dallas_fw_and_beyond (2024)

10/02/2024

This time last year we were in Alpine and Big Bend. Such a great but whirlwind trip. I had hoped to make it back this year but looks like it will be 2025 before I get there again. I have some great trips planned this year though. It’s always hard to choose between old favorites and new locations.

06/02/2024

After watching You Are What You Eat on Netflix, I decided to eat at least 3 vegan meals a week. I figure that is a good place to start. On Sunday I made this Mexican Quinoa Skillet dinner with corn, black beans and fire roasted tomatoes. My husband is a pretty confirmed carnivore so he didn’t have any, but asked how it was. I told him it was okay but need a little something extra. The next day I realized I had left out two last additions - lime juice and avocado. Luckily I had lots of leftovers so prepared it the right way and it was super yummy. I’ll definitely items out this into my regular rotation.

21/01/2024

It feels so good to close your Move and Exercise rings early in the morning. I didn’t hike last weekend because sure of the cold but 30 degrees is much more manageable than 12. Today’s hike was a group hike at a Fitness pace, so there was no time for picture taking. Those ladies are serious! And I was able to check off a group hike on the Adventure challenge checklist, although I think I did all of the adventure activities last year doing the regular challenge so it’s more of a formality this year.

I always like Cedar Ridge Preserve and I feel like you get the best training for harder hikes here. I want to be ready for Guadalupe Peak and hiking in the Grand Tetons in the fall so need to push myself a little.

Have a great week!

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14/01/2024

Who’s been watching You Are What You Eat on Netflix? I started watching last night when we got back from Florida. Now that all our holiday celebrations are behind us, I can get back to my healthy habits. With the cold weather here, it’s a great day for stew and I love this Spicy Chickpea stew. I didn’t want to wait for brown rice because I was hungry and it takes so long, so I had my stew with riced cauliflower that I had in the freezer. I was skeptical but it was really good! While I don’t anticipate going vegan, I do want to cut back on meat and especially beef. No hiking today but I did get a workout in this morning. What are you eating to keep warm?

10/01/2024

This year I’m doing the Adventure version of the 52 Hike Challenge and checked off the ocean hike today. Being in Florida in January feels like the definition of luxury. Today has been a perfect sunny day with temps in the 60s.

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06/01/2024

Thought I would share my results of the 52 Hike Challenge for anyone who cares. The first year I did the challenge was 2022, and I took it pretty seriously; however, it wasn’t until 2023 that I realized that a one mile walk, whether in my own neighborhood or anywhere else counted toward the 52.

This year I spent more time than planned visiting my parents in Florida. I also don’t do much hiking in the summer in Texas, so being able to throw in some short walks in my neighborhood was a good way to get some outdoor time even when I wasn’t “hiking.” That said, I didn’t track all of those walks, especially when I was in Florida, so I did not meet the official 52 Hike number for 2023, and I’m okay with that.

I considered not doing the challenge in 2024, but then I realized I only signed up for the free challenge, so it didn’t cost me anything and it DID encourage me to get outside more often than I would have otherwise. On my first hike in 2022, I was scared even going off the paved trails at Arbor Hills in Plano and by November of that year, I hiked the Lighthouse Trail by myself. I have discovered a new passion, explored a number of State Parks and a few National Parks, and added even more to my bucket list. And just the other day, a friend said I had inspired her to do the 52 Hike Challenge. That all makes me happy, and that’s all I need.

The goal hike I’m planning for 2024 is Guadalupe Peak. But as with 2023, if the weather doesn’t cooperate or something else stands in the way, I will do it another time. There are plenty of trails to explore in GMNP and I look forward to venturing to a part of Texas that I have never been to before.

2023 Stats

Total # of tracked hikes: 46
# of State Parks hiked: 14
# of National Park, Wildlife Refuges, Conservation Areas: 4

Hidden Gem: Fort Parker SP
Most awe-inspiring: Closed Canyon (Big Bend State Park) & Valley of Fire State Park (Nevada)
Most Humbling: Cape Kiwanda Sand Dune - short but steep sand dune
Favorite Repeat Hikes: Cedar Ridge Preserve and Eagle Mountain Lake
Longest Hike: Clebune State Park, 7.9 miles

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17/12/2023

This cozy coffee shop in Richardson is one of my favorite places to start my day. This weekend I made it 2 days in a row and both times had a seasonal latte called Everything in a Stocking (I might be paraphrasing) that has butterscotch and orange. So delicious. I normally don’t go for the sweet lattes but I’m a sucker for butterscotch. This place has really notched up the cool factor of downtown Richardson! In addition to the cozy inside, it’s got a nice back porch and big yard with seating and tables, so it’s a great place to enjoy a beautiful day with kids, dogs, and friends.

16/12/2023

Last week in Sarasota I did something I’ve been wanting to do to do for a long time - kayak on the bay. My brother found out there are free tours through the Bay Park Conservancy on Saturday mornings so although it was showing as full online, we decided to try our luck and were able to join the group. The tours are offered through a partnership between the Sarasota Bay Park conservancy and Ride and Paddle by Siesta Sports and Rentals. We explore a restored mangrove bayou and learned about the three phase project to enhance the Bayfront Park. It’s a beautiful spot with yoga and other fitness classes offered. I can’t wait to go back and explore more in January!

04/12/2023

I love watching this tree change colors every year. I love all the color changes but this tree just stands out like a burst of happiness. Fall makes me happy and sad at the same time - happy because it’s so beautiful and the weather is lovely, and you can be outside hiking or just soaking up the sunshine in the daytime, and sit by the fire and have a cup of tea or a glass of red wine at night. I always try to savor this time of year - it passes too quickly.

28/11/2023

Day 1 of my holiday damage control challenge went well. I had eaten 5 different kinds of veggies by lunch, and had a total of 8 over the course of the day.

I probably need to drink some more water, and didn’t do a formal workout today but overall it was a good post-Thanksgiving break restart.

27/11/2023

Who has hiked Guadalupe Peak? I’m planning to hike it with a friend in 2024. I’ve watched tons of videos and read lots of people’s reviews and it’s hard to get a solid read on the hike. The length doesn’t worry me, but the wind and elevation could make it more challenging. Some people say it’s easier than they expected and others say it was harder than they expected. That can vary based on lots of factors so I’m just going to prepare the best I can, and if we need to turn back, we will try it another time. Weather in Texas is a total wildcard, so nothing can be done about that.

I’m excited to have a new goal and to see a part of Texas I’ve never seen before. Feel free to share your experience if you’ve been there!

26/11/2023

Around this time last year I was creating my own challenges as an alternative to the 75 hard challenge that a lot of people at my gym were doing. Anyway, what I need personally around the holidays is a challenge that is motivating but not so challenging but not completely unreasonable. I’m going to do a very simple challenge for the next 4 weeks with a focus on the things I WILL do instead of what I won’t do. Feel free to join me (it really helps to have company) and/or modify for your own goals.

rules for my challenge are below.

Diet - eat at least 5 different veggies per day
Water - drink half my body weight in water
Exercise - 4x a week for 30 minutes minimum, additional 1 to 2 workouts of >= 15 minutes
Alcohol -

26/11/2022

My last 39 day challenge helped me stay consistent with some goals so now that Halloween and Thanksgiving are behind us, I’m starting a new one. This one is called the 25 Day Holiday Damage Control Challenge and will focus on staying consistent with workouts, healthy eating, alcohol intake, and SPENDING! I was talking to a friend about how I was not allowing myself to spend any unnecessary money on myself this month. What gets a little trickier is defining “unnecessary”, especially with all the Black Friday sales.

Still fine-tuning the exact rules but they won’t be crazy and will be similar to the last challenge I did.

Why do I do this? It really does help keep me accountable by setting goals publicly, even if nobody cares. 😀 I had a few friends join in too so I liked doing it.

Join us if you want to stick to some common sense guidelines through the next few weeks.

22/11/2022

This was my second hike on the Northshore Trail but a different section of it and I really liked it. Also got to catch up with another friend that I hadn’t seen in ages so that made even better and it was an absolutely gorgeous day. I think this is my new favorite given the shorter drive, beautiful scenery, and lots of rolling hills, rocks and even a few creek crossings.

21/11/2022

I have a lot of catching up to do on my hiking posts but I got another Bingo on my Trail Bingo card when I hiked Big Cedar Wilderness on Saturday. It had some nice trails, and bonus that it’s less than 45 minutes from my house. Got to catch up with a friend too - one of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday morning. And I am really loving the cold(-ish) weather! This was hike #45 but I still need to load 41 they 44.

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10/11/2022

My 30 Easy Challenge ended yesterday but I’m on vacation today so had time to make a veggie scramble. Eating lots of veggies is not that hard if you plan for it. Last week I only got 4 workouts in but met all my other goals. Actually I think skipping the 5th workout was my self-care because I was feeling tired and stretched thin.

Next week I’m going to start a new challenge and change it up a little. Stay tuned for new rules! 😉😎

02/11/2022

Update on how my 30 Easy Challenge is going:

Easiest part: water. Surprisingly drinking a lot of water is easier than the self-care activity.
Most rewarding: 5 veggies a day - this is going really well and I’m feeling good. Most days I eat more than 5 veggies and one or two fruits. I try to start the day with some veggies so that I get a head start but a sometimes I have to get a little creative, like having wheat toast and smoked salmon topped with tomatoes and spinach. I am also eat a lot of veggie scrambles when I have time, and egg white bites from Starbucks when I’m in a rush. They have spinach and red pepper in them and are pretty tasty. I found some at Costco that are almost identical so can save a few bucks that way too.

Nicest surprise - Five 30-minute workouts a week - have met this goal each week too and it has encouraged me to do some kind of workout even on days I didn’t feel like. I’ve done a yoga DVD or YouTube workout a few times too and realized I should be doing more of that. Thirty minutes of yoga or a leisurely 30 minute walk is still better than sitting on my b***y starting at my phone.

Most challenging - self-care activity. It’s not that I don’t do anything for myself, but the intention was to choose an activity just for my own enjoyment/peace. Most weeks I just pick something I would have done anyway and say that was my self care. Next week I’m going to try and be mindful about it.

I have another week of this challenge. It’s been fun, enlightening in some ways and most importantly, sustainable.

I’d you are doing any kind of challenge right now, what have your A ha moments been? Would you do anything differently?

08/08/2022

Had a nice Mother/Daughter day in Denton yesterday with a sushi lunch at I Love Sushi, stop at Dutch Bros for a blended midnight lemonade for Holly and a nitro cold brew for me, followed by some shopping at the square. We explored some spots we hadn’t been in before - favorites were the UNT Co-lab and Patchouli Joe’s Bookstore. Patchouli Joe’s is the kind of bookstore I would want to own. Looking forward to more time in Denton when the weather cools off and over Parent’s Weekend.

04/08/2022

We had to work for these views but it was so worth it! 1879 Ft elevation

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29/07/2022

4 am wake-up call for a magical hike in Banff. Full disclosure, I did not complete it but it was still magical and I’m still proud of what I was able to complete because we gained about 1800 feet of elevation in one mile and we’re starting at over 5000 Ft. For reference, Dallas’ elevation is 430 feet. This hike is rated Hard on AllTrails and I would go a step further and rate it as Humbling! But worth it, just probably don’t try it on your first day in Banff if you aren’t already accustomed to the altitude and this kind of hiking. Followed the hike with a visit to the Banff Hot Springs and a stop at Bow Falls. Pretty spectacular for Day 1 of my trip!

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