I’m a big fan of the “mini vacation” – anyone else? Meaning, an hour or two that feels like vacation but that’s close to home (or even at home) and doesn’t involve travel or anything big.
I had two mini vacations this week, which was a big (and unusual) treat!
The first was a run date with Matt (without a stroller!) – he had Monday off and the weather was AMAZING so I played hooky too and we went for a run late morning down on the National Mall.
It was gorgeous down there – lots of tourists around, which was weird because I’m so used to being there in the super early morning when it’s empty!
We made it about 3 miles and then grabbed food after our run at Farmers, Fishers, Bakers on the Georgetown Waterfront. I love this place – their brunch buffet (which is normally just on the weekends, but they had it going since it was a holiday) is insane in the best way possible.
We decided some drinks were in order since it was 65 degrees and sunny and amazing out on the patio and it really did feel like a mini vacation. Mimosa for me, bloody mary for him!
First round at the buffet – apparently I was craving salty meat! Their kale caesar was awesome, too… reminded me of my Vegan Kale Caesar Salad recipe!
Round 2 at the buffet was more savory stuff + one of their amaaaaazing cinnamon rolls. I’m not a huge sweets person in general but I do really love cinnamon rolls and I know from previous experience that theirs are a must not miss – so good and doughy!
My second mini vacation this week was a VERY long overdue lunch date with my friend Anina Belle!
(Remember her from our fun batch cooking baby playdate?)
Anina Belle went back to work full time last winter so we haven’t been able to meet up for weekday playdates anymore and as a result it had been wayyyy too long since we hung out!
After emailing for months we finally found a day that worked for a mama’s only lunch date. She is in charge of PR for the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel in DC, so she kindly offered to treat us to lunch at Bourbon Steak, the hotel restaurant.
I’ve been to Bourbon Steak a few times before and LOVE it so she didn’t have to ask me twice. 😉
I always love meals where the person I’m dining with also likes sharing food – it makes it way more fun to taste a ton of different stuff! We ordered a lot of variety and shared everything: oysters, tuna tartare, and a side salad to start, plus some amazing must-not-miss truffled butter rolls (I brought the leftovers home and am so excited to eat them again).
And for entrees, we shared the crab cake (amazing – all crab, very little filler) and the New York strip (super flavorful) with sauteed mushrooms and spinach.
Plus some fries for good measure – I loved the unique seasonings they had on the fries! I believe one was an herb seasoning, one was cajun, and one was cool ranch (so creative) – plus delicious sauce pairings, too.
Yum. Such a fun treat, and so great to catch up with my friend, too! Thank you again for the delicious meal, Anina Belle. 🙂
A couple other random things of note from the past week:
- I had a fun run date over the weekend with my friend Kathleen!
We hadn’t run together in forever because Kathleen had her second child about 5 months ago. Welcome back to the trails, Kathleen! I missed you. 🙂
- I got rid of our old shoe rack that was just two bars that all the shoes constantly fell off of and bought a more legit one with actual shelves and our hall closet situation is now much, much improved. Here’s the link to the shoe rack on Amazon (affiliate link) if you are looking for something similar! Yay for organization.
- We had a backsplash added to our kitchen and I’m OBSESSED. Love the pop of color and the fun shape of the tiles!
Pictured with a yummy dinner from this week – sauteed garlicky lemony kale, roasted squash, and a roasted crusted fish (coated with dijon mustard + breadcrumbs + a lemon juice squeeze on top once cooked).
Have a great weekend, my friends!
Tell me about a recent “mini vacation” you had! Taking a bubble bath and reading my book at night after Riese goes to bed is another “mini vacation” favorite of mine. 🙂
And now, I will leave you with a whole slew of links of interest from around the web:
- The Parenting Magic Word (and 10 Ways to Use It) via Janet Lansbury
- Tips on Intuitive Eating for Toddlers via ImmaEatThat – this is how we are feeding Riese too
- Quinoa Tabouleh Salad via PB Fingers – thinking this would make a great simple make-ahead packable lunch with some salmon or chicken!
- Avoiding the Power Struggle by Not Competing with Kids For Control via Calm Chaos
- Additive Wellness: 10 Things to Add To Your Routine via Healthfully Ever After – love the add vs. subtract approach – that’s what I use with my clients!
- It’s Time to Stop Treating Parenting as a Mom’s Burden and a Dad’s Adorable Hobby via Glamour – hear, hear
- 24 Days of Togetherness Holiday Bucket List via Carrots N Cake – love this cute printable PDF for the holiday season!
