Summer Wrap-Up

Since it's officially September and we'll soon be welcoming in fall, I thought I'd do a post recapping all of the amazing things I did this summer.  

I used to hate when you got back to school and teachers made you talk about all the fun and amazing things you did over the summer, because of course it meant that fun was over for the next 10 months.  Well now that I'm a "grown-up", I love looking back on the awesome things I've done.  It makes me feel grateful and inspires me to carry the awesomeness into the next season!  In this case, my favorite season: FALL!

So, here's what I did over my summer vacation....

I went to my best friends bachelorette party!

 And then her wedding...

<3

 I graduated from my Dietetic Internship program! Woohoo!!!

I went to a bunch of Yankee games.

I carried a tire around.  

And ran/crawled through some mud with these guys:

I spent some time at the beach and Astoria Park pool. 

I got dragged into some intense crafting projects with these lovely ladies:

I enjoyed some delicious food.

I found out I'm going to be an aunt!!!

Hi, Nephew baby! Can't wait to meet you!

I had color thrown on me with my friends.

And I got all sorts of sweaty, as much as I could!

As I'm sure you can tell, I had an absolute blast this summer.  I'm sad it's coming to an end but I have a lot to look forward to this fall.  My plans already include running the Staten Island Half with dad, reuniting with friends upstate and spending lots of money spoiling my little nephew fetus.

Stay tuned for fabulous fall updates.

In the meantime, tell me what about your summer! Go!

Thankful Thursday: Better Things Ahead!

Happy Thankful Thursday! What are we feeling good about today?

I'm feeling thankful...

...that I went to my first Yankee game of the season last night! Yeah, it was rainy and cool. Yeah, they lost. But I spent the night with my Dad, Aunt, brother & sister-in law at one of my favorite places in the world! :)

Can't beat the bleachers!

...for yoga class on Tuesday.  I haven't been able to make it to yoga lately, but I made it on Tuesday and it felt so good.


...for my Judgement-Free Zone.  AKA my friends.  I'm always doing something stupid or embarrassing, and they don't judge.  Ok, they probably judge a little bit...but they're still standing by me. Love you guys! (I'm using this L word quite a lot, ladies...It's kind of like snuggling.)


...that Kristin Wiig exists. She lights up my life with her hilarity.  


...for my nice clean bed.  It has been drool and dog-hair free and I love it.  Now if only I can get myself to spend more time in it. Like tonight. 


...for motivational quotes/images. I saw this one on a blog the other day and it really made me think.  I can't wait for all that lies ahead for me! :)

What are you all thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday: Sparkle, Sports & Stubbornness

Things I'm thankful for this week:


Sparkly Soul headbands. I've never found a better (or more fabulous) way to keep my sweaty mess of hair off my face! Get yourself some sparkle here!

that the Giants making it to the Superbowl! We (yes, we) struggled a bit during the season, but have pulled through in the last few games.  Bring it on, Mr. Brady & co!

also thankful for this beautiful man.

that the Yankees spring training starts in less than 1 month. Which means baseball season is coming! And in case you're wondering, I am available to attend any and all games you'd like to buy me tickets to! :)

K.Hob on the warning track! :)

Beyonce. Enough said.

BEYONCE Me Myself And I by carmlo01

Chocolate milk. Seriously, who doesn't love chocolate milk? It's delicious, I feel like a little kid every time I drink it, and it makes a perfect recovery drink.  Although, let's be real...I'd drink it even if it didn't have the power punch of carbohydrate, protein, sodium & calcium!


that Microsoft Word makes a works cited for me.  I couldn't be more appreciative of this nifty little feature.  I'd definitely fail life if I had to format my references myself. 

Why, thank you, Word for inserting citations for me!

that I'm a stubborn little lady.  After New Year's, I challenged myself to stop drinking, for my health, my wallet and my weight.  I came up with this silly idea just around the time I started my half-marathon training, so it seemed like the 3 month time frame made sense.  Well, let me tell you...this is tough.  Sometimes a girl just wants a glass (or three) of red wine.  Or a beer during say, the Superbowl. But I'm stubborn and I really want to challenge myself.  So...on March 24th, someone better be meeting me at the finish line with a little brown bag of victory!






What are you thankful for this week?

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks...and fresh fruit?  It's officially baseball season again, and as the New York Yankees begin their quest for the 28th World Championship, I figured I'd weigh in on the food options available to fans at Yankee Stadium.  To my pleasant surprise, the stadium has introduced Melissa's Farmer's Market, offering fresh fruits and vegetables including apples, pears, bananas and carrots!  They costs a little more than at most NYC fruit stands, but cheap in comparison to the other food options (especially when it comes to the nutritional bang for your buck!).



Melissa's Farmers Market, Yankee Stadium

 In addition to fruits and vegetables, Yankee Stadium provides hungry patrons with an incredibly wide range of food choices.  The stadium boasts a family friendly Hard Rock Cafe, upscale dining at NYY Steak, and a plethora of concession stand options.  At $5 for one hot dog or a slice of pizza, you will be paying the price with both your wallet and waistline.  Due to New York City regulations, calorie counts are listed for all foods sold at the stadium, but as studies have shown, this often does not impact the choices people make.  (Refer to this NYTimes article.)

Here are just some of the many food options and their calorie counts:

NY Pretzel-630 calories
Nathan's Hot Dog-320 calories
Nathan's Crinkle Cut Fries-1236 calories
Nachos-1410 calories
NYY Popcorn Tub-2473 calories
Ice Cream Helmet-550-590 calories
Souvenir Cup Budweiser-290 calories

While I won't argue that hot dogs and baseball go hand in hand, keep in mind you can still make smart choices and stay nutritionally balanced.  Also, most stadiums will let you bring your own healthy snacks like trail mix or granola bars.  So head out to a game and feel confident about your food choices! And ROOT, ROOT, ROOT for the YANKEES! :)