The Pulse: Soaking in Sweet Summer Moments

Aug 23
3 min read

Overall, this past week was wonderfully even-keeled as we settled deeper into our school-year routine, baseball schedules, and client hours.

I kicked things off with a sweet reunion with my book club. Even though I didn’t finish The Cloisters before the meeting (though I finally wrapped it up two days ago!), it was so good to catch up with the ladies over delicious food. I have a detailed supplemental post coming up featuring free reading hacks—from digital apps to cereal box promos for the kids—so stay tuned!

The rest of the week was spent training clients and fine-tuning my indoor cycling classes. I’ve been working on making my ride profiles uniquely mine—less traditional "spin" and more music-driven energy and choreography.

Weekend Highlights: Movie Nights & Soaky Mountain Deals

This was my weekend with the boys, and we packed in a great mix of cozy downtime, deal-stacking, and outdoor fun.

Friday: We eased into the weekend with a relaxed pizza and movie night, watching Sheep Detective. It was super cute, and we’ve already rewatched it once—honestly, no complaints here!
Saturday (The Day of Deals & Waterpark Stairs): We spent seven hours at Soaky Mountain Waterpark! The weather was absolute perfection—not too hot, and I even got a bit of that summer tan I've desperately wanted. Bonus: I don't think the boys fought one time - this just means they need to be moving ALL the time - definitely achievable....
- Pro Tip: Do not visit a waterpark post-leg day. We easily climbed 500 stairs in the first 30 minutes, cramming in as many slides as possible while there were no lines, followed by two hours in the lazy river (which mostly consisted of getting waterboarded by my children).
- Road Trip Podcast: On the drive, we trialed Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest. It retells classic Grimm's fairy tales with live reactions and input from school-aged kids. It ramps up the drama without embracing full-on gore—the boys loved it!

Deal Stack: Our admission was completely free thanks to my Medic platelet donation and neighboring donors throwing in their extra passes for us, so we only paid for parking and snacks. Afterwards, we grabbed pre-dinner dessert at Chick-fil-A using four free treat cards the boys collected from visiting the Chick-fil-A playground during Smokies baseball games!

Sunday Reset: After sleeping in, we tackled house chores, client prep, and scheduled upcoming website posts, including work on my new client progress dashboard. We rounded out the day with pool time, a quick Costco run, and Topgolf! We're squeezing the last drops out of that TopGolf Summer Pass.

What’s on the Menu This Week

With baseball hitting full swing and the boys' half-birthdays right around the corner, I kept meal prep straightforward and stress-free.

For Me:

Coconut Peanut Butter Shrimp Ramen: A high-protein batch meal loaded with sugar snap peas, mushrooms, and sautéed shrimp.
Midday Snack: Greek yogurt topped with fresh strawberries, peanut butter, and chocolate protein granola.
On-the-Go Fuel: Custom snackle-boxes packed for busy afternoons on the field.

For the Boys:

School Lunches: The boys picked one day for hot school lunch; the rest of the week features DIY "Uncrustables" with strawberry jelly or honey.
Dinner 1: Papa Mountain cheese bread, roasted broccoli, and meatballs.
Dinner 2: Slow-cooker BBQ chicken with baked potatoes.
Dinner 3: Family Game Night at the YMCA! The Davis Y hosts these monthly—the boys get pizza, snacks, and games with their peers, and I get a night off from cooking and dishes. Win-win!

Looking Ahead

This week is packed in the best way possible:

Baseball: Games on Tuesday and Thursday, plus Saturday games.
Baking & Birthday Fun: I’ll be spending Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the kitchen making custom birthday cakes for the boys' half-birthday celebrations. Baking is such a fun creative outlet for me, and I can't wait to share how they turn out!
On the Bike: I’m teaching an Emo-Themed Ride featuring all my favorite 2000s throwback tracks. Curating this playlist during my practice ride brought back so many memories—it’s going to be absolute fire in the studio!

Here’s to another active, productive, and high-energy week ahead!