Around H-Town...Music, Chocolate and more!

Heather and Michelle

Festival Season kicks off in Houston with Free Press Summer Fest!  It was a fun weekend filled with music, lounging, cocktails and dancing.  Some of my favorite shows: X Ambassadors, Matt & Kim, Zeds Dead and College Grove.  VIP was a great place to cool off  with the AC tents, escape from the sporadic rain and just lounge with friends!  

This was a great warm up before Lollapalooza in Chicago next month!

Ran into Jonathan at B19

Free Press Lounging with Tom and Michelle

Rain, Sunshine and Rainbows

We celebrated Ellen's 11th Birthday at The Chocolate Bar.  You create your own chocolate bar...customizing it from the type of chocolate to all of the toppings.  

My Creation...Lots of NUTS!

Happy Birthday Ellen!

When it gets hot in Houston it's time to freeze yourself!  Tried Cryotherapy for the first time.  Preparation: go in a room separate from the chamber, take all your clothes off, put socks, slippers, gloves and a robe on and then go into the Cryo Room where the administrator provides a brief overview and of course answers my million questions.    

Ready...Set...

Step into the chamber, robe off and get ready to be the coldest you've ever been in your entire life and I grew up skiing in Northern Michigan...this is way colder!  3 minutes of liquid nitrogen cooled air at -200 F felt like 3 hours!  My teeth were literally chattering as I was making conversation with the girl controlling the chamber and ensuring I didn't freeze to death.  

FREEZE!!

I would definitely do it again!  Some of the health benefits it boasts is decreased inflammation, soreness, increased collagen production and accelerated metabolism along with others.  I did feel skinnier when I left but I'm sure it's because my body was still frozen and shrunken!  I would definitely recommend trying it once to see what you think. 

Pool season is also here and with temps above 90 for the next 4 months being outside is tough unless you are at the pool.  

More to come from travels to Michigan and Chicago next month! 

Follow Me on Instagram @grobaskimsu

Empire State of Mind

photo credit: @golden2dew

Wow what an amazing trip and great time to be in the NYC!  I flew up from Houston to spend time with 2 of my best girlfriends...1 of which is moving to Dubai! With so many people leaving the City Memorial Weekend and heading to The Hamptons or the Shore it was great to visit New York and move freely throughout...not to mention being able to secure reservations at some amazing restaurants!  

The trip started with a short train ride to the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx.  While only 20 minutes from Grand Central it feels like a million miles away.  From the Rose Garden to the Beer Garden this is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon.

Tijuana Picnic for dinner in the Lower East Side...awesome Mexican food!  The Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tacos and Shrimp Tacos with the corn and black beans sides were delish!  The sauces that came on all really made the meal!  Cool, casual, good music and vibe!

Super Cool Rooftop Brunch at Gallow Green at McKittrick Hotel!  This place is a must...the actual roof top is incredible and like no other set-up I've experienced in NYC, Chicago or Houston.  From little nooks and beautiful greenery to live music, this place has it all!  The food is buffet style with healthy options and not overwhelming.  The one draw back are the bathrooms...definitely room for improvement but over all this place is fabulous!

After brunch it was shopping in Soho and Gramercy Park!

photo credit: @golden2dew

End of a Beautiful Trip!

photo credit: @golden2dew

Final thoughts...Manhattan is a special place in the U.S. and World.  It's one of my favorite cities with so many amazing things to do.  Food, Fashion, Art, Diversity there isn't a better place to experience it all!  

Can't wait to share more with everyone this summer!

Follow Me on Instagram @grobaskimsu