• Final dress fitting — CHECK!
• Planning menu design — CHECK!
• Finalizing wedding and reception music — CHECK!
• Finalizing guest book — CHECK!

For those who asked, our wedding date is October 16, 2010 — less than 50 days away!

It has been a productive and relaxing time at home. Following the final dress fitting on Thursday, I debated and debated and debated with my Twitter friends about whether or not I should post a picture of me in my dress on any social media platform.

I am absolutely chomping at the bit to show you all because I love my dress so much. But I have decided it would be bad luck and that it is worth it to wait until October 16 for the big reveal.

Beyond the dress, there are a few other essential details that I can share with you! The first is our wedding invitations, which I am particularly proud of thanks to the handiwork of Mama Bender.

Korducki-Krenn Wedding Invitations

A few months ago, we made the decision to go DIY with the wedding invites. We found a wonderful store in Minnesota (where I am originally from) called Paper Depot that had quality papers in every color imaginable at a low price. After many hours of design and productive work (most of which, gratefully, were the creative sweat of my mom’s), we arrived at the final product.

Our wedding colors are eggplant and ivory. This wedding invitation is an eggplant purple, with a lighter purple and ivory seal on the outside, which my mom made gorgeous with rounded edges.

When you open up the envelope, all the contents are revealed!

[Note: Some details have been blurred for privacy reasons.]

On the left side is the announcement itself, which follows the same pattern as the seal on the outside, with an ivory backing and light purple main sheet – and rounded edges!

The right side is my favorite part. Three sizes of note cards, all with a special message. They tuck into the side folder and line up with about 3/4 of an inch of text space each.

The messages are as follows:

1. All Roads Lead to Love: This card has directions and a map from the church to the reception venue and our house, where we are having a cocktail party on the eve of the wedding.
2. Eat, Drink and Be Married: This card has specifics on the times and dates of the cocktail party, wedding ceremony and reception.
3. Réspondez s’il vous plaît: The reply card!!

On both the envelope for the invitation and the reply card, we have personalized stamps featuring our engagement pictures. These can be made and bought off of Zazzle.com.

We made the reply into a postcard to save both on postage and paper – no envelope required!

Last but not least with the invitations is my pride and joy: the TIMELINE!!!

This was my major contribution. I created it in The Print Shop as an itinerary for guests. Since we have several locations for the wedding, reception and cocktail party, I wanted to make sure nobody was left out of the loop – but a little Clip Art made it more fun than a simple Word document.

You may also notice my note by the “dinner” box, which says, “Jenn suggests whipping out your camera to document the deliciousness.” Most of my family knows about my love of food photography!

Speaking of dinner…

Korducki-Krenn Wedding Menus

Around each table, we will have deep purple chargers – which my mom found at Target – ivory napkins and our DIY menus, which mimic the imagery of the invitations.

I got the idea for these menus from The Knot. In lieu of place cards for each person, we are providing them with table numbers. Once they arrive at their table, they will then find their names on what is called a “belly band,” which encircles the menu itself.

I’m salivating just thinking about the food. You can read more about dinner here: Wedding Menu.

***

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into what I’ve been up to this past year! Since Bobby and I got engaged in May 2009, the entire planning process has felt like a wonderful blur. Time has flown by and we are now almost a month away from tying the knot. We would not have been able to do any of this without the help of my mom. She is amazing for so many reasons and I am truly grateful and doggone lucky to have her with me every step of the way. I love you, Mama Bender!

Much more to come. There are so many details to share!

I leave you with a thought and a question:

1. If you are planning a wedding and have a blog, leave a link in the comments with your wedding posts! I love to read about what other people are doing/have done.
2. What are you up to this weekend? Hope you’ve been enjoying yourself!

Abrazos,

First, I finished The Time Traveler’s Wife. All of you who gave me a good recommendation were spot on – it was fantastic! The intricacies of the writing and plot line kept me eagerly coming back for more, so much so that it may have ever-so-slightly debilitated my productivity for three days straight. However, it was such a roller coaster of emotions that it was worth it. The strength of the love story made me blissfully happy…and the ending had me curled up in a ball on the couch with tears streaming down my face. I love when a book has the power to push so many different emotional buttons!

I’ve heard from several different people that the movie is heartbreaking. That it breaks too much from the book and leaves you disappointed. I must admit that I probably will end up seeing it, if only because I love Rachel McAdams as an actress. I will be sure to let you know my thoughts when I do.

Second, Bobby and I attended a beautiful wedding in Wisconsin over the weekend. The celebration was for one of his co-workers. The colors were a gorgeous red and black, which I later discovered was thanks in large part to a certain collegiate affiliation after I saw the groom’s cake.

I loved the black swirl pattern, which was incorporated throughout with the invitations, wedding programs and reception hall decoration. It was a very fun night.

When the last song was over, a big group of us headed back to the hotel by shuttle. It was interesting – and thrilling – when someone brought up a valid point.

“At the beginning of the night, you two were on deck. Now you’re up to bat!”

As the summer winds down and wedding dates are fewer and farther in between – I’m looking at you, Elise – Bobby and I really are the next couple among our friends to tie the knot. It didn’t hit me with its full force until one of his co-workers connected the dots for us. I love it when a few glasses of wine and a good baseball analogy can do that for you. This week, I’m traveling to Arizona for my final dress fitting (squee!) and to put together the programs, guest book, menus, etc. A full wedding decor detail post is in the works!

Last but not least, since I left you…I have been eating.

I know, I know. It’s shocking. But I couldn’t wait to show you a sampling of what I’ve been eating with. A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a representative of Oneida (Hi Laurie!) to receive a sampling from their Chef’s Table collection. Imagine my surprise when they sent me four each of the bowls, salad plates, dinner plates and mugs! It was an absolute dream come true for a bride-to-be.

I’ve been using these bowls to create beautiful cereal and yogurt creations for breakfast, as well as an unexpectedly warm lunch of split pea soup, which I craved in my cold apartment yesterday.

This was Amy’s lighter in sodium variety, which I topped with her sister, Olivia’s, croutons (they are not actually sisters but it would be cool if they were) that I received as a sample recently. These were the Vermont Cheddar & Dill flavor and blended seamlessly with a mix of Mexican cheeses.

It was a melt-in-your-mouth feast that made me ready for fall, my favorite season!

For dinner, I stepped back into summer one last time. This will likely be one of the last Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken Salads I enjoy from Panera for the season. Le sigh. They are wonderful.

All in all, since I last left you, life has been filled with flavor. I’m continuing to embrace the little things and enjoying every moment. I hope you are, too!

And with that, I broke the first rule in Susan’s post on Writing Tips for Bloggers. Too many topics! I hope you’ll forgive me. Check out that post, too. No surprise that it is very well written.

Hope you all have a Terrific Tuesday!

Question: What are you most looking forward to about September?

I am looking forward to cooler temperatures, my wedding shower and bachelorette party (two weeks away!!!!) and Bobby’s birthday. It promises to be another busy month!

Abrazos,

]]> http://eatingbender.com/2010/08/24/youre-up-to-bat/feed/ 37 Jenn (eating bender) 2009_the_time_travelers_wife_wallpaper_001 DSCN9373 DSCN9375 DSCN9366 DSCN9391 DSCN9390 DSCN9395 DSCN9401 DSCN9405 DSCN9408 4A9E156C478B84A9A9FEC56F8F3F41E6 http://eatingbender.com/2010/08/18/sensory-sensation/ http://eatingbender.com/2010/08/18/sensory-sensation/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:02:59 +0000 Jenn (eating bender) http://eatingbender.com/?p=9867 ]]> Today was a sensory sensation. One of those rare occasions where I noticed the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and touches (read: textures) in everything I experienced, rather than simply going through the motions and letting life pass me by, as I am so often guilty of doing.

It all started with a taste of smooth, rich chocolate. I woke up to my alarm promptly at 7:30 am and turned on the coffee maker to brew my usual mug of Coffee Cocoa.

But this time, there was another velvety treat accompanying the layers of whipped cream and cocoa dust. I absolutely adore the taste of these dark chocolate Adora discs that I picked up at the Healthy Living Summit over the weekend. Calcium supplements are nice. Calcium chocolates are nicer — no, nicest.

You know what the proverbial “they” say about the taste of chocolate. Once you POP, you can’t stop. What? You mean that was Pringles? Well, the same marketing wisdom can apply here.

Enter Justin’s Nut Butta.

Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, to be exact. I picked up a packet over the weekend in preparation for an upcoming sale on jars at Whole Foods. I want to make sure I like it before I spend the money.

Of course, the only way to taste test in a case like this is to slather it all over your breakfast. Obviously.

There’s Greek yogurt under all of that Kix, blueberries and nut butter, I promise

I was a very big fan. The chocolate was not overwhelming – I actually still felt as though I was eating hazelnut butter, with just a hint of cocoa for good measure. Full jar, here I come.

Lunch time brought with it smells of roasted red peppers and chicken sausage from my Original Brat Hans, which I received coupons for recently (thanks Shaina!).

Nothing smells better than a kitchen full of hot food. Combined with scrambled eggs, spinach and Mexican blend cheese, my belly and nose were very happy.

As the afternoon wore on, I took my “power hour” – the time where I step away from the computer and gain clarity and a renewed sense of focus – into my room and decided to take a nap. When I woke up, I could hear the sounds of the city outside my window clearer than I have in a long time. Did that Metra train always sound this loud? Since when did our neighbors start chatting on their balcony at 4:30 in the afternoon? It was all music to my ears – although the silence of sleep is always beautiful, too.

With my energy restored, I settled back in on my work projects and enjoyed the crisp sound of a can opening, with its bubbles sighing in relief as they squirm their way out the top and into the open air.

I love you, Dr. Zevia. Truly, I do.

I also love your can-free red companion – fresh strawberries.

When the work day finally ended and Bobby came home, we set off on a complete mind-body fun run. While I’ve been traveling, Bobby found a secluded area in our big city that I’ve decided must be a well kept secret by its residents. The sight of real neighborhoods, with cozy homes, occupied garages and grass-filled parks was one I rarely have the pleasure of experiencing here. The trees! The swing sets! The little kids playing! I ooh-ed and ahh-ed as we ran by families young and old.

Source

When we got back from our joy run, I felt more refreshed than I have in weeks. Perhaps it was my lack of sleep or travel schedule, but I have been a bit of a grouch lately. I am so grateful for all that August has brought me, but I think my body was ready for a sensory relaxation day.

Now I must bid you adieu for the evening. But before you go back and count to five – there is one sensory sensation that I saved for last.

Nothing quite like the touch and texture of a new book to end a phenomenal day. I asked everyone on Twitter what they thought of The Time Traveler’s Wife and received such an overwhelmingly positive response that I decided to dive right in. It is also what inspired me to send out a message to the Food Blogger Book Club members earlier today. If you saw a note from me in your inbox, I hope you will respond! I would love to know what you have been reading. Thanks to everyone who did so far.

As for that chocolate Coffee Bean Attune Bar? You may recall what the proverbial “they” say…

What has been YOUR favorite sensory sensation this week?

Abrazos,

First of all, to the new readers out there who have stopped by Eating Bender these past couple of days, I say a big, sunshine-y – because I’m wearing a bright yellow shirt today – HELLO AND WELCOME! Feel free to shout (or turn off the CAPS button, if you prefer) in the comments section with where you are reading from. I love learning locations!

It has been a conference heavy August, so here are some blogger-centric posts for your perusal:

• BlogHer Part I
• BlogHer Part II
• Healthy Living Summit Part I
• Healthy Living Summit Part II

I’m glad you all enjoyed my recap of the HLS sessions. They truly were interesting and I learned that my blog friends are just as good at speaking as they are at writing.

Before we knew it, our day was over faster than a Polaroid picture can develop.

But a very fun evening was still ahead of us. Melissa and I decided to regroup for a bit before beginning the night’s activities, so we headed to Yogen Früz (again) for some nourishment.

We both tried one of the Nü Mixes this time – mint chocolate chip!! Low fat vanilla fro yo, natural mint syrup, dark chocolate chips and dark chocolate shavings on top. Don’t mind if I do!

This tasted even better than mint chocolate chip ice cream!

After freshening up a bit, we were off to the hotel again to meet up with a very special friend and party crasher – none other than Mara! {Thanks for letting me steal some of your photos, lady.}

Look who else we ran into – Chandra, Hangry Heather and Monica! Great to see you all again.

Melissa, Mara and I then set off to do some exploring – and ended up at the ultimate destination.

I love my city. Where else can you find pure bliss with the Willis Sears Tower in the background?

Guess who else came to join us?

If you can’t tell who that beauty behind the camera is, it’s the lovely Gena! The four of us may have had a little too much fun with our camera taking around the table.

We decided to satisfy our appetites by paying a visit to the Whole Foods hot and salad bars!

I got a big bowl o’ spinach topped with (clockwise from top left) tofu salad, marinated mushrooms, barbecue pulled chicken, artichokes, blue cheese, spice-rubbed tilapia and agave. Delish!

I also snagged two rice paper shrimp rolls from the sushi bar. Loved the peanut sauce they came with.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves while chatting about the day’s events, blogging and life in general. At the end of the meal, I connected with Kristie and she joined us to head over to our next adventure. Before we left, we snagged a group picture! {L to R: Kristie, Melissa, Gena, me and Mara.}

I promise the armored truck in the back was not for us – although Whole Foods deliciousness is a crime.

We ventured to Taxiland – tough on a busy Saturday night – and soon arrived at Karyn’s on Green!

This blogger get together was set up by Angela from Oh She Glows. It was wonderful to finally meet her in person. The ambiance at Karyn’s was perfect – chic, comfortable and foodie friendly!

Although I was full from my Whole Foods excursion, the drink menu was too good to resist. My choice was an enticing caipirinha, made with cabana cachaca, lime quarters and demerara. Melissa and I both ordered one and said cheers to good taste and good friends.

It was tasty, too – very light and fresh. It reminded me of a margarita. Too soon, our evening came to an end. It was so nice to chat with everyone and meet more people! I finally ran into the lovely Diana after trying to find her all day long. She snapped this group picture.

Back Row L to R: Callie, Freya, Kristie, Angela, Melissa, Mara and me.

Front Row L to R: Diana, Megan and Amy (Chicago ladies represent!)

And then we were off…to bed!

The next morning, Melissa and I woke up and decided to forgo the HLS run in favor of breakfast and a walk/tour of the city. I was super excited to try out a new breakfast place near where I live that I had heard great things about but didn’t realize was so close to me: Yolk.

We were seated at the bar pretty quickly for a Sunday morning. I was immediately impressed with the menu, which included everything from omelettes and frittatas to pancakes and French toast.

Eventually, my sweet tooth won over my heart and I went for the ultimate carb crazy {drool} dish: the Tour de France. It was described as a sample of their three special breads: Banana Nut topped with bananas, Sweet Orange topped with strawberries, and Lemon Poppy Seed topped with blueberries.

Is this their idea of a yolk?

I didn’t even know food could taste this good. Well, that’s a lie – but seriously. Everything about this dish had me “oohing” and “ahhing” myself into blissdom.

First, we have the Banana Nut, topped with banana slices, powdered sugar and served with peanut butter. I could taste the chopped nuts in every bite and the peanut butter was pure perfection.

Next up, the Sweet Orange bread, topped with fresh sliced strawberries and drizzled with orange sauce. This orange bread was like CAKE. So moist and oozing with citrus flavor.

But I saved the best for last, my friends. The Lemon Poppyseed almost made me faint. Topped with blueberries, it tasted every bit like the sweet, decadent muffin that bears the same name.

Big fan. I demolished the entire plate and nearly screamed for more. Were it not for me wanting to avoid embarrassing Melissa, I probably would have.

I will be back, Yolk. And next time, I will bring my French toast reinforcement.

After filling our stomachs with absolute fabulous meals, we headed out into the city I love so much.

The Bean was visited. Can you spot us in this Where’s Waldo style photo?

We wandered up and down Michigan Avenue, paid a visit to Ghirardelli for a free caramel milk chocolate sample, made our way back across the Chicago River and chatted for about three hours.

Watching Melissa take in the city made me appreciate how lucky I am to live here right now.

In my opinion, Chicago is a great big city to live in when you are just starting out in the “real world.” Even if it does have a wacky sense of taste in artwork.

“Eye” don’t get it. It’s supposed to be a parody of power. Perhaps you can explain?

Wonderful weekend. Wonderful friends. Wonderful to be a blogger. I so appreciated all the goodies I received as well. I’m excited to try out the fun products and coupons from the Healthy Living Summit bag, as well as this calming lavender soap from Mara, which she thought would help soothe me in the next two months, as we put the finishing touches on our wedding planning!

Thanks to everyone who helped make this weekend so incredibly special.

I’m off to respond to your comments and catch up on emails! Determined to get back on track after a busy couple of weeks. Look forward to reading some new blogs as well.

Question: What is the best breakfast you have ever had and why?

I will be back soon with the final Insanity recap I promised you!

Abrazos,

The HLS was held at the historic Congress Plaza Hotel on my beloved Michigan Avenue.

There were several fantastic speaking panels on the conference agenda. It was tough to choose! The first session of the morning for me was Fueling for Fitness: Perform Well and Recover Quickly from Your Workouts, led by Rebecca and Heather.

These ladies were extremely credible and clearly knew what they were talking about.

Key takeaways for me:

• Water is the drink of choice for workouts of 30 minutes or less
• Over 30 minutes: choose a sports drink to restock energy stores, electrolytes and minerals
• Over 2 hours: consider an endurance sports drink for maximum hydration
• Avoid fruit juices, sodas and other highly acidic or sugary drinks at all times
• For quick bursts of carbohydrates, consider honey, agave, tart cherry juice or coconut water

I am planning on training for a half-marathon in the very near future, so learning more about what is needed when runs go beyond 30-45 minutes was very helpful.

After the first session, we took a Quaker break!

I snagged some of their new Chewy chocolate granola bars to try for later. It made me really happy when I found out that they were no longer made with HFCS. Way to go, Quaker! I also took the time to check email, Twitter and take fun, blognerd photos.

The first photo is of Jess and me. The second is of us being silly on our computers with Meghann.

Before we knew it, the second session was upon us. Cue the lovely Sabrina!

Her session was called Healthy Entertaining: The Nuts, Bolts and Pretty Napkins. I was very excited because having read her blog and chatted with her outside the blogosphere several times, I know this girl is the ultimate hostess.

Key takeaways for me:

• Don’t try a new recipe for a dinner party. You’re asking for trouble!
• Don’t be afraid to adapt. Go with the flow and make shortcuts if you run low on time.
• When prepping for a home dinner party, consider creating a menu for your guests.
• The dessert spoon can be placed in 2 positions – I personally like the top of the setting with the spoon facing the left, so that once you finish eating you can simply slide it down with your right hand and are ready to go.
• Sabrina ought to come to my apartment sometime very soon. With her place settings.

I loved hearing all of her tips and was very inspired by the end. She was also very engaging with her audience – offering incentives for participation and even running contests where bloggers had to create place settings of their own and judge which was the best use of space and objects.

Once the second session had ended, it was time for lunch!

Sponsored by Arnold and Orowheat, the spread did not disappoint.

So much to choose from! I ended up sampling a bit of everything. I made a mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette, grabbed the fruit salad, quinoa and edamame salad and chickpea salad, while also making myself a grilled tofu sandwich on Arnold’s new Fill ‘Ems, which were very cute! I added fresh artichoke, eggplant, tomato and pickle to my plate from the veggie platter and dug right in.

Everything tasted clean, fresh and flavorful. That’s my idea of a conference lunch!

Of course, Melissa and I also had to snag some desserts. We split an apple crumb piece and chocolate pie. Both were phenomenal and photo worthy.

I also ran into Molly. To show you how small the blogging world is, Molly actually contacted me a couple of months ago and said she had been reading my blog and thought I had gone to Benilde-St. Margaret’s (a high school in Minnesota). Why yes, yes I did. I remember Molly well – she was a grade ahead and a triplet! I’m so glad we’ve been able to connect 5+ years later with our passion for food and health. We plan to send this photo in to our high school magazine – because that’s how we roll.

I also snagged some of Gina’s infamous macaroons before she was out of stock – I was lucky because they went like hot cakes – as well as a picture of her and Gena acting as sassy salad buddies.

Love it.

When lunch ended, we resumed our sessions! Next up on my list was The Ups and Downs of Pressing Publish: Getting Real about the Blogging Community. Anne P. led the discussion as moderator, with Heather, Julie, Sana and Andrea making up the panel.

I loved the questions asked during the panel. They covered “taboo” topics such as the pressure to write in a style that matches everyone else, feeling excluded from the so-called “popular” blog world and wondering if all the effort and time put into blogging is worth it if you don’t think anyone is reading.

Key takeaways for me:

• Numbers are just numbers. At the end of the day, content is king queen.
• Focus on developing your unique voice instead of adhering to a perceived standard.
• Recognize what makes you happiest about blogging. Is it the friendships you’ve made? The creative outlet it provides? The life success stories it has created for you? Gena provided valuable insight on how it has helped her explain her lifestyle choices to everyone around her.
• As bloggers, we are story tellers. Never forget that when you push publish, you are sharing a story that’s important to you with the world. That’s kind of amazing, isn’t it?

I truly enjoyed hearing the panelists’ and the audience’s perspective on these issues.

Next up on the agenda was the fabulous and well spoken Chandra, who showed us all The Five Ws of Strength Training.

I am planning on boosting my strength training in the next couple of months. I want to look toned in my wedding dress. Chandra provided some great tips.

Key takeaways for me:

• Strength training boosts metabolism throughout the day for more calories burned
• It’s best to strength train first and follow it up with cardio
• You can use many different types of equipment – including your own body weight, resistance bands, free weights and machines at your gym
• Try new ways to challenge yourself – don’t be afraid of that 100 push-up challenge!

I see big things in Chandra’s future. She did a fantastic job!

We took one more break courtesy of Athenos before it was time for the final session.

This session was led by Caitlin and Gena and was called Stop Staring Over Your Shoulder: How to Avoid the Comparison Trap.

It began with a very moving story from Katie of sweettaterblog.com. You can read her entire speech here: How Blogging Changed My Life.

Once she was finished inspiring us all – truly wonderful job, Katie – Caitlin and Gena began discussing the self-comparison trap that often comes with blogging. Gena started us off by focusing on the food side – fad diets, dietary restrictions and overall lifestyle choices portrayed through blogs that can sometimes become “trendy” and can lead to bloggers making hasty choices about what they eat.

I loved when she asked the audience to stand up if they’ve ever tried chia seeds, hemp seeds, green monsters, banana soft serve…this list could go on and the number of bloggers who stood up was incredible. It really made me stop and think about all of the times in my own blogging history where I admired another blogger’s food choices and immediately added them to my grocery list as the “next best thing.” It also made me realize that I haven’t actually done that in a long time – truthfully, since I stopped the food journal posts and started posting more broad themed topics that don’t necessarily center around a particular product. It was an interesting observation for me.

Caitlin focused on the fitness side of the self-comparison struggle – feeling guilty about taking a rest day when other bloggers are training for a marathon, wanting to push yourself as hard as possible without thinking about the potential injuries and consequences.

Key takeaways for me:

• It’s important to constantly remind ourselves that every blogger is different. While we may relate to others who share similar interests, we should never try to compare ourselves to them.
• Set realistic expectations and goals for yourself. Know what your limitations are and embrace them. In my opinion, sharing our frustrations and failures makes us human and REAL.
• Avoid the “superwoman” syndrome. Nobody is perfect – and that is a good thing!

I thought this panel was a great way to wrap up the conference. Nice job, ladies!

And then…it was over!

All of the hard work and planning that Kath, Tina, Meghann, Caitlin and Heather put into this conference did not go unnoticed. The panels were thought provoking, the quality of the content and food was superb and I truly appreciated my HLS experience. Thank you all for creating this opportunity.

But you know what they say…

After the party it’s the after party.

More to come on the post-HLS events and shenanigans in my next post!

Happy Monday, everyone! What are you up to this week?

Abrazos,

That, my friends, is the amazing Melissa! We are here at the Healthy Living Summit and I could not be more excited about all of the lovely ladies I’ve been able to meet and chat with so far.

But before we get to the conference shenanigans, let me back up to last night! The summit kicked off with the HLS Cocktail Party at LaSalle Power Co.

Melissa and I arrived together and both agreed that we were nervous – in a good way – to see so many people we know online in real life! Good thing the atmosphere was fun and relaxed.

Immediately after we walked in, we found Danielle and Kristie! Kristie and I snapped a quick picture with her fancy new haircut. I love it!

We truly enjoyed ourselves throughout the night and met SO many great ladies – and gentleman!

Left: Evan Thomas, Gena, me, Melissa, Chandra and Jess

Right: Gena, Gina, Danielle, Melissa and me

I was also super excited to finally meet Chandra and Hangry Heather!!!!

In addition to all the fun photos, there was an actual photo booth! Melissa, Gena, Kristie and I went in and some silly photos ensued. I love photo booths! I’m actually having one at my wedding.

I sampled a bit of the food offerings – chicken and shrimp skewers, as well as a veggie quesadilla – but after a while, Melissa and Kristie both agreed that what we were really craving was fro yo! Problem? It was raining outside! Fortunately, my [wonderful awesome fantastic] fiance Bobby offered to pick us up. Thank you, Bobby!

We, of course, decided on YOGEN FRÜZ!!

I decided to go with the “Mix It” and tried vanilla fro yo with raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. Topped with dark chocolate chips, it absolutely hit the spot.

We bid adieu for the evening in preparation for today’s activity – the conference itself! Melissa woke up at the crack of dawn to go on a 12-mile run. I love hanging with her, but not that much. I joined her with a little over 3 miles to go and got in a nice morning workout!

Then it was off to the conference! We arrived just in time to grab a quick breakfast of Thomas’ Bagel Thins and fresh fruit, with some orange juice.

And the best is yet to come. I’m currently enjoying Chandra’s session on the 5 W’s of Weight Training. I can’t wait to share the details from all of the sessions – everyone has done a superb job.

In Chicago or not, I hope you are all having a great weekend!

Question: Do you get nervous when you meet other bloggers in person?

Abrazos,

I will definitely have a recap of the conference this weekend. Can’t wait to hear some of the sessions – there are a lot of great bloggers hosting panels.

But taking a step back from Chicago, there was still plenty of fun to be had in NYC since my BlogHer Part I recap post. Thank you all for your sweet comments on my and Jill’s session at the conference. It really means a lot to know I have such amazing fellow bloggers supporting what we are doing.

I took hundreds more pictures of fun and food – here are some of my favorite highlights!

FUN!

1) Hanging out with awesome bloggers at the conference gala on Friday night. From left to right in the first photo below we have Jill, Ashley, me and Jess. Then in the back row of the second picture is Morgan, Jill, me, Kinsey and Gazalle. Front row is Jess, Ashley, Jess and Lauren.

Ashley in the first picture is the co-founder of a company that makes the most amazing and downright nerdy jewelry around. Her company is called Survival of the Hippest and they specialize in making necklaces with your social media names. Jill and I picked up our @felska and @jennkorducki (my alter ego when I’m not moonlighting as @EatingBender) bling. LOVE them!

2) Taking an NYC Tours4Fun with NYCity Mama. The only downside was that we had hoped it would be a double decker bus and it was just a standard Greyhound. But we still made the most of the situation, complete with Craisins that were supplied by the sponsor. Did you know that they have blueberry and pomegranate flavors now? YUM!!! Jill loves Craisins, hence the goofy first picture. Kinsey and Gazalle were also on the tour with us and it was so much fun to chat!

We made a couple of stops along the way, including Rockefeller Center and the South Street Seaport. I would love to come back to New York near Christmastime when the tree is lit in the center. I can imagine that it’s absolutely beautiful! The South Street Seaport brought back memories of when I was last in New York City – with my dad when I was just 12 years old. My how life has changed since then! But one thing that hasn’t changed is the beauty of the Brooklyn bridge at night.

3) Taking in the sights and sounds of the BlogHer parties on Saturday night, including Sparklecorn and CheeseburgHer. It’s so much fun watching everyone completely let loose without worrying about obligations, to-dos and everything else on their plates – if only for one night.

All in all, I had a wonderful time at the conference, learning a lot about myself and other bloggers while meeting some amazing new people that I am happy to call my friends!

4) Getting a glimpse of the Eat, Pray, Love premiere. I know the picture is blurry, but we actually saw Elizabeth Gilbert getting out of her car wearing a stunning pink dress. I teared up a bit – as someone whose dream is to become an author, I could appreciate how she must have felt at that moment.

5) Seeing a show on Broadway! We were able to find discounted tickets for Promises, Promises with Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth. It was absolutely amazing – both leading actors had beautiful voices and the play kept my attention the entire time.

6) Touring the New York Times building! The paper recently moved into a beautiful, very modern glass office. As journalism majors, Jill and I were in awe. The screens behind us in the picture below pulled random quotes from newspaper editions, past and present.

FOOD!

But of course, I’m most excited to share with you my favorite foods! I can’t even begin to express how amazing the restaurants of New York were to us while we were there. We got lucky and found several places that were easy on the budget and incredibly delicious.

1) Lime Jungle

Jill and I found Lime Jungle while wandering down 9th street. It was touted as the healthiest food on Earth – how could I say no? It was amazing to me how fresh the ingredients looked on the menu. I did go the not-so-healthy route by ordering a margarita, but it was worth it. We also ordered chips and fresh guacamole to start, which was phenomenal.

For dinner I ordered the Lean Mean Quesadilla, which came with a whole wheat tortilla, chicken, low fat jack and cheddar cheese, beans, lettuce and pico de gallo salsa.

2) Pinkberry

Inspired by Gossip Girl, this is a New York must. ‘Nuff said. I chose the original tart yogurt with blueberries, raspberries, kiwi and dark chocolate chips. Totally hit the spot.

3) Le Pain Quotidien

I had heard wonderful things about this place from Danielle (in fact, we were supposed to meet there for lunch but I rudely canceled on her in the heat of the busy week!) and was excited to be able to stop there for a quick snack between meetings.

I tried the hummus and veggie cup and ordered fresh wheat and raisin bread on the side.

I loved how big the hummus cup was! There was so much more on the menu that I wanted to try, but this made for a nice snack, along with the Pain au Chocolat I saved for later.

4) Pret A Manger

This cute little chain restaurant was super convenient! We stopped by and grabbed a quick bit – you could choose from a full sandwich or half. I chose a half turkey club that came with fresh avocado, lettuce, bacon and tomato. The orange soda that came with it was tasty, too.

Best part? I just looked on their website and they are coming to CHICAGO!!

5) Shake Shack!!!!

The picture is a zoomed in perspective of where we were standing in line. The Shake Shack draws a huge crowd all day, every day. There are several locations around the city, but we visited the original in Madison Square Park to get the most authentic taste possible.

I decided to go with the Shack Stack, which was a cheeseburger topped with a portabella mushroom. I also decided to try a small frozen vanilla custard.

Words can’t express the bliss of this meal. Absolutely worth the wait – so much flavor and richness!

I was also delighted to have such great company, including Karla! Jill’s friend Audrey and my maid of honor Sam were also in attendance to witness the deliciousness.

6) Dylan’s Candy Bar

As someone with a huge sweet tooth, I was jumping up and down when we arrived outside of Dylan’s Candy Bar. There were two huge floors of amazing candies, chocolates and more.

I had to get a photo in front of the jelly beans – my favorite candy!! I also found what could be a new favorite – crunchy gummy bears. Holy yum.

My my, New York City. How you spoiled me! We left feeling quite content and looking forward to getting back to fresh foods from home. But I certainly enjoyed the ride!

***

Whew! What a recap! I love having a blog to document every amazing moment. If you’re still with me, I hope you enjoyed reading and got some ideas for your own future trip to NYC. Thanks to everyone who commented with their suggestions before I left. There is never dull moment in this city!

And now…onto the next conference! Have a great weekend, everyone! What are your plans?

Abrazos,

It has been an absolute whirlwind since Thursday morning at 3:30 am, when we woke up to catch our flights at O’Hare. Six hours later, we touched down at LaGuardia and haven’t looked back since.

When we arrived at the hotel where BlogHer is being held, we were amazed at how crowded it was already. After checking in, we went up to the room and crashed for an hour in order to re-energize for the night ahead! The plan? A night on the town with my business partner and my Maid of Honor!

I can’t describe in words how excited I was to finally have the chance to see Sam again. She and I have known each other since we were freshman year roommates at Northwestern – and we survived to tell the tale and still love each other. Sam works in the city and came to meet us after work. We walked around for a while looking for somewhere delicious to eat, eventually settling on a small, eclectic looking restaurant called the Hummus Kitchen.

Any place that has “hummus” in the name is a winner in my book, but we were even more excited when the menu said, “hummus is our passion.” Can’t get more convincing then that! We started with a pitcher of sangria, which had a very apple-cinnamon taste and was quite delicious.

We also split the signature platter appropriately called, “The Hummus Kitchen,” which was divided by four types of Hummus: Chickpea, Mushroom, Tahini & Egyptian [the last one was topped with fava beans, tahini, paprika and extra virgin olive oil].

It came with whole wheat pita bread that was so doughy it made me swoon.

I was a big fan of all four varieties, but I think my two favorites were the chickpea and mushroom. Then came the entree course, a Mediterranean falafel wrap in combination with hummus, chopped salad and pickles topped with tahini.

The falafel were amazing and I ended up picking them out and leaving behind some of the wrap and pickles. It was somewhat odd to have pickles in the wrap, as much as I love them! But overall, this restaurant was amazing and I am hoping they have plans to expand to Chicago.

After dinner, we said goodbye to Sam and met up for drinks with the founders of Under 30 CEO at a downtown pub called Tom & Jerry’s. It was great to chat with two entrepreneurial spirits and learn more about their story and what their philosophy is toward running a business.

When we got back to the hotel, we were exhausted! We went to bed early because we knew the morning would bring the BlogHer 5K! We woke up bright and early at 5:45 am to make it to the lobby for our 6:30 am start time. The race was set to benefit Tutus for Tanner, to raise awareness for Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Jill and I showed up in full costume and were so excited when we ran into two very special ladies!

From left to right, we have Ashley, Jill, me and Jess! It was so great to finally meet them both. Another blogger, Jes, met up with us soon afterward and truly set the pace throughout the entire run – she rocked it! We ran around the city, ending in Times Square and snapping a fun photo (courtesy of Jes).

It was so much fun to chat with these ladies – and afterward we were treated to a delicious breakfast that included a sausage and egg sandwich and fresh fruit.

We were also given some fun swag that I forgot to snag a picture of, but I was thrilled when I was one of the winners of an Omron GOsmart pedometer!

After breakfast, Jill and I went back upstairs to get ready for our SPEAKING PANEL!! We were both very nervous but also really looking forward to connecting with amazing women. When we got downstairs we snapped a photo in front of our sign.

Although we were nervous, I really did think the panel went well. It helped a lot to see some smiling faces in the audience, including Kath, Tina, Ashley, Jess, Jes, Sabrina, Shannon, Kelly and Kinsey. I was honestly overwhelmed afterward by the amazing response we got on Twitter and ended up starting to cry in the bathroom. True story. They were happy tears.

Jill and I applied for this panel with a dream and a hope that by the time BlogHer arrived, we would be running a (somewhat) successful business. It really drove home what we have done over the past year and filled me with a sense of pride that I had never truly accepted or embraced until that moment.

Above is a picture of us at this year’s conference. Below is our picture from the 2009 event.

What a difference a year makes. I can’t thank my blog and Twitter friends enough for the outpouring of support you showed us yesterday. Truly, there are no words for how grateful I am to have you.

There was much more fun to be had as the day went on – a second half recap to come!

Here’s a fun preview:

Are you at BlogHer this weekend? What have you enjoyed most?

If you’re not at BlogHer – let me know what you’ve been up to on this first weekend in August!

Abrazos,

“Social networks what dreams are made of, there’s nothin’ you can’t do!”

That said, I am both excited and nervous for our speaking panel at BlogHer this Friday morning! I’ve spoken in front of people before but never at a conference like this. I am truly looking forward to it but would love to hear your tips for staying calm and confident before a big event. Any ideas?!

One thing that always keeps me calm is chatting about food.

My breakfasts have been somewhat monotonous lately, but in a very delicious way. I can’t get enough of the Greek yogurt + Kashi + blueberry + nut butter combination.

This was Fage yogurt with Earth Balance crunchy peanut butter, which is very good! It has the perfect balance of smoothness and chunkiness – plus it’s no-stir!

It has been a busy week, so multiple mugs of Coffee Cocoa are typically enjoyed while reading.

Followed by several hours of work as we prepare content for clients and get ourselves in a place where we can truly enjoy every moment of our trip to NYC. It’s totally worth it!

Eventually, a break for lunch is necessary, which these days usually means a “second breakfast” in the form of scrambled eggs with chicken sausage, spinach and reduced-fat Mexican cheese.

The extra is on the left side of the plate. The rest of the goodness is tucked inside a Flatout Garden Spinach wrap (note: free sample provided by a client). I also had some perfectly ripe strawberries.

The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to more work, with a little bit of organization and packing thrown into the mix. My apartment has been a bit chaotic – to say the least – these past few weeks and I am determined to make it look nice again before I leave!

But there was some fun thrown into the mix. Bobby has recently determined that it is very necessary for us to go on a walk after work. Who am I to object to that? We plan on going on random walks every night from now on – perhaps even into the winter, but we’ll see if I’m daring enough for that! It’s always nice to have some time to chat while getting in some exercise, too.

Dinner was also a lot of fun – and something I’ve never made myself before! We found pork chops at the store over the weekend and decided to try them out.

I didn’t really follow a recipe, but I knew I wanted a “no fuss” way to make them and that meant baking instead of on the grill. I preheated the oven to 350*F and oiled a baking pan. Then I rubbed each of the pork chops with garlic salt, pepper, mesquite spices and barbecue sauce.

I baked them for 30 minutes, then pulled them out and flipped each chop over. I then baked them for an additional 15-20 minutes each. You may want to go for another 30 minutes if they are thick chops, but these were on the thin side and didn’t need as much time.

They turned out quite beautiful, if I do say so myself! I even tweeted that Papa Bender would be proud. It’s hard to keep pork chops moist, but I think that baking them really helped seal in the juices.

Meanwhile, Bobby put together a vegetable feast of peas, carrots and mushrooms cooked in Natural NAKANO. I truly did think the NAKANO brought out the flavor, as Holly Clegg suggested.

A magnificent feast and meal for two.

***

The skies are a very scary color right now! Here’s hoping it doesn’t storm too badly. This girl (as I take a break from typing to point to myself) does not like storms. The only time I appreciate lightning is when I am watching it…in a video.

Before I go, I have a very special announcement! A reader and fellow blogger John is on a mission to go for 40 races before he turns 40! He’s decided to enter himself into Stride’s Stridea contest and is doing incredibly well so far. He’s even launched himself on Twitter as @Strideaman to continue to spread the word, which I, of course, love!

There are less than 5 days left to vote! I am so excited for John and his racing dreams that I would encourage all of you to vote for him here. You can do so every day if you’d like!

Good luck to you, John! He is even going to be featured on a TV and radio show tomorrow. You can read more about it in his latest post.

STORM UPDATE: My building is shaking and I can’t see anything out of the window because of the rain. This is not looking good, friends. Not good at all.

Happy thought: What is your favorite thing to do in NYC, if you’ve visited?

See you all in the Big Apple!

Abrazos,

TANK Sushi is located in Lincoln Square, an area of Chicago that I do not get to explore very often, but that seems very fun and family-friendly. Bobby and I ventured there with our discount in tow and were excited to find an array of delicious maki rolls to choose from.

Honestly, I am a huge fan of salt so the fact that these edamame were loaded with it didn’t faze me in the slightest. Bring it on. A great way to start the meal.

We were delighted to order a big plate full of delicious, colorful sushi.

We tried the dragon roll, which was composed of tempura shrimp, eel, avocado, masago mayo, sweet soy sauce and sesame seeds and tasted absolutely phenomenal. Honestly, by far my favorite.

Next up was the crazy eel roll, which had avocado, cream cheese and sesame seeds topped with eel, sweet soy sauce and crushed peanuts. Another winner!

Last but not least was the California roll made up of the usual rock crab, masago, avocado, cucumber and sesame seeds. Honestly, I wish we would have been a bit more adventurous, but it’s always good to have a roll you know will taste good just in case.

The rolls were so good that we decided to order two more of the first. We thought that the first three were ordered in time for the 1/2 price special that night and that we had a bit of leftover Groupon to spare. Honestly, the only damper on the entire experience was when we later found out that you could not combine the 1/2 price special with the Groupon – very deceiving, since the menu specifically labeled what you “couldn’t” use with the Groupon and the 1/2 price maki special was not labeled as such.

In other words, we ended up spending the exact same amount had we not bought the Groupon at all.

Honestly, lame.

But that’s not entirely the restaurant’s fault. Yes, the menu was deceiving but we should have realized that the Groupon said in tiny print that it couldn’t be combined with other offers. Live and learn. It was still very delicious sushi and I quite enjoyed the Lincoln Square experience.

But honestly, the Groupon I’m most excited to share with you is the one I picked up last week. The one for $25 for $75 worth of wine at Wine Insiders.

Oh yes, you read that right.

We were able to get a dozen red wines for $50 total in spending. Not bad! We decided to be more adventurous than we were with the California roll and ordered the Mystery Reds 12-pack, which came with free shipping. They all arrived in their glory yesterday.

There are five more bottles where that came from, but as some of them were duplicates, I thought I would show you a representative of each. Looking forward to reviewing them one by one on the blog.

Other honest thoughts of the week:

• I am truly excited to go to the BlogHer ’10 conference in NYC next week. Jill (my business partner) and I are honored to be leading one of the break-out sessions on Friday. It’s called “How to Make Your Passion ‘Work’ For You.” If you’re there, we’d love for you to come!
• Bobby and I are wrapping up the final week of Insanity. I can’t wait to share the final results and reviews with you. If the Fit Test is any indication, it’s been a successful journey.
• Today is Mara’s 30th birthday and I consider myself lucky to call her my friend! If you’re on Twitter, make sure to wish @imadedinner a wonderful day!
• We recently reformatted the POP! Social Media website and I would love to hear your honest opinions! The content isn’t quite finished, but the layout is my favorite part.
• August is almost here and it is going to be quite possibly the busiest month of my life. I am honestly so grateful to all of you for sticking with me through my somewhat disorganized posting schedule. One of these days, life will be less cluttered. “One of these days…”

Last but not least, I’m honestly thrilled to announce the two winners of the NAKANO giveaway:

#43 – Kate!

#6 - Lisa!

Congratulations, ladies! Please send me an email with your mailing address to eatingbender@gmail.com so that I can get you your goodies as soon as possible!

An honest thanks for reading, as always. Hope you have a beautiful Thursday!

Would love to hear one of your “honest” thoughts of the day. Do tell!

Abrazos,