What an amazing holiday weekend with family!!!!  I hope y’all enjoyed yours as well!!!  Work was crazy busy for Jenny and I this week bc the owners of the salon so graciously decided to close Friday and Saturday in honor of America’s birthday!!!!  We love them sooooooo much!  We both love being busy bc then you just appreciate the time off that you have sooo much more…and who doesn’t love a holiday.  I have to say 4h of July is def one of my fav holidays…fireworks, family, bbq’s, swimming, watermelon (which I don’t even like but it just feels right), sparklers, lightening bugs, and this unexpected lovely weather that we had!  As you know Jenny and I have really recommitted to tightening up…we got a little fast and loose with our new lifestyles so I celebrated this weekend by going to the gym 4…count em …4 days in a ROWWWWWWW! I think that is a personal best for me since I started on this journey!

 

#holygymselfiebatman

 

This makes me feel amazing!  I feel so strong when I leave the gym and every time I move something that I worked out  and it hurts it just hurts sooo good! Also and you guys are never even going to believe this but I love working out with my family!!!  Thursday was our meatball workout/ass whooping with Sandra but Friday, Saturday and even Sunday I worked out with my parents…and this sweet angel even popped in on Sunday!

#sweatfog #heatwave #fogginupthecamera #lovemysis

And then some terrible car “usies” (the plural of selfies…thanks Sandra) from our day of sisters that followed…#sisterlifewife

Also this weekend I reigned in my out of control eating!  On Friday we all met at my sister’s pool after the gym for an awesome FOJ (get it?!) celebration.  There was a greasy watermelon contest and a big splash contest and a name that tune contest #ilovegames and lots and lots of swimming and watching my little nephew Chase make up swim moves…like the dolphin (it looks exactly like what you think it looks like!) Then we walked back to my sisters house for an awesome paleo exclusive cookout!!!  Having everyone on the same page is so amazing.  Happiness and support are a choice and it makes me so thankful that my entire family is on the same page.  I mean look at alllll that yumminess on one plate!

 

We had marinated steak and pineapple kabobs on the grill, grilled zuchini, carmelized squash and onions (which I swear is a macaroni and cheese replacement) sweet potato chips with guac, a jicama, cucumber, lime stack and corn on the cob! yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Then Wyatt and I watched one of my all time fav movies as a kid…Addams Family Values!  Ugh I wanted to be Wednesday Addams soooo bad when I was a wee lass…what a badass!!!  #sooomuchfun

 

Then Saturday the Original Beards (OB’s…shout out and stole this from Nikki!) went out to dinner downtown.  My family can def get stuck in a rut.  We Ale House and Raleigh Times it up and last time we were all out, Kelly said we have to go somewhere new next time!  I LOVE NEW!!! So I did some research and asked my downtown guru…Michael Knight for a good recommendation and he said you should try Bolt  www.boltbistro.com .  So I looked up the menu and saw lots of paleo options right off the bat and made a reservation tout suite! It was such a nice night that we sat outside which is unheard of in July for the comfort craving Beards!

 

I can’t say enough good things about this place!!!  The atmosphere is totes adorbs…

they had an outdoor walk up bar #genius…

 

the menu was great…

there was a little cutie patootie playing and singing #ambience

the wait staff clearly all got along and loved each other, they were openly singing with the performer and giving each other a hard time…

and our waiter Adam was ahhhhh-mazing!

And he was adorable and so personable.  We talk a lot in my family and between the meatballs (and I even mentioned it above…it’s on my mind all the time) about happiness being a choice.  The manager Tim and everyone at Bolt literally embodied this sentiment…but especially Adam.  He was charming and had great recommendations and the gift of easy yet engaging small talk  but above everything else he was emanating positivity.  Not to mention he is a Wolfpack alum…what’s not to like. He clearly loves what he does and we are all about that.  He recommended the scallop dish and that’s what I got bc they are my favvvvvv and this particular dish came with a cauliflower puree…how progressive and paleo! Tim came by and told us how everything was local and organic…yay!!! Everyone was super attentive!

It was sooooo good!  Everything that everyone ordered was amazing.  The whole night had a glow around it…I don’t know if it was bc downtown was decorated for the 4th…

 

Or the great people that I was hanging out with and the awesome and hilarious conversations that we had (where would you live if money weren’t an issue)…

Or if it was the games that we played (can you find the meatball!?)…

Or if it was our awesome waiter Adam…

Or all of the above…but the night felt full of its own special energy.  There are so many opportunities in life to get mad, sad, disappointed, angry, jilted and depressed.  And they are probably totally justified and legitimate…buuuuuuut there are so many more reasons to be upbeat, happy, positive, buzzy, shiny and grateful.  Why not choose appreciating for the wonderful night you were handed?! Life is what you make it and I am so thankful to be surrounded by people who want to make it a better, more joyful place to be.  Bolt felt like such a great fit on so many levels.  So to Bolt,  thank you for having us…what a great night!!!  We will be back and you should go too…ps, ask for Adam and order whatever he recommends. You won’t be disappointed!!!

Enough gushing…This is a perfect example of something that could very easily be a bummer for someone…I am on another journey of a year of sobriety.  Being around drinkers could really bum me the fuck out but it doesn’t…like at allllll!  It makes me so happy that everyone can make their own choices and that y’all can enjoy a cocktail and I don’t have to feel the need to partake or feel badly or left out about the decision I made!  Temptation is a bitch and I’m so glad that this has been a pain free and healthy choice for me!  Another choice…bc that is all that life is…a series of choices and you have the ability to take control of your behavior!  Are you poisoning the well or are you emitting good vibes!?!?  I love you all and I’m sending all of this glow your way! #pollyanna

Sidebar…this is a little segment I like to call…sometimes you don’t always achieve your goal!  Here for instance…I chose to hate this  first picture and request that we keep taking it until I found one that I liked.  Apparently this top was standing room only!!! So to my family, thank you for putting up with me!!!! Love y’all the most! #OGB

 

And second sidebar, in a year when I’ve hit the reset on my drinking button…I want to do this…you drink beer and pedal your way through downtown….what a fun way to exercise and enjoy a beer with no guilt!

 

Have an amazing weeeeeeeekkkkkk!!!!