Happy Wednesday, team! This week is kind of a whirlwind for me—I grabbed happy hour at Cheesetique with one of my cousins Monday night, enjoyed wine and dinner with one of my former coworkers and friends last night at Screwtop, and then I have plans Thursday and Friday night as well. I am definitely not complaining since these are all fun things, but am going to try to be better about saving at least two or three nights a week to workout so there’s a little more balance.

It’s been a few months since I did a life lately post, so I thought today would be a good day to talk about what’s up with me—I’d love to know what’s going on in your world, drop me a note in the comments below! x

A NEW EXERCISE ROUTINE /

Since I started my new job in December, I’ve had to change up my workout routine a little bit. I’m still committed to hitting the gym three to four times a week, but wanted to allow myself the flexibility to figure out my new schedule and be able to stay if I was invited to a late afternoon meeting without the pressure of a late fee hanging over my head. As such, I canceled my Orangetheory and spin class memberships while I figure out my new normal.

For the first few weeks of this month, I was heading straight home after work and hitting up my apartment gym. I’d do a mix of cardio and weight training, and while it was definitely still a good sweat session, it wasn’t as fun as the group exercise classes I’d grown accustomed too. So, I’ve been buying one-off classes to my favorite spin studios after work and either booking them the day-of once I’m sure I can attend class or book them for a night I know I’ll be off in time to get there. I’ve also been signing up for spin classes on Saturday and Sunday mornings, which is a great way to ensure I can get a couple of workouts in each week without the pressure of my weekday schedule.

For me, working out during this transition phase has really helped keep me grounded and feel a connection to my “old” life. Exercise has always been a huge part of my ability to manage stress, and whenever I don’t get my body moving a few times a week, I definitely feel off and more frazzled by even the smallest pressures. I don’t always want to go to the gym or to a class, but I have never once regretted a workout!

U UP LIVE PODCAST TAPING /

Last Thursday, I had the most fun night at Sixth & I for the U Up Podcast Live taping. For those of you unfamiliar, U Up is one of the best Podcasts out there. Jared Freid, a comedian, and Jordana Abraham, co-founder of Betches, talk about modern dating. They read listener emails and give their advice, they play games like red flag or deal breaker, they give advice on dating profiles—even if you’re in a relationship or married, I think everyone could get something out of this podcast. As an added bonus, it’s just downright hilarious.

Because of the popularity of the podcast, they have taken their show on the road and do live podcast tapings in various cities. When I saw they were coming to DC, I jumped at the chance to go, and my college roomie Lauren, Laura, and Sarah did, too. The show was hilarious and definitely lived up to my expectations. They answered some listener emails, did live dating app makeovers on stage, and invited an audience member come on stage and share confusing text messages that Jared and Jordana then analyzed. It was just such a fun night out with my friends, and really cool to see my favorite podcast live. I would 100% go back—and am excited Jared is coming to the Kennedy Center to do standup in March!

UPCOMING AUSTIN, TEXAS TRIP /

At my old job, I never had the Presidents’ Day holiday off, but at my new job, I do—so my sister and I are taking full advantage of the bonus day by heading to Austin, Texas on a girls’ trip! We are awesome travel buddies since we enjoy the same things, and I am so excited to finally explore ATX—it’s been on my list for years. We fly in late Friday and fly back on Monday, so it will be a quick trip, but I think we’ll be able to cover a lot of ground with the time we do have.

I love having a trip to look forward to and scoping out restaurants, bars, and activities to do in a new city brings me so much joy. (Almost as much as actually going on the trip!) My sister and I started a shared Google Doc to collect any ATX recommendations and I plan to spend some time this weekend researching. Please let me know if you have any favorite spots in town!

MY SEARCH FOR THE BEST WORK PANTS /

Okay—promise this is the last time for a while I will talk about my search for the best black work pants, hah! In hindsight, I wish I had taken mirror selfies of all the pants I tried so I could give you a conclusive guide, but I’ll remember that for next year when I go through this process all over again ;].

After trying nearly every black work pant on the market, these are conclusively my top four favorites:

• Express Skinny Columnist Pant—these are my go-to pants for the days when I need to be more formal, like when I had a job interview or have an important presentation. In my experience, they aren’t as skinny as they appear online, but aren’t so wide you’re insecure all day. I find that Express pants tend to run small, so if you’re in between sizes, size up.
• LOFT Marissa Skinny Ankle Pant—these are my go-to everyday work pants. They look great with blouses tucked in or out and with or without blazers/jackets. They’re comfortable, but not so stretchy that they lose their shape. Chances are if you run into me Monday through Thursday, these are the pants I’m wearing.
• Old Navy Pixie Ankle Pant—I love the Old Navy Pixie Ankle Pants, and think they are the best budget buy work pants—especially in the colors you don’t wear as often. I don’t think the fabric is as high quality as the LOFT pant, and the color fades very fast in the wash. But, a great fit and buy overall!
• Ann Taylor Side Zip Leggings—I bought a couple of pairs of the Ann Taylor Side Zip Leggings several years ago, and literally wore them until the seams ripped. I will say, the fabric on the previous “model” of these pants was thicker, but these are still structured enough that they look like an ankle pant as long as your shirt is long enough. I typically don’t wear these with shirts I tuck in and usually only on days when I don’t have super important meetings. These are also a great weekend pant!

Ironically, after all this research—jeans are totally acceptable at my new job. But, I love to get dressed up for work, so am going to continue to make an effort to do so!

REWATCHING FRIENDS FROM THE START /

Like most people, I love discovering new-to-me television shows and finding a binge-worthy series. During the holidays, instead of sticking to a show, I put on cheesy Christmas movies every night when I got home from work. When the New Year rolled around, none of my favorite TV shows currently airing were back on yet, and I didn’t know what new-to-me show to start watching. So, I put on Friends season one and let the episodes roll. Friends has long been one of my favorite shows, but it’s been many years since I sat down to watch it from start to finish. It’s been fun watching episodes I don’t normally gravitate towards and remembering scenes I’d long since forgotten.

Another thing that has really struck me about watching the show this time around is that the characters are generally my age. In one episode, Ross mentions that he’s 28, which is how old I am now. When I watched the show for the first time as a teenager, 28 seemed so old and far away—it’s wild how time passes. It’s also been interesting to see what parts of the show stand the test of time and what seems really dated now—for instance, many of their clothes are back in style, but it’s funny to see how some of the storylines involve answering machines. The Friends squad also never seem to be hungover…jealous!

I hope you all are staying warm out there—let’s cross our fingers for an early spring!