#coffeetalk
1. What are your go-to workouts?
Brooke: To be honest, I just got back in the gym for the first time in 3 months…so bad! I do cardio (treadmill interval training, elliptical, spin), ab workouts (Pinterest has great ones!), and Kayla Itsines. Sadly, I did not complete the 12 weeks of BBG…I was on week 7 when the fall colds hit, and I swear our house has been cycling sickness ever since. We have stayed sick all fall/winter long! But I’m determined to complete the whole 12 weeks (starting at week 1 again next week), I’ll keep you posted! I saw great progress in the 7 weeks I was doing it, and would recommend it if you’re up for a challenge!
Meggan: My fiance put together a work out routine for us that we started the first week of January. I plan on doing a in-depth post on it soon to show you the full routine and my progress so far! But I always start with at least 30 minutes of HIIT (high intensity interval training) on the treadmill and then hit the weights. Each day is dedicated to two muscle groups (ex. chest/triceps) and followed by 15 minutes of abs. Making a fitness plan has really helped stay on track!
2. Where do you find healthy recipes?
We love Skinny Taste – you probably see a lot of our recipes from SnapChat (user name: somewherelately) are from there. Pinterest is also a great source for healthy recipes, and then sometimes we just come up with our own! If we don’t have a recipe we’re following, we try to stick to these 4 parts: 1. Lean Protein (chicken, turkey, lentils or beans, salmon), 2. Nonstarchy Veggies (lettuce, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, spinach), 3. Complex Carbs (potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn), and 4. Healthy Fats (fish, olive oil, nuts)
We love Skinny Taste – you probably see a lot of our recipes from SnapChat (user name: somewherelately) are from there. Pinterest is also a great source for healthy recipes, and then sometimes we just come up with our own! If we don’t have a recipe we’re following, we try to stick to these 4 parts: 1. Lean Protein (chicken, turkey, lentils or beans, salmon), 2. Nonstarchy Veggies (lettuce, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, spinach), 3. Complex Carbs (potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn), and 4. Healthy Fats (fish, olive oil, nuts)
3. Meggan, what are your favorite restaurants & places to go out after dinner in Chicago?
A few of my favorite restaurants are GT Fish and Oyster, RPM Italian, Beatrix, Formento’s, Girl & the Goat, Table52, Pump Room, Chicago Q, Yuzu Sushi, Green Street Smoked Meats (bbq is my fav!), Mercadito (yummy spicy margs!) and Black Bull. My favorite places to grab a drink (or two 😉 are Hubbard Inn, Boss Bar, RM Champagne Lounge, Bar Sienna, and The Matchbox (great martinis). If you’re just visiting the city for a night, definitely stop at the Signature Lounge for a drink – the most amazing view ever! I don’t get out much anymore so I’m not sure if these are still the cool places to go – LOL! #momlife
A few of my favorite restaurants are GT Fish and Oyster, RPM Italian, Beatrix, Formento’s, Girl & the Goat, Table52, Pump Room, Chicago Q, Yuzu Sushi, Green Street Smoked Meats (bbq is my fav!), Mercadito (yummy spicy margs!) and Black Bull. My favorite places to grab a drink (or two 😉 are Hubbard Inn, Boss Bar, RM Champagne Lounge, Bar Sienna, and The Matchbox (great martinis). If you’re just visiting the city for a night, definitely stop at the Signature Lounge for a drink – the most amazing view ever! I don’t get out much anymore so I’m not sure if these are still the cool places to go – LOL! #momlife
4. What kind of music do you listen to when you work out? Can you put together a playlist?
Brooke: I love all kinds of music when I’m working out, but rap/hip-hop & electro-dance music are my favorites to really get me into a workout. If you’ve ever been to a good spin class, they have the best playlists! JLO, Beyoncé, Ciara, Drake, Justin Bieber (latest album), and Calvin Harris are some of my favorites to work out to. YouTube has some great workout playlists as well!
Meggan: I usually don’t listen to music because I work out with Kyle and we talk the whole time. But If I do cardio on my own, I throw on a gangsta rap Spotify station or Pop2k (a lot of Missy Elliot and Nelly, ha!).
Brooke: I love all kinds of music when I’m working out, but rap/hip-hop & electro-dance music are my favorites to really get me into a workout. If you’ve ever been to a good spin class, they have the best playlists! JLO, Beyoncé, Ciara, Drake, Justin Bieber (latest album), and Calvin Harris are some of my favorites to work out to. YouTube has some great workout playlists as well!
Meggan: I usually don’t listen to music because I work out with Kyle and we talk the whole time. But If I do cardio on my own, I throw on a gangsta rap Spotify station or Pop2k (a lot of Missy Elliot and Nelly, ha!).
5. How do you store your OTK boots?
Brooke: I keep mine in the box laying down…I’m not sure if this is the best way or not, but works for me!
Meggan: I put wine bottles in mine so they keep their shape standing up. If I had a bigger closet, I would totally keep the boxes and store them in there – I would feel more organized that way!
Brooke: I keep mine in the box laying down…I’m not sure if this is the best way or not, but works for me!
Meggan: I put wine bottles in mine so they keep their shape standing up. If I had a bigger closet, I would totally keep the boxes and store them in there – I would feel more organized that way!
6. I’m looking for a great black sweater. I think I saw Meggan posted one on SnapChat – where was that from?
Mine is from Sheinside (here) but also loving this ribbed one and this tunic – all under $50! There’s so many sales right now, it’s the perfect time to stock up on sweaters!
Mine is from Sheinside (here) but also loving this ribbed one and this tunic – all under $50! There’s so many sales right now, it’s the perfect time to stock up on sweaters!
7. How do you keep the sparks alive when you move in with your significant other but stay comfortable as well? All I want to do when I get home is change into sweats!
Brooke: I’m so guilty of this as well, it’s really hard…especially as a mom who works from home (I’ve worked from home since before I was married – before I even started blogging), but I think you just have to put in a little extra effort. Let’s be honest, there are definitely days when my husband comes home and I’m already in my sweats, but I try to at least look a little put together (spoiler alert- it doesn’t always work). When Chad gets home, he changes into sweats immediately, so that’s my green light to change as well without feeling bad about it ;). This is why I think date night is so important – it gives you a chance to get back to the times when you were first dating, get dressed up, go out, and spend quality time together!
Meggan: Lucky for me, Kyle loves his sweats too 😉 so I don’t have to worry about being the only one in comfies. But we keep the sparks alive by pouring a glass of wine, lighting a candle and snuggling up under a blanket. We also like to cook and try new recipes together! But days that I’m super lazy and don’t take off my sweats – I make sure I have at least a little makeup on before he gets home so I don’t look like a complete mess. We just did a post on cute loungewear (here) that is cute and comfortable!
Meggan: Lucky for me, Kyle loves his sweats too 😉 so I don’t have to worry about being the only one in comfies. But we keep the sparks alive by pouring a glass of wine, lighting a candle and snuggling up under a blanket. We also like to cook and try new recipes together! But days that I’m super lazy and don’t take off my sweats – I make sure I have at least a little makeup on before he gets home so I don’t look like a complete mess. We just did a post on cute loungewear (here) that is cute and comfortable!
8. Favorite lip glosses and lipsticks?
Brooke: My favorite lipsticks and glosses are: this one by Mac (in My Flip Side), this one by Laura Mercier (in Amaretto Swirl), and this one (it’s a balm, but looks like a gloss on AND is great for your lips!). I just got Burt’s Bees lipsticks and can’t wait to try them as well.
Meggan: I wear a lot of nude lipsticks and lip glosses. My top 3 of all time are: Laura Mercier bare baby, MAC pure zen, and NARS Belle De Jour. I just bought a ton of pink and red lipsticks (from the drugstore!) to try for Valentine’s day and will be sharing those with you soon.
Brooke: My favorite lipsticks and glosses are: this one by Mac (in My Flip Side), this one by Laura Mercier (in Amaretto Swirl), and this one (it’s a balm, but looks like a gloss on AND is great for your lips!). I just got Burt’s Bees lipsticks and can’t wait to try them as well.
Meggan: I wear a lot of nude lipsticks and lip glosses. My top 3 of all time are: Laura Mercier bare baby, MAC pure zen, and NARS Belle De Jour. I just bought a ton of pink and red lipsticks (from the drugstore!) to try for Valentine’s day and will be sharing those with you soon.
9. How was the transition from the Rock n’ Play to the crib?
Meggan: We transitioned when he was about 2 months old. I thought he would sleep in our room longer but he made so much noise when he was asleep, we weren’t sleeping well. I started by doing naps in the crib so he could get used to laying flat. For the most part it went pretty smooth, but there were a few nights he was thrown off! It’s all such a blur now I can hardly remember!!
Brooke: The transition for us was pretty simple – we were visiting my family in Iowa for the month of August, and Avery had to sleep in a crib there – she was 5 months at the time. I was really nervous and thought she would be awake all hours of the night, but she did a great job, and we put her in her own crib as soon as we got back to NY and never looked back!
Meggan: We transitioned when he was about 2 months old. I thought he would sleep in our room longer but he made so much noise when he was asleep, we weren’t sleeping well. I started by doing naps in the crib so he could get used to laying flat. For the most part it went pretty smooth, but there were a few nights he was thrown off! It’s all such a blur now I can hardly remember!!
Brooke: The transition for us was pretty simple – we were visiting my family in Iowa for the month of August, and Avery had to sleep in a crib there – she was 5 months at the time. I was really nervous and thought she would be awake all hours of the night, but she did a great job, and we put her in her own crib as soon as we got back to NY and never looked back!
10. Will you ladies do home tours? Love your spaces on SnapChat!
Yes! We are both finishing up a few details but plan on sharing soon! Brooke is starting her kitchen renovation in February and plans on sharing the process!
*As always, please leave your questions for next week’s post in the comments below OR email us! We love you all, have a great weekend! xx
M&B
