Sugar Shack

This weekend made me crave summer. First, Kiss and I ran the Lake Como 5k in Belmar, NJ. Kiss finished about 10 minutes faster than I did, yet she won't divulge any of her running secrets! After the race, we hit the beach for about 10 minutes, only to cover every inch of our bodies because of the freezing cold wind. For lunch, we hit up Surf Taco where we definitely fit in with all the highschoolers. After napping, our night took a spontaneous turn when Kiss forgot her ID at home and we ended up at the Sugar Shack.

The bartender at the Sugar Shack made us amazingly delicious watermelon, pineapple, and raspberry mojito's. Personally, I liked watermelon the best... maybe because that was my choice, or maybe because of the freshly sliced watermelon floating in my drink. I eyed the Sangria from afar and cannot wait to try it next time. The atmosphere was relaxed, and the decor was beachy, yet eclectic. Outside the Sugar Shack was a cute patio bar and a few tables. As soon as we stepped outside, my love for patio drinking was renewed!! Our new summer goal is to drink on as many patios as humanly possibly!

PS. Tip for meeting guys: Roll down your window and yell at cute motorcyclists. ;)

Getting Naked for Breakfast

So I still haven't seen Disneynature's Earth yet, but I definitely will by the end of this weekend - that's a promise. Last night I went out for a "light" dinner and drinks at Trattoria Toscana with a few friends to discuss a little project I am helping on and it got a little too late to catch a movie. (I say "light" because it turned into more a feast complete with wine, fresh mozzerella, polenta, and tiramisu. More on that later.)

This morning I was looking for something actually light to have for breakfast and came across Naked Juice's new Bare Breeze, made of 100% natural juice with no preservatives or added sugars. I used to be really anti-juice because it's so sugary and I'm pretty much and all water all the time girl, but lately I've been getting into it. I actually tried to the BluePrint Cleanse for three days (big mistake, I don't think I'm meant not to chew) and have contemplated buying a juicer. As long as it's fresh and natural, as opposed to drinks like Sunny Delight, the benefits of juice are pretty substantial. Not to mention, it gives your stomach a little bit of a break from working on all the other crap in there.

I tried out the Peach Mangosteen Bliss and it was definitely more peachy than mangosteen-y and kind of reminded me of something I would get on a cruise ship with a little umbrella stuck inside - sans the rum, of course. I don't think I could make it a daily staple because the sugar count is so high and also because I found myself pretty thirsty after drinking it, but I did feel quite energized and ready to go. Try it out if you're looking to mix it up.

Happy Earth Day!!

(image via zazzle.com)

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you are probably well aware that today is Earth Day. There is no shortage of ways that you can give back to the Earth -- recycling, saving energy, buying eco-friendly garb and gear, etc.

And the Green movement just keeps getting better- have you seen the Peapod? Officially launched today, this car is ridiculously cute and runs on "no gas, no emissions, all electric, lots of love." If this car was plush-like I would just want to squish it and squeeze its cheeks. The downside is, it only goes up to around 35 mph, so it's ideal for small errands or crowded cities where high speed is't really an option (hello, nyc!). I can't wait to see one of these in actions.


Being green can also pay off - National Geographic and Sun Chips are awarding 20k to any creative individual who comes up with a new and innovative way to have an eco-friendly future. You can share your ideas on how to make the planet a better place at greeneffect.com I'm not a big Sun Chips eater, but the company's "big idea" comes in the form of the first compostable chip bag. I'll munch to that!

But don't forget - everyday is Earth Day.

Earth Week + Free Ice Cream. Thank you, April!

As Cake mentioned once before , we are big fans of the "Green" movement. Before being green was mainstream, my aunt worked for the Environmental Protection Agency and her love for all things natural rubbed off on me at an early age. I could usually be found saving frogs, cutting the plastic soda tops apart, and yelling at people for littering. Which is why every year I get really, really excited for April. Besides the fact that it is the month in which my birthday resides, it also includes Earth Day (April 22nd) and Arbor Day (April 24th). It's within this month that giving back to Mother Nature and showing appreciation for the Earth really enters the forefront. Yesterday kicked off "Earth Week" and their are tons of events going on around the nation. One in particular is Disney's latest, Disneynature Earth, which I whole-heartedly plan on attending tomorrow.

But besides all the Earth Day festivities, April is also good for a few other things.

Today marks Ben & Jerry's annual Free Cone Day. This year, B&J are celebrating 31 years of scooping. Ice cream not your thing? Grab a Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee for a measly 50 cents. Proceeds go back to Homes For Our Troops.

I love April!

Spring Fever

"It's Spring fever...
You don't quite know what it is you do want,
but it fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"
-Mark Twain

Skylark Diner in Edison, NJ -- a Big Random, Fun WTF!

On Friday, Cake and I went to Skylark Diner in Edison, NJ to celebrate our friend's birthday. I am big fan of diners since I like having multiple choices and believe in breakfast for dinner. Not to mention, diners and Jersey practically go hand in hand (Jersey has the most diners in the world).

I have never been to Skylark before, but was always intrigued by the space-age outside. Little did I know Skylark is more than your typical diner. It's one of the few diners that I know of that serve alcohol, and it seems they are aiming for a more "upscale" feel, which is interesting considering diners tend to be laid-back and no-frills. The dining room is a mix of space inspired lights and eclectic 70's-esque decor. The restrooms are surrounded by a light up "tunnel" reminiscent of Disney's Space Mountain.




The most interesting part of Skylark is their full bar. You could easily split Skylark in half and make it two places, because the scene on the bar side is much different than the dining room. There's a DJ and the place (apparently) gets packed with clubheads and dancers on the weekends. "Wait, this is a diner and a club-- crazy."

Needless to say, it's a pretty fun place. The food was mediocre, but I recommend the Key Lime Pie martini. Yummmmm.

Sunshine = Free Beer & Hot Dogs!!

Ok, so sunshine means a lot more than free beer and hot dogs (which is great because I don't even eat hot dogs). However, this weekend marks the grand opening of the Gowanus Yacht Club in Carroll Gardens, NY.

To celebrate, the outdoor drinking establishment is offering "free beer, free hot dogs, and excellent conversation" to those who stop by this Saturday the 19th. Mother Nature must be a big fan of free booze and recreation, because the weather is predicted to be in the 70s and sunny. Sounds like a good time to me.

In other weather related news..

This is how I feel sometimes: The Fucking Weather.com . Refreshing.

Weatherman, Do. Not. Lie. to me!

This is the weather forecast for this weekend. It hasn't been this promising in a long time. 69 and 68 degrees! That's practically 70, which is practically summer weather, which means it practically time for the beach ;).

I'm warning you weatherman, do not eff this up.

Lay, Leave, or Love: Star Trek

I watched Star Trek with my dad and brother throughout my childhood, which is why I cannot wait to see the new Star Trek movie! Plus, I love/used to love Heroes and am excited to see Sylar as Spock. Star Trek comes out May 8, 2009!




Chris Pine plays James T. Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise. You may know him from The Princess Diaries 2 or Just My Luck with Lindsay Lohan. I don't really know much about him but he is HOT. I think I'll just LAY his 28 year old self... he looks like a bit of a player.







Zachary Quinto will be Spock, the half-human, half-vulcan, first officer on the USS Enterprise. He is best known at Sylar on Heroes and was born and raised in Pennsylvania. You wouldn't know it, but he's 31 years old... a good age to LOVE and marry. :)





John Cho is playing Sulu, the "helmsman" of the ship. I know him best as Harold from Harold and Kumar and I just googled to find out hes 36 years old! I never would have guessed. Too old. LEAVE. But still a cutie.








Simon Pegg is playing Scotty, as in "Beam me up, Scotty," the chief engineer. He's a tad too old for me at 39 years old, so I'll have to LEAVE him.

-Cake

PS. Andy Samberg has been removed from the LOVE list due to numerous reports of his douchbaggery.

Burt's Bees = love

Kiss and I are slightly obsessed with the whole Green movement. We like to recycle, unplug, eat organic food and wish for hybrid cars.... So, in an effort to naturalize my skincare routine, I recently purchased some amazing products from Burt's Bees. Half of their products are made with 100% natural ingredients and they use the highest levels of recycled materials possible. (Check out all the ways Burt's Bees is trying to save our planet here.)

So far, I've obtained the Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream, which makes my face feel incredible soft, and the Garden Tomato Complexion Soap. The soap is kind of strange, but leaves my face feeling clean. I can't wait to get my hands on the semi-new line of anti-aging products called "Naturally Ageless." These products use pomegranate as a main ingredient to help "smooth fine lines and firm skin." I'll update you on how they work!

-Cake

PS. Horatio's and Smith, now that you know this exists... comment us :)

Review: Homemade S'meeps!

I was a really bad niece this year on Easter and totally played hooky instead of having dinner at my Aunt's house. It sounds awful, but I really didn't want to go, plus my sister is in the Bahamas and I like to avoid situations where I will be put on the hot seat and questioned about whether or not I am dating someone and why not. So I skipped it, with full permission from my parents. My dad even supplied the white lie to get me out of going. Not to mention, I sord of had more important things to do, like make S'Meeps and eat sushi from Kicky's. So I invited Cake over and we got to toasting.

A S'Meep, for those of you who don't know, is simply a S'More made with a Peep instead of a regular marshmellow. I actually hate Peeps. I'm still not really sure who actually eats them and likes them- but I really want to try this whole S'Meeps thing out.

The whole process is fairly simple. Set your toaster oven to 350. Take a graham cracker, split it in half, place a few pieces of chocolate on one of the halves, place that half on an aluminum tray topped with a Peep of your choice, and stick in the toaster oven for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The Peep will start expanding and start turning slightly brown, at which you know it is time to take them out. Then, place the remaining graham cracker on top.

At first, I was afraid to try the S'meep. Peeps are very, very sweet. Throw some chocolate into the mix and you have the recipe for a serious toothache. Suprisingly, it tasted really good. It wasn't at all as sugary as I predicted, and the S'meep had a nice toasty outside with a delectably mushy inside. Needless to say, Cake and I could only eat about one and a half before being over it and reaching for a glass of water. But all in all it was a success.