April showers bring May flowers….well, yesterday was the first day of May and it started with quite a rainy morning after a very rainy last weekend of April.  That being said, April was a busy month that seemed to fly by but then when I was looking at pictures for this post, things I did at the beginning of the month felt as if they had happened SO long ago!

Things have been a bit more quiet around here than usual as I finish up my final semester in my dietetics program, work on a couple of side projects including an experiential internship and line up all the final details for my Dietetic Internship.  I appreciate all of you bearing with me!  I’m excited to continue to learn and become more of a nutrition expert and I know that all of this hard work will pay off in the long run…and don’t worry!  I’ll make sure to continue to share things as I go with you 🙂

Now, let’s talk about all the wonderful things that happened in April!

Products I am Loving:

• Kosmatology Hand Soap

I am always trying to clean up the products I use on a daily basis.  Recently, I found this Kosmatology hand soap on the Think Dirty app, and it had a really great rating (either 0 or 1!). I ordered 2 bottles to try in my home, and I absolutely love it.  It foams and lathers like traditional soap, smells wonderful, and has a wonderful ingredient list.  If you are looking for a “clean” product to use as daily hand soap, I recommend giving Kosmatology a try!

• Paddywax Candles

I absolutely ADORE candles, so when I found these hand poured in the USA soy wax candles from Paddywax on Well Plated by Erin a few months ago I was so excited to give them a try!! The “white flowers” scent is by far my favorite (and Brian’s favorite!).  It is clean, fresh, bright and slightly floral without being overpowering.  The candles come in all types of jars and containers, so you can choose an option that fits your style.  Seriously LOVE these candles.

• Mosaic Medallion Rug from Rugs USA

Brian and I are slowly but surely adding our personal touch to our home, and this rug arrived last week as one of our newest additions to the house.  I LOVE the brightness of the rug, and our pups love sleeping on it ;).  We plan on updating more of the kitchen over the summer, and I have a feeling this rug will pull everything together once more of our desired look is in place.

Foods I am Loving:

• Quinoa Taco Salad from By Chloe in NYC

When I was in NYC last Monday-Wednesday I had some time alone to roam the city.  I took this as an opportunity to try some fun, trendy restaurants I had been dying to taste and pop into some boutique fitness classes.  After attending a fitness class on Monday, I dined at By Chloe for a flavorful, satisfying, vegan meal of a quinoa taco salad.  Guys….it was SO good.  I was talking to Brian on the phone while I was eating the salad and literally couldn’t stop telling him how tasty it was.  I wish I had been in NYC for more time so I could have gone back to By Chloe to try more of the tasty looking eats!

The overall vibe of the restaurant was casual, so dining alone didn’t feel awkward at all (but sometimes I kind of like taking myself out to dinner!).

• The Garden Table in Indianapolis

Talk about a fun atmosphere!  Brian and I joined friends for brunch at the Mass Ave location, and loved every bite of our meal.  Brian enjoyed the el desayuno (basically breakfast nachos) and I enjoyed the toasted farro bowl with an egg on it.  Some of our friends ordered the juice flight, so naturally I had a sip and the juices were wonderful too! The wait staff was friendly and accommodating, and there is also a fun cocktail list (although we didn’t try the cocktails).  I can’t wait to go back for dinner, or another brunch!

• Lunch at our new home with family

Last weekend, my parents and grandparents drove down to Indianapolis from Fort Wayne and we had the best afternoon chatting over lunch and bopping around town to show them Brian’s new office and one of our favorite ice cream spots in the neighborhood.  Lunch came together quickly and was SUPER easy (and delish!) – whole wheat sourdough bread from Amelia’s bakery, assorted vegetables, grapes, assorted crackers, cheese, olives, lemony kale hummus from Kate Scarlata, and avocado chicken salad.

Moments I am Loving:

• Friends visiting Indianapolis!

This past weekend, we had our friends Caitlin in Dave in town from Chicago.  We went to college together, so we spent time at Butler’s book store and around campus, lunching at home, walking the dogs, and trying some of the restaurants in our neighborhood.  It was a really fantastic visit, and we are SO happy to live closer than we did in Denver :).

The fruity drink pictured above was a fun cocktail we made that was refreshing and so summery!  We mixed strawberries with lemon juice and a touch of sugar and added that to Prosecco.  Super simple and oh so festive.

• Celebrating my birthday at Bar One Fourteen with Brian

The microbar only has 16 seats, keeps the lights down low, and serves creative cocktails.  The atmosphere is very speakeasy, and it’s really close to our house.  It’s definitely the type of place to go for a special celebration.

• Being in NYC!

Last week, I was able to shadow Joy Bauer in person and work directly with her team.  It was really fascinating to see how everything unfolds in person rather than just working remotely from home.  I am so thankful for my opportunity to learn from Joy and her company!  Now….I’m ready to go back to NYC!

• Being on WTHR local news

Right before Easter, I did a small segment on healthy Easter basket options and had an absolute blast working through the entire process.  I am hoping to continue to work on projects like this, so hopefully I will have more to share in the near future!

Workouts I am Loving:

• SoulCycle

I’ve always been an indoor cycling class lover (I used to teach it regularly!) and I tried a SoulCycle pop-up class in Denver last year,  so I knew I was going to like SoulCycle.  What I didn’t realize was how much I was going to like it.  If you like loud music, working out to the beat, and finishing your workout dripping with sweat then this is the class for you.  I left class with an endorphin high, and can’t wait to take Brian to a class.  In my opinion, yes…this class lived up to the hype!

• Yoga with the Symphony

Early in the month, Brian and I spent our Thursday evening on our mats at the ISO (Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra).  As a music major in my first college degree and an aspiring yogi, this was the PERFECT mesh of two things I adore.  My one complaint was that the instructor could have spoken a touch louder at points, but that minor detail did not take away from the practice.  It was a gentle practice that was perfect for many levels, and the musicians were an arms reach away.  I’m hoping they host another event like this soon!

• Hiking in Brown County

Brian and I drove just over an hour to find ourselves pleasantly surprised by a hike in Brown County that we thoroughly enjoyed!  The trail had a bit of an incline, was submerged in trees, and there were minimal other hikers which meant we could enjoy nature without a ton of distractions.  After this successful hike, we are on the hunt for other awesome Indiana hikes, so if you know of any please share!

Shows/Podcasts I am Loving:

• How I Built This:  A friend recommended that I listen to this a few weeks ago, and I just started listening while in NYC last week.  The host interviews successful business owners of companies you have heard of like Clif Bar, Kendra Scott, Crate & Barrel, etc and they talk about how they got to where they are today.  The discussions include failures, successes and all the things in between.  It’s really fascinating, especially when listening to some of the companies that have been around a while.

• How to Get Away with Murder: The third season just came out on Netflix, and Brian and I finished it in a week!  You need to be caught up with the first and second season, but I think the show is really suspenseful and keeps you wanting more (at least it keeps me wanting more!).  If you’re into shows about murder/crime, I suggest you add this to your Netflix watch list.

• Dear Evan Hansen:  This is a very new musical on Broadway (it only came out this year!).  The cast was at the Today Show when I was there last week, and I fell in LOVE with the music.  For me, it’s the new Hamilton and I’ve been listening to it non-stop!

Your Turn!

• Share your monthly highlights with me!