Coffee Shop of the Week: The Coffeesmith (Waukee, IA)

November 4, 2018November 3, 2018 - Mel

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.

Coffeesmith des moines coffee shops blog — Say “yes” more (to whipped cream).

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

Farm Report: 11.3.18

November 3, 2018November 2, 2018 - Mel

much to do about candy corn

Science tells us why we can’t stop eating all that damn candy. Shut up and give me those mallowcreme pumpkins.

If you’re reading this from outside the metro Des Moines area, did you know that we weirdos celebrate trick-or-treating a day early? The tradition is called Beggar’s Night and historical lore tells us that it was to curb the the not-so-harmless tricks (like vandalism and breaking shit) that occurred the night of Halloween. I’m not sure how that logic works creating a “new” holiday the night before, but the costumed kids are adorable because they tell you jokes.

candy corn and pumpkins halloween candy gimme — Mmmmm… corn syrup.

winter tires are here again

The Changing of the Tires came so fast. Though I am exceptionally happy for my favoritest time of year (besides the fact that my car’s winter tires are seriously fug). I have been tossing around the idea of getting a fat bike this year to continue my biking obsession through winter here in Iowa (I have been riding my bike 4-5 times a week for the last couple months). There is a pretty large bike community in Des Moines – and I’ve seen a few Fat Bikes on the trails here – and, well, I just want to continue playing in the snow in as many ways as possible.

What’s the over/under on accumulation this year?

midwest shenanigans*

*Now with more road trips! Running has already taken me to random points in Iowa and beyond by way of road tripping for races and places to get additional elevation gain. Now with roller derby back in my life, I’m exploring back road towns and B-roads even more (and let me tell you, my performance tires are NOT happy). Last month, I took another trip to Dubuque (that there-and-back and also playing a derby bout was a little painful). Last weekend I was in Vinton. This weekend, I’m off to the Quad Cities. And then the following weekend, I might be playing in a mixer scrimmage in Milwaukee and visiting some of my favorite Brewcity skaters (and definitely going a day early so that I can go to Alt Brew in Madison on the way).

What gluten-free brewery or restaurant suggestions do you got for Milwaukee?

The Coffee Tour: Intro + Des Moines Metro List

November 2, 2018November 2, 2018 - Mel

When I lived in both Cleveland and Pittsburgh, I was always within walking distance (or frequently walked by) coffee shops. Because I’m now living in the suburbs of Des Moines, there is considerably less walk-commuting – and, in fact, I do not even live within a reasonable biking distance (or via direct bike path) of a coffee shop.

Coffee shop header Des Moines blog

I have been more intentional at connecting with people for various meet-ups, which is why I started a coffee shop list on my phone of new places to visit. My goal is to work/unwind at a coffee shop at least once a month and to cross off at least one new place on my list every other month. This thesis ain’t gonna write itself! Coffee helps.

Here is where I have visited so far (with blog posts to come!):

Zanzibar – Ingersoll neighborhood
The Coffeesmith – Waukee
Gong Fu Tea – Downtown DSM
Smokey Row – Help me here, Des Moinesians (Moinians?): what is technically this neighborhood?
Watershed Cold Brew – Downtown Farmer’s Market, where an iced coffee with lemondade nearly put me in an existential crisis (IT WAS SO GOOD!)
Friedrich’s – 86th Street location in Urbandale
Freedom Blend Coffee – Des Moines (Kirkwood? Man, I have a lot of work to do on recognizing neighborhood boundaries.)
Grounds for Celebration – Beaverdale

Here’s what I have on my (ever-growing) list:
Horizon Line
DSM Brew Coffee Co.
Java Joe’s
Ritual Cafe
Rich’s Brew
Pammel Park Coffee Company (in Madison County; yes, I will travel for coffee!)

What other places should I add to my list?

Take me home, gravel roads.

November 1, 2018October 31, 2018 - Mel

With all the love I share about Iowa, I’m going to start this post about the thing I hate about Iowa: Gravel roads. Close second: “B” roads. And if you don’t know what THAT is, then you’re not from Iowa and I strongly advise you to NOT take that scenic route.

level b service road iowa 2 — Enter at your own risk, aka: Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. Also, that car is probably definitely stuck.

I hate driving on gravel roads.

I hate the dust that lingers after someone nearby has driven down a gravel road. Or the dust that’s flown in your direction when someone speeds past you.

I hate when my GPS thinks it’s a shortcut.

I hate that the speed limit on them is an ungodly 50+ mph.

Vinton Iowa trail race gravel

And I 100% HATE running on gravel roads.

And gravel shoulders. And gravel trails.

Fuck me, why would I sign up for a race that includes gravel roads on its course?

Iowa, that’s why.

Or because I didn’t look at the course map beforehand. Choose your own adventure.

Iowa gravel trail race

For what it’s worth, the view at the top was amazing in Vinton, Iowa. Word of advice: Look up race info should you ever get the motivation to run here. Swear at the dust and rocks a little. Wear a buff as a mask. And then look around you. Marvel at its quieted landscapes.

And then swear at yourself because you signed up for a race, dumbfounded, thinking that Iowa was flat. LOLZ, RIP YOUR QUADS. I’ve lived here three years and I still make up swear words at these hills.

Iowa trail race doggone tired ultra runner blog — Choose your races wisely. And also run in magical Christmas tree forests because those are THE BEST.

Reading Challenge: 2018 Books I’ve Read

October 11, 2018 - Mel

I already read quite a bit for grad school, but I still make time to read outside of my assignments. My Reading Challenge goal for 2018 was to finish two books per month – one fiction and one non-fiction – totaling 24 books for the year. I haven’t been including my textbooks, since I generally skip around chapters depending on weekly topics; though I have included books that are required readings and that I complete traditionally from beginning-to-end.

In any event, as of a couple days ago, I have completed my 2018 challenge!

Most of my book recommendations come from Goodreads and Book of the Month* membership, and I am back-logged a bit on titles (despite skipping a few months but also realizing that I pre-paid for a 6-month membership which… I guess has been revamped?).

Here are some of the books I finished (I didn’t list or review everything, but check out my Goodreads profile for all the books on my shelves!):

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks – I think I spent all New Year’s Day reading/finishing this book. Solid suspense and storyline!

Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success – I was hoping it would be heavier on the burnout stuff, but overall 5 STARS for those in the performance/sports space (or interested in those concepts). Stulberg and Magness have a knack for breaking down science for the masses.

One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter by Scaachi Koul – This is another one of those books where I feel that everyone else loves it, and I’m left feeling… empty. It was funny at times, but it wasn’t the expected belly laugh that others presented it to be.

Activating Happiness: A Jump-Start Guide to Overcoming Low Motivation, Depression, or Just Feeling Stuck by Rachel Hershenberg – Thanks to the publisher, New Harbinger, for sending a copy of this great non-fiction book about how to introduce happiness strategies to counteract low motivation and negative moods. Based on scientific research, there are some good takeaways – some new info and some you’ve probably heard before (given if you’re interested in this genre). I gave it 4 stars out of 5.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James – This was a little departure from what I would normally read. The “ghost story” element of it got me too freaked out to read it when my husband was traveling and I was home alone. The ending was a surprise, despite a BUNCH of theories I developed along the way in reading. A very satisfying book (don’t read it home alone lol).

The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients by Irvin Yalom – This was an assigned read for my counseling course… which had me in tears as I finished the last page. It is SUCH a beautiful book! And if you work at all in the helping professions, I would highly encourage you to read it.

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body – Despite finishing this book in March, I’m still thinking about it. I’m not sure if I liked it or not – which is probably #unpopularopinion. I’m not someone who connects to Gay’s writing but she has a powerful message to tell. The book is often very uncomfortable to read… and that is exactly why I would recommend it.

Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf – One of my few 5-star ratings (for fiction) of the year. I randomly found out about this book from someone’s Instagram post. It has the added appeal for me, in that it takes place in a humid Iowa summer. It’s SO, SO good. Get yourself a copy from the library or buy used on Amazon.

Insight: Why We’re Not as Self-Aware as We Think, and How Seeing Ourselves Clearly Helps Us Succeed at Life and Work (YES, IT’S A MOUTHFUL! But I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book from Tasha Eurich – and not just because our last names sound the same. It’s my favorite non-fiction book of the year thus far.)

The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir – One of my BOTM selections that I was initially excited about… the daughter of a preacher – the family has a reality show – and a secret pregnancy, has all the makings for a fun drama. But ultimately the story fell flat for me.

How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety – One of my top favorites picks for the year so far! I really appreciated how Hendricksen broke down all the concepts and theories of social anxiety. I actually learned a lot more about myself (and my social anxiety) than I knew was connected to this disorder. I’m what you would probably call “high functioning” with my social anxiety at the present (if that is even a thing), but when it takes over, it COMPLETELY takes over my life that to the point where it is debilitating and (often) destructive. Thankfully, that’s not as often as it has been in years past.

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris – The publisher sent me an advance copy of this book. I figured out the plot early on – and the further into the book, the more it felt like it was finished by someone else. Despite that, its manic diverging and writing kept me hooked through the end. Solid 3 stars.

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll – I struggled with how many stars to give this book. Honestly, I didn’t care for the story or ANY of the characters. Why did I finish it?! I had it with me on my two-week internship trip to California, so I decided to stick with it. Two stars because the ending was a surprise, but FIVE OUT OF FIVE EYES ROLLING (I mean, even the characters were rolling their eyes constantly).

Meditation for Life by Justyn Comer – Not all meditation books are created equal, and they all have a unique purpose or perspective. Comer (by way of the publisher) was gracious enough to send me a copy, as I consume basically all the meditation books I can get my hands on (did you know that I’m taking mindful practice course as part of my graduate program?!). I found this book to be a practical and useful guide based on Comer’s own experiences. A great resource for anyone curious about a meditative practice and how mindfulness can bring you fulfillment in various ways.

Mindful Framing – mehhhhhhhh. Double meh because the author called me out in a comment on my Goodreads review basically stating it was impossible to finish his book (and that I lacked the intelligence to digest the “complex set of… ideas”) in one sitting. Just… ew.

Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn – the third book I’ve read from Kabat-Zinn. If you’re ready to go deeper into the what and how of mindfulness, his books are like the gold standard!

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage – I received an advance copy from the publisher and BOYYYY was this a weird book! Some of the story felt wholly unbelievable at times but I couldn’t wait to finish it. AND because it was written by a Pittsburgh-based author, I got a few fun snippets of nostalgia.

Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough – Solid 3.5 stars. Something about her books really irritate me; like, the endings or final chapters all feel like a rush to publish. What was really an engaging book at the start got more unfamiliar and, well, stupid the further I read. I liked the characters better in Cross Her Heart than in Behind Her Eyes, but in both books I haven’t really had an honest connection that lasted throughout. Some eye-rolling, but would still recommend for a suspenseful read.

Here is the book that I rolled my eyes at and didn’t both finishing because OH GOD IT’S SO TERRIBLE:

You Are a Badass – I won’t even link to it and give it more thought and space. There are SO many better books out in this space that synthesize the tools for “being a better you.” Read one of those instead.

Follow through for my Goodreads Book Challenge page to click through all the individual books – and add me as a friend! I obviously plan to read beyond my challenge goal – I’m aiming for 30 books finished by the end of the year.

*Referral links are included in this post: For BOTM: if you join, I get a free book! On Amazon, I get a small earning… which I’ll probably use on more books.

Farm Report: 10.5.18

October 5, 2018 - Mel

A few years ago, I started making a conscious effort in stopping use of the phrase: I’m so busy. Because, like, we all are. We’re busy with what we choose to prioritize in our lives – and that is OK. It looks different on all of us. There is a negative connotation with explaining to the world and answering “how’s life?” with “BUSY!” And, well, I don’t like that trap. Also, no, I am not the type of person who will answer “I am happily prioritizing all my Life Things this month!”

I’m a work in progress.

There are seasons where prioritizing is difficult and there are more Life Things than usual and something has to give. The beginning of fall requires a LOT of time management (and packing extra clothes and changing in my car) because I am often bouncing from one thing to the next.

If I leave you with anything with this message, it’s: BE KIND TO YOURSELF. The corn will be planted before we know it.

pumpkin spice everything

basic bumpkin

Sweet Corn season is done. In fact, corn season is done completely. The final signal to summer’s end is the mowing down of the corn fields and eating pumpkin spice Cheerios.

Also, you must watch this: Pumpkin Spice Everything with Adam Rippon

There is only a week or two left of Farmer’s Market season. I had to wear fleece while I was coaching this week. The Harvest Moon is waning. This week also starts fall semester of my second week of grad school. Time to light up the fire pits and burn last year’s syllabi. 🤘

midwest shenanigans

A couple weeks ago, my husband and I took our first trip down to Lake Ozark in Missouri. It was so beautiful! And we really lucked out on finding an AirBnB (with a hot tub!) on the lake (though probably a little further from All the Fun than we’d stay again). Last weekend, I took my first trip to Mall of America, and I was so underwhelmed that I just ate lunch in the food court and never left. Like my dad’s favorite joke goes: If you’ve seen one mall, you’ve seen em’all.

(No, seriously, my dad actually told us that joke when I was a kid and I NEVER stop laughing at it when I’m in a mall. I also strongly dislike malls very very much, maybe because of all my retail management years?)

You can’t change me (OK, maybe you can a little bit).

August 28, 2018August 29, 2018 - Mel

Have you ever meditated or journaled or bitched over mimosas at Sunday Brunch on how much your life has changed?

I’ve been thinking probably too much about this (maybe because I’m slowly adopting my meditation practice again and also I’m probably doing it wrong because WHY am I so distracted about everything?!). Or maybe because this is what 40-year-olds do. But these thoughts were also induced by the passing of my 10-year anniversary of quitting smoking. TEN YEARS. Photo throwbacks almost always include a picture of me (very probably at a bar or club) drinking and smoking. My drinking habits have also changed, alongside the necessary stoppage of clubbing every night – given my 9pm bed time and ohhhh probably being no longer being single and 20-something has a lot to do with my retreating from The Scene.

Deep thoughts from the toilet.
I realized this week that I CHANGED MY TOILET PAPER BRAND for my husband.

When we had separate living spaces at the beginning of our relationship (though we basically lived together from Day One – yes, this man was just the right amount of cocky that he packed an overnight bag on our first date – we just rotated whose house we would stay until I finally moved into his apartment about 2 months into our courtship). ANYWAYS… I was firmly on Team Cottonelle when I was Managing Life on my own. He likes those bears that wipes their butts with “paper” from the woods.

It’s probably poison ivy.

Like most areas of our relationship, we never fought over whose toilet paper is superior. We, um… don’t really fight about anything unless we are doing house renovations. (Our backyard project is almost done, by the way.) Don’t you just HATE couples who don’t fight?! I am a total Kitchen Sinker type of fighter. My husband has probably raised his voice, like, twice. I let him assume the grocery shopping responsibilities because I shop like a teenager who only eats sugar – and here we are, 9+ years later, me realizing why we never had a discussion about what toilet paper we use. BUT HE DOES THE GROCERY SHOPPING, YOU GUYS, WHICH IS MY MOST HATED CHORE. Besides cooking – which he also does – but only because I find it overwhelming and he finds it to be a pleasurable and relaxing experience. HOW ~~two people~~ one person so complicated ever came together in a relationship is a question for the universe.

On my run last night, I had a conversation with my male running buddy about relationships and this notion of is it “better” to have met and married someone early on to figure out life shit together – or does the relationship have greater chance of survival if two people have independently lived and cooked for themselves – terribly or not. Which is the Charmin and which is the Cottonelle?

I dated my high school boyfriend for many years. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work out (at least for us, together, but we are both now in long-term married partnerships. YAY, US!). I met my husband when I was in my 30s and shoved his presence away for ALMOST A YEAR because OH GOD, NO WAY am I dating someone in their 20s again. Hahahahahahahahahah.

What I’m getting to here, is that I am practically unrecognizable to myself from 20 years ago. I should also probably bring up that I had a nail piercing. I WORE DANGLING JEWELRY FROM MY PINKY (FAKE) NAIL.

I mean… Charmin toilet paper. WTF.

That said, we have DEFINITELY had the toothpaste conversation, and my husband’s preference is total shit while I am #Crest4Life, so we are firmly rooted in a two sink, two toothpaste household (TSTT — brand it!).

Maybe the secret to change is to let someone else do the grocery shopping.

So, what side are you on: Team Cottonelle or Team Charmin?

Road trip to Dubuque. To the Mines!

August 16, 2018 - Mel

Is their motto, like, “all we need is u” because TRUST me, they have enough. Somewhat intuitively, however, I am able to spell “Dubuque” without the help of Google. I think…

Ahem.

Aside from passing over state lines on a drive to Wisconsin last summer and my initial entry into Iowa as a permanent resident, I never stopped to hang in Dubuque. That changed last weekend when a friend and I found a fun trail race located in the Mines of Spain park… recreation area. We decided to make a little overnight adventure out of it.

Mines of Spain trail race iowa runner blog

Dubuque is about a 3-hour drive from Des Moines. Much corn. Very Iowa Scenic. We got into town in the evening and had already settled on where we would have dinner: L.May Eatery.

Cutely and appropriately situated on Main Street, the restaurant was buzzing when we arrived. It was fairly busy for a Friday night and despite not having reservations, we were seated quickly. There was so much available for me in the way of gluten-free menu options: I started with a yogurt curry cauliflower appetizer, ate nearly a whole gluten-free pizza by myself titled “You’re in Dubuque” (natch), and a CHEESECAKE (yes, also gluten-free!) that I happily shared with my friends because it was a GIANT slice.

Dubuque L May Eatery restaurant blog review

L.May also had a great wine list and an adorable outdoor dining arrangement (which was full on the evening we visited). Service was top notch – our server even entertained me by wanting to take pictures of all my food because ALL THE GLUTEN FREE FOODS! I would make a trip back to Dubuque purposely to eat here again.

Saturday morning was an early rise for the Mines of Spain trail races. We opted to drive to the start location (the race also offered a shuttle from a nearby hotel). Packet pick-up was available on race morning at EB Lyons Interpretive Center at the recreation area, and we found the parking to be plentiful.

Mines of Spain trail race blog bib runner recap

Initially I had signed up for the half marathon distance, but since my training has been… well, total POOP, I dropped down to the 7-mile race. That was great foresight because while the Mines of Spain was beautiful, OMG there were so many steps. The elevation changes made for a fun and challenging race and I finished in 1:38 (my slow ass is merely enjoying the view and the glute burn these days).

Mines of Spain trail race run blogger

The race had a super fun after party immediately afterward with free Zevia cans (yay!), free pizza (no gluten-free, far as I knew) and grapes (GRAPES! SO AMAZING!), and beer provided by 7 Hills Brewing (definitely not gluten-free, though that coffee beer smelled amazing). For some reason I opted out of the shirt again – and of COURSE I loved it (same thing happened to me at NewBo last year). Happily, I was able to pick up a MoSTR branded shirt from the “freebies” table post-race to commemorate my run. There were quite a few door prizes given away, too – no winner-winner brewery dinner for me. All runners also got a pair of free socks and a magnetic koozie!

Mines of Spain runner trails iowa river view

We hung out for about an hour before a quick shower (and late check-out) at the hotel. On our drive home, we initially considered driving up to Dyersville to see Field of Dreams (something on my Iowa Bucket List!) but ultimately decided it was too much for our time-crunched and burning-glutes weekend. We opted for burgers in North Liberty at BeerBurger on the drive back to Des Moines. YES MORE GLUTEN-FREE NOMS. Not only did they have gluten-free buns for the burgers, let us not bypass the most amazing side dish: sweet potato waffle fries that is served with marshmallow fluff dipping sauce. If you know me, you know how important marshmallows are in my diet.

BeerBurger North Liberty sweet potato fries marshmallow gluten free

Shhhhhh, I was hungry. As immortalized in this “Yes, I am basically always eating” selfie.

Mines of Spain selfie trail runner woods dirt blog

Farm Report: 8.10.17

August 10, 2018August 9, 2018 - Mel

I’m back from two weeks in the land of fires (aka: northern California) and past the seemingly never-ending barrage of stressors from preparing to leave for my internship. While I was staying a couple hours east of one of the major blazes, there was considerable smoke in my area and a few mornings where you could smell things burning. Thankfully my internship “abroad” went quickly, despite being emotionally and mentally exhausting. I’m happy to be home and settling back into my routine. Two weeks away, and the corn viewable from the fields at this stage is obviously not for human consumption, it looks positively BEAT. (And like it needs a haircut.)

I feel you corn. I feel you.

the sweetest corn.

Adel is my favorite sweet corn in the area (Grimes is 2nd). But NOTHING WILL BEAT OHIO SWEET CORN, DON’T @ ME. That said, I’m bummed to be missing the buttered-down goodness of this Saturday’s Adel Sweet Corn Festival. I mean, I suppose I might be able to get over there before midnight. Cross your kernels that there will be corn available that late.

brb. going to spanish mines. in iowa.

This weekend is the Mines of Spain trail race and my first race of the year. Remember when I used to write a lot about running?! My intent was to be ready for the half, but I’m dropping down to the 7-mile event because I’ve basically done 4 weeks of 6-mile long runs and unable to push myself into any further misery. Real talk: run training just hasn’t been gelling for me lately. So I’m being kind to myself and doing what I can to keep running fun and basically going for a weekend with friends. Also, it will be my first time exploring ~~Spain~~ Dubuque!

midwest shenanigans

I love to love on Iowa. Being around a bunch of east and west coasters the last couple weeks asking “tell me what it’s like” had me enthusiastically swooning over why I enjoy living here. ESPECIALLY after sitting in hours of traffic in California.

What would you tell someone who asked you to describe what’s so great about the Midwest – or Iowa, specifically?

Farm Report: Extreme Chance of Giggles

July 2, 2018 - Mel

Special edition of the Farm Report to bring you BABY GOATS.

If I had my choice of a therapy animal, it would probably be a baby goat.

Last weekend, as part of my mission to become less of a city girl and more of a suburban wannabe farm girl, I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging with the some of the cutest animals: BABY GOATS. As part of a summer series at Howell’s Farm in Cumming, Iowa, and a collaboration with Illuminate Yoga and the wonderful instructor Lynn Marie Nelson, the “Goat Yoga + Giggle” event was something I was geeking out about FOR WEEKS.

via GIPHY

This is basically how it looked when they unleashed the goats in our enclosed pen for the yoga class. I was basically squeeing in excitement from the moment I unrolled my mat. You cannot be in the presence of baby goats and not be positively impacted. And if you don’t have a smile reach across your face, then we cannot be BFF.

BABY GOATS

BABY GOATS CHEW ON EVERYTHING!

BABY GOAT MAWING ON MY TOE

BABY GOAT ON MAH PLANK

(Special thanks to Howells and Lynn for the most perfect action shots!)

BABY GOATS TAKING SAVASANA WITH ME AND ALSO PERFECT SELFIE PARTNERS

It surpassed all my expectations and I left feeling so joyous. And yes, I giggled the entire time. There was definitely more goats and giggles than yoga, but that just meant all was balanced with the universe.

And yes, BABY GOATS EATING MY HAIR. 🤣

(And then I went to meet and feed some BIGGER GOATS – one of them made that hilarious screamy goat noise, but I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t record fast enough on my phone.)

I’m not sure of the availability of remaining classes, but check out Illuminate’s event page and BOOK IMMEDIATELY if you see an open spot.