Goshen Girls Getaway Part II

Well this is much belated!  Things have been crazy busy, in a very good way.  Started my new job full time, finished up my internship and picked up the boyfriend from his 3 month work trip!  The last week has been full of work, checking out the bf’s new house projects, and getting myself ready for GRADUATION!  Which is today.  I can’t believe the big day is finally here.  But back to the Goshen recap #2….and I should also add that one of the lovely ladies from this trip just got engaged!!! Congratulations Stephen and Elizabeth!  The first of our Holy Cross group to get married…to say we’re excited is an understatement <3

Our first full day started with breakfast made by Justine, and of course some mimosas!

 

The perfect start to our adventure!  You’ve already heard about the dairy farm….after that we went to a vineyard (our lovely bride to be is to my left wearing the orange necklace…she will make a beautiful bride!).

 

We decided to do the wine tasting, of course.  Each person gets their own menu and circles five wines to try.  They were also featuring their new wine, Shades of Risque, which we all were able to try as well.

 

All of the wines were delicious, although the new sparkling wine was definitely my favorite. I was very excited because after the wine tasting, you can bring home your glass.  What a fun way to remember the day.  I think with all the fun we had there may be many more glasses in our future.

What is that slushy looking beverage on the bar, you ask?  Well that is a Merlita!!!  A delicious red wine and lemon slushy which we absolutely loved.  It was so refreshing…I wish they had told us their secret recipe!

We ordered a couple of bottles of wine, and few Merlita’s, and headed out to the deck area to relax and enjoy some apps.  If you are ever in the area I highly recommend Sunset Meadow Vineyards for a fun girls day or day date.

When we got back to the house it was time for cocktail hour..and Justine turned the above ingredients into a deliciously refreshing beverage!

 

They were such a fun color and tasted like summer.  Next up we played a superlatives card game for hours while munching on a variety of apps…

 

Proscuitto and cheese…might be my favorite things to eat, ever.  May or may not have had it for breakfast the next day too…

 

Nicole’s famous guac…creamy and so flavorful.  It’s always a huge hit..  Maddy also made buffalo chicken up but it was the first thing we put out and it was gone within minutes…hence the lack of a photo ; )

 

Oh and we also enjoyed some pink champagne.  We had such a fun weekend, it is always great to catch up and spend time together.  I hope that there are many more Goshen weekends in our future.  xo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goshen Girls Getaway-Part 1

I spent the past weekend in Goshen, CT with my lovely Holy Cross girls.  Justine’s family has an amazing lake house and it is the perfect place for a girls getaway.  On Saturday, we started out by going to the farm.

 

The farm was very clean and the cows are award-winning!

 

They were just doing their thing, chewing hay and sleeping like we weren’t even there.

 

We asked one of the farmers to take a group pic, but he had never used an iPhone before : )  So we of course resorted to a group selfie!

After we got our fill of the cows, we headed a little further away to the farm’s creamery and got some sweet treats!

I decided to try mint chip it was some of the best ice cream I’ve had in a while!  And we also got some delicious cheese to enjoy later on.

More to come later xoxo

 

 

Introducing…

Daisy!  The newest member of our fam <3

 

She LOVES to cuddle.

 

She also loves to chill outside.

 

Oh and snooze, a lot.  We already love her oh so much. More to come about her later. xo

Exercise Recap

Things are just starting to feel normal around here again, although I hesitate to even say that.  There is still a lot to be done, people who have a long recovery ahead and families and friends mourning the losses of loved ones.  I found myself falling out of routine during all of this and I am working hard to get back on track!  And also trying to remember to appreciate all the small things in life : )

So I have to admit, I had a rough week last week and I’m not going to be able to hit 26/30…things have been a little crazy lately and it feels good to get back into a routine…I also am having a little trouble remembering some of the days because I haven’t been writing it down, but here is a rough outline of what I’ve been up to!

Week 2:

Sun: Zumba

Mon: Zumba

Tues: Jillian Abs

Weds: off 

Thurs: off

Friday: walk

Saturday: off

Week 3:

Sunday: off

Monday: off

Tuesday: Kettleball and arms

Wednesday: Kettleball and arms

Thursday: Jillian’s Yoga meltdown

Friday: ?!  This might seem weird but with everything that went down Friday night I can’t remember…I think I did Kettleball and arms again, but its all starting to blur together!

Saturday: Kettleball and arms

At this point, you can see that I’ve used more than my “alotted” days off, I have decided that I will try to work out every day, for at least 15 min, for the rest of the month.  I am really enjoying the Kettleball and you can get in a great workout in a short period of time.  I’ve been using this link and there is a printable workout to use once you mastered the moves.  I also discovered this great arm workout through pinterest that doesn’t use any weights, check it out here.

Well I’m off to watch the pilot of Sons of Anarchy…I’ve heard great things.  xo

 

Birthday Love

Well, it’s official.  I’m closer to 30 than 20!  Ahhh.  I’m feeling happy and loved, and just a bit older than I did last week.

I shared these the other night, but they are too beautiful not to feature again.  I missed my boyfriend of course, but he still made me feel special <3

My wonderful bff Gwen planned a really fun dinner party with my closest friends, two words: pizza themed.  We had a blast and the pizzas were quite creative.

 

 

Yes, we had a McDonald’s themed pizza.  It was actually quite delicious!  And Gwen made the BEST. DESSERT. EVER.  Cookie dough filled cupcakes..

 

They were so incredibly good, and took quite a bit of work for her, so thank you : )

I am very thankful to have such wonderful friends and family <3 xoxo

 

Green Tea Lemonade

Green tea lemonade…aka my new obsession!  I ordered it on a whim at Starbucks recently and have been craving it ever since.  So I decided to make my own.

The above picture shows all the ingredients you need!  I filled the pitcher with hot water up to about the one quart line.  I chose Red Goji and Raspberry, hoping for a sweeter tea.

I added four tea bags and let them steep for about ten minutes.  Next, I filled the pitcher with an equal amount of cold water and removed the tea bags.  

Serve over ice with a splash of lemonade to sweeten.  So refreshing and delicious.

I have enjoyed several glasses since and I am excited to play around with the recipe to see if I can make it any better!

 

I tried to give up coffee a few weeks ago, or at least take a break, but I couldn’t because I had no replacement.  Green tea has caffeine, although not as much as coffee, so it’s much easier than going cold turkey!  And it’s much cheaper than an ice coffee a day : )

Boston

As someone who has lived just North of Boston almost my entire life, this tragedy has hit very close to home.  Many of my close friends and family members were in the city yesterday, and luckily none of them were harmed.  My thoughts and prayers go out those directly affected <3  I’m trying to focus on all the good that has come out of such an evil act.  Boston is a resilient and amazing city and will come out stronger.

Last night I couldn’t bear to drag myself away from the TV and go to Zumba, so I stayed in bed and in touch with loved ones instead.  I’ve given myself a lot of excuses lately not to take the time I need for myself to be healthy and well-rested.  I am reminded just how short and precious our time may be and I am more motivated than ever to take care of myself and to show love for the people I care about. xo