Tag Archives: buffalo

Giveaway -Happy Birthday Perry’s Ice Cream


all photos by Sandra Arianna Photography

 

I have been working with/sampling/indulging in Perry’s Ice Cream for the past few months. It’s like a dream! Who wouldn’t want to be consulted for their opinion when flavors are featured or released? As a lifestyle blogger I write about a little bit of everything.. but this has to be one of the most fun and delicious collaborations I have had the opportunity to be a part of.

Perry’s Ice Cream is celebrating their 100th birthday and brought back limited edition retro flavors Parkerhouse, Heavenly Hash, Butterscotch Sundae and Malt Shoppe on March 21st, which can now be purchased at local grocers in WNY (Wegmans, Tops, Dash’s) and on their site. I’m most excited about Parkerhouse because this circa 1950s treat, amaretto and cherry ice cream, just speaks to my old lady taste and style. It also reminds me of Christmas cookies with that almond/amaretto extract flavor which I love!

When Perry’s reached out to see if I wanted to try some of these nostalgia inducing flavors, I couldn’t say no, but I also felt it would be greedy to keep all of this amazing ice cream to myself. Do you want some?

Enter the below giveaway before March 27th and 2 lucky winners will get 2 free 1.5 quart containers of “the good stuff”. Try out the new flavors to celebrate Perry’s centennial release or go with some of your favorites!! I 100% recommend Lemon Chillo and Let’s Dough Buffalo

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Stop making excuses and go to one of these FREE fitness classes


I’ve been trying to live a more “active lifestyle” Whether it’s going to yoga classes or trying and failing at cycling, I tell myself that at least I’m putting forth effort.

Back in January I joined dancer-cise classes with a bunch of older ladies at the local elementary gym. It was awesome! A combo of line dancing and aerobics twice a week held me accountable for a few months.

Since then I’ve moved closer to work and joined a gym around the corner so that in theory I can’t make excuses. I now have access to as many yoga, kickboxing, barre, cycling -NOPE- and pilates classes as I would like to attend… ~like~ being key.

I tried out cycling on Wednesday and died about half way through. I burned over 200 calories in 30 minutes and would gladly have kept them all to not endure that torture again.

But all in all the gym is a decent time filler and it slightly combats my obsession with carbs and cheese. Instead of waiting until the new year, working out twice a week is my October resolution.

I have actually changed dinner plans with friends into gym dates twice this week, so that’s success in itself. Having someone counting on me to attend and then bonding over the struggle that are push ups and squats is motivation in itself.

If you aren’t part of a gym, have a fear of the lengthy contract commitment (me too.) or just want some new options I’ve compiled a small list of FREE classes that condone an “active lifestyle”. Stop making excuses and go to one of these FREE fitness classes in Western New York!

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1). Heal Bflo- Raising Your Vibrations: Yoga (FREE). This class is being held at Start with Sleep at 1211 Hertel Ave in Buffalo at Noon on Saturday, October 28th. Be sure to register here as space is limited. Follow Heal Bflo on Facebook for more FREE events in the future.

*I’ve never attended this class, but I went to a Heal Bflo event with Templeton Landing (FREE yoga and mimosas yaaaaas) and it did not disappoint!

2) Fitness in the Parks- sponsored by Independent Health (FREE). They will not have classes available until Spring 2018, but stay tuned. They offer tons of classes at 21 parks in Western New York including but not limited to Tai Chi, Pilates, Pound and BollyX.

*I’ve gone to Zumba classes at Artpark and the view and sense of community only add to the experience!

3) Forever Fabulous Fitness- Zumba, PiYo Live, Boot Camp and more (Your first class is FREE. After that it’s $7 a class or buy a package and get your classes for $5 or less. There is also an unlimited class package for $35/month with a 12 month commitment) Classes are offered on a variety of days and times, at the studio at 525 Wheatfield St in Tonawanda. Check out the schedule here.

*I went to my first Zumba class last Saturday and LOVED IT. I felt like Brittney Spears’ back up dancer as I moved and grooved to lots of 90’s-2000’s jams. Shout out to Marie for her amazing energy and encouragement!!

4) Orange Theory: Never been? Me neither. Take a FREE 1 hour workout here -if this is your first visit (A variety of packages are also available for purchase). My friends Lauren and Char swear by the classes and used them to make themselves Wedding season ready. They have a bunch of locations nation wide, but in Western New York I know there are fitness centers on Niagara Falls Blvd in Amherst and Transit Road in East Amherst.

*To be honest, I’m extremely intimidated by the intensity.. but with a free class I guess I only have calories to lose!

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On that note, I’m going to TJ Maxx to buy some hella cute ath-leisure wear.

How to find “The Best Place for Brunch” in your city


I love brunch! Working retail for so long made brunch hard to come by. I was almost always scheduled to work on weekends, but the sporadic Sunday off would certainly inspire sleeping in and a leisurely 2-3 hours worth of consuming mimosas, accompanied by decadent carbohydrates.

Brunch makes me feel fancy, like I am attending an event, rather than just eating another meal. It calls for a dress and/or party shoes. And the mimosas help take the edge off of a somewhat judge-y atmosphere. Its attendees tend to consist of girlfriends and gay guys, nursing a hangover, or rather young grandmas like myself who simply prefer drinking during the day so that they can be home in time for the newest episode of Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen or HGTV’s Flip or Flop. #sorrynotsorry

Over the past few years I’ve experienced brunches both locally and beyond. I have found certain criteria that are important to me when I am evaluating where to indulge on my weekend morning:

 

1. Bottomless Mimosas. Most people do not attend brunch while thinking “How do I make this experience budget friendly?”, but in order to achieve a respectable level of tipsiness without breaking the bank, I find bottomless mimosas to be the ideal situation. Typically ranging between $10 and $20 per person ($3 per person in the middle of nowhere, I’m checking out this dive bar brunch this weekend, stay tuned!) for an endless supply of champagne and orange juice, some establishments impose a time limit, but it’s always long enough to soak in a minimum of 5 drinks from my experience.

2. Minimum 80/20 Champagne to Orange Juice ratio. What is the point of a bottomless mimosa when you are literally drinking straight OJ? This may come as a shock, but I am not attending brunch with the pure intent of increasing my Vitamin C intake. The OJ is more or less involved for coloring and sweetness. Bonus points if there is a fruit puree option such as strawberry, peach or raspberry to take your basic cocktail to the next level.

3. Creative Egg-less Menu Options. This criteria is more of a personal preference, rather than a mandatory evaluator when selecting location, but to be plain and simple I do not like eggs. I will eat them in cake and cookies and many other hidden capacities, but there is something about the smell of the broken water heater from when I was little that I don’t think should come to mind whenever I eat something. With that being said, I am always on the look out for breakfasty options, besides your classic pancakes or waffles, that do not include eggs. Some of my favorites include the Spiced Apple and Brie Crepe, Eggplant Parm Sandwich, Homemade Mac and Cheese and Cannoli French Toast.

4. Ambiance. There is a reason we are at brunch and not Denny’s for breakfast. If I am paying more for a lavish meal between 10am-3pm on a Saturday or Sunday I expect a certain atmosphere to go along with it. Whether this means patio or rooftop seating, chandeliers or impeccable service, give me a reason to justify that I am probably spending money like this is dinner for a meal that is not. A great indicator of the “best brunch ever” is not wanting to leave.

5. What’s near by? Once I have ingested the aforementioned minimum of 5 mimosas I will have some time to kill. As a responsible bruncher I encourage you to look up what is available to do/visit while buzzed in the surrounding area. Some of my favorite activities include visiting chocolate or cupcake shops, cuddling with dogs and cats at the pet store, laying in the grass at a park, trying on clothes in a second hand store and going to a flea or farmers market.

6. Uber/LYFT Access. Buffalo finally joined the rest of the 21st century and legalized ride sharing in July 2017. This is thrilling because local taxi companies charge up the wazoo and although Buffalo is certainly a driving city, this gives us another option. There are also frequently coupons available, especially when you first sign up.                  *Use my code “oegh5” when signing up for Uber for the first time and your ride will be free!                                          *Use my code “Allison00449” when signing up for LYFT and receive $20 in ride credit to apply to your first ride!

 

What criteria do you use to find the best brunch in your city?