Weekend Snaps

Friday
It was our last teacher workday for the school year. So after closing out everything for the year I headed to lunch with a few friends from work and then enjoyed the afternoon by the pool. Friday evening Joe and I attended a going away cookout for our young adult leaders. I am ever thankful for them and the small group at our church as hey have truly made the triangle start to feel like home.

Saturday
Enjoyed a great early morning run to start out the day. Then Joe and I headed out to complete a few errands and grab lunch. The afternoon was spent escaping the heat while watching the Jurassic Park series. Yep. All three! Just trying to get prepared for Jurassic World.

Sunday
Another early morning run plus a long walk with the pup. There is a litter of bunnies by our house that we always spot in the morning. They are not scared at all and will let us sneak up pretty close. The day was spent packing odd and ends for our move. Doing a bit at a time makes it feel less overwhelming. Joe and I enjoyed an afternoon showing of Jurassic World followed by dinner at Bad Daddy's. I always sneak a few of Joe's tater tots as they are the best! Sunday wrapping up was not as much as a drag as it usually is since I am off work for the next 5 weeks!

How was your weekend? Did anyone else brave the crowds to see Jurassic World? I thought it was pretty good for an action movie. However, it was very graphic for young kids!

Linking up today with Ashley, Bianna, 

Bella & Meghan

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Weekend Insight

One way that is guaranteed to make you feel old? Going to your 10 year high school reunion. No really, it has been 10 years since I graduated high school. Let's take a walk down memory lane... 10 years ago Grey's Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother and The Office debuted. Now all those shows are considered classics in my mind. I had just upgraded to the popular phone of the time, the Razr. My goal in life 10 years ago was to look like Hilarie Burton from One Tree Hill (What is she up to these days?). I also had a goal to be as dark as possible through a orange glow from the tanning bed. Thankfully I have grown a lot over these past 10 years and still occasionally get carded :) 

Saturday night we headed out to dinner at the beach with a small group from our graduating class to celebrate our 10 years post high school. I went to a small high school with a graduating class under 30 so we were all pretty close. I am happy to be able to call these girls my friends and love that we still keep in touch!

{Class of 2005}

We had a great time Saturday night down by the beach catching up over drinks and good food. The rest of the weekend was spent visiting my family and enjoying the beautiful weather. I appreciate that both our families are less than a two hour drive away. It is always nice to spend a weekend at home catching up. 

How was everyone's weekend? Is your 10 year reunion around the corner or did you go to your class reunion?

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A Little Late: Weekend Recap

Happy St. Patrick's Day friends! I hope everyone had a great weekend and that your week is started off on the right foot. It has been quite hectic lately and today has been the first chance to sit down and catch up. I apologize for the lack of pictures as I completely slacked on documenting this weekend. Thursday my mother had surgery at Duke to correct slipping disks in her upper vertebrae. As with any major surgery, I always get a bit nervous before the actual procedure. The doctor was amazing  and said a beautiful prayer before they took her back. This really helped to ease our worries. Everything went well with the procedure and she was released to go home and recover Friday afternoon.

After visiting my parents at Duke Friday, I went home and got ready for company! It is strange to host people in our tiny apartment. I guess if they don't mind the lack of space then I should not either. Two of our friends Christina and Joe came into visit for the weekend. Once everyone arrived after work we headed off to Winston Salem to visit a friend's brewery White Street Brewery. The brewery had a local food truck outside to provide dinner for customers. I knew this was something the group would love. We had a great time trying their custom beers. I even found one I liked! That is a rare occurrence since I don't drink beer.

After a few rounds of drinks, we headed back to the apartment where we turned into our old college selves. Circle of death made an embarrassing appearance. While it was fun to relive our college memories my body does not recover like it used to!

Saturday's weather left much to be desired. So Christina and I hit the mall and enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs. I have a feeling that when I get older I will be one of those old ladies in a wind suit walking laps around the mall.

That night we headed out for dinner at Tribecca Tavern in Cary. This was one of the first restaurants Joe and I discovered when we moved to the area. It quickly became a favorite and we enjoy taking all of our friends when they are in town.

After a busy weekend, Sunday was spent recovering and catching up on chores.  Sundays are quickly becoming my favorite day of the week especially when I am  able to get in a great Pure Barre workout. I also got the chance to try on bridesmaid dresses for my little's wedding! After trying on dresses, I am ready to get my booty back in shape. I have a plan and will be sharing it with you all soon!

What was the highlight of your weekend?

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Weekend Recap

Welcome back to another work week! I am feeling rested and ready for another week. Pretty much the opposite of what most are saying since we lost an hour yesterday. I think it is the combo of the beautiful weather we are having and the extra hour of sunshine each day. I loved being able to not have to wake up in the dark.

This weekend was the perfect mix of activities paired with lounging. I feel like I say this a lot but it truly is the best way to spend the weekend. Friday night Joe and I stayed in and caught up on our current favorite primetime show Gotham. Saturday I woke up early and got in a good workout at Pure Barre as well as a long walk with Charlie. I am loving that the weather has been nice enough to enjoy long walks during the day. The highlight of our day enjoying lunch at Tupelo Honey. We enjoyed drinks and a mix of southern inspired small plates. Thanks to making reservations we did not have to wait at all for a table and our food appeared quickly after we ordered. I was amazed with the speed of service. I'm sure it is because of the need to turn around tables quickly. Even though we never felt rushed during lunch.

Housemade Sangria 

Small Plates 

We split grit cakes,  egg rolls and wontons all with a low country twist. The egg rolls were our favorite as they were stuffed with Carolina style pulled pork and served with a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. After lunch, we walked around Cameron Village and finally took the time to get my wedding rings resized. Funny story: my wedding rings haven't fit since the honeymoon when they got stuck and we had to pry them off with dental floss. I was scared to death at the time that we were going to have to go to a hospital and have my rings surgically removed. Thanks to a quick Google search paired with an ice bucket and dental floss Joe was able to pry them off my swollen fingers. Since then, I have been wary of wearing them together and have been just wearing my wedding band. I am happy that I will have the set back together.

Sunday started up bright and earl with a trip to Rise Biscuits and Donuts before church. I had been wanting to go forever but never made it there. (This happens with me a lot!) I mentioned it at church and someone suggested we all go before the early service. I enjoyed a glazed blueberry wonut which is a waffle mixed with a donut. It was delicious! It tastes similar to a Bojangles Boberry biscuit just 100x better!

Blueberry Wonut

Rise Biscuit 

The extra sugar motivated me to get out on another walk after church to make sure I soak up as much vitamin D as I can! The rest of the weekend was spent doing laundry and watching a mix of NASCAR and House of Cards. I absolutely despise laundry specifically ironing. So it all gets piled up until Sunday when I will just power though and iron everything for the week at once. I have a steamer but it doesn't quite get the wrinkles out like ironing does.

Anyone else loath ironing? Let me know what was a highlight to your weekend?

Linking up with the lovely Biana, Bella and Ashley. 

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Weekend Recovery

Well hello there!! This past week has been a complete whirlwind of travel, learning, friends and squeezing in every minute of fun at Disney! I look forward to sharing with you all about my trip later this week.

We got back to NC late Friday night. It was surreal to be returning to 10* weather with snow on the ground. Saturday was spend resting up and unpacking. I drug Joe out of the apartment for a quick date night at a Longhorn. They are currently running a 2 for $24 deal which you can split an app and choose from several delicious entrees. We both got the steak which was amazing and such a great deal! Fun fact- we went to dinner super early (4:30 ish) since we had a late breakfast and not much lunch. There was already a 30 minute wait when we arrived at the restaurant! When we left about 2 hours later there was a line out the door. It has been a year since we moved to the area and I am still amazed at the wait time at restaurants.

Sunday was spent outside enjoying the warmer weather and enjoying a Pure Barre class. I have to say after being out a week the burn was intense yesterday.

I'm still recuperating from the trip and trying to process all that I learned. Looking forward to getting into a normal routine again especially when it comes to clean eating!

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Weekend Recap & January Goals

This morning had quite a dreary start as it was cold and rainy on my way to work this morning. My coffee run this morning is the only reason I currently have a little pep in my step! My coffee addiction is currently out of hand and need to start trying to make my lattes at home ASAP. Anyway... This morning I wanted to share a quick recap of my weekend and how I did on my January goals. Spoiler alert: I may have been a bit too lofty on my goals for this month.  

Friday night, Joe and I treated my parents to dinner while they were in town. I hate that we moved away from my hometown but thanks to doctor appointments at Duke we see my parents pretty regularly. A few weeks ago my Dad turned 60, so we made our dinner a belated birthday celebration complete with mile high strawberry shortcake! We enjoyed dinner at Nantucket Grill which is quickly becoming one of my favorite local restaurants. They have the most amazing selection of cakes and sweet treats which you always need for a good celebration. For dinner, I branched out a bit and tried the grilled steak salad. I always thought the combination was strange but it ended up being surprisingly delicious!

I told you that cake was huge!! I enjoyed the chocolate peanut butter cake and I could not even finish it. Which is saying something because I am always enjoy sweets to the last bite. 

Saturday morning I woke up itching for a workout. I headed to Pure Barre and then completed a short 2 mile run afterwards. As a treat to celebrate the end of the month I snagged this cute barre tank that I had my eye on. The cotton is so soft and light. It was perfect for barre class as well as my run afterwards. 

Saturday afternoon Joe and I headed to visit our friends from college and their newborn baby. They are the first in our group of friends from college to have a baby which is a huge milestone for our group. I loved getting the chance to visit and catch up with them and their adorable little girl.

Saturday night we took advantage of Triangle restaurant week and went to dinner at Capri Restaurant in Raleigh. Unfortunately, we were both unimpressed with the restaurant and the service. Since visitig Capri this past summer I had high hopes of enjoying delicious food while reminiscing on our trip.   It is rare that we completely strike out on a restaurant choice.  We made the best of it and decided to continue our Italian celebration when we got home with a bit of limoncello. I had forgotten how amazing this liquer tastes. I kept it simple with 1:1 ratio of limoncello to sprite. 

Sunday night we watched the Superbowl party at home while enjoying home made buffalo chicken bites. I adapted the recipe that I shared Friday so that it was the perfect serving size for two. Looking forward to sharing this later in the week. 

January Goals 

Alright now onto my January goal recap. I tried to set 5 attainable goals for January. I'll be sharing my February goals later this week. 

1. Reduce the amount of sweets I eat in a week. – Did not meet. This month I noticed that I tend to use sweets as a comfort food when I am stressed. All the sweets are currently out of out apartment and this is something I still am working on. 

2. Plan a group outing with friends. – Almost met. I enjoyed an outing with friends this month to see Wicked. However, since I planned it myself it doesn't really count. I already have a date on the calendar for a girl's night in February! 

3. Read one good book. -  Almost met. I picked up Big Little Lies from the library and am currently reading it when I get a chance. 

4. Take Charlie on a long walk 3 days a week. – Did not meet. This goal was a bit lofty considering the freezing weather we had mid January. I was able to take Charlie on a long walk about one time a week. 

5. Limit extra purchases. – Met! This one was the hardest for me as I was constantly picking things up but then just putting them back before I got to the register. I celebrated with purchasing a Pure Barre tank I had my eye on. :) I hope to continue to keep limiting extra purchases as much as I can these next few months. 

Well, that is all folks! That was one long post. Hope everyone has a great day!

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Weekend Rewind

How is everyone doing? I am slowly recovering from a sugar coma thanks to a weekend full of Christmas parties and baking.  Drinking lots of water and tea this morning to help dilute the sugar currently sitting in my stomach :).  Let me share what I was up to this weekend!

Friday night after work, Joe and I headed out to dinner with our young adult group from church. We enjoyed dinner at Mellow Mushroom on the American Tobacco Campus.  The campus is formerly the headquarters of the American Tobacco Company, once the largest manufacturer of cigarettes in the United States. The location was abandoned until 2000 when it became part of revitalization project to redevelop downtown Durham. The campus now hosts countless restaurants, businesses, apartments and the Durham Performing Arts Center.

After dinner, we went ice skating at an outdoor rink that had been set up in the center of campus. I am always nervous of falling when on the ice but thankfully was able to remain upright.

Before leaving, we toured a local Christmas tree decorating contest set up by nonprofit organizations. My favorite were the animal rescue groups which had trees featuring dog and cat treats or photos. 

Saturday morning while Joe hung around the house assembling his new computer (Christmas came early for us.) I snuck off for some peace and quiet and a good workout at Pure Barre.

For lunch we headed out to The Brunch Box which is quickly becoming my favorite local deli. I chose a build your own sandwich complete with sprouts and avocado. It was delicious!!

Saturday night we headed to a Christmas party and a friend’s house and enjoyed an evening hanging out past my 10pm bedtime. This rarely happens for me and I was happy to throw my self-imposed curfew out the window.

Sunday after church we had yet another holiday party to attend and then I spent the rest of the evening baking and wrapping gifts. I made Holiday cake batter cookies from Sally’s Baking Addiction and they turned out amazing. I also made a batch of Rocky Road brownies. I can’t wait to share them with co-workers this week.

{recipe}

The weather was so beautiful this weekend so I also made sure to take Charlie on an afternoon walk Sunday after sampling all the baked goods.  

What is your favorite holiday recipe? 

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Weekend Rewind

This weekend was filled with spending time with friends and family, delicious treats and getting in the holiday spirit. We spent Thanksgiving with my family in Burgaw. It was great to be home for a few days, spend time with family and also help put up all the Christmas decorations. For thanksgiving, I made a festive cheese ball. I followed the classic pineapple cream cheese cheese ball recipe. Then I added pretzels and a red bell pepper to resemble a turkey! I just loved how it turned out.

 I also took the chance to visit my favorite hairdresser and get a much needed hair cut! I said goodbye to almost 5 inches of hair!

Saturday we headed to Chapel Hill and tailgated with our friends Anna and Dan before the Carolina/State game. I brought mini chicken and waffles which are always a huge hit! I had made them before for brunch you can check out the recipe here. Unfortunately, NC State dominated the game which made for an uninteresting football game. After the disheartening loss, Joe and I spent the rest of the day watching college football and Comedy Central specials. 

Sunday was a bit of the same. After church I headed to Pure Barre and ran a few Sunday errands. Oh boy I am LOVING Pure Barre. I am so excited to be a part of the newest challenge to complete 15 classes in the month of December.

{via}

The rest of Sunday was spent online shopping and getting ready for the work week. Hope y'all had a great holiday weekend as well!

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Weekend Happenings

Morning loves! I woke up in a rush this morning because my body thought it was Wednesday! Since it is a super short week and we only have two days of work I have a lot to do! Let’s rewind a bit to this weekend.

Friday night after work, Joe and I headed on a date night to NOFO at the Pig in Raleigh. There was a NOFO in Wilmington which closed a few years ago so I was excited to visit a familiar restaurant in a new location. NOFO did not disappoint. The restaurant prides themselves in using farm to table ingredients and promoting local small businesses. The restaurant is located inside an old Piggly Wiggly hence the name NOFO at the Pig. The upstairs is an eclectic shop which features unique children toys, local crafts and even baked goods.

After exploring the adorable shop we headed down to dinner. Joe and I enjoyed several drinks with our appetizer. I had a seasonal drink created with local ingredients called hot wassail cider. It truly tasted like the holidays in a warm alcoholic drink! I had never had wassail before and it really took me by surprise how much I loved it. We split the blue cheese wontons for an appetizer. They included mango compote on the side which stole the show. After dinner we merrily headed home to watch Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Saturday was dedicated to gym time and errands. I still love Pure Barre classes and try and go once a weekend. I am hoping to improve my flexibility as I struggle to reach my toes most days. For dinner, Saturday night we enjoyed blackened Mahi Mahi on seasonal salads. I am loving Harris Teeter’s premixed salads which come with mixed greens, nuts and berries as toppers and a complementary dressing. I always lean toward the cranberry broccoli slaw and Joe loves the fiesta mix.

After church Sunday, we put up our Christmas decorations while watching football. I tend to keep décor minimal since there is very limited space in out apartment.  We have our Christmas tree and stockings. I am also hoping to figure out a space for our nativity scenes collected from our travels. I am already excited for next year hoping that I can go out decorating our new home!

We also took time to see Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Sunday afternoon. I enjoyed the movie especially since I love seeing what I read in the books being shown on the big screen. I hate that they split it into two parts since the ending leaves you hanging. I also feel that they have a lot of explaining to do before wrapping it up in the next movie. If you have seen the movie what do you think?

Another question for thought. How do y’all feel about putting up Christmas décor before Thanksgiving? Since we travel a lot on the weekends I want to enjoy Christmas for as much as we can. So I feel no guilt in putting it up a few days earlier.

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