Good Vibes, Downward Dog and Namaste

For one of my Christmas gifts, Eric got me tickets to practice yoga with Yoga_Girl Rachel Brathen in January.  Eric knows that I practice yoga regularly and Eric has practiced yoga in the past but he is in search of a new Yogi.  I was so excited and Eric was a mix of excited and nervous. The event started at 430 but the doors were opening at 330. We got there early and to our surprise there was a line already forming. We knew from Yoga_girl's Instagram that her shows bring A LOT of people come this but we had no idea how many people were going to show up.

Eric and I waiting to get into the arena.

Once we were let into the arena, Eric got super excited and I was in shock how many people were already in there setting their mats up. I knew Rachel Brathen has a huge following but I didn't expect so many people from New Jersey. We set up our mats towards the front and we settled in and watched as the arena filled up. The energy in the area was unreal. I haven't felt that energy and to be in an arena. Penelope joined us for yoga. She liked all the colorful yoga mats.

Penelope is already to do yoga.

 This was Rachel's second show of the day and she said there were over 1,000 people that practiced with her! She started the class off with an intention from her Angel cards. The card she picked was Self Care. She read the explanation really resonated with me.  She talked about how we need to take care of ourselves and how we sometimes forget about us. This was a perfect intention for this class- I am taking care of myself by taking time out of the day and practice yoga. 

Getting ready for Rachel.

We were so excited to practice yoga

The whole room before it started.

 The whole practice was an hour and fifteen minutes. That hour and fifteen minutes flew by in a blink of an eye! Her music she used was modern and uplifting and the pose transitions were great. One of my favorite poses, flipped dog, was included and so was Warrior 3! It was absolutely amazing practicing yoga with 499 of your closest yogis. This was one of my most emotional practices as well. Rachel spoke with such passion and intent, it really hit home for me. I loved every moment of this class and I didn't want it to end.

Penelope listening intently to Rachel.

Question and Answer session with Rachel.

 After the practice she invited everyone to stay for a question and answer part of the show. The questions varied from "How is your goat?" to "What is your favorite pose?" to "Thanks for being an inspiration, How do you do it all?" Rachel really made a huge impact in a lot of people's lives and it was so nice to be able to practice with her and her team.

Eric and I both agreed that we would take another class with her. This has made me want to practice yoga even more and this has sparked Eric to find a new yoga studio to start to practice more regularly.

Later that night, Rachel posted on her instagram this :

Thank you Rachael Brathen for an amazing yoga practice! I hope you come back to New Jersey real soon!

Do you practice yoga? What is your favorite pose?

Yabba Dabba Yuletide Night at the Theater

Eric and I ventured to the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank Wednesday night for Brian Setzer's 12^th Annual Christmas Rocks Tour with Eric’s parents, and his brother & his girlfriend. We started the night out at Tommy's Tavern and Tap in Sea Bright. After all the rain, it ended up being a beautiful night.  The restaurant was having  their 1st Annual tree lighting that night; a children's choir sang, they gave out hot coco and roasted chestnuts (so festive!) and Santa arrived on a firetruck. ( I don't know about any other state, but in New Jersey, Santa always arrives on a firetruck!) The kids (myself included) got really excited when we saw Santa! We had a great dinner and the company was the best.

This Christmas tree was beautiful and brightly lit!

 

Santa said I was on the good list this year!

 I wonder if there was mistletoe above us!

Then it was on to the show! I was really excited to see Brian Setzer and his Orchestra live. I have been listening to his music for the past week to get ready for the show. His style of music is swing/rockabilly/big band/rock- Its an interesting combination that works well together. Brian Setzer really put on a great performance. It was non stop music and excitement for almost 2 hours! He sang all the classics- Run Run Rudolph, Jingle Bell Rock, Rocking Around the Christmas Tree and the Nutcracker Suite ( That was a unexpected surprise!) He also sang some of his originals too-  Boogie Woogie Santa Claus, Jump Jive and Wail with special guest, Lou Premio Jr. and my favorite/ the one I looked forward to the most- Yabba Dabba Yuletide. He was a great performer over all- between guitar changes, set changes and costume changes he brought great energy for every in the venue.

So excited for the show to start

  The music, the lights and the excitement made this show!

Santa even made an appearance at the end of the show. This was the perfect show to get everyone into the Christmas Spirit. Words cannot describe how excited I am for the Christmas season this year. I have a lot of blessings to count on this year!

What is your favorite way to get into the Christmas Spirit?

How I spent my Thanksgiving (mini) Vacation

Thanksgiving weekend was so much fun.  It was filled with family,  new friends, adventures and lots of food (I really mean cake).  Between eating cake on the way to the Thanksgiving dinner and our mini Bob's Burger marathon, we went on a few adventures.

Instead of heading out for the sales,  Eric and I headed to the Manasquan reservoir on Friday afternoon to enjoy the warm November weather.  It was the perfect day to take it the sunshine and be outside. The reservoir was filled with runners, people walking, bike riders and photographers.  The views were spectacular and it was the perfect day to be outside. 

We then headed out for a few errands then after a much needed nap, we got ready to go to Asbury Park for the Status Green show at the Stone Pony. I was eager to see Asbury Park- I've lived in New Jersey my whole life and I have never been there. We parked by the Stone Pony and we decided to explore the boardwalk area before the show. We saw the Wonder Bar, Convention Hall and the shops on the boardwalk. We found this arcade that had vintage pinball machines, Foosball tables, skee ball and other arcade games. We played (and intensely competed) with skee ball, Foosball, this funny basketball game and pin ball. We had so much fun. Its a definitely must see. Check it out HERE. The night was gorgeous; perfect for walking around and so unseasonably warm for November. The waves crashing over the ocean and the full moon was perfect.

After our mini adventure in the Arcade, it was just about time to head to the Stone Pony for the Status Green's Reunion Show. Status Green, a hometown legend from Howell happens to be one of Eric's favorite bands. It wasn't just any show, they had taken a break from playing, this was their first show in 3 years. 

Eric told me about them a few weeks ago and I started listening to their music on Spotify so I was familiar with them before the concert. The show lived up to the hype. Status Green brings such an amazing energy to the stage and their fans match it, song after song. The whole atmosphere and experience had a relaxed, chill vibe. You could tell that everybody was there to have a good time. Like friends you hadn't seen for while, the crowd and the band, picked up where the left off, 3 years earlier. (thanks to Eric for helping me write about Status Green!)  

Eric and I had a wonderful time BUT for us, it was a late night. We didn't get home until 1AM!  The nap earlier in the day was much appreciated at this hour because it let us stay up late and watch one of my favorite shows (bobs burgers) and snack on some cake.

 This has to be one of my favorite photos from the weekend

The whole weekend was so much fun. It made me excited for the whole holiday season. I cannot wait to see what adventures are ahead for us. 

Did you have a fun holiday weekend? Did you score any good deals on Black Friday? 

Happy Adoption Day

November is Adoption month.  Today is National Adoption Day.

23,000 kids are in foster care waiting to find their forever homes. (Source)

Today New Jersey celebrates national adoption day with events throughout all the counties.

Want to find out more about adoption- check out
National Adoption Day Organziation

Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

New Jersey Division of Child Protection & Permanency Adoption

Every child deserves a family to spend the Holidays with.

Tigers, College Students and Princeton, Oh My!

Last Monday, Eric and I had the day off for Columbus day. We decided to take a trip out to Princeton. I have never been there and I was very eager to go. Eric and I just planned to go to lunch and then wander around the town and campus. The weather was absolutely perfect for us to walk around. 

 We ate lunch at Alchemist & Barrister. I highly recommend the Rise and Shine Burger.

 Eric is a huge fan of vinyl records so a stop to the Princeton Record Exchange was a must. I’ve never been to a record store in my life and I was not disappointed with what I experienced. What a neat experience and what an eclectic group of people.  It was so much fun. 

We then found the Princeton Public Library and we, as bookworms, were in awe. 3 stories of books and it resembled a Barnes and Noble. I was in love with this. I unfortunately did not take any photos, but its something to check out.

After lunch and exploring the town, we were eager to explore Princeton’s Campus. It was gorgeous. The day itself was a perfect fall day, so it was wonderful to walk around.

We stopped at the Princeton Chapel, and it took my breath away.

We figured we walked around for an hour and a half and in that time span, we did not pass the same building twice. The campus is HUGE.  The buildings were full of beautiful architecture and old world vibes. My inner architect was loving it . We mistakenly even wandered into a retirement party.  Our day was fantastic acting like Princeton students and we are already planning another trip back! Take a look for yourself!

The walking paths around campus 

 The leaves falling made it a perfect fall day

The old buildings have such rich history

Ivy covered buildings made me fall even more in love with the campus

The architecture was amazing on campus.

"May you pause at this benchmark of our passages and passions: sense our spark, renew your own good energies, as you, like us, depart."

Dawn McGuire '76







Homework on the quad? Yes please!

The dorms were amazing on campus

The main mode of transportation on campus

Lazy days on campus

Crazy architecture on campus 

We felt like college students for the day

 Penelope had to have some fun too!

Our adventure was one for the books!

What are your favorite places to have adventures?