Obligation-Free

This weekend has been exactly what I needed.

I haven’t really been posting on the weekends much, but this weekend has been so great that I feel the need to post about it. Plus, I was a bit of an Instagram fiend this weekend, so I have pictures to go along with the story   Lately I’ve felt like I have an obligation every.single.weekend, and this weekend was absolutely free of all obligations. It was perfect.

After a long day’s work on Friday, Shane and I started of the weekend (and celebrated a work-related toast for him!) with a little champs in the sun:

Ahhh

I don’t know what it is about champagne lately, but it is my drink! It’s light, bubbly, fresh, and just takes any moment from blah to feeling like you’re celebrating. Good thing in my book

The weather is absolutely gorgeous lately – in the upper 70’s and sunny (I know!) and we took advantage of it with a little roadtrip to the Chicagoland area.

Iced coffee (well, iced Americano) = roadtrip requisite, am I right?

We had thrown around the idea of going to Six Flags, but instead just did a little shopping…

Yep…I got em. And I’m SO not a purple/denim/anything but black workout pants type of gal, but they were just…so pretty

Or maybe I was a little under the influence…

Right before we went to Lululemon, we stopped in a wine tasting next door, and tried out a total of 8 samples between to two of us, before purchasing a bottle of a new-to-us red.

All of the wine at the shop was made locally, but the grapes were flown in from California and Oregon – and some from southern Illinois. They were all very tasty!

Then after a little shopping, we were both suddenly famished, so we popped into a ‘Nawlin’s style restaurant, Heaven on Seven, for a little taste of the south.

I think I need more hot sauce, please?

We started things out with a couple brews.

I’m a big 312 fan, but I’ve never had the fig flavored 312…this was incredible! However, it was one of those beers that you couldn’t drink too much of. I drank about 3/4’s before Shane took one for the team and finished ‘er off for me

I didn’t, however, need any help with the food – especially the blueberry corn bread. Oh. my. goodness.

Honestly? I think we each ate our respective pieces in .5 seconds flat. SO good. Must recreate somehow.

Then we each got a cup of gumbo before our meals came out:

This was also phenomenal. And you want in on a secret? This is the first time since I started eating meat again that I didn’t ask/nor worry if the meat I was eating was organic/ethical/etc. I’m not sure if it was the beer the lowered my inhibitions, but I really wanted that gumbo. One of the reasons I stopped being a vegetarian was because of the inconveniences of not being able to try certain things at places, and this was worth it. Not going to make a habit out of it, but when it comes to gumbo that looks like that? I’m going for it.

Anyway, I digress.

After what we tasted so far, I had HIGH hopes for the meal. I ordered the shrimp and fried green tomatoes salad:

Unfortunately, it was just meh. I was a little peeved there were only 3 measily shirmp, and the taste was just so-so. Oh well, I filled up on corn bread and gumbo anyway

Of course…not too full for gelato:

Shane and I split this little cup of pistachio gelato, and he then proceeded to roll me down the side walk back to our car. I was so stuffed!

Then we hit up Trader Joes for groceries, and Whole Foods so I could pick up some Justin’s Vanilla Almond Butter (but without success…boooo! ) and headed home.

Today’s shaping up to be a great day, too. Starting with some breakfast in bed:

Oh yeah, some time over the weekend we made some homemade pizza, too – with this amazing crust. I don’t know about you, but to me leftovers sometimes make the best breakfast!

I read some blogs while this digested (Hi, Ashley’s blog on the screen!) and then took Niko to the lake for about a 30 minute walk:

Good times!

Now I’m going to finish a client’s nutrition and training plan before giving the house a good scrub down.

Have a great rest of your Sunday, friends! Don’t forget to relax

Did you have any obligations this weekend?

Do you ever have leftovers for breakfast?