Not that I ever like to wish time away but it sure is nice to see the arrival of the weekend after the week we’ve had.
I taught my Friday morning hot yoga class and then met Virginia to take a FlyWheel class. We took Jenna B’s class and it was my first time taking her class after hearing so many great things about her. It was awesome and it always gives me an extra push when I workout with Virginia. That girl is fit! She pushes me!
The aftermath of FlyWheel is that I feel like a blob of jello (crazy how doing something outside of your normal routine can fatigue you so much!) so my plan is to power through this post and then take a little Friday afternoon siesta before I got teach my 4:30 yoga class. I’m not much of a napper but I’m feeling it today…especially after last night’s harvest moon. It sure was beautiful but I tossed and turned all night. Anyone else!?
The biggest news of the day is that it’s this nugget’s THIRD birthday! She’ll be sure to get lots of ball throwing time later and I’ll bake her a little doggie birthday cake. Zoey’s also in for a surprise because Bear Bundon is coming to stay with us for the weekend. She’ll be so thrilled. 🙂
Earlier this week I baked a big batch of lactation cookies for my friend Angie (who we went to visit last weekend with the new baby). She mentioned wanting to try them and I’ve always read so much about them so I volunteered to bake them for her. They’re basically glorified oatmeal chocolate chip cookies but the thing that is supposed to help with lactation is the inclusion of the oats, ground flax and brewer’s yeast. Y’all…let me just tell you that the flavor of the brewer’s yeast was not for the faint of heart. I sampled two of the cookies and then was more than happy to pass them on to Angie. Hopefully they help her!
I used this recipe and this brewer’s yeast, for the record!
We’re having very all over the place fall weather but it’s got me back in the tea drinking groove. My absolute favorite flavor of tea is a strong ginger tea. This brand was not strong, thus the double tea bags. I like it with a little kick. So far the Yogi Tea ginger is the only one I’ve discovered that gives me that. I need to try brewing my own ginger tea from fresh ginger as I almost always have some in the fridge!
On the subject of beverages, Tanner brought home this Lavender Love flavor of GT’s kombucha for me. I didn’t think I would like it but it’s 100% my new favorite. It’s SO good. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find. We stock it at the studio pretty regularly so I’ll have to grab it when we have it there!
I baked two loaves of sourdough this morning. I’m so stuck on this sourdough, cashew butter, sea salt, honey and banana kick. I want to eat it all the time! I’m also stuck on this kale and quinoa salad mix with avocado and Tessemae’s green goddess dressing if you haven’t picked up on that the last few months.
Finally, a no makeup selfie after a visit with Terri at Carolina Facial Plastics. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve worked with them on skincare but I reached out to Terri recently because my dear friend and esthetician Ariana moved to California permanently so I don’t have her for her amazing facials anymore. I also needed a product regimen refresh something serious. Terri did a light glycolic facial for me and then walked me through the new products she wants me to use and in what order AM and PM. I want to give it 4-6 weeks before I post a review here but I LOVE the line (it’s medical grade skincare) and have used several of the products from it before!
A few random last things…
- If you are in the Charlotte area, we’re partnering with FlyWheel for Fly2Y2 THIS SATURDAY from 3:45-5:30 p.m. It’s a 30 minute FlyWheel ride, run/jog/power walk to Y2 and then a 30 minute Y2 flow class. All of it is led by FlyWheel + Y2 instructor Shane Lucas – he’s amazing!
- What is the deal with this new Instagram survey thing I’m seeing in everyone’s stories?
- Speaking of Instagram stories, can you tell me if you prefer more photo content or video content?
- If you live anywhere in the Charlotte/Asheville/Greenville/NC-VA-mountain-ish area, do you have any favorite hikes that are 2-3 hours drivable from Charlotte? I’ve got the itch and I want to see those fall leaves.
Have a lovely weekend!
I think the Choice Organic Teas Easy Digest Tea Ginger & Turmeric Blend is pretty good and strong enough ginger.
Awesome, thanks for the recommendation!
If you are looking to try other teas….try Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice. You can by it online, at Target, and at the cafes in Barnes and Nobles (at least here in Texas). The flavor is amazing. I love to give this tea as a gift and I can honestly say everyone who receives it loves it. They also have an amazing citrus green tea called Tropical Green. PS. I have no affiliation with the company…just love lots of their products!
I am ALWAYS looking to try new teas and this one sounds so perfect for a cold weather, cozy tea. Thank you!
Lavender love is my fave as well! I recently discovered that the stockists locator on the GTS website is amazing. It doesn’t just show you locations, it actually lists every single item/flavor each store carries! It’s been pretty accurate for me, so it’s been easy to the LL flavor, yay!
This is an amazing resource. Thank you! I had no idea they had this!
I really like the Black Balsam Knob hike in Pisgah. Great views!! The website romanticasheville.com has awesome recommendations for hikes all around the mountains of NC. I’ve had great luck with some of those.
Oh yes, I love that one! Thanks for the reminder. It’s been quite a long time since I’ve done it!
I absolutely love Table Rock this time of year! It’s a little over 2 hours from Charlotte. The hike is considered challenging, but the views are totally worth it. And after you’re done, I recommend heading over to Victoria Valley Vineyards for a glass of wine and a snack 🙂
I think I did that one like 6 years ago but thanks for the reminder. I’d love to give it another go since it’s been so long and I don’t really even remember it!
We are big fans of Rough Ridge in Boone right off the parkway. Just challenging enough and the view is amazing!
Thank you for the suggestion! I am adding it to the list! 🙂
I love the hike up to Hawksbill Mtn near Linville, and you can also hop over (drive) to Table Rock (NC) and hike that up from the parking lot. I second the person who commented on romanticasheville.com as a resource.
The hike up Stone Mtn in Roaring Gap is a good one too for a quick day trip, especially if you start at the bottom with the falls and hike up. Lots of NC wineries around there too for after hike treat.
If you have a weekend, you can’t beat all the pretty waterfall hikes in WNC around Gorges State Park and DuPont.
Thank you so much for these suggestions Melissa! They’re super helpful. 🙂
Come up here to Boone and hike the Tanhawa Trail > Cragway Trail > Daniel Boone Scout Trail up the backside of Grandfather Mountain. You get beautiful long-range views down into the “Boone bowl” and the leaves are lovely. It’s also less crowded than the popular Profile Trail that goes up the other side of Grandfather.
I think this coming weekend will be peak leaf weekend up here (or close to it). While you’re at it, go to Melanie’s for brunch in downtown Boone. And got to AMB for a post-hike beer. 🙂
perfect – THANK YOU! this is super helpful!
One question, how long would you say this hike is and how long to give yourself to do it?
Hey Jen sorry for the delay in replying! Hopefully it’s not too late to be helpful.
It’s about 7.5 miles round-trip to the top and back, and it usually takes us 4 hours (it’s steep) which includes time to enjoy the summit. 🙂
If you decide to go, shoot me an email and I’ll send you some more details about parking, etc. Also someone else recommended the Rough Ridge Trail which is also a good one, but easier and shorter, yet with amazing views at the top.
Thank you for asking about the hikes! My husband and I are going to Asheville at the end of this month so I am taking notes from some of these comments. This FL girl NEEDS to do some leaf-peeping!
Also, I might be the only one, but I prefer photo content on Instagram.
Oops, I have to edit this to correct myself – I like video and photo content equally. It’s Instagram stories that I am not as into.
Trader Joe’s has a really nice turmeric ginger tea. But it’s also super easy to brew your own with a chunk of ginger, splash of lemon, maybe turmeric powder, and hot water, I have def done that in a pinch.