Good morning!
Things are picking up here as we head into the final countdown for the wedding — just two days to go. Today’s plan includes brunch with Matt’s parents, getting my hair highlighted, a final dress fitting (there were a few last tweaks last time I went in, so fingers crossed it fits perfectly now), and assembling our welcome gift bags for out-of-town guests. Tonight we’ll gather for a big family dinner to keep the celebration rolling.
Yesterday was a nicely balanced day. I spent the morning and early afternoon on the laptop handling email, blog tasks, and a few last wedding details, then took a break at lunchtime to meet one of my bridesmaids, Turner, for a walk and a bite downtown.
It was a beautiful day to be out and about. We stopped at Protein Bar, a new favorite spot with lots of healthy, creative choices that make it easy to eat well on a busy day.
I ordered a large vegan salad that was piled high with fresh vegetables, crispy tofu, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, and a creamy chia dressing. It was satisfying, bright, and exactly what I wanted to fuel the rest of the day.
The restaurant had some nice artwork on the walls, which made the meal feel a little extra special as we chatted about the weekend plans and tried to relax despite the growing list of to-dos.
After lunch I finished up a few wedding-related errands, met my friend Kathleen for a walk, and then Matt and I headed to CrossFit Dupont for an evening workout.
I wore a fun new tee that Reebok sent—made me feel a bit more hardcore for the session. It’s always nice to have a workout outfit that motivates you to push a little harder.
A fun new shirt from Reebok added a little pep to the workout.
We worked on bench presses and then did a short, intense metcon: five rounds of 30 seconds of pull-ups (I scaled using a stool) followed by 30 seconds of burpees. Short and effective — exactly what I needed.
Since we’re leaving on Friday and our fridge is basically bare, Matt and I picked up dinner from the Whole Foods hot bar. I forgot to take a picture of the main dishes, but dessert caught my attention and was definitely more photogenic.
As part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program with Ghirardelli Intense Dark™ Chocolate, I was sent several dark chocolate varieties to sample. I’m not much of a milk chocolate person, so these intense dark options were right up my alley — a lovely, grown-up way to finish a meal.
Matt and I tried the Toffee Interlude and the Sea Salt Soiree that evening. A few small pieces satisfied my after-dinner sweet tooth without feeling heavy. We both preferred the Sea Salt Soiree for its balance of dark chocolate and salty brightness, although both were delicious.
I also had a tiny taste of the Cabernet Matinee — I’m looking forward to pairing that one with a glass of red. A simple wine-and-chocolate evening with friends sounds like the perfect post-wedding treat once the chaos settles down.
Thanks to Ghirardelli for the lovely post-dinner treats — they made a simple evening feel indulgent without being over the top.
Now it’s time to dive into today’s list: hair, final fittings, welcome bags, and quality time with family. Have a great Thursday, everyone!
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This post is brought to you by Ghirardelli Intense Dark™ Chocolate.