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July 2017

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Disney Social Media Moms Celebration On The Road Philadelphia

by Nellie

Usually when something involves Disney–I’m there. Movies, Theme Parks, Races, and of course the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration.

A few years ago I attended my first Disney Social Media Moms On The Road Experience in New York, It was SUPER magical and it took place in the New Amsterdam Theatre, the same place where Aladdin plays every single night. Then I attended the coveted Social Media Moms 4-day conference in 2015 with my family and had a truly magical time. This time around the On The Road Celebration would take place in one of my favorite cities: Philadelphia!

Disney Social Media Moms In Philadelphia, PA

The dinner would take place at R2L Restaurant. A beautiful setting all the way on the 35th floor overlooking the city of brotherly love. It was transformed into the gorgeous decor that makes the Disney Social Media Moms such a special experience. I was so happy to see so many of my favorite Philly/NJ/NYC blogger friends and local blogger friends too!

Disney Dreamers Academy Alum

In the first part of the evening we were able to hear from Jordan, an extremely well spoken former Disney Dreamers Academy alum that shared his amazing experience with the DDA. Every year Disney hosts 100 high school students from all over the country for a 4 day intensive experience where they learn how to put their goals into action.

Do you know a 13-18 year old high school student that might want to apply? The application process is super simple, students just have three questions to answer. The application field is wide and far, but the DDA accepts students from all backgrounds to attend this life changing trip. The deadline to apply for the 2018 class is October 31st, 2017!

A Magical Dinner

The Eats

The menu was just incredible, I was really excited to eat all the things. I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves!

Disney Social Media Moms On The Road Celebration Philadelphia Disney Social Media Moms On The Road Celebration Philadelphia

Hanging out with old and new friends

We had really awesome conversation about everything under the sun. We laughed and laughed, and it was a really good time.

Upcoming Exciting Disney News Revealed!

    1. More cruise ships are afoot!: Disney Cruise Line is planning  three new ships in the next phase of their expansion. By the time these three ships are sailing, they will have nearly doubled the size of their amazing fleet! (Remember when I checked out the Disney Cruise Line last year?!)
    2. Pandora is pretty amazing: I’m quite sad that I didn’t get to see Pandora when I visited Disney World on a solo trip last month. According to the pictures and the videos I need to see this up close and person! Stat! Check out this guide to Pandora from the Disney blogs: Best Tips, Tricks and Locations to Capture Stunning Photos of Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
    3. Disney Springs Has Leveled All The Way Up: There are so many new fun restaurants and stores that have opened at Disney Springs over the last year! (Including a two level ZARA store! omg!) Now you have your choice of fine dining without ever having to enter a park! Check out More New Dining Spots for Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort at the Disney World Blog.
    4. TOY STORY LAND IS COMING IN 2018!: (yes, that deserved all caps!) as a huge Toy Story Fan, I am SO excited to enjoy this this new addition to the park! Toy Story Mania is actually one of my favorite rides in all four parks. –> Toy Story Land to Open at Walt Disney World Resort in Summer 2018
    5. A Brand New Star Wars addition!: The lands, both called Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, will allow guests to visit a remote trading port on the edge of wild space, where Star Wars characters and their stories come alive – and where guests will find themselves right in the middle of the action.

Disney Social Media Moms On The Road Celebration Philadelphia

A Special Guest!

Disney Social Media Moms On The Road Celebration Philadelphia

The dinner and activities were all perfect, but then there was the icing on the cake: Mickey had come all the way from Orlando just to hang with us in Philly! So fun!

Disney Social Media Moms On The Road Celebration Philadelphia

5 New Additions to @DisneyParks and more at the #disneysmmc On The Road event in Philadelphia! Click to Tweet

For more Disney World Fun check out:

Disney Social Media Moms On The Road Celebration Philadelphia

Have you ever been to Philadelphia? What is your favorite ride at Disney World?

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BAM Free NYC Workout Series: Swerve Fitness
BAM Workout SeriesNYC Fitness Classes

BAM FREE NYC Workout Class Series Recap: Swerve Fitness

by Nellie

BAM FREE NYC Workout Class Series: Swerve Fitness

BAM Free NYC Workout Series: Swerve Fitness

Last weekend, I hosted my second ever live fitness class in NYC. The BAM Workout Series is a bi-monthly workout event that features all of the amazing NYC Fitness classes for FREE. Getting fit at a fancy studio can get really expensive really fast, but I want to expose my readers and friends to all of the incredible fitness that is all over the Big Apple!

Swerve Fitness

BAM Free NYC Workout Series: Swerve Fitness

In June we did a super fun bootcamp style workout at SWITCH Playground. This time we would be jumping on a spin bike for Swerve Fitness, you may remember I was introduced to Swerve last winter and have been in love with this place ever since. The unique way that they approach spinning makes the class super fun, every single time.

BAM Free NYC Workout Series: Swerve Fitness

BAM Workout Series

BAM Free NYC Workout Series: Swerve Fitness

One of the cool parts about the Swerve Fitness experience is that you get to sign up for teams before you walk into the studio. You can choose to be on team red, blue or green. You work individually but you also work together as a team to beat the others and win points. You get points as a team when you can collectively hold the pace set by the instructor, or when you collectively push harder than the next team. The hardest working rider from each team is also highlighted on the screen. I’ve never been super competitive but for some reason when I am in SWERVE I get all super crazy and I want to win all the things! This makes me spin harder–which makes for a super intense and amazing workout.

BAM Free NYC Workout Series: Swerve Fitness

All of the attendees that came to the event were all brand new to SWERVE. They absolutely loved it! We pushed so hard–we weren’t all on the same team but we really pushed ourselves in the class.

BAM Free NYC Workout Series: Swerve Fitness

The class was tough, and because the instructor is constantly testing how fast you can go or if you can keep a steady pace–you remain super engaged the whole time. There is absolutely no reason to wander off into space because you are so laser focused!

The attendees really had a blast and I was so happy to host such a fun and successful event!

BAM Free NYC Workout Series: Swerve Fitness

Premier Protein post workout snacks

BAM Free NYC Workout Series: Swerve Fitness

BAM Free NYC Workout Series: Swerve FitnessAs usual I am so excited to have Premier Protein sponsor the BAM Workout Series by providing delicious shakes and bars for all attendees.

BAM Free NYC Workout Series: Swerve Fitness

The attendees really loved all of the products (especially the caramel flavored shake, those went SUPER fast!) and of course so did I.

BAM Free NYC Workout Series: Swerve Fitness

It was the perfect way to end an incredible workout. For more information and to book a class at SWERVE Fitness click here.

A @swervefitness #bamworkoutseries event with treats from @PremierProtein! #TheDayIsYours #ad Click to Tweet

Join the BAM Workout Series VIP mailing list to be the first to know about free workout classes happening in NYC!

Have you ever taken a class a Swerve? How was your health and fitness this week?

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healthy livingrunning

The Best Running Route In Brooklyn

by Nellie

Living in NYC there are plenty of amazing places to run. From Central Park to Prospect Park to everywhere in between, the city is just a simply gorgeous running oasis. What really helps is that 99% of the city is reachable by foot so you can find little fun corners to run and explore. While marathon training over the past two years, I have seen more bridges and beautiful views via training runs. I have run over all of the bridges in NYC and the views never get tired.

With all of these amazing options, I still have one favorite route that gets me every single time. Brooklyn Bridge Park is hands down my favorite place to run. The park is massive so you can absolutely get a LOT of miles in without ever seeing the same thing twice. It is set along the edge of Brooklyn overlooking the NYC Skyline.

The park is right on the water therefore the temperatures are always a little bit cooler than everywhere else. The park is generally PACKED especially in the Spring/Summer time but there is enough room for everyone, as the runners are always out and about.

If you start at the end of the park you end up running up two different bridges, the Williamsburg Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge. If you REALLY want variety you can run across both bridges (about 1 mile and a quarter each way) and run back to where you started.

Be careful of special events though! Even though the park is massive, and you can always find alternate routes–the park is always better without an extra couple thousand people hanging around. 🙂

I am teaming up with amazing runner blogger to share our favorite Rave Runs! Check them out and you may find a new route to love!

Carly @ Fine Fit Day

Laura @ This Runner’s Recipes

Angela @ Happy Fit Mama

4 Runners Share their FAVORITE place to RUN! @HappyFitMama @ThisRunRecipes @CarlyPizanni #running Click to Tweet

Where is your absolute favorite place to run? Have you ever been to Brooklyn Bridge Park?

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NYC Fitness Classes

On Top Of The World: A Rooftop Spin Class With CrankNYC

by Nellie

CrankNYC Rooftop Spin Class

Imagine a beautiful rooftop in NYC overlooking the stunning water and the picturesque skyscrapers–now imagine combining that with an amazing, powerful workout.

CrankNYC Rooftop Spin Class

This is exactly what happened last week when I attended a special spin class held by CrankNYC! The event was held at the very posh Arlo Hotel SoHo.

CrankNYC Rooftop Spin Class

I managed to get to the 8am spin class on time which was a miracle considering that the morning commute was pretty brutal. (I don’t miss that AT ALL)

CrankNYC Rooftop Spin Class

When I arrived I was greeted by a CrankNYC swag bag with my name on it filled with my spin shoes for the day, a CrankNYC shirt and so much more. I quickly put on my shoes as the class would be starting shortly but to be honest all I wanted to do was take pictures because the views were just breathtaking.

CrankNYC Rooftop Spin Class

CrankNYC Rooftop Spin Class

The energy was so good right off the bat! The music was amazing, I knew pretty much every song and the ones I didn’t know I wish I did. We warmed up pretty quickly with some 30 second sprints. The class was full of fun choreography and moves I’ve never done on a spin bike before. We even used a hand towel as weights–what?! Crazy! Somehow it totally worked–my arms were burning afterwards!!

CrankNYC Rooftop Spin Class

Class ended beautifully with reflection and pause to appreciate what we did for ourselves in that moment. The class was so dope and I can’t wait to go back. The family vibe was a good one and I love that they make that a core part of their brand.

CrankNYC Rooftop Spin Class

Yummy Post Workout Treats from Julie’s Real

CrankNYC Rooftop Spin Class

Afterwards we were treated to yummy granola and amazing almond butter from Julie’s Real. Gluten Free and Paleo, all of it was so delish. I love a good granola, and this one was SO good! I might have taken a bag (or three) home!

CrankNYC Rooftop Spin Class CrankNYC Rooftop Spin Class

A rooftop spin class overlooking #NYC with @CrankNYC! #fitness #healthyliving #exercise Click to Tweet

Check out this fun recap video from the CrankNYC event! For more information and to take a class check out their website!

When was the last time you took a really awesome spin class?

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BAM Travels

Why Busch Gardens VA Is The Perfect Family Trip

by Nellie

 

Busch Gardens VA is a really fun theme park located near colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. This was my first time to the theme park and I was SO impressed with the rides, the culture and of course the animals! It’s a world class theme park with tons of things to do! Here is a quick guide to Busch Gardens Virginia!

When I was younger I was very well traveled. I spend summers in Jamaica, visited every island, and went to Florida crazy often. I had always heard of my friends going to Busch Gardens but somehow my family never made it there.

 

A Simple & Quick Guide To Busch Gardens Virginia

 

Since we have never been here before we immediately grabbed a map to get a lay of the land. We quickly learned that there were different countries to visit. We started in England where there was a height checker which was great to see which rides our boys could ride on.

One thing you couldn’t deny was how gorgeous the park was. Beautiful greenery and water was everywhere, masterfully weaved into a gorgeous (and spotless!) theme park. We knew that there were a few places that we absolutely wanted to visit and that was the Sesame Street Forest of Fun and Land of The Dragons. My 5-year-old was mostly excited about the Sesame Street fun, my 8-year-old ended up liking it more than he wanted to admit!

 

  

Both Sesame Street Forest of Fun and Land of the Dragons were perfect for elementary-sized kids. There were several low-key rides in both areas. If your kids are not hardcore thrill seekers, then these are the areas for you.

They both also have really fun water areas, so if you need a place to cool off, bring a swimsuit along for the fun! Family friendly dryers are also available for purchase if your family just likes to get wet regardless of what clothes they are in (like mine). The Kidsiderate program is perfect for those under 9, and it is set up across all areas of the park.

Next, we walked over to Germany and went on Curse of DarKastle. It’s a simulation ride, not a roller coaster so there are no big dips or drops. The ride is in 4D and could possibly be a little scary for the younger ones. I personally loved it, the 4D effect was SO cool—I was dodging all of the things coming my way–it was so realistic! 🙂

Food & Wine Festival

I love a good food and wine festival – who doesn’t? From May 26th to July 2nd on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays the park is celebrating food from all over the globe.

There were tasty treats from India, Canada (Did you know that Canada’s most popular food is Mac and Cheese?! I had no idea), The Caribbean (I HAD to stop for a pineapple upside-down rum cake and a Lime Ginger Drink), Germany, England, Scotland, and SO much more!

The treats were authentic from each country and so fun to try out!

 

 

Quick Queue & Refills

A couple of really cool features in Busch Gardens VA that saved me time and stress were the use of the souvenir cups and quick queue. The cups have free refills all day, so they pay for themselves over and over again especially if you have a thirsty family (like mine).

The Quick Queue puts you on a shorter line for the most popular rides and attractions. A life saver when you have kids who don’t really like to stand around for long!

The Food!

I know I talked about the Food and Wine Festival but the food that is there every day is pretty awesome too. We chose to eat at Marco Polo’s Marketplace that had TONS of options from yummy paninis to Chinese food to delicious artisan flatbread pizzas.

To my husband’s delight there was a Make Your Own Cannoli station. He was over the moon to say the least. (I had the strawberry shortcake which was scrumptious!)

 

The International Culture

Going around to all of the countries teaches the kids all about different countries. From the flags, to the trinkets, to the food—the kids and adults all get an awesome geography lesson.

The Busch Gardens Animals!

If you are visiting Busch Gardens VA, be sure to check out the animals and all of the awesome shows! We got to visit the Wolf Haven performance as well as the More Pet Shenanigans show! Both were super adorable and provided for fun photo opportunities afterwards.

Busch Gardens VA is (Relatively) Close to home

 

Busch Gardens VA is about a 3-4 hour drive from NYC or an hour via plane. It’s really great to have such a huge, diverse and fun theme park so close to home!

Florida is great, but sometimes you want to stay a little bit closer to home and still have a fun family trip. Busch Gardens VA is definitely the choice to make for an easy NYC getaway!

 

 

What are your summer travel plans? Have you ever been to Busch Gardens VA?

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