Last Wednesday before heading to Philly for Rosh Hoshana dinner, I attended a really cool blog event in Times Square.  I feel like I turn down so many blog events because they are during work hours so I was really excited that I had the day off for the holiday! The event was hosted by Naturalizer, a shoe company that specializes in providing both fashion and comfort. Naturalizer recently came out with their new fall 2011 collection so they invited me to come to the store to learn more about the brand and to try on some of the shoes! Like most girls, I love shoes so I gladly accepted this invitation!

I walked inside the beautiful store and spotted several bloggers taking photos of shoes (and food). I spotted a lovely spread of bagels, pastries, fruit, coffee, and orange juice. Yes please!

I enjoyed half of a whole wheat bagel, fruit, and coffee while admiring all of the pretty shoes!

I honestly never had purchased a pair of Naturalizer shoes before because I always thought they were just comfortable, old people shoes! I was totally wrong! Yes, they are super comfortable but the new fall collection is stylish, fashionable, and really pretty!

Angelique Joseph, the Director of Product Design for Naturalizer, spoke to us about what makes their shoes so comfortable and explained that women expect both fashion AND comfort when purchasing a new shoe.

 What is the Naturalizer secret?

• The N5 comfort Elements deliver the key features that keep a shoe comfortable all day – flexibility, softness, balance, breath ability and lightness.
• Available in hard-to-find sizes and widths
• Perfect for casual, business, or nighttime looks
• Provides the ultimate in style plus comfort

After seeing so many cute shoes and learning about the brand, I could not wait to try some on for myself! Best part? We got to pick out any pair in the store to take home with us!! A woman’s dream!

I fell in love with the Oxford Milano Black Suede Boots.

I tried on a few other shoes but decided that I needed these boots!

I wore my new boots the other day to work for the first time and got so many compliments! I even forgot I was wearing heels because they were so comfortable. I love these boots and plan to shop at Naturalizer in the near future.

Guess what!?

I am giving away a FREE shoe card for any pair of Naturalizer shoes on Naturalizer.com (with the exception of Naya)!

How to Enter:

1. Head to Naturalizer.com and let me know which shoes you would choose and why?

2. Follow Naturalizer on Twitter. Let me know you did in the comments section.

3. Tweet about the giveaway. “Win a free pair of @NaturalizerShoe’s from @MissyMaintains. Enter here: http://bit.ly/riHe6v”

I will choose a winner this Monday, October 10. Good Luck!

Related posts:

1. Naturalizer Shoe Winner
2. SmartSole Exercise Insoles Giveaway!
3. Teather Snacks Review and Giveaway!

Happy New Year to my fellow Jewish friends! On Wednesday I took the day off of work and went home to Philly to celebrate Rosh Hashana with my family. We had a delicious dinner so I thought I would share it with all of you.

My mom decided not to cook this year so instead we ordered from a Jewish deli called Ben & Irv’s. Now I know where I get my “never feel like cooking” attitude from! All of the food was amazing so I had no problem with this.

On the Menu:

Challah

Matzoh Ball Soup

 Turkey Meatballs

 Gefilte Fish

Spinach and Potato Latkes (excuse the presentation!)

Sweet Fruit Kugal (so good!)

Carrot Tzimmes with Sweet Potatoes

Kasha & Bowties

Ziggy was all ready for some chicken and matzoh balls! I started off with the matzoh ball soup mixed with mushroom barley, challah, and a pickle.

My next course was meatballs and gefilte fish. The meatballs were especially delicious.

I was already full before the chicken but still wanted to try a little bit of everything!

I barely made a dent in that plate but really loved the kugal and sweet potato side dish.

There is always room for dessert!

I tried some chocolate chip banana bread and chocolate cake! Best part of the meal! I think we are the only family that does not do the whole apples and honey thing. Woops! It was a great dinner with the family and nice to be home for the night. I went back to New York right after dinner since I had to work yesterday.

If you celebrate Rosh Hashana, what did you have at your dinner?

If you don’t celebrate, what food would you most like to try in this post?

 Have a great weekend!

Related posts:

1. V-Day Dinner!
2. Passover Eats
3. Dinner at Candle 79

The dictionary defines the word “diet” as what we eat, but if you’re on a diet in order to lose weight or for reasons of health, you’ll know that a diet is more a question of what you choose to eat and what you choose to avoid. Tell people that you’re on a diet and the tips come flying hard and fast at you – eat this, don’t eat that, stay away from this, you must include this, exercise intensively, don’t eat dinner, eat a large breakfast – and so on and so forth. I’m sure they all mean well, but a diet varies in efficacy according to a person’s mental and physical condition. So you may find that your friend loses more weight than you even though you both are on the same exercise program and diet – the combination of your genes, metabolism, body composition, stress, and hormone levels boosts or hinders effective weight loss.

The most important thing to remember when you’re on a diet is that your body is unique and that you must consider your needs rather than following fad diets or what works for others. Most people neglect nutrition when they’re on a diet – they figure that all they need to do to lose weight is to cut down on the calories they consume and get a little exercise every day. While this is true, if you eat foods with very little nutritious value, you find that your health starts to suffer – you fall ill more often, your bones become brittle and prone to breakage, your skin becomes dull and lifeless, and you feel listless and lethargic as opposed to energetic and enthusiastic.

So if you’re on a diet, ensure that your body does not crave nutrition with the following tips:

• Drink lots of water. Your body is made up mostly of water, and even though you’re not the kind to sweat a lot, drink at least one glass of water every hour. Water keeps your skin cool and your body hydrated. It prevents a host of medical complications like dehydration, constipation, and even common colds. Do not substitute water with sodas, coffee, tea or other sugary drinks – they only increase your chances of dehydration.
• Don’t follow fad diets that recommend only one kind of food group – while it may seem exciting to be able to eat all you want with an all-protein diet, your body is dangerously at risk for various diseases because of the loss of all-round nutrition.
• Choose to eat good carbohydrates that have whole grains and keep you feeling full for a longer time and which do not cause your blood sugar to fluctuate wildly – wholegrain bread, pasta and other foods that are not processed are good options.
• Don’t eliminate fat from your diet – fat is essential for the breakdown of food and in limited amounts, boosts weight loss and other beneficial functions of the human body. Some high fat foods that are good for you are almonds and other nuts (don’t salt them), fish with fatty acids, olive oil, and avocado.
• Avoid sugar, salt and other additives and preservatives – so eat fresh food as much as possible, choosing fruits and vegetables over juices and canned stuff.
• Never skip meals even though you’re not really hungry – eat an apple at dinner time if you’re not keen on other food and never miss breakfast because it helps boost your metabolism and gives you energy for the entire day ahead.
• And finally, include both cardio and strength training in your exercise routine to boost your fitness and improve your muscle and bone strength.

When you’re wise about nutrition, you find that your diet works much more effectively and efficiently.

By-line:

This article is contributed by Ashley M. Jones, who regularly writes on the subject of Pharmacist Technician Certification. She invites your questions, comments at her email address: ashleym.jones643@gmail.com.

Related posts:

1. Guest Post: Tips for Making Healthy Choices on Thanksgiving
2. Guest Post: Healthy Dining Out Tips
3. Guest Post: Emily of EmmyLovesWine.com

Hello and Happy Friday! I love this weather and I already made it to the gym today so I am in a good mood. I made sure to go before work since I am getting a massage after work! A massage is always that much better when you are sore from a hard workout. This morning I did 40 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes on the treadmill, and some arm exercises using free weights. I usually hate doing weights without an instructor telling me what to do but I really enjoyed it today. I felt more productive than when I just do cardio and leave. I also want to make sure I continue weight training as much as possible since I can’t take Core Fusion anymore. I do plan to request some Core Fusion classes for my birthday (hi Mom..hint hint).

I was starving after my workout so I decided to try a new restaurant for breakfast. This restaurant used to be Pita Grill but it closed out of nowhere! I was very sad but was also pretty curious when I saw the new sign over the store: Muscle Maker Grill. The name sounded like it had to be a new healthy restaurant right? I checked out the website and thought the story of how Muscle Maker Grill started was pretty interesting:

At the age of 18, Rod Silva began working-out and bodybuilding. He learned that 80% of the result of exercise is eating the right food and he could not find any restaurant that had the correct nutrition he required. Having come from a family of great cooks, he began creating recipes that taste great and are nutritious as well.

On December 8th of 1995, Rod opened the doors to a protein smoothie store in Colonia, New Jersey. The store also carried a line of Sports Supplement products. Rod was 23 years old, still exercising and working out more than ever. While running the smoothie store, Rod would bring his food for lunch and dinner. Customers would smell the delicious aroma and would ask if they could buy the food. Rod started cooking extra and began selling tasty meals to his customers.

From the beginning menu of Home Cooked Chicken Wraps, Grilled Chicken Breasts, and Awesome Turkey Breast Meatloaf along with a $15,000 loan on his Nissan Maxima, Muscle Maker Grill was born. As they say, the rest is history.

I checked out the menu and loved all of the healthy options. They have everything from Fit Salads, to Muscle Maker Wraps, to Power Pastas.  You can substitute shrimp or steak with any of the chicken entrees. They also have a vegetarian section with edamame, brown rice and beans, a wrap, and more. The menu lists all of the calorie counts and is recommended by HealthyDiningFinder.com.

I walked in this morning and was greeted with a friendly welcome. There was one other customer in the restaurant. The employee told us that they specialize in lunch and dinner but their breakfasts are great as well. He said nothing in the restaurant is processed or cooked with butter. There were a bunch of great looking breakfast options such as sandwiches, wraps, breakfast bowls, protein oatmeal, and protein smoothies.

I decided on the Nitro: scrambled egg whites, reduced fat cheddar cheese and turkey bacon with MMG signature sauce. (227 calories)

I had the choice of getting the sandwich on a whole wheat English muffin, whole wheat bagel, or heart-healthy waffles. I decided on the whole wheat English muffin. The other woman in the store got the bagel and asked if she could get it scooped out. They said it was not necessary since the bagel is thin and only 100 calories. Good to know. I got my sandwich to-go and brought it back to work with me.

It was a bit messy but hey…messy food always seems to taste better! I liked that they provided a nice amount of egg whites. I also enjoyed the melted cheese that was oozing out of my sandwich!

The sandwich was delicious. I would love to know what their MMG signature sauce is! It gave the sandwich so much flavor. I could probably make this at home for a lot less than $4.99 but it is a great option in terms of convenience. It would be pretty tough to make this myself on days that I go to the gym in the morning. The breakfast wraps are $7.29 so I think I would have to stick with the sandwiches. I can get a perfect breakfast wrap from Energy Kitchen for just $2.99!

I was a little disappointed about this….

Apples in a bag just freak me out. I love a little fruit after breakfast but I would rather not eat a bag of preservatives. Nothing is processed?? Hmm..I don’t know about that. I would rather them give me no fruit at all than crappy Fruit in a Flash. This makes me compare the place to McDonald’s. Just give me a fresh apple and I would be one happy customer. To top it off, the apples were expired!!

I wish I would have noticed this before leaving the restaurant! The apples went right in the trash. Besides the little fruit incident, I was very happy with my breakfast. I plan to return for lunch and dinner. I will report back here with a review!

1) How do you feel about fruit in a bag?

2) What is your favorite kind of breakfast sandwich?

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2. Restaurant Week at Mesa Grill
3. Macaroni Grill Prize Pack Giveaway!

Hello! Glad everyone enjoyed Part 1 of my Puerto Rico recap! I will start from where I left off yesterday!

The 2nd day of our trip was the rainforest tour! It was pretty cloudy out so it actually worked out perfectly that we did not have a beach day planned. After about 4 hours of sleep, we woke up for some breakfast. They gave us free continental breakfast for 2 of the days.

It included, fruit, juice, coffee, a cheese and strawberry pastry.  Talk about sugar overload! This was not the best breakfast after a night of drinking. I stuck with the fruit and coffee and had some of the cheese pastry for a little protein.

Waiting for our tour bus to arrive…

It was about an hour long drive but very pretty!

It was pouring in the rainforest so the ponchos were probably the best idea ever!

We walked for an hour or two through the pretty rainforest on thin trails. It was a great workout! There were tons of hills and climbing involved!

There were no monkeys but I did see a snail….

And a bat…..

And a cat!!!

Hector (another tour guide we made friends with) picked up a plant and lit in on fire. It smelled so good! It was similar to a candle.

We were all famished after the rainforest! The fruit was not filling at all. We stopped at an authentic Puerto Rican food stand for lunch. Hector warned us that everything would be fried.

Check out the doggie on the roof! I felt bad when it started raining again!

These were some of our options…

I got a chicken pastelle with rice and beans. They said it was wrapped in sweet potato and some other vegetables. It was really good!

I also tried a chicken taco! Nice and fried…and delicious.

After the tour, some of the girls rested and showered but Melanie (the bride) and I decided to take a walk by the hotel to explore.

Yes..cockfights. This guy told us ladies were free so we walked in out of curiosity. It was insane!!! All these men were cheering the chickens on so that they would stab each other. We saw one die and immediately ran away. It was so disturbing. I heard worse things happen there but I was not staying any longer!

Bachelorette Party!

Saturday night was our official party night. We stocked up on some goodies…

We pregamed in our club room. I had the techno blasting of course!

We put on our gear and headed out to dinner!

We went to a restaurant by our hotel that had pretty much everything. I got salmon and shrimp topped with mango sauce. It was amazing! Excuse the pink backdrop behind my plate!!

Our new waitor friend One of the waitors even came to the club with us that night!

Hi Daisy!

After pregaming at a few bars, we headed to Senor Frogs. It became spring break all over again! I have probably 100 more pictures but I will only post what I think is (somewhat) appropriate!

And I’ll leave it at that….

Once we got home around 5:00 in the morning, we were starving! We tried for room service but they weren’t serving anything. The only 2 things open were Burger King and pizza. We found Burger King first!

We got fries and grilled chicken salads. I would probably never eat chicken from there again but desperate times call for desperate measures. It could have been much worse right?

3 hours later we woke up for the beach! It was georgous and sunny out so we decided we’d rather recover outside. Another horrible breakfast… I ate the fruit plus a Larabar.

We hung out at the beach and then headed to the El San Juan pool to find some friends we made from the night before.

Their pool was so fun! There was house music playing, a pool bar, and 3 hot tubs!

We had a few drinks and headed back out for another tour! This was called the Bio Bay tour. Hector came and picked us up and drove us to a cute town for the tour.

I don’t have pictures from the actual tour since we were in little kayaks!  We did this at night so it was pitch black out! We took our kayaks through little canals over the black water! SO scary. We had to go when it was dark out because the water glowed!

Why does the water glow? (from the Biobay website))
This unique bay contains up to 720,000 single-celled bioluminescent dinoflagellates per gallon of water. These half-plant, half-animal organisms emit a flash of bluish light when agitated at night.

The tour was really awesome  but very creepy! We could see the fish-like creatures glowing in the water. One even jumped into our friend’s kayak! Luckily our boat never tipped over because I would have flipped out!

We got back around 10:00 at night and headed to dinner.

We went to another Puerto Rican restaurant. We all shared some delicious guacamole.

I got grilled chicken with rice and beans. I promise there was chicken under all of that cheese!! I scraped most of it off to prevent any stomach issues from occuring!

After dinner we checked out a few bars but nothing was really happening so we called it an early night.

We spent our last day at the beach before heading back to New York!

It was such a fun trip! I want to go backkkk!! One of these days I am moving somewhere warm!  

Well I am off! Thanks for reading!! Have a good day!

Related posts:

1. Puerto Rico Part 1!
2. Bridal Party, Birthday Party, Blog Meetup!
3. Lalalalala