Weekend Dispatch

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

January and February are typically months that seem to drag on, but I have to say that this January seems to be flying by. I can hardly believe that it's the MLK Jr. weekend already. This is my first Weekend Dispatch since before the holiday break, and I am ready to jump back in. I'm not one for making sweeping, large-scale changes or resolutions, but I am always up for a fresh start. Keeping that in mind, I'm planning to try lots of new things on the weekends this year and squeeze in as much as is possible.

So, let's do this! Shall we?

I love the idea of indulging in two things I love at once, and the Bends & Booze event at Little Water in Atlantic City is just that. On Sunday, January 14th from 12-1 pm, enjoy a bendy 60 minute ALL LEVELS yoga class first, followed by Little Water's mixologists concocting awesome yoga-inspired cocktails. Cost is $30 and includes a 60 minute yoga class, a tour of the distillery, one cocktail, and $3 off a second cocktail. Class is limited to 25 people, so hurry if you are interested. 

Tip: If you are in search of local events, check out the Events section of Facebook. Events are displayed in chronological order and you can see which of your Facebook friends are also interested in the event (in case you'd like to organize a group outing). It's how I found the Bends & Booze event!

Tacomania presented by Bubbakoos Burritos is happening on Saturday, January 13th at The Stone Pony is Asbury Park. In addition to live music, Bubbakoos will provide FREE tacos all night. This is an all ages event, but only those over 21 will be permitted to drink alcoholic beverages in the bar area. Cost is $10 and doors open at 7 pm. Tickets are available at any Bubbakoos location or at the venue.


After seeing clips of and hearing the buzz about The Post during the Golden Globes on Sunday, I plan to see it this weekend when it is released in theaters nationwide. Plus, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep? Duh. Streep plays Katharine Graham, the first publisher of a major American newspaper, The Washington Post. With the help of an editor Ben Bradlee (played by Hanks), Graham exposes a massive cover up of government secrets that could put her career and her newspaper in jeopardy.



Ever since I picked up my first psychological thriller, I've been hooked. Although most start out slowly, once action starts, it moves at a fast, thrilling pace. It's hard to read anything but that genre, but I'm trying to make every effort to read something from a wide variety of genres this year. This weekend, I'm going back to my favorite chick lit fiction when I start reading Neon in Daylight by Hermione Hoby. You can read more about this novel that explores the fine line between life and art here.


The Nashville-based indie rock group called The Band CAMINO caught my attention on Spotify when one of its songs started playing at the close of one of my favorite playlists. I added two songs to my Currently Crushing playlist and decided to check out the groups's web site. I ended up falling in love with all of the songs and have had the group on repeat for the past week. This is a live version of one of my current faves:



I love following up my workouts with a recovery shake or smoothie. I'm always in need of sustenance but not quite ready to eat a full meal after exercising. A smoothie is the perfect remedy. My gym's café has a spectacular menu of smoothies, but they cost $7 a pop. That's OK in a pinch, but I definitely can't afford that every time I work out. I came across this Banana Peanut Butter Power Smoothie recipe and was excited to try it. Bananas help restore potassium, which you lose when you sweat. The peanut butter provides a satisfying dose of protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

Here's the recipe (courtesy of Prevention). If you prefer, you can add protein powder or any other kind of powder to this recipe. I like to add vanilla whey protein and maca powders as well as a tablespoon of coconut oil to make the smoothie creamier.
½ c plain yogurt
½ c milk
1 banana
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 lg handful spinach
½ tsp vanilla
BLEND all ingredients until smooth.
So, tell me. What do you have planned this weekend?

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