I started off the day exactly how I’d like to start every day. I woke up early, headed out on a super long dog walk (three miles), meal-prepped a bit, and then headed to a 90-minute yoga class. I always tell myself I’m going to go to yoga class, but I end up skipping it because I have too much writing to get caught up on, or something else needs to be done. After today’s class, I realized how important it is for me. When I got home, I felt more focused, relaxed, and ready to start the day with a fresh and positive outlook. Yoga made my day even more proactive. I can’t wait to go tomorrow morning again.
Enough about my yoga morning. I hope you all had fantastic weekends! Mine was fun. Meighan had a work conference in Asheville and asked me if I wanted to come with her so we could hike and hang out on her off hours. I didn’t have anything going on, so I tagged along with her. Asheville is a playground with everything you could ever want. It’s filled with tons of hiking spots, endless coffee shops, restaurants, music, arts, and so much more! If you’ve never been, you should plan a trip. 
Last week was cold and rainy. It felt nothing like Spring, but at least it kept me inside staying busy. I had a lot to get done before heading out for the weekend. I developed several new recipes, which will be posted soon. I have ten lined up for the upcoming weeks. Nothing like new and fresh recipes to kick offspring!
Tuesday breakfast while finishing up last week’s recap post: kale salad with avocado and Green Goddess dressing, a side of pears, and over-easy eggs. 
When I finished blogging, I headed out for a long walk with the dogs. This is something I love to do multiple times a day because it keeps me active and it gives my brain a break. And my dogs LOVE it.
When I got back from the walk, I returned to so many sweet comments! I still have some waiting in my moderation box, but I hate posting until I get the chance to reply, so I promise I’ll get to it. I am so grateful to you guys!
I ended up spending the afternoon commenting and chatting with you all while sipping an afternoon cappuccino with one of my chocolate chip muffins on the side. By the way, those muffins are so good. I’ve had about five of you send pictures of your creations, which I’ll post soon! I love seeing you recreate them in the kitchen! For my cappuccino, I used oat milk (i mentioned it in my last recap!) It’s the best for frothing, and it tastes unbelievable!
Oatly Milk
Nespresso and Milk Frother Machine
Later on in the day, I had a big bowl of my protein and matcha yogurt with pears. My protein yogurt had matcha powder, (Vanilla Orgain protein powder, and unsweetened coconut milk yogurt (SoDelicious.)
For dinner, I had kale with green goddess dressing, avocados, grilled chicken, and an everything bagel. ♥
It actually snowed on Wednesday morning. I couldn’t believe it. I had to bring all of my outdoor plants inside to hang out with us. Leo kept trying to eat the leaves off of the plants (which is why he was sitting in that chair.)
I had a toasted everything bagel with peanut butter and a cappuccino before heading to the gym for pilates. I love the Wednesday pilates class. I used to go all the time in the summer, so it felt good to go back. Pilates, yoga, light jogs, and walking are my go-to’s right now. 
When I got back, I had a kale salad with avocado and leftover tofu kebabs with eggs for lunch. 
I’ve been trying to eat up all the kale. I bought so much last week that I’m still currently eating it right now. I need to go to the grocery store and get some vegetables to roast. I’m going to turn into kale soon. For dinner, I had ground turkey, rice, and…..kale. My ground turkey was seasoned with soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. 
I spent all day cleaning and cooking (recipes for the blog) on Thursday. I also wanted to put some of Kyle’s favorites in the house since he was going to stay at my place and watch the dogs all weekend.
After cleaning, packing, and cooking, I headed uptown! Meighan and I were leaving early Friday morning, and I wanted to avoid morning traffic. I had slow cooked sesame chicken, rice, broccoli, and ground turkey for dinner. Kyle and I ended up watching some weird movie and falling asleep early.
I was up so early on Friday morning! I showered, had some tea, and worked on the computer a bit. I need a couple of hours to wake up before I can officially start my day.
I packed a big cooler of my favorite Kombucha, ginger tea, and snacks for the hotel room.
We got to Asheville mid-morning! Meighan headed to her conference, and I parked a seat at The Green Sage for lunch, coffee, and to work. I had lunch with Becca at the Green Sage almost two years ago, and it was so good! This time, I ordered the citrus kale salad. It had oranges, chicken, avocado, cabbage, carrots, raisins, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and a citrus vinaigrette. It was so good and very inexpensive for the amount they give you. That is a picture of the half size. I can’t imagine what the full looks like! It hit the spot 🙂
Later in the evening, Meighan and I walked around the downtown before dinner. I was so excited when I saw a tea shop! I’ve been all about tea lately. I picked up a blood orange tea that smelled incredible. I can’t wait to try it tomorrow morning. I’ll report back! 
We headed to the Twisted Laurel for dinner. I definitely recommend this spot!
I loved the vibe and all the seating options. The food selection was broad! They had pretty much everything. I especially liked that we didn’t hate to wait for seating.
I ordered the seasonal salad with grilled salmon and a side of grilled vegetables. It was all so good! My seasonal salad had spinach, asparagus, onions, peppers, and prosciutto. The vinaigrette dressing was so fresh and earthy. 
On Saturday morning, we headed out to get coffee before Meighan’s conference. I mean, with the ten + hours of sleep we got on Friday night, we definitely needed it…
I headed back to the hotel to work on some projects and then walked around the Biltmore village.
For lunch, I had protein powder mixed with unsweetened coconut milk yogurt with pineapple slices. This is one of my favorite on-the-go go-to’s when I stop at Whole Foods.
We and I decided to go hiking late-afternoon at Dupont Forest. There are so many waterfalls along the trails, bridges, and gorgeous water views. This is one of the prettiest hikes I’ve ever done.
We stopped for a juice break about an hour in. My juice had celery, apple, cucumber, spinach, romaine, kale, lime, lemon, and parsley. I loved it!
How amazing do those lemon energy balls look? Probably not as amazing as they taste! I can’t WAIT to share this recipe with you. I did a little tease on my insta story on Thursday. Omg…they are so good. 
My happy place! 
We packed a ton of snacks just in case we got lost. I mean, there were so many signs and trails that there was no getting lost, but it’s better to be prepared 🙂
We got back around six and got cleaned up for our dinner reservations. 
We were so excited about having dinner at Plant. I’m trying to refrain from typing in all caps because my excitement for this place is on a whole new level. If you are ever around Asheville, add this to your list of “musts.” It doesn’t matter if you’re a vegan or not, this food trumps all. I can’t explain to you how amazing each bite was, you have to experience this for yourself. I want to go back and try everything else on the menu. They keep the menu small, so they can remake the dishes daily. There is no food prep or freezing things at Plant; everything is made right when you order it. It takes a really talented chef to create what we ate. It was pretty much beautiful art. 
We started with the cheese plate, and when you visit, you have to start with this too!
How in the world did they make vegan cheese taste better than the original cheese? This plate had aged cashew, farmer’s involtini, rosemary amber pears, pickled turnips, black garlic arugula, and warm toasted house-made gluten-free bread. The bread tasted like it was drenched in butter, and I have no idea how they did it. Each bite of this plate was magical. We fangirled over it until our next courses came out. 
These kimchi Brussels sprouts were unbelievable. UNBELIEVABLE!
I’d love to try to recreate this recipe at home and hope they taste at least a 1/8 as good. They had sesame-peanut dukka, smoked onion, and scallions. 
For my dinner, I ordered the tofu bibimbap. OH. EM. GEEEEE! It had Korean-style chili tofu, grilled bok choy, togarashi, kimchi, purple cabbage, chilled sesame sushi rice, sesame-scallion sauce, toasted cashews, and pea shoots. I wish I could eat this for every meal for the rest of my life. All of the flavors were unique, fresh, and perfect.
Meighan ordered the seitan chili con queso, and it was also just as unbelievable. I had a bite so I can confirm. It had tamale Gordo, grilled farm romaine, cilantro mojo, and pickled jalapeños and onions. 
Even though we were full, we did not want to skip out on dessert. The food was delicious, so we knew the dessert had to be magical. You can’t go to Plant without treating yourself fully!
We went with the blackout pie. It had a pretzel crust, chocolate peanut butter fudge, berry sauce, and salted macadamia nut ice cream. I have no idea how they did it. This was one of the best desserts I’ve ever had in my life. The vegan dessert tasted better than ANY dessert I’ve ever had! Maybe this is what food is actually supposed to taste like 🙂 SOOOOOOOOO unbelievable. If it were appropriate to lick the plate, I would have. Now, I’m inspired to make a vegan peanut butter fudge for the blog!
After dinner, we rolled into bed, kept talking about how good dinner was, and eventually fell asleep while watching Mean Girls.
Meighan had to work a few hours on Sunday morning, so I walked to Trade and Lore coffee shop for a cappuccino. I just found out that Charlotte has a Trade and Lore coffee shop now! I’ll have to try it out because the coffee was so good. I haven’t been on my coffee shop/restaurant game lately. 
They had oat milk 🙂 
I did a couple of emails but then decided to pack up my backpack and just walked around the quiet Sunday morning town. I needed to get some extra steps in after the food coma I put myself in on Saturday night.
I woke up at 3:45 am and couldn’t fall back asleep, so I was looking real good (sarcasm.)
I walked around exploring for a while. I loved how quiet the city was after a busy St. Patricks day. 
Meighan and I left Asheville around eleven and headed to Hendersonville for coffee and brunch. We stopped at Black Bear Coffee Co in downtown before walking around the square. 
We went to Honey & Salt for brunch!
While we waited for the table, we headed to the cute little gift shop, Dogwood, next door. They had all kinds of cute bowls and mugs. Some of the home items in there reminded me of the Magnolia line by Chip and Joanna Gaines. I wanted everything! I picked up coffee instead. I bought several different local roasts to bring home during my trip. I’ll keep you posted on my favorites in the upcoming recap posts.
Meighan and I both started with their detox juice. It had lemon, ginger, and cayenne! It was really good.
Their menu was awesome. They had all kinds of superfood bowls, smoothies, traditional breakfast options, and trendy ones! The food was also inexpensive. You really get a big bang for your buck in and around Asheville!
I ordered the super green bowl and a side of over-medium eggs. So tasty! 
This was such a successful trip filled with delicious food and exploring! I can’t wait to go back to Asheville in a couple of weeks.
For dinner last night, I had a sautéed sesame kale with my leftover tofu bibimbap! I was so excited to experience these flavors all over again!
Questions or you!
- What do you always purchase from different places while traveling?
- Did you do anything for St. Patrick’s day?
- Does yoga help you relax or make your day more productive?
Ugh. Your Asheville post give me the travel bug! I never used to collect things, but now it’s candles and coffee! Things that I can continue to use, but I don’t have to keep forever!
I’ve never been into st. Patty’s day, even though my family is part Irish. I don’t drink, which may be a big pet of that. There are just other holidays I love celebrating and this isn’t one of them.
Girl, I wish I liked yoga. I have tried and tried, my sister is obsessed, I just can’t get into it. And it’s one of those things I wish I did, because I feel like it would be super helpful. Any tips?!
<3
Thanks, Shannen! Crazy what’s hiding just in the backyard!
Candles and coffee are my go-tos as well!
I’ve actually NEVER cared for st. patricks day lol
I have been in the same place. I went in thinking I was going to be in some sort of meditation state, and that NEVER happened. I think that’s why I shut it out for so long! Now, I go in there with the mindset that I get to spend an hour stretching out my muscles for good blood flow, working on strength and spending an hour doing nothing but focussing on ME rather than everything else I have going on that day! Go in with a total different mindset and take what you want from yoga! I’m not always relaxed during yoga, but when I get home, I feel relaxed.
What a fun outdoorsy weekend! You girls look so happy 🙂 The food looks so good, especially that grilled salmon… I think I need to make salmon for dinner now! 😉
When I go travelling, I ALWAYS make sure to visit the supermarkets, wet markets and grocery stores. I love looking at local food and perhaps buying a few of their specialities to take home to cook with! ❤️
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Thanks, Charmaine!
Salmon was on point! 😀
That’s always fun too!:) Can’t go wrong with local food! (i’m like that with coffee)
xo xo
OMG the trail looks INCREDIBLE! my husband and i love to hike and live in east Tennessee. I cant wait to go check it out!
St patty’s at my house was SO quiet. We stayed home and watched Parenthood until we fell asleep.
I’ve never really given yoga a shot. Im far too ADD!
Travelling i always buy coffee. I’m going to Jamaica in 13 days and everyone keeps talking about the coffee there. i cant wait to buy some!
Hi, Mindy!
Hiking in Tennesee must be amazing! 🙂
I am so mad they ended Parenthood. I watched it TWICE!
Me too, and it actually helps me. It helps me just focus and take some time to not worry about anything else. You may find that it helps with ADD.
You can send me some Jamaican coffee! thanks 😀
LOVE this post! Your hike looked incredible! I’m in need for a little “getaway” and Asheville is so close by, thanks to your pics and recommendations, I think that will be an upcoming trip! 😊
* Mugs are my downfall, I have way too many from all of my travels!
* I had a nice, quiet night in for St. Patrick’s Day 🍀
* I haven’t tried a yoga class but can’t wait to!
Thank you, Kyla!
Asheville is the perfect getaway 🙂
lol It was REALLY hard for me to say “no” to the mugs in Asheville. SO MANY handmade ones! sucker for pottery!
Quiet celebrations are my jam 😀
I hope you do! 🙂
xo
That bimbimbop sounds AMAZING. It is one of my favorite dishes to make and eat.
I love yoga for relxation but I like to do it solo. I don’t like doing it around a group of people because it messes with my focus because I hear all the little noises.
Kyle and I are making bibimbap this weekend! 🙂
I think solo yoga is amazing too! I do that when I skip out on the classes. Yesterday the lady next to me kept falling over and trying to block that out was tough and yesterday’s instructor talked more than instructed…(took note to skip her class lol)
I was just in your neck of the woods last week. We take an annual cycling trip to ride the mountains in SC and rented a house in Cedar Mountain. I ran in Dupont Forest and took some of the exact same pictures! Didn’t get a chance to get to Asheville but after reading this we will definitely make it a plan to spend a day there next year!
Oh, wow! I saw a lot of cyclists out and about over the weekend. It looked tough!
Please make sure to stop and visit the Ashville area! 🙂 You ran dupont? those hills, girl!
Hey Tara! Quick question, where are your sandals from that you’re wearing in a couple of the pics in your post? 🙂
Hi, Natalie!
I actually bought them a year ago at Marshalls! They are my favorite lol They don’t have a brand name on them.
1. I always like to purchase something for my home. I can look at it and be reminded of my travels, and that makes me happy.
2. My husband and I went to a party that was family-friendly. It was nice to be able to take the kids somewhere that wasn’t completely alcohol soaked.
3. Depends on the time of day I do yoga- trying to become a morning exerciser but it’s not working so far!
That is a great idea 😀
Awwww that is very nice!:) I’m sure your kids loved tagging along!
Yes, it’s hard for sure!
Hi Taralynn!
You travel so many places around your state that I would love to visit! I’m from Wisconsin, and I listed out west for two years, but I haven’t make it east yet and would love to. I always purchase coffee, and I’m a sucker for cute coffee mugs or pint glasses from different destinations! For St. Paddy’s day I went to a new brewery in my neighborhood and finally got to see a distant cousin’s band play live which was super fun. I unfortunately don’t do much yoga. I always end up convincing myself that it won’t be a hard enough workout, which I KNOW is not true at all! It’s silly, but it’s a hard thing for me to stop thinking.
Happy first day of Spring!
Hi, Kate!
You have so many great places in the midwest too! Just a bit colder 😉
OHHHH coffee for me too! I had to say no to mugs (had a cleanout) lol but I do love the coffee!
That sounds like a fun day!
Yeah, I can totally understand that! I find that different classes give me different outcomes! Some are great, and some are just straight up terrible. Yesterday’s class for example. She played NO music, all I could hear were the cars driving by, and she spent more time talking and instructing. Oh, and the lady next to me kept falling over and it was hard to ignore! So I went in with the mindset of just stretching and not working on anything else for an hour! lol But sometimes yoga is so amazing depending on the class!
Totally loved this post!! It looks like you guys had so much fun last weekend. If you liked that blackout pie, I bet you’d like Pinch of Yum’s chocolate pie. I added a little cocoa powder and agave as well to the filling, and it was amazing (even better with coco whip)!! My fiance brought a couple of the test pies to work and they were inhaled before noon. I’ve really wanted to test out a peanut butter and chocolate version of it, but I don’t know that that much pie is safe in my house 😉
We had friends over on St Patrick’s Day, but because we don’t drink really, we just had dinner and hung out. I promptly passed out around 8:30 after having half of a wine cooler, LOL. I try not to buy too many things while traveling, but I always like finding good restaurants. I wouldn’t say yoga makes me more productive, but it definitely helps me relax. Having quit caffeine a while back for the most part, I’m finding I’m a lot more relaxed in general, but yoga really helps me chill out.
Hi, Krista!
I probably would love it! All of her food looks amazing. I met her and Bjork on a press trip a couple years ago and they were amazing! Very talented and sweet people. I’ll add that to my list!
Haha sounds like something I would do! Early bedtimes are so appreciated nowadays.
Yes, quitting the amount of coffee I was drinking has helped me too! & yoga is just a plus!
I’m so glad you loved Asheville! Have you been to the Biltmore?
Hi, Steff!
I have & I love it! 😀
Your trip looked like a blast! I still need to try a green bowl, but I’m so in love with acai! Whenever I travel I usually collect random things though I have bought honey & jam, I have a huge jar of black honey that I brought back with me the last time I was in Strasbourg. I also love collecting rosaries when I visit old cathedrals. I didn’t do anything for St Patrick’s Day, I was at work and then we had Mexican food! So maybe for Cinco de Mayo I’ll have Irish food. I haven’t done yoga in a while, but I would love to get back into it,I know it would help me become more flexible. Also I love that covered bridge picture up above, it kinda reminds me of the one from beetlejuice!
Thank you, Ashton!
Acai is amazing 🙂
Those are all amazing collectibles! Collecting rosaries from cathedrals is brilliant!
Cinco De Mayo food sounds amazing right now!
Hahahaha love beetlejuice!
Hi Taralynn! Happy first day of spring 🙂 although we are getting slammed with ice and snow today in Maryland! Hopefully things are all cleared up in time for my birthday on Thursday!
It looks like you had another awesome trip! That’s so nice of Meighan to take you with her, Asheville looks like a lot of fun. When I’m traveling, I love purchasing magnets that remind me of the place I’m visiting! I hope to have my fridge full in years to come haha. On St. Patrick’s Day I actually saw my cousin for her bachelorette dinner while she was in town, so that was nice catching up. Other than that, I didn’t really do anything and it was pretty nice! I tend to do yoga at the end of the day to decompress and stretch out after sitting at a desk all day for work. I’d love to start doing it in the AM too to jump start my day.
I can’t wait to see some of your tofu recipes! I’m trying to move away from meat myself and I haven’t even attempted to cook with tofu yet, it’s a little intimidating to me for some reason lol.
I hope you have a great week! 🙂 xo Kelsey
Hi, Kelsey!
Happy 2nd day of Spring! 😀
It was a great trip! 🙂 Nice to get away for a bit, even if it’s not too far from home .Lol so your fridge is basically like the bumper sticker car? 😉
sounds like a fun weekend you had!! I need to start doing yoga at the end of the day too!
Tofu is so good and EASY to cook with!:)
XO
1. I don’t always purchase things when I travel but when I do it is usually a mug to commemorate my trip or a treat that is unique to the region (ie chocolate covered macadamia nuts from Hawaii). I have to stop buying mugs though because I have so many that they’re overflowing out of my cabinet!
2. For St. Patrick’s Day my husband and I traveled to Palm Desert for a family reunion. Each year it is a different theme and everyone dresses up to participate in a costume contest. This year was western themed and I went for a saloon girl type vibe a la Westworld 🙂 Last year I was Audrey Hepburn because the theme was Old Hollywood and I won. It was great to see all of my relatives.
3. Yoga is one of the best practices I’ve ever committed to. Not only does it help with body image and self esteem but its powers to reduce stress and mitigate anxiety continue to astonish me. I find I am best equipped to meditate immediately following yoga. Ayurvedic traditions indicate that people should practice yoga every day to achieve balance in body and mind. While I am not at that point quite yet I have noticed the difference in my overall well being after performing yoga consistently.
Hi, Avalon!
**Macadamia nuts from Hawaii are the best!! I had to stop buying mugs too lol
**How fun! That sounds like a blast.
**Agree and I’m excited to continue. Keep me posted on your yoga practice! Sounds like you’ve found a niche.
I typically purchase a shot glass for my boyfriend and whatever speaks out to me.
I went and saw my girlfriend and we went to a new brewery and then had some drinks on the beach.
I personally don’t like yoga…. but I’m kind of jealous of the people who do.
I want to go to Asheville now!
My list is currently: Charleston, Charlotte and West Virgina (not sure of the town).
Hi, Jenna!
Sounds like a fun day!
It took me a while to put myself in a new mindset to enjoy yoga. I used to think I was supposed to feel a certain way when I was practicing, but now I know it’s what I take from it 🙂
YES GO!!!!!
Hey Taralynn – Do you have a link for those Nikes you are wearing in Asheville? Please and thank you!
Hi, Samantha!
Here is the link 🙂
xo
Hi tara, Can you please post those white macadamia nut balls?
I will! 😀
I don’t travel too much really:( but I like to try different foods.
I didn’t do anything for St. Patrick’s Day this year! I celebrated 2 weeks ago with friends at a parade and I drank/ate too much. I decided o celebrated enough so instead I relaxed and made reubens with roasted potatoes for my boyfriend and I and watched a movie
I just did vinyasa yoga in a heated room on Sunday….it was difficult but felt AMAZING. For sure doing it again!!
I would love to go to Asheville! Sounds so fun!!
Hi, Kristen!
Your type of St. Patrick’s day sounds like my type of celebration! 🙂
Ahhhhh I LOVE vinyasa!
I hope you do make it to Asheville! xo
Hi Taralynn! Looks like a super fun trip. Beautiful photos! I spent St. Patrick’s with my folks. Mom always does a corned beef with lots of veggies. Yum! I really want to try gentle yoga, but it has been hard for me to find a class. Still working a day job plus writing on the side. With so much sitting, I know yoga would be a big help for me. Have a wonderful week!
Hi, Charlee!
Sounds like a fun St. Patrick’s day!
I think that’s why I love yoga too, I sit a lot while writing, and it’s hard for me to calm my brain. You should see if your local YMCA has classes available. Much cheaper than a studio.
YMCA – great idea! Years ago I went to water aerobics there and loved it. Time to check in on what they are doing. Thanks!
No problem! 😀 Have a great week!
Wow your trip looked amazing!! I would love to see that area!
It’s a great spot!
I absolutely love your weekly recap posts!! Quick question-would you mind sharing the backpack you are wearing on the hiking trip? It is super cute, and looks like it is the perfect size!
Hi, Kendall!
I actually bought it at the Fabletics store a about a year ago! Unfortunately, they don’t have it anymore 🙁
Actually! I was searching for it online and found someone selling it brand new on Ebay! 🙂
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fabletics-NWT-The-Outland-Backpack-with-Laptop-Compartment/152932629400?hash=item239b7ebb98:g:rlIAAOSwpP9Y6tky
I’m a big “original T-shirt” person so when I go to really cool restaurants or bars, those are the shirts that I get 🙂
This year was my first year not going out for St. Patty’s day since I my freshman year in college! My husband and I used to make the biggest deal out of St. Patty’s day, doing bar crawls ALL DAY. But, my body can’t keep up with that anymore lol so, we had dinner with friends, played cards and were in bed by 9:30!
Yoga really relaxes me. I’m not sure that it makes me more productive, but it makes me better able to deal with the day brings, if that makes sense?
Hi, Kelli!
Love that 🙂 I always get my dad a t-shirt lol
Hahaha welcome to old age 😉
Yes! I agree 🙂
What kind of yoga did you do? For those 90 minutes?:) I’m daunted by anything longer han 45 minutes haha.
I did mindful yoga! 🙂 So it wasn’t at hot yoga class for 90-minutes! or anything extensive.
how fun!!! I am going to Asheville in Oct!! super excited 🙂 also where did you get your back pack from in the one pic?! it is SUPER cute!
Hi, Jess!
You’ll have so much fun and it’s GORGEOUS in October with all the leaves changing.
I actually bought it at Fabletics a year ago and they discontinued it like a month later! BUT….found someone selling it brand new on Ebay!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fabletics-NWT-The-Outland-Backpack-with-Laptop-Compartment/152932629400?hash=item239b7ebb98:g:rlIAAOSwpP9Y6tky
So fun to see you in my town!!! I so wish I could have gotten to meet you. I’ve been following your blog forever. Asheville is amazing and you hit some of the best spots!
Ahhh thank you, Hannah! 🙂 Maybe I’ll do a hiking meetup in the fall!
Hey Taralynn – thanks for the fun post! Where is your pink/navy jacket from? Super cute!
Hi, Katie!
I actually got it at Belk (the Crown & Ivy brand) & they were buy one get one half so I got the plaid one too!
I LOVE Plant…it’s amazing. I live far from Asheville but visit every few years and that’s always a place I visit.
It’s so good!!!! What do you get when you go there?
I got the cheese platter you posted…my non-vegan fiance was so shocked the cheese tasted..well, like cheese! We also got a beet and yogurt dish and a cocktail. I’m curious to try out what else they have next time we visit. Other favorites are SkyBAR and High Five coffee. Also, if you ever get the chance to stay at Mountain Springs Cabins, do it. They’re 20 minutes from the city and the cutest little log cabins set on a hill overlooking a stream. Probably on my top 5 of places to be at any given moment. 🙂
It tasted better than real cheese! Is that possible? lol
I’ll add Mountain Springs Cabins to my list! This sounds like something Kyle and I would love to do!
My mom had a tradition of always buying a Starbucks mug with the city on it wherever we go! There is always a clean mug in our house, that’s for sure!
I worked St. Patrick’s so I put two of my sisters green clips in my hair and called it good.
I don’t have much experience with yoga but I have started meditating every morning and most nights. Sets me on the right path in the morning and is a great reminder where my head should be at night. No more night time mind races!!
Asheville looks great! I cannot wait to visit the south sometime. It is definitely on my places to visit. Maybe a big road trip?!
Hi, Hannah!
Your mom and i used to have that in common lol! I have like five of them.
Meditating is great 🙂 I need to do that more. It does help with the racing mind!
yes! go go go!!
you have such cute style and i’m in love with the nikes you’re wearing in the first couple of pics. mind sharing a link or style name? xx
Thank you Amanda!
Here is the link for those Nikes!
Girl…. THOSE ABS. Clearly, yoga, pilates, and running is working for you because you look amazing. And I feel the exact same way about yoga. We’re always dragging our feet to get there and then as soon as we walk out it’s like… WHY DID WE WAIT SO LONG?! It’s magical stuff!
Also, no words to express my envy about Plant. We NEED that here. I would seriously be there every week. I love when a place just nails the vegan recipes and you can’t even tell there are no animal products. It’s an art!
Food. I always buy food when I’m traveling haha. I think experiencing a new place through their cuisine is the best way to do it!
St. Pattys… We went to dinner with my parents and stuffed ourselves silly! Hey, gotta take advantage when someone else is buying the good wine :).
Your hiking pics have got me SO excited for it to get warm enough to hike here!
And I’m convinced we need to go to Asheville. If nothing else, just to experience Plant. So glad you guys had fun!
Awww thanks Susie, to be honest! Cutting back on the extreme workouts, cleaning up my diet a bit, and doing more calming workouts has made all the difference. And yes, I do the same with yoga!!
omg…make a trip here and eat there! IT’S AMAZING!!!!!!
Lol I do that too + coffee of course.
You do need to go to Asheville, and if you do, let me know! We’ll meet up and go to Plant!
You are adorable and I just love your weekly recap posts.
We live outside of Asheville and have never heard of Plant but will now add it to our list!
Honey and Salt is a great spot. Thank you for dining and eating locally.
Dana
Awww thanks, Dana! & you must go to Plant!
Where is your white tank from? Love it!
Lulu Lemon 🙂
https://shop.lululemon.com/p/women-tanks/Love-Tank/_/prod8470263?color=0002
Were some of these photos taken with your new camera?
Nope!
Actually…my new camera and new lenses are all in the box still. I don’t want to dive into them until I have a free moment! I know I won’t be able to stop playing with it lol I’m hoping to spend all weekend playing with it!
What black leggings are those?
They are from Lulu Lemon! I have the low rise & the high rise. I like the high rise way better.
https://shop.lululemon.com/p/women-pants/Wunder-Under-Low-Rise-Tight-Fullonluon/_/prod8470025?color=0001
Ashville looks and sounds amazing. And all the food photos are just making me hungry. When I’m traveling I tend to buy a small piece of jewellery, like a glass bead from Venice, it doesn’t need to cost to much just something small I can hold a memory to, my mum also did this when she traveled back in the late 70’s and the story’s she can tell you from a woven bracelet are incredible, so that why I choose to do the same. My st. Patrick’s consisted of 10 mile walk in the woods then worked the rest of the day (8weeks and counting with no time off). Yoga is incredible I do it every night before bed, it’s so relaxing and helps me sleep.
Great recap! Have a fantastic week!!
Hi, Harriet!
Asheville would be right up your alley! Your adventure side would love it.
That is such a great and precious idea! I bet it’s fun trying to find the right piece.
A ten-mile walk? Nice! You go girl.
Have a great week, Harriet!
Looks like you guys had a blast! Also, that vegan cheese looks legit… ♥ I’ve been trying to get some of my friends and family to do a 30 day vegan challenge with me but no one seems to want to hop on board…Ha! (Understandable I suppose) I just thought it might be cool to “experiment” to see how my body feels afterwards. Maybe I’ll give it a shot one day soon! 😉 Anyways, loved the post as always… Hope you have a great rest of the week girl!
Hi, Charity!
It was fun for sure! 😀
I have no idea how they did it, but usually vegan cheese is just OK. THIS WAS BETTER THAN ACTUAL REAL LIFE DAIRY CHEESE! (can you tell i’m excited?)
Lol yeah, my boyfriend would rather starve for a week and go a month without meat.
You can totally do it! 😀
Thanks for reading!
Your weekend in Asheville looked like so much fun! My favorite thing to get anywhere I travel is a mug! But…I end up rotating between the same 2 mugs everyday so my mug cabinet is just overflowing with mugs I don’t use. At least they have a special meaning!
Is it bad I didn’t know it was St. Patricks Day? I always forget about the holiday.
I am not a yogi…at all. I need to stretch more. Stretching has been my New Year’s resolution for the past 5 years and I still can’t touch my toes so that’s not going too well. Haha!
Thanks for another wonderful weekend recap! You are THE BEST!
Hi, Anastasia!
Thanks so much! 🙂 I had to stop getting mugs from places haha! But I love looking at them.
No, for some reason I kept forgetting about it this year too! I’ve never cared for it.
I love yoga just for the stretching aspect. My posture is horrible since I spend 16+ hours on the computer most days, so it helps!
xo xo thank you for reading!!!
Thank you for sharing our beautiful city.
It’s one of my favorites!
Hi Taralynn! Thanks for always sharing your adventures!
When I travel, I try to get something useful, but still unique from where I travelled–I have enough random crap–like for instance, when I went to Peru I got a knit hat and a poncho with Peruvian knit style. Both useful and unique and would last a long time.
St. Patty’s day I went to a friend’s engagement party.
And I loooove yoga. I don’t always do it enough. But I love knowing that I am creating space in my body and it usually keeps me focused for the day. I am also an actress, so I try and do a little yoga before a performance as a warm up. If you are ever to lazy to go to a class–there is a great Youtube channel. The channel is Yoga with Adriene. She is fantastic!! Not to woowoo spiritual, not too difficult, but really real and easy to understand. Not intimidating at all.
Also, curious–are you still getting your personal trainer certification?
Have a great day!
Hi, Lee!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
I have enough random crap too lol I love that idea of buying useful things! I love doing coffee because it’s more of an experience to take home!
AHH how fun!
Yoga used to be my favorite thing before going on stage in high school! Thanks for the recommendation! I love the idea of doing youtube videos! I always hide in my room so the dogs don’t join in!
I am but slowly lol I have been doing a chapter a week and it’s tough! But doing it!
Asheville looks amazing! We are always looking for new hiking trails with beautiful views (and waterfalls) — this needs to be on our list!
1. While traveling, I usually pick up a shot glass with the location on — they are small enough to display but when I see them, I remember all of my travels!
2. We didn’t do anything particular for St. Patrick’s Day — I made Ruebens (one of my favorites!) and we played cards… Pretty sure we were in bed at like 10:00!
3. I love yoga. It definitely relaxes me and usually at the end of a good session (especially if the instructor has us ending in corpse pose) I worry that I might fall asleep! But after heading out of the studio, I always feel rejuvenated and ready to go! Glad to hear that you are enjoying the practice and finding workouts that work for you and your body!
Hi, Jordan!
Yes, add it to your list for sure!
I’d love to know how you make your Reubens! I’ve never been a Rueben person, but my dad is!
lol the Corpse post is the best pose! Especially when they lay cold towels on your head after hot yoga!
<3
Thanks for the recap post! Always enjoy them!
I LOVE the blanket Leo is sitting on in the chair when he is trying to eat the plant. Where did you get it? I’ve been searching for a (reasonably priced) blanket exactly like that for my bed!
Thanks for reading, Sarah!
MY FRIEND BECCA MADE IT!!! IT’S AMAZING AND SHE’S INSANELY TALENTED! (hel_and_garm) on insta! reach out to her.
What a fun-looking trip! You’ve inspired me to add Asheville to my places to visit someday.
That hike looked especially gorgeous! BTW, where are your hiking shoes from? They’re so cute!
Katherine
Yes I Hope you do visit! They are actually my Asic running shoes! lol
Whenever you visit Asheville I am reminded how much I want to visit it! I want to find a place near me like Green Sage! That salad looks SO good! #SaladSpiration for sure! Your Dupont Forest hike pictures are beautiful!! I bet a fall hike in the same spot would be amazing with all of the fall colors on the trees!! Plant sounds like an amazing restaurant also!! I found a favorite resturant in Prague that was a strictly vegetarian spot but the food was so good and fresh I didn’t even miss the meat!
I always love seeing the different coffee shops you find. And hearing your thoughts about them! I recently became the manager at a local independent coffee shop so now Im always on the look out for ways to improve and enhance our shop! I’d love to bring in oat milk (right now we have soy, almond, and coconut but I don’t love any of them in lattes)!
I used to always buy coffee mugs from different places while traveling, but I had to cut back on mugs since my collection started over taking 2+ cabinets in my kitchen. I’ve also always tried to find Christmas ornaments wherever I visit! I love and still keep this up as I love unpacking and hanging them each year and being reminded of all of my adventures!
I’ll be going again next month! 😀
I hope to visit in the fall, I need to spend a week there!
YOU SHOULD TOTALLY BRING IN OAT MILK!!!!
lol story of my life! Now, I’ll do coffee blends!!
Blackout pie sounds like a masterpiece 🙂 I really enjoyed this recap, it has so much positivity, nature, dazzling smiles and warmth. Thank you!
Thank you, Natalija! Hoping to recreate this recipe!! XO XO
I have a semi-important question…I’m looking to move out of Florida in the next 5 years ad North Carolina is a big hit on my potential areas to relocate to. But I am not sure what city, I want something that has enough of a youth life, but also I can drive to the mountains or nature in about an hour or two. Any ideas? I’ve been considering Asheville and Charlotte, but I don’t know of much else. I know I definitely don’t want to be up in the mountains or in a “vacation” type spot.
Well, I’d say Charlotte.
It’s VERY youthful, growing fast, 2 1/2 from a city, near a lake, and 1 1/2 to the mountains, or OUR crowder’s mountain to hike! I do love Asheville too, but I don’t live there so I can’t speak on it. I’d live there though 😉 I think your best bet would be to spend some time in each city!
That weekend looked so fun and relaxing! I love all the adventures you go on and definitely need to make my way to the Carolinas.
1. I like to get post cards or magnets when I go on vacation. Neither take up a lot of room and I am always running out of magnets. I like to put the post cards in the books on my bookshelf and then have a nice surprise when I revisit them.
2. One of my childhood friends got married on St. Paddy’s Day and we celebrated by walking down the isle! It was a beautiful wedding! I had so many people ask if they are just huge St Patrick’s fans, but actually they are both teachers and it worked out with spring break for their honeymoon.
3. Yoga is amazing! It always makes me feel like a better person, no matter the routine. I like to do the Yoga With Adriene videos on youtube, someone she always leaves me feeling better!
Hi, Sarah!
Thanks so much 🙂 It was a blast and I love the CAROLINAS! 😀
I used to collect postcards when I was young! I’d mail them home lol
How awesome! Great way to spend the day.
I heard her videos were great!
Thanks for all the info about Asheville, my coworker just told me today her family wil be visiting there in the next couple weeks, she was excited to hear about your blog and your experiences with Plant and all the other fun things (she has a son who is vegan). You always make every place you experience a memorable one, that’s so cool!
Thank you, Ann! I’m telling you, she’s going to LOVE Plant, and so will her son! 🙂 You’ll have to let me know how she enjoys it! xo
pretty photos
Thanks, Emily!
Gosh, Asheville looks so pretty. My roommate was just there last week and from all the photos I definitely want to add it to my travel list! When traveling I usually buy some sort of enamel pin. It doesn’t have to represent the place I visited, I just keep my eye out for cool ones while I’m there. On St. Patrick’s day I hung out with my sister all day. We go to different colleges so it’s always great to see her again! We had a wine and cheese night and watched Jurassic Park. Yoga definitely helps make my day more productive. I’ve been visiting my parents and have been going to 6:30am yoga with my mom, which is earlier than I’m usually up but I feel so energized and ready to tackle the day afterwards! Have you done any recent posts on how you pack for traveling? I always over pack!
Hi Taralynn,
My family and I always purchase a Christmas ornament from every travel location. It makes for a very nostalgic Christmas tree which brings up many happy memories. Have a lovely day!
Great idea!!
Hi! I’ve been loving how you’ve been incorporating vegan recipes like the tofu kabobs and I’m making the vegan carrot cake for Easter! And the coconut yogurt + protein is my go to now too 🙂 by the way if you haven’t tried the Orgain Peanut Butter it’s a must
That is so great to hear!:D Let me know how they turn out for you! Oh, I’ll definitely try it out!
I love plant!
Metoo!