Italy 2017

In our almost six years of dating, Brian and I have never taken an overseas together, just the two of us. It was one of the best vacations I've had in a longggg time! We spent 9 days total in Italy, staying in Milan and making day trips to other cities. I've decided to organize the post by city and write about the highlights of each one!

Milan

It's true you don't need more than a few days in Milan, which is why we took day trips to other cities. I really enjoyed coming back to Milan at the end of the day because I loved the posh city feel, and they also have great restaurants that stay open late! And there are always gorgeous buildings on every corner. It was a dream to photograph.

Sights

Duomo di Milano

The Milan Cathedral is SO impressive and definitely a must-see. It's a sight to behold from any angle. I was captivated every time I saw a glimpse of it from an alleyway or a building across the street. It's also where you get this magnificent terrace view, which made it feel like I just climbed a staircase to heaven. Or take the elevator, if you're lazy.

Cimitero Monumentale di Milano

I wish I had better photos of this place, but I was too in awe after we stumbled upon it on our way to find a park (we never made it to the park). I never thought I'd say a cemetery is a must-see, but it truly is. All the tombs here are so extravagant and impressive. It's like walking into a palace garden for the dead. 

Bosco Verticale

These two residential towers are known as the vertical forest. As you can imagine, all the greenery helps keep the air clean! There are over 900 trees, or 10,000 square meters of forest, on the buildings. It's such an amazing structure to see when passing by in a bus, and even more amazing approaching it up close!

Pirelli HangarBicocca

This contemporary art museum freaked me the f out, but it was so awesome. There was a live performance by artist Laure Prouvost, who had a solo exhibition called Grand Dad's Visitor Center. It was freaky and full of boobs. But in addition to that, the permanent installation, The Seven Heavenly Palaces, was incredible. The sheer size of the paintings and towers made you want to tip-toe everywhere.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

This outdoor mall is amazing to walk through! It's got a Prada across from a Prada... how much more mall can it get.

Food

I wish I had aesthetic photos for all the good food we ate, but I was too busy devouring everything. Instead, I'll describe a few of our favorite restaurants we ate at!

Piz - They only serve 3 types of pizzas (margherita, bianca, and marinara). Brian and I split the margherita and bianca. I recommend the bianca because it was one of the BEST pizzas I had while in Italy. It was a 30 minute wait, but they give you free prosecco and samplers while you wait. They also give you lots of free shots after you pay... great way to start our trip!

da Oscar - Great old-fashioned Italian food. We lucked out by walking in early (7:30pm, right when they open for dinner) because normally you have to make a reservation. You sit at a communal table with all the other guests when you eat, so don't be afraid to bump elbows with strangers! I also did not know Oscar was known for being a fascist until I saw all the Mussolini, Hitler, and Stalin decor... but that didn't stop me from enjoying the food. And apparently Oscar is super friendly to everyone.

Pavé - I don't like pastries or sweets but that's probably because they're way too sweet and overpowering in the US... When I ate them here, it was HEAVEN. Super fresh, light, and everything made in-house. They also had healthy meals (salad bowls and salmon sandwiches), which I really appreciated after all the pizza and pasta. It's a great place for breakfast, lunch, dessert, and coffee! 

oTTo - We stopped here in the morning for a light breakfast because we didn't know that "brunch" wasn't until 12:30pm. But the decor is to die for!! They're also a cocktail bar.

Venice

On our second day in Italy, we did a day trip to Venice! And honestly, that's all you need there. It's really small and everything closes early, but I got so many good photos out of it! After touring around, we only had a quick lunch break before our gondola ride. The only restaurant I had been recommended was closed on Sundays (Dal Moro's Fresh Pasta to Go)! Overall not my favorite city, but it was beautiful.

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Cinque Terre

Manarola

We almost didn't put Cinque Terre on our list, but after planning out Milan, we found that we had a full empty day... so we booked our train tickets to Cinque Terre! Our first stop was Manarola. We had originally planned to hike south to Riomaggiore, but the trail was closed due to falling rocks. Instead, we bought one-way tickets north to Vernazza and then to Monterosso for a few bucks each. It's so cheap to get around to the different coastal towns here, and it doesn't take more than a few minutes each way! Definitely hit up more than one of the towns if you're in the area!

Manarola

As I mentioned before, I booked our train tickets straight to Manarola since that's where the iconic Cinque Terre photos are taken. It did NOT disappoint! We ate at Aristide right after we arrived. It's a great seafood restaurant that you reach right when you walk out of the tunnels from the train. The mussels were SO fresh!

Then we walked around the streets, drank some espressos, and ate gelato by the seaside until it was time for our next train.

Vernazza

Vernazza was super cool! There's a small tunnel leading to the rocky beach, and it felt like we were in a storybook. I loved the views looking back at the cliffside!

This color palette though...

Monterosso

Our original tickets back to Milan departed from Monterosso, so we ended our Cinque Terre tour here. We ate an early dinner by the sea and just watched people on the beach until it was time to go back. It was beautiful!!

Lake Como

Lake Como was another day trip that Brian planned out for us. It was an amazing day! We ate reallly great pizza at Beretta (they cut it up for you!), climbed 2.5km to a lighthouse, and sailed across the lake!

Swiss Alps

You can't visit Europe without going to another country, right? We opted for a tour, which took us through the quaint Italian town of Tirano right before the border. There were so many mountainside vineyards! We climbed up a little bit for a view of the city.

Then it was off to Switzerland on the Bernina Express! It was a scenic ride the whole way, and I think I was standing most of the time to soak it all in. Afterward, we grabbed coffee in St. Moritz with a view of the mountains.

Everything was so beautiful, and it was a much needed vacation!! I feel so refreshed and inspired!

Eating Clean and Staying Healthy: Mika Edition

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of NUTRO™. The opinions and text are all mine.

Let's talk about MIKA! I'm sure by now you're all familiar with this beautiful face! I remember when Brian and I got Mika 3 years ago. We were like new parents wanting to do everything right! Health and nutrition are an important part of our lives, so we also wanted Mika on a wholesome diet. We started her right away with NUTRO's line of dry dog food because of its commitment to natural ingredients and have trusted it ever since.

For as long as we’ve had Mika, I have no doubt it’s what keeps her so energetic and playful! I remember when she was a puppy, there was not a dog or human she wouldn’t approach. This normally ended in her being the only living thing to still be running around the dog park when everyone else was hot and tired. And 3 years later, she is STILL the most active dog I’ve ever seen – running as fast as she can down hills while I worry about how she’s going to stop!

As a loyal and long-time advocate of NUTRO, I was so excited when they announced their re-launch of the dry dog food line and new NUTRO. FEED CLEAN™ philosophy. Their new philosophy reinforces the brand's commitment to delivering pet food that is simple, purposeful and trustworthy, which aligns to our values perfectly. They've also slightly re-formulated her usual food and added sweet potato. I love the new look and the fact that they use real, recognizable, non-GMO ingredients† . And Mika has been devouring each meal as usual!

When she hears it's dinnertime

We're so glad to experience the re-launch with NUTRO and I’ll keep you guys updated on how Mika is doing on the slightly re-formulated diet as we continue our lifestyle of eating clean and staying healthy!

†Trace amounts of genetically modified ingredients may be present due to cross contact during manufacturing.

Bikini Body Guide Review

Okay, so this review is probably longggg overdue because I've been doing Bikini Body Guide for almost 2 years now! Yes, I took my very first progress photo on April 9, 2015! My review will include my journey, frequently asked questions, and how to stay motivated.

Pre-BBG & knew very little about nutrition/eyebrows

Why did I start BBG?
I was already weightlifting and a frequent gym goer. I wasn't unhappy with my body, but... I knew I could improve. Fitness was becoming a passion for me, and I especially loved looking at other people's progress photos. So almost every night, I would look through Instagram hashtags like #fitspo, #transformationtuesday, #girlswholift, and that's how I stumbled upon ALL these #BBG posts. I was like, "What the heck is BBG?" The more I looked, the more I was inspired and amazed by the transformations. There were so many women posting their transformation from flab to abs in 12 weeks. That's the moment I decided I WANT A SIX PACK. 

Did I get a six-pack in 12 weeks?
Nope! It took me 16 weeks for me to see separate ab sections, and they only show on good days (aka when I eat well)! But because of BBG, I started reading more about nutrition. Combining both nutrition and exercise is so important to get the body you want. But this journey has also taught me that it's not just about aesthetics... you become mentally and physically stronger. I've also realized that always having a visible six-pack is personally not sustainable for ME, especially because I work a full-time desk job, travel a lot, and have a photography business on the side. I've learned that just enjoying life, eating healthy 75% of the time, and feeling great is what keeps me motivated. And that's why I love fitness because you are always learning about yourself, your goals, and, ultimately, what makes you happy.

Week 0 to Week 16

How does BBG work?
BBG is a 12-week workout guide:
- 3x a week: resistance training for 28 minutes
- 2-3x a week: low intensity steady state (LISS) cardio for 30-45 minutes
- 1-2x a week: high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for 10-15 minutes
- Stretches are in the guide also. Stretch every day!

There doesn't have to be a set schedule as long as you get all your workouts in. So a sample workout schedule could look like this:

	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN
Resistance	Legs & Cardio		Arms & Abs		Full Body
LISS		45 min. speedwalk		45 min. speedwalk		45 min. speedwalk*
HIIT							15 min. (on/off) sprint

*or take a rest day

The longest you would actively be working out is 45 minutes! That's why I like the program because it's short and sweet but EFFECTIVE.

PS - If you'd rather have an app tell you what to do, the BBG Sweat app is available for ~$20/month.

How do you BBG correctly?
I love BBG, but a lot of people get confused about the guide instructions! I'll break it down for you because I'm super detailed and want everyone to succeed!

Resistance Training
There are 3 resistance training days: 

1. Legs & Cardio
2. Arms & Abs
3. Full Body

So many people have gotten the guide and finished the Week 1, Day 1 workout and have told me it was hard, but they finished the first circuit under 7 minutes and had plenty of time to rest. Uhh, REST? You have to KEEP GOING! Here is the proper timing (using Week 1, Day 1: Legs & Cardio as an example):
 

1. Time Circuit One for 7 minutes (if you finish before the timer is up, repeat circuit 1 from the beginning until the timer goes off)
    
2. Rest 30-90 seconds before moving on to Circuit Two
    
3. Time Circuit Two for 7 minutes (if you finish before the timer is up, repeat circuit 2 from the beginning until the timer goes off)
    
4. Rest 30-90 seconds
    
5. Repeat steps 1-3 so that you've completed each circuit twice! 

These circuits are no joke. You will end up drenched in sweat, but in only 28 minutes... you're done for the day! 

Low Intensity Steady State Cardio (LISS)
This is any form of cardio that is low-intensity and low-impact over a prolonged period of time. For me, I speed walk on the treadmill, hop on the elliptical, or walk my dog for 45 minutes straight. It's kind of boring, but you need to incorporate this kind of cardio to recover from high-impact exercise, and it's effective for burning fat. Read more about LISS here.

High-Intensity Interval Training
HIIT is super intense... I sprint on the treadmill for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds for a total of 15 minutes. It has me drenched in sweat and feeling super accomplished afterward! It's a short session, but it's super effective at burning fat, even way after you're done working out. On days where a 15-minute session of HIIT is all I do, I'm usually starving after! Read more about HIIT here.

Can I incorporate BBG along with my normal routine?
I used to follow the BBG schedule religiously. I thought if I followed it EXACTLY, I would get the results I wanted. But I did realize that BBG doesn't really grow your butt. Or define your back. And it can get mind-numbingly boring. So mix it up and have fun. You can count weightlifting, yoga, or spin classes as LISS. You can even stop doing the BBG schedule to start taking workout classes and throw in BBG routines when you feel like it. 

Do I need to buy/follow Kayla Itsines' nutrition guide?
I didn't, but I learned about nutrition on my own. You need to change bad eating habits to really see progress.  I used to eat very little and worked out hard, but it left my cranky and bloated. Now I eat more than ever! So educate yourself on food, and not only will it help you see progress, but you'll learn how to be healthy overall!

How to stay motivated
Surround yourself with like-minded people. Instagram is SO great for that! I even started a fitness account on Instagram to find more BBG and health-related accounts to follow. Also, ask yourself why you're doing this... looks? Health? All of the above? Keep asking yourself that so you don't lose sight of your goal. Keep progress photos also. I've heard from so many people that seeing their own progress is what keeps them going.

Last bit of advice

1. Work on proper form over repetitions when doing the exercises so that you don't injure yourself. 
2. Slow and steady wins the race. Remember this and don't be discouraged. I didn't see my the stomach I wanted in 12 weeks like a lot of other people. I went another month before I finally saw what I was aiming for.
3. The downside of Instagram is wanting to look like fitness idols that you admire. Instead, compare your own progress photos! Everyone's body is different (including muscle structure), so you can't look like someone else, no matter how hard you try.
4. Educate yourself on nutrition. You will not see the progress you want if you don't eat right.
5. BBG has changed my life. I don't do it religiously anymore, but I've learned so much about fitness and nutrition because of it. It comes naturally when you want to improve every day. So I urge you to try this program for 12 weeks and see where you go from there.. a lot can happen in that time. I ended up doing it for 70+ weeks!

Favorite Workout Items: