Bridges Through Life

Buffalo and Road Trips: Friday Favorites 5.12.17

by Leave a Comment

Happy Friday!! This week I finally moved so I think I will be in one place for a bit of time and just trying to sort out where my things will go and learn my way around the kitchen to get to cooking and baking soon. Between last Thursday and this Tuesday, I covered quite a few miles and spent way too many hours in the car. It was well worth it though to see a new place and then pass through Buffalo (where I went to school) to see familiar places and faces. Linking up with Heather for this Friday Favorites Buffalo edition.

  1. Tim Horton’s Iced Tea – I tried the summer flavors which I somehow missed back in the years I was in Buffalo, probably because I left as soon as finals were over in the beginning of May. I tried both the raspberry lemon and the mango flavors. I have to say I still prefer original unsweetened, with raspberry as second and mango last.                                                                                                                       tim hortons iced tea
  2. Visiting with 2 of my UB friends – one kindly hosted me for the night and happens to teach Zumba on Monday nights, so I got to join her class which was super fun. The second I hadn’t seen since last summer on her due date for her baby and now her (big) guy is 9 months! How time flies!! He is such a happy baby. smiling baby
  3. Panera Strawberry Poppyseed salad – I love this seasonal Panera salad. I went out to Panera with one of my old co workers since we had a plant in Tonawanda. I also got my birthday treat. So glad Panera allows the reward to be good for 2 months. Their cookies are so good.                                  strawberry poppyseed panera salad
  4. New dress – I don’t know why but I always find something I like when I am not really looking. I found this dress at JC Penny while walking the mall in Buffalo to kill time. I don’t wear dresses often but I think this is a perfect summer dress, plus it passed the yoga test. I also finally found a new black bikini bottom to go with my two new tops I purchased in Australia. Both the dress and bikini bottom were 40% off which helps to justify spending the money when I am still job searching right?!                                          yoga dress test
  5. Podcasts – Since I now have an iphone with actual storage space, I have been able to download podcasts and they definitely help car rides go by much quicker. Within the span of 5 days, I spent 25 hours driving as I road tripped. I am in need of a massage and stretching and just moving my body now. I am thankful for podcasts though to pass the time with some story telling or just conversations I can relate to or find interesting. I will eventually do a post on the podcasts I am listening to.

 

That’s all I have for the week. Don’t forget this weekend is Mother’s Day (I should really be telling myself this). I’m not sure what I will be doing this weekend, but I just joined a gym in the area and I need to check out some yoga studios around so maybe that and some food prep I haven’t done in ages.

 

I would love to know…

What are some of your favorite podcasts right now?

Do you have any Mother’s Day traditions?

Green Smoothie and Free Stuff: Friday Favorites 5/5

by Leave a Comment

Happy Cinco de Mayo!! I will probably be back late tonight as I am visiting my sister in Iowa (cross that state off my list to visit). I am hoping to make some tacos or fajitas at home Saturday if not tonight. I think fajitas are one of the few things all my family members like, instead of everyone eating their own thing for dinner which is the usual.

    Anyway I am back with Friday Favorites for the second week.

  1. Green smoothie at home – I really missed my blender while I was traveling and my green smoothies. I added avocado, banana, spinach, almond milk and protein powder to this one and topped with mini chocolate chips. It was so good and I hope to be making them at least once a week again soon.                      green smoothie
  2. New socks – So I don’t know what it is with socks, but I always feel like I buy a bunch and then only end up with 5 pairs I wear. I really don’t know what happens to all the other pairs. Anyway my socks from my trip were pretty gross and I really like the Under Armor brand and then I also saw these super soft (the package does not lie!) Puma socks for 25% off as well, so I picked up those too. 12 new pairs of socks. Hopefully I am set for a while. I really don’t need that many. shopping bath and body works
  3. Coupons for free stuff – I love Bath and Body Works and Victoria Secret when I get the free coupons. I swear half my underwear was free from Victoria Secret. Though apparently Victoria Secret realized they can’t just do free without a purchase anymore so you have to make a purchase, so I bought a pair of underwear and got one free. The cool part was the coupon actually worked for the more expensive pair which was sweet. Bath and Body works also sent a free coupon for a full size shower gel. My sister literally used to have a whole shelf of the travel size bottles she had gotten for free. I was surprised when this coupon was for a full size. 
  4. Getting rid of more stuff – I came home from traveling and realized how much I lived without. I mean I have slowly been getting rid of things since college because I lived without a lot of my stuff in the dorm room obviously, but somehow it wasn’t until I lived out of a backpack for 4 months that I really realized how little I needed. Finally I was able to become detached from shirts and pairs of underwear that really needed to be tossed. I have also been able to get rid of little trinket items that serve no purpose. I realize some people may like them, but I just don’t have the space for them and pretty tired of moving things from place to place. Moving 3 times in 3 years and to two different states will do that. I actually now will have lived in 3 different states in the last 4 years which is pretty crazy.
  5. First Cubs Game – I’ve been a terrible Chicagoan the last 27 years of my life and have never been to a Cubs Game. But actually the only sports games I have been to have been through my jobs with a suite, so it’s actually not too surprising. Anyway I finally went on Tuesday night. It was cold, like 40 degrees outside (ummm this is not May weather…), but the Cubs won and that was the best part!! It was also the latest I have managed to stay up in weeks haha!
first cubs game
beautiful sunset and Cubs win at my first Cubs game

That’s all I have for today. Tomorrow I am working on packing up my car and then getting an early start on Sunday morning to start my drive to Binghamton, NY. I have an aunt in Ohio so stopping there for the night. Soon I will be moved, now I just need a job…

 

What are you doing this weekend?

Loving at Home: Friday Favorites 4/28

by Leave a Comment

Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Happy Friday!! Man I don’t know where this week went. I swear I just got home yesterday or something. I have only begun to tackle my stuff I left at home. Somehow the days have gotten away from me between visiting friends and running errands. I am hoping to get more done today actually as I don’t really have any plans. I tackled my t-shirt problem yesterday and I will let you know what I did with them soon. Anyway, with being home, there are many things I am currently loving, so I thought I would do a Friday Favorites post.

  1. American Bacon

bacon

Because you just don’t get American crispy bacon overseas. The closest is like Canadian bacon.

  1. Visiting my bff and her 3 year old daughter (did you see the diaper cake I made for her second baby on the way)

me and Isabella 2

  1. Trying out Orange Theory for the first time and seeing one of my high school friends

orange theory

I will say I really enjoyed the structure of the class. I took it easy since I am just getting back to routine after 4 months of travel. With my usual high level of activity they recommended that I do 2 classes with them a week, which would be great, except that it’s $100 for that. I would pay $100 for a gym (I used to for Lifetime Fitness) if it offered classes, a pool and weights, but I can’t justify $100 for Orange Theory at this time. I mean when you break it down to 8 classes and think about how it is with a trainer, it’s a good deal, but just too expensive for me working out at other places. In Philadelphia, I was a member at 2 gyms because one gym didn’t have it all for me, but I only paid $60 total a month plus additional costs if I dropped into a yoga studio. So it depends what you are looking for. Also there currently isn’t an Orange Theory where I am moving.

  1. Heading to a gentle yoga class and having time to foam roll before class.

My dad knew a teacher at our local Evanston Athletic Club so I took his class. It was during the day and seemed to cater to an older audience with chair yoga, but I stayed on my mat and modified. It was great to do the day after Orange Theory and all the squats. I was also observing the teacher as I tend to do since becoming a yoga teacher myself and got ideas if I ever end up teaching a chair yoga class. If you are local to Evanston, I highly recommend Evanston Athletic Club. Their pool is literally the cleanest I have experienced at a gym and they have great classes. The only downside is that it’s in downtown so you have to pay parking each time if you aren’t within walking/biking distance.

  1. Noodles and Company

noodles and company pan noodles

When you leave the country for 4 months, you come back and get take out from all your favorite places, or maybe that is just me?! I love the Japanese Pan Noodles and Pad Thai with tofu from Noodles and Company. I went with the pan noodles this time and forgot how spicy (to me) they are. Definitely cleared my sinuses.

 

I know I was just home in December for a few weeks, but it is nice to be home in warmer weather. Though the weather teased us with 75 degrees on Wednesday and then 50 on Thursday, but that is typical Chicago for you. Oh I just checked the weather and there is rain and cold coming…well rain is better than snow at least. I also still have my snow tires on my car since my regular tires are in NY where I am moving in just over a week.

What are your favorite places to visit when in your home town?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin