TGIF! It’s been a really busy week for me so I’m stoked that it’s Friday. My brother is actually flying into town tonight from Massachusetts so I’m really excited that we’re going to get a whole week with him since he hasn’t even met Riley yet. And since he’s in town, we’re having some friends over and I’m looking forward to hosting! We haven’t really had a big get together with friends since we moved into our house, so I’m excited (and nervous!) to host for the first time. I decided to do recipe testing today and have Kevin be my taste tester/guinea pig! He didn’t mind since he got to sit back and eat yummy food and drink Moscow Mule’s. Ha!
I made really yummy strawberry Moscow Mules that I had never made before, so I wanted to test them first and they did not disappoint! All I did was puree strawberries with some water and sugar and add to a regular Moscow Mule recipe. Then I topped them with a lime, strawberries and mint! I think they came out pretty great!
Anyway, even though our house is fully decorated and ready for company, I definitely didn’t have a ton of things to use to serve appetizers or for drinks. So I hopped on eBay’s website to grab everything I needed. You’d be shocked how many items are available on eBay! Even if I’m on another website and I find something I want to buy, I always go to eBay and search for it to see if I can get a better price. And I honestly usually always do find a better price! And it’s a huge misconception that they only have used items that you bid on. The majority of their items are actually brand new from vendors like any other website. You just usually get better deals!
Right now they’re actually having their End of Summer Sale so they have so many great prices on things you would use for summer entertaining! Plus, even though it’s technically nearing the end of the season, with the heat we’ve been having I feel like summer is really only beginning so it’s awesome to get the sale prices. I ordered a few pool accessories like this lounging pool float for me and this ducky float for Molly. She is going to flip when she sees it! She’ll think the pool is one big tubby!
Back to me being the hostess with the mostess! I got these really pretty Moscow Mule cups that are absolutely essential if you’re going to serve Moscow Mules. Plus they’re just really gorgeous. I’m always impressed when I go to someone’s house and they serve a Moscow Mules in these cups. It just seems fancy to me or something. Ha! It doesn’t take much to impress me! And so many of you had told me that you think there’s too much white in my house, so I’ve been trying to buy more things with wood-tones. Because to be honest, I kind of agree with you. I need to branch outside of the all white home decor zone! So I got a wood serving tray and this gorgeous wood serving bowl.
And I wanted to serve some of the food on something a bit more special than just a plate, so I thought a cake stand would be a cute idea to serve these crostinis. All I used to make them was a baguette that I toasted with some butter in the oven, goat cheese layered with walnuts and cranberries and drizzled them with a balsamic glaze that I bought at the store. They are soooooo good! I also got some cute blue and white striped napkins. I’ve decided now that I have a grown-up house, I should use grown up napkins instead of using paper napkins. Plus I’m trying to be better for the environment.
And so many of you have asked me about the signs I have hanging on the wall in my dining room. My designer bought them for us from an antique flea market, but I found super similar ones on eBay! I will link them all in thumbnails below.
Anyway, just wanted to share these great finds with you guys and give you details on the drinks and appetizers I have planned for tomorrow. Do you guys have any suggestions for another easy appetizer or drink I could serve? Also, let me know if you find any really great deals when you’re browsing the eBay End of Summer Sale. I know fans are on sale and I really want to get one for our bedroom. Just because we don’t keep the AC on too cold because of the baby, but I’m always sweating so I need a fan to be pointed at me. Let me know if you guys find a good one that’s part of the sale! And wish me luck entertaining tomorrow!
Thanks for sponsoring this post Ebay!!!
What a beautiful spread, in a beautiful home! You really have a knack for styling, Ali! I love the Moscow Mule cups. So cute. 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
I try my best 🙂
Goat cheese is my new favorite thing! Everything you made looks delicious (and adorable!)
Please post more recipe ideas!!
Goat cheese is soooooooo yummy! It’s so easy to use in appetizers! I make a REALLY yummy avocado toast with goat cheese! I’ll post it soon!
Please do that sounds yummy!!!
Yes, that sounds amazing! Please do share.
Love your top! Is it from Nordstrom?
Ha! Yup!
You could try making these Cucumber Bites! I’ve started making these anytime we have friends over because they’re super quick, easy to make, low cost & everyone loves them!
http://erecipecards.blogspot.com/2014/09/cucumber-bites-with-herb-cream-cheese.html
How stinkin adorable are those?!?! I might try to make my own little version of those with different ingredients! Thanks for the inspo!
Gorgeous home! Just curious if you could link where your dining room chandelier is from if you know! 🙂
I wish I knew! I don’t. It was here when we moved into our house! I found this similar one http://bit.ly/2L6bIoe But I don’t know where to find exact one.
Thank you so much!!! I appreciate it 🙂 I love that one, too!
Seriously I LOVE Moscow Mules we are having such a hard time finding Ginger beer though in our area it’s so strange. Also I just found out I’m expecting our second child haha so I guess I’ll have to drink Virgin drinks now.
In regards of your house having too much white…. no way!! haha if I had it my way that’s how I would have my house too. Don’t get me wrong I love colour too but the white makes everything look so light and clean. And makes any colour that you add just pop! The wood trays work perfectly with your decor! Looks awesome Ali and I totally wish I was one of your friends coming over for those yummy goodies! Haha
We get our ginger beer at Cost Plus World Market. The brand is Bundaberg.
oh yay! Congrats on number 2! THAT IS SO EXCITING!
I’ve never tried a Moscow mule…will need to try one now! Oh darn lol 😜love your home Ali!!!
They are sooo refreshing! You’lll love!
I love this room!! Do you have a link for the planter in the corner. ??
It’s from Home Goods so I don’t. Sorry!
We make Caprese skewers with cherry tomatoes, the little mozzarella balls and basil. Just alternate on a little skewer or toothpick. Then we drizzle with a little olive oil, balsamic glaze and salt and pepper. 🙂 Enjoy your brother’s visit. I always loved when mine would come. Now, he lives with us! 😉
I do that too! I love tomato, mozzarella and basil! Yum!
Your presentation looks terrific and delicious, too! Have fun with your brother and friends!❤️
Thank you Liz! He gets in tonight!
I have been looking for Moscow Mule mugs (that aren’t like 15.00 EACH!!) all summer! These look awesome so I just irdered them; less than 25.00 for 4 is amazing!! Thanks!!!
Also, have a great partu; everything looks fabulous!
Hi Ali! I absolutely love these pics! It all looks so fun and inviting 🙂 I know your friends and family be super impressed with you this weekend!! I usually just do fresh guacamole in a fun bowl. Also, cream cheese with a pepper jelly! 😋 add some tortilla chips and you are good to go! I do love Harry and David jelly. Found that Tabasco pepper jelly-at USA Walmart is delish!!Can only get H&D in USA 🇺🇸 😣So I stock up when I am there! Have fun!! 😋🍓🍹
Hi! Can you share where the pitcher is from? I’d love to get one to go with the mugs, but am not finding one I love. Thanks!
Did you post the drink recipe? I’ve certainly heard of moscow mules, but never had one. Share the recipe please! Cheers Ali!
P.S. – I had no idea Ebay had new items! Who knew?! 😁
DATES WITH ATTITUDE
My “ go to” appi which takes 10 minutes and every single time it’s a hit.
Fresh dates( pitted)
Fresh almonds roasted in a pan for 5 minutes on medium heat( keep moving them so they don’t burn). I roast almost all my nuts when purchased because they stay fresh longer and it enhances the flavour a ton.
Stuff an almond into each date
Place on medium heat with about EVOO. TOSS constantly( they will burn quickly) just heat them thru
Place on a nice long white platter( white looks stunning as the oil and lime zest merge)
Drizzle the remaining evoo from the pan all over
Toss a bit of Himalayan salt over them and then zest one medium organic lime
The colours pop as the lime and salt merge with the oil. It’s pretty. I add three slices of lime at one end for a little pretty and a few fresh flower stems.
It is insanely good, always a huge hit and they are my go to sweet snack in the fridge when I am craving sweets.
Enjoy Ali
PS. Be sure to tell guests that it’s filled with a date not the pit. Lol
Your kitchen rug is it the same as your family rug?
The angle of the cable overhead press can help recruit new muscle fiber that’s not engaged
much with other shoulder presses as a outcome of the pressure is knocking down behind you.
This again train is finished on a cable rowing machine with separate handles, a
grip place change, and muscle worked. Now, let’s talk
about a few of the greatest cable machine exercises (based on science and experience) that you are capable of do on the fitness center.
The Cable machine is greater than only a piece of fitness center equipment—it’s your one-stop shop for concentrating on a number of muscle teams.
Then you also have exercises like pullovers that work the lats and upper chest.
This motion also enhances shoulder stability and functional
power, making it a valuable addition to your routine.
This exercise mimics the flat bench dumbbell fly,
however again, it offers constant pressure throughout.
You might be utilizing a barely larger pulley anchor level than the center fly and you’ll be preserving your
arms up and elevating them up similar to an incline bench.
As I talked about earlier, that is more practical
for hypertrophy than shorter ranges of movement.
Carry Out Workout 1 for 4-6 weeks, making an attempt to extend your weight each exercise.
Then transfer to Workout 2 and repeat the process till you get via Workout 5.
As Soon As you are via Workout 5, you can begin over at Workout 1 confident that you’re larger and
stronger than you have been before. All areas of the chest reply best
within the low (4-6) or moderate (8-12) rep ranges.
I hardly ever include greater reps for newbie lifters and
I imagine the heavier weight helps construct a extra strong basis.
Cable flyes are a flexible train with numerous advantages that may
considerably enhance your chest day routine. One of the first
advantages of cable flyes is their exceptional chest activation potential.
Unlike many different chest workout routines, cable flyes allow you to maintain fixed rigidity in your chest muscles all through the whole vary of movement.
As you bring your hands together at chest degree during the train,
you’ll expertise an intense contraction in the chest area, emphasizing the
inner chest. You see, there are such a lot of extra chest exercises
that may help you swell your pecs.
With so many variations of push-ups out there, one
kind will assist you to develop the internal portion of your chest better than others.
Many individuals like to do Push-ups to build muscle mass as a outcome of they are probably the most traditional and effective
bodyweight workouts for bettering endurance and power.
For efficient outcomes, incorporate these workouts into your
exercise routine 2-3 times per week.
The internal chest is crucial to an impressive look from varied front and side poses.
By Way Of “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade within the subject.
His aim is to equip others with the information to start their very own fitness journey.
To be efficient, the load should convey you to
or near failure within the given rep ranges.
If need to learn further about the method to get rid of man boobs
and combat chest fats, try my article referred to as The Chest
Fats Fix.
Run a resistance band by way of each of the palms of your palms and wrap it around your
again to create extra resistance and force to work
in opposition to. Maintain regular pushup type as you do every set however
focus on being as explosive as attainable as you progress
up in opposition to the band. The Pallof press is a useful motion prep
and core strengthening train, and It helps to
ascertain correct spinal alignment under load and improve core stability.
Unlike barbell or dumbbell curls, the place the
resistance varies in the course of the raise, the cable pulley offers a uniform resistance all through the movement.
It additionally helps develop energy in your inside chest space when executed with proper type and managed actions.
In order to maximise your chest growth, you must carry out compound
and isolation exercises. Whereas an isolation train focuses on a single muscle group,
a compound exercise includes multiple muscle
teams. The barbell bench press is considered top-of-the-line chest
compound exercises, together with the incline
bench press. The dumbbell bench press is a versatile and extremely efficient train that offers
a spread of benefits in your chest development.
Choose two or three to work into your routine, and for finest outcomes, rotate in new movements
each 3 or four weeks. Simply bear in mind, there’s nothing incorrect with a big bench for your chest—as lengthy as your exercise
would not begin and finish there. However anyone who wants to coach for a balanced,
wholesome physique will perceive that you have to practice smart,
not like a meathead (at least not all the time). There are
extra workout routines that you must do to focus on your chest muscular
tissues. Variety is a significant key for for muscle
adaptation, so you will want to use different sorts
of gear and techniques to problem your chest to assist it
develop.
Higher yet, you can crank them out wherever, anytime and easily up the intensity by altering the elevation, adding gear,
transferring your hand and toes positioning, even including instability.
Truly, it’s best you add some variety; exercise tedium is as unhealthy in your motivation as it’s on your muscular tissues.
In contrast, the incline cable bench press focuses more on your higher pectoralis main throughout the movement because the resistance originates from an angle.
You need to push the stirrups upward and
pull them inward on the top of the motion.
The coracobrachialis is a small muscle located deep beneath the deltoid and
pectoralis main on the front inner aspect of the arm.
Throw in flye movements, cable crossovers, and/or pec-deck flyes
on the end of your workout. These are isolation exercises, good for concentrating on the chest
but won’t pressure you to go too heavy unless, with good type,
you’re really seeking to pack on the scale with heavy weights.
In different words, in order to build internal pec mass,
you merely should give attention to constructing your whole chest as a complete.
As your chest gets larger and stronger over time,
your inside pecs may even grow together with it.
The bicep cable curl is certainly one of the best
isolation workouts for the of bicep. It’s a pulling action performed with
a cable machine and is appropriate for beginners. Not Like barbell or
dumbbell workouts, the cable provides a uniform resistance throughout
the movement, the place the resistance varies through the raise.
If you’re in search of an easy cable leg exercise and
workouts to construct mass and energy in your legs, then cable stiff leg deadlift, is a great staple exercise
to get you started.
These also happen to be three of the important useful actions for day by
day activity. As you strengthen your pecs,
you’re supporting your complete upper physique. Once you’ve
established a solid chest exercise, on an everyday basis
tasks like choosing up bins, pushing a stroller, or carrying groceries up and down a flight of stairs will
turn out to be easier on your physique. Your triceps are vital
for shoulder extension and stabilization throughout pressing movements like the dumbbell bench
press.
One advantage of the cable squat over the barbell squat is that
the load is extra evenly distributed, and there is a constant
load on your legs throughout the whole vary of motion. The straight arm lat pulldown is doubtless one of the greatest workouts for strengthening your lats (back).
This isolation train also can help improve your posture and build a a lot
bigger again. You can perform the totally different variations of the lat pulldown to keep your
workout recent and difficult. They include a metal frame that houses a
collection of pulleys, cables, and weight stacks—different forms of handles or attachments to coach the muscular
tissues from all angles. The Cable machine exercises are versatile and efficient methods to improve muscle mass and stability.
Most persons are beneath the impression that they can’t
pack on a lot chest size with simply body weight chest exercises at residence.
And that heavy pressing actions in the fitness center are as a substitute important to doing so.
Admittedly, these urgent actions within the fitness center
are extraordinarily effective and handy to use to build your chest.
The incline dumbbell press targets the higher chest with the added benefit of increased
range of motion and improved stability. This train is particularly effective for activating the clavicular head of the pectoralis major.
A managed tempo and a slight pause on the bottom of the motion additional improve muscle activation.
By performing the push-ups in slow motion, you’ll make your muscular tissues work more durable and assist them grow larger and stronger.
You want to lean your upper body slightly over the bar and produce
your legs forward beneath the bar as you descend to stay
balanced. And then using your decrease chest and triceps, push again up and attempt to maintain your elbows from flaring out an excessive amount of.
And make certain the bar doesn’t drag in opposition to your body throughout
the motion. However I assure should you carry out them properly you
will note big enhancements in your decrease chest. The lower chest muscles are finest stimulated by workouts done
on a degree decline.
Get into a push-up place together with your toes elevated on a bench or
step. This body weight chest exercise could be equated to the jump squat of push-ups.
One of probably the most sought-after workout routines
is an at-home, no-equipment chest exercise.
The biggest method for strengthening your
inside chest is to do workouts that encourage you
to maneuver your arms toward your chest’s midline.
Let’s take a look at a couple more of my favorites for
every area and I’ll also provide you with some great resources
chock filled with extra nice chest workouts. To see how I’ve put these workout routines together to create the best chest exercise,
take a look at my article on the Excellent Chest Workout.
As An Alternative, you need a sustainable vitamin plan… one that you can stick to over time and that doesn’t really feel
restrictive.
When you do bench, nonetheless, take heed to MH health director Ebenezer Samuel and make certain that you don’t flare your
elbows. When you take on one other frequent exercise, the incline press,
maintain your forearms perpendicular to the
ground to have the ability to keep the focus on your higher chest muscles
and avoid shoulder points. Lastly, be certain that as much as you goal your chest muscular tissues, you
additionally train opposing muscle groups.
Overtraining your inside chest can lead to fatigue, soreness, and even injury.
Giving your muscles sufficient time to rest and recover between exercises is
necessary to avoid overtraining and maximize your gains.
To see these bodyweight actions structured into an entire
residence chest workout with newbie and superior modifications,
check out my article Body Weight Chest Exercise.
You can use these exercises collectively in a home workout
that makes use of metabolic overload to create the mandatory
microtears within the chest muscle fibers to spark new progress potential.
To see my picks for best corrective and adduction dumbbell chest workout routines, take a look at my
article Finest Dumbbell Workout Routines for Chest.
The Weighted Dip and the Excessive to Low Cable Crossover are an excellent combo of the best decrease chest workouts, however there’s a
couple more chest resistance coaching moves I wanted to share with you.
In the previous section I confirmed you some of the most important components of a fantastic
chest exercise routine and a few workout routines for every.
References:
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