In a New York Minute: Pre-packaged Smoothie Packs

Summer is officially here and I can't think of better ways to spend it than enjoying something cold and fruity and sweet. Ice cream, popsicles, margaritas, pina coladas, you name it.  Smoothies can serve as a great pick me up or on-the-go breakfast but can cost up to $8 bucks around my neighborhood.  So I took it upon myself to not only spare me some cash but also make it as easy to grab and drink whenever I want.

I decided to make my own pre-packaged smoothie packs in different flavors.  All you need is a few of your favorite fruits, yogurt and 15 minutes of your time.

Have you seen Molly? A Retrospect on Electric Zoo

Top five things I learned from going to Electric Zoo:

5.  If you thought the Ashton Kutcher trucker hat trend was annoying, then you have not seen a meathead in a neon colored muscle tee with inspiring words such as "Drop Beats, Not Bombs", "Electro Music is My Religion", or the oh so romantic "I Came Here to F*ck".

4.  The drug of choice for the youngsters is Molly.  How do I know?  It was written on the shirts/sunglasses/shorts/thongs of 80% of partygoers.

3.  Belly shirts, bra tops and pasties are a privilege, not a right.  Yes, I'm looking at you 160 pound, 5'3 white girl.

2.  Baby Boomers had The Beatles, Generation X had Madonna, Generation Y had No Doubt and Millennials have Skrillex.  Humanity as we know it is doomed.

1.  See #2.

I kid, I kid.  Regardless, had fun with my girlfriends, wore neon, jumped around and was entirely entertained by the people in attendance.  You got to try everything once, right? (Except Molly.  Kids, don't do drugs.)

Enjoy your day off tomorrow! So sad summer is over.

Staycation: LIRR to Westhampton

This past weekend was perfect.  The weather cooperated, I rested, I was with amazing people in a great house with a never ending supply of food and beer.  It was my guy's birthday and a few of us headed to  West Hampton.  The highlight of the weekend definitely was the bonfire we built while watching the meteor shower on Saturday night.  The sky was clear, no city light in sight and suddenly, a shooting star with a tail so long that it took half the sky.  The comets lasted a second each but the memory will stay with me much much longer than that...

 Houses lined up along the beach..

 It was rough out there.  Very rough.

 Futbol!

Light beach reading

 This is what happens when you get a perfectionist to assemble the Caprese salad.  I needed it to look perfect!

 Hamptons sunset through the kitchen screen

 Bonfire at its peak.

 My last meal at John Scott's Surf Shack. Lobster roll and a pina colada.

One hour delays on the LIRR on Sunday afternoon.  Needed to be consoled with ice cream.

The Good, The Bad, The UGLY: My 4th of July

4th of July was...errr...eventful.  Definitely one I'll remember forever.  It was great.  The battle wounds, not so much.  Let's break it down in the Good, the Bad, the Ugly.

The Good

Contrary to every weather report in the New York City metro area, yesterday was sunny and absolutely beautiful.  I was peer pressured by a friend to wake up bright and early to take a bus to Sparta, New Jersey (after 3am shenanigans at Union Pool).  Sleep?  Who needs that. Anyways, the bus ride through
 lovely suburbia was worth it because Lake Mohawk was perfect. I was taken to a tiny island right in the middle of the lake (more like a floating house) and upon arrival I was given a number. 254.  This meant there had already been 253 people in the island before me.  The place was like Swiss Family Robinson.  We ate real American cuisine (hot dogs), drank the Buds, swam, laughed and blobbed ala Heavyweights (which will reappear in the UGLY).  

The Bad

There wasn't a lot of bad.  The ride back to NYC was a bit uncomfortable (for reasons you will understand) and the bus was packed.  We missed the 5:30pm bus so had to take the 7:30pm.  We pulled into Port Authority right as the fireworks started.  The poor attempt to run to a building in Chelsea and raid a rooftop failed when the rooftop alarm went off.  Which meant 7 screaming kids running down a 5 story walk up.  By that time I had given up, was in pain, and limped my way back to the A train.

The UGLY

Things I learned from the blob:

1. Life is not like the movies.  Catapulting 15 feet in the air, regardless of pre-teen popular belief, can lead to injury.

2.  You can create a massive egg-like bump in your forehead by hitting it with your knee.  The skull will be fine, but your knee? Not so much. 

3.  A 1:4 weight ratio between the launchers and the human projectile could be dangerous.  Just saying.

The video speaks for itself.  Enjoy, cringe, laugh, gasp, your choice.  God bless America.

JFK>>San Juan

Last weekend I took a quick trip to Puerto Rico to celebrate Father's Day with my dad.  Seemed like PR was happy to see me because the weather was beautiful.  The beach days were sunny and the waves were calm.  I'm kind of sad to be back (shocker) but can't complain that I get to go there to visit family.  It's like mandatory vacation every 6 months.

  

VIDA. 

 At Oceano, getting a Pina Colada.

Sangria at noon.  It's happy hour somewhere. 

 

 Fresh squeezed OJ, thanks to this miracle juicer.  It must be like 15 years old,and works perfectly. 

  pretty.

Peach and berry cobbler from Cooking Light. By far the BEST cobbler recipe. I go back to it time and time again. 

Unintentional mix-match. 

 El Livin, tucked away in the heart of Parque Luis Munoz Rivera- Highly recommend.

View from El Livin.  

Mango trees in bloom.  

  

LGA>>MIA

 A few pics from my 48hr Miami getaway.  Such a tease but so worth it.  I hop back in a plane on Thursday to go back home to PR.  Excited to celebrate father's day with the man, the legend: mi papa.

  

Cafe con leche at a Cuban restaurant in South Beach.  That and a piece of buttery Cuban bread= Simplest pleasure

 Ocean Drive

Relaxing at The Setai  

Collins Ave...The Delano on the left

This was the Adonis that was lounging right next to us.  Perfect view if you tell me.

Weekend Recap: Candlewood Lake

This weekend was very relaxing on the outside and stressful in the inside.  My friend’s place at Candlewood Lake was so serene.  We took his boat out and cruised around the lake.  Visited big rocks to jump off of, found 50 ft. rope swings and cooked a feast that ended in jumbo s’mores.  Sunday, I spent walking around the Orchard Street Festival before getting soaked by an impromptu storm.  But I couldn’t’ stop thinking about back home. 

On Friday my cousin’s husband lost his little brother.  He was 27 years old and literally just died in his sleep.  His family is extremely close.  Four brothers with a love like no other.  The mom was so proud of them and so attached to them, as she should be.  Now the void that this has caused has changed their lives forever.  That mom will never be the same.  My mom’s birthday was on Sunday and unfortunately she spent it mourning this loss and going to a wake. 

The reason I write this is not to bum anyone out but to take a step back and reflect upon this. He was 27.  It just happened.  At this age we think we are immortal and our problems are usually extremely petty and superficial.  “Will this guy ever call me back?”, “I need this” , “I want that”.  If you were to die tomorrow, would be happy with the life you lived today?  What about your relationships?  When was the last time you told a sibling you loved them?  This really have made me think, maybe more than it should.  Hopefully it makes you think too.  Maybe it makes you want to do more with your life now or just look around and tell God “Thank you, for today, I am alive”.

   

Mentally Here