Category: Weekend Things

Weekend Things

Lauren4 Comments

A weekend sandwiched between two vacations just can’t compete with the days on either side, can it?  This weekend sure did try though.  By giving us the dreamiest end of summer/beginning of fall weather, a chance to get back to the Union Station Farmers’ Market, plans with friends, Sunday breakfast and even some time to get our shit together (oh right, that laundry and cooking thing…) before the week started.  Can’t complain about any of that 🙂

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Friday night, we headed over to Hannah and Josh’s to see their house now that they’re all cleaned up and moved in and WHOA it looked so so good!  Hannah is (and always has been) so good with that home decor stuff and I’m like “TEACH ME!”  We hit up The Old Mine afterwards for dinner/drinks.  They brew their own ciders and even though Joey and I were being beer snobs about it, turned out their cider was amazing.  Got this cutesy taster of apricot-jalapeño that was seriously good.

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We went for a run Saturday morning, then biked over to the farmers’ market and even though we hadn’t been in a few weeks, I was back in my happy place just like that ♥  It was blissfully UN-crowded and we bought these HUGE nitro iced coffees.  I’m not usually into that stuff but these were chocolate-milk-creamy status.  But here’s a sad sad story.  ALL I wanted was to bike home with a butternut in my basket.  We spotted one but wanted to consider all our options so we walked the whole market then, when we went back to buy it, it was gone.  NOOOO!  Fake Pouted about it for most of the day.

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Post-butternut blunder, we biked home, cleaned ourselves up and grabbed a quick lunch at Brider.  I got this hugh jass salad and ate every last bite, thankyouverymuch.  Afterwards, we headed to a graduation party for Joey’s cousin and there was an ice cream bar so Joey was in his happy place.  Then off to Becca’s birthday party where everyone was dressed up 50’s style, except us because we’re boring and lame 😛

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Joey had a 10 mile training run Sunday morning so I biked along with him and not gonna lie, it was kinda nice to be up and at em before it got hot and the paths got crowded.  And it was also nice to be BIKING 10 miles instead of RUNNING them!  Joey killed it though.  Sunday Breakfast afterwards at Revelry Kitchen.  Yelp had very mixed reviews but when that happens, it’s best to just try it for yourself, ya know?  And we had zero complaints!  Chilaquiles forever, please.

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Joey was out watching football for most of the afternoon so I binge-cleaned the kitchen (all the coffeeeeee), hit up the grocery store then walked myself over to Base Coat for a manicure.  My nail color is called Comida and I think that’s rather fitting.  Back at home, we harvested our BABY EGGPLANT and then I walked around holding it and thinking it was the cutest thing to ever exist (except that butternut…).  We used it to make some baba ganoush that Joey kept calling “tabbouey” because A) he’s confusing his Mediterranean foods and B) he doesn’t know how to pronounce tabbouleh.  Should I be writing these things about my husband on the internet??

This week: Rockies game!  My uncle is coming into town!  Dinner in Denver (hopefully)!  Vaca on Thursday!  All the best things, basically.  What did you do this weekend?!

Weekend Vacation: Washington, D.C.

Lauren2 Comments

Washington, D.C. ♥

The most hot and humid weather I’ve ever experienced (and I’ve been to New Orleans in August!), but also The White House, city views from swanky rooftop bars, endless bowls of fresh pita, the monuments all lit up at night, an alleyway coffee shop, BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH (what?!), a museum tour that makes you thirsty for beer, a Bryce Harper home run, the Ginuwine Wikipedia page (don’t ask), walking past all the pretty row houses on your way to get coffee, “watching sport,” UNION MARKET (OMG, my favorite!), Union Station, a Sunday bike ride, seeing the Changing of the Guard, THE BEST dinner at Tail Up Goat and sad goodbyes at the end.

It is insane and beautiful and amazing that you can collect so many precious memories in such a short span of time.  Till next time, D.C.!

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Where We Ate/Drank:

Qualia Coffee // They roast their own coffee and there’s a secret back patio, but you didn’t hear it from me.

Capitol City Brewing Company // I had a really good Rye IPA and get this, they give out baskets of soft pretzels instead of baskets of bread! 

Zaytinya // What can I say except that everything is good and they give you a never ending supply of fresh pita to dip any and everything in.  My favorite was the roasted red pepper dip and the Brussel sprouts. 

Pintango Gelato // Totally recommended on a hot D.C. night when you’re walking to the Washington Monument.  Or just any time.

La Colombe Coffee  (Shaw location) // One look at this place and I was sold.  All the exposed brick your eyes can handle.  Plus I’d call the almond milk latte I ordered one of the best I’ve ever had. 

El Centro // You shoulda seen my eyes when I heard they do a $35 bottomless brunch, food AND drink included!  I only made it through round one but I’m pretty sure Joey ordered 50% of the menu.  Best chilaquiles ever though, furreal. 

Kapnos at the Park // I wouldn’t call the Greek Fried Potatoes I ate at Nationals Park the best thing I ate in D.C. but overall, the options were so much better than at Coors.  No fair.

Big Bear Café // We just grabbed coffee and a couple of (really good) pastries, but can I just say I’m a big fan of a coffee shop that’s got a good food menu and this place looked like it did.  Also, it was hoppin in there!

Union Market // An indoor food hall that made my heart so so happy.  I think I could’ve spent all day there but decided to order a shrimp bánh mì and a bao bun (that I saw a man walk by with and HAD to track down), then left feeling my happiest foodie self.

Tail Up Goat // Saved the best for last with this one!  What can I even say?  Everything — from the way they confirm your reservation with a goat emoji text, to the beautiful bar set up, to the watermelon-jalapeno cocktail to the best damn roasted chicken I ever did eat — was so incredible.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

FroZenYo // In true Lauren fashion, I put the smallest amount of gelato in my bowl then piled ALL THE THINGS on top.  Also, a good opportunity to experience the Columbia Heights neighborhood, where everyone and their mom seemed to be out and about. 

What We Did:

The White House // A nice lady walked by and took our picture for us.

The monuments at night // The Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, past the Reflecting Pool and up to the Lincoln Monument, then to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.  It was so cool (and probably way less crowded) to see them all lit up at night. 

Heurich House Museum // We toured the home of a German brewer that was built in 1892 and it was so interesting.  Our house could totally use a balcony for live music too. 

Canteen Beer Garden // Beer, Jenga!, a live band with a singer who sounds like Adam Levine.  What more can you ask for?

Washington Nationals Game // Joey totally called that Bryce Harper homerun!  And we got free beer steins!

Union Station // Just a little bigger than Denver’s 🙂

Capital Bikeshare // We rented some bikes and biked up to the bridge into Arlington.

Arlington National Cemetery // Did you know Robert E. Lee lived there before the cemetary was established??  Seeing all those headstones is really incredible.  Definitely watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony.

HUGE shoutout to Fletcher for being the best host/tour guide ever!  He know what’s up when it comes to D.C. sightseeing, eating and Metro traveling.