We’re back in DC after a really wonderful week in the Outer Banks (Duck to be specific)!
We rent a house in Duck, NC for one week every summer with Matt’s family and friends and it’s the best week. We are so grateful we were able to go this year – the change of scenery and the break from work was such a treat.
We had a much smaller crew than usual this year (we missed you, Chris and Jess + the boys) but we all made the most of it!
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We lucked out with great weather last week – only one partially dreary day – which meant we spent pretty much all day every day either at the beach or at the pool at our rental house.
Don’t worry, we all used a LOT of sunscreen! Here is my fave non-toxic, reef-friendly spray sunscreen, and this is the one I use on my face which I’m thrilled to have found because it doesn’t irritate my super sensitive skin (I have rosacea) like a lot of other sunscreens do… def buying it in bulk. (affiliate links)
Here’s what one of our typical days looked like while at the beach. Take me back now, please!
The mornings started by either hanging out at the house, or with a workout! Matt and I made it out for two runs with our friend Thomas which were really fun despite the heat.
We didn’t actually run on the beach, but on the trail along the road because let’s be honest, beach running is too hard. 😉 I’ll stick with beach walking, thank you!
We did end our runs on the beach, though, so we could put our hot feet in the water and it felt amaaazing.
I was excited to run my longest distance in ages one of the day last week – 4 miles!
My running has tanked since I haven’t been able to run in person with others for so long – I still get out twice a week for virtual run phone dates with friends, but I usually walk a lot of it without the in-person motivation. So this was a nice change and encouraging to show myself I could still do it!
(Super fun American flag shoes are an old fave from a few years ago gifted by Brooks – looks like they have some cute different variations of patriotic shoes on their site now, too, FYI! – affiliate link)
Two of the other mornings I went to an outdoor yoga class with my sister-in-law Morgana, hosted by Duck Village Yoga.
It was absolutely lovely – the views of the water were gorgeous and it was in the shade with a nice breeze. They kept the classes super small and had everyone spaced out properly!
I always had a snack first thing before any workouts, and then when we got back to the house we’d have a more legit breakfast.
Matt and I made some epic english muffin bacon, egg, cheese, tomato, and avocado sandwiches a few of the mornings – delicious.
And another day Matt’s dad made us some sourdough pancakes!
I made scrambled eggs and we had them with blueberries and ham.
Other breakfasts were more simple – I did overnight oatmeal one day and had some toast with nut butter a couple of the others!
After our big breakfast, we usually all headed to the beach!
Riese was absolutely terrified of the water until the very last day, when Matt and I finally convinced her to put her feet in and what do you know – she LOVED it.
She started jumping and splashing and laughing and it was so sweet to experience it through her eyes!
Riese’s favorite beach activity was looking for shells in the sand. We have quite a collection of shells that came home with us – I’m thinking we can use them for some fun arts and crafts and games here at home!
Around 12, we came back to our house to make lunch and get Riese down for her nap. Lunches were usually either some sort of sandwich…
Or dinner leftovers, or leftovers on top of salad.
We also had peaches almost every day with lunch.
What is it about “beach peaches”, as Riese calls them, that are so much more awesome than peaches you buy at home?! I’m obsessed. Riese was too!
We brought a bunch home – thinking of making either my Heirloom Tomato and Peach Caprese Salad or Honey Lime Chicken with Grilled Peaches this week. Or maybe we will just eat them all as-is… 🙂
After lunch, we would get Riese down for her nap and then hang out by the pool at our house with the monitor next to us. So nice having the pool right there so we were able to use it during Riese’s nap time!
With the exception of the first day we were there, Riese took really good naps, which meant we had a lot of time for relaxing and reading and/or pool volleyball tournaments. 😉
Speaking of reading, I read two really good books while we were at the beach – The Last Time I Lied and The Family Upstairs. (affiliate links)
Both are perfect beach reads that I didn’t want to put down – super twisty and dark murder mysteries that really keep you guessing. Highly recommend both if you’re looking for something to read!
When Riese woke up from her nap, we’d all have a snack, then usually we’d head back down to the pool with Riese in tow.
She LOVED the pool – her favorite thing was jumping into the pool into one of our arms over and over again (serious arm workout to keep lifting her back up onto the pool deck every time!). She liked swimming around with us helping her, too.
By around 5, it was time for happy hour – but you’ll have to wait until part 2 of this recap for more, because this post is getting long and also it’s quite late on Sunday evening as I’m writing this and I’m ready to go to bed. 🙂
I’ll be back on Wednesday to share part 2 of our beach adventures – until then, stay tuned!
