remember when

….I tweeted at Soul Cycle about newbie specials and then I went to the website and freaked out because they actually now have one? I might have sent Jamie as many exclamation marks in my “GUESS WHAT” instant message (yeah, we instant message… what’s it to ya?!) as if something truly life changing happened. Wait… this is life changing. Cannot wait to try!

….I wanted to cross off Chelsea Brewery from my bucket list, got there, realized it was worse than a Ruby Tuesday (pre-remodeling), and then went golfing instead? Truly did cross it off.

Yep, I'm as good as I look at golf. Mini golf is another story.

…..I let Danny trim my bangs? Back in the day, I allowed Jamie to cut my bangs and vowed never to allow such a tragedy again, however this girl couldn’t see and a straight across trim sounds much easier than brand spankin’ new side bangs.

Nope, Danny doesn't smile.

…..Jamie and I had a full out icon sing along to Dog Days are Over via text?

…..I came across a “Santa’s Snack Shop” on the way home from happy hour and couldn’t stop laughing at how hilarious it was that you just run into a random Santa Snack Shop like it’s no big deal in this city? There were mini cinnabon bites and Hot Dark Chocolate Almond Cocoa. Unreal.

……I thought about how in school the week of holidays used to be all about coloring, Jamie quoted me in a FB status with a grammatically awful sentence, and then I colored my to-do list to look like Turkeys?

Thank God it is now almost Wednesday.

Phew! You probably never knew how many forms of contact I could mention Jamie & I have in one post. (Trust me, there’s more.) Anyway, happy short week and Turkey Day, ya’ll! 😀

three things thursday.. (times two)

Courtney’s three:

1. I inadvertently crossed off some NYC Bucket list things – one of which I didn’t even know should be ON the list.

Top of the Rock is beautiful. The absolute best views. Hands down. I highly recommend it to everyone, even if you’ve lived here for 10 years.

(Although, I am a little biased because I didn’t have to pay. My momma and Uncle came to visit on Saturday, which means I got the mom-star-treatment.)

We accidentally walked through the Central Park Zoo. And I did see a seal. Does this count?

2. I ate a delicious pumpkin cookie today that my co-worker made. She got the recipe from here (she skipped the toffee chips, still so good!) The recipe looks soo simple, so definitely something to keep in mind.

3. My sister is pregnant and it takes all of my will-power not to buy her shirts like this. I also sent her the link to Gina’s cupcake gender reveal and told her I’d bake the cupcakes. Too much…?! 😉 I might be worse than my mother…

Three things from Jamie because I wanted to play the game too:

1. When I get married, I want to wear a dress like this. Or maybe just wear this dress- you think she’ll let me borrow it? That’s not tacky, right? Danny pretends he is not amused by the “when I get married” game. It’s okay D$, I know the truth, you sappy son of a gun.

perfection... and such a beautiful wedding

2. I love lifting ridiculously heavy weights. It makes me feel really cool and tough. The callouses on my hands remind me of my old days as a competitive gymnast. Sure, I didn’t stay on the team long enough to compete because four nights a week interfered with my eighth grade social life- but the pride in having a strong tough body is still one in the same.

baby biceps

3. After a conversation with Alyssa on how I’ve felt so BLAH with my appearance over the past couple months, she suggested I get some cute side bangs. I decided to listen to her advice and go for it- adding a nice trim too.

if the bathroom is a mess it's not my fault..

Only problem is- I somehow walked out of the salon with a strange feather floating underneath my pound of hair. Let’s play a game called “how long will it take Danny to notice?”

oops

Stay classy, kids.

one year

Yesterday marks a very special anniversary of mine – one year and one day ago, I made the move to New York City to live with a [then] stranger and start an entirely new career. Woah.

uh, yeah, I live here.

I actually moved in the day of the NYC Marathon last year, so it meant a lot to me to watch it this year. Although a spectator’s version of the NYCM is not quite as exciting as say, someone who was running it, I have to say – the energy in New York on the day of the race was electric. The energy in NYC always feels electric, but on Sunday it was a positive happy electricity. Everyone was rooting for one another and no one was giving dirty looks because someone stole the other person’s spot on the subway.

We usually keep to ourselves in the city, unless it’s to call someone out on stepping on your shoe or bumping into you with an umbrella, but on race day there was no holding back for shouting stranger’s names and cheering them on.

I’m sad to say I didn’t get to see anyone I knew! I’m easily distracted and nearly blind but was super disappointed not to at least see Susan zooming by! Congrats to all, though!

In terms of my one year relationship with New York, I decided to start a bucket list. Not that I plan on leaving any time soon; but it’s really hard not to get caught up with your every day problems and forget how amazing it is to be in your 20’s and living in the greatest city in the world. Whenever a bad day gets me down, I just look up and remind myself “Wow; I’m living a life in a city some people only get to dream about and watch on their tv’s. I am so lucky.” Of course in the movies, the work day is a montage and not nearly as long so reiterating the I am so lucky in your head is really important. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to lie or fake it – I’m totally not some chipper girl all the time: sometimes the subway makes me feel like I’m going to vomit, and/or I get so angry my ears get hot, but the least you can do appreciate the city you live in on occasion before the novelty wears off. 😉

Central Park 🙂

So here’s my little baby! It’s a growing list so I’d love suggestions and of course new friends to check off items along the way. 🙂

Side note: I like to add some things I’ve already done even though of course it’s missing a big chunk. I had a life crisis after watching The Buried Life on MTV, but then I made a mental list of all the cool things I’ve done in life and I felt a lot better because while there was a ton of interesting things I haven’t done, there’s a heck of a lot I have that I was totally missing.

…. like eating at PB&co with Jamie. (Sure you don’t want to visit again, J? ;)) Along with the Highline, fireworks on a rooftop, the boats in Central Park, & Eataly just to name a few.

xoxo, courtney

i’m not a princess. on sundays.

Hey y’all! Court said we are back for November, so as the loyal best friend I am I’ll go along with that. Back, baby!

I’ve honestly had no desire to blog lately because I’ve had no desire to READ any blogs. Aside from the blogs of those who comment on the cupcake and a few random others- I just haven’t been feelin it and can hardly stand to look at the “big” blogs I followed before.

I think I’m just sick of looking at the sugar laden oats of those working in the nutrition field, photos of dog slobber at lunch time, or comments that seem to kiss a WHOLE lotta arse. The novelty has worn off.

In contrast- I do MISS writing for fun as opposed to writing for work only. It feels good to have a place to channel my thoughts on my latest fitness craze. (Which is going awesomely well I must say!)

I’m seven weeks in to the 100 day challenge and still following the fitness regimen to a T.

The Paleo however? Meh. I’d say I’m Paleo-ish. I have been upping the protein like a mad woman and cutting out unnecessary carbs, but some of it just doesn’t seem worth it to me. Sure, I want a smokin bod but what I want even more is a tall bud light on football Sunday. (Times four.) I’ve been called a princess before, but I am NOT enough of a princess to sip on my vodka diets at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon. Beer me. (COUGH ALYSSA COUGH.. I’ll have that froyo date…)

bar fun > paleo fun

I’ll let y’all know how my measurements turn out.. I’m going to ask for a half-way point update! In the mean time I’ll continue sending Courtney photos of myself in fitting rooms as well as photos of my abs.

say yes to the dress

P.S. – I bought it! One wedding this weekend, and one next. Romance in the air in good ole VB.

xoxo Jamie

new in november

Guess what, guys! We’re back and better than ever. Expect less bowls of oatmeal and more Courtney/Jamie squabbling about life in lists because lists are much more fun.

Things you might have missed:

1. Courtney got bangs! Huge step in life.

2. Jamie lost half her shirt for Halloween.

3. We’ve been drinking way too much wine. (Is that anything new?!)

4. Entire bags of mini Reese’s should not be given to anyone except maybe Cely because she is awesome.  Unfortunately, Courtney was the victim of this crime and will have to strictly follow the serving size of 5.

what's a girl to do?

5. It’s hard to be nice sometimes. Why are we so mean lately? Is because our rent has increased… our old age is catching up to us… too much separation…the grind got us down..?

you mean we can't dance every day?!

6. Jamie did 36 pull ups.

It's totally the new Lululemon. Photo Cred: Alyssa

7. Treat Yo Self. Take a page out of Tom Haveford’s book (Parks & Recreation) and treat. yo. self. You’ll feel better in the morning.

8. Last, but certainly not least: The icons on iPhone are the only way to have conversations.

xoxo, Courtney

fall favorites

When you move to New York people love to ask you things like, “what’s your favorite restaurant?” “what’s your favorite borough?!” and I always thought uh, are you serious people? Did ever try to just search for a restaurant in NYC and choose one? Impossible. (and If you dare choose a borough the rest will turn on you.) Until I went to a restaurant that offers you loads and loads of fresh vegetables on a platter. 😮

Enter: Westville.

Thus far my favorite meal in NYC.

Every day the market sides change based on ingredients so you are handed a photocopied handwritten paper or can check the chalk board. Today’s list for the East Westville:

source: http://www.westvillenyc.com/daily-specials-market#eastside.

Let me tell you something: If I’m not eating pesto mashed potatoes, I’m thinking about them. If I’m not thinking about pesto mashed potatoes, I’m asleep. It’s rare for a vegetarian to find an appropriate time for mashed potatoes. They are a typical side for steak and turkey, but salad with a side of mashed potatoes? Not-so-much. Now I love any excuse to get them. My plate from today:

Pesto mashed potatoes (duh), brussel sprouts, kale, and butternut squash. Trust me. It’s not easy to choose only four, but you have to. You can say “next time” to the rest and that’s how they keep you coming back. BTW, there’s a couple locations. I’ve only been to the East and West thus far. And I love the West – the East has better light for pictures. 😉 This is actually the first time I’ve been to the East and thus the first time I got a useable picture!

And in other news…

Danny and I rode bikes through all of Central Park on Sunday. 110 blocks via bike? Done and done. Now I wish I had a bike (we rented for an hour – only $7 if you reserve ahead of time and go with the place outside of CP) and lived near CP so it could be my new favorite thing to do, too.

new sky art

Also, my new hair!

Please don’t mind the jersey I’m wearing by rubbing anything in further. Don’t even mention the baseball team with “ill” in the name or I’ll have to tear up. Again. If you do want to talk about my new Tom’s I’ll be happy to tell you how comfortable they are, though!

Speaking of fall favorites… There’s a favorite J & I share from home I’ll be sharing soon! I may have had a few too many the past few days… oops.

PS, forgot to mention Westville is very generous with the wine, also. 😉

Paleo&Fitness, 100 Day Challenege

Hey friends! First of all: if you haven’t tried the cake vodka yet.. DO IT. No mixer or chaser necessary, it tastes like liquid icing and I don’t even enjoy vodka. (I drink it, but I don’t particularly like it- more of a bourbon/wine/beer girl. Oops?)

I got a few questions regarding the challenge at my gym so I thought I’d explain it in further detail! Apparently I’m only on day 17. Womp womp. The challenge lasts 100 days and it is basically a push to be the fittest you can be and healthiest in all aspects of life.

thanks, pinterest

The Fitness:

Two days a week (M&W) I have  hour long group training sessions. We do circuits involving heavy lifting, plyometrics, and even strange balance activities. (When you live at the beach and have surfers for trainers you find yourself kneeling on a ball, wiggling, and trying not to fall over.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I go to a spin circuit class- and man it is INTENSE. The hardest fitness class I’ve ever been too but I feel like a rock star when I’m done. It’s basically 5 circuits ( 2 spinning -the instructor coaches you as if you’re in a spin class- 1 TRX station, and two stations involving workouts with dumbbells, medicine balls, etc.). It’s wild. The first day I wanted to cry but I’m approaching my 6th class and feeling stronger.)

On Fridays I’ve been instructed to stick with my long runs since I am training for The Surfin’ Santa 10 miler. I’ve been running one other day during the week if I have time, usually a short 3-4 mile boardwalk run on a M or W.

Saturdays I am supposed to go to yoga or any class at the gym that I want- usually I sleep in and go to breakfast with Danny.

Sundays, I rest.

The Diet:

I haven’t been following the suggested meal plan to a T, but I have been sticking with Paleo unless you count Saturday when I drank like 80 beers and ate 3 pieces of pizza and then passed out with the worst stomach ache of my life.

Aside from that- I love Paleo. I am the queen of getting on various kicks and then kicking them to the curb, but for now Paleo works. I’ve always had issues with acne and break outs, and for over the past two weeks my skin has been uncharacteristically clear. I also struggle with migraines, and I am hoping that cutting out the sugar and dairy will really help with my head.

If you read all of this- you are a champion! This is the challenge in a nutshell, and so far so good! I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home and get in all of the above workouts on my hour lunch break…definite bonus.

guess i got my swagger back

Truth is: (is anyone else facebook friends with an under 14 year old crowd..maybe you’ll get the reference..) I haven’t posted in awhile. This is mainly because for the last eleven fitness days of my life I’ve started something entirely new.

In short: I sold my soul to my gym. Some pretty sweet trainers decided to put a 100 day challenge in motion and my crazy ass decided it would be a fantastic idea to sign up. Basically, my fitness is currently in the hands of someone else, and I like it.

sore and still smilin'

A huge part of the plan revolves around the idea that it is impossible to out train a bad diet. For the past 11 days I’ve been following the Paleo diet, with the exception of two beers and a gummy bear.

Oh.. and maybe this as well:

liquid..frosting.

If there’s anything better than cake, it’s cake that’ll get you drunk. 🙂

If you’re unfamiliar with paleo, I was excited to see that Dana wrote about it today here.

I also found this video to be incredibly helpful.

Aside from eating fist fulls of chicken, eggs, and fish.. I’ve been having a damn good time. I’m deep into the excitement of football season.

love

I’m incredibly proud to be #1 (and the only chick) in my fantasy team. When Danny agreed to let me on, he told me “You’ll have to keep up with it…”

Little did he realize I’d be the one obsessively checking my phone and computer all day. Little did he also realize that I’d be the biggest smack talker on the team. I think he’s afraid of me. Once again.. I kind of like it. 🙂

loving lately

A few of my current obsessions.

• Brunch at the Smith. Free sparking water + veggies + Pumpkin beer + actual lunch options = ❤

• Drinks at the Trump SoHo.

• Friends with backyards in NYC. Shh. Don’t tell the Fire Department.

• Wine. (This one’s on the way out, we’re currently on a break. *Cue Ross shouting*)

I do have a couple things left in the questionable column, though.

• Green Kit Kats from Japan. It tasted good (like green tea!), but it made me feel weird.

• My new as of Tuesday brown hair. Photo coming soon. :X

i just felt like runnin’

AH! A new post…FINALLY. I’ve been super busy lately- in addition to working full time I picked up a part time babysitting gig. Basically I pick up a 7 year old girl from school 2-3 days a week, help her with homework, then paint nails and watch the Disney channel until bed time. Doesn’t interfere with my weekends/friday nights out? I’ll take it, sistah.

Plus- I thrive off a busy schedule. I’m about 80% happier of a girl when I don’t have time to sit around and think about things like hurricanes, war, sharks, and calories. That’s just me.

For an update I can start off by telling you that I’m currently charging two beautiful things that I feel lucky as shit to have.

1. My Garmin
2. My iPhone

Let’s start off with the Garmin. I love running, I really do. But something about running on the treadmill or running in 90+ degree heat really makes me miserable. Now that it’s FINALLY cooling off (or shall I say- it will begin to cool off in the evenings and early mornings..it stays pretty warm in VB until November) I’ve signed up for a race! The Surfin’ Santa 10 miler! I’m pumped, and tomorrow marks my first “long” run on my schedule- 4 miles… 😉

I’m extra excited because I’m running with my cousin’s wife Emily! This is her first race, and I am pumped to run together every Friday until December 3rd.

tailgaters gone runnin'

Moving on to 2. My boss decided to buy me an iPhone! I feel like a lucky internet marketer of a girl. Hard work pays off..sometimes not in the form of a raise but in the form of a beautiful gift. I’m afraid to take it out of the box- and it’s DEFINITELY staying home this weekend. iPhones and dollar vodkas don’t mix. Alyssa knows how many blackberrys I’ve gone through in the past few months..

who, me?

Happy ALMOST Friday! XO

Jamie