Good Morning!
I hope you had a great weekend and an easy Monday! I had such a fun night watching The Bachelor with my friends. We have been dong Bachelor nights since the beginning. Yesterday I made a giant salad (i’ll blog recipe later) and Becca brought over some tasty pizzas. Ben is getting down to the final and I have no idea who he is going to choose. I’m hoping he chooses Caila or Lauren becuase I’d love for Jojo to be the next bachelorette. She has a great personality for it and her brother’s bring all the drama. I’m really hoping they don’t bring back Becca because I feel like she’s had enough “Bachelor” air time.
It’s been forever since I’ve blogged any recaps, so I’m setting an hour aside to catch up with you guys.
After I got back from Disney, I headed to my parents house to pick up Mr. Grumples. They love watching him and it’s always hard to get them to hand him back over. They make me feel so good about leaving him because he’s in good hands. My dad made a roasted turkey, so I added some crackers and cheese with it for a yummy light lunch. I decided to stick around and hang out with my dad for a bit.
It started to snow while we were hanging out. Grumples LOVES the snow so I let him go out and play in it. The snowflakes were huge and of course the snow melted thirty minutes later. Hello, southern sunshine!
That night, my parents made me dinner. The weather was kind of crappy, so I decided to crash on their couch. That also meant I could run their neighborhood in the morning (No hills yay!) They made chicken lettuce wraps! We learned how to make these a while back when we tried out Blue Apron for the first time.
Last week’s Bachelor night’s set up! Carrots, falafel chips, tortilla chips, salsa, homemade guacamole, cheese, hummus, cucumbers, strawberries and fruit dip.
If you have a Harris Teeter around you, you HAVE to try these falafel chips! They would be amazing on Greek salads. They taste like the little fried pita’s you get at restaurants with dips. The bag is right; they’re amazing with hummus!
Grumples either loves Bachelor night or loves the snacks on my lap…
I’m back on my grapefruit and honey kick. I found some grapefruits at Whole Foods that are so ripe, juicy, and sweet! The honey takes away that bitter aftertaste.
It felt so good to be home with Grumples! I missed my running buddy. I took a lot of time off during my trip, so it was nice getting back into my routine. After my run, I stopped at the store to grab a Chia Bar and some coffee. I like cold coffee after a run. I made to drink a bottle of water before the coffee though.
Bachelor night leftovers on Tuesday 🙂 Did you know putting the avocado’s seed in leftover guacamole with a sprinkle of lime juice will keep it from turning brown?
Mini Valentine cupcake with coffee <3
Becca and I went to Amelies French Bakery uptown for breakfast on Valentine’s Day morning. I can’t believe it took me two years to finally try it out. The place is so cool and huge inside. There is a downstairs, all different kinds of tables and sections to sit, couches, and a bar. It’s hard to stop looking around at all the fun decor.
I ordered a ham and cheese quiche with desserts for all of us to try.
I also ordered a chai tea latte. Their coffee was really good! I was impressed with their espresso bar. They also offer almond milk as a substitute for drinks.
After Amelies, Becca and I headed to Waxhaw! We wanted to do some antique shopping and she loves it just as much as I do. As we were walking around the back of the store, looking at the tea cups, the lights went out. Becca looked at me and I looked at her (One of those slow motion head turns.) we started nervously laughing. I mean…antiques attract ghost and stuff, right? Were we experiencing real life paranormal activity? Turns out it wasn’t a ghost, we actually got locked in the antique store. We made our way to the front of the store and no one was at the desk. We turned around and a little old lady was standing there, watching us. She took my breath away becuase she was ghost white standing there in fear. Well, we apparently scared her too! With a frightened voice she said “how did you get in here” and it was clear that she didn’t hear us in the back when she closed up the shop (she didn’t have great hearing.) She let us buy a couple of things and we headed out. I’m glad she didn’t leave…imagine us being locked in the antique store all night? (Obviously, that wouldn’t happen since it’s 2016 and we have cell phones)
Scary things happen to me every Valentine’s Day…in Waxhaw. (read here)
We headed next door to the Provisions Market. Becca loved the place and we bought some local goods.
I picked up some olive oil and dipping seasoning. They have the best seasonings.
We went across the street to another antique shop and I bought the best smelling French soap. The lady that runs the shop is from France and is always working. The pineapple soap is my favorite.
I took her over to Crossroads to show her my favorite coffee shop in Waxhaw. We got some coffee to warm us up and we headed out! It was a cold Valentine’s Day!
They have a cute front porch to sit out on in the summer that I love. We bring out the Jenga blocks and battle. I’m still undefeated.
Heart balloons in the sky on Valentines day…
Blue Apron for Valentines day instead of going out. It was the best idea ever!
Breakfast: Bacon, Egg, & Grapes!
“Every snack you make, every meal you bake, every bite you take, I’ll be watching you.”
The weather goes up and down here. One day it’s 35 and the next it’s 65! When it’s in the 60’s I break out the E-bike!
& the girl scouts got me…
As a former Girl Scout, you can’t say “no” to them. They have goals, we all have goals, and it’s only right to help them reach those goals!
I made lasagna for dinner with homemade sauce and meatballs!
I’ll be posting my Lasagna recipe very soon!
& my sauce brings all the boys to the yard!
Mini chocolate and cream filled rollups for dessert!
Pre mountain run breakfast: apples, peanut butter, grapes, yogurt, and granola!
I’ve been doing the Navy Seals training plan and it’s kicking my butt! This was the mountain run! I needed to go two miles up a mountain and two miles down a mountain in under 40 minutes. I did that 🙂 Also jogged an extra .42 miles around the national park.
Followed by National Drink Wine Day! 🙂
Headed to Dick’s to try out some new fitness clothing! If you haven’t yet, enter to win a Dick’s Sporting Good’s gift card!
Lemon tea!
Jason’s Deli for dinner. I love their salad bars. They had all kinds of veggies, lentils, and it’s so cheap!
THE EASTER CANDY IS BACK!…AHHHHH
Walt wine is what I’m loving lately! Pinto Noir! <3
Sunny day means park with the pups!
I’ve been waking up early to take the dogs for a walk and it’s our time to just relax. It’s my favorite time of the day.
Favorite smoothie lately: Almond milk, peaches, strawberries, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, ice, stevia, and blend!
Friday night was girl’s night!
We started out at Chipotle for some dinner. I love their salads with chicken and steak mix.
After Chiptole, we headed uptown for drinks. Becca and I just had to go back to Amelies with the girls when we found out they served wine!
I picked out some desserts to nibble on.
Our table was so cute!
Saturday morning, the pups headed to the park to play.
I had a slice of toast with peanut butter and honey while my eggs cooked before heading to my parent’s house.
I grabbed lunch and voted with my parents.
Later, I ran some errands and I found these yummy gummies!
I ordered the Maverick for dinner at Chopt salad. It had avocado, corn and scallions, southwest quinoa blend and kale, spinach & cabbage with sweet & smoky chipotle vinaigrette + a squeeze of fresh lime.
Becca and I had wine together on Saturday night.
Sunday morning church followed by some coffee at the Campo’s.
And delicious breakfast.
Becca and I did a Wholefoods run and then a Bj’s Wholesale run.
Quick was with Tino!
Quick walk with Grumples!
It was 67 degrees Sunday afternoon, so I headed out for a run.
I ended up doing three miles and it felt great!
Crab cakes & carrots for dinner! Here is the post for that recipe.
Sunday night dinner followed by a movie and giant bowl of popcorn!
Now, I’m off to do some running with my friend 🙂
Questions for you!
- What is an “ideal” weekend for you?
- Do you do wine nights with the girls?
- Who is watching The Bachelor?
Wait, I thought you lived in Charlotte?? Who are you voting for? Would love to see you do a blog post covering politics and issues important to young voters!
I live on the boarder of Charlotte and SC right now. It’s five minutes from each other 🙂
I’ll never do a blog about politics because nowadays, our culture has accepted two huge lies. 1. if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle you must fear or hate them. 2. To LOVE someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both of these concepts are nonsense. You do not have to compromise your personal convictions to be compassionate. That being said, people don’t know how to respect other people’s choices and they automatically “hate them” for their choices. All of my group of friends come from different backgrounds and we all like different candidates and believe in different religions, but we still love each other at the end of the day and never argue or push beliefs on one another. This blog, sadly, has a lot of readers that push a lot of negativity and opinions when it comes to their beliefs. Or instant “unfollow” because you don’t like who I’m voting for situations. I love that everyone is different and that we all have our own opinions, but not all people think that way. SO….
1. I will never tell you who I’m voting for.
2. I’ll never cover anything political on this blog.
3. Everyone should go vote for who they believe is the best candidate and who THEY want to vote for 🙂 I respect everyone’s choices!
Hi Taralynn!I love your posts because I feel like we live a similar lifestyle. I’m 26 and newly married with a 10 month old golden retriever. I love walking her all the time and going out to eat! My ideal weekend usually consists of spending time with my husband and my dog but we usually see our friends at some point! I do wine nights with the girls, but gave up alcohol for lent so I haven’t been recently. I am also watching the Bachelor and don’t want to spoil it for you, but I accidentally read a spoiler that told me who won. I was torn between wanting Jojo and Lauren B. to win, but I agree that Jojo would make an excellent Bachelorette!
I have recently looking into starting my own blog. Can I ask if you use wordpress or what domain you used to get started? I also love your name and am trying to come up with something simple and clever and am having a really hard time. Any advice would be appreciated 🙂 Have a good day!
Congrats on the baby golden!! 🙂
thank you for not spoiling it!! 🙂 BUT maybe the spoiler is wrong!
I use WordPress! Coming up with a name is hard. I chose “simply taralynn” because i wanted a lifestyle blog where i can talk about anything rather than focusing on one subject! pick a name that fits what you’ll be writing about! 🙂
Love doing wine nights with my girlfriends – hours fly be when it feels like it’s not been long. Loving The Bachelor and hoping for Lauren to win – they seem to have the most chemistry.
I think Lauren and Ben would be great for each other. They both seem very quiet and calm, not very drama-ish. I really liked Lauren H and was sad when she left!
My ideal weekend is a trip to Hawaii! Haha jk, but it definitely starts with coffee! After coffee, I like to usually get a run in with my friend since we are training for our half marathon together. We are up to 6 miles! After the run… more coffee! LOL. After that I usually like to go to dinner and do something fun with my boyfriend. It’s always fun to try new restaurants. I earned it after my long run! 😉 Sundays are usually reserved for errands, or if it’s nice outside a hike or walk to Starbucks.
I don’t do wine nights, but these posts are inspiring me to start! I love wine but it’s hard for me to drink it at night, it makes me so sleepy!
I used to watch the Bachelor/Bachelorette but stopped watching it after I got rid of Tivo. There are just too many commercials and two hours is just too long for me to sit and watch one show. I still continue to follow it and read the recaps on social media. Lately, I’ve been really into Married at First Sight! Do you watch that show? It’s so addicting!
I’m loving your recap posts, keep them coming! 🙂
Lol my ideal too 😉 Coffee before everything! Congrats on training! that is awesome 🙂 Our weekends sound a lot alike!
THERE ARE SO MANY DARN COMMERCIALS!!! & all repetitive. I’ve never seen married at first sight. Sounds like something I’d like though!
thanks girl! xo xo
Love your catch up posts, they are honestly my favorite!
1. Going to my favorite workout class Saturday morning at 9AM in Cornelius. It’s called Kadi Fit, and it’s the best cardio class ever! Then hanging with the pup, maybe going out with some friends. Sundays are the best for tidying up, or if its beautiful out, hanging out on a patio at a pub or bar in Uptown or South End.
2. Love wine nights with the girls! Except I just moved to Charlotte, so still trying to find some girlfriends 🙂
3. I am watching it! I don’t usually watch it, but I had an internship during undergrad, and I interned with Caila!!!! That’s the only reason I watched this season. I am so excited to see what happens!
Thanks Kate! This one was all over the place, but that’s becuase it took tooooo long for me to write one.
1. That sounds like an awesome Sunday! Your weekend sounds awesome! Have you been to the Wine Bar (Grapevine) in Fort Mill yet?? I think you’d like it! You can sit outside by the fire.
2. We might have to adopt you! 🙂
3. That is pretty freaking cool. Is she the same in person as the producers make her out to be on the show?
Love your recap posts! Call me crazy… but did I miss an engagement announcement?? I’m noticing a beautiful sparkling ring in lots of pics lately!
Thank you Kelci!
& no no no no lol that is my opal ring I got for my birthday from my aunt! It’s an opal with a quote on the band.
I love watching the Bachelor! It’s my guilty pleasure. I have loved this season so far. My ideal weekend is taking time for myself. I love going hiking or doing something outdoors. It makes me happy! I also like to have some rest and relaxing on the weekend. I love to try out new recipes on the weekends & create new blog posts. My boyfriend and I are still in a long distance relationship, so I cannot wait to spend weekends with him. That is my ideal weekend. I’ve done wine and movie nights before. They are so much fun! What is your favorite wine?
Me too!
I also love that:) Running & hiking for me too and so happy it’s getting warmer! Also love grocery shopping. Long distance relationships are the worst! 🙁 But, hopefully you’ll be able to see him soon and it only makes a relationship stronger! Any Pinot Noir! 😀
I know what you mean about the weather it is so back and forth something in me wishes it would choose Cold or warm but I am so glad for the warm days!
Yes! I love the warm days and it’s almost spring here!
This is super random but I’ve wanted to ask you since I’ve been visiting your blog…do you drink the juices for a health benefit or flavor or just for something sweet-ish? I’m so weird about drinking juice I wanted to see your perspective 🙂 thanks!!!
I drink them for the health benefits, for quick energy boosts, and I definitely enjoy them! 🙂 There are sweet ones and non sweet ones! 😕
JoJo is my favorite too! I would watch her as the next Bachelorette!
I haven’t succumbed to GS cookies yet! :/ Thin Mints are my favorite.
Me too and her mom loves wine just as much as i do! That chug scene was hilarious.
The thin mints don’t make you thin…i found that out the hard way lol 😉
Wow, looks like you’ve been busy! I love all the wine, it’s been my go to drink for awhile now, I will have to look for that Walt pinot noir at the liquor store.
lol after that post, I was like WOAH THAT IS A LOT OF WINE. ;)That Walt was amazing!
What do you mean “you lost him”? 😀 😀 😀
Lol well, I’m not sure if he went down another sidewalk or I lost him in the pool of people at the pond, but I lost him for a couple miles.
I love your recap posts! I like all the running and healthy food pics.
Thank you! It was all over the place, but it’s better than nothing 😉
Sounds like you’re having so much fun lately! I can’t wait for your lasagna recipe. I’ve bookmarked different family recipes of yours and have to start trying some out. You could do a cookbook!
My ideal weekend is hanging out with my husband, ordering in Thai and some wine and tv on the couch.
Yes!!:)
Thank you and I’ll have that posted soon! A cookbook would be fun, but SO MUCH WORK! lol
Your weekend sounds like so much fun 🙂
I’m the marketing manager for a Girl Scouts council in Ohio! Love your shout out and thanks for helping them learn the 5 skills while going for their goals!
Thank you! I miss my Girl Scout days!!
I am loving The Bachelor this season!! I like all the girls that are left, and I agree with you that JoJo would be great as the next Bachelorette. Bachelor night with the girls sounds so fun! My ideal weekend is just spending time with my husband and being lazy! We’re always so busy, so it’s nice to find a weekend that we can just stay in! I liked your comments about what society says it means to love someone. It’s ridiculous that we’re expected to just agree with everyone and not have our own thoughts or feelings! I’ve been personally dealing with that a lot recently so your comments really spoke to me!
Me too! I’m in love with Bachelor nights and planning on doing the same when the next season on DWTS comes on!. & That sounds like a good weekend to me 🙂
Thank you! It’s sad that it’s come to that nowadays, but unfortunately you can’t share your opinions without being attacked. You just have to stay true to yourself and if someone doesn’t like you becuase of your beliefs, then that is on them! 🙂
I have following your blog for such a long time! Your blog inspires me so much. It is amazing how you give such an up close look at your life, and fun to see how you’ve grown over the years. I love your Bachelor night ideas 🙂
http://sarakatherineabbott.blogspot.com
Thank you Sara!! I live for Bachelor Nights 🙂
I love that red vintage Pyrex Dish – I collect some of the pieces and have never seen that one!
Thanks 🙂
My ideal weekend is when I don’t have to leave the house. heh. it rarely happens.
my friends and I don’t do wine nights or girl’s nights nearly often enough. we’re all married now and most of us have kids so it’s tough to find time to get together. we’re supposed to next weekend though. keep doing yours. once they start to get fewer and farther between it’s next to impossible to get together regularly.
I have never seen the bachelor. I’m not one for reality tv. I spent a lot of time watching the real world and newlyweds many years ago though.
your story about getting locked in the antique store creeped me out! lol!
tino has quite the photogenic face. hahaha
I miss going to vote. I live in a mail-in ballot state. it’s awful. we don’t get stickers to show off how awesome we are. they should at least include a sticker in the envelope.
Lol same here! Actually, I had a great weekend like that this weekend and left the house on my time to run and explore some shops!
Thanks for the advice and I’m glad you get to have a wine night next weekend. You all deserve it!
It was hilarious and creepy at the same time!
He is a cutie!!
THAT DOES STINK!
My ideal weekend includes me time, exercise and a walk, time with my husband (maybe trying a new restaurant together?) plenty of sunshine, friends,reading,coffee, and spending time with my two kittens ? And this weekend involves binge-watching Fuller House!
I haven’t done a wine night in a while! I gave up alcohol for the winter just to reset my body and give it a break. I definitely am excited to start having some wine nights come spring!
No bachelor for me– but I’m counting down the days til DWTS!
That sounds like a great weekend. I’m going to watch Fuller House next week 🙂
Giving up alcohol is great. I thought about it, but I don’t really drink that much. Maybe five glasses of wine a month…not tooooooo bad. Bachelor Monday has increased my wine drinking lol. I gave alcohol up for 4 years once and it was great!
Do you know when DWTS comes on!?!?! I CAN’T WAIT ANYMORE!!!!
March 21!!!!! ?
YES!!!!!!!!!!
All of your salads looks soooo good!
I love wine, but most of my friends here in Vancouver are guys, so they aren’t down for wine nights (they don’t know what they’re missing!)
I think I need to run to the store to pick up some things for a salad now!
http://www.justbeingbrooklyn.com
Thanks B!
They really don’t know what theyre missin’
I can’t wait for the summer so i can grab all the ingredients at the farmers markets for salads!
same! It’s getting pretty warm here, so I’m just dreaming of the fresh farmers market veggies!
i have that wooden bowl too i love it!! that cafe looks so cute! i love finding new coffee spots–especially if they also serve wine! haha 🙂
Lol if they serve wine, they take the win!