Ok. So I am always looking for a new shvitz. And I was able to try one today and I am sufficiently sore enough to say it was good, and more importantly, that I would go again!

I went to Elements Fitness in East Hampton. I took a class with Andrea and it was 60 min of non stop work.

If you find yourself in East Hampton and are in the mood for a barre class....check it out!

Where to shvitz????

The weekend is just about here.....going to quickly recap some workouts that are both in NYC and the Hamptons, these are the old reliables. Many more to try this summer, that will be another post.....

Flybarre @ Flywheel- one of my favorite barre sculpting classes. Various locations in the city, and East Hampton in the Summer. One of my fave teachers teaches in East Hampton most of the year. Todd Allen is excellent! 

Barry's Bootcamp- all over in the city, and In the Hamptons locations are in Wainscott, Southampton, and Amagansett in the Summer. I looooove that it is only 50 minutes in the Hamptons. The extra 10 minutes in the city is a killer! They can keep those 10 minutes. 

SLT- another fave of mine, various locations in NYC, during summer they are in East Hampton and Southampton. I only wish they were open all year in the Hamptons. If anyone from SLT is reading this... please open more during the year in the Hamptons. THX!

Lastly, Soulcycle- my least favorite on this list, but must be mentioned because of their longstanding Hamptons presence and numerous locations across Watermill, Bridge, East and Montauk. Does anyone still even ride in NYC? The instructor talent is so diluted with so many studios....at least they send their best and brightest out East.......

Ok, so one of my favorite things to shop for for is my gym clothing aka athleisure.....

I often find Lululemon boring, and I dislike overpaying for branded merchandise at the gym (even though I am guilty of that). So this Summer in the Hamptons there will be the staple, Bandier and a Carbon 38 pop-up in Bridge. Carbon 38 was there a couple summers ago and is returning, so I am interested to see what brands they will carry.

For those of you that liked Juja activewear, they will not be returning to South or East this summer.

As always, I love to hear from you, so let me know where you love to find workout clothes.....

Jitney vs. Ambassador??

As Memorial Day approaches and I have beach on the brain, it got me thinking about my travel preferences.... If I am not driving in my car, I do take the Hampton Jitney. Specifically, the Ambassador. In my humble opinion, there is no comparison! Even though the Ambasador is more expensive, the cost is justified. Let me just say, rose' is served!!!! Also, fewer seats means fewer people getting on and off. So typically a shorter trip.

That being said, there are typically less Ambassadors scheduled on a given day. So book early!!

As always, I love feedback, comments, etc....

Ok. So it's like game time. Memorial Day weekend 2018 kicks off on Friday. In honor of that, all week I will be posting on Hamptons related topics. New workouts, new stores, new places to nosh... stay tuned.

Ok, so a lot of interesting trends are popping up this season. But right now I am fascinated with the  fanny pack (or is it a belt bag?). And is it ever ok to even really wear one? Even if it is cool or chic like this Supreme one I am modelling in the gym. Anyway, during the winter I struggle with it because how can I fit it underneath a coat?? And in the summer, is it just an outfit killer??  It does have its virtues, as in being able to carry the essentials while leaving your hands free for grocery shopping. It is also a good item to take on vacation, being easy to pack and enabling your hands to be free for selfies!

I am going to go ahead and give the fanny pack / belt bag my blessing. I think as long as it is worn properly, it can be an item worth obsessing over!

So I took a field trip to the Noho location of Rumble-boxing to try out a class. I had been wanting to try it for a while, and they are opening an outpost on the UES soon. So I wanted to see for myself if it lived up to their social media hype.

My first impression when I got there was that they must have some serious backing. The space was large, immaculate, well staffed, with a well curated wall of gear for sale. All emblazoned with Jab- their logo. But, I am not really there for the gear and I don’t think the class lived up to the hype.

The room where the actual class is given, doesn’t look drastically different than some other places. It is dark and has a one section with the bags for the actual boxing segment, and a section with benches for the strength portion. The big difference is the big overhead screens installed that give a play by play of the moves you will be doing. The room is very dark, and the music very loud, the instructor stands on a podium, creating the feeling of a live dj, but it is still just a playlist running off laptop. Nothing revolutionary there.

The room is very dark, very big, and very loud. Which made the overhead screens even more of a distraction, I felt like I was watching the video for Kanye’s song “All of the lights” on repeat. I am not really sure how effective this can be with only one instructor. There is really no way to be sure the moves are being done correctly or safely. And if they aren’t being done correctly, what the heck am I there for? When class was over the instructor made sure to say that we should  instagram about our workout. I guess I am, probably not in the way he was hoping though.

Bottom line, I could skip Rumble. There are better, more efficient workouts all over the city. Minus the hype.

So today I took a field trip to the only California Pizza Kitchen in Manhattan, I was on a quest for the cauliflower crust pizza! In an effort to do an unbiased assessment, I acquired both a thin "regular" crust and a thin cauliflower crust. As you can see in the photo, they basically look the same! At first, it was difficult to discern which was which. But after some sampling, it became obvious that the cauliflower was a bit thinner and felt a bit less dough-y than its regular counterpart. But it still definitely tasted like pizza, and was quite good. After looking at the nutritional facts online (which can be a bit misleading) it did not seem that I was saving very much calorically with the cauliflower pizza. Needless to say, the grams of carbs were less, but calorically was similar.

I am going to go ahead and say that this nosh is shlep-worthy! If CPK ambiance is not your idea of fun, they have a lovely website where u can order ahead and grab your pizza to-go. In addition, you can customize your pizza with toppings, more or less cheese, etc. I love the ability to save some extra calories. And if you aren't bothered by pizza arriving cold, they have free delivery withing a 2 mile radius with a $25 minimum.

What is up with the rising prices of sneakers?? Has anyone else noticed that some sneakers have gone into the 4-digit territory? Oy. Now I love my sneakers, and I walk everywhere, so I am not shy about indulging in a hot pair of sneaks. Sometimes I just like to have choices. If I am not going to be doing a workout at the gym that requires actual athletic sneakers, I turn my focus to my athleisure sneakers. To wear with regular clothes or to and from a shvitz that doesnt require sneakers. Let's just say that I looked at ALOT of different ones and I narrowed it down to one sneaker that I think is a lot of look without the heavy pricetag. I also like to have a sneaker to travel with that is lightweight an versatile.

It is the Veja Esplar and comes in various color choices, I took a liking to the daisies which are a collaboration with Madewell and available on madewell.com for $130. Veja has their own website with many other versions. In addition to looking good, these sneakers are enviornmentally friendly and made with organic materials. Check it out on Veja.com.

P.S. For ladies of a certain shoe size, who tell me that their feet are too big for certain sneakers......These will work! Your feet will not look like canoes........

Is it ever ok to use profanity toward a pet????? I don't think so!!!

The other day I had a very OY moment. I was walking up 1st Ave and I heard someone cursing at the dog they were walking. Yes, as in directing a 4-letter word toward a dog. A very not nice word. So, it got me thinking, is it ok to curse at a pet that is under your care? The dog doesn't understand, and they obviously don't speak so they will not repeat it. But, I can't help but think that it is just all sorts of wrong to speak that way to an animal. Specifically an animal for which you will be collecting feces off the street for within minutes. And it is definitely wrong to do it in public, on 1st Ave. What do you think???????

So as you all know, I like to work out. I have a whole category dedicated to the topic.

Today I received an email that sparked my idea for this post.  A dear friend of mine sent an email saying that a babysitter of hers would be an instructor at Barry’s Bootcamp (a male babysitter, she has boys). My first thought, was Whoa!! Is it legal to have a babysitter that is Barry’s-caliber??? If you have ever taken Barry’s, you know exactly what I mean! Exactly.

So I have taken it upon myself to take a class at Ripped and then a class at Barry’s (with dear friend’s babysitter teaching). No, not on the same day. Just 2 days in a row, which is actually almost just as bad. Anyway here are my findings……..as always, I leave it to you to make your own educated decision.

Day 1- Ripped. One location in NYC- 2^ND Ave @74^th street. And one in Rye, NY. Nice street level studio with Woodway treadmills. Lockers and restrooms with amenities, even individual little bottles of mouthwash, no showers. I guess if your breath smells good, it wont matter that your whole body stinks. Seems well cleaned and sanitized to my eye. Filtered water available, and at your first class, a reusable water bottle is provided at no charge. Class runs 50 minutes. Approx 11 min on floor or treadmill and then quick switch to the other. Mikey was the instructor and he was good, even though maybe he talked too much. I think they all do these days. Anyway, I liked his music, it included some 80’s gems that were definitely motivating. He had a little half pony and he reminded me of Tom Cruise’s character in the movie Magnolia, because he was trying to give a motivational pep talk of sorts.

Day 2- Barry’s Bootcamp. I went to the UES location on 2^nd Ave and 64^th st.  Six locations in NYC, and a lot more all over the country and globally. Typical Barry’s studio, not too different than the Ripped studio. Although definitely larger. Woodway treadmills here also, lockers and restrooms with shower facilities. There is also a smoothie bar here. I believe they used to have Malin and Goetz product, but the other day it was switched to Oribe. Michael P. Was the instructor here and definitely a solid class. Music was a mashup of sorts including some heavy rock. Got the job done.

If you live in NYC, specifically the UES, the answer to that question is a resounding yes!!! You may even be wearing one as you read this!

It is the Orolay Women’s Thickened Down Jacket that retails for $89.99 on Amazon.

Yes, it is cute, it is warm, comes in various colors, and seems to compliment both athleisure and regular stylings. BUT, everyone has it!! Whenever I see one walk by, I wonder, who was customer zero? Who was the first person to discover this coat and seemingly tell every other woman on the UES. Don’t get me wrong, I totally appreciate this coat. I ordered one myself to see what all the buzz is about. I just can’t seem to bring myself to wear it, for fear of mixing it up with someone else’s Orolay hanging on a coat hook at the gym.

I have noticed that the khaki green is most popular followed by black. And then the occasional gray and beige.

Now that I have said all that, If u were ordering an Orolay, which color would you order?????????