Ryan left yesterday afternoon to join my dad and some diving buddies for a weekend of spear fishing and scuba diving in the Florida Keys so it looks like Chase will be enjoying lots of time with the ladies of the house (Sadie included!) this weekend.
Before the busyness of the weekend sets in, I wanted to take a moment to share my weekly Things I’m Loving Friday blog post with you guys this morning. Below you will find a small roundup of a few things that are making me smile this week. As always, I’d love for you to join in the fun in the comments section of this post.
Have a terrific weekend!
Things I’m Loving Friday
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Double Chocolate Protein Balls
I whipped up a batch of these double chocolate protein balls on Wednesday inspired by Tina’s recipe for her peanut butter protein balls and oh my gosh they were so good! They tasted like peanut butter and chocolate-flavored brownie batter and I could not stop eating them! They’re simple to make and don’t require a food processor, so if you’re looking for a tasty protein-packed snack you can grab on your way out the door, definitely give them a try.
To make the double chocolate protein balls, simply combine the following ingredients in a large bowl: 1/2 cup chocolate protein powder, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (a runny, all-natural kind works best!), 1/2 cup oats, 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey), 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and a splash or two of water if the batter is too dry to shape into balls. Roll into 12 balls, refrigerate and enjoy!
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Mid-Week Date Night
With Ryan heading out of town on Thursday, my mom encouraged us to take advantage of her offer to watch Chase and head out on a Wednesday evening date night. We couldn’t say no and happily drove to Crafty Burg’r, a new burger joint and tap house, to grab burgers and beer… and nachos to start because I had a serious craving! It was so, so nice to enjoy a laidback meal with Ryan without any distractions.
(This was my first time trying Shotgun Betty, a hefeweizen beer brewed in Raleigh, and I loved it! Ryan and I joked that it would be the perfect beer to pair with a round of the Wild West Game Bang! for our next game night.)
We laughed a lot and had the best time, chatting about a combination of stupid, silly stuff that always cracks us up and some meatier topics. I love my husband and I also love our shared love for ice cream because we wrapped up our date night with his and hers cups of s’mores ice cream which tasted perfectly cool and creamy on a hot summer night.
- Dad’s First Half Ironman Relay Finish
Please allow me to brag about my dad for a minute because I am one heck of a proud daughter! Last Sunday my dad completed his first Half Ironman Relay in Ecuador! He was the biker for his team and rode 55.9 very hilly miles in 3 hours and 17 minutes. My dad poured so much time, energy and sweat into training for the race by doing a bunch of bridge repeat rides in Jacksonville (Florida doesn’t exactly have many hills to train on) and his effort clearly paid off. My dad registered for the race before we picked Chase’s birthday party weekend so we really missed him here in Charlotte but my mom, sister and I were tracking him along the way and were so incredibly proud of his dedication and commitment to this challenging race. We all wish we could’ve been there to cheer for my dad and his team in person but we sent all the love and support we could his way from North Carolina. I’m so proud! Super Daaaad!
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Summery Tervis Tumblers
I swear you guys are some of the most thoughtful blog readers in the world! After seeing me post a bunch of different pictures of drinks and smoothies in various Tervis Tumbler cups on Snapchat, Rianna, a blog reader who happens to work for Tervis Tumbler, sent me the sweetest package featuring sunshine and sunflower-themed Tervis Tumblers for me and Chase. They perfectly match is first birthday party theme and I love them so much! What a great way to remember Chase’s special day. (Also, just FYI, Rianna let me know that Tervis Tumbler had 45 stores nationwide and can customize their cups and put patches and pictures in them as well. Love this idea for a bachelorette party or bridal party!) Thank you so much, Rianna!!
- Truett-Hurst 2014 Dark Horse GPS
My sister and Ross brought this bottle of wine to share with us during their visit last weekend and we all loved it so much that I knew I had to snap a picture to share in today’s post. Leslie and Ross’ friends brought it back for them from California so we felt pretty darn special when they offered to open it to enjoy with all of us. It was absolutely wonderful and tasted especially fantastic after a long day celebrating the birthday boy last Saturday.
- Friday Flashbacks
Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding (I made this for dessert earlier this week and almost forgot how much I love this recipe!)
30 Minute Boot Camp Workout (Complete two rounds of this one for a sweaty 30 minute workout!)
- Around the Web
Food: 28 Easy and Healthy Breakfast Ideas / Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups / Lemon Avocado Hummus / Best Sardine Salad
Fitness: Fall Online Half Marathon Training Group / 15 Minute Core Workout / Pyramid Workout /
Interesting Reads: Morning Habits of Fitness Enthusiasts (Thanks for the shout out, DailyBurn!) / Colleen’s Blog Is Back! / Let’s All Improve The Silence
Question of the Day
- What is one thing that is making you smile this week?
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I made my first protein ball recipe recently and it was crazy good. I will have to give the recipe you posted a try! Happy weekend!
https://thedogtribe.com/2016/08/05/simple-full-body-workout/
Congratulations to your dad! What an accomplishment 🙂 I’ll be trying the chocolate protein balls, how long do they last in the fridge? Have a great weekend!
I think they’ll last 4-5 days in the fridge… but they never seem to make it past 2 in our house!
Way to go, dad! This week I’m loving crossing off my to-do list. I’m hopping on a plane with my husband for our first getaway without the baby!
I did the Raleigh HIM in June (I did all 3 aspects though and not a relay) and I finished my bike ride in the same amount of time as your Dad! I’m jealous of his race wheels! Tell him great job! Any plans for him to do a full HIM and not as a relay?
Congrats on your Half Ironman! That’s awesome! His knee doesn’t allow him to run long distances, so I doubt he’ll do one that’s not a relay, but he said he’d definitely consider a relay again! He had a great time!
Your dad is a beast! And, all of a sudden, I feel incredibly lazy. 😉
Right!? While he was biking, I was eating my bodyweight in leftover mini bundt cakes from Chase’s bday party… 🙂
I am getting married this week and may have to search for one of those tumblers! Love your blog, Julie!
Congrats to your dad! That’s so cool! And I need to check out that chia pudding – sounds amazing. Have a great weekend, Julie!
Your dad is awesome! I love those Tervis tumblers too. The only ones I have are ones I got through work, so they all have school names on them haha. I need some that are actually customized for me!
Uhm wow your dad is seriously impressive! I love that recipe for the protein balls, mostly because it sounds easy to put together 🙂
This week I am loving all things cold and refreshing (especially smoothie bowls for breakfast..and lunch..and maybe dinner)
That is an awesome performance by your dad!
Coming from you that is a big compliment! (I consider you a triathlon guru/expert 😉 ) I’ll pass along your words to him!! Thank you!
JUST finished bloodline season #2 this week! (I’m obsessed!) and season #3 is official for next year! TGIF
Shotgun Betty is one of my favorites! Try it on draft, it’s way better!
OOH! I will look for it on draft! It was so good — a great summertime beer!
Wow! What an accomplishment for your father! I bet you are so proud!
Something that is making me smile this week? My post office lady (we’ve becoming friends through small talk the last couple months!) surprised me with a gift card to Amazon for my baby registry. I was so blown away and touched. 🙂
So sweet!! I’m friends with our UPS guy, FedEX guy and mail delivery lady as well and they’re all so great!
I took a screenshot of your recipe for those protein balls on instagram the other day! I plan to make them this weekend. And I love date nights, my husband and I don’t even have kids yet, but we rarely find time to make it out just the two of us to enjoy some food and drinks. I love trying new restaurants! Have a nice weekend.
I’m smiling this week because it was our first week this summer with out any weeknight plans – it was almost better than a vacation … almost!
awesome!!! no plans are sometimes the BEST plans!
Major congrats to your dad! And the sunflowers are beautiful 🙂
I just love those Tervis tumblers! We have a friend that works at the headquarters so we have acquired quite the collection. They’re the best! Enjoy the weekend with the ladies 🙂
I’d like to think that we can never have too many Tervis Tumblers. I’m using one right now. 🙂 Congrats to your Dad!! 🙂
Something I’m smiling about is the upcoming weekend. My best friend and her husband are hosting a gender reveal party for their second child. I’m really excited to share this experience with her, since she and her husband were living in Texas during her first pregnancy. Their family has since moved back to New Jersey and I’m thrilled to live the closest to her as I have been since high school. We’ve been best friends for 20 years now. I can’t believe I am old enough to have friends for 20 years, sheesh.
PBFINGERS! Those protein balls are amazing. I just made them and they are just great. Thanks for posting.
Oh, and I’m smiling because the opening ceremonies of the Olympics are on tonight and I CANNOT wait to watch them! Also, my dad comes home from Europe. Happy Friday 🙂
A fun weekend with the girls sounds like a blast! I’m certain Chase will love it. 🙂
We received some Tervis wine glasses as a gift for our wedding and they’re seriously amazing! Perfect for outdoor dinners, but also wonderful for carrying around the house. I’m obsessed!
Have fun watching the Olympics Opening Ceremony tonight! Go USA!
XO, Jessica
http://www.semisweettooth.com
I always forget how good chia seed pudding is! Especially with nut butter!
xoxoxo! Have a great weekend, Julie!
OMG I love those tumblers! The sunflowers are so happy! And so is the little sunshine sippy! so so so cute. And way to go for your dad! Wow, what an inspiration for everybody. I’m extremely excited about the protein balls, I love that they have the powder and the pb and oats – sometimes protein balls are nothing short of a wad of peanut butter (ha ha, not saying that’s a bad thing, 😉 but you know, but it’s nice to see the oats etc.) Very cute pic of you and Ryan on date night! Glad you had a chance to get away and connect. Hope you have a great weekend!
Congratulations to your pop on such an incredible accomplishment! I’m training (lazily) for my first half marathon, and I cannot even imagine biking through a hilly 55.9 miles!
Hope you have a beautiful weekend with Chase and your mom, Julie! 🙂
Wow I will be making those chocolate protein balls–i actually have all of those ingredients on hand! Dont you love when that happens?! 😀 So glad you got in a no-distractions date night–love those!
This week I’m loving yoga!
Kudos to your Dad. Awesome accomplishment !!!
Hi Julie! Long time (mostly) lurker, so I hope you don’t mind me dropping by. If you could check out the following link, I’d appreciate it. I’m working on raising funds for a suicide prevention walk. Any and all donations are welcome. It’s a worthy cause and one close to my heart. http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&participantID=1021362
I tried the Shotgun Betty when I was in Knoxville, and I think it is honestly one of the best beers I’ve ever had!
I need to get on the protein ball band wagon. Friends made me some when I first had Sully and they were a life saver and now being back at work and early (read 5 am workouts) they’d be perfect for a quick snack before my workouts. Can I ask what protein powder you use? I used to have a huge tub from Costco but it was VERY powder tasting and now I’ve just tried to use food sources for protein but I have been thinking more about adding it to smoothies just for an extra ‘filler’ of fullness during my day.
My husband is away in two weeks on a long weekend too so it’s nice to have someone around to help out! Hats off to parents who solo parent full time…it’s not an easy job any day especially doing it alone! Have a great weekend!
Congrats to your dad! I’m smiling this week because I’m really excited about the Olympics!
I will definitely make those protein balls. I’ve actually been on the lookout for a good recipe to try so this was perfect timing.
We never {ever} say no to a date night!! I love mid-week dates because the restaurants are less busy! 🙂 We went on a date this Thursday for our anniversary and it was the best ever! It’s amazing how valuable uninterrupted conversation i… and how refreshing it can be to just sit together, eat tons of food and talk! 🙂 <3
I’m always impressed with the cooking you do with a little one around. Could you do a post with your favorite quick, healthy recipes when having such little time? I’m about to go back to work and will have a 3 month old at home. I LOVE a good crock pot recipe, but it’s hard to find healthy ones. Any recipe suggestions???
I totally love protein balls. Just made some a couple days ago to keep in my freezer. The Olympics are making me smile this week!
I’ve got to make those protein brownie ball and do that workout now!
Ah, protein balls and date nights must be amazing! I don’t have a boyfriend yet, but I do love going on special dates with myself–whether I’m going to a lovely restaurant, a bookstore or even for a walk in the park, I absolutely adore spending a day with some “me time”!