Pushups, Pasta, & Pinot Grigio

Hi Friends and Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great time celebrating and the transition back into the work week isn’t too bad.

Yesterday we took down our tree and put away all our decorations. It was pretty depressing. 😦

I’m always super bummed out when Christmas comes to an end, but once New Year’s is over and the tree comes down, reality sets in. Oh well, that’s the way it goes. The good news is, AJ and I just booked a trip to New Orleans for our 1 year anniversary this spring! It will be my first time there and I’m pretty excited to explore, and eat all the food.

New Year’s Eve

Our New Year’s Eve was pretty low-key, as I had mentioned earlier.

As we did last year, we went to La Mirabelle for dinner, a local French restaurant. To be honest, AJ and I were both a bit disappointed in our dinner. We started off by sharing a Lobster Bisque and fresh Oysters. I enjoyed the soup, but was not very impressed by the oysters. They were a bit too big, chewy, and briny.

For our entrees, AJ went with the Roast Duckling and I chose the Red Snapper with a horseradish crust. Once again, it was alright.

As predicted, we were the youngest couple in the restaurant by at least 30 years! So that’s pretty funny. It’s been a fun tradition these past 2 years, but looking forward to switching it up a bit this next NYE.

After dinner we made our way back home where I promptly put on sweats for the night. We popped a bottle of champagne before heading down to our neighbors’ apartment (who were friends of ours before we moved into our building), and that’s how we rang in the new year!

New Year’s Day

I decided to start New Year’s Day off on the right foot with a Jillian Michaels workout. You never regret a workout, right? Trust me, I definitely felt like being lazy but I figured that wasn’t the best decision.

After getting our day started, we set off for Hoboken to meet up with my friends Amanda and Jill (and their guys). Amanda and I went to college together, and Jill and I used to be roommates when I first moved to NYC.  A few years ago Jill moved back to Pennsylvania with her fiancé. The three of us always have a blast together, so it’s great when Jill comes back to town!

We met at Onieals for brunch and spent the afternoon reminiscing, laughing, and talking about our plans for the year ahead.

Green Monster Smoothie

I’m not big on making set New Year’s resolutions, but I do always try to use this time of year to refocus and regroup on my healthy eating and fitness.

This week I’ve been getting back into my morning smoothie routine and turned to one of my favorites. I found this recipe on the Iowa Girl Eats blog awhile ago and always keep it handy to replicate or alter depending on what I have in the house. It is super tasty and full of nutrients and vitamins. You don’t even taste the veggies!

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
• 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter
•  1 frozen, sliced banana
• 4 handfuls baby spinach (approximately)

Directions:

Throw all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Well, I’m off to Phoenix this morning for a work trip. My blogging might be a bit sporadic this week as a result, but I’ll be sure to check in from time to time. See you from the desert!