Tag: vacation

family, fitness, food, fun, getaway, health, lake, motivation

Our Mini Michigan Vacation

caffeinatedcarly

Hey there, everyone! Last night, I returned from a 2 night lake vacation with my mom, my oldest brother, and his family. It was so much fun spending time with them, as I don’t see them near as often as I would like.

Here is the recap!

SUNDAY:

My mom and I got in around 2pm on Sunday and immediately put on swimsuits. We spent the rest of the day rafting, boating, swimming, and relaxing.

My sweet niece!

After spending the day on the water, we decided to go into town for dinner.

They had lines of decorative bikes. I loved this one.

We had dinner at a little sports bar and I had a veggie burger, veggies, and applesauce. I also finished my nephew’s curly fries.

After dinner, we got back and crashed pretty hard.

MONDAY:

We woke up and went on a jog/walk with the family. The views were so beautiful. There were stunning homes and golf courses surrounding the lake.

We decided to head into another town this day, but the drive was pretty long. We went into the cutest town for shopping, coffee, and lunch.

Calamari!

Terriaki chicken over a spicy slaw. It was delicious!

The coffee shop was adorable! I got a decaf almond milk latte.

After shopping, we went to lake Michigan which was so beautiful!

My oldest nephew!

We got back to the lake house around 6, made some dinner, had showers, then played Monopoly until bed time.

TUESDAY:

We went for another jog and enjoyed the beautiful views again. Afterwards, we went on a boat ride while my niece and nephews skied and tubed. Mid day, we headed home.

The drive was kind of long and it felt good to get home and relax!

What a wonderful trip!

Have a great rest of your week, everyone!

With love,

Carly

family, fitness, food, health, healthy, outer banks, vacation

Our Beach Vacation-Outer Banks, North Carolina

caffeinatedcarly

Hello, friends! After a long, crazy drive yesterday, we made it home from North Carolina. Our vacation with my family was so much fun! I am glad to be home with my kitties though. They gave us the best greetings last night!

We had a beautiful week! The weather was gorgeous, and we enjoyed plenty of beach time. Our house was adorable and only a short walk (maybe 2 minutes) to the beach.

Some activites we did included:

Shopping in Manteo (which is the cutest little town)…

Visiting the Bodie lighthouse:

A big dinner night at Rundown Cafe:

And lots of beach hangs…

How stinking cute is my niece?!

We ate some delicious food:

And I had a tasty virgin pina colada….

I had some lovely beach runs, did a beach yoga class with my sister in law, and went for a mile swim!

Most of all, I enjoyed the time with my family! I am so blessed.

Now it is back to reality!

Enjoy your Sunday!

With love,

Carly

family, fitness, food, fun, games, health, healthy food, lake, vacation

Our Vacation-Gun Lake, Michigan

caffeinatedcarly

Hello, all! We are officially back from vacation #1 (as of yesterday). Despite a minor setback on the way, aka waiting for AAA for 5 hours, we had a fun time. This vacation was with my husband’s family and we go every year. We get cabins and enjoy a week relaxing at the lake.

First, let’s talk food…

We had Chipotle on the way and ate until we were stuffed.

Some food we ate at the lake….

My random eggs, olives, and corn…haha

Yogurt, almond butter and granola while watching the husband fish.

Our one big night out! We went to a brew pup and I got a turkey pita sandwich with apple chutney. I also had soup and cottage cheese.

When we got home yesterday we picked up Fazolis for dinner. I wanted pasta and bread. I was not disappointed.

Next up, some of the lake games we played…

Yard pong!

The voting game…

Bad People (the dirty version of the voting game). I thought mine were so funny!

We also had some fun on the water! We went jetskiing, boating, and spent a day at “party island” where we played water volleyball and other fun games.

Pictures from our evening out…

I also managed some workouts! Most days I ran around the lake, which was beautiful! I also did one workout video and took a couple days off. It’s all about balance!

We had a wonderful week, but man is it good to be home!

I missed my kitties so much!! I also missed my bed lol!

Now off to eat dinner (sausage and bean soup + cornbread muffins) and get back to binge watching the Handmaid’s Tale!

Sorry for the picture overload!

I hope you all have a great week!

With love,

Carly

family, fitness, food, fun finds, outer banks, seafood, vacation

Sandy Runs, Beach Food, And Fun Things We Did: Outer Banks, NC

caffeinatedcarly

Hello, everyone! We are home from vacation and I am excited to give a recap of our trip. Between the amazing food, family time, and activities we did, we had a great time! I am happy to be home though, especially after delayed and nearly cancelled flights yesterday. 

Every year since I was little my family has gone to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. It is a wonderful place and I love being there. I always call it my happy place. 

MONDAY:

We had an early flight and got to our beach house early afternoon. There was a huge storm that morning and water spouts (tornadoes on the water) were popping up all over. 

How crazy is that?!

Once the weather broke, we went to the beach. After some beach time, we went to the best happy hour you will ever find. Hurricane Moes has specials on shrimp, wings, and tacos. We stuffed ourselves! 

After dinner, we went to Outer Banks Brewing Company and played cornhole before heading home to get some sleep. 

TUESDAY:

After a beach run, we all got ready and took a fishing trip on the Crystal Dawn. It was a full day trip, and we had a blast. Everyone in our crew caught a fish or more.

After our trip we were all ready for dinner. We went to a pier restaurant. I had a salad with a huge crabcake on top!

YUM!

WEDNESDAY:

The day started with a beach run! I love running next to the ocean and working myself through the sand. We spent most of the day playing in the water and laying out. After we were “beached out” we decided to make a huge seafood dinner at the house and oh my gosh it was amazing! 

My husband made this. It is shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn, old bay, and a ton of other seasonings. You pre boil the corn and potatoes, then wrap everything in foil and bake it. Everyone loved this meal, let me tell you!

After dinner, my husband and I took some sunset photos followed by some night time “ghost crabbing” with the family. It was so much fun and full of laughter. 

THURSDAY:

We started the morning with a 5k race on the beach. It was a beautiful morning, and the race was a blast! 

After the race and getting cleaned up, my husband and I took a day date to the Currituck lighthouse and climbed to the top. The view was stunning and the climb was full of history. I love learning about the Outer Banks.

After our date, we met the whole crew for dinner at Rundown Cafe. This is a favorite of ours! My brother gets the fish burrito every time and it is huge and super fresh. I got the gamefish salad. The fish was mahi and it was perfect. 

FRIDAY:

I started my morning with another beach run. It was my last one of the trip! My husband and I got some beach time in before packing up to head to the airport. 

 After packing, we stopped for a quick bite at a local place called Food Dudes for lunch. The food was awesome and it was a perfect way to end our trip.

Fish tacos and coconut rice with fresh pico! 


We had a great vacation! Our flights home were pretty awful. After tons of delays, almost missed/cancelled flights, we made it home at 2:30 am. I am glad to be home. Now it is back to reality! Hope you guys enjoyed my recap! 

Have you been to the OBX? What are some of your suggestions? I’d love to know! 

Have a great day!

With love, 

Carly

fitness, healthy, lake

Lake Update And Staying Healthy On Vacation 

caffeinatedcarly

Good morning, friends! How is your week treating you so far? It is another beautiful morning at the lake and I honestly had to check what day it was. That’s what vacation is all about. I just wanted to give you all a little update with what we have been doing, and share how I keep myself healthy here. 

Yesterday, I went tubing with my sister in law and mother in law.

It takes some arm strength to stay on those things, let me tell you!

Later in the day, we went to “party island” and hung out in the water (it’s shallow), played games, and layed out on the boat. 

All of the girls!

It was a fun day!

Now, I know how hard it is to stay healthy on vacation, but I have managed to do pretty well! Here are my tips! 

  1. If you are drinking, use low calorie mixers. I have been using crystal light, low calorie juices, and Zevia.
  2. Use what you have available to squeeze in a workout. I have been running around the lake daily, but you can do some lunges, squats, pushups, etc. to stay on track.
  3. Have healthy snacks available. Fruit, vegetables, granola bars, etc. 
  4. Don’t beat yourself up if you make some bad choices. It’s vacation! Just move on and do your best to get back on track. 
  5. If you go out to eat be careful of portion sizes. When we went out to eat everyone was getting huge meals, appetizers and drinks. I got a side salad to start, then a bison burger with no bun, and a side of fruit. I felt great after and it was delicious!

What are some tips you have?

Enjoy the rest of your week!! 

With love, 

Carly