Weather Woes

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Outfit Details: Sunnies: Old Navy; Scarf: TJ Maxx; Vest: Old Navy; Belt: Old Navy; Top: Lands' End Canvas; Shorts: Levi's; Flats: Thrifted; Purse: Talbot's (Thrifted)

I don't know about the rest of you, but we've been experiencing some weird weather in Boston recently. First, there were several days when the temperature remained around a cool 65 degrees (which I absolutely loved), followed by several days when the temperature climbed to around 100 degrees (which I absolutely hated).

I barely left my apartment & certainly didn't get dressed in anything remotely stylish on those hot days, so today I'm sharing a few photos that were obvi taken on one of the cooler days we had last week. I love me some spring layering!

I wore this outfit for big brunch with B, my sister & her boyfriend, and a couple of my cousins. We went to Zoe's in Harvard Square. It was amazing.



First off, the menu was huge. Even when I decided I wanted an omelet, I was left with almost an entire page of delicious choices.



I finally chose the Tuscan omelet, which was stuffed full of sundried tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and avocado. It was huge & fabulous, as you can probably tell from the photo.

Best of Boston: Boston Duck Tours

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Ever since my first visit to Boston a few years ago, I've wanted to take a Duck Tour. Even after I moved to Boston, my desire continued. Hubby would never oblige me by going with me (too touristy, he said), so my friend Ally & I decided to take a Duck Tour together, partly as a reward for finishing finals & our first year of law school. We went last Friday & had an absolute blast!

First, let me explain what a Duck Tour is for those of you who may be unfamiliar with the concept: it's a historical tour of Boston that takes place using World War II replica amphibious vehicles, known as Ducks. You heard right. Amphibious. That means part of the tour takes place on land, and part of the tour takes place in the water.

The tour begins on land, where you see & learn about many of the most interesting buildings & places around the city, including various churches and the new & old State Houses, all which you can see below.






As you see each site, you also hear stories about its history & fun facts from an informative & entertaining guide. For unfamiliar tourists, this tour provides an excellent survey of the city's major landmarks. For the familiar Bostonian, this tour gives a deeper understanding & appreciation of the city. Ally & I were both shocked by all of the new information we learned - especially because we consider ourselves to be pretty savvy Bostonians! 




After the land leg of the tour, the Duck hits the water of the Charles River. The informative tour continues here, but the real highlight is the spectacular view of the Boston & Cambridge skylines. Unless you're lucky enough to own your own boat, there's no other way to experience the city this way. It's truly breathtaking!







So, yes, Duck Tours may be a bit touristy. But they're also interesting, informative, and so much fun - for tourists & natives alike!






Disclosure: Boston Duck Tours provided me with a complimentary ticket for the tour. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Summer Dress(ing)

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Outfit Details: Sunnies: Steve Madden (Macy's); Dress: Buffalo Exchange; Clutch: Thrifted; Sandals: Forever 21

On warmer days, I, like most people, try to keep my outfits as simple as possible. That's why, in the summer season, cute dresses are my go-to. This dress is my most recent acquisition, and I'm a little bit obsessed. It's loose & flowy, cool & comfy. Plus, it has a fabulous pattern & fabulous colors, which make it super easy & fun to accessorize. Here, I added my favorite red clutch & some yellow nails for a day B & I spent at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. I'll be posting more about my day there next week!

Foodie Friday: Lemony Potato, Broccoli, and Goat Cheese Salad

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As some of you may know, I moved into a new apartment on Wednesday. I haven't had time to unpack my kitchen, but I didn't want to postpone the Foodie Friday fun! Krystle, who blogs at Fashion & a Cup of Tea, generously offered to provide one of her favorite recipes (from BBC Good Food) for today's post. Krystle blogs about feminine fashion & yummy teas, and once she gets her oven sorted out, you'll be able to find some great baking recipes on her website too! Be sure to check out her blog - and try her yummy recipe too!
The summer season calls for gorgeous salads—it's pretty much a requirement. Now is the perfect time to create colorful & healthy meals, adding a bit of sass to your usual greens. I found a delicious salad recipe that's perfect to add as a side dish or to eat as a main meal.



Ingredients:

• 500g bag new potatoes
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• zest and juice 1 lemon
• 1 broccoli head, cut into florets
• 200g green beans, trimmed
• 20g pack dill, leaves roughly chopped
• 100g goat's cheese
• 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes for 12-15 minutes until tender. (You could also opt to roast them in the oven for 20 minutes at 420F if you like them a bit crispier like me). Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain well, then place in a serving bowl with the oil, lemon zest and juice. Leave to cool.
2. Add the broccoli and beans to the pan of boiling water. Cook for 4 minutes until tender but still with some bite. Drain, then cool under cold running water.
3. Stir the drained broccoli and beans into the cooled potatoes with the dill and some seasoning (salt and black pepper will do). Break the goat's cheese into chunks and scatter over with the pine nuts.  
4. Enjoy!

Salem Pride Day

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Hat: can't rememberSunnies: Ray-Ban (Husband's)Purse: Fossil (Macy's)Dress: BCBG Max AzriaSandals: Gap
Many of you probably already know that B & I moved to Salem last week. We're still in the process of unpacking & getting settled, but we're also trying to have some fun & explore our new home. On Saturday, we attended our first Salem event, the Salem Pride Day parade & festival. I don't want to get too political on the ol' blog, so I'm just going to share some of my favorite photos from the day & say that B & I had a blast.

Monday Motivations - Smile....

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Source: bitsotruth.blogspot.com via Melanie on Pinterest
I have been dealing with a lot lately - a layoff, the subsequent job search, some personal things and this ever-lasting head/chest cold...so the reminder to smile today is beyond welcomed and I am going to think of all the things that make me smile daily, and have made me smile bigger than words in the past.

Things like finishing my first marathon (and hoping not last), which Julia reminded me of this morning...
In the spirit of smiling and having fun...I have also signed up for Amanda's new 30-day challenge, to have FUN


So I am going to remember to smile, laugh and just have fun - because there will always be challenges and negativity, but the strong persevere and overcome to find the light.

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Healthy Soups, Luna Fun, and Getting Back into Shape!

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Ok, so the head/chest cold is subsiding (thanks to a Z*pack and some meds to help me sleep through the night without leaving both lungs on the floor) and I'm starting to get some more energy lasting throughout the day, and motivation to expend that energy in more active ways (lifting the remote and mug of tea is no longer on my sufficient exercise list).  I have been experimenting with some barre classes lately (which I don't think are exactly my thing, but they definitely get me doing more squats and core work), got in a semi-long run, and have been looking daily for new gym classes to explore.

I have also been trying to figure out ways to cook using only the items in my pantry (which are plentiful, believe me) and the produce I am getting in my Boston Organics box, especially since I will be leaving on a work/fun vacation this weekend (more on that below) and want to use as much of the goodies as possible - seriously hate wasting food!

Which brings me to my three things Thursday....

1. Healthy Soups: In an attempt to use the pile of organic yellow onions growing by the week, and my most recent delivery of organic sweet potatoes and apples, I decided to make myself some sweet potato/apple soup.  I looked at a few recipes online, but wasn't in the mood for a big elaborate recipe, so I just winged it!!


Curry Sweet Potato & Apple Soup (vegetarian, vegan)
Serves: 2 (dinner) 4 (starter or side)

• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 small/medium yellow onion (sliced thinly)
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 dash salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon (plus dash to garnish)
• 1 Large sweet potato
• 1 medium/large apple (I used organic empire)
• 1/2 15-oz. can chickpeas (rinsed)
• 3/4 quart of veggies or chicken broth (I used organic chicken broth because that is what I had open)
• optional: 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Begin by heating up the coconut oil in a medium sized pot.  Add onions and cook until tender, then mix in curry powder, salt and cinnamon.  While the onions are cooking, wash, peel, and dice your sweet potato and apple.  Once the onions and spices are combined, add in the sweet potatoes, apple, and chickpeas - pour the broth to just cover the veggies. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20-25 minutes (the potatoes and apples will become very soft).  Remove from heat and puree in a blender or food processor until fully combined and smooth.  If using, mix in nutritional yeast (to add a little thickness and cheesy hint to the soup).  Pour into bowls, sprinkle with cinnamon and serve immediately.
I topped mine with some organic pea shoots (also from my produce box) that I sauteed in garlic and olive oil for about 5 - 8 minutes.
2. Luna fun: Tomorrow morning I will be flying out to California for the annual Luna Chix Summit, our in Berkeley, CA (closer to Clifbar headquarters than San Francisco).  Last year was my first experience with this event (and with the team!), and I couldn't believe how much fun this was, how well run it was, and how much Clifbar & Co. care about their employees, athletes, and consumers!
Summit is made up of two and half days of fun, activities, clinics, good food, and lots of Luna products :)  It is a time when we get to meet the other Luna Chix teams from across the country and sports (Luna supports not only Run teams, but also Mountain Bike and Tri teams).  As a member of a Run Team, I will be getting in a lot of info on run form, running nutrition, as well as some speed workouts on the track and longer run through Berkeley on Sunday before summit ends.

Jessie, Emma and I hanging out with two new friends we met at summit last year

Last year I was able to meet so many incredible women, including the Luna Chix Pro-athletes, pick up some valuable nutrition information to keep my energy stable and efficient, and hear the stories about how the The Breast Cancer Fund is impacting lives and cancer prevention research.

I will miss Emma this summit, but I have a whole season to make up for it with her :)

I cannot wait for tomorrow morning to get here - as this year I won't only be enjoying all of the above, but I will also be picking up a special session that has to pertain with my role on the Boston Luna Chix Run team this season (I will explain next week, but I am very excited about this opportunity and it is right up my ally in terms of passion and interest - it also might be helpful for some of you guys too!).
On Sunday, Jessie, Ashley, Julia and I will head to Sonoma for a phenomenal wine tasting experience, then head back to San Fran for some sight seeing before catching a red-eye home Tuesday night - so incredibly excited!! Work Hard, Play Hard - am I right?!
3. Getting Back into Shape:  Something I didn't think I would have to say I was doing after my last knee injury this past fall/winter, but I have taken a big endurance/energy hit with my wrist injury (no upper body work for a month), layoff fogginess, that then was replaced by a head/chest cold.  My typical paces have been a struggle to maintain, and my perception of distance while running has greatly altered (5 miles feels like a mini-marathon).  I have to take more breathers and stretch breaks while running shorter distances, which can really deflate your running mojo.
This week I did a lot of reflection on this, and realize that two weeks of sniffling and coughing can really do a number on your breathing and ability to stabilize heart-rate during workouts - I know this is not my fault, and it is not permanent.  I will get back into shape, it just might be a little slower than intended.  My hip has been giving me some pain, but I know it is because I am trying to interlace increased strength training with increased running too quickly after a period of less activity, so I am resting and taking care of it - stopping when I need to.  I am becoming a smarter athlete, which I intend to use to my advantage while getting my mileage back up, my paces back up, and my mental well-being back up.
I have nothing that I am actively training for, so I need to let go of my competitive mentality just a little for right now, and accept where I am at, and reach for where I want to be. I will enjoy my running for fun with friends or on my own, I will push it where I know I can push it (and where it doesn't hurt my legs or breathing) and my fitness will return, as long as I continue to have faith in that.
---------------------------------------------------------------------What's your favorite soup combo?
I have enjoyed most soup combos I have come across to be honest - I really love a flavorful lentil or butternut squash though :)
Any idea what I will be learning at summit that has me so excited?!