Friday Favorites v. 1

Happy Friday all!

We're almost to the weekend, guys. We can make it.

I've been in my firm's formal training since Wednesday and it continues today. Since work has been light, I had time to go see Thor 2: The Dark World last night with Sourabh. The first half was meh but the second half was fantastic. I'm a total dork when it comes to movies, so I'd say go see it in theaters. Also, the post-credits scene sets up Guardians of the Galaxy, the new Marvel franchise being launched next year, so that's pretty sweet. Or just go because you have a crush on Chris Hemsworth / Tom Hiddleston / Idris Elba. Lots of man candy in the movie (and Natalie Portman for every red-blooded American male).

I always think it's fun to share the things that are making me happy or that I'm obsessing over at the moment. Shockingly (not shocking at all), the things I'm currently loving are work, food or exercise-related. What else is do I have happening in my life lately, after all?


Toms Ballet Flats

(TOMS - $79)

I needed a good pair of flats that I could wear commuting. I kept looking for flats but it was nearly impossible to find a pair that was both appropriate to wear in to the office and comfortable to walk in.

Finally, I found these! TOMS makes ballet flats, which makes them more appropriate to wear to a formal office than normal TOMS. They're very comfortable (although not as comfortable as the regular TOMS since they're more structured. They have a lot of colors and styles, not just boring black. And just like normal TOMS, buying a pair means a pair of shoes is given to a child in need.

KIND Bars

I like to have a snack in the afternoons since I normally don't eat dinner until 8 PM or later. The lovely people at KIND (one could even call them... kind!) sent me a box of their bars before the Chicago Marathon as pre-race fuel. They sent a ton, though, so I've been snacking on them since!

I've always liked KIND bars as a hefty snack, but they're especially great for me now that I'm working, for when I'm flagging around 3 or 4 PM. In the late afternoon I always crave something sweet. I love these bars because they have a great ingredient list that focuses on natural sugars and nuts. My favorites are the Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate, the Almond and Coconut, and the Cashew and Ginger Spice. Each one tastes a bit like a cookie, so it satisfies my sweet tooth.

My Firm's Cafeteria

I feel SO lucky that my firm has a fantastic cafeteria. I may have been chatting a bit obsessively about it to people since I started. Above is a quinoa stuffed pepper with roasted sweet potatoes. Yeah, it doesn't look great, but it was delicious.

Most of the time I grab a salad -- they're only $5 for whatever you want in them, including a kale base! It's $2 extra for shrimp, when they have it, but where else in midtown can you get something like that? Oh, and they CHOP the salads! I love chopped salads so the salad bar is basically my dream come true.

Plus, on nights when I eat dinner in the office, they have some fantastic options, like salmon puttanesca with grilled green beans and roasted fingerling potatoes (my dinner last week -- so good!).


My C9 by Champion Vest

(Target - $29.99)

Ashley mentioned this in a post on winter running clothes and, since I'd been wanting a running vest for a while, I bought one immediately. You really can't beat $30 for quality cold weather running items. I love this vest, and I've worn it quite a bit both for running and doing errands. It's light but warm, making it perfect for the colder fall weather. And hopefully it'll be good over my winter running jacket for extra insulation once it gets really cold!

My New Juicer

After I passed the bar, my parents sent me this fantastic gift: a juicer! This model, the Breville Juice Fountain, is $150, which is a good deal for a juicer. I've made two big batches of green juice so far, which is my favorite kind of juice since I don't like super sugary juices. They've come out perfectly, just as if I'd gotten them from a juice bar. Even better, Sourabh loves juices, meaning it's a perfect way to get him to drink his veggies!

I'm trying to figure out some ways to use the leftover vegetable fiber -- anyone have some ideas?


What are your favorite things right now?

Friday Favorites: First Week of Work

Hi all!

It's Fridayyy!

I think I'll actually be free this weekend, since work is coming in slowly. I was so prepared to hit the ground running that I'm cherishing every evening I can leave a bit early (and by that I mean around 7:00). Weekend plans include a Flywheel class, a "short" long run of 10 miles, and seeing Gravity.

Since I don't have much happening besides the new job and training, I figured I'd share some of my favorite things right now.


Sunrises

Since I'm officially on the morning workout train, I've been enjoying sunrises this week. Well, enjoy might be a strong word since I'm not conscious enough to have any real feelings. But some part of my brain says "that's nice." And then later I look at the picture of the sunrise that I took and enjoy it.


Egg Sandwiches

I don't know when my love of these came back, but I'm officially obsessed with egg sandwiches. I used to have one every morning during my senior year of undergrad, but then stopped. I started making them at home -- an Ezekiel English muffin with a fried egg and half a slice of cheese -- but then realized I could get them at work with a whole wheat english muffin for only $1.50. This is totally reason for me to go without breakfast until I get to work at 9:30.


Grand Central Station

In order to get to my office, I have to go through both Times Square Station and Grand Central Station. The difference is enormous. While Times Square is a dirty, underground, awful place to walk through -- where I keep my head down and turn up my music and try to block out the world -- you emerge from the subway into Grand Central Station and get to see a beautiful Beaux Arts structure. It's a nice way to start my workday, even if the place is crowded.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that the ceiling is in the color family of my favorite color, mint green.


Podcasts

I mentioned this in my workout recap on Monday, but I have to give podcasts a special shout out. Not only have I been listening to Nerdist podcasts on long runs, I'm listening to them during my commute. I really like how conversational and funny these podcasts are.

I'm saving a few with particularly funny/cool people for the Chicago Marathon which is in, gulp, less than ten days!


Do you have any fun weekend plans? What are your Friday Favorites?

My Favorite Things: Hair Necessities Edition

Happy Friday!

Today, I'm sharing with you some things that make going to and from workouts a lot quicker and easier, particularly as a woman with long, thick hair. And nope, no compensation was given for featuring any of these items. They're just things I use constantly that have made my life easier!

Yep, these are my hair necessities. *cue "Bare Necessities" from Jungle Book* (or is it bear necessities because it's a bear singing??)

(1) Oscar Blandi dry shampoo. Ok, I'm going to admit to you here, on the Internet, that I only wash my hair every 3-4 days. I promise you I shower daily, but I have long, thick hair and it is a huge pain to wash and it honestly would be bad for it if I did wash it every day.

So then how do I work out almost every day and not have the most disgusting hair ever? Dry shampoo, my friends. I am a huge advocate for this miraculous stuff. Basically, it eliminates excess oil that develops at your roots. After working out, I will blow dry my hair to dry the sweat then spray dry shampoo on the roots around my face.

This works incredibly well for me and means I can work out or go for a run without also having to add an extra 45 minutes of hair-washing and -drying time!

Note that I prefer the powder to the spray, but both work fine and I think the spray is less messy, so some people prefer that.

(2) Scunci no-slip grip hair ties. I had never, ever bee able to find a hair tie that didn't have my ponytail sliding down my head at one point or another during the day. Then I read about these on Meals and Miles and decided I had to try them. Wow -- these hair ties are incredible! Despite my thick, heavy hair, my ponytail will stay up no matter how active the workout. I used these for a Flywheel and Refine double a few weeks ago and my ponytail did not budge.

Not much else to say. They're the bomb.

(3) Sparkly Soul headbands. Well clearly I couldn't do a post on hair necessities without mentioning my favorite athletic headband! Sparkly Soul headbands are so fun and they're the only headband that doesn't slide off my head during tough fitness classes and long runs.

I tend to have a lot of flyaways around my face, and it's so gross when they stick to your sweaty face. Having a reliable and cute way of keeping random strands of hair out of my eyes/nose/mouth while I'm  pouring sweat is a big win for me.

(4) Goody spin pins. I first heard about these from yoga instructor Heidi Kristoffer. They are fantastic when I want my hair totally out of the way and not bouncing around. You just take two and spin them tightly into a bun so that they cross perpendicularly.

One thing I love is that the spin pins hold my hair in a nice, tight bun, without creating any creases like a hair tie would. If I go to a spin class or yoga class and put my hair in these, I can come out, blow dry and dry shampoo my hair, then pull out the pin and have soft waves in my hair!


What are your hair necessities? Do you use any of these products?