Foodie Pen Pals - November

This month, I participated in Foodie Pen Pals. It's a fun program where you're paired up with other bloggers, one to whom you send a package and one from whom you receive a package. I love coming up with fun things to pack for people, and I get so excited when I receive packages in the mail (I think this is part of my addiction to using Amazon for basic purchases). 

This go around, I was paired with Falon, a blogger from the Midwest. Falon's blog, Pie in Pearls, not only chronicles the many delicious recipes she makes for her family, it also includes lots of pictures of her adorable children. Oh, and she's a very talented cake decorator!

Falon packed my box with an olive tapenade, mild and hot Mexican sauces, a Larabar, and home-baked chocolate chip cookies.

my goodies!

The olive tapenade is tasty, but after tasting it I set it aside to take back to Washington State with me for the holidays. My family always has a wine and cheese night, often for New Year's Eve, and this will be perfect paired with cheese and crackers!

Larabars are always a favorite of mine. The ingredient list is very short, which is always something I look for in packaged food, and they're quite filling. So glad she thought to include one since I ended up needing a quick on-the-go snack the day after the package arrived!

I don't know if Falon read my blog or if it was a happy coincidence, but I love Mexican food so receiving these was awesome. I've been using them in some of my Mexican dishes, adding some to black beans or pouring a bit onto a Mexican-flavored salad as a dressing. And the hot one is legitimately spicy!

The Jacques Torres cookies were amazing! Falon baked them and packed several into the box for me, and kindly sent me the recipe link when I asked for it. If you're looking for a good chocolate chip cookie recipe, look no further.

from her blog -- look how much chocolate is inside!

This has been called the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in the world. The cookies were SO delicious, so considering that they were a couple of days old when they got to me, that's probably not an inaccurate description. Thank you, Falon, for a fun and tasty box of goodies!!

I also had so much fun putting together a box for Doug, the blogger with whom I was paired. If he posts a picture, I'll update this post with the items I got him. It was a fun mix of things I like and items I thought he'd enjoy. I had a lot of fun putting it together!

If you're interested in participating in Foodie Pen Pals, check out The Lean Green Bean for more details. You don't have to be a blogger to take part! Readers can join the fun, too. December will be for charity rather than a normal pairing, so participants are encouraged to donate the amount they'd spend on putting together a box ($15 maximum for items) to victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Have you participated in Foodie Pen Pals?
Do you still get get excited to receive packages in the mail?

My "Come to Yoga" Moment, or: How I stopped hating yoga and started loving it

starting a post with a cute-dog-doing-yoga pic? I know, I'm shameless
(source)

I used to hate yoga. Like, hate it with a fiery passion. "Why aren't I moving more and burning more calories? Why do I have to breathe so slowly? Why is this taking forever? AHHH I'm so bored yoga is the woooorst!!" All in my head, of course, because I'm not a terrible person who interrupts the zen of others by yelling about how much I hate yoga while in a yoga class.

That was my opinion when I was 13 and it didn't change when I tried to take a yoga class in undergrad at age 18. Whenever I visited home and my dad wanted me to take his yoga class with the rest of the family (he teaches at a few local gyms), I'd try to come up with an excuse. I just hated it. I hated how time seemed to drag while I was in class; I kept sneaking glances at the clock and calculating how far through we were and how long until my favorite position -- lying there, doing nothing.

Today, yoga is a cornerstone of my active life, and I schedule yoga classes or practices into my week the same way I schedule runs and strength training. I love feeling my body lengthen as I move through the poses. Nothing makes me feel as limber and strong as going through a vinyasa with as much grace as I can manage. And although shavasana ("corpse" pose, or "lie there and do nothing" pose) is still my favorite pose, now it's because it's an opportunity to reflect on the previous hour or so and how good it made me feel.

So... what changed? Well, I stopped looking on exercise purely as calorie-burning that had to be done (occasionally, hating every moment with a fiery passion) and began looking at it as something that I enjoyed and that strengthened my body. As you become healthier, I think you become more aware of your body and how it feels. That's what led me to eat a lot less dairy and cut out meat completely (although I still eat seafood). I didn't feel good eating them. That doesn't mean it's best for everyone, but it's what I realized I felt best doing. I think that's what makes yoga so much more appealing to me now. I can feel how good it is for my body. I finish my yoga practices feeling both stronger and looser, full of calm energy instead of the wiry, buzzy energy I feel after a cup of coffee.

dancer pose on the top of Whistler Mountain

Yoga feels nourishing to me now. If I want to do my best in a yoga practice, I need to concentrate on my body, not my mind. Is my front leg at a 90 degree angle? Am I sending energy out through my arms to keep them engaged, not lying in the air? How's my breathing? Am I breathing? The body awareness that yoga encourages is something I seek now, rather than avoid.

I don't like all yoga. I've tried several studios, and found that if the instructor spends too much time talking or the flow doesn't feel intuitive to me, I don't leave class feeling that wonderful post-yoga glow that I feel after my favorite classes. But any time I practice yoga at Strala Yoga or with my trainer, Amanda, at Uplift Studios (or with my dad when I'm in WA!), I leave feeling more aware of my body and the space I inhabit. I feel calm, strong, centered, and aware.

I think what stands out to me with these instructors is the emphasis they place on the class being your practice. It isn't someone's idea of what yoga should be. You're led through a series of moves, but the emphasis is on letting yourself be the ultimate guide. The introspection that is required of yoga by virtue of the attention you pay to your body and how it feels throughout class means that, for me, if an instructor talks about philosophy for a portion of the class, I am taken out of that concentration. Depending on how intent upon the pose I was, asking me to think about something too far removed from that present moment can make it much harder for me to get back into that mindset of being present.

The days when I practice yoga are just better days, in the same way that days when I run are better, but in a different way. Running days leave me feeling strong and excited by all my body is capable of accomplishing, similar to how I feel after a tough strength-based class. Yoga days leave me glowing with the knowledge of the quiet strength my body holds.

And what about the days when I run and practice yoga? Well, those are the best days.


Do you enjoy doing yoga? Is it part of your normal exercise routine or an occasional class you take? 

New Year's Eve Half-Marathon

Well, the title kind of says it all. I'm running another half-marathon! I've already signed up for one in the spring and entered two other lotteries, but they're so far away that they seem nonexistent. 

there's a marathon and a half-marathon, but the half didn't get a banner
(and yes, I know, you're so jealous of my paint skillz)

When I saw that there was a half-marathon close to my hometown on New Year's Eve, I got extremely excited. I'm going home for an entire month over the holiday break because I am so rarely home and I don't know the next time I'll have an opportunity to spend so much quality, uninterrupted time with my family. 

I ran a race last time I was home, but running a half-marathon is a much bigger event, especially since it'll only be my second half-marathon. I loved the idea of running one in Washington so that my family could cheer me on. Almost equally cool is the fact that I'll close out 2012 doing something that I realized I loved this year. 

My training plan

The numbers roughly correspond to day of the week (i.e. 1 = Monday), but I may mix things up because of the weather or a busy schedule, which is why I wanted to use numbers rather than days of the week.

The speed work is going to be very important to me. The first speed workout will definitely be intervals of some kind and then the second may be closer to a tempo run -- something with a more consistent pace, but really focusing on speed. Last time, I only concentrated on distance. This time, I want to make speed the emphasis. 

The truth is, though, if this doesn't happen exactly according to plan, I'm not going to be that bummed. I have several big projects coming up and I'll be home for 10 days before the half, so I just want to do my best in the half-marathon. If I end up with a worse time than at my first half, it'll be fine. The big goal is just to run another half-marathon with my family there to see me doing something I love to conclude this year on the highest note possible.

Are you running any longer races before the end of 2012?

Goals & Weekend Update: Friends and Fitness

I had such an amazing post-Thanksgiving weekend, full of old and new friends and lots of exercise, that I want to recap it before laying out my goals for this week and how I did on last week's goals.

Weekend Update
I spent Friday being lazy and watching movies, doing some yoga, and getting dinner with a friend and seeing Lincoln. The movie was really good, but what stood out was Daniel Day Lewis (of course). His performance as Lincoln didn't seem like a performance, it just seemed like Steven Spielberg had conjured up Lincoln for his movie. There's no way it's not going to be one of the 10 Best Picture nominees next year! As for Black Friday shopping, I can't decide if it's awesome or terrible that my only Black Friday purchases were Knicks gear and exercise-related. I picked up a running water bottle from Athleta since the fountains around New York are shut off for the winter, and I'm excited to receive my first Oiselle purchase soon! I ordered the runfinity scarf and a long-sleeved run tee. I'll update with my thoughts when I get them.

On Saturday, I took a wonderful Uplifting class with friends from my firm, Lauren and Hana. It was so great to get back to Uplift Studios. It had been too long! I hadn't taken a class with Michelle in quite a while, and she did a great kickass interval-based class. Hana loved the studio and we were all exhausted by the end.

Michelle had an amazing playlist with some terrific mashups that had me searching SoundCloud for more mashups. I ended up finding a ton that I'm so excited to run with in the coming weeks.

After hanging out at Uplift catching up for a bit, we parted ways and I headed uptown to meet up with Abby and join her on her first post-marathon run. We kept a slow pace since she was just a tiny bit sore from, y'know, Boston qualifying at the Philly Marathon on Sunday. In her first marathon. No big deal. (In case you don't know, Boston qualifying is a huge goal for runners around the world, and many runners work for years and are never able to achieve it)

We ended at JackRabbit Sports -- they were having a big Black Friday (weekend) sale that we wanted to check out. I picked up a pair of Brooks for only $50! I needed a pair that gave me greater support for over-pronation so finding a pair of Brooks for such a low price was really exciting. Beth met us at JackRabbit and we met up for brunch and drinks. New discovery: grapefruit mimosas are delicious. It was so great to sit down with some fellow running-obsessed friends and chat for several hours, and I loved getting to know both Beth and Abby better.

it's gotten SO cold, but Central Park is beautiful as always

I can't lie, today was kind of rough. In the best possible way. I had already committed to taking a Refine Method class with Lynette today and wasn't about to cancel on her, but when Holly Rilinger posted on Facebook that she was leading a Nike Training Camp session on Sunday morning for free, I knew I had to hit it up. So it was a double day, despite already being pretty tired from the Uplifting class on Saturday.


The session at Nike was amazing. Holly was a fantastic instructor, which I would have expected given her spin class, but one thing that I really loved was how sports-oriented the workout was. Holly is a former pro basketball player, and I felt like that came through in how she led the workout and started it -- team cheers on three, lots of partner-oriented work, and even a basketball-style shuffle around the room. We did two 10-exercise circuits by time, doing each exercise for 1 minute, and there was extra core work in between the two circuits. I left Nike and walked through Central Park to Refine Method, feeling tired but energized in that great way you feel after an amazing workout.

the Sunday morning crew!
(source)

I was left exhausted, but today was amazing. When the first jumping jacks started at Refine, I wasn't sure I could push through, but I did. I was able to put in real effort and almost perform as well as I would have at a normal class. I loved pushing myself to my absolute limits and seeing how far I could go.

But um... I'll be doing some less intense strength work this week. Because my legs are gone.

Last week's goals
Here's how I did last week:
• 1 spin session (done and loved it!)
• 3 strength training workouts (ended up with 4!)
• 3 runs for at least 15 miles (only got two runs and 10 miles in)
• 2-3 yoga practices (1.5 - a bit with my trainer and one video practice)

Goals for this week
This week's goals:
• 1 spin session
• 3 runs (2 speed sessions, 1 long run of 8 miles including a race!)
• 2 yoga practices
• 2 strength sessions


How was your Thanksgiving weekend? Any fun Black Friday purchases?

P.S. My trainer Amanda went to Haiti recently to teach yoga to children there. She's written an incredible series of posts about her time there: part 1, part 2, and part 3. Give them a read if you have a few minutes and want some inspiration!

I am so thankful

I love that Thanksgiving is a day to reflect on everything that is wonderful in our lives. I feel so lucky and blessed to have an incredible number of things that make me happy. Since I don't want to write a Tolstoy-length novel, here are just a few things for which I am especially grateful.


Running. I started running last year, but I didn't start running outside much until this year. Finding my love of running has made me so much more aware of and thankful for the strength and capability of my body. It's made me have a much healthier body image and it's given me an easy way to ensure peace of mind. A run never fails to make things seem brighter. It's also made me love New York even more -- seeing its beauty while running is a constant reminder of how much I love this city.

my favorite running path in the city, the Reservoir Path in Central Park

New running/workout buddies. I've already made so many new friends through this blog and Twitter. It's wonderful to be able to chat and encourage other crazy runners. Long runs are much more fun with company! And it's so fun to make friends who aren't in law school (not that I don't love my law school friends, but I'm sure they'd be the first to admit that getting outside of law school is a good thing).

I would never have gotten up at 6:45 AM this morning to head into Central Park if Beth hadn't thought of making our own Turkey Trot. I got to meet some awesome ladies (and Ashley's husband, Bo!) and run on a beautiful day. Nothing makes you more grateful for your health than seeing how strong your body is at it powers you up a hill.

Beth, the mover and shaker of today, and me
(source)

with our medals after a successful Turkey Trot!
L to R: Shannon, Beth, Ashley, Liz, me and Nicole
(source)

My amazing friends. I have some pretty spectacular friends. Some I don't see that often and others I see almost every day at school, but I am thankful for every single one of them. Their support and humor keep me sane. My friend Lena came over to eat lunch with me and chat while I cleaned up for our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, and even helped make medals for the Turkey Trot! I promise I repaid her in chocolate.

the medals -- these may be the proudest accomplishment of my life since I'm not normally crafty!
(source)

Katie. It's rare for me to go a day and not email silly thoughts or ridiculous stories back and forth with Katie, my undergrad BFF. She not only puts up with them, she encourages them. For example, receiving three emails with my deep thoughts on Jeremy Renner's SNL performance last Saturday did not make her block me. She is the smartest person I know and her strength and resiliency continually amaze and inspire me. And she's a fantastic cook and baker, so you should follow her cooking blog!

on a too-rare visit to Chicago

I have a job. It's not exactly the most welcoming economy for new graduates right now, so to not be thankful for this would be downright ungrateful. To know that I have a position waiting for me when I graduate is such a huge relief. And I'm even luckier that I loved working at the firm this summer. Corporate law firm life entails long hours, so liking my co-workers will be huge. I made some great friends over the summer and can't wait to see them when I return next fall.


My family. They are warm and supportive and wonderful. Also very silly and sometimes infuriating and that's why they're my family and why I love them. Instead of telling me my idea of skyping with them during their Thanksgiving dinner was weird, they loved the concept of having me (virtually) there at the table.

my sister, dad, and my sister's boyfriend. mom was just off-camera to the left

Whenever I sit back to reflect on my life and its trajectory--going from a tiny town in the middle of rural Washington State to law school in New York City--I cannot help but credit every success I've had to my parents (and a lot of amazing luck). I love them to pieces, even though I'm not that good at showing it all the time. I look forward to a day when we live closer together and don't have to skype on Thanksgiving!

The boy. I celebrated Thanksgiving with Sourabh on Wednesday night so that he could go to his family outside the city and I could skype with my parents today. I made some mashed potatoes, stuffing, roasted brussels sprouts, and salmon stuffed with crab (I don't eat meat and he doesn't like turkey anyway so this was a perfect, indulgent choice).

our dinner -- it doesn't look as good as it tasted, I promise

Being students together again after two years of having totally separate tracks is fun and means we get to see each other a lot more. I feel so grateful for this time together before I start working crazy hours next fall. I've already been awfully sappy about him in my post about our anniversary weekend, so I'll just conclude by saying that I love him so much and having him in my life makes every good moment better and every bad experience less painful. Every day that I get to wake up next to him is a good day.

smiles on the London Eye 

What are you thankful for today (or every day)? 

Class Review: Fly 45 w/ Holly Rilinger at Flywheel Studios

(source)

Saturday I was browsing the Flywheel Sports website (don't you spend your weekends checking out fitness studio websites? No? Never mind...) and I noticed that new students could try a Flywheel and Flybarre class for free. I had already wanted to check out Flywheel, so being able to do so for free? Yep, I'm there.

I checked out Rate Your Burn for instructor reviews to see who I should try. Holly Rilinger had 13 reviews and 4.9 stars. I'd already heard about her awesomeness by reading various NYC fitness blogs, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with a 12:30 lunch class with her.

the gorgeous boutique and lounge area

First, the new Upper West Side Flywheel studio. It is fabulous. Lots of room and a large boutique. Really pretty, light, and airy -- outside the spin room. The spin studio is like a nightclub. I've decided I like dark spin classes, though, since it lets me rock out to what will hopefully be an epic playlist. If you ever catch me in a spin class, chances are I'll be bopping, sweating, and singing along. No hips action, though, because I try not to start sexy times in an exercise class. That would be awkward.


I also love how close Flywheel's new studio is to me. There is nothing else that close! Sure, I could jog down to one of the studios on 72nd Street, but it's over a mile away and when I already walk 2.5 miles round-trip to and from school every day, sometimes I just don't want to do that. So Flywheel being 10 streets closer? That somehow seems amazing to me. Yes, I know, this entire paragraph is about how lazy I am. I'm very lazy when not working out, this is a true fact.

more waiting area -- pretty wood lockers are behind the wall

But back to Flywheel -- one thing I loved was that shoes, water, and towel were all included in the class. You don't have to pay extra to rent shoes or $1-2 for water. It's only $1, but when you're already paying more than $30 for a class, I really appreciate when studios just give you free water (the fact that Uplift Studios gives you both free water and free snacks makes them near and dear to me). It also made a huge difference to be able to clip in -- I just can concentrate on working harder when I'm not trying to keep my shoes in the pedals.

Ok, so what about Holly and the class?

Wow. I am so happy that I tried this class. Holly was incredible and I loved the entire experience. She was incredibly pumped up the entire time without seeming fake in the slightest bit. When an instructor is as obviously excited about teaching you as Holly was, it's impossible not to draw energy from them. And as the whole class becomes energized, you get this wonderful communal energy going (that's dripping with sweat).

Holly being awesomely excited 
(source)

I'm not normally a fan of the, "why are you here, look inside yourself, pull out your best" dialogue in class (I think my grinch heart is two sizes too small...).  Yet somehow, when it was Holly saying it, I was SO into it. Maybe it was her masterful cuing, her incredibly positive energy, or the way she aligned what she said to the song's lyrics, but I was totally with her the whole ride. She made it easy to follow the beat, which also helped me stay in sync with the flow of the class.

My favorite part of class? Holly shouted, "we focus so much on shrinking the outside, let's focus on expanding the inside," followed by intense pedaling with eyes closed. LOVE.

As far as composition, the class had more sprints than hills, but did a good job of mixing up both. Flywheel's bikes tell you the "torq" (AKA resistance) you're on, which is SO helpful as a newbie. I could make sure I was working at the right level rather than guessing at how much a "half-turn" or "full-turn" was supposed to be (that confuses me, guys). 

Partway through we used weighted bars to get in some core and upper body strength work. The class finished with some light stretching. It was a great way to work out the lactic acid build-up from my runs and strength-training over the weekend -- my legs felt way better than they had before the class!

this is basically what the new UWS studio looks like
(source)

How much did I love this class? I've already signed up for next Monday's 12:30 class as well and I can't wait. A few months ago I said to someone that I wasn't sure spinning classes were worth $32, but if they're with instructors as motivating and fun as Holly, I take that back.

Length - 45 minutes
Cost - $32 (free first class, for now)
Location - Upper West Side (466 Columbus Avenue between 82nd and 83rd Streets). There are also locations on the Upper East Side and in Flatiron, in addition to locations around the country.
Skill Level - Anyone! I'm a relative n00b to spin and had no issues.

Have you tried a Flywheel class? Do you like spinning?

Feeling rejuvenated!

Weekend update: feeling rejuvenated!
I love having a weekend full of friends and fitness. I posted on Friday that I'd been feeling a bit out of it workout-wise, but I've this weekend left feeling magically rejuvenated for this week. I guess a few good sweat sessions can do that for you! It also helps that I've been concentrating on getting more sleep and felt totally inspired by the Philly Marathon runners.

After taking a Refine Method class with Dori on Saturday, I also ran 4 miles in Central Park. It was a gorgeous day and I ran along the Reservoir then down the Central Park loop to the 72nd Street Transverse so I could cross by the Bethesda Fountain before turning left and running up Cat Hill. I got back onto the Reservoir running path so that I could see the gorgeous west side skyline to finish the run.

this is an old pic from a Riverside Park run, but my phone's camera isn't working right now so I didn't have any pretty run pics this time! 

Sunday I met up with Lynette and we headed down the run path in Riverside Park. We got to Chelsea Piers but at that point Lynette's knee had started hurting so much that we both agreed it wasn't safe to continue. She headed home to nurse her knee and I turned around and ran home for a total of 8 miles. My longest run since my half-marathon! It was chilly, but another clear sunny day. Lately it feels like a crime not to run in such beautiful weather, especially after a summer where leaving my apartment for a run meant I'd come back looking like I'd just showered in sweat (too graphic? sorry, I don't just sweat too much, I share too much).

(source)

After Sunday's run, I had fun meeting up with Run Book Club for the second time (organized by Jess of Fit Chick in the City) to discuss Drop Dead Healthy, which is a fun memoir of one man's quest to be the Healthiest Person Ever for two years. It's a good airplane read if you're interested in health!

I also saw Anna Karenina with a friend and we both liked it a lot. The film is set in a theater, so a lot of it is very stylized and choreographed, but it made it more interesting than the typical historical book-to-film adaptation. I've read Anna Karenina and my friend hadn't, but we both enjoyed the film so I don't think you need to get through several hundred pages of Tolstoy in order to see the movie. I love seeing the movies that will likely be up for best picture at the Oscars. I've already seen Argo, and really want to see Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, and Life of Pi (also The Hobbit and Les Miserables, but those aren't coming out until December).

Goals for this week
I haven't posted workout goals in a while, but since I am all excited about working out again, here's what I'm going to aim for this week!
• 1 spin session
• 3 strength training workouts
• 3 runs for at least 15 miles
• 2-3 yoga practices (class or video)

What are your fitness goals for this week? Have you seen any of the likely-awards contending movies?

Studio Review: Refine Method

I finally got around to trying my second Refine Method class today! I met Dori for a 10:45 AM class this morning to give it a go when I wasn't semi-paralyzed from just running a half-marathon.

I've taken two classes at the Refine Method's Upper West Side studio, and I've really enjoyed both. An interesting feature of Refine is that each class is different from the last, but they all incorporate props and the pulley system on the wall, and they all revolve around the same basic building blocks of foam rolling to start, circuit-style exercise, and stretching at the end. There's a reason for that: "First, we focus on large movements, stoking the metabolism and stripping the fat. Then we move to targeted finishers to activate and attack the smaller problem areas, leaving an attractive, balanced physique" (source).

Brynn, the founder of Refine Method
(source)

That means that all areas of the body are targeted in each of the circuits, which are repeated at least two times and sometimes more. Today's class involved rows, chest presses, planks, box step-ups (these scare the shit out of me -- I'm always afraid I'll fall off and kill myself!), box squats with kettlebells, planks, and lunges with kettlebells. For the cardio parts, we did jumping jacks, pretend jump roping, and sprinted with high knees in place.

the pulley system used in classes
(source)

Classes are not too large, since the number of students is limited to the number of pulley systems, which I think is around 20 or so in the room. That means the instructor can really get around and help with form, which I found necessary on some of the work using the pulleys since I was new to the class.

My first love for these kind of cardio-strength interval circuit classes is still Uplift Studios, since I know and love the ladies there, but Refine Method is going to be a wonderful option for me when I can't make it down to Gramercy. I bought a $80-for-4-class pack that's available for new clients, and I'm looking forward to the three classes I have left!

Length - 1 hour
Cost - $32 (50% off your first class)
Location - Upper West Side (117 W 72nd St between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues, next to Juice Generation). There are also locations on the Upper East Side and in Union Square, although the US location is closed for now due to Hurricane Sandy damage.
Skill Level - Anyone, the classes are measured by time not reps so you could do as little or as much as you're capable of.

Fast Friday Fitness

I haven't been my normal self when it comes to workouts lately. Blame post-Sandy blues, blame sleep deprivation (working on this one), blame the cold snap or blame me, but I just haven't had my normal drive when working out lately.

curling up like a ball in bed has just been more appealing, for some reason... 

That lack of drive means my workouts on my own have been slightly lackluster. I lose interest partway through and halfass it. So, today, I wanted a strength workout that I could push through quickly to avoid losing focus, while still leaving me sweaty and worn out.

So, without further ado, I give you:

I didn't expect this to be as hard as it was! I was seriously dripping sweat by the end, and I had to stop a few times to catch my breath. The idea is to go through each set as fast as possible and not rest on the breaks in between sets either. Try to push yourself so that you can get the quickest time possible and then try to beat that the next time.

It took me 22 minutes, but I think I could go faster if I didn't let myself take breaks to check my email because"omg Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC registration is open I'm so excited!!" Although seriously, I am SO excited, and hope my team gets in through the lottery!

If you have bad knees, you could replace the the burpees with mountain climbers or hop on a stationary bike and pedal at a high resistance for a minute. Anything to get your heart rate up!

Home Improvements & cheribundi Giveaway Winner

A giveaway winner has been selected! But first, some home improvement chatter...

Home Improvements
A few weeks ago, I got the urge to clean up our apartment and really start making it more "homey." Sourabh and I have been in Manhattan for 2 1/2 years now and yet we really haven't done much to make our string of apartments into a home. I think part of that is budget. Right now, we'd rather get IKEA furniture and enjoy some dinners out, save for school, etc. But another part is that I'm kind of terrible at decorating and always feel overwhelmed at the idea of figuring out .

After my burst of tidying (post-manicure... not the best timing, but the $15 manicure emerged unscathed! Win!), I have started decorating a bit more, checking out Michael's and Home Goods from time to time for some inexpensive decorations that will make our apartment feel more lived-in.

A few additions here: flowers in the vase (I had it lying around empty forever!) and a basket for keys and mail (that's Bea, I think she's nesting).

I'll let you know if an egg appears

One of my favorite new purchases was this $15 shoe rack from Amazon. As a student with a .edu address, you can get Amazon Prime free for one year and then for $35 after that, and given how cheap things are on Amazon in comparison to New York stores, it's a totally worthwhile investment for us. The amount we've saved on paper towels alone pays for the annual fee. There are also some streaming perks you get as a Prime member, but since we DVR everything I haven't checked that out. With Prime, two-day shipping is free and often items arrive the next day for NYC residents.

heels are on a hanging shelf since, as a 5'9" girl, I just don't wear them that much 

Ok, enough of my addiction to Amazon Prime. Previously, this closet was a jumble of shoes on top of each other (I forgot to take a before picture, oops). Now, they're nicely stacked and we can actually see our shoes! I think keeping things organized is one of the easiest ways to make things look nicer and more put together.

I picked up this fall-colored "faux" flower arrangement at 60% off for only $8 from Michael's the other day. You can see them right when you come in, so it's a nice welcome home.

faux sounds better than fake, right? 

This is actually an older purchase, but one I'm really happy about: a basket for storing workout gear. I have mats, weights, boxing gloves, foam roller and balls, jumping rope, and some workout DVD's in there. It would all look so messy if it weren't stashed neatly in a basket in the corner.

oh look, it's Rome the Foam! yes, I named the foam roller, remember? stop laughing at me. 

I've been checking out Pinterest for more ideas and plan to do more using holiday decorations once Thanksgiving is over.

cheribundi Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered my first giveaway! As I explained last week, every individual entry was worth $2 of donations to two Sandy Relief charities. Megan also donated $10, which netted her two extra entries.

The winner is Ray!! Congrats on winning a 12-pack of cheribundi's delicious tart cherry juices. Please email me your contact info so I can be sure you get your prize! (I will select another winner on Monday if I don't hear from Ray by then.)

I am even more excited to announce that, despite not getting the full 50 entries, my parents will be donating the full $50, as will I. With Megan's donation, that means $110 was raised!! Two local charities that are very much in need of assistance, the Stephen Siller Foundation and the New Jersey Relief Fund, each received $55.

Stephen Sillers Foundation donation receipt

New Jersey Relief Fund donation receipt

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway, and thank you to cheribundi for reaching out to me about reviewing their product and being so generous with this giveaway. I'm hoping to do more giveaways in the future, so keep a look out!

How long did it take you to start making your apartment/house feel more like "home" (or have you even started yet)? Any tips for decorating on a budget?

My Favorite Things: Starbucks edition

Quick Weekend Update
I had a nice weekend of exercise and catching up with friends from out of town. I also got a glorious 11 hours of sleep Saturday when someone super sweet suggested that he sleep on the couch with the pets so that nothing could disturb me for an entire night (I'm a light sleeper, so our pets tend to wake me up fairly frequently, and it's been rough lately).

there was still snow on the ground on Friday!

After a gorgeous 5 mile run on Friday, I got myself gussied up and we headed down to meet friends from undergrad at a new restaurant on the Lower East Side, Cata. I was really surprised by how much is already up and running, since I know how many areas of Staten Island and most of the Rockaways are basically still a disaster zone. However, the Lower East Side appears to be mostly recovered, and restaurants there could very much use your support! Subways aren't 100% but it wasn't much of a hassle to get down there after we checked service alerts to know what subways weren't running normally.

(source)

If you like tapas, you'll love Cata, which has really great Spanish small plates. Also a huge range of gin and tonics (not my drink of choice so I stuck to a glass of cava). After a delicious dinner, we saw a stand-up show at the Upright Citizens Brigade, dropped by a bar to watch the last quarter of the Knicks win against the Mavericks (4-0 to start the season! Go Knicks!), then caught a late showing of the new James Bond movie, Skyfall. It's a fun action movie, and really beautifully filmed, but guys, the plot... I'll just point you to Vulture's attempt to break down the evil genius's plan. Obviously that's part of the whole Bond franchise -- ridiculously convoluted evil plots -- but this one especially was ridiculous.

dark restaurant = ghostly me

After too few hours of sleep, I met up with my friend Hana who was visiting for the weekend. Our plans were unfortunately changed because we couldn't get to the early class we planned on due to subways not running as we'd expected. Still, it ended up nicely since we got to have a long lunch at Le Pain Quotidien. We were seated across from some ladies talking about how lucky their friend was for marrying the man she did, because if she'd married some other guy she'd be pregnant with the baby of someone unimportant, and how terrible would that be? I just have to preserve that conversation for posterity, because... really? Really?

the interior of the Barry's Bootcamp Tribeca location
(source)

Anyway, after lunch we tried Barry's Bootcamp. My feelings basically mirror Hana's, which is why I'm just going to link to her review. I think I'd go back occasionally but don't see it being a major part of my fitness routine. I didn't have an "instantly in love" feeling like I did with Uplift Studios, Strala Yoga, or Physique 57.

My Favorite Things: Starbucks!
I love Starbucks. I know, a white blonde girl who likes Starbucks? How original! But I do, I love Starbucks. They have a magnetic pull on me. Whenever I'm out walking Mason with Sourabh and I see one, it's like a force field pulling me in to spend $5 on a cup of soy milk in a cute cup...

But seriously, I love Starbucks for more than their fancy drinks and holiday cups. In fact, I don't even like the fancy drinks all that much (but I DO love those holiday cups). My favorite part of Starbucks is actually the fact that I can reliably get something healthy there when I'm rushing around or traveling. Running errands and need a snack? Pick up a KIND bar and banana. Starbucks has really stepped up their healthy food options in the past year, and these are some of my favorite picks.

Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal

"hearty, 100% whole-grain oatmeal"
(source)

I love oatmeal. Starbucks has oatmeal. Enough said? Ok, well not quite... it's important to note that if you add all the toppings, the 140 calories quickly climbs up a lot higher. However, this is a great breakfast option because who doesn't have a Starbucks close by? Perfect if you're leaving for an early flight or slept past your alarm (because you totally budget in time to make yourself breakfast every morning, right??).

Protein Bistro Box

"cage-free egg, white Cheddar cheese, honey peanut butter, multigrain muesli bread, apples and grapes."
(source)

I always like putting together a plate of different items when I make lunch for myself, so this basically does the job for me. Lots of protein, healthy fats, whole grains, and some fruit make this a nice lunch option. And at 380 calories, it can definitely serve as a small lunch.

Goat Cheese and Garden Veggies Bistro Box

"vegetable medley served with goat cheese, tzatziki dip and cranberry almond crackers"
(source)

This one is better as a snack than the protein box, given that it's 220 calories and wouldn't be super filling. I generally don't eat much dairy, but I make an exception for goat cheese because, well.... if you like goat cheese, that's self-explanatory, right? (And if you don't, who are you??)

Spinach & Feta Breakfast Wrap

"a wheat wrap filled with cage-free egg white, spinach, feta cheese and tomatoes."
(source)

I got roughly four hours of sleep last night because I was up reading Gone Girl. Crazy addicting (also, crazy people). Good vacation read for sure. Anyway, I just wasn't up for making myself lunch, so I grabbed one of these on the way home from my morning class. I love these as a warm, filling small meal. At 290 calories, it's perfect paired with a piece of fruit.

Roasted Vegetable Panini

"roasted zucchini, eggplant, and red peppers with baby spinach and provolone cheese on focaccia bread"
(source)

This is probably my least favorite of the things on this list, just because it's white bread and the cheese can feel a tad bit gummy. However, it's still tasty and is filled with veggies, so it's a good option for when you're craving a sandwich for lunch. And at under 350 calories with 13 grams of protein, it should keep you pretty full!

REMEMBER TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY FOR SANDY RELIEF!!

What's your favorite Starbucks food or drink item? 
Have you tried Barry's Bootcamp? What'd you think?

I love fall in Central Park

That's all.