McDonald’s cheeseburgers
Peeps cereal
Girl Scouts cookies (Samoas, specifically, aka: “Caramel Delites”… what-ever, Iowa)
Hurt’s Strawberry PopTarts donuts
Brown Sugar Cinnamon PopTarts
PopTarts cereal, if one exists (it should)
Beer*
*Parents not invited.
I’m on a quest to try all the coffee shops in the Des Moines area. Read my introduction post.
I’m very fond of the extra moments that I have in the “in-between.” There’s a certain peace and slowness that goes with having an hour or hour-and-a-half to kill – and the total lack of desire (or sensibility) to drive all the way home to just drive all the way back again. That is how I found myself at Freedom Coffee in Des Moines a few weeks ago.
Freedom Blend was originally on my list because I heard that they had gluten-free doughnuts for sale. They sell, like, THREE OR FOUR KINDS of gluten-free doughnuts (sourced by another company – I’m pretty sure they’re from Sweet Treats Without the Wheat based on all their doughnuts I’ve had at the Farmer’s Market). More importantly, they have a seasonal coffee menu. And more importantly than that, their overall mission of their business rounds out all the reasons why I will continue to have this coffee place on my regular tour.
From Freedom Blend’s webpage:
Several years ago, a study on the number of jobs available to teens in the inner city of Des Moines showed approximately 42 job types (newspaper carriers, fast food, etc.) An additional study revealed that adults held more than half of these jobs, proving that job development was crucial if we wanted to help young people break the generational poverty cycle. This was the driving force behind the founding of Freedom Blend Coffee in 2011 by Freedom for Youth.
When going to Freedom Blend for the first time, I actually passed it… because it didn’t outwardly look like your typical coffee place (the building is HUGE!). It was cool to learn a little bit of the history of the building (it was a former car wash!) and the history of how it got its start (roasting and selling beans). The coffee shop opened in 2017.
I’m pretty low-maintenance when it comes to getting coffee, but because of my food restrictions, I have to double-check ingredients and such. The barista went above-and-beyond to confirm my selections – and did so with probably as much joy as I had in learning that I was able to have what I wanted. My experience at Freedom Blend was so positive and more than just the coffee left me feeling warm and cozy. Their location is out of the way for any of my regular commutes, but I plan to drive out of my way more often.
Freedom Blend Coffee
2329 Hickman Road, Des Moines 50310
Hours: Mon-Thurs 6am-6pm | Fri-Sat 6am-9pm
IG: @FreedomBlendCoffee | FB: Freedom Blend Coffee
In between appointments at the Iowa Clinic for an echocardiogram and LifeTime for my personal trainer (the juxtaposition of those is not lost on me), I stopped over to my favorite Des Moines suburb coffee shop for another of their seasonal drinks.
: The Coffeesmith :
The Coffeesmith is becoming a regular stop for me. So much so, that I am almost always driving out of my way. My regular grab-and-go drink is an Americano – which I have had a few times now and it is perfection. When I opt to settle in for a bit, I venture off my regular and order a flavored latte or other specialty concoction. A few weeks ago, I went for their maple latte (they torch the brown sugar – it’s incredible!); this visit was for the pumpkin pie latte that I tried ignoring over on their social media accounts. Facebook plays the dirty beast once again.
Total aside: If you see me out, ask me about my thesis! I’d love to find more holes in the research on athlete burnout (and maybe get some additional insight into my methodology). 😂😂😂
Though the cafe was well-occupied for the morning, I still find it to be a great place to relax and focus on homework or get some reading done. This trip I introduced my latte to my lit review. The place feels very hygge – and every time I’m there I see a new framed message encouraging my continued happiness for the day. That’s what the Danes had in mind, right?
Well, their coffee makes me very, very joyous.
The Coffesmith
770 Alice’s Road, Waukee 50263
Hours: Mon-Sat 6am-6pm
IG: @YourCoffeesmith | FB: The Coffeesmith
So, our official first time in Des Moines was back in mid-Winter, when it was 20-below and our visit was all mostly secret (pending job offers and such). We stayed downtown at the Des Lux Hotel and visited a few of downtown’s restaurants — Centro (great cheese tray for me, but otherwise not a gluten-free friendly menu) and Proof (amazing dinner experience all-around) and looked at a LOT of houses with a Realtor. As much as I wanted to explore and walk around the city, it was impossible due to that wind chill (um, 20 BELOW), so we mostly drove around and/or stayed warm in the hotel (which had a freakin’ fireplace in the room!!!).
We’ve since had our first legit visit to downtown (for non-work visiting purposes) and entertained our first visitors over Memorial Day Weekend. Our plans typically include food and fun, and almost always starts with BRUNCH. This will be the first of a LOT of posts about my new city because it’s awesome here. And you should come visit me. Probably in August for the Iowa State Fair. 😉
Here’s some of my faves (and a reminder to myself that I DEFINITELY need to get back to Proof)…
Brunch at Americana: We’ve now been twice for their Bombshell Brunch, which includes unlimited Mimosas and Bloody Mary drinks that you can make your own AND two roomfuls of food buffets including the usual breakfast foods, a mashed potato bar, a taco bar, and a waffle bread pudding (!!!) — AND a grilled cheese station at the front bar. Their menu includes a few additional breakfast-themed shots, which are amazing. They also do brunch on both Saturday and Sunday.
Pappajohn Sculpture Park: The place most Instagrammed in all of Des Moines, I’m sure. Public art takes a whole new shape in downtown and even being down there a few times already, I always find something new to take in (and photograph, naturally). Feel free to bring down a lunch or picnic basket and hang out — they encourage enjoying the space!
Downtown Farmers Market: Holy cow, I cannot emphasize how massive this market it; it’s nothing like what I imagined and no open air farmers market compares. And now I understand why thousands of Iowans get out of bed early on Saturday to spend their mornings there. You can sample cheeses and wines, and shop all in-season produce, and even buy flowers, all while listening to live music and gawking at the city’s most adorable dog population. Also, the lines for the food trucks and stands are just INSANE. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, the farmer stands stretch down ANOTHER intersection and side street. It’s overwhelming to think you can do it all in two hours… so give yourself the entire morning.
East Village souvenir shopping: Raygun t-shirts is one of my favorite places to hang out and crack up. Not only do they have all the funny local tees, there are other fun localized postcards, books, magnets — something like a tourist shop for the Midwesterner. They also sell one of my favorite brands of casual clothes, Alternative Apparel.
BONUS: Just down the block is a place dedicated to a certain craft of the state: Iowa Tap Room (there’s even a good selection of ciders, wines, and meads for me) or a Della Viti wine bar (where you can buy a card and select your own samples!).
I’m also starting a Des Moines Bucket List, so if you’re from here or live here, tell me what I should go do!
For the summer, I’d like to:
This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and Chelsea Collective. All opinions in this review are my own.
Tuesday evening, I had the pleasure of being invited to a special event preview for the new fitness apparel store opening at Ross Park Mall: Chelsea Collective.
Chelsea Collective is the only fitness-focused specialty store that provides head-to-toe product diversity across footwear, apparel, accessories and beauty — with a variety of fitness interests from studio to running and more. Chelsea Collective selects every piece to be as high-performing as it is sophisticated.
I brought along my friend and fellow running blogger/enthusiast Chelsea (appropriate, right?!) of Pittsburgh City Girl to the preview, which included a store tour, passed appetizers and a yogurt parfait bar, specialty cocktails (champagne!), and some amazing surprises. This preview proved that this store was MUCH more than just about fitness apparel. Can we call it a lifestyle store? Because this store pretty much nailed my life AND style. Chelsea Collective is the brainchild of Dick’s Sporting Goods. The brand is said to cater to all types of women with varied athletic interests. I found that to be true and then some. There are plenty of options from the casual lifestyle to the fitness enthusiast and all body types in between.
This Chelsea Collective location carries a LOT of Nike-branded apparel — nearly half the store! Familiar brands like Adidas, Asics, and Calia (Carrie Underwood’s label) were set up in different sections throughout the floor plan too. There is even a bra bar with trained fit specialists to help make sure that you are shopping the correct size. I was particularly impressed by new-to-me labels Zobha and Lorna Jane and their respective merchandise. I really wanted this short-sleeved hoodie from Zobha which had already sold out in my size by the time I circled back around the store.
And OMG an entire section devoted to Splendid, which is one of my favorite brands! (I even saw Hunter boots, and their website teases me that Sorel boots will soon be carried in stores). We received a $25 gift card when we arrived for the event, which I used towards a pair of Sanuk sandals — you all tell me how awesome and comfortable they are, so it was a good “deal” to finally buy a pair.
I was absolutely SHOCKED by the additional generous gift that Chelsea Collective provided to all attendees to the party — a “build-a-bag” that included a workout bag worth over $250 (from Nike), which we were able to fill with four additional self-selected items from several shelves of goodies. I got a new yoga face towel, sport headbands from Nike, an infinity bracelet from Pure Vida (an organization close to my heart), and a Nike scarf (it’s SO soft). They also had yoga mats, straps and blocks (which I just purchased doubles of) and other fitness accessories. For signing up for their rewards card, I also received an extra gift at the register: a multi-strap leather bracelet with the brand’s logo.
The store is fairly large and there is a lot of merchandise to look at, with additional beauty products and fitness accessories surrounding the register area (many of my favorites here too!). The changing room area is basically a social lounge, which is important for me when shopping (because, exhaustion) — with chairs and tables to relax at (for you or any of your shopping buddies) and stations available for charging your phone while you shop. It’s beautifully accented by a live plant wall and gorgeous fixtures.
You have to experience it for yourself!
Chelsea Collective opens this weekend and will be celebrating its official Grand Opening on August 22 and 23. They’re located on the second level near the Nordstroms wing. They’ll be hosting in-store styling demonstrations, offering complimentary services and refreshments — and experts will be on-site to offer advice. The first 25 guests will receive a special gift. I already wish I could return this weekend.
Find Chelsea Collective on social:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Before it gets too far away from me, I wanted to post about my return weekend to Cleveland in July. Now that we’ve been gone for five years, it’s still surreal to go back and see all the changes — and we both cannot get over how weird it is that we don’t recognize anyone anymore! I went back two years ago as part of a blogger trip with Visit CLE, and I have to say that being in downtown Cleveland still feels strange to me. It’s quickly obvious that it doesn’t have quite the life to it as downtown Pittsburgh… but it still makes for a wonderful weekend getaway.
One thing’s for sure, we will NEVER stay at the Doubletree downtown again. That hotel is just the worst, free points or not.
Friday:
We started off with drinks on the roof of The 9. Initially, we were supposed to meet friends for dinner, but they had an emergency and couldn’t make it out. This is another place that I don’t ever have to go to in my lifetime. Lame and not my scene. Too bad, considering the amazing views.
But Heinen’s in the old Ameritrust rotunda building is DEFINITELY for me! Those wine vending machines? I hope that inventor won a Nobel or something. I loaded up a card and sampled plenty (including a cab that was $7 for 1-oz taster… yeah, it was perfect), and we enjoyed a wonderful cheese plate (with gluten-free crackers!). Heinen’s, if you’re not from Northeast Ohio, is a local chain grocery store, and MAN do I wish it existed when we lived on East 4th Street! I lived in the suburbs for many of my Cleveland years though, and Heinen’s is even better than Wegman’s in my book.
We followed up our cheese with Dinner at the Greenhouse Tavern. The chef’s course is still one of the best deals in town, and we both left plenty full. While we people-watched in the front window, I noticed Sinbad was listed on the marquee at Pickwick & Frolic.
HECK YEAH, WE WENT TO SEE SINBAD! That guy made us laugh for over two hours. Totally spontaneous decision, and after being a fan of his for decades, I can finally say that I saw him live!
Saturday:
I like when I can wake up refreshed and early when traveling — and to beat the brunch crowd. We went to Urban Farmer where a former derby teammate works, and HEY-YO TO THE GLUTEN-FREE GODS, I enjoyed my breakfast immensely. I had eggs benedict (on gf toast) and a large bowl of fruit. Also, the coffee was crazy good.
Afterward, we walked to the West Side Market for snacking and people-watching; meat sticks from Czuraj were a must. On the way, we stopped into Nano Brew (for the boyfriend). After meeting up with my sister for a bit, we continued our “drinking tour” at Great Lakes Brewery (again, for the boyfriend). Considering that I came of age in the hey-day of the Flats party scene, it was interesting to walk through and see all the development on both the West and East banks. Was disappointed to see all the bars and restaurants closed on the East Bank near the Aloft Hotel though — we did go in and check out that building a bit. A cool space for Cleveland! On our climb back out of the Flats, we found Portside and HOLY RUM. The drinks were amazing! What a treat on our self-guided tour.
After a few drinks at Portside, we DEFINITELY needed dinner. I’m glad that we read online about Townhall before our visit because this choice was perfection (and quite busy). I was really impressed by their different options for gluten-free (and other dietary restrictions) and my burger (with gluten-free bun!) was delicious. We also ordered this veggie crudo appetizer, which was insanely gigantic but a good starter to share.
For dessert, we Uber-ed over to the Tremont neighborhood for ice cream at Tremont Scoops — our friends own it and they have gluten-free cones! We also walked over to Lilly’s Chocolate to bring a couple boxes home. We really wanted to check out the New Orleans-style bar (its name escapes me right now) but upon experiencing some weird power outage, they weren’t letting anyone in. Alas, we had a drink at Edison’s by the koi pond out back — a must-visit place for pizza and beer (if you can have both of those things) if you’re in the neighborhood. Really random Cleveland trivia: I almost rented an apartment in my mid-20s above Edison’s. It’s always weird to remember that.
Short night for these two ol’ fogies. But I guess the day was plenty exciting.
Sunday:
We didn’t plan to stay late or do anything tourist-y on Sunday, but I needed to get my 8 miles in. After some quickie room service, I took off to run towards the lake and over the two major bridge spans connecting downtown to Ohio City. The Lorain bridge itself is close to a mile across, and it was a good reason to check out my old stomping grounds at Cleveland State campus. Also, there is this super-old cemetery that I’ve always wanted to walk through on East 9th Street, so I ran through there as well as around Progressive Field (ahem, THE JAKE!) and Browns Stadium (GO BROWNS!).
It was a good trip back, and I’m glad I got a little bit of that lake-side humidity before my half marathon there in August.
Is there anything that I missed that I should do on my next visit?
I can’t remember if last year was my first WHIRL YogaFest or the year before… in any event, I attended again this year and was genuinely pleased with the event (despite the heat and the lack of usable toilets).
I woke up with a massive headache (day two of it, in fact), but a little extra coffee seemed to keep it at bay — at least long enough to walk over. I guess the excitement of the event was enough of an alarm clock, as I was up early enough to walk to the event, grab another coffee and granola bar (a delicious homemade one from Chateau Cafe), and attend the 7:30 a.m. session.
Session #1 (7:30 a.m.): Salty Power Flow, which was a super-intense start to my day. I loved it (even if I didn’t really connect with the instructor).
Session #2 (9 a.m.): Pure Barre. This was an intro class of sorts, and no bars, obviously. But I didn’t really like it. Like, at all. I’d rather do regular old ballet.
Session #3 (11 a.m.): Another Power Flow — Claire Bear was this session’s instructor. I was straight in the sun for this one, and not happy. I really wish that WHIRL would get larger tents for each space, considering the time of year they plan for this event. Or at least a tent that is a resting space for those of us who want to get out of the sun for a minute or 20.
Between sessions, I snacked and shopped through the many vendor booths. It’s really nice that there were so many gluten-free options for me (even though I missed having my cheesy scrambled eggs from Marty’s Market like last year). I mean, I had my choice of three different scones, so… winning! As I mentioned in my weekly training update, the vendors are always amazing, so I came home with quite a bit of free swag (aerie really upholds a standard of being so generous and inspiring). I also purchased two tanks and seriously eye-balled those Pittsburgh print leggings (how awesome were they?!).
The heat and sun took over again though. I had to drop into my office downtown real quick (which was a much-welcome source of air-conditioning) and still had to walk home. And then I decided to go to the country club and sit by the pool (but mostly in the pool) for the rest of the afternoon while the boyfriend golfed.
Needless to say, I had a BIT too much sun on Saturday. But overall, I’m glad that YogaFest ended up being on such a beautiful day (didn’t it rain a ridiculous amount, like, two years ago?).
This post is in partnership with Dasani and Target.
What’s in my purse?
Short answer: everything. At least, it feels that way when I’m trekking a mile to work every day. I’m also traveling with a lunch bag. Or a bag of shoes to change into. And a bag of snacks (always snacks). And always an umbrella. But the best days are when I can squeeze everything into one large handbag. But because I’m conscious about the weight on my shoulders (literally), I leave a water pitcher, filter and bottle to refill at work. I drink A. LOT. of water, and refuse to drink sugary sodas, and that can get… well, tasteless. Something about Spring makes me crave infused waters, which are instantly refreshing — same after yoga sessions. I was excited to see a box on my doorstep with DASANI DROPS® Infusions AND a couple cans of DASANI® Sparkling Black Cherry (btw, everyone at work that I was drinking beer at our Pirates Opening Day Potluck… hilarious!).
DASANI DROPS® Infusions are unsweetened and naturally flavored drops to add a “splash” of flavor to your water. No added calories to your DASANI water bottle! I instantly took a preference to strawberry basil (there is also lime), and I see myself using this frequently to be refreshed on warm days. The DASANI DROPS® Infusions package is small enough to not weigh down my bag and contains up to 32 servings.
DASANI® Sparkling Black Cherry: This newest flavor of sparkling water is added to an already-existing line-up of lime, berry, and lemon — which help you stay hydrated while also having that refreshing feeling. The beverage, found in 12 fl oz cans (and in 12-packs), is lightly carbonated, unsweetened, has no artificial flavors AND zero calories.True story, black cherry is my favorite flavor. I’m one of those people who orders sparkling water at the restaurant, if it’s available. Also, the cans are PERFECT for bringing with me to the hammock on the courtyard and to outdoor summer concerts (nope, still not a beer!).
I’m Team Fizz all the way.
These new DASANI products can be purchased at your local Target store, using Target’s Cartwheel app. For a limited time, coupons will be available for both DASANI DROPS Infusions and DASANI Sparkling in Black Cherry (within the app). DASANI also confirmed that these two products are gluten-free.
Are you a Flavor 30-something or Fizz 30-something?
Disclaimer: DASANI provided me this product, in exchange for a review, social shares, and compensation. All thoughts and opinions herein are my own.
{Thanks for entering! Winner has been selected and announced via the Rafflecopter widget.}
I am a snack person. I probably eat 8 meals a day due to my voracious appetite which I manage by (healthy!) snacking. I am hungry every two hours — and who wants to starve and wait for their next meal? In fact, my snack drawer was enacted at my new job before I even had a stapler.
A new-found fave in my cupboard (thanks to all those snack box subscriptions) is seaweed snacks. I even used them as part of my appetizer platter at my holiday Wine & Cheese dinner! And because of snacks is why I am so excited about this giveaway.
Annie Chun’s reached out to me to sample their original seaweed crisps but ALSO try two of their new flavors: GO-CHU-JANG and Cinnamon. Cinnamon seaweed snacks, what?! It’s almost like a gluten-free cinnamon twist of my comfort food dreams. It’s a really unique flavor, and I’m definitely a fan.
Because of my nightshade sensitivity, the boyfriend reported back on the peppery ones. He’s already a fan of another brand’s chili seaweed, so I just KNEW he would approve… and he ripped open the package before I even told him what these bags were for (so much for my “hidden” snack stash on top of the fridge).
DID YOU KNOW: Annie Chun’s Seaweed Crisps are a gluten-free and cholesterol-free snack, with only 70 calories per serving and 0 grams of trans fat. You can find Annie Chun’s at Giant Eagle stores in the Pittsburgh area, but check with your local grocer if you’re in another city.
And if you wanna be like this 30-something, top your salad with these seaweed crisps. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND as a gluten-free crouton alternative.
GIVEAWAY: Annie Chun’s is giving away THREE bags of the Seaweed Crisps to ONE winner. Leave a comment on this post and use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. Giveaway closes 3/16/15.
Disclosure: Annie Chun’s sent me a three-pack of seaweed crisps to sample in exchange for a review and a giveaway post. Prize will be provided to the winner directly from Annie Chun’s. All opinions herein are my own.
Guys. I did NOT pass my food sensitivity test. At all. In fact, this six-month retest is worse than my initial one. My body was obviously trying to tell me something what with all the sugar cravings, and well, now I can’t have sugar. NO SUGAR. No cane sugar, no HFCS, no brown sugar, no white sugar, no corn sugar. NO SUGAR.
Do you know that sugar is in basically everything?
List of items in my pantry/fridge that are now off-limits:
My gluten-free oatmeal packs.
Peanut butter AND the PB2 that I recently fell in love with.
Gluten-free honey nut Chex. (Obvs, but this makes me sad.)
My poop bars.
Mayo. FREAKING MAYO HAS SUGAR IN IT. Do you know how hard it was to find a brand that didn’t contain paprika?
Nomato ketchup.
Bolthouse Chai drink that I use in my fridge oats.
My gluten-free, nightshade free honey mustard from Annie’s. See: mayo.
The chocolate milk drink boxes that I have after every workout/practice. OMG.
My gummy Vitamin D supplements. Seriously. I can’t swallow pills. What am I supposed to do now?
That brand of beef jerky that finally (FINALLY!) didn’t have nightshades.
Sugar.
On top of ol’ sugar, I again tested for nightshades and gluten and hops; I also tested for potato starch, which I didn’t have a sensitivity to in my prior test (pick up a gluten-free anything, there is potato starch in it). So, buh-bye gluten-free pancake mix and frozen waffles and anything easy that I can make for breakfast when I haven’t had enough coffee in the world. Incredibly, my shellfish sensitivity (which I consider to be truly an allergy) fell off the radar, but I’m NOT ready to reintroduce projectile vomiting into my diet changes just yet.
I feel really lost right now. Have you given up sugar in your diet (because of medical/sensitivity reasons or otherwise)? Send help.
{photo credit: Energy We Bring}