Feels Like Spring!

Look who arrived in Charlotte yesterday!

My mom and dad swung by in the late afternoon and are planning to stay here with us through tomorrow morning. They decided to make a detour to our place on their way back to Jacksonville from Raleigh where they were visiting my grandma. Ryan and I are thrilled to have them as our guests again!

Yesterday

After beginning the day teaching spinning and working for an hour at the gym afterward, I headed to Sun Up Café for a lovely brunch date with my friends Tanya and Brittany where we chatted for a solid two hours. It was a great mid-day break and I enjoyed an awesome dose of girl time before heading back into work and coaching Girls On The Run later that afternoon. By the time I made it home, my parents were waiting for me and the three of us chatted in the backyard until Ryan arrived home and had fun watching Sadie run around sniffing everything.

The weather yesterday was incredible! No jackets needed! Ryan, my parents and I decided to go out for dinner in Birkdale Village and popped into eeZ, one of our favorite sushi hot spots. We were hopeful we could grab a table outside and enjoy the warmer temperatures and were quickly escorted to a table for four on the patio.

We began by sharing an order of the sweet and spicy Thai cucumbers and the tuna nachos. Though I couldn’t partake in the raw tuna, I made sure to do my part and filled my plate with the deliciously tangy cucumbers. They’re the best!

A flavorful bowl of coconut curry soup followed and it came out with two big pieces of tempura shrimp on the side – perfect for dipping!

For my main entrée, I figured I should take advantage of my current craving for fresh salads and ordered the beet salad.

Unfortunately it left a lot to be desired. I made a pretty good dent in it, but I was grateful Ryan ordered more than enough sushi for himself and had some of his tempura salmon and avocado roll leftover to share. Note to self: Stick to sushi next time!

While my dad and Ryan finished their drinks, we chatted outside for a while and just enjoyed such lovely evening weather. So many people were out and about last night and it really felt like spring!

Before driving home, Ryan suggested ice cream and I’ve never known my family to shy away from ice cream, so we walked to Ben & Jerry’s and each ordered a small cup.

I opted for a scoop of strawberry ice cream and a scoop of a new-to-me flavor: Speculoos!

I’ve been trying to find that flavor ever since I heard it came out a few months ago, so I had to give it a whirl! It was fabulous and I’m now on a mission to make them sell it in my local grocery stores.

Once we made it back to our place, we spent the rest of the night relaxing on the couch and I caught my first episode of The Voice this season. Lots of talented singers!

Now it’s time for me to head out and soak up some quality time with my parents. I am taking my dad to my gym with me to show him the ropes!

Have a great Wednesday!