When a Friend Moves Along

I've always thought that where I am was going to be where I remained, and where my friends were, were going to be where they stayed, but that's usually not how life is. People don't stay stuck in one place their whole lives, not if they want to see what else is out there, not if they want to live. We're ever changing beings, and to remain where you grew up may lead to an unfulfilling life, or it might not, who am I to say. While I don't plan on moving far, I don't plan on staying in the town I grew up in; however, my friend had other ideas. When the opportunity to move across the U.S arose, she took it, and I could not have been more happy for her. She would be in a new environment, with a new set of friends, and develop a new outlook on life. She needed the change, more than anyone.

This is the same friend I went with to NYC a few months ago. I remember talking about her big move months and months ago, and it seemed like the time would never come when I had to say goodbye, and I was happy with that. Time was ticking slow, that is, until the last few weeks, when the time she would hop on a plane was coming closer and closer. Now I've never had to say goodbye to a friend who was moving, especially not a best friend. We've been friends for years and although we've had our ups and downs, we knew that we could always count on each other at the end of the day, even just to meet for coffee and talk.

Her family threw her a surprise party a few days before she left, and it was really heartwarming to see how many people loved and cared about her. You could see it in her eyes that she was upset, but I think it was then that she realized how many lives she had touched. We sat around talking, eating, and enjoying one another's company, and every so often she would come sit at the table and we'd laugh about high school softball, between hitting the coach and having to bathe in icy hot at the end of try-outs, we'd smile at all the good parties she threw and the actual bag of garbage that was thrown in the woods (that's probably still there to this day), and we talked about the times we drove around blasting Fall Out Boy and screaming the lyrics at the top of our lungs. While there were many, many more memories that we have made as friends, we brought up the ones that stood out in our minds as the best among the best. Before the night was over, we made sure to take plenty of pictures, and we even made plans for the day before she was leaving, to go into the city one more time. We weren't going to allow ourselves to get sad and say goodbye at her party; we both just weren't ready for that yet.

So on that Friday, we drove to the bus station, and hopped on a bus, with our NYC Bucket List in hand. First thing was first, we were going to walk to Chobani SoHo for breakfast. Not realizing how far SoHo was from the Port Authority bus terminal, we ended up walking about 3 miles there. When we finally arrived, we couldn't believe the delicious creations they had come up with! Everything sounded so refreshing and tasty, from the savory yogurts to the sweet ones, we were undecided until we each found a yogurt creation that we couldn't have left without trying. While I tried the Toasted Coconut and Pineapple, she tried the Peanut Butter and Jelly. I wished that my bowl was never-ending, because the toasted coconut and pineapple was the best Chobani greek yogurt creation that I've ever had. My friend said the same thing about her peanut butter and jelly. When we finished (though we wished we didn't), we were given a Chobani glass bowl to take home! I couldn't have been more happy with it, even though I wanted more Chobani! It looks like I'll have to make another trip to the city soon!

Seeing that we were in SoHo anyways, we decided to visit Rosie Pope's store, The Lab, and were pleased when we arrived and saw her beautiful maternity clothes, even though neither of us are pregnant. We had met Rosie in October at a book signing, and she really is as sweet and knowledgeable as she is on TV. While we didn't see Rosie this time, we did meet some of her employees, who were all extremely friendly, and were willing to get us anything we wanted to drink and showed us the snacks that we could pick on while we shopped. We hadn't planned on buying anything, so after we looked around for a bit, we left and began walking to Sean Avery's bar and eventually his restaurant to grab a bite to eat. If you don't know who he is, just ask my friend [ha!] His restaurant, Tiny's and the Bar Upstairs, was so warm and cozy. We ended up sitting next to the fireplace, and although we were sweating from our long walk, we loved the atmosphere, eating next to the fire was comfortable. We both ordered greek salads, filled with chicken, red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta cheese. The salad's were huge, and we both ended up taking at least half of it home. After taking a few pictures of the restaurant and bar, and being thoroughly embarrassed to see our waiter outside while we were taking the pictures, we headed back to the bus terminal. Having to walk another three miles, definitely made us sweaty and tired, but saving on cab fare and getting in a workout was definitely worth it to us.

We were tired on the bus ride home, which only made our goodbye at her front door even harder. While I didn't cry saying goodbye, or rather "see you later," I ended up crying that night. I couldn't believe that my best friend was leaving for California the next day. Even though I knew that I would definitely visit her in the summer, it still hurt to know that she wouldn't be able to grab coffee with me on a random night of the week, and we wouldn't be able to take trips to the city anymore. I was glad though, that we were able to have one more adventure before she left. This distance will not break our friendship, seeing as how we still talk every day, catching up on life, and realizing that our lives have changed so much in just a few years. It amazes me how much strength she has, being able to pack up everything and move across the country. I probably wouldn't have been able to do it. I'm so proud of her and can't wait to see all she will accomplish while in Cali. I know I'll definitely be visiting her in the future, because I don't think coffee on Facetime is the same as coffee in person. She's my person, and I don't think that will ever change, no matter how many miles come between us! Love you friend, and miss you beyond words!

Asics GT-2170: Product Review

A couple of months back, I was in the market for a new pair of sneakers, because quite frankly, the ones I had were from high school and had fallen apart. I usually try and buy things on sale because I don't believe in paying full price for anything, but Sal convinced me to head to Lady Foot Locker in the mall, try on a bunch of sneakers, and talk to a professional who knows what kind of shoe would be best for me, running 1-3 miles a day, working out, and taking kickboxing classes. It wasn't until weeks later that I found out about a local sneaker store where they have customers test out sneakers performing all different types of fitness tests, like running on a treadmill, to see what shoes would best fit the individual's feet. I talked with the Foot Locker representative about what I wanted out of the sneakers, something I never do with any sales representative. She showed me a couple of different pairs and I ended up trying a few on, but in the end I fell in love with the ASICS GT-2170 sneakers, in all black. I'm honestly not a fan of colored sneakers when working out, because I want ones that go with every single outfit I put on. No I'm not trying to make a fashion statement, it's more for my own peace of mind. I still love my shoes and haven't had any problems with them thus far, which is why I'm writing this product review.

Did you know that ASICS is an acronym from the Latin phrase, "Anima Sana In Corpore Sano," which translates to "a sound mind in a sound body." I had no idea prior to my purchase, but I'm kind of in love with the name and what it means. ASICS provides just that too, a sound mind, because when you're running in these shoes, you know that your feet are protected, which makes you push your body to workout even harder. The ASICS GT-2170, for women, has a Gel Cushioning System combined with the Full Length Guidance line, which has been designed to help protect an individual's foot from tremendous, harmful forces that they encounter during all athletic activities by absorbing impact. "The ASICS Gel Cushioning System has the ability to absorb shock by dissipating vertical impact and dispersing it into a horizontal plane." The Gel does not add any weight to these shoes, and though they're not as light as some of the other shoes I tried on, they provided me with the protection I knew I needed after running 1-3 miles a day! I felt comfortable pushing myself during each workout because I knew I was in the appropriate gear to get the job done.

I would definitely recommend the ASICS-2170 to anyone who is looking for a comfortable sneaker that gets the job done. I am never concerned that I am putting too much pressure on my feet when I run, and I am able to focus on the workout, the run, the fitness class, as well as the form and structure of my body. While I couldn't find my exact sneaker on the ASICS website, I did find it online at Dick's Sporting Goods, but I will recommend that you go and try on any sneaker before purchasing them online. I really believe that you must feel how it is on your foot, not just how it looks on a website, especially because these are sneakers that you're going to be working out in, and you don't want to injure yourself just because the sneakers looked cute, but didn't quite fit you.

Want to learn more about the GT series in particular? Check out the video below!

Still looking for more information about the ASICS brand in general?

Website: ASICS 

Facebook: ASICS

Twitter: ASICSAmerica

YouTube: ASICSAmerica

*All of the above opinions are my own. ASICS America did not compensate me or ask that I write a review, I simply wrote one because I wanted to. 

Just Because

Did you ever receive a text that just made you smile? I get those quite often, but then there are the texts that make your heart beat fast, those texts that make you nervous?! I still get those 5 years later from Sal. Two weeks ago, Sal texted me asking me if I'd like to go to dinner with him, just because. I, of course, said yes! I was super excited and to be quite honest, nervous. Can you imagine, nervous to go to dinner with my boyfriend of 5 years!? He must be doing something right, ha! We're always up for trying new places, and lately Sal wants to surprise me all of the time, so he told me to dress casual, but nice. After much debate about what to wear (I swear this happens every time Sal wants to take me out), I pulled together the perfect outfit, and got a few compliments during the night.

He took me to Sevilla, a local restaurant that specializes in Spanish cuisine, and I won't lie, I was a little hesitant when we first walked in. Not only was it dead for a 6:00pm on a Sunday, but the people that were occupying the tables were much, much older than the two of us. The wait staff barely talked to us, which annoyed me to no end, well that was until we received a pitcher of sangria and escarole soup, both exceptional. The sangria was free, but it was the best sangria I've ever had, hands down. The soup... the soup was out of this world, even though Sal and I were a little nervous to try it, being that we've never had escarole, but we were not disappointed. I ended up enjoying the fact that the wait staff let us have time to ourselves... talking, figuring out what we wanted to eat, and just enjoying the food. For appetizer, we ordered mussels, which has become my favorite, and has always been Sal's favorite. For dinner, I ended up ordering the flounder stuffed with shrimp and crab meat and Sal ordered the paella. My dish arrived with rice and veggies on the side, and Sal also had veggies. The dinner was delicious and the portions were huge! We ended up taking half, if not more, of our meals home. That didn't mean we weren't able to try the dessert though! I was going to try the cheesecake, since I'm a cheesecake fan, but when Sal ordered the orange sorbet, mine didn't seem too appetizing, especially when they both came out of the kitchen. Instead of eating the cheesecake and disappointing myself, we wrapped it up for his dad to eat later, and we shared the orange sorbet, and it was a perfect light cleanse of the palate for after dinner.

We held hands in between courses, and after we were finished. Even though friends of mine have made fun of people that do that, and couldn't believe that Sal and I are "one of those couples," I actually love it. It makes me feel connected to Sal, even when we're sitting across the table from one another. I guess that's something you learn when you grow up... ignore what others think about you. You're not living your life for them, you're living it for you. Afterwards, it took us 20 minutes to snap a picture of ourselves together, since I not only love documenting every thing, but I need it to be perfect too. You'd think Sal would understand this after 5 years, but no... and I don't think he ever will, which is fine with me as long as he smiles in the pictures! (ha!)

It's funny, at the end of the night no matter who pays, we always say thank you to the other person. Just because he's my boyfriend, and just because I'm his girlfriend doesn't mean that we need to buy each other dinner every weekend. It's still something that's appreciated and I love that we let the other person know that every time. And we always, always end the night with a kiss.

Superbowl Sunday 2013

Every year Superbowl Sunday rolls around, and every year Sal and I make the decision to stay in, together - whether or not the Packers are playing (which is Sal's favorite team). This year we decided to pick up snacks from Target and hang out downstairs with my dad. We spent the whole afternoon cooking, and then when the game started we laid everything out on the table and dug in, literally. Aside from the usual wings and the crackers, cheese, and pepperoni platter, I also made a Buffalo Chicken Dip, that we had at my friends house a few months ago - Sal LOVED it, so I decided to make it for him myself. I posted the recipe on my cooking/baking blog, just click on the link! While it may not be the healthiest dip out there (it's made with cream cheese, ranch dressing, and cheese, among other things), ingredients can be swapped to make it healthier. I know my boyfriend though, and he would not have been happy if I was cooking healthy things on HIS Sunday. I swear it's like a holiday for this boy. 

Everything's okay in moderation remember? So I decided to try some of my extremely spicy dip with chips, as well as a few crackers, cheese, and pepperoni slices. However, instead of eating a ton of wings with mozzarella sticks, I picked on cucumber slices with balsamic vinegar while watching the game and then made myself a quick salad to go along with my wings. It's all about making healthier choices! 

Sal usually creates a football pool and gets people from work and his mom's work to join in on the fun! The winner with the numbers from the end of each quarter win a certain amount of money, and guess who was the first to win!? That's right, this girl right here! Of course, I paid Sal the money that he had put in for me, and then I kept the rest and put it right in our savings vase. We keep a vase in my room of  change that we have leftover in our wallets and pockets, as well as any money we win (lottery/pools). So far it has helped pay for our trip to DR over the summer of 2012 and our trip to Niagara Falls last month; you could say it's definitely come in handy. This time we're saving for something a little bigger!

 

We all know that the power went out in the dome, so instead of sitting around, I got up and made the Tone It Up Chocolate Cake, something that I've made before and loved. I promise you it's not only healthy, but delicious as well. I ended the night with a piece of cake, some vanilla greek yogurt and strawberries on top. While Sal isn't a fan of the cake, my dad did try it... he just needed a big tall glass of milk to go with it! Sal even ended up winning some money, so while we didn't care who was playing, having entered in football pools made the game more interesting, and definitely easier to watch! 

Premier Protein Shakes & Bars: Product Review

I'm usually always on Twitter, connecting with friends, Tone It Up members, and companies that sell products I enjoy using. Occasionally I'll find a new company and sometimes they'll ask me to try out their products! A few weeks ago I had won a box of Premier Protein products to try. As a fitness fanatic, I was excited to try new protein bars, even though I had never heard of them. I usually eat Luna Bars, Larabars, and Kind bars; while I've been told think thin bars are also great, I have yet to try them. I try and eat protein bars with the least amount of ingredients possible, and with known ingredients, so I know exactly what I'm fueling my body with.

When I received the box of Premier Protein products, I was excited and immediately decided to split the box in half so my brother could try out the products as well. He's big on working out and being healthy too, so I thought it'd be perfect if two people were able to try the products, instead of one.

In the box there was:

2 Chocolate Premier Protein Shakes 
2 Vanilla Premier Protein Shakes
2 Chocolate Peanut Butter Premier Protein Bars 
2 Double Chocolate Crunch Premier Protein Bars
2 Yogurt Peanut Crunch Premier Protein Bars

{Their Philosophy} 

"We believe that everyone should live a healthy, active life, and nutrition is the cornerstone of that life. However, we know that eating healthy and staying active is challenging in today’s hectic life, so we strive to be your health and nutrition partner—making powerful, healthy choices easy.

Our mission is to give you the energy to get the most out of every day — now.

Protein, protein, protein. We love protein because it is essential for a healthy and active life. But getting enough protein is hard, especially protein that doesn’t come with too many calories or too much fat. That’s why we make delicious, essential healthy protein that curbs hunger and fuels your energy for whatever you love to do.

We’re showing the world how healthy protein can help anyone tackle life’s daily challenges, feel their best and live the life they want."

After I workout, I usually have a Perfect Fit Protein Shake, Greek yogurt, or a Luna bar, so instead, I replaced those with a Premier Protein Shake OR half a Premier Protein Bar. The protein shakes have 30g Protein, 160 Calories, 1g Sugar, Low Fat, and 24 Vitamins & Minerals, while the snack shakes, which weren't in the box, have 18g Protein, 100 Calories, 1g Sugar, Low Fat, and 24 Vitamins & Minerals. The protein bars have 30g Protein, 3g Fiber, and good sources of Calcium. All of these products sounded great, perfect for a tough workout. I was nervous though, to replace something that I know works, with something that I've never tried before, however, I eventually gave it a shot.

Unfortunately, I wasn't pleased with the taste of the vanilla shake - it tasted chalky, and while the chocolate one tasted better, I don't think I would buy these to drink after a workout. When I'm done with a workout, I want something refreshing, light, and packed with protein to help my body heal after pushing it to the limits. While the protein shake was packed with protein, it wasn't appealing to my taste buds, at all. My brother on the other hand, knew what to expect with protein shakes, and said that's how most of them taste. There were also a ton of ingredients that I couldn't even pronounce if I tried, which gave me an uneasy feeling, since I literally had no idea what I was drinking.

The protein bars tasted a little better, but I still probably wouldn't choose these bars over the less ingredient bars that I'm used to. Tasting these and reading the ingredients in them definitely made me want to start making my own protein bars, so I know exactly what's in them. Out of all of the bars {chocolate peanut butter, double chocolate crunch, and yogurt peanut crunch}, I think my favorite was the yogurt peanut crunch.

Now, I'm not a pro at protein shakes or bars by any means - I haven't tried all that many brands, so I really didn't know what to expect, maybe they're all like Premier Protein - filled with ingredients I can't name with an indistinguishable taste. I would definitely tell other people to try them because they might like them; they just weren't right for me.

I am thankful that I was able to try these protein bars - Thank you Premier Protein! I'll definitely be willing to try your other products, and expand my protein shake and bar horizons!

Has anyone ever tried Premier Protein shakes or bars? What did you think? Do you have another protein shake or bar that you absolutely love? Tell me which one! 

Want to learn more about Premier Protein?

Website: Premier Protein

Facebook: Premier Protein

Twitter: Premier Protein

YouTube: Premier Protein

*All of the above opinions are my own. Premier Protein didn't compensate me or ask that I write a review, I simply wrote one because I wanted to. 

Steak 'n Shake

Whenever I would visit my family in Florida, I would make sure that I stopped at Steak 'n Shake while I was down there because unfortunately, there were none in or near New Jersey. I would always get the same thing while I was there - the steak burger, fries, and a cookie dough shake. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am obsessed with all things cookie dough - ice cream, cookie batter, shakes... everything. The steak burgers are cooked perfectly, the fries are thin and crispy, and the cookie dough shakes are to die for.

Maybe it was a good thing that the only way I could eat a burger and fries was if I was headed to Florida, that way I wasn't tempted to eat it all of the time. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on the way you look at it, they built a Steak 'n Shake in NYC, and while I tried to plan many trips out there, I was never able to go. It wasn't until months later that I found out that they had put a Steak 'n Shake in a nearby mall in NJ! I was psyched, okay maybe psyched isn't the best word... I was beyond psyched, just ask my boyfriend. I immediately told him we needed to go, and eventually we did! I was so excited, but so nervous that it wouldn't taste just as good as I had remembered it in Florida. We ordered, sat down, and when we took our first bite it didn't taste the same... it tasted better! The shake had to be my favorite part by far.

Now I don't eat burgers and fries all that often because I'm usually eating lean, clean, and green, and a burger with fries and a shake definitely isn't great for you, but everything is okay in moderation! Sal and I sat there and savored our meals, and then afterwards we walked around the mall. It was great being able to spend time with him, enjoy a meal and then 'workout' without even realizing it, afterwards. It would have been worse if we ate and then went home and laid around. I'd consider our night successful, and I haven't been tempted to go back there in the weeks that followed, but writing this post makes me want to go back, at least for the shake!

While I don't recommend eating at fast food restaurants, I do recommend at least trying Steak 'n Shake if there's one in your area. Just don't let it become a daily or weekly occurrence. Remember - everything in moderation.

The Secret Year: Book Review

This was another book that I borrowed from my friend, and I'm glad I borrowed it instead of buying it because I was not impressed. I usually fall in love with the characters and the story line of most of the books I read, because I know what I like when I read the back of the books. The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard was not a book I'd recommend to anyone - it was short and the story line was weak. I thought the story could have been written better because the plot was rather interesting... a secret relationship, one dies and leaves a journal and the other is figuring out what their relationship really meant. Unfortunately, it was just a terrible version of Romeo and Juliet.

Synopsis According to Barnes&Noble:

Colt and Julia were secretly together for a year, and no one ever knew, not even Julia's boyfriend. Why would they-they were from two different crowds. Julia lived in her country club world and Colt . . . didn't. Then Julia dies in a car accident. Colt is devastated but can't mourn openly, and he's tormented that he may have played a part in her death. And when Julia's journal ends up in his hands, he is forced to relive their year together-just when he is trying to forget. The problem is, how do you get over someone who was never really yours to begin with?


My Review:

The beginning of this book started off great, a secret love in high school between two people on the opposite sides of the economic ladder in town. Julia, being the rich girl, and Colt, being the boy that lived on the farm. While Julia had a boyfriend for show, she was secretly having a love affair with Colt. When Julia dies, Colt is unable to get over it, even though he tries to push it out of his mind, and tries to cover his pain with not one girlfriend, but eventually another one. It sounds like a great story, an intense love between two young individuals, but the author was unable to provide readers with exactly that. I think Hubbard could have had a much better story out of this plot, but it was really poorly executed. I honestly could have gone by in life without having read this book, and I would've been fine. Luckily, it was short so it wasn't a waste of too much time. I don't recommend this book, unless you're looking for a quick read. 

My Rating: 1 Star