I attended Wanderlust 108 in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park with Swisse Wellness to check out their charming installation called Destination Happiness. If you’ve never heard of Swisse before, they are a premium vitamin and supplement brand founded in Melbourne, Australia that has quickly launched across the globe.

Their entire philosophy centers around “health & happiness”, which the company shortens to call H&H in terms of everything they do. So it only makes sense that their village at Wanderlust 108 was called Destination Happiness.  Here are a couple of shots of me hanging out with Swisse very early in the morning before all the Wanderlust Festival activities were in full swing.

You can’t see it in this picture, but to my right there was a braiding station and then to my left there was a massage booth. Both of these were awesome perks for Wanderlust 108 attendees who planned to run and do yoga during the festival.

I won’t lie, it...

I love broccolini and I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate this veggie into creative dishes. Broccolini has a more refined taste and look that I prefer over regular broccoli. The florettes are a lot prettier and in my opinion the stems are yummier.

Since you can never eat enough veggies, I decided to make a vegetarian pasta using my favorite pasta noodle brand, DaVinci. I’m a sucker for bowtie and really all bite size noodles but you can make this recipe with just about any DaVinci noodle, even angel hair pasta!

My recipe is really easy, quick to make once you’ve got your veggies chopped and incredibly delicious! Keep reading as I walk you through everything you’ll need and your instructions for this flavorful masterpiece.

Your ingredient list: (Serves 2)

½ bag of DaVinci Signature Bowtie Pasta

¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt (you'll be the judge of how much you use)

1 stock of Broccolini, also called...

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NatureMadeHeartHealth #CollectiveBias

Did you know heart disease is the leading cause of death among women globally? That's why I take care of my body & heart by working out, staying hydrated, moving during the day and taking my Nature Made® Omega-3 supplements! Omega-3 fatty acids can be beneficial in supporting a heart healthy lifestyle.† That’s why the NEW Nature Made® Omega-3 Full Strength Mini, 500mg EPA+DHA, Burpless supplements are my #VOTD (vitamins of the day). 

It’s a good look for all of us to make healthy choices when it comes to our nutrition and long-term health, especially if that means avoiding heart disease. Over the last few years I’ve participated in many events with all kinds of organizations supporting women’s heart health. It deserves our attention, because heart disease often goes unnoticed and untreated until it’s too...

Tell me if you can relate? You go to the eye doctor. You browse their eyewear. You fall in love with a pair of frames that look amazing on you. You ask for the price. BOOM! It's $350! And the excuse for the price is always the same thing: "Well, they're DESIGNER." Honestly, most of the time, I've never even heard of the designer that makes the glasses. The brand name means nothing to me.

Maybe it's because I don't wear my glasses 24/7 as I'm mostly in contacts. I'm a part time eyeglasses wearer but I still value the look and feel of prescription eyewear on my face. I just don't believe in paying a crazy amount of money for 1 pair of glasses that I might get bored of within a few months. If you can relate, then you're going to appreciate my discovery.

Firmoo is an online optical store that I was lucky enough to find a the right time when I was in need of new glasses. Their deals are INCREDIBLE! I decided to test them out by uploading my prescription and browsing their frames...

I'm really not much for camping but when I got invited to Pursuit Series at Hunter Mountain New York, my penchant for a new outdoor experience drove me to say HELL YES! Plus, it isn't quite "camping" when you're staying in an UnderCanvas tipi tent. Mine had 2 beds, a night table, chair and a pretty cool rug that I would totally put in my own apartment.

Pursuit Series isn't your ordinary camping excursion.  It's literally an outdoor adventure camp for grown-ups who like to be active, social, in nature and then have fun at night with drinks and music. I literally had an epic weekend in one of the most beautiful and scenic parts of New York. The only downside for me was bugs (like I said, I'm not a "camper") and the fact that it was a super hot weekend. But I loved every second of it!

This was Pursuit Series' 3rd event and I found it to be exceptionally well organized. I arrived a day and a half late only because I literally drove up to Hunter Mountain from JFK...

Disclosure: This blog post is sponsored by adidas, written in full authenticity by me. I was asked to partner with adidas and provided compensation to purchase the fitness apparel I’m wearing and photographed for this article.

My running story is complex mostly because I started running because I hated it so much.  It seemed like such an easy exercise for most people and I never understood why it was so difficult for me.  I was determined to become a runner and by the time I was out of college, I had become one.

I ran and ran and ran until one day I decided I was fit enough to run a marathon. I consulted my uncle who was the only other runner in my family. He gave me lots of advice and we began to train together here and there. We both lived in New York City so we’d jog down the West Side Highway Hudson River Run Path. It wasn’t nearly what it is today, but it was still a beautiful pathway and I’ll never forget those training runs.

My uncle Larry...