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Two mid-twenties gals living in Kansas City. Follow us as we share our experiences and what's trending in KC. {Kesha} Born and raised in the Midwest/Adventure seeker /Dog lover/Lipstick obsessed/Wino/Missouri State Alum {Jaclyn} Midwest transplant/Cat lady and proud/Wine connoisseur/World Traveler You can follow us on instagram @kesha_dye and @jzarifa Thanks for stopping by! K & J Please feel free to contact us with questions or remarks. knjblog@gmail.com

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Hello Wednesday

 Kesh and Jac were very busy last week working in California, poor us. We're sure you all were lost without us last week... (just humor us) but don't fret because WE ARE BACK to inform you about yet another weekend in Kansas City! 

Hold up!

Before we can chat about what's happening over the weekend, we can't forget what today is. What day is it? It's Hump day International Dance Day! Stop w h e r e v e r you are and take a minute to break it down. 

.......

funny dancing bad dancing gif

.......

Done shakin' and droppin' it? Back to business.

This Friday through Sunday, May 1-3, is the 30th Brookside Art Annual presented by Saint Luke's Health System. Enjoy Art from around the region along with light music in the evening. Visit BrooksideKC.org for more information.

Need an excuse to get fancy for night? Knock the dust off those tuxes and squeeze into those old dresses for Afentra's Prom. That's right, you, Mr. or Mrs. 28 year old can go to prom without looking like a pedo because Friday 96.5 the Buzz is hosting prom which is a free -say what?!- concert at the Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. Great music and great times with Vance Joy, The Kooks, Joywave and Hembree.*

Wake up, wake up, wake up it's the first of tha month. Check out our It's Only Here 12 Times Each Year post for more information about First Fridays. 

What are we doing this weekend? Well, for starters we are getting our run on Saturday in the Olathe Heart & Sole race benefiting the Special Olympics. Wish us luck as we truck along the 3.2 miles. And of course we can't forget about the Royals! Jac will be at the game Sunday afternoon cheering on our boys in blue, but most importantly- tailgating in the parking lot of Kauffman. 

#KeshandJac and comment below to let us know your weekend plans 

Now that you're in the know, feel free to get back to dancing!

K&J

*You're welcome for the links to great music.




Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Kesh and Jac Take Los Angeles

We love KC, but that title has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? E!, we're available for our own reality show whenever you're ready.
 
It's hard to believe we don't have it ALL in the Midwest, but as fun as it is to get weird at Party Cove at the Lake of the Ozarks, it's not the same as taking a stroll on the beach and gazing over the vast ocean. How romantical.

 
Our beach photo shoot for your viewing pleasure.
 
 
 
 
Several glasses of wine deep + a scenic view = a photo op we couldn't miss.
 
 

Let's be real, we're Midwesterners at heart and the beach loses it's luster after a few days. Especially on the west coast where the water's cold as shit. It was actually cold e v e r y w h e r e last week- Agoura Hills, Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice Beach.

Just casually hiking in Malibu, searching for our pal, Bruce Jenner's house. Who knew SoCal was so mountainous? This adventure was a 2 mile hike up hill! Our asses were sore for days.
 
 
 
Unfortunately we didn't run into any celebs, but it was quite an experience to walk the same streets (they're not street walkers) sidewalks as the Kardashian/Jenner clan do as we spent the week hanging out in Calabasas and Malibu. Although we were walking in our Keds and not Loubs so it wasn't exactly the same. #cashflowproblems
 
 
Pros to the Midwest= the food.
Cons to the Midwest= the food. 

Image result for oklahoma joe's zman
Z Man from Joe's KC

Acai bowl at Bowl of Heaven in Agoura Hills, CA

You're not going to find a pulled pork bbq sandwich with a giant side of fried onion rings in Los Angeles- the City of Skinny People. That's what Los Angeles means, right? This being said, being in LA for a week is incredibly helpful in pre-summer weight loss goals because there's a health food café on every corner. Yes, KC, we're blaming you for our battle of bulge, but let's be clear- this is only problematic in the spring. We're not mad about the weight gain during our winter hibernation. 

 
View from our hike in the Bu.

Thanks for your hospitality, LA, but we're glad to be back in KC,
 
K & J

Friday, April 17, 2015

Can I Hiit that?

We all do it. 

Most of us at night. 

Some of us during the day. 

Few of us as a lunch break quickie.

The wild ones who can wake up early enough to do it before work have a little extra pep in their step during the day.


We're talking about High Intensity Interval Training!

And you thought we mispelled "hit" in the title? #dirtymind

We have to not only fit our 40 hour work week and catching eight hours of shut-eye around our jam packed social schedules (priorities, y'all), but also our workouts. Because we both struggle with self-control when it comes to food and we have a taste for the finer things in life- i.e. high calorie beer and excessive glasses of Cab- we have to find ways to sneak a work out in here and there throughout the week.

Thank goodness for HIIT. If you're not into spending money on DVDs and workout programs, you can access some FO FREE on YouTube. Our favorites come from our girls, Karena and Katrina, with Tone It UpWe're still not sure who is who, but neither of us would complain if we looked like either of them.

Karena and Katrina. Photo Cred: Toneitup.com

Gotta go HIIT it then quit it,
K&J

#keshandajc while you play in KC this weekend! Comment below to let us know how you squeeze in ejercicio* on the daily. 

*This is your Spanish word of the day. Ejercicio = exercise in Ingles. De nada.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

It''s Wednesday, Wednesday, Gotta get down on Wednesday!

Ok, maybe those aren't the exact lyrics, but close enough. Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend, weekend!

For those lucky bastards who don't have to work tomorrow- or don't mind going to work with a little buzz-- or are just jobless...Tomorrow morning the Tank Room is putting on Kegs and Eggs with Art Alexakis.

Bleach Blonde Lead Singer of Everclear for all our non-90s babes

First 100 in the door get a free drink and breakfast. No better way to Start your day than with some good tunes and sweet eats! No charge to get in the door but go early- Its a first come first serve kinda deal.

In more music news- Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear will be playing The Mills Record Company in Westport this coming Saturday at 8:30 p.m. This mother and son folk duo is making moves. They recently played SxSW and even got a spot on David Letterman. This is a great opportunity to see a KC bred band before they take off and we can no longer afford tickets to see them.  Rumor has it their album will drop May 19th. If you haven't heard of the band- we recommend you check out Silent Movies. Just do it, trust us.

For our athletic friends and/or friends who enjoy sitting on the couch to watch athletes- American Ninja Warrior is coming to Downtown KC this weekend . You can be part of the live audience FO FREE. Watch these amazing men and women jump and swing off shit and move through the type of obstacle courses us simpletons daydream about after watching movies like Mission Impossible....Everyone runs around their kitchens imagining bad guys are chasing them then proceed to jump off furniture pretending they are buildings...right?

Lastly, if you are in a charitable mood this weekend, April 16th is Brew for Books. This is the second annual Brew for Books held at Boulevard Brewing Company in KC. The event is fully equipped with all you can drink boulevard beer (duh) and oh so delicious Waldo Pizza. Bring in a new or gently used book for children 0-5 and get a discount on your ticket. You're welcome for saving you money.



Happy Weekend

K&J

Monday, April 13, 2015

Coming Soon

Anyone else feel this way today?
Monday's are the worst. The weekends are never long enough. Is it too much to ask for at least 12-24 more hours to extend our Netflix marathon? Thanks. We might not ever be ready to start another work week, but there are a few things we cannot wait for that are coming soon to a city near you. City near you= Kansas City, obvi.
Here we go.
///Andy's Frozen Custard/// Thank you America Obama Baby Jesus for finally bringing this amazingness local. It's not enough to stop by the Lake of the Ozarks or Springfield locations once or so each year. We need it here and we need it now! Kesh fell in love with the frozen custard in her college days at MSU. There was nothing better than a chocolate shake with cookie dough at 10pm on Wednesday night. Freshman 25, anyone? Try to refrain from drooling whatever device you've chosen to read this post while you check out their menu. We were teased with knowing Andy's was coming to Westport last year when we read an article that it would be opened in August. We've been waiting somewhat patiently ever since.
Photo cred: Hurts Donuts FB page
///Hurts Donut/// See what they did there? We all love the traditional donuts available at Krispy Kreme, Dunkin' Donuts, and, our favorite, Quik Trip [QT may or may not have the best glazed donut in the world. Don't knock it 'til you try it], but none of these places top theirs with fruit loops and bacon or stuff them with Nutella or jalapeno and cream cheese. Yes, this sounds strange, but we've only heard good things about the fried dough they're serving up at Hurts and neither of us is interested in passing up good food anytime soon. [A donut is "food", right?] Hurts Donut started in Springfield, Missouri- unfortunately after Kesh graduated so she wasn't able to stop by for drunk food- and will be expanding to Wichita then KC! (Jacs old stomping grounds-she is also disappointed it was not there for drunk college nights... Guess a new reason to visit Ma and Pa!)  We need to know more, Hurts! When can we expect you and where? We like to anticipate when we can expect to experience a Cookie Monster or Fire in the Hole donut.

///Streetcar/// Kansas City is long overdue for updating our public transportation systems. Let's be honest, we don't have much. There's the Jo and a bus system, maybe? We don't have a subway or a metrolink, but coming this summer we can ride through KC in a rail car.These will be KC's first streetcar rails since 1957. We're not sure where it's picking us up and where it will take us, but for $1 fare, count us in!

You never cease to amaze us, KC. Keep up the good work.

Off to dream about eating a donut topped sundae while riding on a street car,
K&J

Comment below and share which you're most excited for!

Friday, April 10, 2015

Shots! Shots! Shots!

It's that time of year when a lot of sickness starts going around and unfortunately we were no exception. Whatever that nasty little bug is, it got us! Even though we eat so healthily and limit our alcohol consumption to only two drinks per week... Just kidding. But really, Kesh got real sick- she blames her husband for giving her this plague- and Jac has caught a cold. Ick.

That being said, we didn't have the energy to try out a new workout this week. Or maybe that's just an excuse because we're lazy. Either way, if we weren't going to burn some calories, we thought we'd swap our usual Pizza Friday* with some healthy foods at t.Loft. t.Loft  is a health cafe with three locations- State Line, Leawood, and Lawrence. We decided to try out Leawood so we could be fancy for a minute because, well, Leawood has all the fancy shit.
 
Only Leawood would have Chandeliers in a fucking juice bar. 

We both own juicers because we try to convince each other to participate in things like Dr. Oz's 3-day cleanse, but let's be real- it's a lot of work and it's always more fun for someone else to make the things for you.


Kesh is PUMPED about juice


Are you high, Jac?
 

t.Loft has a great atmosphere with lots of all natural food options. You may be thinking "F that. I'm good with my burger and beer" but it actually took us awhile to choose our after work refreshment because everything sounded and looked really good. (They have some sort of Chipotle-looking dish that was intriguing for another time and we're sure would be approximately a bazillion calories less than our beloved burrito bowls.)  Kesh went for the Easy Breezy - hoping to become a Cover Girl, obviously- and Jac tried out the Liquid Fuel. Both were packed with fruits, vegetables, and flavor-in a good way. 
 
That's right- today's Happy Hour was good for our soul and didn't leave our livers angry. A cold drink and hanging out with your pal on a swinging bench makes for a good start to a relaxing weekend.

The drinks were refreshing and reasonably priced. The menu has a wide range of options from juice to smoothies to full on meals to shots. Ya, you read that right!  Shots! Shots! Shots! Only these shots are filled with superfoods and won't leave you drunk. [You don't always have to be intoxicated guys, get your life together!]

 

Cheers to the weekend,
-K&J

*This is real a thing. 98% of our Friday nights are dedicated to eating pizza and binge watching Scandal while making note of how to become Olivia Pope (Kesh) or being convinced your boyfriend is going to kill you while watching Dateline (Jac). Our friday nights are riveting, y'all!

Side note: Kesh first heard of t.Loft after the Diva Dash 5k race on March 28th because they were gracious enough to share samples of their Peanut Butter Protein Balls at their tent immediately after the run. Kesh may have been out of breath, but it's never okay to pass up anything made with PB. Where was Jac? you're probably asking. One of us may or may not have participated too heavily in the previous nights festivities to make it to the race... Hangover + running at 7:30am= no bueno.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Beer & Presidents & Dinosaurs

Here at Kesh and Jac , we can always find a reason to celebrate, no matter the day of the week. Yes, sometimes we feel guilty for drinking a bottle of wine rather than doing laundry on a Monday night..but YOLO. 

Kesh was recently perusing some fun National days and Stumbled across one of the best..NATIONAL BEER DAY
 
Tuesday (yesterday) was the recognized but unofficial holiday to celebrate beer. Shout out to Frankie David Doug Don D. Roosevelt* for signing the Cullen-Harrison Act into law which allowed people to buy, sell, and drink beer again! The law went into affect April 7th, 1933 and is now recognized by beer lovers all across the States. Some how this fun fact has been over shadowed by his other presidential accomplishments *cough* New Deal *cough* during a really dark time in the U.S... The Great Depression, was it?
 
KC BIER Company and Bier Kitchen both had specials to commemorate the holiday
 
Cheers to you, Frankie!

And if you prefer to stay in - The Kansas City post did a great piece suggesting tasty supper ideas involving beer- That would work for any night of the week.

Middle of the Map Fest Starts Today and ends the 25th. This event is presented by INK magazine & amp and takes place all around the down town area. Middle of the Map Fest is one of the biggest Music , Forum, and Film Festivals Kansas City has to offer.

Lastly//// Worlds of Fun Opening Weekend is THIS weekend! Check this out if you're into dinosaurs and shit! Don't pretend like you're not. No one can resist siting in front of the TV for three hours when Jurassic Park comes on AMC for the seventh time in two days.
 
C h e e r s,
 
K&J

#keshandjac and comment below to let us know where you had drinks last night

P.S. If you don't know who FDR is or what the New Deal or the Great Depression is you either A) Need to read a book, B) Be older so you can know what's happened before the new millennium, or C) Learn about Wikipedia to fake some knowledge

*If he was cool enough to sign the beer act we can assume he wouldn't mind us calling him Frankie. Kudos to anyone who knows what the "D" in FDR stands for.

 

Sunday, April 5, 2015

A Hairy Situation

Its time to get a little personal. For the longest time I remember being extremely self conscious about the dark hair on my arms, my sideburns, and what I consider a lady stache. (not so lady like) I always cursed my dad for passing on the hairy gene. As many people know, Arabs are known for two things-- being hairy and....well...having a temper....I hate the hair and I've tried it all-waxing, bleaching*, shaving but none of that is permanent and the pesky little hairs grow back.

I try not to dwell on it- but every now and then I am reminded of my Arab curse.  I will always remember one day at work when I was 16 years old-- one of the guys in the kitchen of the restaurant I worked at said "why do you have hair on your arms" although I wanted to cry of embarrassment at the time - I turned to him and said "why does your face look like that" (good one jac..) Most recently a friend of mine called me a hairy chewbacca --I know he was kidding and meant nothing of it--- but I couldn't help but think "ahhh he noticed I'm a hairy monster!"

Thankfully- I recently found a place that changed my life. Premier Laser Spa.

You may have heard commercials for this magical place on radio stations such as the Buzz*. Although they have many locations and we try to stick to local KC spots--- I wanted to share my hairless journey with you all. Premier is located at 8644 North Boardwalk Ave, Kansas City, MO 64154 (you can check out zona rosa after your done!) They are renowned for their lasers and only do hair removal. It is easy to be an expert in something when its the only thing you have to know, which I like.




Here is a photo of the after of my arms-- I wont post the before cause I'm not into scaring children.

I would definitely suggest Premier - male or female- if you are an embarrassed about hair or just tired of the inconvenience of shaving - get rid of it for good. The staff is amazing and are happy to help and answer any questions during your hair loss journey. It has given me so much confidence (which is kinda scary cause I was already pretty cocky)

If you go, tell them I sent you - cause to be honest- I get a check for referring and that shits expensive.

If you call for a consultation by April 15th you can get 4 areas for the price of 1....that's pretty fucking legit guys. Home girl is going to get her legs done..no more shaving! Kesh is heading there too. #smoothangels

- J

*Ladies do NOT bleach your not so lady stache unless you want a forever milk mustache. 
*If you don't already #listenlonger 

Friday, April 3, 2015

Hey Mom, it's Mayo.

Workin' the pole looks like an easy task to the untrained eye. However, we learned this week that it involves some strength, coordination, and a whole lot of sass to make it look nice. Gotta point those toes and twerk that ass like a pro to get dem dollas. Not sure why we thought we'd be naturals at this; pole dancing is a combination of dance and acrobatics, neither of which we are experts in.
When we first rolled into the parking lot of our fitness destination, we thought this place looks sketch as fuck. But then we remembered we were in LSMO and the only semi-sketch thing there is a Chinese food joint located in a run-down Burger Boy building. We love you, but you know who you are*

The curtains on the window are actually a nice touch so you are not hesitant to dance freely. Keep those peepers away.
There were several things we were unaware of before arriving at The Stiletto Gym:
 
 1. Know your name**. Not the name your parents gave you. Your stripper name. Sorry Mom and Dad.
When the instructor introduced herself as Rain and asked what our names were, we immediately looked at each other and mouthed "Dragon" and "Night Hawk."
2. Don't dress like a granny. This isn't a place to be modest. The more skin the better. This will help you grip that pole. Yoga crops and running leggings aren't gonna do the trick. Get naked. Be free.
3. Every girl should own a pair of dangerously tall, lucite platform stripper heels. Not just because they'll enhance your stripper moves, but probably all aspects of your life.

 

The ladies at the Stiletto Gym were awesome! Not only the instructor, but all the other ladies in the class were gracious enough to demonstrate the moves over and over and over again until we k i n d a got it. We started with a twerking warm up- ya real life- then moved into basic moves and spins. After that we were able to bring it all together for a final dance.
 
We have to be honest, as much as we struggled with the Martini Spin , after putting on our heels for a real run through of our recently learned dance routine to Beyoncé's Rocket, we had a new found air of confidence that helped us work the pole. You can always count on Bey to bring out your inner Sasha Fierce.
This is called a Headstand. We did that. No lie.
Not to get all Spice Girls/girl power on ya, but there's something pretty empowering about twerkin' trying to twerk on the pole with your friends without judgment.
It's important to not only mix up our fitness regimen, but to also know where our talents lie in case our day jobs don't work out. Hey! If Jessi Spano can become a stripper...
Jessi Spano- Saved by the Bell. Stripper- Showgirls.
Don't pretend you're not about to practice your strip tease right now. Here's a some music to inspire you.
 
Remember, always lead with your booty. You're welcome.
 
K&J

 
*Sorry Shanghai Boy, we're talking about you if you still don't know.
**Here's a list of stripper names so you're prepared. Sorry we took the best ones.


As for the title of this post, we were told there are two strippers in the new movie "Get Hard" named Mayo and Chocolate. Jac missed a call from her momma while we were dancing so, naturally, she thought she'd call back and say "Hey Mom, it's Mayo."

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Sup Fools?

Happy Wednesday, Fools! 

We don't have to fool you about all the cool stuff going on in KC this weekend.That's a pun...we think. Ha!


As always, we suggest you check out First Fridays! The weather* should be perfect for strolling around Crossroads, checking out food trucks, music, and art around the city!

We also highly recommend you check out the Monster Drawing Rally. This unique fundraiser gives guests the rare opportunity to walk around- adult beverage in hand- and watch artists create their drawings from start to finish. You can bid on the pieces during the silent auction once all the drawings are completed. Proceeds go to the Woman in Design scholarship...We wish this was called the "Designing Women Scholarship", but a good cause is a good cause. Plus one of our friends, Lance,  will be participating - #namedrop 
 
If arts and crafts aren't your thang, Sporting KC will be playing one of their first games this weekend. Sunday, April 5th Sporting will take on Philadelphia Union. Ladies, whether you like soccer or not, you can grab a beer and enjoy the view. Ya get what we're sayin'?
Oh, Hello there Boys. 
And Finally, If you don't like Food Trucks, Art, OR Sports, we think you're super boring and you should check yo self...but hopefully you like music. The Sing off Live Tour will be at the Midland Friday, April 3rd. We wanted to join in and do some a capella of our own, but we've been discouraged by our friends because apparently we are "bad" singers...

Just kidding. We have one more for ya because there are SO MANY THINGS happening this week! Last, but NOT least. Our Royals Home Opener is Monday!!! It seems like just yesterday our boys were battling the San Francisco Treats. (Ya Ya we know they're the Giants, but it's funnier to joke about Rice-a-Roni). Not sure who they're playing honestly. We love our boys in blue, but we're just here for the tailgating and associated shenanigans. Sorry dudes!

Go check out whats hop-ening around KC! That's for sure a pun.

-K & J

#keshandjac to let us know what pranks you pulled! We did hear of some funny April Fools pranks that were pulled by a couple in Switzerland? Sweden? A land far from here on Mix 93.3 this morning. Apparently the boyfriend convinced his girlfriend that her pup was locked in the dishwasher causing her to freak out and be real sad, naturally. Payback's a bitch, so later girlfriend convinced her boyfriend to hop out of the shower suddenly for sexy time, blind folded him, and guided him to sit on a couch. As he was suspecting he was about to get a sassy show, he was greeted by laughter and his bum was covered with wax strips his gal positioned carefully on said couch. The clip continued with an evil woman's laugh and a man screaming for dear life as he was ripping the hairs and wax strips from his ass...

*We're slightly embarrassed about how much we mention the weather. But let's be real- this winter was the worst and had us thinking we might have to say peace out to the Midwest until Spring, but we survived so give us a break.