Happy Friday. I am packing up to head to Tennessee to lead yoga teacher training at VIDYA this weekend. I haven’t seen my group in almost six weeks so I’m looking forward to diving back in with them. We have much to cover this weekend and it’s going to be a good one! I’m also looking forward to the drive up there through the Blue Ridge Mountains and getting to see all of the fall colors. I’m going to give myself some extra travel time today so that I can stop to take it all in. I’ll snap some photos to share!

I have a few Friday favorites (and not favorites) to share before I take off.

NOT FAVORITE: VIBES IS CLOSING

While we are on the subject of yoga studios, I’m sad to share that one of the studios that I work for in Charlotte is closing at the end of the month. I started teaching at Vibes in January 2019 when I came back to teaching yoga after an extended maternity leave. I taught hot yoga and strength training classes at Vibes, and also led a 200-hour yoga teacher training there in the summer of 2020 and had another planned for January 2021.

The management, staff and members of this studio are nothing short of amazing and this ending is a difficult one. The pandemic has been really hard on brick and mortar fitness businesses and we’ve seen multiple studios close in Charlotte over the last year and a half.

FAVORITE: PUMPKIN CURRY SOUP

On a lighter note, soup + toast is my favorite fall lunch. I didn’t have time to make a pot of soup last week but I grabbed this Pumpkin Curry Soup at Whole Foods and it was really good.

Here are the ingredients. It looks pretty simple – I may try to recreate it at home soon.

Also, the toast in the photo above was from Verdant Bread. I discovered them at the Matthews Farmers Market and I am HOOKED on their loaves. Their breads are all sourdough based and so rustic, chewy and flavorful. They sell at the farmers market but you can also do curbside pickup at their Monroe Road shop on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. If you’re a sourdough lover in Charlotte, highly recommend trying them out.

NOT FAVORITE: DOGGIE GI ISSUES

Zoey’s tummy has been out of wack for the last week. She’s had diarrhea on and off which has meant some middle of the night wake ups to take her out and some 4a carpet cleaning. She has mostly been her normal happy self, playful with Benji and all about the ball. She’s also been wanting to eat and drinking plenty of water so I decided to try and treat her at home. It seems that a bland diet has done the trick. I started with just white rice cooked in chicken broth and after she tolerated that for a day or two, I added in plain ground chicken and fed that for a couple more days. She seems to have made a comeback.

I am interested in learning more about homemade dog food and incorporating it into their diet more often.

Also, my dogs are obsessed with these bones. They also like this shape. These bones are great for dogs that love to chew and last a really long time.

FAVORITE: BALAYAGE REFRESH

I had my balayage refreshed recently for the first time since my initial appointment back in early June! I have still been doing roots every six weeks or so but it was nice to be able to go four months between balayage appointments from a time, cost and not wanting to process my hair too often standpoint.

I see Terra at Salon 42 and love her. My last appointment was a little bit of a time-crunch for a few different reasons so I got a two-person blow-out that was very fast and efficient!

FAVORITE + NOT FAVORITE: CRACKING MY APPLE WATCH SCREEN + GETTING A NEW SERIES 6 

I dropped my Apple Watch a few weeks ago and cracked the screen. While I was frustrated in the moment, it was a great excuse to upgrade. My previous watch was a plain black base model Series 3 without a lot of bells and whistles that I’ve had for over two years. I ended up going with the Series 6 in gold with a pink sport band. I ordered it from Walmart where I was able to save $50 on the watch. I’m loving the lighter and more feminine watch color and the upgrades in technology that come with the 6. I am a little bummed that Apple released the 7 right after I got this watch because I am interested in the bigger and more durable screen and faster charging time (and this moonlight color is awesome) but oh well.

NOT FAVORITE: A HACKED CREDIT CARD

The day I added Apple Pay to my watch and linked my credit card, my card was compromised. I had erroneous charges that I did not make starting on that day from someone up in Michigan. The first question that my card issuer (Citi) asked when I called to report was “have you set up a new digital wallet in the last few days?” I haven’t done a ton of reading or research on it but he told me that while Apple Pay is generally safe, especially when using it on your phone and laptop, they’ve had some issues with the watches. Just a head’s up for you guys. It was so bizarre as I set up the new watch in Florida in my grandmother’s condo on a secure WiFi connection. Technology these days is bananas.

FAVORITE: CURRENT FAVORITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE

I am always on the hunt for good cookie recipes and recently I’ve been loving this chocolate chip cookie recipe from Pinch of Yum. What initially drew me to try the recipe was that it doesn’t require you to refrigerate the dough. I have made the recipe as-written and it turns out well but I actually do prefer rolling my dough into balls and freezing them on the sheet for about 20 minutes before cooking. It really helps with the fluffiness and texture. I love cookies with a soft and chewy texture.

I also made this recipe for Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies a few weeks ago and they were wonderful. Sally’s Baking Blog is one of my top go-to’s for good baking recipes.

FAVORITE: RUNNING (AND CROSSFITTING) AT 74 YEARS OLD

I adored this post from my friend Teri about her mom who is 74 years old and still running races and CrossFitting. 10/10 recommend reading if you need a dose of motivation and inspiration to keep moving! Had a smile on my face the whole time!

MY FOREVER FAVORITE: FINN

I leave you with a photo of my forever favorite and his little BFF. Finn is all about Halloween this year and every time you ask him what he’s going to be, the answer changes. I’ve heard dinosaur, pumpkin, monkey and witch in the last week.

Off to Tennessee. Have a nice weekend!

QUESTIONS

Have your fitness habits changed since the start of the pandemic when it comes to working out at studios or gyms? I am super interested in hearing about this from you guys. 

What is your kiddo going to be for Halloween? Are you dressing up? 

Any homemade dog food resources or tips?

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