Friday Favorites

Happy Happy FriYAY!

How has everyone's week been going?  Mine has been a crazy one, with the end of vacation and trying to get everything ready for back to school, plus some fun end of summer activities.  More on those things later :)  Also, happy Women's Equality Day!  Shout out to all of the women who have made this world a more equal and wonderful place for all of us!  Another shout out to all the women who continue to fight the good fight everyday to ensure equality, safety, and health for each and every one of us.

To keep with tradition, let's discuss some Friday Favorites!

1.)  The return of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Making The Team 11 

Who else is pumped about the return of this show??  It is one of my favorite shows and I fully cop to binge watching old episodes all zee time!  (I may or may not have the DVR set to record ANY & ALL episodes)  Since Amanda lives 3 states away, we have virtual wine dates with each other and will FaceTime or text through the episode.  Since I'm trying to detox from vacation, I had a scrumptious green juice and Amanda had some Barefoot.  The show was awesome!  I'm cheering for Kyndell, Jenna, Amy, and Tasha.

2.)  First Women by Kate Andersen Brower

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This book is fabulous!  Where was it when I was writing my thesis 3 years ago?  **Oh God, did I really graduate from college THREE YEARS AGO?**  I have a not so secret fascination with the first ladies and I can't put this book down.  It's non-fiction, but it reads like a novel.  Brower spoke with lots of past and current White House workers, East Wing staffers, friends, and family members of past and current first ladies.  I'm hooked!  I read it on the cruise and it was an amazing read.  I'm about 1/3 done and I can't wait to finish it!

3.) Strawberry Daiquiris!

Ok, confession time.  I haven't had a daiquiri in years.  Usually when I go out for a drink I order something low-cal like a tequila and seltzer with lime, but on the cruise I basically said screw it!  I got a daiquiri for the last 3 nights of the cruise and it reminded me of all of the good times in college.  They taste like you are 22 and have zero cares in the world!

4.)  MASSAGES!

On the cruise I decided to treat myself to a massage.  I got a scalp, foot, and full body massage.  It was heaven.  My masseuse deserves a special place heaven for working the knots out of my calves and back.  I think I left my body and went to heaven in those 75 minutes.

5.)  Horseshoe Bay!

This beach is all that it's cracked up to be.  The pink sand feels like snow it's so soft.  The crystal clear aquamarine water is perfect and you can stand up to your neck and still see the bottom.  There are rocks and caverns in the water that you can explore and play on and in.  I loved this beach and could have stayed there forever.

How gorgeous is this view?

6.)  Nutty Monkey Smoothies

Cruises are not known for their healthy food options, so when we were in Hamilton Bermuda, I found a bakery that made protein smoothies.  I will be recreating this meal this week!  Here's the recipe if ya wanna give it a whirl!

1 banana
1 cup vanilla (Unsweetened) almond mlik
1/2 cup oats
2 T peanut butter
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
handful of ice

*sprinkle with cinnamon and vanilla if you're feeling it*

7.)  New Orleans!  My trip is booked!  I can't wait to see Zach again!  Hello November in NOLA!  I'm looking forward to not sweating my butt off this time.  I also can't wait to take a ghost tour of the Garden District!


Happy FriYAY!  I wish everyone a great weekend full of fun!  I have a concert and a baseball game coming up this weekend.  I'm teaching Zumba in addition to my usual Total Body Blast class.  What are you all up to this weekend?

XOXO,

e

Friday Favorites Olympics Edition

Happy FriYAY!

How is everyone doing?!  Sorry I've been MIA, I've been trying to get back into the swing of normalcy over here after 3 weeks of weddingstravaganzas!  Raise a wedding cake covered fork if you're ready to have a weekend free of weddings?!

Not that I don't love weddings, but I'm ready to breathe and have a peaceful low key weekend.  However, I can't wait to show you the pictures from Kate's shower and her bachelorette party!

Is everyone watching the Olympics?  I'm not a huge Olympics fan **put down the pitchforks lol** but I've watched a few of the competitions.  Gymnastics...obviously!   A little bit of swimming (Ryan Lochte's blue hair doesn't impact how cute he is) and some beach volleyball.

In traditional Friday Fashion here are my favorites from the week!  Feel free to play along in the comments section.

Botched By Nature- Wednesdays at 9 on E!  I'm obsessed with Botched anyway and when I found out the doctors were going to do another show my plastic surgery obsessed self started to dance!  When I was 2.5 I fell at my swim club and broke open my forehead.  My parents opted to have plastic surgery done to fix my forehead.  I'm so glad they did.  I know that if I didn't have that surgery, I wouldn't be as comfortable with myself as I am now.

This Michael  Phelps picture.

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What a great quote!  I think everyone has gotten caught up in jealousy or envy or self doubt and this picture is a great way to visually understand that it's all BS.  How many times have you played the comparison game?  She's faster than me, she's prettier than me, she's stronger than me.  The list goes on and on, but do those comparisons make you better or improve your skills?  Nope!  They don't help you improve at all.  I think all of that negative self-talk actually makes your performance worse.  So next time you want to compare yourself to someone else, think about this picture.  Phelps is focused on the wall and winning, and Chad Le Clos is focusing on Phelps.  Focus on winning.


Aly Raisman's Parents!

These two crack me up!  How do they not make her even more nervous?  If those were my parents I would ask them not to come because they would make me wayyyyy too nervous :)  They're so funny and it's so obvious that they love their daughter and want her to be successful, but they are hilarious!


Phillies Wall of Fame and Alumni Weekend!

Every August, the Phillies welcome another player to their Wall of Fame.  This year the honor is going to my favorite Philly *drum roll please* Jim Thome!

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Thome was a first basemen for the Phillies who was the #1 home run hitter in the NL in 2003.  He has 612 career home runs, the 7th most in MLB.  

For Christmas in 2003, my dad got me a Thome jersey (in a size Men's XL none the less) and I can't wait to resurrect that jersey for today's game.


First Comes Love by Emily Giffin.  This book is so so so good!  I have read all of her books and love how the different characters from her different books are intertwined.  This book focuses on the relationship between two very different sisters.  The book alternates chapter by chapter between one sister's point of view and the other.  It's a cool way to understand the various points of view while keeping the book fast paced.  I am almost done and I am doing what I always do when I get close to the end of a good book...I put it off.  I try to avoid the book at all costs.  When I lay out I read a few pages then I fall asleep because I don't want to finish the book.  I don't want it to be over because I know I'll miss the book.

Plumcots!  They're baaaaaack!  Plumcots are an apricot/plum hybrid and they're delicious!  They're sweet, but not so much so that they cause the sugar shakes.  I had green plumcots this year, too!  A little bit more tart than the red ones.

Tory Burch Jolie Fleur Bleue Parfum Rollerball

This week I picked up this new perfume for my upcoming cruise.  I wanted something different than my usual Calvin Klein Eternity and since Tory is my fave shoe designer and Philly girl, I decided to try hers.  It was love at first smell.  At a $28 price point, my purse was happy, too!  I love how convenient it is to just roll on and throw it in my clutch and I'm good to go out for the night.  I know it's also strange, but the cap screws on really tight and that makes me smile because I'm confident that the perfume won't get all over my purse.


So those are my favorite things from the week.  What are you all loving?


xoxo,

e

Friday Favorites

Hey All,

How is your FriYAY going so far?  Mine has been crazy busy already.  I started my morning at 4:30 with a 5 mile run, then hit the gym for a schweaty lifting sesh.  I'm getting ready to run to tutoring and then it's shopping for the Florida Georgia Line concert!  I'm going to channel my inner Jessie James tomorrow aka boots, cut offs, and a bandana.

Ra and I have dinner plans in Princeton tonight!  I can't wait to join forces with my partner in crime and college roomie.  I'm introducing Ra to the wonderful world of Indian food tonight!  Ra introduced me to Ed Sheeran (Ra was the first person to hear about him.  I know this for a fact because she used to force me to jam to him in 2010) and Matt Nathanson.  She also introduced me to the actual lyrics of Ozzy's Crazy Train.  #Friendshipgoals

Today for FriYAY Favorites I figured I'd share some things I'm loving as of late!

1.)  Cameron Rupp's Instagram account.  Cam is our catcher and he's hilarious!  He puts up solid numbers a catcher and fill the big cleats of Carlos Ruiz or Philadelphia's beloved CHOOOOOOOOOCH!  Cameron puts up hilarious pictures and captions.  This week he put up a pic of the team wearing American flag onesies.  Hilarious!

2.)  Watermelon.  OMG I think we've eaten a watermelon a week over here this summer.  My favorite morning snack.  Watermelon is a healthy snack because it's 92% water, has loads of vitamins including A, B6, and C.  It also has lycopene and antioxidants!  Healthy and delicious?!  Sign me up! You can read about more of watermelon's benefits here.

3.)  THIS TOP!  I think it's perfect for the FGL concert with the girls tomorrow!  Is anyone else obsessed with denim and white eyelet like me?

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4.) Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.  After seeing the previews for this movie last week I decided I HAD to read the book before I saw the movie.  Well....I'm hooked!  I read it in about 4 days and was obsessed with it!  So good!  You all need to read it.  

5.)  Finding Dory!  Deb, and our two other mother/daughter co-worker friends went to see this movie on Tuesday.  It was everything I hoped it would be!  It gave you all the feels.  It was sweet, hilarious, and heartwarming.  It brought tears of happiness, sadness, and hilarity.  Great movie!  Worth the 13 year wait.

I hope you enjoy the day!  I'm thinking a pool day after the mall is in store.  

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My Favorite Book

Hi Friends,

Happy Saturday!  I'm on my way to Virginia to visit Dylan.  It's crazy that he's already a junior, my baby brother is all grown up.

We're also going to Texas Roadhouse!  #Ihavehighbrowtasteinfood

Much Ado About Nothing was fabulous!  Deb and my Dad thought it was a musical...adorable.  Beatrice is my third favorite literary heroine.  "I will only marry when men are made of a metal other than Earth."  That wit glitter is gold.

I love today's topic.  As a teacher, I am constantly reading and looking for new books.

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wink ;)


 Here is my favorite book.  It's a children's book, because I think the best literature is written for children.

1. Chrysanthemum She is my favorite literary character!  She is wonderful and hilarious!  The book teaches any reading pillar and will illustrate almost any character education policy.  For those of you who don't know about this gem (Get thee to a library...okay, all done with the Shakespeare quotes) Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, is about a mouse-girl named Chrysanthemum who loves her name and has a whole bunch of self-confidence, but then goes to school and this mean girl, Victoria, makes fun of her name and this makes Chrysanthemum wilt.  The book is a quest to build her up, and thanks to a teacher she gets back to her confident self.  At the end of the book, Victoria gets hers.  Can you say karma?

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Gold, my friends, gold!  I'm a big fan of karma :) I love this book because it teaches you not to be a bully and to love your quirks.

I hope you are enjoying your Saturday.  I'm currently en route to Virginia and therefore watching Pitch Perfect and/or Elf.  

Love, Love, Love,

E

A Little Summer Reading

Happy Friday!

I hope you had a bueno week!  I did.  The weekend is upon us my friends!  Last Saturday night was spent in Philly with Ra.  We had a fabulous Girls' Nite in the city.  The saddest part about graduation is that my friends are no longer right down the hall or right around the block. Sad Panda :(

Thank you Melting Pot for the 0 calorie fare ;

For all my teacher friends, Happy Summer!

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I'm a happy snowwoman this week.  I've spent my days soaking up the sun and reading.  God how I have forgotten how much fun reading for pleasure can be.  This summer I have made a pesonal goal of reading one book a week.  Here are a few of my lay-by-the-pool-soon-to-be-reads.

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This is my current read and it's fantastic!  It's about a man with Asperger Syndrome who sets out to find a wife using scientific methods.  It's also hilarious!  It's a quick read (32 pages in an hour what what!)

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Emily Giffin and summer go together like peas and carrots.  You can't go wrong with Ms. Giffin's delightfully flawed characters.  I can't wait to sink my teeth into this one.  Can you say next week?  

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This book is about the woman who coined the term A Diamond is Forever and four subsequent love stories.  Since I love all things wedding I think I will love this!

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Because you have to and I like to read the book before I see the movie :)  Call me old fashioned <3

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I loved The Devil Wears Prada (both the book and movie!  I went to Paris a week after I saw the movie and it was so exciting!)  and I was hoping there would be a sequel!  I've read some other LAuren Weisberger books and she's just a great author!  Her books are juicy and perfect for summer :)

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See The Fault in Our Stars...I need to read the book before I see the movie.  Since I lerve Ben Affleck (I think he will be a great BATMAN!  Haters gonna hate--did you all forget that he played Rafe in Pearl Harbor?), I can't wait to read this and then see the movie!

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Okay, you know I love the Kennedy family (I die for Jackie) and this tome (700+ pages) is the ultimate Kennedy book!  It tells you everything you need to know about everything and anything Kennedy.  I've been reading this book for a year and I've only gotten about 125 pages in.  It's not an easy read but it's good.  I don't think I'll be able to read this straight through.  I'll probably space it out between some fun stuff.

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Good Lord I can't wait to read this!  Being of the romantically challenged breed, I think I'll be able to connect with Katie!  I just think this will be the funniest, best, most real book.  Plus, I love memoirs (because I'm nosy...probably the same reason I love blogs) so I think this will be a sure fire hit.

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Ok, I'm a literature snob and only read the classics.  Didn't believe that did you?

I have a love/hate relationship with The Great Gatsby and I wanted to read more by F. Scott Fitzgerald.    On one hand I think Jay should have manned up and told Daisy how he felt when he had the chance.  Also, if a guy buys the house across the bay from you and throws lavish parties just in hopes of you catching his glowing green light...MOVE!  This man is a creeper.  It's not romantic, it's a felony.  

In all honesty this book does sound good and F. Scott Fitzgerald is a fabulous writer.  Plus it's rumored he wrote this at Princeton and we all know how I feel about Princeton!     

So these are going to be my summer reads!  What are you reading this summer?  Have you read anything that I should read?  I love recommendations!

xoxo,

E

P.S. If anyone is wondering, this blog is supporting Marquel Martin for Bachelor 2015.  The Bachelorette has gotten significantly less classy and hot since his untimely departure.