Good morning, everyone!
I hope you’re all having a great week so far. We celebrated my birthday this past weekend and spent a lot of time around the house cozying up! It’s been a real cold one. We hit a record having three snow days in two weeks. I’m officially ready for spring, and even my tulips are prepared! They’re a few inches from popping out of the mulch layers, which scares me since this weather is super unpredictable.
Hopefully, it warms up by the time I end this recap post so I can walk Leo! I’m so proud of myself for sticking to my weekly walking goals this month. It’s really helping my back pain.
I’m back on my smoothie kick. I was not too crazy about stmoothies for a while, but now I’m craving all the fruity things. On Monday morning, I made a peaches and cream protein smoothie. It had frozen peaches, a frozen banana, Orgain vanilla plant-based protein powder, Califia unsweetened almond milk, vanilla Greek yogurt, and granola! It was so good, and peaches are one of my favorite fruits at the moment. I bought a huge basket of them at a local market a few days ago, and I’ve been eating two a day.
After my two-mile walk with Leo on Monday afternoon, I made one of my favorite salads. It’s the type of salad people look at and go, “really?” But it’s so good, and you can’t knock it until you try it. I used to eat this salad every night after going to the gym when living in Atlanta. It’s probably documented somewhere on the blog. It has Italian lettuce, crabmeat (you either love it or hate it), sweet n’ spicy banana peppers, French dressing, cottage cheese, and croutons! I had this salad almost every night this week and plan to do it again.
And another strange craving after watching the Food Network on Monday nigh, pigs in a blanket. I cooked these up to go with my salad. Hopefully, my cravings go back to normal after the baby arrives, but I’m having fun with it right now. On Tuesday morning, I started a new book recommended by my mother-in-law! It’s called The Last Mrs. Parish! I’m only a few chapters in, but it’s really good so far! While reading, I had a raspberry peach smoothie and a bagel with cream cheese. I love the Daves Killer bagels.
One of my friends had me make a cake for a gender reveal on Tuesday. I love baking, so I was honored! She forwarded me the email with the gender results so she couldn’t see them! I was so pumped when I read that she was having a boy because I knew that’s what she wanted.
I made the bottom layer super blue, the middle layer light blue, and the top layer marble blue. She did the reveal over zoom with her friends and family, and it was so fun experiencing the excitement! On Tuesday night, Kyle and I had our favorite pizza, Freschetta, and watched Jeopardy before heading to bed! Yes, we are officially old. On Wednesday morning, I met up with another friend and headed to Good Life Organic Kitchen for a breakfast date. I had a coffee, the greena colada bowl, and the guac and seeds toast. I’m a big fan of this place! After breakfast, we headed out for a two-mile walk with Leo! He’s been loving all his walks lately, especially since we used to go every day.
Later that afternoon, I did a 30-minute prenatal yoga video on YouTube to help stretch out my back. YouTube has so many free videos for yoga! Of course, Leo had to join me. For dinner, I had my go-to salad 😉
On Friday morning, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and headed out to my parents to hang out with them for the day. I love just sitting around on the couch with my mom drinking coffee and talking. I brought the cookies to go with our coffee!
On Sunday, I had a bowl of yogurt topped with bananas, cashews, and raspberries. Kyle and I headed to Lowes to grab some potting soil and a few plants. They have all their bulbs, seeds, and fruit bushes out now. It’s so hard for me to stop buying them. Kyle is building me an outdoor kitchen garden for my birthday this year. I purchased the book Gardenary for the plans, and I can’t wait to get started.
The raspberry bush I planted a month ago has broken dormancy and is growing like crazy! I will have to transport it into another pot large enough to keep up. It’s also producing babies that I keep pulling out and planting. I may end up with twenty raspberry bushes by the end of the season!
I LOVE lilac trees. It reminds me of my grandma’s house, so we picked a baby one up at Lowes, and I planted it in this vintage pot I bought at the Gibson Mill a few years ago. I’ll wait for it to get a little stronger before planting it in the ground. I took your comments seriously and brought home two new blackberry bushes! My guest room is getting taken over by all the plants, but it’s bringing me so much joy! They’ll go out on my back porch this spring, but for now I love them from inside. The front guest room gets so much sun all day, and it stays pretty hot and humid in there. They LOVE it! I get a lot of my pots from discount stores like Ollies and Homegoods.
On Sunday afternoon, we headed to Barcelona Wine Bar with my parents for my birthday! It’s one of my favorite tapas restaurants in Charlotte! I’m OBSESSED with their food. I was sad that the brussel sprouts weren’t on the menu, but they made up for it by adding new delicious tapas. Monday was my golden birthday! I turned 31 on the 31st.
I started my day with a 3-mile walk with a friend and Leo, then came home and made the most delicious smoothie! It had frozen raspberries, peaches, banana, almond milk, protein powder, cheesecake yogurt, and granola on top!
For lunch, I ordered one of my favorites, Zoes! I had their tossed Greek salad, white bean & chicken chili soup, and half of the chicken salad sandwich. It was so delicious! I usually eat my dinner around 4 pm every night because I get sick if I eat later in the evening. Plus, I’m in bed at 7:45 pm! The prettiest bouquet of flowers showed up on the doorstep from Kyle! He always picks out the best flowers. It made me cry because they were so pretty!
We ended the evening sampling all the new Crumbl Cookie flavors! 😋 I also had a little glass of Lenny Boy strawberry Kombucha on the side.
I hope you all have a great week and a happy February!
Questions for you!
- When was (or is) your golden birthday?
- Have you ever had Crumbl Cookies?
- Do you have any flowers or plants that bring you nostalgia?
Suzanne says
Funny, I seriously craved peaches during my pregnancy as well!
Taralynn says
That’s so funny! Gosh, they’re so good!
Kristen says
Happy golden birthday 🙂
My Golden was when I was 7!! I will be turning 30 on Monday, February 7 and I have a good feeling about this decade (as I am getting married this year and going to start a family 🙂 )
I NEED to try crumbl cookie! One just opened up down the street from my fiancé’s work, he said he will bring me some home one day!!
We just bought a house this past fall and I already expressed that I would love to try to get into gardening this spring/summer! I want to have pretty flowers and make my new backyard look nice! Any advice for a beginner??
Taralynn says
Hi, Kristen!
Sounds like you have one amazing year coming up, and 30 will be fabulous!
OH GOSH they are the best cookies!! The flavors change each week.
That is so exciting. Congrats on the house. I actually have a post coming out for beginngers real soon!
Emily Lowney says
I love your posts! They give me such comfort and inspire me to make all the healthy yummy food! Those cookies look amazing- I need to try! It sounds silly, but babies breath flowers bring me nostalgia! My aunt is a florist and I guess it was something cheap she could let me play with and I’d make little bouquets with it but I loved them so much!
Taralynn says
That is the sweetest. Thank you, Emily!
That is not silly at all. I love baby breath flowers. My aunt was a florist as well!
krista says
I had to google what a Golden Birthday was– when I was 23! Your posts are inspiring me to add frozen fruit and raspberry bushes to the grocery and Lowes lists for this weekend, so I’m in trouble– we have a bathroom to renovate this weekend, lol. 😛 My number one flower for nostalgia has been daffodils, specifically the blend of them; there’s a picture of me with my mom in front of a ton of daffodils at our first house when I was little!
Taralynn says
Ahhh yes and it only happens once in a lifetime!
Hahaha no harm in growing your own 😆 I love that! My mom always grew a ton of daffodils in the yard.
Pamela says
Happy Birthday Girl!!! Looks like you had a great time celebrating!
I had mine when I turned 23. It was a good time!
I have not tried Crumbl Cookies yet, but they look amazing! As do those smoothies you posted. I meed to try some of those flavors you created!
Lilacs are very nostalgic for me too! I can never get enough of the smell!
Taralynn says
Thank you, Pamela!
I hope you try those Crumbl Cookies soon! 😋 & the smoothies!!
Lilacs are heavenly!
Shelby says
Does Tux ever go on walks with you? He looks more and more comfortable/happy with each recap – you and Kyle are doing an amazing job with him!
Taralynn says
Kyle walks Tux at 5 am every morning 😊 I can’t walk him at the moment because he pauses when he’s scared and he needs to be picked up, and he’s too heavy for me. But on the weekends, we’ll walk together with Leo, Kyle, and Tux! He LOVES walks!
Shelby says
That is the cutest, he must be in heaven! Have a great week!
Taralynn says
We’re in heaven with him! 💜
Kara says
I have never had those cookies, but they look amazing, as well as your birthday dinner. That cake turned out sooo gorgeous for your friend’s baby sex reveal.
My golden birthday was when I was 5 and it was a great birthday that I remember fondly.
Also, I bought the gardenary book last year and it’s definitely inspiring and I was just thinking this morning I can’t wait to dig my hands into planting again once it starts to get warmer. I miss it.
Taralynn says
Thanks, Kara!
Isn’t her book/website amazing!? It has me wanting to grow everything!!
Katie says
1. My golden birthday was around 11 years ago on March 23rd (I’m now 34). Seems like forever and a day ago haha.
2. Crumbl cookies are ah-mazing. The churro and cornbread are my favorites so far. I also love anything Oreo so that cookie you have looks like it’d be good!
3. Sadly, no flowers bring me nostalgia. I always love seeing your flowers and fruit plants but I unfortunately feel like I’d have idea where to start and wouldn’t have enough time. 🙁
Taralynn says
Awww!
I cannot wait to try their Churro! I follow review accounts just so I can keep up with their flavors 😆 But we try to only go on special occasions because they’re so good!
There are definitely low-maintenance flowers if you ever wanted to start!
Jodi Secret says
1) My golden birthday was when I was 17 but it was just another birthday
2) I tried Crumbl cookies but I caught covid in Oct. and lost my taste and smell and it still hasn’t returned but I could tell they were good by the texture
3) Tulips but I love all flowers, flowers are the only gift I need 😊
Taralynn says
Oh nooo! You need to try them again!
I agree with you on that! Nothing makes me happier than plants 😝
Kelly says
Happy belated golden birthday!!!
My golden birthday was my 1st birthday, so I don’t remember much. But my half birthday was yesterday and I’ll be 31 this year too, so we’re almost exactly 6 months apart!
I was gifted Crumbl cookies for my birthday a couple of years ago…. man they are delicious! I want to go get some now!
Your maternity photos are absolutely gorgeous! I have two close friends who are also due with their firsts this spring. Even though I’m not pregnant I feel like I’m on this pregnancy journey with them because they give me so many random updates and facts 😂
I’ve been following your blog since almost the very beginning and I have to say that when I saw your pregnancy post I’ve never been so happy for someone I’ve never met! 😅 I’m wishing you and Kyle and your baby the absolute best!
Taralynn says
Thanks, Kelly!
Going on this 30’s journey together ♥️
Gosh, aren’t they so good? I was on the phone with my brother a few nights ago and he had NEVER HEARD OF THEM! I’m going to send him a pack today just for him to try.
Thank you for your sweet words, and congrats to your friends! 😊
Hellish says
So you are getting fatter as before…. You are ugly and disgusting hope your kid die