Valentine's Day 2015: The Heart of the Matter

Each Valentine's Day for the last three years has been spent with one of my best friends. For the past two years I've worked on Valentine's Day (I'm sure other years prior, but I'm counting full time job hours). The hospital has been such a great place to be, and I try and make it a great day for the children and families that are stuck there. This year it was filled with cupcakes and Zumba! For the past seven years, I've had a boyfriend who spoils me to no end each and every day of the year, not just with material things and food, but with his undivided attention, love, and support. Even though we've been dating each other, every Valentine's Day that comes around, we don't make a huge deal out of it, because we show each other how much we love each other day in and day out. To us, it's not about one day, it's about day after day. So that's why I choose to go out with my friend on Valentine's Day. Sal and I still have our night out together and he still arrives to my door with flowers or has them delivered, but it doesn't need to be on Valentine's Day. 

Sal had flowers delivered to the hospital where I work. Receiving a phone call saying I had something downstairs in the lobby waiting for me was definitely heart wracking, but definitely made me smile when I picked up the box and saw what was delivered to me. It made me feel so special, and gave me a smile to wear the rest of the day. 

This year, my friend and I were going to go to a fancy restaurant, but it ended up being booked with reservations, so we decided to go to our favorite burger place, with wine (Zinburger is great for those of you that haven't gone)! We arrived even though it was snowing, and were seated immediately, with no wait ... which is funny because on any random night we'd go there, there would be a wait! I guess burgers aren't that romantic, well for us they certainly are! We immediately started off with a bottle of wine, even though they were out of one of our favorites, Reisling. We poured our glasses full, and began our usual conversation, catching up and gossiping and forming our plans for the summer, which will be epic. We placed our orders for our delicious burgers and sweet potato fries, and when they arrived, we still continued to talk as we stuffed our faces. It's funny because each and every time we go there, we say we're only going to order half of a burger, and we end up ordering and eating a whole one. We were full, but there was still more wine, so our night went on. 

Time went fast, and we found ourselves closing the place, so we headed next door to Cups and filled our cups with way too much frozen yogurt and toppings. Why we do this to ourselves, I'll have no idea, but it was too good to resist. We said goodbye feeling way too stuffed, and headed home. I arrived home and Sal pulled up with homemade cookie dough ice cream. Don't worry, I didn't eat it that night... I am definitely not a glutton for punishment. I did savor it and still am savoring it a little at a time because it's just so good. 

That Sunday night, Sal and I decided to go out just the two of us, on a date. He arrived to my house with two roses in his hand, and a cute little pillow that says I love you. I smiled as he led me to the car, and the whole walk there I just kept thinking about how lucky I am to be with a man that truly appreciates me. We walked hand in hand into the hibachi restaurant we would be dining at that evening, and we breathed in the smell of those Japanese noodles, steak, and lobster that would soon be coming our way. Sal, of course, headed to the indoor pond they have filled with fish, and then we ordered the best girly drinks ever... yes, you read that right... Sal enjoyed a nice Mai Tai with fruit! Once we were seated, we couldn't wait to place our orders. We ended up being next to a great group of people, and we made the night really fun. Our soups and salads arrived, and then our main entrees were cooked in front of our eyes, and it was a hilarious sight to see. I even tried the Sake! 

Dinner was beyond amazing, and worth every penny. We enjoyed every last bite, and will definitely be heading back there soon! We enjoyed every second of the night we spent with one another, and if I could spend every night with him, I would. Love is a beautiful thing, and it brings out the best qualities in both of us. It didn't matter that we hadn't gone out on Valentine's day, or that I didn't give him anything, all that mattered was that we were together, and we were truly happy. The heart of the matter is not having to be with each other for every single "holiday," or needing to get one another things to show that you love them... the heart of the matter is the love that is shared between the two of you... and that you tell and show that person you love them every day. 

TIUNJ Yoga Meetup & Brunch

I swear, I could rave on and on about the Tone It Up fitness community, and how over the years, I've been able to connect with and meet so many beautiful, inspiring women. So when Kristyn, at Creative with Kristyn, wanted to put together a NJ meet up, I was all ears. She was planning for a yoga meet up, followed by brunch nearby. She picked an awesome spot that had a beginner's yoga class that she figured would be great for everyone, even if a few of the girls had never done yoga before. She was recommended to try a spot for brunch afterwards, and made reservations for guess what - 15 women! I couldn't believe how many we had coming.

I invited my friend who just got into Tone It Up, and so we woke up bright and early and headed to the yoga studio. We parked, signed in, and waited. I was able to snap some pictures of the art in the studio. It was such a warm and inviting place, except for the lady at the front desk. When she realized how big our group was, I think the nerves got the best of her, and she started shouting to make sure we had all filled out our paperwork. Not so namaste. Once we were all settled on to our mats, things got weird. Okay, probably not weird for most people who have done different types of yoga before, but I'm a vinyasa girl - I like the flow of the moves and positions, and I like feeling like I'm actually working out. This yoga did not flow. We did several different moves, but I felt like I never got the chance to really lie there and focus on my breath, or end each move and give it closure. It was different though, and I'm glad I gave it a try.

We got the group all together, and took a great big picture at the end. It was exciting to see so many awesome women coming together. Kristyn passed out little bags of Perfect Fit Cinnamon protein tied together with an awesome friendship bracelet (how sweet, right?!). Most of us were going to brunch afterwards, and it was walking distance, so we began our trek outside while snow was falling down, which made for a very cold walk. It went fast though, and before you knew it we were waiting to be seated inside the toasty restaurant. Unfortunately, there were so many of us that they had to split us up and four of our girls had to sit at another table. We all ended up having a great time getting to know one another though, and we enjoyed such delicious food. I ordered eggs with sausage and tons of veggies with a side of potatoes, which was unlike anything I'd ever had, and it was hard to stop myself from scraping the empty plate and licking it clean. It paired nicely with my green tea.

It soon felt like I was having brunch with girls that I knew for year. Each and every girl was so open with their lives and experiences, and it was a breath of fresh air. It's a funny thing, friendships... sometimes, they just form so easily, and you can't even remember how it started in the first place. I'm glad I was able to attend, and I cannot wait for more meet ups to be planned.

Where Has Christmas Gone?

Is it just me, or is everyone else not over the fact that Christmas has come and gone so quickly? I feel like every year, the excitement over Christmas starts right after Thanksgiving, and then we blink and it's gone. I was one of those people that listened to 106.7 FM radio the day after our feast, up until the day after Christmas. I loved hearing the Christmas music on my way to and from work. I was probably that person that you passed while driving, singing at the top of her lungs and dancing. In my opinion, the music makes the holiday that much better, that much more cheerful.

Like last year, I spent Christmas Eve at the hospital, packing up bags of toys for the boys and girls to wake up to on Christmas morning. It's more work than you think, but well worth it, even if I don't see their smiles in the morning or hear their squels, I know they're happy. 

I rushed home that afternoon to make it back to my house before our guests arrived for Christmas Eve dinner. We have not let any year go by without this holiday tradition. I was home in no time, changing and getting ready for the night ahead. As my brother lit the sternos and the smells of the food lingered in the air, my stomach growled and I couldn't wait for the night to start! Guests slowly started to arrive, and the night slipped on by. Our conversations filled the house, and our bellies grew full. We lasted all night without taking pictures by the tree, another tradition that I'm sure my boyfriend could live without, but as people started leaving, we called them one by one over to our tree to take pictures. Taking pictures is something I won't ever give up, because they last forever and I love looking back over the years at events I've been to, experiences I've gone through, and people I've spent time with. 

I slipped into a dreamless sleep that night, with a smile on my face as I looked forward to Christmas morning. No matter how old I am, I think I'll continue to wake up early and excited on Christmas. I spent the morning in my pjs with my family. We opened presents, and then put on Christmas movies all morning. I scored a few workout outfits (VSX & Asics), as well as tons of gift cards and fitness related items. 

My mom cooked us our usual Christmas morning breakfast - eggs, bacon, toast, and of course, cinnamon rolls. I ate everything, throwing my "lean, clean , and green" rule book out for the day. Life is all about balance, and if you can't have a cinnamon roll drenched in frosting, what kind of life are you living?! 

After breakfast, we continued to watch movies. I even got my dad to watch Frozen. Thanks to my job, I was able to sing every song that came on. He just loved that, ha. Later that evening, I finally got dressed (before I fell asleep on the couch) and headed to Sal's house to spend time with his family. I went just in time to enjoy  dinner, which was delicious. They could spend all day at the table, first slowly enjoying appetizers, then moving onto courses, and eventually settling down with dessert - it could last hours, which is nice and all, but not something I like to do - I mean who wants to wait all day to eat or spend all day eating? 

Sal and I didn't exchange gifts again this year, instead we plan on using the money we would have spent (and then some) on a trip far, far away, just the two of us. I'm thinking some place tropical? 

It was the perfect balance of food, family, and memory making, and I honestly would not have had it any other way. 

As much as I wish it was still the holiday season, I'll tell you one thing I don't miss about Christmas being over, holiday traffic. 

25 Years Ago...

I was born. It's extremely weird to think of myself at that age because I don't feel older. I always thought I'd feel 25, have my life in order, and know what I want, and even though I'm definitely more mature than I have ever been, everything hasn't set in place, and I think I'm realizing that my life won't ever feel set in stone, and I'm okay with that. When I was in high school,  I had all these (false) expectations of where I'd be when I turned 25. I thought I would have moved out of my childhood home, married, and on my way to having a baby. I can't imagine me being any of those things right now... okay, except living on my own... that'd be nice. But that's not the point. The point is, with every year that I've grown a little more, I've realized that I'm exactly where I need to be, and that all of those things will happen, when they're meant to happen. 

Last year, when I turned 24, I vowed that I would complete 25 things on my bucket list before I turned 25. 25 before 25. Well, it turns out that a year goes by quite fast. I wasn't able to accomplish everything on my list, but I accomplished what I made important, what I pushed myself to accomplish, and what I had control over. 

1. I read 1 book a month. 

2. I became certified to be a personal trainer.

3. I bought a new vehicle.

4. I went zip lining.

5. I took a spontaneous trip with Sal. 

6. I presented at a child life conference.

7. I started and finished a project life album (2007-2008). 

8. I traveled to a new state. 

9. I did a 5 minute plank. 

10. I SAVED money! 

Even though I was only able to cross off ten things on my list, they were HUGE things, things I'm proud of. Many, many more things happened during my 24th year, and I wouldn't have traded any one of those things in, even if it would have helped me cross off something else on my list. And now that I'm 25, I find myself living more and more in the moment. Time slips by so fast, and if I've learned anything in this past year, it's that life is precious, more precious than any of us realize, and it can be taken away or changed in an instant, with one decision, with one tick of the clock. 

Not only did I turn 25 this year, but Sal did as well... 22 days before me, to be exact. For his birthday, he decided, he wanted to keep it low key and simple. I took the day off to spend with him, and we spent the whole day together, doing what he wanted! We woke up early and headed off to kickboxing to get in a killer workout, and then headed to a fancy brunch afterwards, where we enjoyed plates and plates of food, as well as mimosas! There he opened his fit presents, including a C4 and Cellucor weight loss powder, and a heart rate monitor (all of which he has since become addicted to- whoops!). We ended the day in our Green Bay jerseys, cuddling up on the couch for the football game. Yes, we changed our outfits three times that day, going from sweaty messes, to a classy couple, to bums, all in a matter of hours. 

Twenty-two days later, and I had quite different plans for my birthday. Every year I try and do something spectacular, something with a bunch of friends, that usually ends up costing Sal more money than anyone else. This year, I chose to do something a little low-key, but still really fun, and something that included all of my friends and loved ones. We went out on the 21st, instead of my actual birthday on the 22nd. I took the weekend off, and made reservations for a fancy brunch with my closest friends, at the same place that Sal and I went for his birthday, because I loved it that much. The only thing that was required was ugly christmas sweaters. I didn't think it'd be such a hit, but everyone that walked through the door showed up in an ugly sweater, and it was hilarious. We sat and enjoyed plate after plate of food, and I made the waiter and waitresses keep bringing us rounds and rounds of mimosas. I honestly can't even remember how many I drank, I just remember having two in my hands at all times. They were good, you can't blame a girl for drinking on her 25th birthday, now can you? The party wasn't over after we left though, considering that it was Sunday and football was on TV, we headed to the bar, where we enjoyed more drinks (since we had already been drinking since 12, what did it matter that it wasn't 5 o'clock yet? It's 5 o'clock somewhere, they say! Half time brought on free pizza, and we were the happiest people in there, we eventually cleared the place out, and headed home. The day could not have been more perfect. I think it was one of my best birthdays ever. 

On my actual birthday, I woke up and opened my amazing gifts from my family, in bed. Once I was dressed and able to be seen in public, my brother and I headed to get the world's best breakfast sandwich - taylor ham, egg, and cheese on a bagel. We sat in the small bagel shop, talking so long that when we left we smelt like grease, which is always great to smell like, especially on your birthday. We went home, and Sal came over, and that's when we relaxed and popped in a movie. We eventually had to drag ourselves off the couch so that I could go and teach at CKO Kickboxing that night, because I was not about to take off of teaching, it was only an hour. Afterwards, we headed to Applebees for half price apps with my family, and it was such a perfect way to end the celebratory weekend. 

Even during my birthday weekend, I found lessons in life's moments, and have never felt more sure of myself. Sure, I've gained materialistic things in the past year, but more importantly I've gained more confidence, closer friends, and more love than I ever thought was possible. This year has taught me all about balance. I used to be so focused on doing it all - working out like a maniac, working to make money, trying to see all of my friends and family, and it was tiring, and I ended up burnt out and exhausted. I refocused this past year, and have been really able to balance, find my passion again, and bring it to life. Twenty-five is looking like a good year, already. 

Halloween 2014 Recap

Was it just me or did it feel like Halloween lasted for about two weeks this year? Maybe it's because I went to a costume party a week before Halloween, or maybe it's because there's been candy in the store for about a month.

This year was fun nevertheless. Sal's friend, Jimmy, was planning on throwing a party the weekend before Halloween, being that he was in his new house, yes... you guessed it, the one by the lake. He had some of his friends decorate, got a bunch of drinks, and decided to order pizza and subs for everyone. It wasn't a requirement to dress up, but it just made it more fun. After work, Sal and I headed up there with my brother and his girlfriend, both were home from college. We were all dressed to perfection. Sal was Clark Kent, my brother was a doctor, and Michele was a football player. They were all cute costumes, most of which were put together with clothes they already had. For my costume, I decided to reuse an old costume. Sal and I buy a new costume every year and twice we had no where to go to wear them to... I know, sad story. Anyways, one year Sal and I bought Top Gun costumes; his being more of a flight suit, and mine a dress. I tried mine on, and it didn't fit my shoulders, which just shows you how much kickboxing has positively affected me, and how much muscle I've gained. So I decided to wear Sal's Top Gun flight suit, but I wasn't going to just be Maverick or Goose... oh no... I was going to be one of our friends, Mike, who is currently in Oklahoma in the Air Force. He wasn't going to be at the party, so I figured I'd be him! It turned out that one of our other friends decided to be Jimmy. The two, Jimmy and Mike, are best friends, so it was absolutely hysterical. We even had Jimmy's mom calling him upset that she didn't know Mike was home. I have to say that we were picture perfect. 

The night drifted on by as we kept the party alive - bonfire, beer, good friends, and music played by two awesome guitarists. 

We headed back home before it was too late for us grandmas and grandpas, because some people (like me) have to work on the weekend. When I was home, I felt as if Halloween was done and over with, and like another year had passed, but we still had a week until the real day!

I didn't have any plans for October 31st, and I had to work at the hospital all day, but it was so so worth it. The other Child Life Specialists and myself decided we wanted to dress up together, so we chose to be the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, even though there were only three of us. We bought the shirts, chose to wear black leggings, and I added long green socks, from my soccer days, and a purple tutu to match my mask. We wanted costumes that we could get away with if something serious was to happen at the hospital (a new diagnosis of something or a serious accident). 

We were at the hospital bright and early with a mission to make the day fun for the children, to get them to laugh, and not care if they were missing trick or treating with their friends. We do reverse trick or treating, giving nurses, who were also dressed up, bags of goodies (Halloween related and not) like playdoh, vampire teeth, shirts/socks, coloring books, toys, and more, to pass out to the children. They'd knock on their doors, yelling "Trick or Treat!" The children would be in the room, waiting, with their bags open wide and huge smiles on their faces. It turned out to be a huge hit once again, and we surprised the children, and their families with cupcakes decorated just for the occasion! Project Sunshine from a college nearby joined us for the party and had crafts available for the children, their siblings, and families to do in the playroom. 

It was such a great day, and I'm pretty sure no one was upset that they missed Halloween outside of the hospital, at least not too much. 

So now you can understand why I thought Halloween was much longer than it was, but how it might've been the best Halloween yet. Hope all of you had a wonderful Halloween! 

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. 

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.