March Madness for Health

Lately with Trader Joe’s opening and all, I have been pounding down delicious but not-so-healthy stuff. I’ve still been doing my workouts and eating mostly well, but I haven’t been focused. It’s time to get back into the groove. So it’s time to put aside the multiple slices of banana cake, overdose of “Gone Bananas,” and gorging of licorice. It’s time for moderation. I’m not saying I’m doing away with all sweets or junk (after all I’m not in contest prep), we still have to have our Hangry & Fat (obvious alter egos) moments, but it will be limited. Roughly a 90/10 type of deal. I’m going to lay it out nice and clean for myself and for you if you should join me.

The dangerous stuff…

Operation Be Healthy, Feel Great

Overview: To make you feel great, you need to treat your body well. This means focusing on proper nutrition first. Following a rough 90/10 ratio of healthy to indulgence, moderation through limiting treats and “cheat” meals. Follow a workout split and try to follow as closely as possible. Rest days should be few, but workouts will be varied. Clean eating is the main focus

Rule #1: 3 cheat meals per week. Whether that be a piece of cake, a pizza dinner, or going crazy with nachos. Count each one, but it can be WHATEVER you want. 🙂

Rule #2: Follow a workout split and stick to it. Make workouts a priority. Schedule them and plan them for the entire week. 1 rest day per week allowed.

Workout Split (not including cardio):

Legs (to support my 2014 goal of squatting 200lbs)
Back (to support my 2014 goal of 8 pull-ups in a row)
Arms + Shoulders
Core
Circuit (always fun to try new circuits out there and switch it up)
Yoga (because damn, my hamstrings are tight)
Chest (to support my 2014 goal of benching 100lbs)

I am happy with my shoulder progress though

Rule #3: Each strength workout should be matched with a cardio workout at least 5 times per week. Not including multiple walks with the pup

Rule #4: Meal plan at least the night before. I know Chris and I well enough that I’m not going to commit myself to Sunday meal planning (though I should). We are too spontaneous for that. Instead, I will write down a lunch and dinner plan each night so we don’t end up ordering pizza when I’ve spent all my cheat meals. Meals should look like a lot of veggies, clean carbs, and protein (including tuna, tofu, and protein drinks).

Rule #5: You are allowed dark chocolate, but girl, take it easy. For myself, I will allow myself a square of dark chocolate after one meal per day. That should satisfy my sweet-craving and allow some willpower to stop myself from eating 12 Gone Bananas at once.

Chris and I split a pint of Glacier ice cream a few nights ago

Rule #6: Get rid of the crap now. This means that today I am bringing in the stuff I know that will tempt me (again, I am not restricting myself completely, just want to stop any binge or gorging on stuff) to work! That Trader Joe’s strawberry licorice or the banana cake I baked will be out of the apartment and into some grateful mouths. Sounds like a nice switch.

Rule #7: Meditate every day. Because meditating makes me a happier, healthier person. Simply that.

Pharrell’s “Happy” is what goes on in my head

Rule #8: Record everything. I personally use MyFitnessPal (add me: nanathetiger), but I’m open to any kind of recording. Recording what you eat and exercise really helps you see what you’re doing with your body and also gives motivation. Record even the bad stuff!

I think that’s good for now. This will last for the entirety of March and I will see how I feel at that point. It may be eight “rules” but really they are just guidelines on paper to help me remember my goals and how I want to accomplish feeling great every day. It’s not about the way I see myself in the mirror, it’s how I feel sitting in this chair, writing this post. I feel blah, so I want to clean up my habits. Pure and simple. It’s not that we are super unhealthy–we are close to the opposite. But I want to step it up a notch. I’m ready to sweat hard with clean nutrients in my body. Who’s with me? Join me for #marchmadnessforhealth. Yes I just made that hash tag up. Let’s do it up!

Question of the Day: What makes you want to get healthier?

PS- We recently learned that we got accepted as a FitFluential Ambassador. We are THRILLED about the news. More information coming your way.

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sleepy Sajah

Feb232014

Best Ways to Burn Calories: Jump Rope

A long time ago, I started this series about alternate forms of “cardio” and suggested swimming. It was a pretty popular post and we got tons of questions about how to incorporate it into individual’s workouts. Now, since I have started working out a bit… again, it struck me that I should state my opinion on jumping rope.

Every discipline has its hero. Buddy Lee is that man when it comes to jump rope and as a result of watching a recent Buddy Lee video, I decided to go back to trying to get my jump rope game in its proper place. Two weeks ago, with my heavy rope, after 20 minutes of double-unders, I finally got a triple under and then stopped before my shins split in two. It’s challenging yet simple, effective yet easy, and there are tons of ways to jump rope… so let’s talk a bit about them in this introduction to jump rope.

Buddy Lee! (Image source)

Most people hit the machines when they need to burn calories or perform their “cardio.” In gyms, the easiest ways of doing this, keeping track of time, your heart rate and burned calories is with a machine such as a bike, treadmill or elliptical. Steppers are getting more popular although I love Jacob’s Ladder (Google it). As I mentioned before, swimming is more difficult because it is naturally more challenging and also makes it harder to really keep track of the calories you burn. Jump rope is in a similar realm which is why you don’t see it being used as a typical form of cardio.

Preparing for jumping!

But that’s enough of me dragging on, let’s look at some terms and what you need to consider.

1. There are different kinds of ropes. Cheap ropes. Expensive ropes. Light weight and heavy weight ropes. Ropes made of leather, sand filled rubber, cable and more. Your goals and style will dictate what kind of rope you should buy. If you are like me, you have just about every kind of jump rope. My recommendation is to buy a cheap one first before you make a bigger investment since not everyone enjoys it. Once you get serious, look at Buddy Lee’s line of jump ropes. (I’m not sponsored or paid by them, but they have served me well over the years.)

2. There are different kinds of workouts where you can jump rope. Do you want to have fun? Are you trying to get certain results? How about a little bit of both? Is it your warm up for a muscle workout? Is it a cool down or maybe even a part of a circuit? Jump rope can fit anywhere in there and whether you are a boxer, martial artist, sport athlete, or someone trying to stay in shape, it can be very beneficial to you.

3. There are different ways to jump rope. You can go for an hour straight or go in intervals. You could use a heavy rope for five minutes of single unders and then skip to a cable speed rope for a minute of triple unders. You could stay in place or move in any direction. You could stay on flat ground or integrate boxes into the workout. Any of these can help take away the monotony that is often associated with jumping rope for fitness.

4. There are different techniques. Some people at this point might not know what single, double or triple unders are. The name refers to the number of times the jump rope goes under your body. Heavier ropes make it more difficult while speed ropes typically make it easier. You can touch your toes or heels to the ground, use the full foot, alternate feet, hop laterally, high knees, kick your butt, essentially there are tons of variations and you can make your own up. Just remember to take your joints into consideration to properly distribute the impact throughout your whole body.. not just your ankles, knees, hips, spine, etc.

5. You can play with weights. I typically throw on some extra weight. When I used to jump rope every day, I would use a 40 lb weight vest, two 10 lb ankle weights, two 5 lb wrist weights and two 3 lb hand weights. That way I could jump at 306 lbs and then drop down to 225 and feel the difference. Be smart when adding weight, in terms of where and how much you add.

I am going to link a motivating Buddy Lee video below and eventually do a full YouTube video on jump rope because it is my personal favorite form of “cardio.” Look forward to more content on jumping rope and let me know in the comment section below about specific questions referring to technique, workouts, products, and what is right for you!

OH, and how could I forget to introduce Buddy Lee, an American hero and one of the greatest individuals in the world of fitness. He is an Olympic wrestler, International motivational speaker, and trainer to US soldiers and professional MMA fighters. I’m not anywhere near as skilled as Buddy but I have my own style that focuses on power and explosiveness, which is highlighted when I do triple unders with a regular rope with 100 lbs of added weight. Jump rope to stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Caught the cuties cuddling!

Feb152014

Welcome to the Family: Noke! (Puppy Spotlight)

A 3-month old female Akita, Shepherd mix with lots of energy and love. “Noke” (no-kay), her short name, comes from the movie titled “Princess Mononoke,” a Miyazaki favorite of ours. The name means “Spirit Princess” which we think is pretty fitting so far. We’ve been planning on getting a puppy for a while now, and set an easy date for Valentine’s Day because it’s roughly a month or so since we’ve been back from New Zealand. We know it’s going to be a lot of work, but it will be worth it. We’ve arranged our schedules to make it possible (also helps that Chris works 2 minutes away from home). We got her from the Humane Society of Boulder Valley (which is an amazing place that we love to support and got our kittens from there). We almost weren’t able to get her, but with some secretive work from Chris the day before, he managed to put her on hold and surprised me with the fact. Awesomesauce.

First few moments having her, she did great in the car!

Ready to be ours!

Noke is very curious and wants to know everything about anything. She likes to know what’s happening at all times whether it be in the kitchen or on a walk (which make them a little longer than usual). We got her yesterday and she’s already fit in at home. Right now, she’s passed out on the carpet after a walk and lots of play. She likes to stay close to us, which is nice on walks because she never really pulls. For the first few months of her life she had parvo (basically the flu for dogs–vomiting and pooping) and mites (making the poor girl itch!). This means she was in quarantine and very sickly for a while. Both fore-paws are shaved as IVs were necessary to provide fluids. She is now healthy and is just a little itchy from the dead mites. Since she was in quarantine for a while, so many things are new to her. She likes to stop in her tracks and stare at new things. If things are scary, she just walks a little closer to me, but doesn’t cry or cower.

A night time walk…she is such a pleasure to walk! No pulling!

Her paw print next to Chris’

She has a very sweet nature except for the occasional nip which you find in all puppies. She loves to play, chew, and run around as fast as she can. And so far she’s a big fan of sleeping (yay)! We are crate-training her and she slept through the entire night (almost 8 hours). I was ecstatic. We are so excited to see her personality and body develop. She has small paws, but a big head so we aren’t sure how big this girl is going to get. Basically from the neck down she looks like a German Shepherd and her head and face looks Akita–pretty darn cute. She’s a great listener and already knows the command “Sit” so that’s a nice plus! We’ve researched lots and have a few tricks up our sleeves to turn her into a well-mannered dog. She even got a bath (she smelled awful) and handled it great! No tantrums!

Zzz

Our little babushka

Our kitties haven’t met her yet. We are keeping them in separate rooms for now until Noke gets her last medication for the mites. They aren’t too upset about it, they get the bedroom with the sheepskin in it, so they are having hardcore nap time. I predict Nymeria will get along with the pup and Sajah will be terrified and avoid it all costs, which is why we will always have escape routes and high places for our babies. I’m excited to bring the household all together.

Love this picture

So that’s Noke, she’s here and ready to live! We are beyond excited, thrilled, and ready to take on this little monster. Can you say best Valentine’s Day ever? And as always…stay hungry and fit!

Feb052014

At-Home Abs!

Alright, folks, no excuses here! Let’s get a core workout out on the table so we can beast our way to the health we want! This workout is designed to be done at home, though you can obviously do it anywhere. The world is in need for more home workouts to prevent excuses of time, lack of gym, or lack of energy. Whenever I’m feeling meh, I know that I can motivate myself enough for a home workout whether it be arms, shoulders, core or so forth. So let’s get going! (My apologies for the absolutely terrible lighting!)

1. 3 sets of weighted crunches. Hold a weight, lift up your feet, and reach for the sky. Until failure (until you can’t complete another rep)

2. 3 sets of weighted russian twists. If these are too hard with a weight, drop it. Sit on your bum, lift your feet so you’re balancing, and twist from side to side, turning your shoulders completely. 12 reps on both sides.

3. 3 sets of jackknife. Use a stability ball for this one. Place your shins on the ball and get into a push-up position. Using your feet, bring the ball in towards your chest and then back out. This one is one of my favorites. Until failure.

4. 3 sets of stability ball crunches. Put the small of your back on the ball and simply do a small crunching motion up. Keep your abs activated. Until failure.

5. 3 sets of side touches. Stand up tall and reach side to side, creating resistance for your obliques (or love handles). 20 reps on each side.

6. 3 sets of Spider Man planks. Get into a typical plank position (forearms and toes on the floor). Now bring your knee up near your arm and then the other. It looks like Spider Man crawling up a wall. Until failure.

7. 3 sets of 6 inches. Lay on your back, put your hands under your bum and raise your legs six inches off the floor and hold for 30 seconds.

8. 1 set of plank. Forearms on the ground, core strong, back straight, and toes touching the ground. Go for 1 minute.

For me, I threw on some “timed abs” on at the end, but even without it, the above is an incredible workout for your core! If this seems too long for you, just reduce the number of sets. I usually like to do them in supersets, meaning pairing two exercises together and do them back to back. No excuses! Do this workout to stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: What’s your favorite core workout?

BONUS KITTY PIC

Can’t get over the adorable-ness of this picture…and yes they did that by themselves

Jan202014

#Workout Plan for the Week

Chris and I decided to do a different-styled post that may recur every week. Instead of informative posts, we decided to create a post outlining our workout plan for the week. This is for a few reasons: one, because it will keep us on track and give us less excuse to skip and two, hopefully it will encourage and motivate readers! I used to plan workouts for myself and a few of my friends throughout college. I would write it up every Sunday and email it out–and we definitely got them done and loved it. I encourage you to write one for yourself! Now this is very flexible and could change based on how sore muscles are.

Hungry

Monday: Back 2 – 60 minutes, focusing on mid-back size and lower back strength, HEAVY caloric intake
Tuesday: Legs 2 – 75 minutes, focusing on strength in hips, glutes, and hamstrings, 400 yard easy swim, Heavy caloric intake
Wednesday: Arms 2 – 65 minutes, focusing on hypertrophy in the brachialis, strengthening wrists and forearms, working relative strength through weighted dips and chin-ups, 400 yard easy swim, moderate caloric intake
Thursday: Shoulders 2 – 70 minutes, focusing on strength in traps and size in front delts, 400 yard easy swim, moderate caloric intake
Friday: Core 1 – 60 minutes, focusing on flexibility in core region, strengthening lower abdominals, and planks, full court basketball for “cardio,” moderately high caloric intake
Saturday: Chest 3 – 60 minutes, focusing on hypertrophy in the upper through lower inner chest, strength with dumbbells on the incline, frisbee golf, high caloric intake
Sunday: Back 3 – 60 minutes, focusing mainly on rack pulls and deadlifts for strength, ping pong, high caloric intake

Fit

Looking small…>.>

Monday: Run (2 miles) + Legs
Tuesday: Run (2 miles) + Arms and Shoulders
Wednesday: Swim + Core and Back
Thursday: Total-body Circuit Training + optional Elliptical
Friday: Run + Yoga (OR REST)
Saturday: Swim + Chest (and frisbee golf!)
Sunday: Elliptical + Legs (and ping pong!)

So that’s the plan, and I truly emphasize plan. It most likely will not all fall into that exact order at all depending on soreness, tiredness, and time. I’m looking forward to planning ahead and seeing how this week takes us. Time to shred up 2014! Create a workout plan to stay hungry and fit!

Question of the Day: What is your workout plan for the week? Anything from lifting to walking to dancing!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah drunk with sleepiness

Jan012014

Fit’s 2014 Goals

Kia Ora from Auckland, New Zealand. As we are desperately trying to stay up past 8pm in our sleep-deprived, jet-lagged state, I decided to post my goals for the upcoming year as they’ve been milling in my mind. We’ll see how long it goes…

1. Be less insensitive. I’ve gotten a few requests for this, especially those I am close with. I need to slow down and understand others’ feelings more and accept them. Always put yourself in their shoes.

2. Stay clean. Eating, that is. For me, I really have the exercising down. I love to do it. I love to get strong and feel that power. It makes me happy. But I also love to eat–which is fine! But it needs to be moderated. I want to stay true with my clean eating with the exception of a few meals to splurge on. I know my body loves it.

3. Don’t try to change others. This is a big one. I’ve wrestled with it for a while, going back and forth on it. I think it’s really important to not try to change others. Sure, you can have your influences, but don’t try to draw a picture that they just don’t fit into. You got to accept them and take them as they are. Make peace with it and you will be happier.

My lovely mum

4. Write more. I know I blog often, but I mean more than the blog. Just practicing the skill and having fun with it. It just takes a little bit every day.

5. Push harder. There’s always one more rep or just a few more minutes. I can always push harder. Sometimes I see exercise as a chore (well, depending on my mood and energy level), but I want to see it more as my hobby as I often do and plug in more and more hours into it. There’s always more you can do!

6. Patience. Patience patience patience. Isn’t this something we all struggle with? I sure do. With everything. Especially with a new puppy coming soon into the family, I’m gonna need patience all the time. Meditation will be a big part of this, taking big breaths, and putting everything into perspective. It always helps.

7. Meditate more. This is the key! I find that when I meditate regularly, things come into more clarity. I feel better, lighter, and more at peace. This will help me with all my goals, and I need to actually understand and adhere to this. All it takes is 2-3 minutes a day. Not that much when you think about it.

I’ll stop with seven, since that’s my favorite number. I think that’s a fair amount of goals to chase after, and having this post will allow me to look back on it whenever I need motivation. I will also pin it up next to my desk so I can see it every day. Never give up, never surrender! Write out your goals to stay hungry and fit!

Question of the Day: What are your goals for 2014?

Dec032013

How to Get Over Thanksgiving Guilt

Apologies for the delayed posting! My brother and his girlfriend, Sophie, were in town for Thanksgiving and we wanted to spend every minute with them! But fear no more, we are back! Back with information to get you off the hook! It may already be December, but I know a lot of us are still wallowing in shame and guilt about our over-indulgences on Thanksgiving. This has no purpose and will help you get no further with your goals. Take these steps to shake off your self-hatred and prepare for beast mode for the holidays:

Chris’ plate

1. It was one day. Or a couple of days. Think back. Has this ever happened before? Say…a year ago? And are you okay now? Yes, you are. It was one day, or a few, and we will get over it. You can still get into shape, you can still shed the pounds you want to. Again, not worth beating yourself up over.

2. Forgive and forget. This is key and it ties in with the last point. You can accept that it was “one day,” but you need to get past that as well. Forgive yourself. Actually take a moment and think about why you’re angry with yourself. Then, with that in your mind, forgive yourself for what you think you have done wrong.

My plate

3. Think about the good parts. What did you enjoy about this Thanksgiving? Positive energy is going to make a better you–always. Did you have a particularly special time with loved ones? Maybe fun cooking with the family? Or maybe you did an awesome run the day before or after. Focus on those good parts of the holiday. Soak em up, feel that good energy.

Family run !

4. Think about the future. How are you going to change what you do next Thanksgiving so that you don’t leave yourself knee-deep in guilt and regret? A few ideas…changing your plate size, doing some exercise before or after, cooking healthier foods, or taking a walk with the family. Easy ways to make it a happier Thanksgiving before, during, and afterwards.

Food prep

5. Eating isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Don’t feel bad because you ate a lot just in one day. A lot of people undereat, which can be much more dangerous. Take pleasure in the energy and health you are getting from the food. Even better, think about what the food is. It’s homemade food that is bringing your family and friends together. Cherish that. Again, that doesn’t mean go crazy, but you shouldn’t see the food as evil.

My brother and I on a hike…SQUINTY

Those are just a few steps to relieve some of that regret and guilt that tend to accompany Thanksgiving. I hope you had a wonderful holiday with lots of loved ones, yummy food, and happiness. Use this guide to stay hungry and fit! Tell us how you get over Thanksgiving guilt!

BONUS KITTY PIC

My brother and Sajah having some bonding time

Nov222013

My Future Plans (Being Organized, Be Ambitious)

This might not be so inspiring for some people. This definitely won’t be so interesting for most. However, I want you to NOT take this as me talking about myself. I hope that readers get something more out of this post. It will be a quick one that lacks depth and details (about me) so don’t worry about it being painful to read. What I am trying to do is motivate others to keep going, keep pushing and continue to grow. No one is perfect and no one can be perfect. However, there is always an opportunity to increase your abilities and learn more. I could say I am the best swim teacher in the world. I can say that my body is an ancient Grecian sculpture. But that isn’t true and the most important thing (what a great word, right?) is that I know that. ME!

Rawr from H&F

Once upon a time in the great land of fire, Uchiha Itachi told Yakushi Kabuto that “those who can’t acknowledge their real selves are bound to fail.” (My translation. And, yes, I am quoting the manga, Naruto. Uchiha Itachi is my hero! All rights to Kishimoto.) It is important that we know who we are, what we are capable of and that of which we are incapable. Once we can honestly assess this, it is our responsibility to decide whether we want to improve, regress or maintain ourselves. I personally have an obsession with continuing education. I am not a perfectionist, it is too lofty to be called ambitious, I believe. Nevertheless, I strive to improve. For example, I do not “do CrossFit” nor do I have much interest in doing CrossFit. However, as a professional and passionate member of the “fitness community” I want to become a Level 1 CrossFit Coach so I can give a better recommendation, or lack there of, of the program. That’s just an example.

Alana as Lara Croft from Tomb Raider for Halloween…always trying to improve for strength and agility!

With that being said, I am going to do myself a favor and outline my future plans. I will be focusing on remainder of 2013 and 2014, without releasing any confidential information. (There may be a lot of… secrets.) I hope that this will urge to do the same. Evaluate where you are and where you want to be. Highlight your strengths and weaknesses, then use those to make plans for yourself! This is an awesome way of staying honest, organized and motivated. So here we go… try to do something like this!

I want to focus on two areas… physical goals and educational goals. I have my college degree and plenty of certifications but I want to be capable of doing more and helping more people. I have a body that I am content with in many ways but I get bored if I don’t push myself. Those are my two categories and I will break those down. (I am very happy with my “family” and I have no desire to change it aside from the addition of another four-legged friend a few months into 2014.)

But ummm look how cute I am

Physically, I want to push my body despite a significant labral tear in my left shoulder. I want to actually try counting macronutrients and prepping meals, even if it is only for a few weeks or months. I want to increase strength in my legs and back. I want to hold my human flags for longer and perform muscle ups without using any momentum. I want to exercise my core more and start to improve my cardiovascular system by swimming and biking more. I want to return to the rock gym and really improve my grip strength and relative strength. I also want to increase the size of my upper and lower arms, and my chest. Last but not least, I want to maintain stability and prevent injuries (further injuries) in my shoulders. I’ll experiment with different exercise splits and regiments to achieve these goals. I want to also become a more active ISAFIT coach for iSatori and help Hungry & Fit grow so that it reaches more people.

For educational goals, I want to continue my education in scuba diving, swim instruction, and personal training. I hope to become a Level II ASCA Coach. I aim to become a Swim Schools International Teacher Trainer as soon as possible. I want to start diving more and eventually, maybe even in 2014, become a Scuba Schools International Dive Instructor. (I need more specialties and to… dive MORE!) I also am interested in becoming a CPR/First Aid/AED instructor! I love teaching. I know they say those who cannot do, teach. I disagree. And that’s the end of that. Those who can do and want others to do well also… teach. Finally I want to expand on my personal training skills and become a USA Weightlifting Coach, at the very least. I know it is a lot on my plate for 2013/2014 but if I focus and allocate my time and money properly, it is possible. I also want to get my motorcycle license; my permit is covered in dust. That might happen as early as next month.

Learning from a master triathlete swimmer!

In terms of work, I want to make the Swim School of Boulder the cornerstone of the greatest aquatic training center ever! I also want to help the Longmont YMCA grow into an even more necessary part of the community. Obviously, Hungry & Fit is a given. I want to create a Hungry & Fit team that can spread amazing knowledge and motivation to EVERYONE.

Like I said earlier, I will avoid major details and will not even think twice about what I forgot. I could just be content with what I do, but that’s not like me. Life is relatively short and everyone has their own path they want to follow but mine involves learning and spreading that knowledge… always. I will keep you updated on my goals and how I am doing in achieving them but I hope you do too! List some of your goals in the comment section. Let us know areas that you are good at but still want to improve. I respect that. No egos around here. Much love and stay hungry and fit!

Supplements/protein for us to get ready for beast mode

Packing on the weight

Using Olympians as motivation for my own swimming

BONUS KITTY PIC

Oct012013

Our Weekend in Pictures

Sorry for the no-Monday post, but I was busy studying and Chris was busy scuba-diving. I thought I would share the weekend in pictures…enjoy!

Chris getting his scuba certification

Great start to a Saturday…

Visited tons of farms and went pumpkin picking

Little Salvation Army visit…

Obviously visited the Humane Society…

Chris almost took this guy home

Awwwwwwwww

Video games

Castle marathons

Going to the Flatirons Mall and enjoying some Sarku

Grocery shopping

Some home-cooked meals

Study snacks (totally stole this from Chocolate Covered Race Medals)

Not to mention WORKOUTS

Chris surprised me with a 3-course meal from one of our favorite restaurants, Dagabi Cucina

You might also like…

BONUS KITTY PIC

^.^

Sep042013

We’re Baaaack (Sorry!)

We have just arrived back from a nice 5-day vacation on the magical East Coast! We went out to visit Chris’ family (he’s from New Jersey/New York) and also see some friends. We had planned to prepare posts for each day ahead of time…but obviously that didn’t work. We have a little pathetic excuse, that there was no wifi we were able to get onto in the house…but still, sorry! I hope this post of deliciousness and friends will help you forgive us. It will be picture-heavy and text-light.

It was an early start to the Wednesday of us flying out–6:30am flight called for a 3:15am wake-up. We drove the car over to the airport and had a nice smooth ride, stopping briefly in Minneapolis before arriving at Newark. Since everyone who could pick us up were working, we decided to take it slow and just take public transportation back to Chris’ town, Midland Park, New Jersey. We got to the train station, his mum picked us up and we had an early first dinner of some good Chinese food. Two hours and a chiropractic appointment later, we had another dinner with his brother at a great thin-crust pizza. We finished that night off with some great Van Dyk’s ice cream and played video games all night with a good friend, Po.

Po & Chris, ice cream buds

On Thursday, we wake up bright and early (not getting much more than 5 hours sleep…who sleeps on vacation, right?) and pack in the car with Chris’ mum to visit Chris’ sister in Pennsylvania, right outside of Philadelphia. And grabbed delicious bagel sandwiches on the way! It was a great day of relaxation, visiting Chris’ niece, adorable puppy, spending quality family time, and watching movies like Hotel Transylvania and Puss in Boots. We didn’t get home until around midnight and collapsed right to sleep.

Chris and his niece on a walk

Puppppyyyyyy

On Friday, it was another early-wake-up day for us because we were visiting the city–New York! We had a great day seeing lots of friends from college. We found our way to my friend Mary Kate via bus and had a great breakfast with her before she headed into her super awesome 60 Minutes work. Then we took the good old 1 train uptown to the college where we met, Manhattan College. We got to meet up with some friends who still are attending, some who drove in for the day just to see us, and our old bosses. Chris got to fit in a leg workout while I hung out with my old JustPeace (a social justice club I led) club while they held an event. I got to see Kathleen and Hilary here.

Times Square, crazy to be back

Yum

hi!

Roomates 4 lyfe

My boss (Lois), Kathleen, and I

Quad livin’

Sweaty buds

After that (still Friday), we grabbed Kathleen and kidnapped her back downtown where we forced her to see The Grandmaster (review coming soon), which was pretty epic at one of our favorite indie theatres at Lincoln Center. We walked around Central Park for a bit before walking down to the famous Halal Cart which came from humble beginnings but is now 3 carts deep. We chowed down on some platters and then met up with Allan to go to the Yankee game. It was a lot of fun and we got great seats! Pretty good game too–2 of Chris’ favorite players hit homers. We then got a ride back to New Jersey, had some ice cream, then went to sleep.

Central Park walk

Chowing on Halal–thanks for the pic, Kathleen

DROOL.

Yankee game

On Saturday, we actually slept in! All the way until 9am! I know–crazy. While we waited for our friend, Allan, to wake up, we went and visited Abma’s Farm for some baked goods and sheep humor. After that, and he still wasn’t up, we went to the local Wildlife Conservatory which has beautiful paths and only animals that need rehabilitation. We finally met Allan, Jane Kim (a friend of Chris’) and her boyfriend at a new place in town for “brunch” (…at 12:30pm). Although we were wary about prices and reviews, it turned out to be delicious and a great time! We walked around town afterwards, got some boba, and hung out at the Ridgewood Park. We then grabbed a Tony’s Pizza to eat the next day (because they would be closed on Sunday). Later that night, Chris’ whole family went out to hibachi and it was delicious! Then after, we of course got more ice cream and went to sleep.

This sheep had the deepest voice ever…creepy

Beautiful nature walk

My delicious breakfast burrito at brunch

Friends

Best pizza I’ve ever had

Hibachi!

We have another late morning wake-up on Sunday, this time around 8:30. I decide to go for a easy-paced run in the morning while we get started on the day. We basically spent the entire day visiting Chris’ many aunts and uncles–it was really nice to meet all of them as I hadn’t met many before. That night we met up with Pablo and Brit (Chris’ close friends) and we drove 15 miles to go to East, a restaurant with sushi on a conveyor belt. Delicious! We then watched Here Comes the Boom (surprisingly awesome movie) and, of course, got some more ice cream.

Nom nom nom

Now it’s Monday, and we’re wondering how this vacation is already over! However…our flight wasn’t until 7pm so we had a good amount of time to spend with friends before we took off. We had a nice breakfast with Pablo and Brit that morning while we waited for Allan and Po to roll out of bed. I got way too much food…brie-stuffed french toast, eggs, home fries, and toast! We then meet up with everyone else and to everyone’s disappointment, Chris coerces us to go see the Percy Jackson movie. Okay maybe not coerced, but reactions were definitely amusing. After that movie, we all piled into cars and rushed to Mitsuwa (which will be getting its own post), which is a magical place that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into Japan. Once we gobble down some delicious food, Allan is nice enough to take us down to JFK in Labor Day traffic. We owe him a big one.

Brie-stuffed french toast. yup.

And that was our trip! We had a pleasant flight and watched Great Gatsby (review coming soon) to make the 4.5 hours go by quickly. We are still catching up on sleep, and apologize again for the lack of posts, but here we come on full throttle! I’m probably forgetting a lot in this post, but I did what I could from memory! Make sure you travel to stay hungry and fit!