Happy Wednesday, Everyone!
What a fun weekend we just had, but now I’m exhausted, and this heat makes me want to sleep. Kyle’s mom flew in to visit from Florida, and we had such a blast hanging around the house with the dogs, trying new restaurants, and catching up with her. After I hit publish on this blog, I’m going to finish making a lemon cake for my mom’s birthday this evening and get upstairs to fold my laundry! I’m on month two of my minimal closet makeover, which has made laundry and my clothing situation less stressful. Now I’m just rambling, so let’s start this recap post!
I didn’t get the chance to put my recap up last week, so I’m sharing a few moments from then as well.
Last week, my mom was in Iowa visiting her family, so I took my dad out to lunch at the Greek Grill. It’s a delicious spot in Fort Mill/Tega Cay. We split the Greek Turkey burger and a Greek Salad. That sounds so good. I may have to go pick one up for lunch now.
The best part is the Greek fries! They come extra crispy with seasoning and feta on top.
I’m finally back in my kale salad routine.
This kale salad I ate all last week had kale, garlic vinaigrette, peppered almonds, chickpeas, red onion, avocado, strawberries, goat cheese, tomatoes, and cashews. It’s so good!
I’ve been trying to get back into doing little circuits. I’m so bad at sticking to them because I’d rather walk instead. I did a few last weeks (I pulled them from my older fitness challenge posts), and they made me so sore!
I made my favorite turkey meatloaf for Kyle and me with roasted butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and chickpea Mac and cheese.
Another kale salad for lunch! This time I added watermelon radishes. They taste just like normal radishes, but they are much prettier!
Every morning starts at 4:30 am now. Kyle goes to work out in the gym before work, and I sit outside on the porch with the dogs while they run around. We take him for an early morning walk about four times a week to get him used to the leash. Tux is so playful and full of zoomies early in the morning. This is when we really bond with each other. He has started to chase me around, which is so funny! He and Leo have officially started playing wrestle style like he and Grumples used to do. Tux has started to REALLY feel like he’s home here.
Every week he doesn’t do something completely new. Last week, he started lying at the bottom of the stairs in the morning, crying up for us to come down. There’s no way to sleep in when you hear his little cries. We fight over who gets to go down and greet him. He’s too afraid to go upstairs, so that’ll be something we help him within a few months.
He’s officially lying down outside now. He never felt relaxed or safe enough to lay in the backyard, but now it’s one of his favorite things to do! He lays there with his little frog legs and observes his surroundings.
The biggest thing he did last week was trying to bark. I thought I was going crazy when I heard his little barks when the neighbors let their puppy outside. It’s unfortunate because it does confirm that he was de-barked by the terrible breeder, but it was loud enough for me to hear him, and I felt special that he finally let loose and let out his barks in front of me. We love him so so so so so much!!! 
Kyle had his 33rd birthday on Saturday! We went shopping and grabbed a coffee while we were out. I love the shaken chocolate espresso at Starbucks! I hope they do a pumpkin version of this.
I had so much fun making Kyle’s birthday cake! I made him a triple chocolate drip cake with peanut butter chocolate fudge buttercream frosting, homemade peanut butter cookies on top and crushed up Reese’s pieces. It was so delicious!!!!!
We had the WORST storm Saturday evening. I always tuck Tux in really tight, and he usually stops panting and shaking when I do it. He likes to be in a little cove.
We headed to Emmet’s Social Table in downtown Fort Mill on Sunday for lunch. We ordered the fried hard-boiled eggs, Brussels sprouts, caesar salad, and kale salad. The food was really good! I liked the eggs, and the Brussels sprouts the best. 
Brothers ️
Kale Caesar salad with Trader Joe’s vegan caesar dressing, gluten-free chicken tenders (they come in a blue bag at Trader Joe’s), onions, chickpeas, and avocado!
Kyle’s mom came to town on Thursday, and we decided to try out Kounter in Rock Hill for the first time.
We ordered brussel sprouts, Caesar salad in a waffle cone, chicken and waffle sushi, pineapple grilled chicken wings, grilled snow peas, and a southwest salmon salad. All of the food tasted amazing!
And the summer storms continued! ️
Kyle’s mom and I went to breakfast and then furniture shopping on Friday.
We headed to First Watch! I had a green juice, egg white omelet, and toast!
We took her to our FAVORITE restaurant in Baxter Village on Friday evening. I had my go-to salmon salad. Kyle ordered the salmon and tortellini, which was amazing! We also started with a beef and vegetable soup and calamari. I love the Fish Market! The outdoor seating is the best park because it’s tucked in with many crepe myrtles and a white picket fence. 
I picked up this cabinet on Facebook Marketplace for $20! I can’t wait to show you the final results. It looks like a really expensive piece now that it’s painted black. It’s going up in our loft so that I can have a little coffee bar up there. We are finally working on putting that room together, and I cannot wait to reveal it! This weekend, we are doing the board and batten.
Breakfast at another great Fort Mill spot with Kyle’s mom! The Z bakery. Kyle and I split the eggs, bacon, cheesy hash, and toast with a yogurt parfait. 
Later in the afternoon, we picked up Knowledge Perk coffee and headed to Wilsons to pick out some green emerald trees! We are finally going to do a privacy tree line on one side of our house.
