Biker Shorts Forever
Last week was below freezing temperatures, this week is 70s and sunny. Austin, you always keep us guessing! I’ll admit, hiding inside for a week straight was definitely not good for my brain…I felt so yucky mentally and physically. When we finally got a day of sunshine, I knew I needed to take full advantage…and it felt SO good.
BIKER SHORTS / TANK TOP / PULLOVER / RUNNING SHOES / BACKPACK
SHOP MORE ATHLEISURE FAVORITES
A big thank you to Backcountry for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
With the holidays in full swing, making time for myself has been very…tricky…to say the least! Blake and I juggle kiddos and work and house projects…the list goes on and on. When I’m feeling the weight of my responsibilities and the overwhelm of life starts hitting too hard, that’s when I know I need to get outside and hit the reset button. Just a simple walk around the block can work wonders, but this week I had Blake watch the boys so I could get a couple hours to myself and go hike around the Austin greenbelt with my sister. It was so beautiful out and I came back home feeling energized, happy and ready to tackle my day ahead (…the coffee run on our way home helped, too, ha!). I know firsthand it can feel intimidating when winter weather is right outside your door – but with the proper gear to keep you warm and comfortable, that mid-week hike may just become routine. 😉
Nothing like time outside (…and near water, it’s HOT in Austin!) to help revive my soul during the monotony of quarantine life. The days seem to blend together when we are doing the same thing day in and day out, which is why a morning at the lake was exactly what we needed this week. Plus, it felt SO good to throw on a bikini (this one is seriously amazing) and just let my belly soak up some much needed sunshine…and probably the rest of my body, too, ha! Anyone notice that shorts tan? 😉
Our current routine: wake up, hang at home, take Jude on a walk outside, come back home, eat dinner, bath time, bedtime, repeat. We’re taking this social distancing thing very seriously, with small outings here and there to pick up the necessities (our toilet paper search finally ended today, thankfully! Phew, that stuff was tough to find!). In the midst of the caution and stillness, we’re all itching for some fresh air. Whether that be in the form of sitting on our back porch and sipping morning coffee, going for a stroll around the block or hiking through the local greenbelt. Now more than ever, we are cherishing those short bouts of time outside. (And of course, making sure we’re not in close contact with others while doing so).
Was there a sport you were really into when you were younger that you haven’t spent much time on as you got older? Blake always talks about basketball in that sort of adoring, nostalgic way. It was a huge part of his childhood and teenage years – a time when he could clear his head alone practicing in his driveway or pick up a game with neighborhood kids at a local park. When I think back on the one form of exercise that used to be that stress reliever for me, it’s running. From high school through college (…really until I joined the workforce), running was my daily therapy. Not running on a treadmill, but getting outside in the sunshine and heat of summer or bundling up during the winter months. I was never a lover of a gym run – there’s just something about being outside and feeling the wind on your face or the sun on your back. And even though summers are brutally hot in Austin, I lived for that crazy sweaty high that a summer run brings.
This week has been rainy and cold…which means we’ve finally reached the fall season in Austin, ha! And while most days I’m not a huge fan of this combination (…dogs + rain = mud eeeverywhere in our house haha), this week was different because we totally embraced the crazy weather and it was maaagical. My sister and I spent an afternoon hiking down to Barton Creek (…the dogs stayed home haha). Mud, rain, cold wind…it was invigorating. We were both so happy! I know I say this all the time, but getting outside and spending time in nature really does revive the soul.
A magical summer afternoon in Austin: a light breeze is blowing, the sound of a flowing stream brings instant calm and the warm sun kisses my skin. A dip in the water with nothing but trees on the horizon is oh-so-good for the soul – and this tired mama could use a dose of nature to revive and reset. I sit on a rock with the water rushing around me, my eyes lightly closed and for a moment I am completely present. Listening, breathing, listening, breathing. I make a promise to myself that I’ll do this more often…
Hey there, big cheesy grin! I’ve been feeling really good lately and I’m attributing those happy vibes to more time spent outside (…and exercise…wowza that really does do wonders!). We’ve had the strangest weather in Austin lately – one minute the sun is shining and the next there’s a torrential downpour. Funny enough, I intended to shoot this post during a rain sesh (…hence that adorable raincoat…) but once we parked it cleared up and the sun started beaming. No complaints here, though! Vitamin D does a body and mind good. You know the saying, “April showers bring May flowers” – so I am totally okay with all the rain if it means we’re looking at an extra lush and sunny May!
