNESS:

Dear Fiance,

Of all the people to be stuck in a car with for 7 hours, you're my favorite. Thank you for being awesome, even when nothing else is awesome.

Love,

Carly

New York Pt. 4 - The Final Day

2013-05-02T10:54:00.001-05:00

Traveling To New York

New York Pt 1 - Brooklyn

New York Pt 2 - Manhattan

New York Pt 3 - Manhattan Birthday

New York Pt 4 - The Final Day

We started our final day in NYC in true style: Room Service. Surprisingly, this room service was actually really delicious (I have kind of lukewarm expectations on that kind of thing).

I ordered an egg white omelet with Swiss cheese and onions, with an English Muffin on the side (which I ate) and some potatoes (which I didn't). My fiance ordered a regular omelet with the same sides and a side of sausage.

I don't know why I find sausage to be so bizarre and gross, but I just do. Apparently, this guy is quite jazzed by it (I told you how much he loves charcuterie, right?)...

We packed up our bags to check out, and I said goodbye to the room. It's a thing I do when I leave places. Goodbye, hotel. Goodbye, huge mirror that I loved to take pictures in. Goodbye, unbelievably comfortable king size bed. Etc.

We left our bags with the hotel and were on our way, for a period of about ten seconds, until we realized it was quite rainy out. The Kimberly gave us an umbrella, and then we were back out.

Let's just say that, yes, it was quite rainy. I kept trying to find the silver lining and telling myself I was glad it was rainy and icky on our last day in New York, so that it would be easier for me to leave (hah, as though Chicago weather isn't even more awful on your average day...). Wean me off the awesomeness, why don'tya...

Rainy and gloomy does not mix well with boot cut pants on a short person. You know how, once the bottom of your pants get wet, it tends to just travel up your entire leg? Well, I decided to suck it up and roll it up. #WorthIt #NoRegrets

We headed over to the Museum of Modern Art, aka MoMA. My fiance's dad does some occasional work for them, yet he (my fiance) had never even been inside. His excuse? The lines were always too long...

And, indeed, the lines were long, despite the rain. But, we were determined to make it in, so we were troopers and waited it out. Double thanks, again, to The Kimberly for that life saving umbrella.

We spent somewhere around two hours inside MoMA and saw a lot of cool stuff. I saw a lot of things that I knew existed (See below: Lichstenstein, ghost face dude who has his own emoji, Starry Night, thing that looks like a kids placemat), but it was neat to see them in real life. The security around these pieces was so intense that I got yelled at for being within a foot of one of them. Let's file that one under #Oops.

My official names for these items: (1) Lichtenstein Girl With a Volleyball, (2) Scary Ghost Face Dude Who Has His Own Emoji, (3) Starry Night That's Way Better Than My 4th Grade Rendition, and (4) Thing That Looks Like A Cool Kid's Placemat

We both have (sadly) fairly short attention spans, so after we'd walked through everything, we were ready to hit the road. We did a significant amount of Yelping to no avail, and ended up deciding to just walk over to Second St, where we knew there was a plethora of pubs and easy meals to be had.

We ended up going to a bar and grill called Midtown 1015. I had a thai chicken salad that was pretty delicious, and a Guinness that was as exceptional as ever.

Afterward, we still had a few hours of time to blow before heading to LaGuardia. It was still raining, so we didn't feel like walking around. We decided to hit up a coffee shop on Park Ave.

Coffee is awesome. So is fiance's new watch in the background. What can I say, the man likes bold watches. I feel like he is a power ranger or something with this watch. I'm engaged to a power ranger. Beat that.

Naturally, my phone ended up dying. We went on a walk around town near the Empire State building and eventually grabbed our bags at The Kimberly and headed to LaGuardia. Security was A BREEZE. Like, there were only 5 people in line, compared to the hundreds at O'Hare.

Fun fact: We got free wifi by watching an advertisement. If wifi is paid, it's always worth checking the site to see if there are some hoops you can jump through to get it for free! We watched some Parks and Recreation while we waited for our flight to board.

A few hours later, we were home! Back to the good old grind.

New York Pt 3 - Manhattan and My Birthday

2013-05-01T08:39:00.000-05:00

Traveling To New York

New York Pt 1 - Brooklyn

New York Pt 2 - Manhattan

New York Pt 3 - Manhattan Birthday

New York Pt 4 - The Final Day

New York is a wonderful place for a girl to spend her birthday. We started with some delicious breakkie at Morning Star Cafe over on 2nd Street. I ordered a tomato, basil, and mozzarella egg white omelet and it was pretty much caprese in an omelet. So delicious.

God blessed us with an insanely beautiful day. Like, low 70s, sun shining, bright happy rays in sight. We hopped on the train and took it down to SoHo.

Right after getting off the train, we saw a C. Wonder shop. I've been lusting over their online store forever (and have made a few purchases, but mostly browsed), so I was surprised to see that they have a legitimate store. It was the perfect excuse to go inside.

Pretty much everything in this place blows my mind with beauty. It's like a modern twist on East Coast charm and I totally dig it. I snatched up a pair of white jeans and a super cute sweater while my fiance sat on the couch and flipped through this gem of a book...

After C. Wonder, we spent a while walking around SoHo and stopping into various shops. Mostly, I just want to take this whole neighborhood and put it in a snow globe. Except without the snow. Everything is just so pretty and happy. #MyCupOfTea

I knew that Chobani had a pop up restaurant in SoHo, so when we stumbled upon it, it wasn't much of a decision. We obviously had to visit. We got a blueberry and honey as well as a chocolate and pistachio and we were both quite impressed. They also let us take the glasses home, which is practical bribery in my book. You know... the good kind.

We also stopped at Silver Spurs to split a farmer's market salad. It was alright, but nothing to write home about. The beauty of the view over the intersection and park, however, was a different story.

After a bit more walking around, we arrived somewhere magical... for my fiance, who wears watches like it's none of his business. We had to do a little watch shopping and yes, he did make a purchase. Yes, we bought my fiance a watch on my birthday.

At this point, it's getting hard to remember the exact order in which we did things. We kept walking and headed over to Wall Street (did we walk there? maybe we took the train?). I was really surprised by just how dead that area was. Granted, it was a Sunday afternoon, so it's not like it was peak work hours. But, it still seemed pretty vacant.

We also headed over to Battery Park. They're doing construction there, so the park, itself, wasn't much of a sight, but the view over the water was pretty neat. My New York geography needs some work (I've mastered Chicago by now... New York is another story), but I did think the view out over Brooklyn was cool. Since we did the exact opposite (Brooklyn's view of Manhattan) the day before, it was a nice little flip flop.

The hilarious chalk writing outside Momofuku Milk Bar

As we were leaving Battery Park, we decided we were a bit hungry. We'd been walking all day and only split some Chobani and a salad since breakfast, so we thought we deserved a treat. Plus, I was the birthday girl, so really there was no need for excuses.

We were headed up toward Union Square anyway, so we decided to stop into Momofuku Milk Bar. It was hard to decide what to get. They have everything from Cookies (compost cookie, anyone?) to pie, milkshakes to soft serve. We ended up getting a slice of "Crack Pie" (with that name, how could you not?) and a cookie that had marshmallow in it (my fiance saw it at the counter and exclaimed "That one! We're getting that one!").

The cookie was definitely good, but what really blew my mind was the Crack Pie (how many search results hits am I going to get from crack pie references now? bring it on...). It's extremely buttery and reminds me of the butter cake I used to occasionally get in college. It was very thick and sticky and almost hard to cut with our plastic forks. So delicious. Please sir, can I have some more?

After checking out Union Square (pretty much just a big square filled with people and skateboarders... I was much more impressed by the milk bar, haha), we headed back uptown toward our hotel via Subway. But, instead of riding the train all the way up, we hopped out at Grand Central Station.

We've been to a few events at Union Station in Chicago (plus I used to ride in and out of that station when I first started working in Chicago), so I feel like I'm pretty used to grandiose train stations. Nonetheless, I was still quite impressed. The ceiling, in particular, is really cool. It's my favorite color of tealish turquoise (which one is it? can't tell), with golden mythical drawings on it, and tiny little white lights that occasionally peep through.

Finally, we headed back to the hotel. We dropped our bags and freshened up for my birthday dinner. We did some heavy Yelping and ended up deciding on The National. It had very mixed reviews on Yelp, which initially scared us despite the fact that we really liked the menu and the restaurant looked neat. After a bit more digging, we realized that the reason behind those mixed reviews was Geoffrey Zakarian, from shows like The Iron Chef and Chopped on The Food Network. He has a very strong TV personality, and most of the Yelpers were responding to how much they dislike him.

We, on the other hand, love strong personalities, so we were more than willing to give it a go. I got a bit fancier for the dinner, and snapped a pic in one of The National's co-ed bathrooms.

Naturally, I started out with a glass of champagne. What other way could I celebrate my birthday in New York?

We also ordered a charcuterie plate. I tell you, we're becoming charcuterie conisseurs, because my fiance insists on ordering it just about everywhere it's available. Occasionally, I can sway him to a cheese plate instead, but for the most part, we go for the meat. This time, we were not disappointed. The deli meat cuts in New York in general were delicious, but this took the cake. Generous portions and smoky flavors = yes.

For our meals, we got the steak frites (fiance) and the butternut squash risotto (me). The risotto is actually an appetizer, but it looked delicious so I asked if they could do it as a meal. It was totally satisfying.

Toward the end of the meal, my fiance mentioned that it was my birthday. They brought out champagne and a plate of whiskey chocolate mousse and mango sorbet to celebrate! I blew out the candle before taking this picture, but it's there. They also wrote Happy Birthday on the plate in chocolate. How cute!

After dinner, we were both quite full, so we decided we wanted to go on a walk. We had popped into Times Square on Friday, but only for a short visit, and we were there during the day. My fiance insisted that we visit at night (he lived in New York a while back, so he likes to play tour guide).

We headed over to Times Square and walked around. It seems to be even brighter at night time there, and I was amazed by how many people were there at 10pm on a Sunday night. Of course, all of the shops were open, too.

There you go, folks. Part 3 of our trip to New York.

New York Pt 2 - Manhattaning

2013-04-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

Traveling To New York

New York Pt 1 - Brooklyn

New York Pt 2 - Manhattan

New York Pt 3 - Manhattan Birthday

New York Pt 4 - The Final Day

Welcome to this year's edition of "True Life: I Ate Pizza for Breakfast."

After a pretty... uh... festive evening, we seriously needed something carby and greasy for breakfast. Because my fiance's sister lives above a pizza place, it seemed like a great way to do it. We were packing up to leave her Red Hook apartment and head toward our hotel in Midtown Manhattan, so it was our last chance for stuffing our faces at that pizza joint.

Obviously, we did it.

After we got cleaned up and packed up, we walked to the subway to head into Manhattan. God bless my fiance, who lovingly carried two bags up and over the bridge. You're wonderful.

There were no seats on the subway, so I holed up in a corner and sat on my bag. It was a stiff 30 minute ride, and I tried not to lose my mind or any of my belongings. We emerged intact.

I love Manhattan. Everything is so alive. I suddenly felt so pumped about every little thing that, even on our walk from the subway to the hotel, I had to snap some dorky pictures.

We stayed at The Kimberly, which is a nice spot in Midtown, just off of Park Avenue, with some European flair. After we checked in, I freshened up a bit and then we were off.

We stopped for a mid-day pick-me-up. Double shot tall skinny latte for the win.

Naturally, another dorky shot. In front of 30 Rock. I'm obsessed with the show, so it felt like the right thing to do.

We walked around for quite a while. Probably a few hours. After a lot of sight seeing and a few unsuccessful shopping adventures, we realized around 3pm that we were pretty starving for lunch.

We loaded up on Carbs again (ugh, darn you, scotch drinking) and tea. Then, we headed back out into the wilderness (hah) and popped on over to Central Park.

I want to live in this park. I felt so happy just walking around and seeing all of the people and green space. Everything there felt so romantic. Like, take a picture on the bridge? Why not? There is nothing better.

Oh, right, and the freaking bulldog riding a skateboard. This was not just happenstance -- he was doing it for like 30 minutes, and the owner would just start it rolling and the dog would hop on. That's talent.

After spending an hour or so in Central Park, we headed over to Henri Bendel. My fiance's sister had suggested we make a stop there, and I cannot tell you how right she was. If you've never been, just think of it as Disneyland for girlie stuff. Makeup, jewelry, bags, sunglasses, scarves. You name it. I stocked up, and then we headed toward the hotel.

For dinner, we freshened up (read: dry shampoo) and headed to the rooftop lounge at our hotel. It's called Upstairs at The Kimberly and it is really a neat spot. The views are to die for and the lounge itself is quite swanky.

That said, $18 cocktails are somewhat painful, especially when they're not THAT good. I'm spoiled by The Violet Hour in Chicago, so maybe I'm hard to impress. Either way, I ended up switching to Champagne.

One of my good friends from High School lives in New York now, and she showed up to say hi. We had a few drinks at the lounge together, then walked over to Session House for a bit more.

And at midnight? IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY! The bartender made me a delicious cucumber and strawberry vodka drink, and we had a bit of celebrating before heading back to the hotel.

New York Pt 1 - Brooklyn

2013-04-29T09:36:00.000-05:00

Traveling To New York

New York Pt 1 - Brooklyn

New York Pt 2 - Manhattan

New York Pt 3 - Manhattan Birthday

New York Pt 4 - The Final Day

On Friday morning, we woke up to weather that was far superior to the Chicago cold as of late. Already winning me over, New York!

We are spending the first two nights at my fiance's sister's place. She had recommended Fort Defiance, a place down the street that does everything from craft cocktails to brunch.

My fiance was famished (as usual), so he ordered Huevos Rancheros (top right). Thumbs up from him.

I was going to go for a veggie scramble but figured I should be more adventurous. So, I ended up going for a cheesy biscuit with ham, jalapeno jam, and an over easy egg (bottom left). It was just the right size and delicious.

After brunch, we walked around and ended up stopping into a cute liquor store to buy our host a gift. We grabbed some tasty scotch, dropped it off at the apartment, and headed over to Carrol Gardens.

We stopped to split an amazing salad at Jolie Cantina in Carrol Gardens. After our insanely yummy breakfast, we agreed that we just weren't hungry enough for a full meal, so we split it. It was covered in jicama, chorizo, and other fresh ingredients, with a perfectly poached egg propped on top.

They had one of my fiance's favorite beers on draft, so we tried it. 1664 Kronenberg. He was pleased.

After lunch, we walked around Brooklyn Heights, stopping in Brooklyn Park and the Brooklyn Promenade. The view of Manhattan was stellar, and it was neat to see from afar the city we'd be in for the following few days.

Eventually, we met up with my fiance's sister and walked around Dumbo. Mostly, I'm just in love with the name here, because Dumbo used to be my favorite movie... but also, it's an awesome spot between the bridges.

We stopped into a chocolate store, and we grabbed two cookies to split. I think one was just regular chocolate chip, and one was a mudslide kind of cookie, with dark batter. I was a huge proponent of the second one.

Post-chocolate consumpton, we headed back toward Red Hook. At this point, my feet were feeling like pure awfulness. We'd been walking all day, and my Sperrys just weren't cutting it. So, we hopped on the bus and got back to home base.

After a change of clothes, we headed out toward the pier to catch the end of the sunset. You could see Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty in the background, so it was quite picturesque.

We put our names in at a restaurant called The Good Fork, then waited at the apartment for a few more minutes. I did't take any pictures at the restaurant, itself, but let's just say that it was a meal that you ought to try. The chef was wonderful. I had juicy steak over a bed of kimchee rice with a sunny side up egg on the top.

I do, however, have this dark picture of my fiance and myself.

After dinner, we had a few drinks at Red Hook Bait and Tackle (no, it's not a bait and tackle shop). Sleep came very easy that night... I'll leave you with that.

More tomorrow... thanks to everyone who emailed suggestions for our trip! Can't wait to share what we ended up doing.

QUESTIONS:

Have you been to Brooklyn? What's your favorite site?

Last Minute Travel Prep

2013-04-26T09:08:00.000-05:00

Surprise! I'm in New York. Feels like I'm a ball of grease, so I'm ready to dry shampoo the crap out of my hair and go to brunch.

For now, I'll leave you with yesterday's events.

I worked from home yesterday, which was the perfect way to get things done for work and still be able to manage my brain (did I pack toothpaste? should I run to get my nails done on my lunchbreak? where the hell is my curling iron? etc).

6am, Bodypump class. Had to get it in before a weekend away. #MyHappyPlace

Get home, make myself a delicious steamy breakfast. 1 layer of leftover sauteed veggies. Add garlic and coconut oil sauteed spinach (like 3 cups of it raw) and an over easy egg. Top with feta. Total = 10 minutes.

7am-Noonish, Work. Lots of phone calls, emails, and last minute things to wrap up for work before going on a trip. Throw in a bit of coffee drinking and you've got yourself a great idea of my morning.

I also double checked my luggage situation and packed a carry on back pack (I put my kate spade inside a comfy backpack. SO much better than being lopsided all day from carrying a heavy bag around the airport on one shoulder).

Noonish, Nails. I just got them done a week or two ago (No Chip, which I usually make last for 3wks), but a few of my nails were looking like chip city (see photo above). So, I asked the ladies at the nail salon to just repair the broken ones. Worked like a charm...

1pm-3something, More Work. Grab a snack. Call people. Etc. Then finally leave for O'Hare.

Naturally, our flight was delayed. So, we hit up Ice Bar for some bubbly and a delicious meal.

Spring greens salad with chicken and a cheese plate. Who ever dissed airport food? This was legitimately good. I'm also in love with their place mats. That's another story, though.

Aaanddd... BUBBLY.

We finally got back on the plane after a two hour delay and guess what? More delays. Eventually, we sucked it up and watched Celeste and Jesse Forever, which was depressing but occasionally funny.

And finally, at 11pm, we landed at LaGuardia!

QUESTIONS:

What do you do when your flight is delayed? Watch a movie, drink some bubbly.
Do you have anything you HAVE to do before a trip? Mine is getting in a good workout.

Packing For New York

2013-04-25T09:29:00.000-05:00

My new anthem on packing for a trip is this...
"Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication." -Leonardo Da Vinci

I always pack super far in advance. I find that, if I don't, I spend far too much time daydreaming or worrying about what I will ultimately pack. So, for my Thursday afternoon trip, wanna know when I packed? Sunday.

Granted, since then, I have altered the contents of my suitcase a few times. Add a blazer here. Swap out a pair of gold flats there. But mostly, here's my go-to city-traveling swag. (Why did I say "swag?" Because I've been watching too much Parks and Rec. So, there).

1 black blazer (Banana Republic - I also have an awesome one that's actually from Victoria's Secret, but my BR jacket is already quite broken in so I prefer it for the long haul)
Pants: Skinny blue jeans, Skinny black jeans (Gap) Skinny black slacks (Ann Taylor), Black leggings
3 tank tops (BR, F21, etc)
3 loose over-shirts (commmmmmmfy)
3 kind of dressy tops
1 comfortable but form fitting black dress (va va voom?)
Clothes for running (or sleeping if I don't use them on a run): 1 pair of shorts, 2 pairs of running pants, 2 running tops, 2 sports bras, heart rate monitor, etc.
Shoes: Sperry Topsiders, Super shiny gold "flats," Running shoes
A few headpieces

Some basic, completely unscientific theories behind my packing:

Always bring a blazer. Seriously. A blazer instantly classes up even a t shirt and jeans, and a basic black blazer will go with just about anything you own. If you're trying to pack tightly, instead of packing a few different jackets and cardigans, go for a black blazer.

Get the skinny. I try to pack skinny legged jeans when I travel. They just feel a bit dressier and (probably more importantly) easier to manage. For example, if it starts raining, wide leg and boot cut jeans will get drenched up to your knees. Skinny pants rarely touch the ground, so it keeps you more dry and clean!

Comfort is Queen. Because I'm expecting to be walking around a lot, I wanted to pack some comfy shoes, and Sperrys are the go-to choice. But, I also wanted to make sure I had some cute stuff for a fancy dinner. I'm also packing a pair of shiny gold "flats" that are pretty dressy, and have just enough of a heel to give that satisfying clicketyclack as you walk.

Working It Out, Eating It Up

2013-04-24T10:35:00.001-05:00

My workouts this week were awesome. My meals were not.

Like, why did I buy a box of Banana Nut Cheerios to eat at my desk? (Cuz they're awesome. That's why.) I proceeded to shove the entire box into my mouth within two work days. #winning or #losing? #hardtotell

Also, Special K's Cracker Chips are not a joke. Self control, on the other hand, is a joke. That's why I've been living in Carb City this week. Naughty Naughty, Yummy Yummy.

Wednesday: 5.7 mile run, Abs
Thursday: Bodypump
Friday: TRX Class
Saturday: None (I cleaned my awfully messy room at my parents' house -- does that count?)
Sunday: 6 mile Walk/Run with fiance and the dog
Monday: 30 Minute Cardio Class, 20 Minute Stairmaster Sprint, Body By Science
Tuesday: Pilates
Wednesday: (Planned) 4 Mile Run, Abs

After I quite literally demolished a box of cheerios, I had some redeeming to do. Generally, I find that when I load up on carbs, I have some issues. I get super super extremely tired (read: CRANKY) and bloated. I'm also pretty sure that cheerios turn my brain into the brain of an insane person. No scientific proof on that, though. Either way, I needed to get some legitimate nutrients into my belly.

Redemption included a few things. I focused on veggies and lean protein, keeping things low in salt and sugar to avoid making my body any angrier than it was. For dinner, I did a chicken breast and some broccoli (That picture was taken once I was at least 2/3 done. Don't worry. There was more goodness). For breakfast, a fried egg with an entire pan full of broccoli and cauliflower sauteed in olive oil. And for lunch, a DELICIOUS salad of spinach, chicken, pecans, strawberries, and feta, with a homemade dressing of olive oil, balsamic, honey, and minced garlic.

De-freakin-licious-yum. You know what? At the end of the day, those redemption meals were more satisfying than five million handfulls of cheerios. I promise.

P.S. We're going to New York tomorrow!

Questions:

Do you have any carby weaknesses? What's your naughty bread and butter, so to speak? Mine is obviously banana nut cheerios and special k cracker chips. So freaking good.
New York People... WHERE SHOULD WE GO WHEN WE ARE THERE? We're spending a little bit of time in Brooklyn but will mostly be in Manhattan. IDEAS?

Birthday Weekend One

2013-04-22T10:15:00.000-05:00

I'm extremely fortunate that my family is into birthdays. For proof, see last year's self-guided gangster tour (which we did for my birthday), my sister's birthday last year, my mom's birthday dinner, or this year's birthday weekend (for my fiance's birthday). Long story short, we do birthdays right.

This year, my fiance and I will be in New York for my actual birthday. Don't let that fool you into thinking it means I won't get any celebrating time with my family. Au contraire, mon ami.

Happy to see my mom!

On Friday, I hopped on a train in Chicago and took it up the north shore to see my parents. My mom picked me up, and we stopped for a few errands. It was doing a really freaky snow thing, where it looked like instead of flakes, it was snow pellets.

Snow Pellets?

My favorite corgi was quite happy to see me. She acts like a cat, so when she even comes to greet me, it's a big event.

We got home and she cooked up a fabulous and healthy meal, complete with kefir ice cream with berries on top and a candle!

My last task before leaving was to clean my room on Saturday. I never officially "moved out" in a big way - so, a ton of my clothes and personal items were still there, and there was a lot of purging that needed to be done. I started at 9am on Saturday, took a break for a grilled cheese around noon, but pretty much worked until like 5pm. It. Was. AWFUL.

The good part? During my hour off for lunch, I was showered in gifts. Earrings and watches and wallets, oh my!

Back in Chicago, I was far too exhausted from cleaning to do anything big. We walked over to Aberdeen Tap and I got a wedge salad and a vodka soda.

Sunday, we walked to church, then walked to the verizon store (I'm debating between iPhone 5 and HTC DNA), where I wasted an hour of everyone's time before deciding I still wasn't ready to make the decision. Humph.

Later, after many hours of cleaning and re-organizing my closet and drawers to fit the clothes I brought back from my parents', we took another long walk/run before dinner.

And then, we finally booked our honeymoon villa! Can't wait to tell you more about where we're going - another day, another post! But here's how excited we were after pressing "Submit."

Woohoo! We booked our honeymoon!

Overall, my birthday is off to a good start... Other than the cleaning, that is. Can't wait for New York and my real, official birthday! I wonder if Justin will propose... oh wait, that already happened.

Noo Yawk

2013-04-19T10:32:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! I'm excited to be heading up to the North Shore (some people have no idea what I'm talking about when I name the town, so this is easier) tonight to celebrate my (early) birthday with my parents. Bout to inhale some FroYo...

Why am I celebrating early, you might ask? We're jetting off to New York on Thursday, and will be there for an extended weekend. My birthday weekend, to be exact.

Chicago weather is INSANE lately. It rained for two days straight (the city was pretty much flooded), but last weekend it got into the 70s. And today? It's flipping snowing.

So, here's hoping good old New York will be good to us weather-wise. Cheers!

His and Hers Fuel

2013-04-18T10:23:00.001-05:00

If you are in a relationship with a member of the opposite sex, you've probably realized how different each gender's fuel needs are.

My relationship? At 6 foot 7, my fiance is simply a large human being. I'm just shy of 5'4 and built like a freaking bird.

When you weigh half as much as your significant other, you don't need as much "fuel" as they do. It's just a fact of life. So, when I'm planning meals for us, I can't just plan meals and then split them down the middle. That would be too much for me and too little for him.

Lately, our stockpile for the workday has taken this form. I bet you could have guesssed which one is "his" and which one is "hers!" ;-)

"His" Day-Time Fuel:

-One Large Salad

-One Chicken Breast (smashed into the container with his salad)

-One Meal Shake (Cookies and Cream)
-One Probar "Core" Bar

-Two Detour Bars

"Her" Daytime Fuel:

-One Salad

-One Sweet Potato (you can see it in the container, it's a divided container)

-One Probar "Core" Bar (or, on other days, I replace this with a meal shake)

QUESTIONS:

Does anyone else have to deal with this?! Tell me I am not alone!
Have any of you tried Probar's Core series? It's DELICIOUS!

GRATEFULNESS:

Dear Pro Bar,

Thank you for being so utterly delicious and nutritious at the same time. You make me so satisfied, and my fiance even asked for more of you! Job well done.

Love, Carly

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Technological Malfunction (and Workout Schedule)

2013-04-17T08:55:00.001-05:00

It's been an interesting week in workouts. Other than the pictures I posted in my review of TRX classes, I only have one picture from this past week of workouts:

I'm trying to be positive here, but there is one thing that has been driving me nuts during my workouts. My Polar Heartrate monitor just flat out stops working. In the middle of a workout, it will suddenly show "00" for my heartrate (obviously wrong) or will say "Check heart rate transmitter!"

The monitor and strap? The strap is definitely too big, and tends to slide around a lot despite being on its smallest setting. But, if I am on a machine, the machine still picks up the data from my heart rate strap, even when the watch is showing no data. This leads me to believe that the culprit is not, in fact, the strap, but is instead the watch, itself.

So, what the hell is going on with this thing? It is so insanely frustrating to be in the middle of a workout class and have my heart rate monitor malfunction not once but twice in just a 30 minute class. Argh. Hence, I've taken no pictures of my workouts the last few days because I spend an unreasonable amount of time wondering if something is going to malfunction.

HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE?

Okay, moving on. Deep breaths. Chill out, Carly. Done and done. Here are my workouts for this week... (picking up just before I left off, since last week's workout post was on Thursday).

Wednesday: 60 Minute Stairmaster
Thursday: Bodypump Class, 60 Minutes
Friday: TRX Class, 60 Minutes
Saturday: Active rest - about 9 miles of walking
Sunday: Active rest - about 9 miles of walking
Monday: Extreme Cardio Class, 30 Minutes; 15 Minute Stairmaster Sprint; Body By Science
Tuesday: Pilates Class, 60 Minutes
Wednesday: (Planned) 4 Mile Run, Upper Body Weights

QUESTIONS:

Do you use a heart rate monitor or other fitness tracking equipment? Does it ever malfunction? Obviously, I'm having this problem. Hopefully, I can get in touch with Polar and resolve it.

GRATITUDE:
Dear Future In Laws,
Thanks for getting your son the Jawbone Up for his birthday. Suddenly, we are walking EVERYWHERE, which means I have an automatic HEALTHY excuse for an active rest day.
Love,
Carly

Praying for Boston

2013-04-15T16:42:00.005-05:00

I hadn't intended to post again today. But, I got to the gym and had my computer in my bag. And for some reason, before I could start a workout, I felt this post tugging at my heart.

For those of you who know my sister, who lives in Boston and was at the race to watch a friend, she is safe. So is Lindsay, which I now know, thanks to Twitter.

I guess the thing that is hitting me right now is that today was not just any regular day. It was supposed to be a day of triumph. Of victory. A day on which men and women who have trained for weeks, months, years, finally cross that finish line, and we all cheer in celebration.

But there is no celebrating. Not, at least, the way it was meant to be. My prayers go out to those who are injured or have passed and their friends and family.

Blogger Book Club and 20 Miles Walked

2013-04-15T08:44:00.000-05:00

My weekend in a nut shell: Good food, long walks. As usual, lately. Ever since my fiance got the Jawbone Up for his birthday, we've been walking like fools. Or would that be geniuses?

After a low-key Friday, I was excited for Blogger Book Club on Saturday. As usual, the spread of food was killer. I made Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip and it was gone by the end. Pretty sure I heard Emily say it was "like crack." Well, I guess I'm a crack dealer now.

The only picture I took with humans in it.

Book club was hosted by Sierra from Posh Meets Pavement, and I was pretty pumped to check out her digs because we have two things in common: a similar style and obsessed with organization. Emphasis on that second part.

Also, I've been working on convincing my fiance that we should get a ghost chair for the desk in our living room, so I was excited to see that I could test them out over at her place. Winning. Yes, Justin, they are freaking sturdy.

We read a book called The Life You've Imagined by Kristina Riggle. While I have to admit that we talked about the book for a grand total of 5 minutes (and that's a generous estimate on my part), I will say that I am enjoying it. Notice I used present tense? Not done with it yet. But, the fact that I'm still working on it even though I'm done with book club means I'm actually liking it.

For those of you who are considering the book or just want to know what the heck it's about: The book focuses on three friends who collide back in their home town -- a fast-paced Chicago lawyer who faces some seriously depressing stuff between the death of a friend and her mother's store and home being taken, a girl with a gambling addiction who is forced to move back in with her abusive alcoholic father after she runs her bank account (and her relationship) into the ground, and a girl who has worked extremely hard to lose a lot of weight, but now struggles an obsession with perfection (and probably some control issues related to food and exercise). Overall, I found myself liking the characters. I can definitely identify with the lawyer (and found myself glad I didn't end up going to law school, actually -- a story for another day), but I found the woman with the food/exercise/perfection issues to be the most interesting. She made so many rationalizations for things that I was kind of mind blowing to watch her do it.

After book club, my fiance and I went on a long walk for dinner and drinks. I think we were gone for about 5 or 6 hours. We walked up and over to Wicker Park, tried to get into Piece (2 hour wait? No thanks) and Big Star (similar wait - too hungry), and ended up walking over to Mac's on Division. It's one of our standard favorites, and they had a booth open for immediate seating. Done and done.

Later, we walked from Wicker over to River North (so I could use the ladies room at my fiance's office), and then down to a bar called The Pepper Canister. The crowd was a little bit older than us, which was fine. They still got pretty rowdy. And I had a delicious manhattan.

The next morning, we walked to and from church (seriously, if you want the man in your life to start walking, buy him the Jawbone up. It's like a game to him now). We had a few errands (hello, Costco) to run and I had some work to do, so we did some necessaries during the early afternoon. We also did some hotel research for two upcoming trips. This involved a lot of computer work as well as a full oven...

When business was somewhat wrapped up, we did it again. By it, I mean yet another walk. We took the train two stops to get a head start, then walked around Lincoln Park for a while.

We hit up the zoo, where I demonstrated my awesome fashion sense to some children. I was walking around with my zip up hoodie on backward (convenience, seriously), and we walked past a group of boys who looked like they were in middle school. One of the kids exclaimed, "That's a SICK way to wear your sweatshirt, Imma do that!"

Well, I'm a fashionista to middle schoolers. Take that, Loop Looks.

Finally, we were both starving (we walked like 9 miles that day), so we stopped at George Street Pub for some grub. My fiance had a black and bleu burger, and I ordered a turkey burger with pico, cheese, and avocado. I ate the whole thing, plus fries. #noms

Now, we're back to the grind. Here's to another great Chicago weekend. Bring on the summer weather, Midwest...

QUESTIONS:

Do you use a step tracker, like fitbit or jawbone? Does it make you more active?
Do you participate in any book clubs?

GRATITUDE:
Dear Jawbone,
Thank you for making a bracelet that looks manly enough for my fiance to wear it around town. My legs will thank you later, too. And probably my glutes.
Love,
Carly