Photo Friday- College Edition

Hi bloggies! Happy almost weekend! This weekend happens to be my alma mater's alumni weekend which, sadly, I'm not going to be attending. I could really go for a slice of Mia's pizza right now. Yum. Anyway, it's also my sorority's 25th anniversary weekend- yay AOPi! Naturally I'm feeling a little nostalgic, so here's a photo from the good ol' days: College graduation, circa 2004. My friends Nicole (best friend growing up for years- we went to high school, college AND graduate school together, although for different professions), Kristin (one of my bridesmaids) and me. I can't believe it's been six years since we graduated. My high school ten year is this November! Crazy how time flies. I also can't believe how blonde my hair was. Yikes! Granted I had just gotten back from Cancun but still. When did you graduate from college?

Yesterday was another 3 mile run, although it wasn't as glorious as the last one. It was really hilly, which is good for the relay, but my shins were screaming during the last half mile. Wtf! I've never had shin issues and hopefully am not going to start having them.

Any fun plans for the weekend? I am going to hot yoga tomorrow and I can't wait! Other than that I'll be dogsitting, thank you note writing and running. I've also been drafting a blog post in my head regarding the reasons why I blog/what I hope to get out of it that I would like to hopefully write this weekend. What are your reasons for blogging? Have a great weekend everyone!

Wedding Recap- Rehearsal Dinner!

Hi friends! Happy Thursday :) I was totally feeling Debbie Downer last night but all is well now. Such is life, right? :) I am skipping thumbs up Thursday this week because I had a fun one planned (bar review- not the bar exam kind, hahhaha) but I haven't tried all of the bars I wanted to. Given that Bri and I had our one month wedding anniversary on Tuesday (yay!), it's probably time for me to start the recaps, eh?

On Friday, March 26th the day was spent running around like a crazy person getting various tasks done prior to the rehearsal (ie mani, pedi, etc... the important stuff people!). Rehearsal was at five and after a minor emergency around 3:30 (Bri's mom's car broke down. Yikes!) everyone was at the church and situated. You could tell that the priest had done this before. We had a large bridal party and he was barking out orders like a drill sargeant! It was kind of nerve-wracking but I was starting to feel so excited- it was really happening!

After the rehearsal, we headed over to Longfellow's Restaurant in Saratoga. I cannot rave enough about this place. We also had my shower there and they are very attentive and the food is awesome! There was approximately forty friends and relatives there. My beautiful matron of honor Christina (I was the maid of honor in her wedding) and I! I'm wearing the dress from Ann Taylor Loft- loved it!

My gorgeous bridesmaid Kristin, who came in from PA. She's from around here but recently started a new job (she's a librarian at a university... ow owww). I miss her terribly!

Once everyone arrived we got the seating situation settled and the party started. I didn't really drink because I wanted to be fresh for the wedding! The food was a buffet of salmon, sirloin, chicken and amazing stuffed pasta. Can you tell which dish was my favorite? Hahaha.

Some of my bridesmaids. Kristin, Christina, me, my bridesmaid Jenn (sorority sister!) and my maid of honor, Kelle.

After dinner we moved on to the cake. Coccadotts really outdid themselves with the cake. Which is why I'm not holding a grudge at the fact that our wedding cake was slanted like the leaning tower of Pisa. It's alllll good. :) Anyway. I wanted to do something fun and unique for the cake and since Bri is into Crossfit, I figured a kettlebell could be cool. When I originally talked to the cake shop they made it seem like it would be a flat cake, with the kettlebell laying on its side. My dad picked it up for me and gave me a call saying "you have got to see this thing!"

The picture is kind of small but yeah, the cake is like a real life kettlebell! It says Crossfit around the 50lb mark. It was so cool! The inside was a rasberry vanilla swirl cake with a bailey's frosting in the middle. Delicious! After cake Bri and I introduced the members of the bridal party and told everyone how we knew them.

Don't forget to say this, honey!

Afterwards Bri's father gave a touching speech.

At that point it was time to call it a night and head to the pub (family, friends and bridal party) and the hotel (Christina and I).

We had a big day ahead of us the following day, and I needed sleep! Don't mind the red face in the above picture, I think I had been crying (seems to be a common theme lately) at one of the toasts.

If you're married, did you have a fun rehearsal dinner cake? Have a great Thursday peeps!

A Fantastic Run and Lots of Stuff

Hey hey! I can't believe it's been a week practically since I posted. Things have been crazy! I feel like they aren't going to settle down for a while. Virginia Beach was great this past weekend but man, saying goodbye to Bri (I'm not sure if I'll get to see him while he's in training prior to deployment) was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I don't think I've ever cried that hard! Anyway...

I had a nice run on Friday. Well, it was nice when it was over. I ran five miles in the afternoon sun in VB, and I'm not going to lie, it was difficult. I would much rather run in cool weather. On Saturday our parents came to help us pack up the condo and all of that. Afterwards we had the most amazing nachos I've EVER had. Nachos aren't the healthiest obviously but it was a special treat! Although if the restaurant were in my neck of the woods I'd be in trouble. The nachos had shrimp, crab meat, a little bit of hot sauce, cheese and all of the other standard fixins. AMAZING. Woo.

I got in LATE Monday night after an emotional and tiring nine hour drive. Tonight I am dogsitting for my best friend for the week/weekend. She and her husband have a sweet one year old chocolate lab, Sadie. I love to watch her but I feel so discombobulated. I need to be home and get organized! The Ragnar Relay is in two weeks and that Sunday I have a huge work conference, where I'm putting on three presentations. I guess I'm just a bit overwhelmed and posting will be a bit sporadic (although, when isn't it, hahaha).

I did, however, have an awesome run after work! I headed over to a local park to get in a quick three miles before heading over to take care of Sadie. It was windy and slightly hilly and I wasn't even trying to go fast, but I did! For me at least, ha. I had negative splits for the first time in my life!

Mile 1: 9:58
Mile 2: 9:53
Mile 3: 9:22

Yippee! I totally see a sub-30 5k in my future.

I hope everyone is doing well! What have you been up to?

Thumbs Up Thursday- Juice Beauty Edition

Happy Thursday Friends! Today is technically my Friday, since I'm taking a half day to drive down to VB to help Bri pack up the place before he leaves for training. I can't wait to see him! :)

Yesterday's run was interesting. I decided that I needed to get a few trail runs in before the Ragnar Relay, since one of my runs was going to be entirely on a trail (that is, until the race directors decided last night to add 8 miles to the race and change ALL of the legs, less than a month out... WTF Ragnar, wtf!). Anyway, I found out that there was a trail less than a mile from my house, and that there was virtually no way to get lost, since the nature preserve was enclosed by four roads, like a square. Sweet! After work I set out in my new trail shoes and running capris (love them, btw), intending to get in four miles. About a mile in I was feeling nice and exerted, as this trail has a lot of HILLS! Anyway, I get out about two miles and then turn around to head back towards the direction I came from. Yeah. a half mile later and I have no idea where I am. Blair witch kept running through my head (I'm weird!) and I didn't want to be stuck in the woods after dark. So I hightailed it to the nearest road, which was about a half mile from my car and up a MAYJAH hill. I used one of Lily's tips and pumped my hands like I was pulling myself up a rope. I felt weird but it really helped and I was able to get up the hill no problem! So thanks for the tip, Lily :) So it ended up being a three mile run, 2.5 on trails. Next time I plan on bringing some pepper spray, for safety purposes. I run without my iPod so I'm aware of my surroundings and all but I would just feel more comfortable with some sort of protection. If you run alone, do you carry protection with you?

On to thumbs up Thursday- Juice Beauty Edition. I first read about Juice Beauty products on Gina's blog. I am very protective of my skin and try to take good care of it, so naturally a more "natural" facial moisturizer without all of the yucky chemicals piqued my interest. I headed to Sephora and came home with the Juice Beauty Green Apple Moisturizer with SPF 15.

From Sephora's website:

Green Apple Moisturizer SPF 15
What it is:
A nutrient-rich daily hydrator that offers SPF 15 sun protection.

What it is formulated to do:
Juice Beauty Green Apple Moisturizer SPF 15 offers a bevy of skin benefits. It guards the complexion against UV damage with a chemical-free, full-spectrum SPF shield. A brightening, hydroxy-acid complex of certified organic apple and lemon juices, age-defying peptides, DMAE, alpha lipoic acid, co-enzyme Q10, and vitamin antioxidants revitalizes and restores skin. The result is optimal antiaging power that keeps skin youthful and healthy.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petro-Chemicals
- Phthalates

What else you need to know:
This advanced skincare essential contains pure essential oils of mandarin, may chang, and ho wood—concentrated sources of nourishment.

---

I have combination skin type, meaning that I tend to break out along my chin, nose and forehead. Overall, my skin is pretty dry. I have been using this facial moisturizer consistently for about three months and I have to say, I love it! It is fairly pricey at $38, but I think it is a great investment- proper skincare is essential! I use one tiny pump of it after washing my face. It smells fantastic, like Trix (remember that cereal? hahaha). My skin is super soft and I am not breaking out as much. I used to use Oil of Olay and while it worked fine, I am really happy that I made the transition. I eat organic foods, so shouldn't I try to use products made with organic ingredients if they are going directly onto my body? The product has Sephora's "naturally sephora" green seal of approval, which isn't exactly a USDA organic seal of approval but is still legit nonetheless. Do you use green products? If so, which kinds?

The only negative that I can think of is that it may make one's skin look oily if they don't have normal-dry skin. Overall, this is a fantastic product that smells delicious and really hydrates your skin. Plus, it has SPF 15 to boot! I give juice beauty green apple facial moisturizer two thumbs up! What are your thoughts on skincare? What facial moisturizer do you use?

Well friends I'm off to VB! Have a great Thursday :)

The Accidental Pescetarian and Some Honeymoon Pics!

Hi friends! Happy Tuesday. My legs are STILL sore from my hill workout on Sunday. I guess that means I really worked hard? Haha. Yesterday I took a much needed rest day. I could probably still go for one today but I have my normal vinyasa yoga class, which will probably help work out the kinks.

Things have still been pretty hectic 'round these here parts, so I haven't composed a proper honeymoon recap yet. I'm not really good with recaps or reviews I think- I get impatient! Anyway, here are some of the pictures (we [Brian, aka Mr. Camera Happy] took over 600!).
At the indoor(!!) luau. We were bummed that it was indoors but apparently the weather called for rain. It didn't seem as authentic, although the performers were amazing. One of the dudes pulled me up onstage to do some sort of Polynesian dance, which was hilarious.

Hiking the Kalualua trail. The trail was SO beautiful. I didn't pack my hiking boots so my running shoes are now stained with red dirt. It adds to the hardcore-ness, right?

Double rainbow!!! We took a catamaran cruise to the Napali coast, which resulted in some of the most amazing photos EVA. Like this one:

Beautiful sunset!

So back to the topic currently on my mind- FOOD. This past weekend I was thinking and I realized that I had not had ANY meat, all week. This wasn't intentional; it was simply how my eats worked out for the week. My standard day of eats is typically:

Breakfast: Greek yogurt/granola/coffee

Snack: Bar of some sort (Larabar, Luna bar, Kashi bar)

Lunch: Amy's Cheddar or Southwestern Burrito/Amy's cheddar veggie burger

Snack: Apple/PB

Snack3(if heading to gym): half a bar

Dinner: Random. It depends on if I've meal planned for the week. Last week I had haddock, sushi, and Annie's whole wheat mac n cheese with peas and edamame on the side, among other things.

Snack: glass of wine/piece of dark chocolate

-I also drink at LEAST 64 oz of water

As you can see, there is no meat in there! I realize a lot of the foods are processed but I do try to incorporate fresh foods into my dinners, which usually results in leftovers. What do you typically have for lunch?

Anyway, yesterday I decided I was due for steak. I had steak, one clam casino, sweet potato fries and zucchini/squash. I felt so gross afterwards! I probably only had three ounces of steak and it was sitting in my stomach like a brick. Blech. This morning I still felt nauseous! I love a great cheeseburger, but this experience has me contemplating seriously cutting red meat out of my diet. Currently the only meat I do not eat is pork. I think the transition to a non-red meat diet could be difficult but after analyzing how I'm feeling this morning coupled with how awesome I felt last week, maybe it won't be! What's your eating style? What has influenced your eating habits?

Thanks for your tips on running hills! And Wendy, the juicer is NOT difficult to clean. The pulp is virtually dry so it's super easy. However, I don't know if I would call it dishwasher safe. I also don't mind handwashing dishes, so that is something to take into consideration.

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Weekend Wrap Up

Hi everyone! Is it me, or did the weekend fly by? My weekend has been quiet but eventful! Yesterday started at the vet, where Bailey got two vaccinations (rabies and lyme disease) AND blood drawn. The vet we go to now keeps him in the room while he does the shots, and Bails didn't make a peep the whole time! He is such a brave little guy.

After the vet, I zipped over to my first hot yoga class. It was a 90 minute "hot vinyasa" session. Holy. I have seriously NEVER sweat so much in my entire life. The class was awesome! The room was heated to 95 degrees, as opposed to 105, which I believe is the temperature during Bikram. The instructor asked if we were familiar with David Baptiste, because her style was similar. There were women (and a man!) of all levels in the class, which made me feel super comfortable. The class was really intense, in a good way. I had to stop at a few points because I was starting to feel light-headed. Hot yoga is no joke, and I am officially addicted! I felt amazing afterwards and last night I noticed that my skin was incredibly soft. Simply amazing! I can't wait to attend more classes.

After yoga, I hit up the grocery store to get some goods so I could put one of my fave wedding presents to use:
Isn't she lovely? Into the juicer went:

• 1 cucumber
• 2 granny smith apples (no coring necessary with this baby!)
• 1 lemon
• Ginger

My take on juicing: yes, please! The juice was fantastic and cleaning up was relatively easy. I like it so much that I had to make some more juice this evening:

• 1 grapefruit
• 1 pear
• blackberries

Ummm, I think I'm in lurrrve!! My dad tried the juice concoction from yesterday and actually liked it (this is huge, considering the look on his face when I asked him if he wanted to try a green monster). Do you juice? If so, any combos I should try?

This morning I met up with my fellow Ragnar Relayers to discuss the race (we are less than a month away!!) This was extra cool because I got to meet Amanda, the inspiring blogger at Manderz Journey to a New Life! She is running a half marathon next weekend after just running the Disney Princess last month. Hardcore.

Our race legs were discussed, and I realized that one of my legs was going to be entirely on a trail. Since I've had issues with my ankles in the past (not running thus far, thankfully) I headed over to Fleet Feet after the meeting to pick up these beauties:

The Asics Gel Trail Attack! They are really comfortable, although I am now questioning my decision to go with an 8.5. I normally wear that size but the last time I purchased my running shoes, the lady told me I was actually an 8. Maybe I am just used to the tight feel of my running shoes? I'm thinking I will need more room in the shoe anyway. We'll see!

Random sidenote: look what I received the other day!

The officers in Bri's command had flowers sent to "Mrs. H" (me, yay!) welcoming me into the Navy family. How sweet, right?!

Anyway, back to the weekend haul. I have had a giftcard to Dicks burning a hole in my pocket since Christmas. I have been looking for a pair of running capris but all of the stores I've looked at have always been out of my size. Today, I was in luck:

The running capris, AND a new under armour shirt in a wicked bright orange. I plan on wearing this during the relay- I want to be super bright!

After that, I headed over to a local college campus that is known for being hilly to do some hill training. After coming across these articles, I decided to do 10x100 meter repeats (sprint up the hill, walk down, repeat). I am pretty sure I saw two college students smoking in the woods. Whatever floats your boat. I applied some of the tips I read in the article and it wasn't too bad! I stared straight ahead while running up the hills, and this really seemed to help! After the repeats I jogged around campus (feeling wicked old) until garmie read 3 miles. It was a great workout! Do you hill train?

How was your weekend? It's time for me to decompress with some wine. Have a great night!

Working Out on Vacay

**ETA- Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments on our wedding pictures! You guys are the best! :)**

Hi friends! Happy Friday! The week seemed to go by so slowly but now that it's Friday, it went so quickly! Gotta love that :) I am starting to feel back into the swing of things. My workout schedule has been kind of off the past month or so, first with the mandatory week off before the wedding the get rid of the upper respiratory infection and then all of the wedding shenanigans. I still worked out and ran a bit but not nearly like I had been while I was on a training schedule. Which is kind of frightening, since the Ragnar Relay is only a month away! Eep!

This week I got back into it with a three mile run on Sunday, which was painful (breathing wise) for whatever reason, yoga on Tuesday, one mile run (all I had time for) and body sculpt on Wednesday and a glorious, glorious four mile run yesterday. Originally I intended on taking a rest day yesterday but it was BEAUTIFUL outside and the weather for today/this weekend called for cold and rain. My last few runs have been tricky (it was HOT and hilly in Hawaii) and my confidence was low. Yesterday's run was just what I needed to build my confidence! I have been running lately sans iPod and I'm really getting into it, especially after starting to read "Zen and the Art of Running". My mom purchased this for me (I think she saw it on Linz's blog) and it is really interesting. Yesterday's run was especially cool because I saw the most interesting bird ever (at least for upstate NY). I was running next to a pond and saw what looked like a very large crane, aside from the fact that it was grey. A neighbor later commented that he thought it was a heron. How cool! I definitely have an abnormal interest in birds, which Brian can attest to after witnessing how fascinated I was with all of the wild roosters in Hawaii (they are EVERYWHERE!)

This weekend I'm going to try Hot Yoga (yesss!!!) and get in a hill training run in preparation for Ragnar. For those of you that do hill training, what exactly do you do? Should I do hill repeats or just find a hilly course? I'm out of my element!!

I'm going to do a honeymoon recap this weekend (it was sooooo fantastic, and it's easier than the wedding recap at the moment because all of the photos are in once place!) but first I wanted to hear what your thoughts are about working out while on vacation. While in Hawaii, Bri and I attended a yoga class, went on an arduous hike, went scuba diving (burns like 1200 calories or something ridiculous!) and ran two times. Another hike would have been great but other than that, it seemed like the perfect balance of relaxation and activity for me.
Enjoying a lava flow poolside after our yoga class, which we went to our first morning there.

What are your thoughts regarding working out while on vacation? Do you prefer a balance of activity/rest, to be constantly on the go or are you more "hey, I'm on vacation, I'm not moving a muscle"! For my married ladies, did you stick to a workout schedule on your honeymoon?

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Back!

Hi everyone! I am officially back from the honeymoon and am slowly getting settled back into my normal routine. Well, technically we got back early Friday morning. Bri stayed with me until he had to head back to VB Sunday to begin packing for his IA. It was incredibly difficult to have him leave. Yesterday work was super crazy yesterday after been out for two (glorious) weeks. I have SO much to write about (rehearsal dinner, wedding, honeymoon!!!) and a lot to catch up on in my reader. I came back to over 800 unread posts! I will be back at the end of the week with a proper recap... for now, here are some pictures from the wedding day that my awesome photographer posted on his blog.

Getting ready in the bridal suite! I loved my gown :) It has a lace up back so it took my matron of honor a long time to get it situated. She did an amazing job though!

My girls and I. Love them!

Some images from our first look.

Formal portraits!

Bridal portrait!

I loooove this image. I think I may use it on our thank you cards.

Sitting in front of fountain. Well, an empty fountain. I was nervous to do this because it was super muddy and we hadn't had the ceremony yet. I am glad we did though!

My handsome husband (yay!) and his brother David and best friend Jay before the ceremony. I think the photographer used a fish eye (?) type of setting or something.

My dad walking me down the aisle :)

The ceremony!

Just, you know, twirling in the park.

One of my faves!

The venue. It was amazing.

About to make our entrance as Lt. and Mrs. H!

First Dance :)

All of the rings.... Navy style!

I hope that everyone has been doing well! What's new in your world? I'm still on Hawaii time, haha. I'll be back and commenting on all of your blogs soon!