I cannot believe how gorgeous this weekend was.
I truly had a lovely weekend, start to finish. It was a nice change of pace from the frenetic week I just finished, and I took care and effort to treat my body nicely (for a change!).
My epic grocery trip on Friday resulted in a delish on-the-go breakfast that I imagine I’ll be consuming a LOT this season. It’s so seasonal and delicious!
Vanilla Chobani, pear, pumpkin, walnuts, flax meal, and granola.
I rushed through Saturday breakfast to get my appointment – I got my hair did!!!
I snagged a Groupon to Ergun Tercan European Salon (what a mouthful!) a few weeks ago, and I was finally able to go in and take advantage of the deal. The salon was lovely and BUSY on Saturday, and it was filled to the brim with gorgeous hair.
I began the appointment with a “before”:
Forgive the ugly dirty hair.
And some delicious housemade iced coffee. A salon that also caters to my caffeine addiction? Sold!
Yum!
Nearly three hours later (gosh we women put so much effort into looking beautiful!), I was highlighted, washed, and styled.
Glamorous, eh?
Um, I totally haven’t washed my hair since. I just love this look so much!!! I wish I could get a blow out everyday…
I was famished after all the pampering (hah) and came home to recreate my wrap from earlier this week.
Cheddar, chicken apple sausage, pear, spinach, and sprouts on a spinach wrap.
Ready to devour!
Saturday continued to get more and more gorgeous, so I headed over to Crown Hill Lake, a wildlife refuge just a few miles from my place.
The setting is so lovely.
Perfect for a run and some exercise stations!
There are 17 of these stations along a one-mile fitness course around the lake, so after a warm up lap of a mile or so, I tackled the circuit. It was fun, but hard! Despite the fact the that I can do lunges, sit ups, and monkey bars with ease, I unfortunately can only do 3 chin ups. 😦 I expect more from myself! I’ll be back to try and amp that number up this winter.
After my workout, I discovered a most unusual walking buddy.
A parrot!
This woman had a talking parrot on her shoulder as she strolled by the lake. Apparently he loves to take long walks! This takes the cake for strangest walking buddy I’ve ever seen (besides of course the time I saw a rabbit on a leash being walked on a beach in Florida).
Upon my return, I made a quick protein shake.
Banana, almond milk, protein and cocoa powders blended with oatmeal and almonds.
The afternoon consisted of some hardcore apartment decorating.
Beaten by my plaster walls!
It was a slow process with flimsy nails and a hammer, but ultimately it was a success! Photos to come. 🙂
After a relaxing nap, I got myself together for dinner with one of my few girlfriends out here.
Pizza and wine - such typical girls.
The evening was spent rehashing our lives since we last caught up, eating delicious food, and drinking good wine. She’s like me and loves to split, so we shared a few items.
Mixed greens with cranberries, pecans, apple, gorgonzola, and grilled chicken.
Special pizza of the night - artichoke, sundried tomato, asparagus, and basil.
Dessert drinks! Kahlua with cream, tasty and simple.
The festivities didn’t stop there, as I met up with another friend to go to a housewarming party, followed by a visit to a downtown loft, followed by some bar hopping.
Let's just say it was a long night.
****************
Today (Sunday) dawned clear and bright as my body shook me awake far too early after only four hours of sleep. I was excited because Casey and I were going hiking! I threw together breakfast and hit the road.
Pumpkin cottage cheese oats with banana, pecans and granola.
We were planning to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, but neither of us had the energy to make that trek. Instead, we opted for the Flatirons, which are literally out Casey’s backyard in Boulder.
It was a perfect day to be outside in nature.
So beautiful.
We hiked straight up to the top of the first Flatiron, then off-roaded to get to the actual top.
Blazing our own trail.
Fuel was consumed.
It was a fun hike, only smiles today.
When we climbed back down, we immediately headed to get some food.
Coffee with a fruit cup and a poppyseed bagel with schmear.
Einstien Bros. is another chain that I actually do enjoy. Their coffee is quite good, the fruit was super fresh and tasty, and the bagel…well, I love carbs, so this rocked.
I got all cleaned up and left Casey to his Red Zone and couch while I headed into the Pearl Street Mall for some quality shopping time.
It was a great day to be outside on a pedestrian-only street.
And look what I saw!
A giant Newfoundland dog!
To give you some perspective – this guy, seated, came up to about my sternum. He was HUGE. The owner said he weighs 160 pounds. I just wanted to hug him. OMG.
After some intense shopping (I’ve missed you American Apparel!) I stopped into a froyo/health food joint for a quick pick-me-up.
Fresh carrot juice blended with tart frozen yogurt.
Yum, I love carrot juice smoothies. My body does too. 🙂
Riding the wave of health-conscious eating today, I spent the drive home from Boulder mentally crafting the most perfect meal from my freshly stocked refrigerator. I just knew it had to incorporate cauliflower rice somehow. I’ve been wanting to make this since Cassie cooked it for us in Lunch Bunch (ages ago!), but I basically never buy cauliflower and kept forgetting. Not today!
Just chop!
And blend!
While I was getting the rice ready, I sauteed some onion with garlic and ginger in sesame oil, then added frozen edamame and corn, fresh chopped bell pepper, and seasonings to make a quick stir fry. Then I fried an egg, topped it all with bean sprouts, scallions, cashews, and sriracha, and voila! Deconstructed and healthified fried rice!
So good!
Now I’m settling in for a peaceful night before I get back to it again tomorrow. Who knows what adventures await in the city this week??? xoxo