Hi friends! I have all sorts of randomness to talk about today so I figured it made sense to share it in a things I’m lovely lately sort of format! I hope you all had fun weekends – ours was great (we were shockingly in town/not traveling) but too fast, as usual. 🙂
1) Flight Trampoline Park
Matt and I have started doing date nights once a week where one person plans it and surprises the other person (we alternate weeks). It’s a fun way to make sure we get in some quality time, and it encourages us to get more creative with our outings, too! On Friday night, it was Matt’s turn, and he surprised me with a trip to Flight Trampoline Park in Springfield! Best date night ever!
Matt and I were both gymnasts when we were little, and friends of mine from elementary/middle school will remember that I basically always wanted to be on trampolines. I still LOVE them, and was so excited when I realized we were pulling in to a trampoline park! Matt knows me too well. 🙂 I posted a video of myself on Instagram from the trampoline park working on my backflip skills. I was proud of myself for doing one – I was scared before doing it the first time because it’s been ages!
Matt and I spent 1.5 hours at the trampoline park (yes, we were totally the only ones over 20 there without kids, no shame) and we were EXHAUSTED when we left. Turns out jumping is not only really fun but also an insane workout! What a blast – thanks for the fun date night, Matt! I can’t wait to go back/explore some other trampoline parks in the area. 🙂
2) Eastern Market
I always love going to Eastern Market in DC but don’t make it there that often, so when Matt had an appointment downtown on Saturday morning (to get Global Entry, which I already have – it saves a ton of time when traveling outside of the US and you also automatically get TSA Pre-check with it), I said I’d go with him and we could hit up brunch in Eastern Market afterwards!
Le Pain Quotidien hits the spot every time – and I love their Eastern Market location since it has a ton of outdoor seating. Nice morning to dine al fresco! We strolled around all the markets afterward, which are always fun to look at, too. Our only purchase (because we knew we’d have to carry anything we bought on the metro trek home) was a whole bunch of peaches from one of the produce stands. We’ve already eaten most of them – soooo good!
3) Hungry Harvest
A blog reader told me about Hungry Harvest earlier this year, and while they’ve been in DC for awhile, they just recently (last month) expanded to Arlington/Virginia, too! Hungry Harvest is a CSA (community supported agriculture)/produce delivery service with a twist: they recover the surplus produce from farmers and wholesalers that would otherwise have been wasted. Plus, for every delivery you receive, they donate a healthy meal to someone in need. Love that you can get you can get fresh fruit/veggies delivered to your door while also helping combat food waste – and food insecurity. Matt and I have been doing the “mini-share” for the past few weeks, which is $15 – super affordable. They have larger options, too, and they also just added all organic and all fruit options, too, which I’m considering switching to!
Here’s what we got this weekend:
4) Luke’s Lobster
On Saturday night, our friends Tom and Janice invited us up to Bethesda to join them for dinner at Luke’s Lobster! After just having had all the lobster in Maine last weekend, I was curious to see how this place stacked up. We met at Tom and Janice’s and had a nice stroll into town; Luke’s Lobster is in a little pedestrian-only walking street in Bethesda and I’d seen it before but never tried it.
The verdict? DELICIOUS! Just as good as the ones I had in Maine (actually, the lobster was sourced from Maine!) – I really liked the seasoning they put on the lobster, and the roll was deliciously buttery. The slaw it came with was vinegar (not mayo) based, too, which I loved. AND they had Shipyard summer ale – so good!
It was such a beautiful evening that on our walk back to Tom and Janice’s we decided to keep the fun going and stop at Barrel & Crow for a nightcap and dessert. Matt and I shared this delicious lemon cake with blueberry sauce – amazing! I want to come back to this place for dinner sometime – apparently it’s really good!
5) Bowl’d in Clarendon
Speaking of good food spots, my friend Karen and I tried Bowl’d in Clarendon for lunch the other day and loved it!
It’s a fast casual type place where you can build your own bowl (or choose one of their creations) – you pick a grain (brown rice, white rice, quinoa) or green (or both!), a protein (meat or beans/tofu), as many veggies as you like, and toppings/sauce. I made a brown rice, greens, chicken, and veggie bowl with green coconut curry on top. They make all their sauces from scratch (so no weird additives, and they are not crazy salty, yay) and everything is super fresh – I’ll definitely be back here more often! Loved it!
6) Blue Apron!
Last week’s Blue Apron delivery (paid for on our own dime – we are obsessed and get it every week outside of/unrelated to my partnership with them) had a really tasty seared catfish with eggplant and peppers. Matt was busy on Thursday night so I invited my mom over to enjoy it with me.
We both loved it! Also, we rediscovered those napkins from our wedding – fun!
We had some eggplant/pepper mix leftover that I turned into brunch for myself on Sunday by tossing it in a pan with garlic and kale and putting two fried eggs on top.
Our last Blue Apron meal from last week was a classic: steak and potatoes, but with a really good long bean and garlicky tomato addition.
Matt and I whipped it up last night and enjoyed dinner outside because it was a beautiful night. We were instructed to roast the potatoes at 475 for 25 minutes, and apparently that’s the key, because they got nice and crispy/brown! I usually roast potatoes on a lower setting but will crank up the heat from now on because these came out way better.
And with that, here ends the longest post ever! I kept the weekend super low key on the fitness front (nice walks + some yard work) because I was SO sore from our trampoline adventures, so I’m looking forward to getting back into it this week!
Have a great day, my friends!
What are you loving lately?
