Pumpkin Picking Gone SO Wrong

Every year I make ask Sal to go pumpkin picking with me. It's another one of those seasonal traditions that winds up being on my fall bucket list. The scents of fall make it easier to breathe, and so being outside in the sweet, breezy weather is something I wish more people would do. We get too caught up in the hustle of every day life, crossing off things on your long to-do lists, staring at screens all day, always looking to see what the next person is doing. If more people took rides up to the countryside, and walked in the open fields, soaking up every color of every leaf, I think we'd see many more smiles and wide eyes. 

After our kickboxing class, Sal and I decided to head up to Alstede Farms, where we were going to pick our own pumpkins. We went there last year, and knew it was a great farm, with rows and rows of pumpkins, tons of other vegetables and fruits to pick, a corn maze, and what really stood out to us - a wine tasting, from a nearby winery. We had been looking forward to going back, even though it's always nice to try new things and go to new places, sometimes you just have to go with what you know. 

I jumped in the car, with a slight headache, but I thought it would go away with some fresh air. I rolled down the window as we took our semi-long drive to the farm. By the time we were about ten minutes away, the headache had become unbearable. I quickly asked Sal to stop and buy me some Advil, something I try not to take. This time though, I knew I wasn't going to be able to battle through the pain. I downed some water with the pills and hoped that the headache would pass. I spent some extra time in the car when we arrived to the farm, but as time passed, I soon realized that it was not going to get better. I took a deep breath, after much whining, and got out of the car. We headed to the tractor that would take us to the pumpkin field, and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Thankfully there weren't too many people around considering it was quite early in the weekday. I was hunched over, and as soon as we got on the tractor, I immediately regretted the decision. I wanted to turn around, go back to the car where I could at least curl up in peace. 

When we got off of the tractor, I ran to the porto-potty, thinking I was going to throw up... I didn't, but I had never felt so terrible in as long as I can remember. I opened the door and immediately started crying to Sal, how I felt so terrible that I was ruining the day, and that I only wanted to feel better. He calmed me, like he always does, and told me we could pick our pumpkins quick and head back. It usually takes me a while to pick my pumpkin, but I literally walked into the field, and found what I thought was a perfect size pumpkin for carving, not perfectly round, but close enough. Sal was glad that this whole process was going much faster than previous years, although it took him a bit longer to find his own pumpkin. 

I didn't want to wait and then head back on the tractor, so we decided to walk back, which was a great idea until we realized just how far away we were, and even worse when the rain drops started to fall. When we got back we paid for our pumpkins. I thought ginger ale might help me, so we bought a bottle, and as I sipped that magic through a straw, I asked Sal if he wanted to walk around to feed the animals. I thought it was the least I could do after he dealt with me whining and crying. He was like a little child, walking up to all of the animals and letting them eat the food from my hand. I'm not one to feed the animals as it is, and being sick made me no different... I let Sal have all of the fun. 

When we headed back home, the ginger ale started to help out, and I was slowly starting to feel better, but still not my normal self, so needless to say when we got home, we got comfy and cuddled up in bed, watching Army Wives (my obsessions lately) and a movie. By the end of the night, I felt much better, and knew that in the morning, this little sickness would be gone. Would I rather have went pumpkin picking on a different day? Absolutely. Would I have made any of those memories we made that day? Probably not. I am so glad we went, but I hope next year is even better... because we never did get to drink that wine! 

Apples & Weird Snapshots

Every year when fall rolls around, I have to do two things: go apple picking and pumpkin picking. It's tough to go apple picking, because September sometimes doesn't feel like fall, and then I completely forget until all of the apples are off the trees. This year, I made sure Sal knew I wanted to go apple picking and we were able to reserve a day during my "weekend" that worked for both of us, after we worked out of course. After we were all showered, we headed up to an orchard up north that we had been to two years ago - Masker's Orchard. Last year, we went to a different orchard and we didn't enjoy it; there were barely any apples to pick, and though I'm not sure if it was because we went late in the season, we just were not pleased with the selection.

Grabbing our apple bag at the entrance, we parked the car and started walking through the orchard. The views were breathtaking, and I found myself paying more attention to the color of the leaves on the trees, that is until I took a bite out of an apple. The apples were so juicy, fresh, and natural that I found it hard to pay attention to anything else. It wasn't until I finished an apple that I was able to refocus and realize that I had to put more apples into the bag.

Sal wasn't about to pay $30 bucks for three apples. So we wandered around, snapping pictures, and finding the best apples in the trees. It's fun getting lost in the orchard, even when you have a map right on the bag. We talked about what we would make with our apples, knowing that it probably wasn't possible for us to eat them all by ourselves. We had high hopes of making apple sangria, but when I looked at recipes online, I noticed that we would need a lot more than one bag of apples if we wanted to make a big batch.

We quickly grew bored of just picking apples off of the trees, so we decided to take funny pictures, and I challenged him to climb a tree - not sure what I was thinking with his knee being injured and all, but it made me smile and laugh, and Sal would never miss an opportunity to make me happy. He was so determined to get a few snapshots, but I honestly did not understand how he wanted me to pose. He described it perfectly, at least in his head, but I still did not understand the point. And while I will post the pictures, I still do not get them. But hey, at least they're funny... right?

As you can tell I'm trying my hardest not to laugh, because I really did not (and still don't) understand it. It's fine though, as long as the pictures made Sal happy. He's not a huge fan of all of the cliches during any season or holiday, but I'm a sucker for them. I love going apple picking and pumpkin picking in the fall, and I love seeing the tree in NYC during Christmas time, and I have to go see fireworks on the 4th of July. 

After we finished picking our apples off the trees, we headed to eat a late lunch/early dinner. We stopped at a cute restaurant near his friend's house by the lake, and it turned out to be a great decision. I'm always worried about going to new places having not heard anything about the food, or read any reviews.  We both got sandwiches and they were surprisingly tasty! I don't mind eating sandwiches so much, but I always try and skip the fries, though I usually steal a few from Sal (I know Sal, you don't share food, haha). 

It was still early so we decided to stop at his friend's house. I popped open some wine, poured it in a mason jar and sat on his deck, with a clear view of the beautiful fall foliage and the incredible lake. I was so relaxed, and kept thinking to myself that I could honestly get used to this. Imagine coming home from work, stressed after a long day or long commute, and just being able to take a deep breath and look at the absolutely perfect views of nature. It's such a calming feeling, and I didn't want to leave. I usually have a book on me, but it wasn't the case that day, so I downloaded one on my phone (I hate reading on any kind of technology, I'd much rather have a paperback), and slowly, I felt the tension ease from my shoulders, and my mind slip away. 

As the sun was setting, Sal's friend came home, and we messed around with the four-wheeler that he's holding for someone. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day, however cliche that may sound. I didn't want time to slip from me that night, but like all other days, they must come to an end. At least I was able to watch the sun set over the lake, I mean what better way to end your day?

'The Jersey Devil' Movie Premiere

Before Sal graduated from the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, he interned on the set of the movie - The Jersey Devil, as their production assistant (thanks to his awesome teacher for the recommendation). It was only for a few weeks, and while he learned he didn't want to work in the movie industry, that certainly didn't stop him from gaining the experience and connecting with everyone on set. While helping with the movie, he found himself sitting in the audience during one of the scenes. Before he knew it they had added him into the movie, and gave him a few lines. I was happy for him when he told me, but we didn't know if he would make it in the final cut of the movie, after all of the editing.

They finished filming, and we waited. They finished editing, and we waited. They produced the trailer, and we waited. Finally, we heard that there would be a movie premiere in Jersey City, where it had been filmed, at The Landmark Loews Theater. Sal was invited, of course, and extended the invitation to me. It would be a red carpet event, so while I was excited to attend, I was nervous! I had never been on the red carpet, so my first thought was... "What do I wear?!" I had Sal ask around, and it seemed that most of the women would be going all out, wearing dresses, and looking their best. Thankfully it was on the night of a day I had off of work, so I was able to workout in the morning and take the rest of the day to get ready. I wore a red and black dress to match Sal wearing a black suit with a red tie. We were going to see The Jersey Devil, how could we not wear red? When we arrived, we got together with a few of the other interns and their families, and got to talking. We explored the  Landmark Loews Theater, which was glamorous and vintage to say the least. It was stunning, the photographers were able to get some beautiful pictures. We made our way over to the red carpet, because I was not going to be able to leave if I did not get a picture standing on the red. 

We had our picture taken, and then we quickly went to find our seats, close to the screen. We didn't want to miss anything. The movie played, and I must admit, it was pretty funny. Many of the actors are well known in the industry (don't mind me while I drop some names) - Chris Mullkey from Captain Phillips, Jack Mulcahy from Porky's, Keith Collins from Stuck in the Middle, and Edvin Ortega from Orange is the New Black. Not only was Sal's teacher at CSB, Michael Billy, one of the funniest characters in the movie, he was also one of the executive producers! The writers, Billy Pepitone and Joseph Pepitone, did well when it came to keeping the audience laughing. It definitely wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, but then again, I have not seen many Indie/Independent films. For what they had, the movie surpassed my expectations.

As the movie played, I kept looking at Sal and asking him when his scene was going to come on screen. He tapped my should a short while in the movie, and said "This is it!" My anticipation grew, and I instantly blocked out everything else. I was focuses solely on the scene, and my heart began to beat faster and faster when I saw him on the screen! I couldn't believe it, he had landed himself a role, as small as it was, on the big screen! He said his lines, and the whole audience roared with laughter. I've been proud of Sal many times before, and I'm sure I will be proud of him in the future, but at that moment, I was over the moon proud of him. The smile on my face said it all... well the laughing definitely showed too. While I don't know if the movie will be at any local theater or in Target on the DVD rack any time soon, it will be several movie festivals! 

We had such a great night, and has made me look forward to Sal's career in the broadcasting industry, no matter what path he follows - movies, radio, TV - I just know he'll blow everyone else out of the water! Pretty soon we'll be able to look his name up on the internet! Be prepared for that name drop!

The 'Marry A Munson' Wedding

Sal and I have two friends that were to be married in September. It was going to be the wedding of the year, and we knew that we just had to attend once we received the invitation in the mail. Although we hadn't really hung out with them too often recently, due to one thing or another, we were still friends, and we weren't about to miss the day they wed. The wedding wasn't too far from our houses, but we decided to get a room for the night anyways, fully preparing for the night ahead. I also scheduled a hair appointment that afternoon with Sal's dad, who is a great hairdresser. We packed our bags, and hung our attire in the car, and headed to his dad's salon. I had plans of just doing all curls, but Sal insisted that after I curl it, I pull it all to one side, like I had done for a previous wedding. After getting so many compliments at the wedding, not only for my dress, but my hair, I had to admit that he was right, and that putting it to the side had been a great choice. 

We headed over to the hotel afterwards, excited for the night to begin. We received our welcome bags, and found our room. We quickly changed and got ready for the wedding. 

We headed down the hall so Sal could enjoy a beer with his buddy, catching a few plays of the football game that was on. We walked down to the where they were holding the ceremony. Unfortunately, it rained and the ceremony could not be held outside, but they made it work inside, and it was absolutely beautiful. They had one of their very close friends as the justice of the peace, making the ceremony even more special. 

We followed the happily married couple out of the ceremony area and into the area of the cocktail hour, where we enjoyed simple appetizers and delicious food that only hinted of what was to come. It wasn't only the food that we were enjoying though, but the drinks that were made, especially from the tequila fountain, which I kept refilling from. What can I say? I'm a tequila girl. Soon after we found ourselves moving back into the room that had been previously filled with ceremony chairs, and now had tables, a large dance floor, and a red carpet for pictures to be taken. It was stunning. 

We drank. We danced. We laughed until we thought we couldn't anymore. The party went on for what felt like hours and hours. I didn't catch the bouquet, though I tried. When one of our friends that is in a long term relationship caught it, the boys made sure that her boyfriend got the garter, by lifting him up high in the air. It was hilarious, and even more funny to watch him take the garter off his girlfriend. I lost Sal several times during the night, and although I didn't know too many people, I made friends with the ones who were at our table, and hung around on the dance floor far often than I thought I would. New found confidence, a sexy dress, and comfortable heels will do that to you. 

Sal ended up passing his cowboy hat around, that had been originally brought for the bride and groom's pictures. It probably ended up on everyone's head that night, and in a ton of pictures. I surprisingly did not get caught wearing it, thank gosh. He just kept heading to the red carpet to either photobomb a picture or snap a few wearing the cowboy hat. 

Dinner was delicious, and I did not want it to end. When I drink, I get hungry, and that's never a good thing. Dessert was even better, cake and ice cream, but not just any ice cream - cookie dough! I've never had that at a wedding, so I was speechless when the man listed the flavors available. We weren't done partying after the DJ played the last song, instead we headed to the bar. Sal wanted to go to the room real fast though, and had almost forgotten his cowboy hat, which had been the hit of the party. We were already in the elevator when he remembered to go back and grab it. Getting back to the room for this hat was hilariously caught on video, though I cut it right before the best part (Sal's fall!) to try and open the door.

We hung out at the bar for a little bit, until the night winded down and we were both exhausted (okay, maybe a little drunk, too). Thank gosh for the welcome bag that was filled with chips, because laying in that bed before I fell asleep, I needed something to munch on! It was the perfect way to end the night, passed out happily in bed with an empty bag of chips. 

The next morning, Sal and I headed to a local diner to cure our hangovers and fill our empty stomachs. Turns out that the chips did not fill it near enough as I had thought the night before. I must admit though, we could not stop talking about how great the wedding had been, and what a good time we had. 

Becoming a Fitfluential Ambassador

Ever since my passion for fitness was ignited, I've been wanting to reach out to others and inspire them to get into fitness and achieve a healthy, balanced lifestyle. That's one of the reasons why I became a certified personal trainer, and why I have a few other things up my sleeves. I found out about Fitfluential a while back, but I have not been able to apply to become an ambassador until I had at least 1K followers on Instagram. With the help of my awesome Tone It Up sisters in the community, I finally bypassed that number, and immediately applied.

It took a couple of weeks, but I can now finally say that I have been accepted and I am a Fitfluential Ambassador! What is that, you say? I am a social media influencer, who works with Fitfluential brand partners. I connect with fitness brands and review a product, or service they offer, and provide readers, like you, with a review and hopefully some great deals! I'm excited for this new venture, and hope it brings new fitness finds, friendships, and experience in the fitness industry!

WARNING: There will be many fitness posts in the future.

The Color Run of 2014

My friend and I signed up for the Color Run this year, and I was super excited. Last year, I ran the Color Run in Brooklyn, and had signed up on a team with a bunch of other girls, but I showed up a little later than our start time, and ended up running by myself. Now these runs are supposed to be fun, but I must admit, I didn't have quite as much fun running it alone, as I did running it with a friend. It would be my last 5K of the summer, so I was looking forward to it.

My friend, Amanda, went the day before to pick up our race packets, and a little something extra so we could match. We planned out our outfits, accordingly: our Color Run shirt, black shorts, Color Run socks, Color Run sunglasses, and the Color Run headband. Sal wore his supportive Color Run shirt that he made for my run last year. He picked Amanda up at her house, she passed me my race packet, and before I knew it we were all decked out in our white Color Run gear headed to the race. We left early, even though there were no scheduled race times. The race was in New Jersey so it was much closer than the Brooklyn race last year, but we didn't want to risk being late or getting stuck in traffic going down the shore. When we got there, we walked over to where every runner was gathered before the race. Thankfully since Amanda had already picked up our race packets, we didn't have to wait in the extremely long line. We snapped a few pictures, and decided that we should start the race.

We left Sal waiting for us at the finish line. I love starting races, knowing that he's there waiting for me at the end. He's my biggest supporter, and I'm so grateful that I can count on him to be there for me for anything, in this instance, my races. Amanda and I started off with a jog, and made sure we walked through each color station so that we were covered after each. We didn't bring our phones, so we don't have individual color pictures, but we weren't about to risk breaking our phones or turning them a different color. It felt like we were soaring through the race, but we took our time, soaking in the sun, the wind, the color. This was Amanda's first 5K, and what better first than the Color Run?! We had so much fun, and even ended up on the ground at the last color station, making color angels. I'm telling you, we did not take this seriously. It was hilarious. We headed towards the finish line, and I looked eagerly for Sal. When my eyes found him, I couldn't help but smile. I ran harder and faster as I crossed the finish line, and we grabbed our color packets for the huge color party by the stage. 

Sal wanted nothing to do with hugging either of us. It was still funny to tease him and act like we were going to hug him and get color all over him. We headed into the color pit, and got our color packets ready to throw. I told her that it'd be in her best interest to close her mouth and nose when everyone throws the color, or else it'll wind up in her lungs. We counted down, and with each second passing, the anticipation grew, until we were throwing the color in the air. My cameraman, Sal, got it on video, and it looks incredible from far away!

It wasn't over for us yet though, because as we were walking, we were given more color packets. We didn't feel like going back into the color pit to wait and then throw it on everyone. Instead, we decided to throw them on one another, and it was hysterical. Once again, Sal caught it on video! 

We took a few more pictures of our colorful selves, and then headed out to grab some breakfast - which, of course, was taylor ham egg and cheese sandwiches, or at least variations of the famous NJ breakfast sandwich. We laughed as we walked into the bagel shop, because we knew people would stare at us, and believe me, they did. We headed home soon after, smiling the entire ride as we sat on towels and tried not to get any color on Sal's seats. I'd say it was a great race, and I cannot wait until next year.

A Little Concert on the Beach

Our friend who's in the air force came home recently for a week, and it just so happened to be the same time Eric Paslay, a new up and coming country artist, was going to be putting on a concert on the beach, down the shore. The bar on the beach was putting on concerts every week of summer, but we hadn't heard about it until summer was almost over. This would be our last country concert, and we were going to make sure we enjoyed it. Sal, our three friends, and I piled into the car. We decided to all head down the shore early, and even though we sat in a little bit of traffic. We made sure we packed a cooler so that we were ready to get the party started as soon as we arrived. The parking lot was filled, so we decided to park next to this huge bus, which would end up being Eric Paslay's tour bus, but I'll get to that a bit later. 

We got there early, before people even lined up to enter the bar, so we decided to walk around a bit and explore the bar next door. We got a few drinks, and watched as high tide came in, forcing most of the people off the beach. Heading over early, we stood in line to purchase tickets and wait for our hands to be stamped. Before we knew it, we were standing a few feet away from the stage, and right in front of the bar. It could not have been more perfect if we planned it. Sal and I quickly ordered food, and drinks, because we were starving. Everyone else ordered their drinks, and the night soon began. 

It was such a beautiful night, and the bar opened up out on to a porch overlooking the beach. Even though we weren't allowed on the beach, as soon as I stepped out there, the gorgeous view of the sun going down, and the moon lit, took my breath away. I didn't need the sand to enjoy the beach. 

Dave Hangley opened up for Eric, and even though I didn't know any of his songs, he ended up being really great. We enjoyed the music as we sipped on our drinks, and noticed that as the night progressed, we were getting even more squished, and our spot didn't seems as great as it did in the beginning of the night. Our friends wandered around, but we stayed put, not wanting to lose our 'prime spot.' 

Eric Paslay was up next, and he came out full force! The crowd was already in a great mood, thanks to Dave Hangley, so Eric just made it that much better. He sang all of his hits, and even other ones he wrote, that I didn't even realize were written by him! He played well into the night, and Sal and I were able to see the entire thing! We can't speak for our friends, one of which ended up asleep in the back of Sal's car. I snapped pictures with Dave Hangley, and grabbed a sweet guitar pic from him! He's not famous, but I know he will be one day, and that's just as good as anything. 

We left the bar after it had cleared out, and ended up hanging by the car, waiting for our friends to make their way back. But boys will be boys, and we found ourselves waiting for awhile. It just so happened that Eric Paslay's band was hanging out outside of the bus, and we got to talking, and talking, and talking. It was so incredible, and even though I thought I'd get all giddy and nervous talking to someone famous, I actually didn't. Even though I didn't meet Eric Paslay, Sal did as he was grabbing us a few bottles of water. The band, and Eric, were all super nice, and we may just be seeing more of them in the future!