I had a super quiet solo weekend and it was just what I needed. 48 hours of downtime was the perfect reset button after spending six weeks balancing going back and forth to Durham, work and motherhood.

While the last few weekends that I’ve spent in Charlotte with Finn have been so laid-back, fun and enjoyable, it’s just a different level of relaxation and restoration when you don’t have to do anything for anyone else. I hope that comes across the way that I want it to because I’m most definitely not complaining about anything that I do for my family or Finn. Sometimes we just need a little break. I didn’t even feel up to making plans with friends this weekend and felt zero percent guilty about that.

FRIDAY 

Finn left to spend the weekend with his dad mid-morning on Friday. I did a little bit of work and then went to an appointment at Greenapple for my back. I am three weeks into herniating a disc and it’s feeling so much better. I am cleared for strength training and introducing jogging intervals. I have lifted three times and it’s felt great during and after. I haven’t tried the jogging intervals yet but will this week! I will write a whole post dedicated to the back injury because it’s been a scary and eye-opening experience.

I tried really hard to work on Friday afternoon but I lost steam around 3:30p. It was 74 degrees outside and I was itching to get out for a long walk with the pups. We ended up walking for a little over an hour and a half. I zoned out and listened to an audiobook and it was so nice.

When I got home I took a hot bath and then settled in for an evening of puzzle working and Thai food. I ordered green curry with tofu and veggies from my favorite nearby spot and did a puzzle while I waited for my food.

My grandmother has been doing a lot of puzzles lately and I got an itch to do one myself. I had a 500 piece puzzle in my closet that I’d never worked so I decided to pull it out. I’m so glad that I did because it’s been a great way to zone out and feels a bit nicer than scrolling on my phone. 10/10 recommend a puzzle for a way to mix it up.

This Gray Malin puzzle is SO hard, by the way. I definitely started with a tough one! It’s a beach scene and a lot of the pieces are just sand or water. I am making slow progress. One cool thing is that it’s reversible so I’ll have another puzzle to work on the other side once I’m done! One side of the puzzle is shiny and the other is matte so that’s how you tell which puzzle is which.

SATURDAY

I slept for almost 10 hours on Friday night and then did a little work on Saturday before heading to the gym.

I lifted and then shot two Reels for Instagram. One was this upper body and glute workout and the other was some of my favorite back stretches. I’ll post that later this week.

Here’s what I did at the gym on Saturday:

SET ONE x3

15 goblet squats
10 overhand grip pull ups (on knee assisted pull up machine)
10 bench press

SET TWO x3

10 hamstring curls, each leg (on hamstring curl machine)
15 straight bar bicep curls
10 seated single arm dumbbell shoulder press

SET THREE x3

15 bodyweight leg elevated split squats
15 straight bar tricep skull crushers
10 straight bar upright rows

SET FOUR x2

10 bodyweight single leg step ups (keep foot on the box/bench for all 10 step ups before switching to other leg)
10 plank to forearm plank up and downs
10 low cobra push ups
30 second side plank, both sides
20 modified crunches with one knee bent, one leg full extended
10 glute bridges

The rest of the day included more puzzle time, a walk with the dogs and a gnocchi skillet for dinner. I sautéed two chicken sausages with sun-dried tomatoes, Trader Joe’s frozen mushroom medley and what was left of the bag of ALDI Specially Selected Vegetable Medley that I blogged about last week. I added a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen Gorgonzola Gnocchi and cooked until it was all heated through. It was so good. I ate half of the skillet for dinner and ended up having the rest for dessert two hours later!

Saturday night involved lots of Benji cuddles on the couch while I watched Downton Abbey. I don’t let the dogs on the furniture but he crept up and was so sweet and snuggly. I couldn’t resist.

SUNDAY 

I got another solid night of sleep on Saturday night and then spent Sunday morning drinking coffee and puzzling. I picked Finn up around 11a and we ran to Target to get some household things.

While we were in Target, I got a text from the co-owner/manager of Metro Fitness Club asking if I could make it in for a photoshoot that afternoon. I ate a quick lunch when we got home from Target and then got some makeup on my face. I didn’t have time to do my hair and let’s just say it could have used a wash but oh well.

We were at the gym for just under two hours and Finn had a (literal) ball. Sunday was a very cold and rainy day in Charlotte so it ended up being nice to have an afternoon outing. The occasion for the photo shoot was getting some headshots and group photos for a training team. I don’t really want to make a big deal about this because I’m still working it out but I am picking up a handful of personal training (and maybe small group corporate) clients. While I love teaching yoga, I’m at a sweet spot teaching four classes a week at Charlotte Yoga (and occasional subbing). I am really missing the fitness side of things but not wanting to go back into group fitness. It’s too hard on my body.

Metro has always been my “gym home” in Charlotte and I’ve found myself really enjoying getting back to lifting consistently and just being around at the gym. It kind of all fell into place seamlessly that I’d train a few clients. I haven’t trained consistently since I was pregnant with Finn so I’m excited to get back to it.

I spent the rest of my Sunday hanging out with Finn. He was cracking himself up with this “bubble hat” in the tub. We just got this bubble bath and it’s a winner! Just a few capfuls produces a ton of bubbles and it’s a more natural brand that’s paraben and sulfate free.

The sun is shining in Charlotte today and the week is off to a great start. I am feeling energized, inspired and SO ready to take on a new month tomorrow! After months of feeling like I was going through the motions and doing the bare minimum in regards to work, it feels really, really good to have some inspiration and motivation flowing again.

That’s all for me. Wishing you all a wonderful week!

QUESTIONS

Do you enjoy puzzles? 

What’s your go-to Thai food order? 

Have you ever worked with a personal trainer? 

How was your weekend!? What did you do?