Tadasana Yoga Pants.

 They’re a little slimmer and a little more flattering than my beloved Groove Pants and a little higher waisted, too, so they’re perhaps even MORE practical for all kinds of exercise…and they’ll look just a teeny bit cuter when I just put on workout clothes and traipse around town pretending I worked out!

I love you, lulu.

Namaste and all that!

xx, L

Y’all know how much I heart my second home in Atlanta, Exhale Spa.  Y’all know.  (And, welcome LK!  So happy you’ve joined!!) 

Well, I had my first facial at Exhale last week and JUST when I thought I couldn’t love it any more there, I fell even more head over heels!

It was the absolute greatest facial.  The greatest!  The one I got was the 60-Minute True Facial w/ a Cool Beam Treatment. 

Here are the deets:

True Facial: Enliven your skin with our customized facial appropriate for all skin types.  We use a layer of our most coveted mushroom enzyme mask to lift away all dull, tired skin and reveal a fresher, brighter version of you!  Trust that all of your need will be thoroughly addressed in this one hour facial – a true transformation!

Cool Beam Treatment: Monochromatic coherent light penetrates into the dermis sparking a physiological collagenic growth spurt.  This healing therapy inflates fine lines while simultaneously reducing post-surgical inflammation and decreasing hyperpigmentation and cystic acne.

My therapist, Kathryn, was absolutely amazing, too.  I highly, highly recommend getting a facial at Exhale.  My skin has been glowing since and feels like silk!

Also newsworthy at Exhale is…one of my favorite Atlantans + fitness gurus, Anne-Marie Berte, Manager of Guest Experience for the spa.  Do you know her?  Do you know her?  You should!  Y’all have seen me reference her in every single one of my Exhale-related posts, but you guys REALLY need to know how awesome Anne-Marie is! 

anne-marie berte

In addition to all her responsibilities at Exhale, she is also the ambassador for the 100 Women Project, the Lease Luxury Properties lifestyle & wellness concierge, and all around excellent person.  Anne-Marie is really into brand marketing and promotions, and is constantly working to connect people and create relationships and cross promotions for brands.  She has a contagiously positive and uplifting personality – this girl is going places, people!! 

super-fit, A-M!

Stay tuned for more Anne-Marie awesomeness – you are sure to see her around the ATL as the “fit girl blogger” bringing you up to date on the latest and greatest workouts to try, studios, and healthy lifestyle tips!

Love, love, love Exhale + Anne-Marie!  Just the best in 2012. 

xx, L

Exhale Atlanta
Anne-Marie Berte, Manager of Guest Experience: amberte@exhalespa.com
1065 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.720.5000
http://www.exhalespa.com/Locations/GAtlanta/Default.aspx

You see, I walked out to my parking garage to find my back left tire…

Flatter than a pancake.

I managed to get to the Costco in my neighborhood at Town Brookhaven, and after waiting for an hour and a half for Costco Tire Center to open, I was informed that though the puncture from the NAIL I drove over could be repaired, my tire was essentially mulch on the inside and would have to be replaced.  HOWEVER – they didn’t have the tire I needed in stock at that location so they fitted my car with a lovely donut and instructed me to high tail it to the Perimeter Costco to get this blessed tire. 

In the 5.6 miles between the two Costcos…apparently I rolled through a stop sign and was promptly pulled over by a motorcycle cop. 

Yep.  

However, alls well that ends well because it just so happens that my evening was so spectacular that it quite literally saved the day. 

Check out my two-step remedy:

Step 1.  Core Fusion® Cardio at Exhale Mind Body Spa in Midtown. 

I decided I had mooched off Lindsay’s Exhale membership for long enough so I called up our buddy Anne Marie to get myself my very own membership!  Yay!

Linds has been preachin’ the gospel about Exhale for a while, but as a reminder, the Q+DD on Core Fusion® Cardio is this: It’s a “calorie burning, sweat inducing, body sculpting, power-packed fitness experience, masterminded by the co-creators of Core Fusion®, Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito. Merging cardio with intense strength and flexibility moves, this 60-minute class generates maximum calorie burn, resulting in defined abs, sculpted legs, and high, rounded glutes.”

I am here to tell you it was ridiculously tough and I felt like a bazillion bucks when I finished. 

After our class, Linds, our girlfriend Stef, and I met a handful of our fabulous friends for the BEST thing that ever happened to Wednesdays (and also step 2 in my remedy.)

Step 2.  LADIES NIGHT at Piola!

 Reminder: if you are a lady, EVERY Wednesday, you can enjoy BOTTOMLESS wine or sangria with the purchase of an entrée or a pizza.  I suggest both. 

I’d also suggest ordering absolutely ANYTHING with the Catupiry cheese.  ET turned me on to this amazing soft cheese from Brazil and it pretty much just makes everything better. 

There you have it, ladies.  Straight from LK.  There is nothing a little detox/retox and a GNO* can’t fix.

Happy Thursday, friends.  It’s ALMOST the weekend.

xx, L

*Girls’ Night Out.  Duh.

The purpose of this incredible walk is to raise money for breast cancer research and community programs.  Without a cure, one person will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the United States.  Together we can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. 

The 3-Day commences tomorrow in the wee hours of the morning at Stone Mountain and ends on Sunday in the early evening at Turner Field.

Friends, family + general spectators are encouraged to come out to cheer on the 3-Day walkers!  Closing Ceremonies, in particular, on Sunday are easy to attend and very, very moving.  Spectator information can be found here: 3-Day Atlanta Spectator Info!

Look out for LK, G$, Randodi and Kevin at Closing Ceremonies!  And, best of luck to all the fantastic 3-Day walkers!!  We’ve got THIS! 

xx, L

And I’ll be honest – until a couple of months ago, I thought Zumba was perhaps less appropriate for this blog and better suited for a feature in say… a publication like this: 

I was wrong.  Lucky for me, I had a small herd of girlfriends who persuaded me to attend a class at the brand spankin’ new LA Fitness in Town Brookhaven (which is conveniently located mere feet from my apartment door, so I had no excuse)

You guys.  It is a DANCE PARTY and full of adorable people. It’s less like this:

And more like this:

Here’s the Q+DD on Zumba: It’s a dance workout class that combines Latin-influenced music with pop songs that’s meant for all fitness levels.  You can burn 1000 calories in a single class!   

My 7:00PM Monday class at Town B is definitely more Usher than “Oye Como Va”– and definitely more cheerleader than soccer mom – but I think at least partial credit goes to the instructor, Melissa.  I am pretty much obsessed with her.  I don’t even know where to begin – she’s so cute I want to put her in my pocket.  And she SMILES the whole time.  It’s love.

Last night I took Broadway Meredith with me and pretended we were in our own little show stopping production of a dance musical.   It is the MOST fun.  (Can’t WAIT to bring Linds with me in a few weeks!)

Cabaret, Shmabaret. It's ZUMBA, baby.

BONUS: If you attend Melissa’s class on Monday 10/31 – wear all black and come prepared to do a little THRILLER.  (!!!!!!!!!)

In doing a little Zumba research, I found out that this class has been around since 2001- so I don’t know what took me so long to find it but I hope it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

The bottom line: it’s a super intense cardio workout cleverly disguised as a party and I am ALL about it.  

Obviously, I love the 7:00PM Monday class at LA Fitness Brookhaven, but check out your local LA Fitness, I think they all have a class or two on the schedule. 

You can also find a class nationwide by clicking THIS link.

Or, apparently Zumba from home!  DVDs are available HERE.

I hope you Zumba with reckless abandon. As that old cliché goes, “Dance like no one is watching.”  Seriously.  It’s way more fun that way.  

xx, L

On Sunday, October 2nd, you can relive the glory days of Elementary School Field Day – with an adult twist!

Get a team of 4 people together and come out to the Buckhead Saloon Parking Lot to enjoy the games, music, football, giveaways, free hot dogs + hamburgers, and $1 beer specials/ Sinless Margarita specials!

Events include: Dizzy Bat Beer Relay, 5-Legged Race, Beer Limbo, Obstacle Course, Flip Cup, Beer Pong and more!  The team with the best uniform gets bonus points!

Here’s the Q+DD on Adult Field Day 2011:

Why: Cause it’s AWESOME.  And, proceeds from the event will be donated to Bert’s Big Adventure!  BBA is a non-profit organization that provides a spectacular 5-day journey to Disney for kids with chronic and/or terminal illnesses and their families.

When: Sunday, October 2nd, Check In + Pre-game @ 1:00 p.m., Field Day Events Begin @ 1:30 p.m., Falcons Game Starts @ 4:00 p.m. – TVs will be showing the football games ALL DAY.

Where: Buckhead Saloon Parking Lot, 3227 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA, 30305

Fees: $80 donation for a 4 person team ($20 per person) to Bert’s Big Adventure.

Registration + Info: http://sinlessadultfieldday2011.eventbrite.com

Questions??: E-mail sinlessevents@gmail.com

This is going to be such a total blast!  Can’t wait for October! 

xx, L

I didn’t post for an entire week + now I feel like there’s almost too much to update you all on and it’s not exactly stringing together clearly…  So bear with me, folks.  I’m just going to lay it all out there + make of it what you will. 

The weather is getting gorgeous, the hemlines are getting shorter + there are more and more reasons to play outside, try new restaurants + spring into summer!  (I feel like I just wrote an Old Navy commercial.)

Ready or not – here I go!  Wheeeee…..

Ms. Reynolds, Sayako + I recently recruiter summit-ed at Victory Sandwich Bar in Inman Park, which has been all over Urban Spoon, etc., and we really enjoyed it!

Pictured below are our sandwiches, all of which are meant to be eaten in multiples (i.e. you don’t order just one sandwich – they are small-ish) at only $4.00 a piece.

We tried the New Bomb Turkey: turkey, arugula, avocado spread + baconaisse; The Hambo: prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, apple + reduced balsamic; and the Castro: slow-roasted pork, ham, fontina cheese + yellow mustard. 

I love this place for a casual lunch and strongly recommend trying it out!

Victory Sandwich Bar
280 Elizabeth Street
Atlanta, GA  30307
770.676.7287
http://www.vicsandwich.com/
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.

Next up, Bloomingdale’s just started showing some gorgeous turquoise-y blue stone necklaces.  So cute for summer!  Here’s a shot of the one I bought on Monday.  It’s my new favorite accessory.

Moving right along…

On my Palm Springs/ L.A. flights, I started reading John Kennedy Toole’s “A Confederacy of Dunces.”  I will admit that I fall in love with most books I read + can’t put them down until they’re finished, and that remains the case with this Pulitzer Prize winner.  It’s so thoughtfully written and a great (albeit very wordy) read.  The story of how the book came to fruition after JKT’s suicide is super interesting, as well. 

Let’s talk food trucks.

Slick + I got tacos at Tex’s Tacos recently, the new food truck in Buckhead, which urbandaddy.com dubbed the “Antonio Banderas” of food trucks.  Cute.

Tex’s is a fully-equipped kitchen + restaurant on wheels serving up an array of “Nueva Texicana” eats w/ “style + grace.”

While I’ll admit that they weren’t the best tacos I’ve ever eaten, they did the job.  Tex’s will be a goldmine for late night Buckhead frat boys who need to cut through the alcohol a bit before stumbling into bed.  And it’s not just stationed in Buckhead, which is why food truckin’ is so exciting.  Check out Tex’s schedule here: http://www.texstacos.com/

Speaking of food trucks…  When I was in Palm Springs, the Nom Nom truck drove up from L.A. and I got to try it!  Not familiar w/ the famous Nom Nom truck?

It’s a L.A.-based mobile food truck specializing in Vietnamese food, especially banh mi.  Nom Nom was the runner-up in season one of the Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race.

Their food is RIDIC. 

On Easter Sunday, Slick + I had a date night at Ecco, one of my favorite Midtown restaurants to order up a load of small plates + drinks.  (Also, to potentially spot the Vampire Diaries cast…)

As usual, our meal was predictably delicious.  To accompany it, I ordered a glass of pinot gris.  Slick, however, ordered one of the most interesting cocktails I’ve ever seen.  Here’s the description of it from the menu:

ZAFARAN: Gabriel Boudier Saffron Gin, housemade Shindeldecker tonic + a custom icy hot cube will remind you that, while temptation is a reality, there are repercussions in all things we do.

It was so different and had a very special, unique flavor.  You guys have to try it!

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again.  I’m obsessed with mochi ice cream.  Recently, I’ve been satisfying my sweet tooth with an all natural strawberry flavor found at Trader Joe’s.  Um, yum!

Y’all, today is Thursday which means…

So, back to food trucks + street food.  Can we?  Thanks. 

My favorite Midtown Street Food Thursday vendor is definitely The King of Pops!

I get so excited when I see the Pops cart!  And you know who else does…

slick: king of the mountain (stone mountain, that is)

He LOVES KoPs!  Our favorite flavors are: Mexican Chocolate, Banana Pudding, Sea Salt Chocolate + Pineapple Ginger.  You must, must try a pop!

It really is perfect popsicle weather, too.  Speaking of perfect weather, I had it in California.  The entire week was truly gorgeous!  Although the main purpose of my trip was to meet Mrs. Wolkove’s adorable new addition to her family, I did have time to enjoy the outdoors when I went on a hike at Fryman Canyon Park located in the Santa Monica Mountains with Mrs. W’s madre.  The views were amazing + the workout was seriously intense.  I work out quite a bit in Atlanta, but I almost never go hiking.  I have to say that my legs were throbbing the morning after our hike.  If anyone knows of good hiking spots in Atlanta, please let me know. 

Even while hiking in the heat, my hair looked pretty perfect.  (OMG, what a bragger!)  But, I have to credit that to Daniel Carter at Mint Salon who does my 2-day keratin treatments.  (LK goes to Mint, too, for hers.)  Daniel is a fantastic stylists who has also started to do my cuts + color.  If you happen to be looking for a new stylist, I highly recommend Daniel!  Tell him you heard about him on the Q+DD!

Mint Salon
Stylist: Daniel Carter
404.724.9669
www.mintsalon.net

Since we’re focusing now on “maintenance,” I’m really looking forward to my spray tan today at RAW Organic Bronzing Studio.  (LK is a fan, too!)  I adore the owner, Tiffany Terranova, and have been very pleased with my tans!  They are made from 100% organic ingredients that are actually beneficial to the skin.  Read more about RAW Organic Bronzing Studio here: LK’s post about RAW.

And, RAW is conveniently located right next door to Victory Sandwich Bar in Inman Park!  Bringing it all together. 

Skipping around skipping around…

I’m in the market for a french press.  I drank french pressed coffee several times during my L.A. trip + don’t think I can go back to my Keurig any more.  It’s like two entirely different planets of coffee!  This Bodum one is pretty cute.  (Hint, hint.)

OH!  And isn’t this the most precious picture you’ve ever seen or what?!  Mrs. Wolkove, her one week old (who obv. cannot fit into those yet) + I all rock the glitter TOMS!  Love.

We’ll focus on this much more as it draws closer, but who’s pumped for the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival?! 

THIS event is going to be nothing short of incredible.  Can’t wait! 

More info here: Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

And finally (have I worn you out yet?), the Q+DD has some very special news to share!  One of our best readers, Jessica Gorman: Concierge at the Ritz Carlton – Buckhead, was featured in the newest edition of The Atlantan Magazine!

Click here to see the article mentioning Jess on page 36 of the new issue today!  (Reading Instructions for the Online Version: Click on the link mentioned in the previous sentence.  Type in page 36.  Full screen view + click magnifying glass to zoom in.  Silly technology…)  We are very proud of you, Jess!

So…did you get all that?!  It was pretty beastly.  (TWHS? Sorry, mom…)

There WILL be a quiz later.  It’s great to be back! 

xx, L

And so, I decided to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure once again.

I participated in the 3-Day in 2006, and I look back on my six months of training, fundraising + walking for breast cancer research as one of my proudest accomplishments.  Over the course of 72 hours, I walked with wonderful people who had lost loved ones to this disease and walked in their memory; I bonded with brave survivors who had funny team names written across their pink shirts and hats; I heard incredible stories from warriors in the middle of their own fights against breast cancer.  I felt like I was part of the community + I was so honored to fundraise for such a worthy cause.

2006 Atlanta 3-Day - Day 2

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure is a 60-mile walk that raises money for breast cancer research and community programs.  Without a cure, one person will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the United States.  That’s a pretty startling statistic!  No one should have to face this disease, so in order to help create a future without breast cancer, I have decided to participate again in the Walk.

If you’ve ever seen a TV commercial or heard a radio ad for the 3-Day for the Cure, it’s incredibly evident how emotional + moving the Walk is over the three days.  If you’ve ever wanted to participate – please do!  Here’s the link to sign up:  GET INVOLVED WITH THE 3-DAY!  Meeting the fundraising goal + training for/ participating in the Walk is challenging – but it’s nothing compared to fighting breast cancer.  I’d love to have more folks to share this journey with in Atlanta, so please sign up today! 

You will receive $25 off your registration fee if you sign up before February 28!

2006 Atlanta 3-Day Closing Ceremony - Day 3

Please consider attending the Atlanta 3-Day Closing Ceremony on October 23rd.  I will update The Q+DD with location and timing details much closer to the Walk.  The Closing Ceremony is an incredibly memorable event that you will not want to miss!

Thank you for your support!  We CAN make a difference in the fight against breast cancer.

xx, L

Can’t remember what Exhale is?  Shame, shame.  Check out my post about joining the best new gym in Atlanta here:
http://thequickanddirtydirty.com/2010/12/07/and-i-joined/

Here are some other exciting things going on @ Exhale this week, too:

MONDAY 1/17: Live DJ For Core Cycling w/ Pete @ 5:30 p.m.
TUESDAY 1/18: Live DJ for Core Fusion Sport w/ Brianna @ 5:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY 1/19: Live Drummer for Music Yoga Flow with Brianna @ 6:00 p.m.
THURSDAY 1/20:Live DJ for Core Fusion Cardio with Stephanie at 5:30 p.m.

Exhale Atlanta's Core Fusion Studio

Exhale Atlanta's Beautiful Sun Lit Music Yoga Flow + Yoga Studio

Let Your Muscles Melt in Exhale Atlanta's Turkish Hammam (the only one in the city!)

That’s not all, either…  Check this out:
The gym’s nutritionist, David, will be doing nutrition teasers Monday + Wednesday.
Free mini-cool beam facials + mini-massages!
Plus, free mini-reiki massage sessions Monday – Thursday from 5-8 p.m.

AND (this is soooooo Q+DD):  They are developing an awesome DETOX/ RETOX night (most likely Thursday nights starting in February – details to follow when it’s set)!  Core Fusion class followed by dinner/ drinks @ Piola on a 30% discount!  I love, I love!  Will keep y’all updated…

More information on Exhale’s schedule + events here: www.exhalespa.com/atlanta or e-mail Anne Marie Berte at amberte@exhalespa.com for additional details!

I’m so happy I joined + I’m OBSESSED w/ Exhale’s Core Fusion classes.  Take advantage of this great opportunity + see for yourself what this great gym has to offer!  Enjoy! 

xx, L

Exhale Atlanta
Anne-Marie Berte, Manager of Guest Experience: amberte@exhalespa.com
1065 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.720.5000
http://www.exhalespa.com/Locations/GAtlanta/Default.aspx

Well, no longer b/c surprise, surprise…this weekend Slick gave me my Hanukkah gift – an iPhone 4!

He said that he was sick of watching me text (hitting the same button three times to get the ”I”) on my $5 flip phone (what?!  it was a good deal…).  It was the most perfect gift for me.  Something I’d never buy for myself + that I’m totally + completely OBSESSED with now!

When we were in the Apple store, I was way more concerned about the case than I was the actual phone.  After much deliberation, here’s the one I selected…

It’s lime green on the sides! 

However, I spent the following 30 hours downloading apps.  The iPhone is changing my LIFE.  My first app purchase?  Fart App. (obv.)  My second?  Tracknburn.

What’s Tracknburn, you ask?

Here’s a little breakdown:

Revolutionary Food Tracking: Take the guesswork out of daily weight management.  Tracknburn calculates your daily nutritional needs on the fly to help you stay on top of your goals.  As your weight changes, your daily goals will too so that you constantly stay in-tune with your goals.  Say good bye to plateaus!

Accurate Exercise Tracking: You burn calories much differently than the person next to you.  Tracknburn knows that and takes care of it for you.  Simply pick your activity from one of the 500 activities in our database, enter your time, and pick your Burn intensity.  Tracknburn will tell you how many calories you burned instantly.

Weight Tracking: Select the scale, scroll to your weight, tap the lock.  That’s it.  Your weight is recorded and shown graphically on the same page.  Want the details of your weight management over time?  Export a report from your device and you get instant feedback.

Drink Up: Research has shown that simply drinking two cups of water right before eating a meal speeds up the sense of fullness, decreases calorie consumption, and causes more profound weight loss over time.  Tracknburn makes it simple to monitor and track your water consumption.

Click HERE to read more about Tracknburn.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Tracknburn

It’s a great app (so up my alley) + well worth the mere $3.99 to help me set + monitor my weight loss goals.  I used it a ton yesterday + today already.  Check it out!

(In case you were wondering…I also downloaded the following slightly-less-useful apps: Talking John, Elf Ur Face, Bubble, Finger Scan, Air Horn, Etch A Sketch, Glow Draw, Angry Birds, Zippo Lighter + Oregon Trail.)

I l.o.v.e. my new iPhone!  It’s so fun to be a part of the 21st century… 

xx, L