Friday has arrived!
Love me some Dr. Bailey. Anyone else love Grey's?? Anywho, what is everyone doing this weekend?! The hubs and I are planning to do our first "14er." This is Colorado code for a hike that you reach 14,000+ feet during. This means that there will be very little oxygen to be had when we summit. It will also be pretty chilly up there, and I'm not awesome at dealing with cold temperatures. People have me somewhat worried that I'm going to feel like death during this hike. Full report to come. Wish your girl some luck.
In the meantime, enjoy this weeks list of Friday Faves, y'all!
Hiking to 11,000 feet! Yesterday, we did a short hike at the Chief Mountain trail in Idaho Springs. It wasn't too bad, and the views from the top were insane. I wish the pictures did it more justice, but honestly, it's just something you have to experience to truly appreciate the beauty of it all. Tucker is obsessed with hiking now. I guess I am too, but he gets so pumped to climb rocks and pull us up mountains. He's a Colorado mountain dog now.
Mount Falcon Park. If you come out to Denver area, this is a must hike. It was a long one- about 8 miles total, but it was so worth it. There are some really cool ruins at the top of an early 1900s mansion that burnt down after being struck by lightning. There are also some great looks out points with pavilions to picnic at near the top. Next time, I want to pack lunch and eat at the top before hiking back down.
This new chocolate bar brand. I found this bar at Sprouts and was a little skeptical because of how many things it doesn't have in it. How can it taste good without all those things? Let me tell you, whatever voodoo magic they put into this bar, I want in on it. It is so damn good. This has to be my new favorite chocolate bar now. It's that good.
Plantain chips. I actually don't crave salty foods a ton, but the past couple of weeks I have been all about them. Plantain chips are my absolute favorite salty snack, and they aren't full of crappy ingredients that make you feel like poo after eating them!
Bachelor in Paradise. I love this overly dramatic shit show. It makes for such good television. If you think you have problems in your life, give this show an hour or two of your life. You'll come out feeling like the most drama-free human on Earth.
For a total 180, go the more serious route with Mindhunter. It's finally back! Season 2 came out today on Netflix, and I can't wait to continue this crazy ass story. If you're into serial killer psychology check this one out.
My new(ish) coffee routine. I used to love Coffee Mate y'all. Specifically the sugar-free Italian sweet cream flavor. It's delicious. The problem was, it's chock full of weird ass ingredients and artificial sweeteners that I probably should never have been consuming in the first place. Enter: Nut Pods. It wasn't an immediate love affair for me, but after a few days, I started to enjoy it more and more. I like to add a dropper full of liquid vanilla stevia as well to give it some added sweetness. It's fantastic and WAY better for you than Coffee Mate. You should check it out.
This CrossFit workout from earlier this week:
7 minute AMRAP:
6 front rack lunges
10 wall balls
-rest 2 minutes-
5 minute AMRAP:
8 back squats
10 toe to bar
-rest 2 minutes-
3 minute AMRAP
25 push-ups
then max rep double unders in remaining time
It kicked my butt. You should do it.
Fancy coffee when I need to treat myself! My new favorite order at coffee shops has been an iced half sweet vanilla latte with coconut milk. I could probably even take it down a little further with the sweetener, because half sweet is still really sweet. How does anyone get fully sweetened?? Anyways, I love regular lattes, but my body does not love dairy. The coconut milk doesn't give my stomach any issues, and it still tastes great, so it's a go from me.
It's almost pumpkin season! Starbucks releases their pumpkin spice latte on August 27! How pissed is everyone?? Honestly, I love it. Fall is my freaking jam. I love pumpkin flavored things, I love Thanksgiving, I love when the leaves change, it's just the best time of year. Who the ef cares if it's still hot outside? I like my coffee cold anyways. So all y'all early Fall haters can buzz off. Bring on the pumpkin everything Starbucks!
These recipes are getting a hard yes from me:
That wraps up this week! I hope everyone has a great weekend. Enjoy the summer before all the pumpkins make their way out! In a few short months, all of these mountains will be covered in snow. How will I survive????
