Let’s be real in saying that the conference I attended wasn’t the only awesome part of being up in NYC this week. It WAS NYC, of course!! And, what more could you want?! I spent my time gallivanting NYC streets, delighting in boutique shops, sipping fun cocktails along the way and snapping the occasional Times Square/Rockefeller Center selfie… but, my personal favoriteeeee …
I MADE IT TO THE PELOTON NYC STUDIO for my very first IN STUDIO CLASS. EVER. !!!!
From the second I walked in the door, they made me feel like I belonged there – – as if I was family and had been there at least eight times in the past month.
I was quickly given my shoes, assigned a bike (IN THE FRONT ROW, of course) and guided to the I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E. locker room, filled with every toiletry you could ever imagine you’d ever need – haha! FOR REAL though. Not to mention, I felt especially spoiled and delighted that both water and a towel were prearranged for me, upon arrival at my bike in the studio! Like – – WOW, Peloton fam !!!
My class with Alex Toussaint made me sweat more than ever before and I loved all the members’ excitement of having a “real-life ‘in-home rider’ (their phrase, not mine LOL) in their class” Hahaha I didn’t even know that was a “thing.”
My trip ended with crashing my amazing NYC cousin’s bachelor pad and grabbing a quick bite of sush with him before I jumped back on the steam engine, headed to the good ol’ 410.
P.S. …. I mighthave indulged in a little photo shoot fun while I was waiting for him to get out of work…. hahaha a bored girl’s gotta do, what a bored girl’s gotta do!
I swear his Corgi pup, Joe, took the photos !!!
<<see the video below>>
<< keep your face always to the sunshine and shadows will follow behind you >>
<< a little quality reading on ‘how to stay alive in the woods’ >>
Finally catching up after this past whirlwind of bachelorette activities for one of my lovely besties. And – when I say whirlwind… I mean WHIRLWIND. They weren’t kidding when they nicknamed Chicago “the windy city.” Let’s be honest – I immediately gave up hope of having anywhere near picture perfect hair for the weekend and quickly welcomed my female blowout – literally.
Kicking off the festivities with a bright and shiny 8AM flight, we hit the town upon arrival. First stop – FOOD. Courtesy of our concierge, we were directed to a quaint little spot – Mercadito! Locals raved about their award winning tacos, signature guacamole, killer margaritas and cozy, ethnic atmosphere. Not to mention their expansive mezcal list!! The food was to DIE for and reasonably priced for the mega-Mexican portions you receive!
Psst – my entire outfit is from Amazon! Scroll down for deets & links!
Afterwards, like any typical tourists, we raced to Millennium Park to see Cloud Gate, or as most may more popularly know it – The Bean. This 110-ton egg-shaped sculpture is forged of a continuous smooth surface of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect Chicago’s famous skyline and the clouds above. After endless selfies and groups shots, we ventured home to clean up for dinner at 312 Chicago.
312 Chicago was… incredible! Priding itself on its house made pastas and fresh seafood, they also had an extensive wine list with highlighted Rose options (my favorite!) and extraordinarily welcoming staff and atmosphere. I opted for their Ippoglosso, or Roasted Halibut, that came beautifully decorated with cauliflower puree, watercress, red onion, fava beans, roasted cauliflower, pancetta, and olive oil. YUM!! The portions were perfect and left each of us ladies with pleasantly filled tummies.
Fast forward – I can’t even tell you the last time I went clubbing, but we had A BALL at ROOF atop The Wit hotel, where we stayed. Pop the bubbly, cause this beautiful lady is getting married in t-minus 36 days !!! There was dancing, cheersing, dancing and even more cheersing the night away. The staff made it a truly incredible and amazing night for all of us and our bride-to be!
P.S. The theme of the night was navy dresses (as that’s our bride-to-be’s favorite color). I literally panicked because I own nothing navy!! BUT – found this adorbs little satiny number on Amazon – even came with Prime delivery!
Saturday morning! Rise and… shine?! I dressed in my Saturday pool party best, only to look out the window and see… rain. Rain, rain and more rain. But, that didn’t stop our positive outlook and high expectations for fun. This was a bachelorette party, after all! We ventured off to Shore Club Chicago for cabana brunch! While the rain hindered the cabana festivities slightly, this place made us feel like true celebs! Not to mention, there’s definitellyyyy something in the shrimp in Chicago – they. were. GIANORMOUS!!
P.S. my best kept secret of awesome monogrammed items! I received this lovely little number in my monthly Monobox subscription with i love jewelry! It’s only $21.95/month and you get one personalized, monogrammed item + TWO fabulous surprise items! Check it out here!
Saturday day was the first time we actually got to go out and explore – with NO jackets and NO umbrellas! It was a beautiful day exploring the Chicago Riverwalk, visiting City Winery, having dinner at The Hampton Social, and subsequent bar hopping all around The Chicago Loop to end the trip.
Alright y’all… this post has been long enough (serious props to you if you made it this far !!) … thanks for checking it out 😉
Keep on keepin it real, Chicago. I know us girls had a blast !!!
Tuesday marked the official close of the weekend of The Greenwalds! We spend a long, fun-filled, laughing, celebrating, boating, toasting, cheers-ing, crazy hot and humid weekend in Deep Creek Lake, MD for my baby sister’s wedding.
It was awesome joining our new family for a lovely dinner atop the second story deck outside of the Will O’ The Wisp: Ace’s Run Restaurant & Pub. I mean seriously – check out that view!! Followed by an evening lake walk and lakeside picturesque photos (and much weekend kick off celebrating and bonding 😉 ).
I snagged this cute little romper number from one of my favorites – REVOLVE.
Friday: BOAT DAY! Although we didn’t have a ton of time the day of the rehearsal dinner, it would pretty much be a sin in my family if we didn’t make it out on the boat. I literally never get sick of this place!
Cue Friday evening into Saturday evening: Start the blur… From rehearsal, to rehearsal dinner, to day of, to evening of the wedding, it’s hard to keep up with all the beautiful details. Casey (my sister) and her fiancé (Shaun) could not have picked a more perfect venue. Nestled out in the peaceful, mountain countryside of Deep Creek, sits Chanteclaire Farm. A truly unique, beautiful and intimate setting. From her dress, to her veil, to her shoes and something blue, everything was absolutely textbook!
This past weekend, I joined girlfriends for my very first class at The Bar Method that just opened up locally here in Locust Point, MD. I didn’t know what to expect – I was excited, nervous, anxious and eager, apprehensive and fired up all at the same time for trying something new! Most recently, I haven’t been expanding my workouts beyond our Peloton and mini-gym in our building, so I thought it would be a great time and opportunity to mix up my routine! PLUS – your first class is FREE, so you REALLY have no excuse 😉
When I walked in, I was greeted with bright, smiling faces that made me genuinely feel like they couldn’t be happier I was there to join them for a workout. It was a packed class, nearly 20 girls, so at least I didn’t feel like all eyes were on me. In typical fashion of having no clue what I was doing or getting myself into, I retreated to the back so I could watch what everyone did in front of me. The class started with a warm-up, upper-body exercises and push-ups in the middle of the room, followed by a sequence of leg and seat work at the barre and core exercises on the floor. The class was challenging, yet simple – using your own bodyweight for resistance along with a few basic props – free weights, mats and a ball.
The instructors were immensely helpful, regularly rounding the room and adjusting individuals for proper form and gave frequent encouragement when you were doing something right – they even made it an effort to know everyone’s name prior to the class! A super awesome, personal touch. I really, REALLY enjoyed the class!
I most definitely will be back – ESPECIALY because, for a limited time, they’re offering a new client monthly special unlimited for just $99!!
Long story short, if you’ve been eyeing this new gem, I highly recommend checking it out!! At the very least, it’s a free, fun, productive, and social way to start your Saturday morning with some girlfriends! After all, who doesn’t love a few air humping exercises for your tush first thing on a Saturday?! And, I promise you… the muscles you’re not aware you have in places you never knew existed will thank you!!!
P.S. Who says you can’t look cute during your workouts on a budget? My full outfit here is straight from Amazon and less than $45!!
