from new york...

Good morning! Yesterday I recapped my time in DC so far in this post, and today is all about New York. We spent a few days with the scholars there before heading back to DC for this past weekend. I loved it!

First we had a quick lunch in Chinatown:

 Saw Matilda on Broadway: 

The campus we stayed at has a distant view of the NY skyline (it doesn't seem quite as far away in person):

We found the minions from Despicable Me! Can't wait for the second movie to come out (and hopefully will find time to see it): 

Went to John's for dinner. There was a Gilmore Girls episode (season 4, episode 1) where Loreli reads "pizza at John's" off the to-do list -- maybe this was what they were talking about? 

Times Square 

 Went on an evening cruise that boated around the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline:

 I took a video of the view from the top deck, it's always easier to "get the feel" for the view that way!

I'm excited to be back in New York next weekend. Not sure how regular posting will be this week as I start another busy session today, but be sure to follow on Bloglovin', Instagram, and Twitter for updates!

xo-ally

youtube exercise videos

About a week ago, a friend and I decided to exercise in our apartment instead of going to the gym or running outside - mostly because it was raining! (Icky.) We did a whole Zumba "class" (one-on-one private lesson! haha) and then looked on YouTube to find more ways to exercise at home. How did we not think of this before?! This is amazing! So many fit, inspiring people upload some great workouts online that range from a few minutes to an hour. And it's all free!

Two of my favorite workouts on YouTube thus far are ones from Blogilates or The Butt Bible. They're great!

Here are a few great ones from Blogilates [click the links above since the video shows up small on this post]:

What Makes You Bootyful Butt Challenge

This is a short video, to What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction!! The song itself is so catchy and it's fun to work out to it! Because it's only a couple of minutes, it's nice to squeeze in if I get really busy.

Call Me Maybe Mighty Squat Challenge

I've been trying to tone up my legs lately, and this one is great for that!

Bikini Blaster 3: Abs

This ab workout is AWESOME. It uses paper plates similar to those disc-things, so it's easy to do at home! I was sore the next day after this one.

A few great Butt Bible workouts:

Butt Bible Lower 1

This is the one my friend first showed to me. It's awesome! I felt the burn, and it is great for your butt AND quads and hamstrings.

Butt Bible Lower 2

This one adds weight resistance. The girl is very motivating - different than the girl from Blogilates - she says things like "enjoy that cramping muscle feeling" and "what are you going to eat for dinner? Not a cheeseburger!" It makes me laugh and keeps me going.

Butt Bible Upper 1

This workout uses weights for part of it and works arms, back, and core. The crunches and back exercises were some of my favorites.

Have you tried any of these? If you know of any other great workouts to try, let me know! I'm always looking to try something new. :)

xo