Hello & Happy Thursday!
I hope your week is going well. I spent all day yesterday writing a “Charlotte Guide” and I cannot wait to post it once it’s done (I shared a little preview on snapchat this morning @taralynnmcnitt.) I think it’s my favorite post yet because it’s filled with all of my favorite spots. I’m constantly getting questions about Charlotte and I find myself being so repetitive with comments. I’m hoping this new post will be helpful if you’re planning a trip to Charlotte, or if you live here and want to try something new!
I had to put a hold on my Charlotte post becuase it’s time to catch you all up with a weekly recap! 
When I got home yesterday morning, I made coffee and a cup of cheerios with almond milk. I glued myself to the blog for hours. I got up around noon and walked Grumples two miles and then walked Leo one mile.
I food prepped later in the evening. I made a big batch of my green beans, ground turkey, sautéed zucchini, sautéed radishes and carrot/cauliflower rice.
The green beans were cooked in olive oil, sea salt, honey, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
I broiled the carrots in the oven at 400 degrees. I added about 1/4 of cup of water to the bottom of the pan and topped the carrots with garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and sea salt.
I cook the radishes in olive oil, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. The zucchini was cooked up the same way.
I bought a bag of carrot & cauliflower rice at Trader Joes. I steamed it in the microwave.
The 98% Fat Free ground turkey was cooked up on the stove with cooking spray. I usually keep it plain.
After dinner, I walked the pups again, watched a movie, and got back to blogging about Charlotte! ♥
Before I get to blogging about my week, I want to start with Valentine’s day! I was so exacted to see Kyle later in the evening because I spent weeks making his gift. 
I also picked up some yummy French Macarons at Dean & Deluca! My parents came over for coffee and I set them out for my dad. The purple one is Lavender, the pink one is almond, and the blue and white one is white chocolate.
After walking the dogs, my mom and I laced up for our run! 
We have been so blessed this winter with gorgeous weather! It was 62 degrees and perfect for a run at the Riverwalk.
I am so proud of my mom. She kept up with me for the first five miles and then she let me finish the last three miles on my own at a faster pace. She’s 54 and crushing it! 
The first five miles were 9:50, 9:29, 10:01, 10:03, 9:57 and my last three solo miles were 9:39, 9:01, 8:52, 9:01! 
We ended our run with a good stretch session. 
I love how beautiful the water looked. 
For lunch, I had a kale & brussels sprout salad with a lemon poppy seed dressing, ground turkey, and hard boiled egg whites + one yolk.
I spent weeks making a 75 page book for Kyle! It had all of our photos and adventures together from the year. I love that Kyle appreciates things like this. It made me so happy to see the smile on his face while he read the book. 
We ended up making smoothies and watching “The Killing” for the rest of the evening. We have about ten more episodes before it’s over…forever 🙁
I had the perfect Valentine’s day because it was spent with my favorite Valentine in the entire world.
Time to take this recap post all the way back to last Tuesday 🙂
I like to spend mornings at my parents house when I have a project to work on because I feel bad for the dogs. I love that they can run around in the backyard while I work.
I love that my mom always makes me breakfast. It doesn’t matter if I’m hungry or not, she insists on it. She made me an omelet, bacon and fresh fruit.
Later in the afternoon, I had hot tea with my honey spoons! Kyle’s mom sent me them for my birthday and they are so good in tea. 
Leo was in desperate need of a bath, so I gave him a good scrub down. It was the most adorable thing when Grumples cuddled up next to him to keep him warm.
For dinner I made an omelet, turkey sausage, and sautéed radishes. 
My Stitch Fix came and I tried all of my items on Wednesday. This was the first time I didn’t like anything, but the cool thing is that I can send it all back in the bag they provide for no charge at all. I sent a note to the stylist on what I want and some photos they can look at for style help.
I made a protein shake before heading to the gym. This had half a frozen banana, almond milk, spinach, and one scoop of protein powder. I had an intense workout written up for Becca and I. 
The first time we tried this workout, we couldn’t get through it. The next time we attempted this workout, we got through it in under and hour and + some! I highly recommend trying this circuit if you want a good burn and sweat. It took me three days to get the feeling back into my legs. 
I picked up dinner at Chipotle on the way home from the gym. My bowl had lettuce, half chicken, half steak, fajita vegetables, hot salsa and a little bit of guacamole. 
I wasn’t the only exhausted one…
I finally got the curtains changed in my living room! It took me so long to find ones that I liked. 
Kyle and I celebrated Valentine’s Day together on Friday Night. He took me to the Halcyon Restaurant at the Mint Museum. The Halcyon creates their dishes with flavors from the earth. They get their ingredients from artisinal farms, dairies and wineries in the Carolinas. 
We started with a charcuterie board and a glass of wine. We want to recreate this board this weekend! It was so delicious and I never thought cherries in sauce would pair perfectly with smoked salmon. We had gouda, smoked salmon, raisins, prosciutto, pancetta, mortadella, apple butter, pear slices, cherries in sauce, honey, fennel, flatbread, and ciabatta. You get to create your own board from a huge list of options. 
I ordered the cast iron salad. It had brussels, onions, walnuts, sweet potato chips, goat cheese, and pomegranate vinaigrette. 
Kyle bought us front row tickets to go see Into the Woods, The Musical! It was so good and the entire cast was super talented. They all played instruments throughout the show. We really enjoyed it.
We left the show around 10:30 and headed to Amelies for a late night Valentine’s day treat. 
My hair looks so blonde when it’s down and so brunette when it’s pulled back! I feel like I have two hair identities. 
Le Sombre Chai ♥
We picked out little Valentine’s Day treats. The French Macarons are my favorite.
I woke up early on Saturday morning to make breakfast and get ready for my run with Meighan. I made scrambled eggs, bacon, and a blueberry protein pancake. 
We passed the cutest little foster dogs on the way to our trail ♥
I felt so bad, but I had to stop at mile three. My legs were so sore from the circuit I did earlier in the week and I had one of the worst migraines I’ve ever had. Overall, it was one of the worst runs I have ever had. I guess it’s the reality of running and you can’t always be in control.
The good thing is that it was 75 degrees, so we walked three miles back. We covered over eight miles, but most of them were walked and it was my fault. I really needed water, sunglasses, and Tylenol!
All the blossoms were out, so it was a pretty run 🙂
I took a tylenol and had an afternoon snack. I had apple slices, peanut butter and dark chocolate chips. 
I felt better later in the afternoon, so I met with Becca for coffee at Lady M Cakes. We love this little spot for chatting! The coffee is so good and the tables are adorable.
Cappuccino + 1 extra shot of espresso with skim milk.
We chatted for a couple hours (yes that much to talk about) and then made a trip to Whole Foods so I could pick up some ingredients for dinner. My best friends and I are pretty talented in the word babbling department and there is never a silent moment.
I asked Kyle what he was in the mood for and he said “fajitas.” They are so easy to make, so I agreed! I’ll post that recipe up soon. It’s a game changer when you cook them up in a cast iron pan.
Becca and I headed to the gym on Sunday morning for a 30 minute arm workout. I didn’t write this one down because it was random, but amazing! Meighan gave me all of her circuit workout cards, so I’m going to share those with you guys soon! They are great for at home workouts.
After our workout, we stopped to get coffee at Dean & Deluca!
I got a nonfat cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso and cinnamon on top! I actually like lattes after my workouts because they have protein.
We decided to head out for a long walk and enjoy the gorgeous weather!
Queen’s road is one of our favorite places to walk. The greenways can get a little crowded in the spring!
We were so hungry (literally running on coffee) so we went to Zoe’s kitchen for lunch. I ordered a Greek Salad! It came with lettuce, grilled chicken, bell pepper, onions, tomato, cucumber, pepperoncini, and a olive oil & vinegar dressing. 
No leftovers.
Kyle and I decided to take the pups for a walk. I wanted to spend every second outside before locking myself in for the night to work.
Little Leo was loving the park!
We totally cracked into the gluten free donuts we found at Whole Foods and HOLY COW!!!!!!! THEY WERE SO GOOD! I saw the cinnamon sugar version of these at the grocery store yesterday and I didn’t dare by them because I knew they’d be amazing too.
After cracking into the donuts, I made coffee and sat down to blog about my new LG Watch Sport! 
They are just too cute.
I had black bean and tortilla crusted tilapia and a caesar salad with gluten free croutons for dinner.
I made a protein blueberry pancake for breakfast on Monday morning!
I was pretty nervous on Monday morning. Grumples had a vet visit because he had a large lump on his leg and it has been there for a couple weeks. I finally decided to get it checked out because it wasn’t going down at all. The vet took some samples from the bump and fatty tissue came out, so he identified it as a lipoma, which is just a fatty tumor under the skin. He won’t have to get it removed unless it grows large, but hopefully it doesn’t grow at all. Leo was giving Grumples kisses all morning and it was the cutest thing. If you want to follow them on Instagram, @mrgrumples is their handle!
For dinner, I had a kale and brussels sprout salad with lemon poppy seed dressing, gluten free croutons, ground turkey, pepitas, craisins, shredded coconut, and hard boiled eggs!
And that has been my week so far! I’m about to lace up and head out for a run! 🙂 I hope to finish more of the Charlotte post tonight and it’ll be live Monday!
Questions for you!?
- Have you ever had a really bad running experience?
- What did you do for Valentine’s Day?
- Do you have any questions about Charlotte?
Awww, the look on Kyle’s face reading your book! What a sweet gift, I made something similar for my best friend like five years ago!
My boyfriend and I didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day (he’d asked, I’d felt lazy and told him I wanted to go home to eat with my parents instead LOL) on the day so we did it tonight – Thursday. He suggested a few expensive restaurants but since I didn’t want him to spend too much money, I told him I preferred just getting take out for home instead. So that’s what we did. We watched Food Network while eating. Best night ever!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
He has the best smile 🙂 So genuine and sweet.
Lol Valentine’s day doesn’t have to be celebrated at all 🙂 Love that you tell your boyfriend how you feel! Way to go girl. & take out is the best! I bet that was so much fun and delicious. I’m actually watching the FN right now! Love my Trisha Yearwood.
xo xo
Awe that is such a sweet gift and so thoughtful too! Still hoping you will one day share y’all’s story of you two met.
Valentine’s day was sweet and actually had a valentine this year. We kept it very lowkey and preferred it that way.
I had a lot of fun putting all the photos together! Kyle loves things like that. We will definitely share!
Lowkey is the way to be! 🙂 Hope you had a great week!
I can’t find the dogs on instagram?
https://www.instagram.com/mrgrumples/
Aw poor Grumps. My dog gets fatty deposits as well. He has only had to get one removed but its always scary when you find one.
I ised to run track and cross country in school so there were many bad runs. One meet I ran my 5k in 20:18, the next meet I ran it in 26:32. I was so frustrated with the drastic difference but brought it back down.
For Valentine’s Day we just went to a nice Italian restaurant and gave each other a small gift from the “interesting” section on Amazon. We’ve been super busy so it was nice to chill.
Also, I was so sad when I finished the Killing. Let us know what you think of the final episode tho. I didn’t know what to think of it. ?
Yes it is scary, especially when he is only 5 1/2 🙁 Sorry your pup had to go through the surgery!
I definitely think fuel and sleep is everything for a run! Crazy how our bodies are ALWAYS in control.
That is a nice Valentine’s day and awesome idea!
I will let you know! I’m so sad they didn’t pick it up!
To this day I say it’s because I didn’t have my normal bowl of pre race oatmeal. ?
Have you done Barre? I swear it has helped with my running. Wish I took dance back in HS now!
Hahahaha all because of oatmeal
Yeah i have! I have a love hate relationship with it 🙂 I like to do it at home!
What a week! Your runs and healthy food choices are inspiring! Hate those bad run days! I don’t really like to celebrate valentines day but I went to see Book of Mormon at our theater, hysterical!
Best,
Katie @ Katie Wanders
http://www.KatieWanders.com
Thank you Katie!
I hate the bad runs too but they are unavoidable.
I heard that was funny! Such a fun way to spend V-day!
xo & have a great weekend.
You have a beautiful blog and I hope you always continue to inspire you’re readers. Your happiness and positivity is beautiful.
Thank you Candice! That just made my whole day 🙂
I am obsessed with Amelie’s macarons and wish they came to NY! It’s a must stop whenever I’m in Charlotte visiting my parents. It’s also crazy to me seeing so many NY chains opening down south in Charlotte, like Lady M. It makes me so happy that my hometown is turning into quite the destination, and your posts always make me miss Charlotte like crazy!
It’s such a fun place to go!
There really are a ton of NY based places here:) I think a lot of NYers move down here because they see so much opportunity 😉
Lady M Cakes is my current fave.
I love the CLT so much 🙂
I can’t pinpoint one bad running experience, but the last year has been terrible with my Runners Knee in both of them. As in, can’t climb stairs afterwards or even get up from a sitting position properly. Ive been learning to stretch, ice, be patient, and religiously use KT Tape which helps A TON. I ran 4 miles last night and this is the first time I haven’t had pain after a run in a long time.
I am an irish dance teacher, and teach on Tuesday nights. So I spent my evening with about 40 five to nine year olds. We took class pictures, gave out candy, and they all wore cute Valentines outfits. I came home after practice to a sweet card from my husband and a small bag of the Brookside Blueberry/Acai chocolates.
Hubs and I want to visit Charlotte SO BAD. Our go to place is Nashville for weekends away, but we want to take a weekend away where we can just relax, sight see, drink coffee, and hike. Charlotte seems like more of the place for that than Nashville and I haven’t been to Charlotte since I was little. Bryan is actually going to Asheville in a couple weeks for a Bachelor party but I think they’re spending an afternoon in Charlotte for lunch! Favorite lunch spot???
OH NO 🙁 I took an entire year off because of runners knee two year ago. IT WAS AWFUL AND IM SO SORRY you’re dealing with it. I used to have so much pain it was excruciating. Sounds like you’re handling it well and I’m so so impressed with your four miles! When I had RK, I couldn’t run three minutes before the pain kicked in! It all had to do with my lack of strength training/running shoes.
That is such a cool job! Sounds like you had a fun night with the little ones!! & way to go husband! Those are the BEST chocolates.
Favorite lunch spot would be Burtons, but for a guy’s bachelor party I’d say Fahrenheit or Macs Speed shop!
Kyle’s smile says it all.
🙂
I’m so relieved to hear about Grumples! I just got a boxer puppy named Rosie this summer and I worry so much about every little thing. I can’t imagine if a lump showed up! Glad to hear he is doing well. 🙂
Yes he is all good and I’m so happy 🙂
Enjoy those puppy years!!
xo
The cauliflower rice from Trader Joe’s is the best! I find myself using it instead of rice in some recipes and its great!
Yes! Totally agree 🙂
What website did you use to create the photobook? I’ve tried several different ones. It looks like yours turned out beautifully!
Mixbook and it’s the freaking best!
Woah, Leo is nearly as big as Grumples now! He isn’t little anymore!
Those honey spoons are so cool, I want some!
http://www.justbeingbrooklyn.com
He’s half fur 😉 lol Grumples still has forty pounds on him. He’s getting there though!!!
AND THEY ARE SO GOOD!
Those macaroons look delicious! So many of these meals look so healthy, I’d love to create these one day! xx
http://mylovelierdays.com
Thanks Diana!!
Im thinking about taking a trip to Charlotte in April for the Easter break! A couple of questions for you.. will it be beach weather?? And if you weren’t planning to mention any breweries in your post, do you have any you could recommend?
It will definitely be in the 80’s and the water may be cold in Charleston, but definitely lay out weather! I will DEF be mentioning breweries but Old Mechlendburg and Sycamore, and heist are some of my faves
Hi there!!
Oh I have definitely had bad running experiences! I know for me I go into runs with certain expectations and then when those expectations aren’t met, I get super down and mad and it all goes downhill from there. I think it’s just about feeling out what your body is saying to you. It’s probably a good thing you stopped at three miles or it would have made your migraine worse. Who knows for sure, but like you mentioned in your post, how we feel during runs is definitely not something we are always in control of!
I did nothing for V day…. 🙁 It’s not that i’m not a fan, I just prefer other holidays more! 🙂
I would LOVE to visit Charlotte, so I am excited to read what you are working on. Honestly I probably wouldn’t have known much about the city if it wasn’t for reading your blog. I’m not even sure where it is on map?! I currently live in the midwest, but was brought up in Arizona so the southeast is pretty foreign to me.. It is in the southeast right?! omg… i’m the worst lol.
Yes you are so right! Sometimes I go into a run thinking it’s going to be my best and it turns out to be my worst. Sometimes I go into my run thinking its going to suck and it turns out to be my BEST! so weird.
Hahaha I never would have known about Charlotte until I moved here actually. It’s fast growing city! lol I grew up (kinda) in the midwest, so I know how that goes!!
My question is where is the best place for coffee in Charlotte?
I have a HUGE list of my favorite coffee shops! I made sure to leave my least favorite off!
I have the worst running experience in the middle of my first marathon…I got so sick! But, I finished!! There are days when I just have to stop and go back home. My body doesn’t cooperate or something hurts. I have learned that it’s smarter to not try and push yourself when you don’t feel right. Your Valentine’s celebration sounds fun! I love making presents like you did. It’s so much more special than just buying something. We just exchanged cards this year and cooked dinner together. It was pretty low key, but it was perfect! 🙂 I’m glad Grumple’s knot wasn’t anything serious. We just went through that this week with my puppy. I was worried sick all day while he was having the surgery. It’s really scary when it’s your baby! 😉
You’re a freaking trooooooper!! Nice job on finishing 🙂
I totally understand what you mean abut stopping and I usually try to make up for the miles by walking!
I agree 🙂 I love little things like notes and photos. Your V-day sounded perfect.
Yes so scary but I’m so glad Jake is ok! Thanks for snapping me with all of the information! really helped and i hope Jake is doing well today! xo
I am GF as well, and yes – those donuts are AMAZING! My company serves them on donut Friday for us GF folks & they also have a delicious chocolate flavor as well! 🙂 I always make room in my week for one of those donuts. I’m not sure I’d have the willpower to keep them at home.?
A CHOCOLATE FLAVOR? You shouldn’t have told me that! I bet they taste like the doughnut holes at Dunkin!
Awwww you and kyle are adorable
Thank you Delaney 😀
The Killing is a great show!! I hated the last season though, I’m interested to hear what you think. I felt like they rushed to tie up all the loose ends and it didn’t seem to fit the first two seasons.
I can definitely see the difference between the last and the first season, and probably because Netflixed picked it up, but its good so far and it’s giving me anxiety. I’m so mad at them for doing what they did at the end. They could have made this os much easier lol I’ll let you know what I think!
I am obsessed with your decor style! It’s so cozy and comfy! Love it!
Sharni // http://www.agirlandgrey.com
Thank you Sharni!! 🙂
I hope you had a lovely valentines day and a great week! x
Izzy |https://pinchofdelight.wordpress.com
Thank you Izzy! xo
I’m so impressed by your mom (and you) with your running and that circuit a bit ago! I’ve been writing down the circuits you post and am loving them! I always sleep so solidly after one of your circuits and wake up sore!
I think the photo book you did for Kyle is awesome! I make one every year for my husband and I’s anniversary and he loves looking back at the past year too! We’ve been together for years, so its pretty cool to be able to look back at all of the different years we’ve had together!
I think everyone who runs has had a bad running experience. Some days its just not ‘there’ and you feel like dying. But you can’t always be ‘on’ so listening to your body and walking home is the best plan of action.
For valentines day my husband and I have a tradition for a breakfast date! He’s a basketball coach so the season does’t stop for a day of hearts and flowers so we adapt! We found an an awesome new breakfast spot that I’ve literally been dreaming about since then!
I have a million questions about Charlotte, so I’ve SUPER excited for your post! I’m working on planning a trip down there this summer to celebrate my birthday! As I’m just starting my trip planning my questions would be…. where would you recommend to stay (like a specific area in the city? Or near a certain part of town?) and would you recommend renting a car? Or is public transportation a good option for getting around?
Thanks Carly!
I love doing circuits so much and they’re so fun to change up. I REALLY need to do a youtube series of my circuits.
Love hearing that you do the same. Most guys don’t really care about that stuff, but I love that Kyle does. Sounds like your husband appreciates them as well!
I totally agree. Walking is just as good! If not better on the body.
Awwww where did you go to breakfast?!
I’m going to be writing all about that! & I’d totally take an UBER if you guys need to go anywhere or you can just walk! or take the light rail.
Our breakfast find was a hole in the wall called Zekes! If you ever find yourself in Gloucester MA you have to go! Amazing food and more importantly good coffee!
I will definitely add that to my list!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
That tortilla crusted fish looks so good and reminds me of something they had in my dining hall that I loved! Where did you get it?!?
Earthfare!!!
ugh if only they had that on the east coast!
TRUE!;)
I’m wishing grumples a full recovery! I didn’t do anything special on Valentine’s day and in fact felt so lonely I had a small little breakdown
He’s doing well!:) Nothing serious! Thank you!
Oh, girl! Don’t feel bad at all. Valentines day is just another day!!! You do not need ANYONE!!! Being happy with yourself and embracing every part of you is what is important. People love you! keep your chin up.
Love your velvet flats in this post, where are they from?
Catos! $6.99!
You’re so pretty
That is very sweet!:)
Do you eat sweets everyday? How do you controls your sweet cravings?
I control my sweat cravings by eating sweets everyday. Seems strange, but it works. If I do no allow myself any sweets, I’ll be depriving myself and crave them SO MUCH MORE. I like to treat myself to a couple pieces of dark chocolate after dinner. It helps with cravings and it has some health benefits. Just replace bad sweets with better ones! Try fruit if you’re craving something sweet too. Seem to help! Apples and peanut butter are my favorite sweet treat.
Are you catholic?
Yes.
Have a good weekend! Thank you for the read.
I hope you have a good weekend too! Thanks for reading 🙂
For Valentine’s day, my boyfriend and I had a home cooked meal and stayed in! We are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. My biggest struggle has been buying the right foods. I never know what to buy! Any suggestions about necessity items that should be on my grocery list for the two of us??
That sounds like so much fun!
I think focussing on healthy meats, vegetables, complex carbs, fresh fruit, eggs, and foods that give you energy are key! Maybe plan some meals that you can food prep and eat throughout the week.
Those muscles are getting big, girl.
haha I’m trying!!
SO random, but is the Jeep Wrangler you’re standing beside in that picture yours?
I ask because I’ve been working hard for nearly 2 years to save up money to buy one outright – using cash and my car as trade-in! I’m so proud that I’m SO close to meeting my goal to do it, so I’m checking in with everyone I know who own one- most of them say they love theirs!
Any feedback you have is appreciated!!
Nope! I have a jeep, but that one is my boyfriends. He loves it!
So jealous of your tank top and shorts weather in february! Although, this weekend in PA it’s supposed to be 60 degrees so I’m going to soak up every ounce of sunshine! Do those donuts contain milk? They look so good!
Valentine’s Day is also my husband’s birthday so I made some shrimp stir fry and we watched a movie and split some chocolate cake on the couch!
It’s going to be 75 this weekend!!! woohoo!
I don’t remember seeing dairy free! I’ll have to check next time. They may have a website.
You guys had the perfect vday/bday celebration! I’m all for some chocolate cake!
All of your food look so delicious!! I always get hungry looking through your photos 🙂
Also love the Valentine’s Day gift you gave your boyfriend… photo books are seriously my favorite. I love going back and reliving all of the wonderful times over the years!
Thank you Kaitlin!!
I loved reliving those memories as well:) I want to do them for all of my friends now too! I’m kind of addicted. haha
1. TONS of bad running experiences. BUT, for every terrible experience, I’ve had one where I felt like I was flying & could run forever. Sometimes it’s just not your day. 🙂
2. The MR. cooked a fancy dinner at home, venison filets, scallops & Parmesan broccoli. Then we grabbed ice cream at one of my favorite places. We’re not big on gifts, but we are big on DATES, so always fun to have something planned out to look forward to.
3. I’ve been in the airport a million times on layovers & never actually been to the city. I would love to see a 24 or 48 hour guide, something that would hit all the MUST’s for people that can only spare a weekend + maybe some cool neighborhoods to stay in depending on what vibe you’re looking for. And obviously any fun hikes, ’cause you know that’s my jam.
If you ever find yourself with nothing to do (HA!) it would be cool to have printables for some of your circuit workouts, I hate having to constantly unlock my phone to see what the next move is, and hate having to write that all out myself.
Hi Jessie!!
You are SO right about that.
DANG GIRL! What a keeper 🙂 I love experiences & dates too. SO IMPORTANT.
I have tons of great suggestions for any 24-48 hour layover on the new post, so I think you will especially love it! (hikes & trails)
I have actually thought about making a top post with ALL of my circuits (would be easy to print)!
XO
It looks like you had such a nice Valentines Day with Kyle! Your relationship is something I admire and I hope to find a relationship like that someday. One of my best friends (who also lives in Charlotte!) makes photo books every year for her now husband and even I love looking at them and seeing all of their adventures. They’re such great keepsakes!
Every time I read your blog it makes me want to move to Charlotte so I’m SUPER excited for your post next week!
Have a great weekend! xo
Thank you Trista!
I never thought a relationship like this could exist. Don’t ever settle for the bad seeds because you know there is a prince charming out there somewhere:) I think they are such a cool keepsake for sure!
Charlotte is the best!! & I hope you enjoy the new post! I’m having so much fun making it!!!
xo
Hi, I’m new to the blog and I’ve been really impressed with your running mileage. I tend to get tired after 2-3 miles, if I even reach that. Any advice to start doing 5-6 miles per run? Is it just a matter of pace, or working up to it only? When you started running, how long did you go for?
Thanks!
Hi Juhi!
I actually wrote up a post all about my running and how I started!
http://simplytaralynn.com/2016/10/17/my-relationship-with-running/
hope it helps!
Your pups and your boyfriend = perfection.
awwww:)
Thank you for being real and sharing your bad experiences with us. I get so discouraged when I see people on social media always doing well with their workouts. Keep keeping it real! xo
Thanks Christinia! Everyone has their bad days 🙂
Your blog makes me happy.
Well that makes me happy:D
Well I’ve never ran more than a 5k.. so not necessarily bad experiences.. more of just not feeling motivated! That definitely hapapens sometimes. But that’s okay because I know everyone has days like that! Even if I just walk a long time after that I feel great 🙂
Haha nothing! My boyfriend works night shift so we ended up cooking dinner together Thursday night. I love cooking with him because he’s never done a lot of it in the past and I love teaching him things!
Yes! Do you have any hotels that you recommend? I know you’ll have all the food places, walking/hiking/running places, etc. but I never see anyone ask about hotels! Any hotels that are cool/hip/trendy?
P.s. that photobook for Kyle–I LOVE THOSE. Also, I finally found a place near me that sells macaroons– got the bf hooked. He had salted caramel, and I also got blackberry & pistachio. I’m surprised I haven’t started dreaming about them yet hahaha
Hi Jennifer!
That is great 🙂 I think after this half, I’m going to stick to 5ks for a while. lol
That is so fun and cooking together is a wonderful idea. Teach him all you know and then he can make all your dishes for you !:)
I will totally add that to the list.
Thank you! I loved making the book!!
Lol they are the best!!!!!! Pistachio is my fave.
P.s. If you need someone new I’ll totally put together a Fix for you! 😉
Cute dogs!
Thank you!!!!
Are you running a half?
Yup!!
I seriously love your decorating of your new home ! I can’t wait to get my own place and decorate it as cute as you do !! 🙂
Awwww thank you Allie!!!
How do you keep your pups from chewing the rugs in your house? Despite us having plenty of chew toys around, our one golden doodle loves to chew rugs. Also, what toys do you give them for chewing? We do Orbee and a big tire with a rope.
Ummmmm Leo DEFINITELY had fun with my rugs. I bought green apple bitter spray. I also have a ton of Nyla bones for him to chew!
Love birds <3
I was really hoping for the story of how you met Kyle in this post after you mentioned it in a comment a few days ago.
I was also wondering if you had another scary Valentine’s Day and I see you didn’t. But then I remembered you mentioned the scariest nightmare ever. You’ve got a pattern of some sort going on.
I didn’t do anything special for Valentine’s Day. We never do. I just make a special dinner and we watch movies or whatever.
Those dogs are awesome!
Hi! Do you use Twitter?
@taralynnstweets 🙂
bad runs are part of the game unfortunately:( this last december, I tried to be hardcore and went running right after an ice/snow storm and it was probably 17 degrees outside. I ran for 10 miles but never got warm. I felt so bad because the guys I was running with could have easily gone 15 miles and been happy campers. I ended up having to take some serious time off of running, and just now slowly working it back in.
valentines day was low key, my husband did buy me flowers and chocolate, (the obvious go-to) but I just bought him lots of fun foods to try from trader joes. He loves bacon flavored things and so I got him bacon popcorn, he ate the whole bag in two sittings!
Agree 🙁
I’m so impressed that you actually hit ten miles in that weather! way to go!!! I know that sucks, but a break will do you good!
Oh wow!:) Sounds like a sweet valentines. Have you seen the video of Steph Curry’s wife making bacon glazed popcorn? You might want to youtube it!!!
You look great!
Well thank you!!
Love your relationship
Question on your circuit – just clarification:
1. What do you mean by sprints? Do you use a treadmill?
2. Do you do the arm circles with weights?
3. Do these have breaks involved or do you just kinda go for it?
Thanks!
Hi Julia!
We usually run sprints across the court! Or open area in the gym.
Arm circles without weights just with your palms up and down.
We always do a break in between, but only 3-5 minutes.