Branching Out

I really want to push myself to do things that are out of my comfort zone this year...whether that's going to events for things I have no clue about...going to meet-ups all in French...eating new foods...and putting myself out there emotionally...I'm going to try it all!

My blogging location for tonight - living room watching food shows with the guys, drinking Matcha tea :)

Stumbled across this little gem in the Coop

Look how cute! Pictures that compare Paris to NYC 

Oh. My. Gosh. I can't tell you how absolutely adorable this little guy is - I've been looking forward to meeting him for months!

Everyone in community group got to hold him :)

Beautiful night stroll in Boston - I walked over 3 miles and it felt great!

Next morning I had a 6 am workout and then followed up with my new favorite breakfast - matcha tea, lemon water, and whole grain toast with avocado and eggs

True story...

Friday Night = Girls' Night!!!

Loren and Sarah came over and we watched chick flicks, had wine and chocolate, ordered takeout, and lounged in our pajamas 

Sugar high

I sure hope so :)

Saturday - brunch with Han at SoundBites Cafe

My choice French Toast with Caramelized Blueberries and Mascarpone Cheese (absolutely delicious)...one slight hiccup - I told the server I have a nut allergy but the kitchen ended up adding walnuts to my toast. Luckily I caught it before eating it and got a new order and my meal comped .

Han and I walked back to Davis and stopped into the Somerville Library - I've lived here a year and a half and never been inside! Gorgeous building

Very cozy...in a 1970's kind of way

Beautiful stairwell 

After church today, Han, James, and I went out for Dim Sum Brunch (my first time)

Luckily Han and James knew what to order and got us the good stuff :)

Om nom nom nom

:)

Everything delivered to our table piping hot

Yes...yes, it is what you think it is....

Chicken feet! (I ate it! Still can't believe I did)

Bamboo leaves...wonder what this could be! 

Sticky rice

Get it while it's hot!

So delicious

The tea was good too - you can actually see the flowers steeping

Fried bread in rice paper with cilantro

Sticky buns with...

...custard filling! This meal was so delicious!

Love these guys :)

Next stop - Asian market

I got soba noodles (so cheap!) and dried shitake mushrooms (for the lettuce wraps and dumplings I plan on making this week)

Have any suggestions of things I should try out this year? Leave suggestions in the comments!

Just Livin' Life

Just a bunch of random stuff going on...I'm getting back into the swing of things after my holiday vacations, so my normal schedule isn't quite back on track. I'm SUPER STOKED that my friend Simon from Great Britain is coming to visit next week! Ok, on to the photos...

Visual reminder on my work laptop to SIT UP STRAIGHT (I slouch way too much)

This is what helps make my morning workouts worth it - beautiful sunrise in Davis Square

I posted my sunrise picture on Instagram with the hashtag #GodIsGreat...seems like everyone else had the same idea :)

New favorite wine - Apothic Red. It's very fruity and not dry...perfect for sipping after a long day at work

You never know what you'll see on your morning commute...

Cupcake break with V

Don't get her angry...she'll mangle a cupcake

On Friday I had a wonderful girls' night - first up, dinner with Sarah. YUM pho

Vietnamese Crepe (so delicious!)

Sarah and I stopped in at Lush before drinks and they were having a sale on 4-in-1 make-up (lip, blush, eye shadow, and eyeliner)! It was a fun process - they had you sit down and think of the positive feelings you had that day and close your eyes while they spun the wheel..then you opened your eyes and picked the 3 colors that 'spoke' to us (not necessarily our favorite colors). Each color was named something and correlated with what you were feeling. Pretty cool! I ended up getting "Believe" (beautiful bright pink)

First stop - Stephanie's on Newbury for drinks with Loren, Sarah, and Kristina

Then on to Lolita's for Sangria and Mexican food! The white Sangria was AMAZING - so fruity and delicious

They also have Green Apple Cotton Candy with Pop Rocks

(great for the table, fun to nosh on)

Me with Sarah enjoying the cotton candy :) 

They also had fake tattoos with the Lolita's logo...how do I look with an arm tattoo? 

Very excited about my latest health find - Matcha tea! 

They take the whole tea leave and grind it up so you get the FULL benefit of the tea (unlike tea bags that steep, you put in a spoonful of the powder and mix it into hot water). It's a great source of antioxidants and apparently it helps boost your metabolism

On Sunday, I went to Atomic Cafe with Ambra and Brita for some coffee and muffins

....and then volunteered at kids church. Gosh I love squishy people :) 

It SNOWED!!!!!!!!!!!

It's so pretty when it's fresh

Can't get enough

Absolutely beautiful!

I love it when the snow sticks to my hair :)

And there ya have it folks! Manny has been saying some awesome stuff, so be sure to check back on Monday :)