Showing posts with label awesome alert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label awesome alert. Show all posts

9/29/15

AWESOME ALERT: Free Fitness Classes This October with Just Salad and DavidBartonGym

Bikini season may be gone, but that doesn't mean you should stop being kind to your body. Just Salad is partnering with DavidBartonGym to help you stay fit on the cheap by offering free fitness classes every Saturday in October! The #JustMove Fitness Series will feature Just Salad samples and swag after each class.


The class, aptly called "Shredded," will feature loud and aggressive music and a full out mix of barbell, dumbbell, and bodyweight exercises. Advance​d​ sign-up ​is ​required here and classes will be offered at all NYC DavidBartonGym locations at 12 and 2pm every Saturday in October--except 10/31, because that's when you're supposed to stuff your face with candy​. The best part is that all classes are FREE!​ 

Limit one class per person and you must be a local NYC resident to participate.

8/5/15

AWESOME ALERT: Free Food Tomorrow 8/6 from the Stonefire Food Truck tour

There is not a single person on this planet that does not like free food. And Awesome's got your back with this hook up tomorrow at the Flatiron Pedestrian Plaza (right outside Eataly).


Join celebrity Chef Marcel Vigneron of Top Chef and the Stonefire Food Truck tour for some gratis samples of delicious, easy-to-make, plant-based recipes featuring Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads and Naan Crisps. The event will run tomorrow, Thursday 8/6 from noon to 6 pm and will also feature live entertainment. For updates on what is happening throughout the day, you can follow Stonefire on Facebook or Twitter.

6/19/15

AWESOME ALERT: Free Antigravity Fitness Classes Next Week in NYC

Don't fall over, but one of my favorite (and most unique!) workouts of all time will be free to all newbies in NYC next week. Antigravity Fitness, is an exclusive program that combines aerial arts, yoga, pilates, and plain old fun into several different classes designed to push your boundaries, increase your flexibility, and generally make you more aware of your body and it's capabilities.

I've been taking classes for more than 5 years and there's not much more to be said than I LOVE IT!

Antigravity Fitness Creator Christopher Harrison and some yogis
Antigravity Fitness Creator Christopher Harrison and some yogis

To celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21, AntiGravity invites you to take flight with AntiGravity Fundamentals: Open Level classes at no cost from June 22-27, 2015. NO COST people! FREE! 

You don't need to have a current yoga practice to join, so everyone will take something away from this class (and more than likely get hooked and want to go back again and again). The patented hammocks are rated to hold more than 1,000 pounds, so no need to be scared. The trained instructors will walk you through your first inversion step by step and you'll be amazed at how good the world feels upside down. Bonus: there's no compression on your head and neck like there is with traditional yoga inversions!

To sign up, contact: labmanager@antigravityfitness.com to reserve a space. Just specify your Fundamentals class preference after selecting your preferred class time by clicking here.  Spaces are limited and are confirmed on a first come, first serve basis.

And one more time to show you how much fun it is, here's me and my friend Rachel just hanging last year:

Antigravity Fitness

Have fun flying!

6/10/15

AWESOME ALERT: Free Iced Tea Today at Teavana

It's hot out there and iced tea sounds like the perfect refreshing drink to tame your dehydration. So why not stop by Teavana today and get some FOR FREE!?

Free iced tea from Teavana today

To celebrate National Iced Tea Month (who knew right?), Teavana wants to give you a free 16 oz. Pineapple Berry Blue iced tea (no purchase necessary!). Just stop by one of their 3 NYC stores TODAY June 10:
  • Greenwich Village (63 E. 9th Street)
  • Upper East Side (1291 Lexington)
  • Upper West Side (2261 Broadway)
One free tea per customer. Enjoy!


5/11/15

AWESOME ALERT: Free Coffee from CUPS All Week Long!

Attention coffee fanatics: NYC coffee app CUPS is celebrating its first anniversary in the city and giving away free java all week long!

Free coffee in NYC with Cups this week

Check their Facebook page all week for details on which coffee shoppes around the city will fuel your caffeine addiction (20 each day!) and click here to download the app and top yourself off with a $10 credit to be used after this promotion ends.

4/1/15

AWESOME ALERT: Win Prizes from Peloton, Levain Bakery, Uplift Studios and More!

Have you ever wanted to support a worthy cause, work out at a fancy fitness studio for free, and munch on some divine chocolate chip cookies at the same time? If so, I have some fantastic news for you.


For my 12th year of fundraising for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in their annual MS Walk, I've organized a contest to try and raise $3,000 for research and programming to benefit those with this terrible, debilitating disease. 

The prizes are valued at over $1,500! For every $10 donation, you will earn one chance to win one of these items:
  • 30-class pack to my favorite spin studio in NYC, Peloton Cycle ($650 value!)
  • 5-class pack to the Fhitting Room, where you'll get an amazing high intensity workout and personalized attention ($170 value!)
  • 5-class pack to the amazing, kick-your-butt in the best way possible Uplift Studios ($160 value!)
  • 5-class pack to ((305)) Fitness, the best and most fun dance cardio workout from Miami located in the Village ($149 value!)
  • 5-class pack to the Union Square cycling studio with all sorts of theme rides, Revolve ($140 value!)
  • One dozen assorted cookies from the place in the world that makes them best, Levain Bakery ($71 value!)
  • 2 eyebrow waxes to the place that does them best, Boom Boom Brow Bar ($50 value!)
  • 2 2-packs of classes from Throwback Fitness to get your recess on ($35 each!)

To enter, make a donation on my walk page and include how many raffle tickets you would like ($10 per ticket) in the notes section. Be sure to include your full name and email address when donating so that I can contact you if you win. Entries will be accepted through 9am ET on Sunday 4/12. All winners will be contacted by Monday 4/13.

Please spread the word to friends! These prizes are too good not to! And thanks for helping fund vital MS research and programming!

4/16/14

AWESOME ALERT: $50 Off Any Date for Two

When you pass the honeymoon phase in any new relationship, it's easy to get stuck in the rut of dinner and a movie, or just dinner, or take out and just the first 23 minutes of a movie before you pass out cuddled up on the couch (that's cute too, no judgments here). However, if you'd like to spice things up a bit with your significant other (or even just have fun, random adventures with a friend), I'd highly recommend HowAboutWe Couples.


From glass blowing to Yankees games and archery lessons to fancy chefs tables, this date planning concierge service has something for everyone. The best part is that all the dates are priced at a discount and are always planned for 2, so no need to figure out how to buy multiple vouchers and scheduling everything yourself. Once you're a member, you will pay $18 a month and have access to a long list of city-centric rewards and a personalized concierge who will plan a personalized date for you if nothing currently on sale strikes your fancy. With your membership you also get to choose from a list of one free date per month.

Here's where the AWESOME ALERT comes in, right now if you sign up through this link you will get $50 off any date in the online collection plus one free month of membership. Examples of currently available dates you could get at this discounted price include:

  • An exclusive BYOB pottery class for 2 ($50)
  • Scavenger Hunt at the Brooklyn Museum (FREE)
  • Class at Scratch DJ Academy for 2 ($45)
  • Jazz and Bubbly Brunch Cruise ($32)
  • Cheese-inspired dinner for 2 at Lucy's Whey ($8)
Recently, my boyfriend and I snagged a pair of Yankee's tickets for less than $20 and I'm taking my mom to High Tea when she comes in next week for free! HowAboutWe Couples is great for those in relationships or those who just like adventuring in their city. It's currently available in NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle and will be launching in other cities soon. Check it out! You honestly have nothing to lose and $50 to spend. If anything, just grab the at-home DIY cheesemaking kit (free after your $50 discount!) and enjoy some quality mozzarella and ricotta made in heart-shaped cheese molds you get to keep.



Full disclosure: I will also get $50 when anyone signs up using my link so I really appreciate you going that route should you choose this as something awesome for you as well.

3/20/14

AWESOME ALERT: Macaron Day is TODAY!!!

One of my favorite days of the year is the day when the most elegant of cookies, the macaron, are given away en masse throughout the city. And guess what? (your day is about to get amazing..................)....................FREE MACARON DAY IS TODAY!


There are 15 participating locations in NYC (Gothamist has a helpful Google map if you want to try and get to all of them), and since I work in Midtown East I'll most likely hit up the Bernardaud store for MadMac macarons, FP Patisserie, and Macaron Cafe. All proceeds from further macaron sale will go to City Harvest.


Yummmmmmmmmmmmy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




10/18/13

AWESOME ALERT: Blue Apron is the Answer to Your Kitchen Prayers

Contrary to New York City tradition, my oven is not used for storage, and I love to cook. I love everything about cooking in fact--the way my knife sounds when slicing an onion, the spoonfuls of sauce I taste before deciding it is just right, licking the batter spoon before putting cookies in the oven, and the way my kitchen smells when I've been simmering apple sauce in my slow cooker all day long. One thing I don't like though is schlepping home heavy bags of carefully selected groceries home only to find my perfect tomato smushed at the bottom of the bag or finally getting upstairs to realize I forgot the ground turkey and have to go back out.


Enter Blue Apron. As a base description I would say this online recipe/ingredient delivery service is a cross between Birchbox, the Food Network, and Fresh Direct. Basically, the company sends out weekly emails describing their recipes for the next week (typically 3 meals a week for either a meat or vegetarian menu) and you can opt in to receive all the ingredients you need (minus only basics like salt, pepper and olive oil and basic pots and pans) hand delivered to your door. Busy that week or don't like the menu items? No problem, just opt out with no consequences. It's not a diet service so don't think of it like that, but the recipes are generally for healthy and wholesome meals (500-700 calories each).

Convenience, fresh ingredients, new recipes? I was sold and decided to give it a try (well, my coworker giving me a free week was also an added incentive!). I've been traveling a lot lately so finding a week I was going to dedicate to cooking in at least three times was not as easy as I thought it would be. My shipment looked a little like this, after I'd arranged it all pretty of course:


On first glance, I was really pleased with the quality of the food. The produce seemed as it was just plucked from the farm, the meat was all high-quality Pat LaFreida, and all of the condiment type ingredients were measured exactly to how much I needed so there would be minimal prep required on my part.

For my first meal, I went with the beef and millet stuffed bell peppers. Laying out all the ingredients was kind of fun and made me feel like I was the host of a cooking show.


The recipe cards were easy to follow and included pictures of each step along the way so you would know if you were doing something wrong before you got to the final product. For someone who never cooks, this would probably be the most advanced recipe of the week because there were several steps, but I'm confident that anyone who could slice and dice some veggies and follow instructions could complete this just fine. The finished product was scrumptious and made so much food! Each meal is supposed to be for 2 people but I easily made 3.5 meals out of it after adding another bell pepper I picked up from the grocery store.


The next meal was Italian inspired but with a twist: Spaghettini with shrimp, lemon and mint. I have never thought to use mint in a savory dish, but I loved it especially with the addition of spicy red pepper flakes. This dish also turned into 2 rather large portions and I loved that they give you enough ingredients in order to garnish your plates as well.


The last menu item was Mexican-style chopped salad with chicken and corn--a fairly basic salad, but something I've never really made like this before. The queso fresco was a nice touch as were the 2 different types of lettuce and the lime mayo dressing. Also, who knew you could slice corn fresh off the cob without cooking it? I certainly didn't.


All in all, Blue Apron was a hit in my kitchen and I will most likely try it again. This service would be perfect for someone who likes to cook but doesn't know how or doesn't have the time to shop for ingredients. It would also probably be better for a couple, because I had A LOT of food to eat that week and felt bad going out at all because I didn't want anything in my fridge to go bad. At $9.99 per person, per meal, it's cheaper than going out but potentially a bit more money than just going grocery shopping yourself. But really, who's going to measure your ketchup for you or make sure that you're cooking something new every week otherwise?

Blue Apron is available all over the country, but they are based in Brooklyn so support a local NYC company and place your order today :)

I was not paid by Blue Apron for this post. The opinions expressed here are completely my own.

5/30/13

AWESOME ALERT: Free Outdoor Adventures From Zozi and Bear Grylls

Ever fancied yourself an outdoors enthusiast? What about someone who at least likes trees? Either way, you're in luck because the deals site Zozi is giving away free outdoor adventures in NYC and around the country as part of a new promotion with Bear Grylls. I got the Outdoor Photography Class (regularly $97) and after referring 3 more people, I picked up the day pass to Brooklyn Boulders (regularly $32).


To sign up, click here and select your free adventure! Comment below on what you picked.

2/14/13

AWESOME ALERT: The Iconic NYC Jazz Club You Knew Existed But Have Never Been To

Jazz clubs. They are about as New York as it comes (well, if you don't count New Orleans). But have you every actually step foot in one? If you have, give yourself a pat on the back. If not, you owe it to yourself to tap your toes and sip a glass of wine at one of the city's musical gems.


My friend invited me along to the speakeasy-like Smalls Jazz Club, tucked into a basement space on West 10th Street, for their free Tuesday night show. I honestly went in with no expectations. I'm not ashamed to admit that I never liked (or thought I liked) jazz because I associated it with old people. I don't exactly know where that came from, and yes, older people do seemingly like jazz, but I digress.


When we walked in, a trio comprised of the piano, guitar and bass were playing upbeat tunes and taking turns showing off crazy skill with their solos. I know practically nothing about music theory or "why" music is "good," but it sure as heck sounded amazing. We grabbed seats a few rows from the front and had fun watching the cat (I'm told her name is Mina) sleep on the piano with intermittent breaks for cleaning herself.

Mina (Photo Courtesy Rachel Reed)

The music was so good that we decided to stay for the paid show at 9:30. Good thing we did too! For only $20, we got an intimate concert with the Scott Hamilton quartet, a pretty big deal in the jazz world (or so the Internet tells me).

Scott Hamilton Quartet

You can find the Smalls Jazz Club schedule here. Most shows are either indicated as "no cover" (aka FREE!) or cost $10 or $20. Looking for last minute Valentine plans tonight? The club is featuring 2 quartets and a quintet playing late into the night and I'm sure your date will be pleasantly surprised.

9/6/12

Fashion's Clean Night Out

Fashion's Night Out has become an annual event I always look forward to. I've mapped out my itinerary using their handy website (braid bar at Alice + Olivia and giveaways at Mulberry!) and I've rounded up a group of girlfriends. I've also picked out my most fashionable outfit so as not to stick out like a sore thumb.


The thing is, with all that free Champagne and those passed hors d'oeuvres, something is bound to get spilled on my new silk dress. And with all those hoards of people, my strong-enough-for-a-man-but-made-for-a-woman deodorant probably will reach it's breaking point. So what's a girl to do?


In addition to all the freebies you can pick up around town, one of my favorite dry cleaners in the city, Meurice Garment Care, has decided to participate as well by offering to dry clean one item that you wear tonight for free. Honestly, it's one of the more practical giveaways I've seen and it's very easy to claim. Just follow Meurice on Facebook and post a photo of yourself on their wall at any of tonight's events. You could also submit your photo on Twitter.


Either way, the item will be cleaned for free at any of their locations but the offer applies only to items that can be dry-cleaned or laundered. So, skirts, jackets, dresses and other garments qualify. Handbags, shoes, hats, etc., do not. Exceptionally intricate garments are not eligible. Only one cleaning is allowed per household and the last day to post your photo is September 14.

2/24/12

AWESOME ALERT: Free Awesome Concert Thursday 3/1

Attention readers! You may have seen me allude to the fact that big things were going to happen on the blog this month on Twitter. Well, now's the time you need to pay attention.

I can't give away too many details, but if I were you I'd clear your calendars on Thursday evening March 1 for the most epic concert of the year, happening right here in NYC. There will be some big names you will all recognize, and best of all, you can get in for free!

Stay tuned next week and I'll reveal more details. I will say this, while tickets are free, you still have to snag one. In addition to the 3 I'll be giving away next week, tickets will go "on sale" here on Monday morning 2/27 Tuesday morning 2/28 at 9:00 am EST (The link won't work until then but I thought I'd give you the heads up). Who's excited?

7/29/10

AWESOME ALERT: Went to a Debate and a Party Broke Out

I was invited to attend an event sponsored by Lexus on Tuesday night at The Bowery Hotel through their Darker Side of Green campaign. That was all I knew. I keep getting invited to these events where I have no idea what to expect and I realize, I need to get in the game!

Anyway, to give you some background, a short while back, I won a "Lexus Dark Ride Card" through a giveaway from a great blog, Fantabulously Frugal. After receiving it I registered it online and was granted access to several discounts for higher-end retailers and was alerted that I'd receive a weekly digest email with additional opportunities. Sure enough, the next week, I received the invite to this event. It was described as a debate on "green issues" between Eric Bates, the executive editor of Rolling Stone, and Lord Christopher Monckton, moderated by Tracy Morgan. Libations provided by Patron and, lucky me, VIP entry.

I'm not one to snub the commoners, but VIP entry is pretty sweet. Once we figured out which entrance to actually be at, my friend Perry and I were lucky enough to be standing right by the entrance when Ewan McGregor, looking adorable in a black suit and white shoes, hopped out of his car and a few seconds later, Liev Schreiber walked through the velvet ropes. After catching our breath, we found the bar and ordered Patron Pomegranate drinks. I'm a sucker for anything pomegranate. 

The Bowery has a very laid back vibe. The indoor-outdoor setting was very natural yet still gave off a slightly Mediterranean vibe. The debate was held inside and the environmentalist in me was actually looking forward to what was going to be discussed. I don't know if you watch 30 Rock, but Tracy Morgan talks exactly like he does on the show (read: often difficult to understand). Unfortunately with the noise and the slurring, I couldn't hear much of what was being said, although I did see enough to know that the Lord is a creepy man with bug eyes who thinks there is no such thing as global warming. Also, Tracy Morgan isn't the best moderator if you want a serious pun-free debate.

From L to R: Lord Christoper Monckton, Tracy Morgan, Eric Bates

Tried as we did, unfortunately Ewan and Liev left right after the debate and we didn't get any face time, but Tracy was very sweet when we asked for a picture.

From L to R: Me, Tracy and Perry

In conclusion, I guess it's good I wasn't expecting anything serious because I would have been sorely disappointed. This was more of a promotional event for Lexus and their new hybrid model. However, if you find a way to get your hands on one of these cards, I would highly recommend it. The weekly emails are filled with "Be the first 5 people to respond and win ____" contests and other discounts and perks. Also, parties like this are a reason in themselves to get one. 


7/20/10

AWESOME ALERT: Hollywood on 54th Street

I did something very L.A. tonight. I know in a blog about New York, this would be quite the contrarian thing to say, but it’s true.

Thanks to the Young Members Circle at the Museum of the City of New York and a generous soul at Paramount Pictures, I was invited to a screening of the new Steve Carell and Paul Rudd movie, Dinner for Schmucks. At least that was what I was told. Turns out, it’s the PREMIERE of the movie! Having never been to a movie premiere before, even after spending the first 17 years of my life in SoCal (you know it’s been a while since I’ve lived there because I call it SoCal), I truly did not know what to expect. Do I get to walk the red carpet? Do I get to meet all the stars? What about free popcorn? Well, no there is a side entrance for non-stars, no, but I did get pretty close to Michael Scott himself and actually, yes it was quite tasty.

Steve Carell with the paparazzi



Christine enjoying the free popcorn


My guest, Christine, and I marveled at the ornate setting of the historical Ziegfeld Theater while munching on popcorn and waiting for the film to begin. The crowd buzzed when Steve Carell in a sharp blue blazer entered the theater, Paul Rudd with a rather robust beard caused quite the stir as he took his seat and flashes popped when Zach Galifianakis, who cleans up rather nice, greeted fans already seated. The film’s director Jay Roach (think Meet the Parents and Austin Powers) introduced the film saying that it contains the work of “perhaps 16 to 20 of the world’s funniest people.” (Um, excuse me, but when has a movie EVER been introduced to me by its director in person!?).

Inside of the Ziegfeld Theater



Christine and I before the movie


The movie was highly entertaining, and in fact I’d recommend you all go out and see it. Steve Carell fulfilled his typecast but wonderful “schmuck” of a character and Paul Rudd was his charming self, but perhaps the most comical part of the evening, was the fact that I was not even expecting it. That’s the beauty of life in this city. Opportunity is in fact everywhere, and I love running into it.



Dinner for Schmucks opens everywhere July 30.

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