Friday Things
1. My Chief Culinary Consultant and I took that picture two and a half years ago on a tucked away beach that we stumbled upon sheerly by accident. In less than four weeks, we’ll be getting married on that same stretch of beach. We just made our plans this week and we couldn’t be more excited!
2. Remember a while back when I asked your opinion about StitchFix, the mail-order personal stylist/shopping service? I finally signed up and got my first delivery this week:
For someone like myself that tends to buy the same type of things over and over, this is such a cool service! I really enjoyed trying everything on at home, with things already in my closet, and utilizing the “style tags” on the pieces, which gave suggestions on how to wear each item. I’m officially hooked!
3. Last week, my sweet, soft, cuddly Golden Retriever Einstein ate a mouse in our yard. I’m still grossed out.
4. Have you seen these Cuppow BNTO Canning Jar Lunchbox Adaptors?
Really neat! You can back fruit or granola with yogurt, veggies with dip, salad with dressing… all without mixing them up and getting everything soggy. Genius!
5. Have any of you done hot yoga? How hot is hot? There’s a yoga studio near my house that I’d like to try out, but on their website it says that all of their classes are set at 90 degrees (except for gentle flow, which is set at 80 degrees). I can’t decide if I’ll feel like I’m going to die, or if it will be bearable. Thoughts? I’ve only ever taken yoga classes in “normal” temperatures.
6. I bought a dwarf Meyer Lemon tree at Lowe’s on a whim.
It’s grown a ton since I got it and it has a lot of buds. Fingers crossed that it will produce some Meyer lemons at some point!
7. Next week, my Chief Culinary Consultant and I are going to DC for a few days to hang out and see some friends. I’m looking forward to a little getaway! I always enjoy hitting up the restaurants down there; so many good eats in that area!
8. Truth.
9. Did you know that July not only National Ice Cream Month, but also National Blueberry Month? If you have tons of fresh blueberries to use up, be sure to check out my new Beautiful Blueberries Pinterest board!
10. TGIF! I hope you find a cozy corner this weekend!
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Love the idea of Cupcow Canning Jar Adapters-would be great idea to keep my snacks for work
I LOVE hot yoga. Do it. The first few times might be a bit tough, but it’s so worth it. Best workout I’ve ever had. Because of the temperature, you are able to bend more and it accelerates your heart beat. Just remember to hydrate well for a couple of hours before the session. I don’t have any studios where I live these days, and I miss it so much!
Hot yoga can definitely be hit or miss. Some people LOVE it, and some people HATE it. Personally, I hate it. I always feel incredibly dehydrated afterward, and I don’t get that “amazing” feeling that some people seem to get. I much prefer regular yoga, but I feel like it’s worth a shot to figure out what camp you’re in. But it is hot. Noticeably hot and at times uncomfortable. Keep a water bottle and towel nearby!
LOVE THAT ICE CREAM PICTURE! Very true :)
Try hot yoga! It’s amazing. There are many types of hot yoga and 90 is a good temp. Bikhram yoga is two sequences of 26 poses usually at 105. I’d steer clear of that. The flow style of hot yoga is nice and allows for changing it up and taking a break. Try to get a spot by the door the first few times. If you get light headed, don’t leave the room, but rest in child’s pose or something on the floor so your body can acclimate. And most importantly, hydrate before your class. Give it a few tries and report back on your experience :)
Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials! I had no idea that it was National Ice Cream AND National Blueberry month! I posted the perfect ice cream for both today on my blog – what a coincidence! And I’m sorry about that mouse… :(
Best,
Natalie
http://oystersandpearls.net/blueberry-cheesecake-ice-cream/
Congrats on getting married in four weeks! That is so exciting! I bought a key lime tree awhile ago but I’m not sure if it will ever produce fruit.
Love the idea of the Cuppow Canning jar adapters – will have to try those. I have been thinking about trying yoga & will be interested in your thoughts on hot yoga. When you are in the DC area you should swing by the Dairy Godmother – best ice cream in the area with very interesting flavors. Also in Del Ray area are Cheesetique & Taqeria Poblano. Finally – congrats on your upcoming nuptials. Getting married on the beach is very cool – hope to see a companion shot to the one you took several years ago. 8-)
I seem to be in the minority but I say, “way to go Einstein!” Think of it this way: he’s doing a preemptive strike to keep that mouse outta your house. Good boy.
Gee you could do hot yoga here in Florida with little effort. Just turn off the ac. What beach did you choose? I remember last year you did a trip to Florida. Some visit, you need to visit our Gulf coast beaches. They put the Atlantic beaches to shame and wonderful sunsets over the water. Sarasota and Manatee Co. have wonderful beaches. Good luck and best wishes on your upcoming wedding. Wish you many years of happiness.
Hey! I am heading to the DC area as well in a few weeks for the first time in a decade. You mentioned that you go to a lot of great restaurants down there. Care to share? Thanks!
Michelle – 4 weeks?!?! How exciting! So happy for you and wishing you a lifetime of joy and happiness!
Now, hot yoga, Just Do It. It feels so good. I don’t know if all classes are the same temp, but 90 is a good starting temp. Yes you will sweat but it’s in a good way, a look-at-how-I’m-working-my-body kind of way. And I’ve never been in a heated studio that was gross and smelly.
Bikram yoga, the original “hot yoga” has to have a room temp of around 105, I think. I know many instructors will do more “standard” vinyasa (flow) yoga in a “hot room” that is nowhere near 105 degrees.
If your yoga instructor is worth a darn, they’ll welcome your questions before you even take a class; they’ll encourage you to try the class at your own pace, and offer suggestions/welcome your feedback.
I’m confident that with the right type of instructor and class format you will love yoga in a heated room. If you feel at all intimidated or put off by the instructor, then they aren’t for you. That is SO not the mind set of yoga, especially when inspiring people new to the practice.
Definitely try it and ask as many questions along the way. I think you will love how it makes you feel. Your body feels wonderful and your head too. I always leave feeling calm, yet energized, with new clarity about things in my life. Definitely hard feelings to beat.
Btw, what about the hair dryer? Didnt you get a new one, or were you just thinking about it? If you did, I’d love to hear about it…my Conair XL5000 dryer is on my last nerve.
Hi Shani, Thanks for the input on the yoga, I appreciate it! Yep, 4 weeks, we just dove right in, haha! As for the hair dryer – I got the Sedu Revolution Pro 6000i. So far, I love it. It dries my hair much faster and it’s a lot smoother/less frizz.
Congrats on setting your date. I bet you have bunches to do. Wishing you the best that everything goes smoothly. With a supportive family and friends you have the best of it all.
Congrats on your 4 week countdown! I love all your blueberry pins. I recently went to a fruit farm and now have tons of blackberries, raspberries and blueberries waiting to be eaten or better yet-baked.
#8 – totally!
Best wishes for a lovely wedding and future! My golden retriever walked up to me one day IN THE HOUSE with a mouse tail sticking out, swishing back and forth between his teeth! I calmly(not really) called him to the door and let him out, and made him drop it! Ugh! I still get the heebie-jeebies!
Hot yoga is hot, but the studio I went to was not humid at all, mind you it was also January in the Canadian prairie, so all the water was frozen. That is neither here nor there, staff at the studio recommended we enter the practice room a few minutes before class, lay out our mats and spend some time in corpse pose to accomodate our body to the heat. I thought it felt a bit like a dry sauna. If you don’t like saunas you might not like it, but I found that the heat helped me stretch more easily and I wasn’t too sore. I also enjoyed how awesome you feel for the rest of the day. I found it helped my sinuses, my skin, everything! My fiancee who attended with me because he had pulled some muscles and pinched a nerve in his back found it really helped with his recovery. The studio we went to did do kind of standard series for their regular 60 min classes, but I liked that because it made it easier for me to see progress in my practice, and if I wanted to mix it up I attended a hatha or music class…or went for a run.
Best of luck with the wedding!
4 weeks!!! Oh my goodness!!! Promise lots of pictures?!?!?
I hope you loved your Stitch Fix! I think it’s fun, even if everything isn’t a homerun…and you’re right….it’s good to be pushed a little out of your comfort zone! ;)
LOVE those jars! How cute!
Be sure to instagram your DC restaurant finds!!! We’re heading there in not too long and I have no idea where to EAT! My husbnad actually said this week, “Well, we’re not going to DC to eat!” Um, who does he think he’s married too?!? Geez.
Jealous of your meyer lemon tree! We just discovered this summer that our trees in our backyard are fruit trees (we just bought the house last fall). SO exciting!
What a beautiful place for your wedding! Enoy every minute of your special day. Whenever I need a lift I turn to your blog! Does the trick everytime…great recipes, finds, and pics! Thanks
Congrats on your upcoming wedding! The beach that’s so cool! Have a beautiful day :)
Love your dwarf Meyer lemon tree! I’d love to buy a citrus tree! Is it potted? Indoors or out?
Hi Aimee, It’s potted outside right now, with plans to bring it in during the winter. We have a breakfast room area that is all windows, so it will get plenty of sunshine during the winter.
Getting marrie don the beach sounds perfect! I’ve signed on with Stitch Fix but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. I’ve heard nothing but good things so far, so I need to try it! I love those lunchbox canning jars!
congrats on your wedding! planning it quick is the way to go in my book. Less time to overthink things and make too much work for yourself!
Oooh, you’re coming to my city! You MUST eat at Central. I ate there a few weeks ago and it was hands down, the best meal of my entire life. You should go and get the fried chicken for your meal and chocolate bar dessert!
Congrats in advance on your wedding :)
Congrats on your upcoming wedding! It will be so memorable at the beach, love it! This question is a little off the beaten path, but,,,,what is the name of the awesome color behind Einstein? TY
Congratulations!
As for hot yoga, I found the humidity to be a deal breaker. I’m a Pilates girl now. I’ve never heard of StitchFix before, but how cool is that idea?! Wish it was available where I live. :(
I L.O.V.E. my Meyer lemon tree. I had more lemons than I could use this year and even with giving some away, I still had to let some go. :( I have a “When Life Gives you Lemons” board and am prepared to try a bunch of new recipes this time around! http://pinterest.com/andie71/boards/
Congrats on the wedding plans, Michelle!! And oh my goodness Einstein is so freaking sdorable. :-) Hope you are having a wonderful summer!!
Michelle, will you do a post on your Stitch Fix experience? I’m hoping to sit down this weekend and get the questionaire filled out so I can schedule my first Fix, but I love reading about everyone’s experience. (plus if you recap, maybe your next stylist will read it and pick even better stuff for you!)
Hi Sarah, Sure, I can put together a post about it. Thanks for the recommendation!
Einstein is gorgeous. I’d be grossed out too if my dog ate a mouse. Love those jar inserts and wish that StitchFix delivered to Canada! Enjoy your time in DC, that new lemon tree and best wishes with the upcoming wedding! How exciting :)
I recommend hot yoga… It can be intense but rejuvinating experience. The first time i went, I came out of the studio feeling spent. If i can relate it to a natural experience — think of it the way you feel after a really good, hard cry. Very good way to clear out the toxins. Drink lots of water before and after. Get sweaty and sticky. Have fun!
Enjoy DC! We did.
And congrats on setting the wedding! That’s exciting. We’re doing a Dominican wedding. Only six months away… but still seems like ages!
We bought 2 apple 2 pear and 2 peach trees from lowes! We hope they will produce! 4 weeks! Yay! Are you excited? Happy Friday!!
Definitely excited!! :)
With regard to DC – you may already know this, but check out Baked & Wired in Georgetown! Good cupcakes, good brownies, good ice cream sandwiches (peach ice cream + oatmeal cookies = YUM), decent coffee. It gets a little crowded on weekends, but it is so worth it.
Hi Sarah, We discovered Baked and Wired a few years ago and LOVE it! We’ll definitely be stopping by :)
Did all of the clothes you received from StitchFix work for you? I got my first shipment last month and only kept 1 thing – a very overpriced tee shirt (so I wouldn’t lose my credit). The dress I hated, the pants were too big (I really emphasized that pants always gape in the waist during my questionnaire too), one shirt was too small, and the bracelet was for someone who has 10″ wrists. I’m almost scared to give it another go!
Congratulations!!! That’s so exciting for you two! What a wonderful spot, full of memories. I’m getting married in 85 days!!
I couldn’t shake the “eating dead animals” thing for a LONG time after my golden did it years ago.
Hot yoga: you’ll be just fine! Yes, you pour sweat in the beginning, but then you focus on the flow and what the teacher is telling you…you focus on breathing and you end up getting through the class. My only problem with it was after a few classes, I was bored by the same flow and knowing that the class was going to last 90 minutes, which was just 30 minutes too long for my liking.
I LOVE hot yoga. It’s my go to exercise. It’s def hot and you’ll sweat a lot. But it’s not bad. In my opinion the only problem is the instructor and studio can make or break it. I’ve found a studio I love and I’ve been to studios I hate. See if they offer a free week to new yogi’s so you can get a feel for the place.
Wedding in 4 weeks!? How exciting!!! I hope we get to see a picture of you and this mystery guy :) I am dying to try Stitchfix.. I’ve been seeing it everywhere lately! I am 14 weeks pregnant so i am debating whether it will be worth it and if i will be able to fit into the xs i normally wear as it comes.. :) Might have to wait til later… Have you tried the Barkbox for Einstein at all? They also have this thing called findlittlefox for kids which would make an awesome gift for a neice or nephew!
Hi Elizabeth, I haven’t tried BarkBox, but I’ve been thinking about it. Maybe for Christmas :)
I’ve been doing hot yoga everyday for the past month and a half and I love it. At our studio they heat the room to at least 100 degrees, but usually more like 105. It is really hard your first time, but I feel so refreshed after sweating out buckets of sweat and toxins from the system. I’d recommend it, at least it’s good to try once even if you don’t end up loving it.
Regarding hot yoga, I first tried it two years ago and have loved it since then! It’s I’m in Pittsburgh, too, so I highly recommend Yoga Flow ( http://yogaflowpittsburgh.com/ ) . It’s hot but not too hot and the rooms really smell great. They usually use an essential oil of some kind to make the room smell nice — my favorite is peppermint, which just puts me in the mood for York Peppermint Patties. Anyway, the first 3 classes are free to give you a chance to try it without any obligation. Let me know if you try it. Good luck! :)
Wow, time really flies =) You’re getting married!!! All the best and congratulations Michelle =) And about the hot yoga, GO FOR IT!! I’ve attended a trial class here in Malaysia once, and I absolutely loved it. The whole experience leaves you refreshed by the end of it. You’ll literally sweat the tension out of your system. I totally recommend it
four weeks!? so exciting! congratulations!
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR UP COMING WEDDING. HOPE YOU WILL HAVE A GREAT MARRIAGE AND PLEASE POST PICTURES. TELL EINSTINE NOT TO EAT OTHER ANIMALS. BAD BOY. CAN’T BELIEVE HE DID NOT GET SICK.
I thought you were married too. Congratulations!
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I need to check out your blueberry pinterest board as my blueberries(20 lbs) arrived yesterday. I found a recipe for homemade blueberry soda that I’m going to make today.Good luck with that hot yoga, I would die! Have a awesome day!
I live hot yoga and def recommend it if you’re a yoga fan. The other posters who talk about the 104 degrees and/or set poses are referring to bikram yoga which I do not like. Hot yoga is regular yoga in a warmer room. If it gets too hot, suitor lay down – leaving the room can be a shock to the system. Enjoy!!!
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, how exciting!!!
I tried hot yoga once … Won’t do it again. Pretty gross. Hot is an understatement. It was quite literally and figuratively stinking hot :(
Have a great weekend!
Congratulations in advance of your marriage! Love Einstein. We have an 8 month old golden, Stella. She’s a doll. Question: what color did you use on the stairway/wall in the photo w/Einstein? It’s beautiful.
Less than 4 weeks?! That is exciting! Very happy for you! StitchFix…I have heard of it, but I haven’t tried it yet! I should try it, I just lost a bunch of weight and need some new clothes anyway :)
So excited for your upcoming wedding! It’s such a fun time :)
The hot yoga classes I took a while back had set the thermostat to 104F! It was hot, but they recommend you to stay hydrated (at least 1 liter). You feel so good afterwards though so I highly recommend it.
Best wishes on your upcoming wedding! Have a great weekend :)
How exciting about your wedding! I am sure it will be beautiful. But does that means no cookie table?
Have a great weekend!
I’ve done hot yoga and you do think you’re going to die while you’re doing it, but after I felt fabulous – it’s worth giving it a try.
Hot yoga is great. Not all classes are the same. It depends what type of class, most flow classes follow a general guideline of moves.
It can be challenging and relaxing all at the same time.
As the one girl above said, instructor is key.
Love the inserts to canning jars. Who thinks up such things?? Cleaver.
Keep us posted on the wedding – it should be lovely.
P.S. – we love Einstein.
Michelle, I absolutely love your blog. :) Blessings on your upcoming nuptials!
Congratulations! :) That’s so neat!
And Einstein, wow! :) I’ve realized I really look forward to the Friday pic and hearing what Einstein is up to :).
I did a few weeks of hot yoga right before my wedding. I liked it because I lost about 5 pounds before the wedding but I don’t think yoga was for me. In hot yoga all the poses are the same and in the same sequence so I found it too boring. If you have a good instructor it will make a difference. I’d pay for one class to try it out before you comit.
I keep thinking on trying StitchFix but everytime I go to the website and look at the options.. well, they just aren’t me, so I worry about trying! I’d love if you can post some of your finds!
Absolutely in love with that canning idea, salsa and chips here I come!
Definitely give hot yoga a try. The first couple of classes will feel really hard, and you might feel the need to take a break or get out of the yoga studio for a couple of minutes. But when you go back for the third class, you’ll feel fantastic! And congratulations on the beautiful beach wedding next month!
Hold the phone – I thought you were married and had been for a long time! How did I not know this! Well congrats. You’re so NOT broadcasting your wedding plans, wedding frenzy, wedding this and that stuff that I totally missed this. I am so happy for you! And a beachy wedding, that’s awesome.
Four weeks!! So exciting! Congrats Michelle!
I LOVE my dwarf meyer lemon!! In fact, I don’t know if I could kill it if I tried, which is great (for me and the tree!). I pretty much ignore it and it fruits like crazy! This year we had to re-pot it and move it, and it’s doing even better in it’s new pot.