I am leaving in an hour to drive two hours to the Jacksonville airport to catch a plane to Baltimore. Thanks to the awesome folks at GNC, I’m heading to Fitbloggin’, a three-day blogging conference for people who share “the desire to use technology, blogging and social media to motivate, inspire and foster a culture of health and wellness.” <— I love that!
I’ve never been to the conference before but it is the blogging conference that has always intrigued me the most. I’ve heard that everyone is so welcoming and friendly and I cannot wait to meet new bloggers and hang out with some of my blogging buddies.
Last night I finally unpacked the rest of my stuff from my big suitcase after our trip to Oahu and transferred a bunch of the clothes right into my smaller carryon suitcase for this trip.
Someone was awfully suspicious and a little stressed out by all the packing…
I’m going to miss that sappy little face!
Workout
A workout was the first thing on the agenda this morning and I followed the cardio and abs circuit workout that I posted on the blog about a month ago, but replaced the burpees and squat jumps with regular crunches.
During my workout, as I was chillin’ in a plank (or cursing under my breath in a plank – let’s be real), something caught my eye. At first I thought it was a giant cicada since the bugs in Ocala are mutants. When I looked a little closer, I saw that it was a small toad. How random!
As I’ve said on the blog before, I have an odd affinity for toads. (I had a pet toad named Big Guy as a little girl.) The lost little toad was surprisingly fast, but I managed to chase him down, pick him up and release him in a small field outside.
Ryan and I have gone on a long run with a stray dog before, but I must say that the little toad was my oddest workout buddy to date!
Breakfast
Breakfast this morning was intentionally cold. I tend to get overheated when I pack and try to get ready to head out the door in a hurry which turns me into an evil human being.
In an effort to keep my body temperature cool and my mind in a pleasant place, I opted for a cold smoothie this morning.
I made myself a mocha protein smoothie that did the trick.
I also ate a spoonful of peanut butter out of the jar as I blended this up because I realized I was missing some healthy fats in my morning meal. Peanut butter is always a welcome addition.
Time to go! See ya from Baltimore!
Baltimore friends: If you have any restaurant recommendations, I’d love to hear them!
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Mmmmm! That smoothie looks delish! I will have to give it a try.
You’re coming up to my neck of the woods-er city? Haha have fun at your conference and enjoy Baltimore!
Baltimore has SO many great restaurants!! Not sure what you’re looking for or what are you want to venture to but there really are so many great options….Also if you plan to run while you’re there, the promenade that goes along the water through the Inner harbor and over through fells Point to Canton is a fantastic and gorgeous running route!
Peter’s Inn! Best steak you’ll ever have at a tiny bar 🙂 Doors open at 5 and dinner starts at 630- get there early to get a seat!
Check out Pazo in Baltimore! The food is amazing, but it’s great just for drinks as well.
I’m going there Saturday night!!!
I mean Friday night 🙂
Pazo is great!!
OH MY GOSH, I was coming here to suggest Pazo’s. AMAZING. It is actually where Craig & I ended up meeting all of Baltimore Ravens (my obsession 😀 ) defensive backs. I was in all of my glory! One of the best.nights.of.my.life. So it’s HIGHLY recommended…and the food is AMAZING…and you must try one of their martinis…it’s a must 😉
Enjoy Baltimore, I’m so jealous!! I would also highly recommend going to the Ravens v. Pats game on Sunday in your purple & black 🙂
+1 I was gonna suggest Pazo! Regi’s is also a fav in Fed Hill
Be prepared to spend $$$ at Pazo. It’s delicious, though!
Try their reisling (with the pear flavors)…. this is one of my all time favorites!
That smoothie looks amazing!!! I am so jealous that you are going to fitbloggin!!!
have a good trip to baltimore! you should try woodberry kitchen (it’s my favorite restaurant). other places i like: sticky rice in fells point, pazo in harbor east, lamill in harbor east if you like coffee, liquid earth in fells point for juice and smoothies.
Go to Woodberry Kitchens!!!!! If you do nothing else go for brunch or go to http://artifactcoffee.com/
Woodberry Kitchen is a must for brunch! And plenty of crab cakes, it is just what we do 🙂
http://www.woodberrykitchen.com/
YES, YES, YES! A thousand times yes! You cannot go wrong at Woodberry kitchen.
I have to third this nomination for woodberry. I found it unique with a lovely atmosphere and great food! First place I thought of for Baltimore!
Hi From Baltimore! Hope you packed some warm clothes! It was a chilly 45 this AM, but the weekend should be good. You must get a crabcake while you are here — If you remember Wedding Crashers “Crabcakes and Football That’s What Maryland Does”. Phillips is a big tourist attraction for seafood, but honestly their crabcakes are not the best. Some of the best places for crabcakes are actually outside of the city, but Gertrudes in the Baltimore Museum of Art is good. Also for Sushi, RA is awesome. Have a great trip and enjoy Baltimore!
Ohmygoodness — Sadie in that picture is the ULTIMATE definition of puppy dog eyes!! So adorable!
HAVE FUN! So jealous 🙂
Brunch at Little Havana is a must especially for bottomless mimosas and Bloodys. My other #1 for brunch would be Miss Shirley’s Cafe. You HAVE to go to Miss Shirley’s. it is the best – They don’t take reservations so get there early!!
Miss Shirley’s rocks my world!!
I feel like Miss Shirley’s is a tourist trap. Their food is good but it’s not unique
Miss Shirley’s is amazing…if you go, I would recommend going for brunch and trying the savory grits. I agree, you have to get there early to avoid long lines! Have fun in B’more! http://missshirleys.com/menu/
I love Sticky Rice! They definitely have great sushi….
Little Havana in Fed Hill has great brunch, also.
oh YIKES. I would have died. I have a massive fear of toads and frogs. My next door neighbor would throw them at me and put them on my head as a kid, so I think I’d have had to leave!!
Isn’t it sad and hilarious at the same time how dogs seem to know that suitcase = mom gone for a while? When I was packing up to move, my dog flipped out too. She tried to crawl into one of the suitcases I was using to pack my clothes as if to say DONT FORGET YOUR MOST IMPORTANT THING MOMMY!
Oh you are brave… I am not a toad person in the least! I think I would’ve been running in the opposite direction rather than chasing it. 😉 That protein smoothie sounds good, but the thought of a smoothie this morning makes me shiver even more as I’m under a blanket with hot tea at the moment. I’m jealous of you Florida folks!
Definitely recommend The Abbey. It is a burger joint in Fells Point. They have a large selection of beer (not sure if that is your thing) but awesome awesome burgers. You can try one of their well known burgers (peanut butter bacon) or you can make your own by selecting your type of meat and topping. It is kinda a hole in the wall, but that is what makes it a lot of fun! Where all the locals hang!
The Abbey isn’t in Fells Point. I think it may be in Federal Hill.
Yes it’s called Abby Burger and it’s in Fed Hill, great place!
LOVED the Abbey Burger when I visited Baltimore!
Headed to my chilly city today?!! My hubby and I swear by Fogo De Chao. Also RA for sushi is good and our seafood anywhere is amazing. Since I am guessing you are going to be in the city Phillips is good and Little Italy has the best Italian food in my opinion (Sabatino’s or Amiccis) . You must go to Vaccarro’s for dessert while you are here (also in Little Italy)!!
Have a safe flight!!
Vacarros is AMAZING!
So jealous you’re going to Baltimore! I’m not sure where you will be staying, but definitely go to Faidley’s for a crab cake-they’re the best on the east coast and SO good. It’ll ruin all other crab cakes for you, ha. It’s in Lexington Market, which is kind of like an indoor farmer’s market type area. Also, RA has really good sushi-I recommend lunch there if you have time because they have awesome lunch specials and their sushi is really good! If you’re around the Canton area, Mama’s on the Half Shell has great seafood too and is just a fun Baltimore bar/restaurant. If you go to Canton, also stop by Mr. Yogato for some froyo-it’s SO good! Have so much fun at Fitbloggin!!
Mr. Yogato also has all these funny things you can do to get free yogurt! Like sing a specific song or do a specific dance or something it sounds fun
Have fun at FitBloggin! I really wanted to go but ultimately it wasn’t in the cards (or budget) this year. Have fun!!
I love flying out of JAX (I live in St Augustine)! Its small yet really really nice, they have free wifi, and they have the nicest security people:)
For my last trip, I packed my suitcase the night before but didn’t zip it shut and while we were out for dinner, my dog got into my (closed) suitcase, pulled out a brand new shoe and chewed it up!
Your smoothie looks delicious!!! I think I may whip one up for myself this morning!!
so jealous you are going to fitbloggin and the Baltimore, I love that place! Aw that poor little toad, in college we had a bird get into our pool area, the poor thing was very lost!
What cute travel luggage – and it all matches!! I give you credit, though, because had I seen one of those working out I would have screamed 🙂
You have to go to Faidley’s in the Reading Terminal Market! If Food Network ever asked me to do a spot on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” (hey, it could happen!) I would choose a Faidley’s crabcake! Don’t waste your time at Phillips.
I have to correct that–I live in Philly and we have Reading Terminal Market. Baltimore has Lexington Market and that’s where you’ll find Faidley’s!
I’m in nearby Washington, D.C. and love weekend trips up to Baltimore-enjoy! I’d recommend The Brewer’s Art, it has delicious in-house brewed beers and a great menu that changes with the seasons, you also can’t beat the location–it’s housed in an old victorian-like rowhouse, so neat. have fun!
My dog totally gets anxiety when I am packing…he will lay on top of my clothes or duffel bag. He stops in his tracks and stares at me out of the side of his eye when he sees that bag by the door!
Little Havana is a cool Cuban place in Federal Hill….awesome mojitos!! Really, any place on the Inner Harbor will be great. Ohhh and you must get crab-something. Crab cakes, Old Bay seasoned anything, etc. Bmore has the best, and I know how much you love seafood!!!
I live right outside Baltimore, and I definitely agree with the recommendation of Pazo definitely an awesome place, as well as Ra for sushi. Also right next to Pazo is a restaurant called Chazz that’s really good for like pizza or “Italian” type food. For a good crab cake I would recommend G&M’s or Gunnings, they are outside of Baltimore but have AMAZING crab cakes.
Mezze is also a really good restaurant in Fells Point, its Greek cuisine and is so delicious, they also have a killer white sangria if that’s your thing.
So exciting that you’re coming to Baltimore!!! Go to Canton and try Mama’s on the Half Shell!! A Baltimore staple for sure 🙂 Also- I saw someone above posted Woodberry Kitchen- DEFINTIELY try it, best restaurant in Baltimore HNADS DOWN! Although, you might want to try to make a reservation, it tends to fill up pretty quickly, they have a wonderful brunch and an amazing dinner. The Food Market in Hampden is a new place and also very good! Another good brunch option is Miss Shirley’s Cafe, located right in the Inner Harbor. Definitely walk around Harbor East, lots of great shops and restaurants 🙂 Enjoy your time in Charm City!!
Awww poor Sadie! But she’ll be happy when she sees Ryan didn’t leave too! Have a safe trip!
I’m such a slacker packer…I usually leave an entire toiletry bag packed in full and it always takes me forever to unpack!
A crabcake is a MUST!!! The best ones are near the airport if you have a car or can grab one to go on your way back. Timbuktu is the very best, but G&M is really good too. If you can’t make it outside of the city, try Faidley’s.
Pazo is great for Tapas. Baltimore has an adorable Little Italy. I like La Tavola because they make their own pasta, but Sabatinos and Amiccis are also good and very popular. Vaccaros has great gelato and cannolis and is also in Little Italy.
Yay! Another blogging conference! I learned a lot from your last one. Can’t wait to hear the recap!
Have fun in Baltimore! I live here and my favorite restaurant hands down is Mezze in Fells Point (Mediterranean tapas):
http://www.kalismezze.com/
Also- If you want waterfront seafood dining- Rusty Scupper is pricy but excellent food and atmosphere.
http://www.selectrestaurants.com/rusty/
Both places can accommodate larger parties too if you are dining with a bunch of people.
Definitely need to go to Mama’s on the Half Shell in Canton Square. My favorite restaurant in Baltimore hands down … try the crab dip and an orange crush you won’t regret it!
RA Sushi is a must go! One of my favorites 🙂 The best unique sushi there is. The restaurant next RA is also delicious, Townhouse maybe? I forget the complete name…if you want to indulge go to Grilled Cheese and Co. for a quick meal in Fed Hill for a fancy grilled cheese. (by fancy i mean, unique combinations). Have an amazing time in Baltimore!
Also try Woodberry Kitchen! It is amazing!
I think Woodberry is hard to get a weekend reservation to these days – Waterfront Kitchen in Fells POint is fantastic with great waterfront views and same concept as Woodberry…
I’m a student at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore! Your post about this conference and Tina’s made me so happy!
I have to highly recommend Carma’s in North Charles if you guys are up in my neck of the woods. It sounds like you’re getting a lot of restaurant recommendations- will you just be in Fells Point a lot?
I have to recommend Thames Street Oyster House. It’s my family’s favorite and my boyfriend and I love it too. Definitely go! And if you want to do a bit of shopping (mostly window shopping because $$$) I’d recommend Poppy and Stella.
I can’t wait to hear all about the conference! Your blog will be the first place I go. You’re always so informative!
Have a safe flight, Julie!
Apropos of nothing in this post, I thought you would love this dress! Maybe because you have a few just like it:
http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=86448&vid=1&pid=404672012
😉
My Dad lives in Fells Point in Baltimore, Maryland and seriously it’s the cutest little area of bars, restaurants, etc all along cobblestone on the water. I would definitely walk down Thames street, get a coffee at the Daily Grind and just check out maybe one of those places to eat? Have fun!
I have that same luggage but in hot pink 🙂
There are tons of great spots that are walking distance or a short cab ride away.. all depends on what you’re in the mood for! It’s gonna be fun! See ya there 🙂
I would avoid Philips. Got roped into it a few years ago and it was terrible. Too touristy.
If you’re into small neighborhood joints, try The Brewer’s Art or Of Love & Regret. Both places have AWESOME beer and the food is terrific at both. I’ll warn you that Of Love & Regret doesn’t look like much but it is a great place. I made a special trip there from Philadelphia!
marci
Of Love & Regret has great burgers with unique toppings and lots of taps all from Stillwater Brewery. Went there for a roomates dinner over the summer and we all loved it!
Brewer’s is so good! Definitely go there!
I just whipped up this smoothie before I skipped off to clas and it was amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Have fun Julie ! 🙂 I bet it will be a blast getting to know all the bloggers that have the same aspirations as you. How motivating ! And that smoothie looks delicious.
I want to go to FitBloggin! … Next year.
Have a great time! Can’t wait to read all about it.
The smoothie looks great. Can you taste the strawberries in it?
I feel like I’d leave those out, because I’d only want the flavor of the mocha coffee . . . and not strawberries.
I live in Canton! If you are doing any blogger activities outside of the conference, let me know. I didn’t sign up but would love to meet up with people. As for restaurants, there are so many great choices. The harbor is a bit pricey and touristy, but Fells Point, Canton, Mt. Vernon, and Little Italy (which you’ll be really close to!) all have great places. Have such a fun time! There are some great sushi joints too, like Ra.
I loved Baltimore when I visited. Every time I think about it, I can’t help but think about Wedding Crashers, “Crab cakes and football! That’s what we do!” haha.
I’m going to a wedding in St. Louis this weekend (7 hour drive. Yikes!), and when I pulled out my duffle last night to pack, my cat got mad at me. She wouldn’t even get in bed last night. She slept in the office. I feel a little bad, but she’ll be back to normal when I come home on Sunday. She made the same face Sadie was making.
LOVE toads. Odd, I know. But I just think they are cool little customers. In St Lucia, we saw toads the size of softballs. Seriously. They were EVERYWHERE.
The Kidless Kronicles
That smoothie looks great! I haven’t had one in a while since it’s so cold here now haha