Things I loved about this weekend

D and I are heading out to Colorado next Monday.  We found an amazing concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater, and just couldn't pass up the opportunity.  We aren't taking the children.  The decision not to take them, particularly Pumpkin, took a long time and a great deal of thought.  She is little and is exclusively breastfed, so I am taking a big risk by not taking her and allowing her to be fed with a bottle for 5 whole days.  It's also a big deal to use 5 whole days of frozen milk- about 150 ounces- since I don't know how long I'm going to nurse and that frozen milk is like frozen gold to me.  However, after consulting with the pediatrician about acclimitization (to the altitude) in infants, as well as thinking through our reason for taking the trip (reconnecting with D), it seems like this is the right thing to do.  Also, I have a friend who is a psychotherapist specializing in crisis and trauma counseling, and she swears Pumpkin won't miss me until she's six months old (thanks, Christina!).  I'm banking on that. haha.

In preparation for the trip, we took a family trip to REI.  D needed new hiking shoes, and we wanted to buy a couple of easy freeze-dried meals for a couple of long day hikes we're doing.  Kiddos came along, so it wasn't the usual zen experience that it typically is.  But I took Pumpkin around and showed her all the new shiny gear, the tents, the backpacks, the sleeping pads, and all the other stuff she'll need one day.  REI inspires me, honestly.  I always browse through their books, trail maps, reference guides... I dream of all the things I want to accomplish in the outdoors.  I love looking around at all the possibilities, you know?  It's a place where big things start, where ordinary people get themselves equipped to do extraordinary things.  So, in addition to showing Pumpkin around, I added a few new items to my Mighty Life List.  Just because.

So then we got home and I came to the somewhat frustrating realization that I have a hiking clothes situation (which is to say, the extra 10 pounds I have following the birth of Pumpkin three months ago).  I decided to start bargain hunting online.  I looked at the usual places, Lululemon, Athleta, and Title 9, hoping for good sales as always, and found lots of beautiful things in size XXS (who is a size XXS?  COME. ON.).  However, I eventually came upon some GEMS! I love Moving Comfort, and have two pairs of their Flow Capris for running.  I bought my first pair at the Title 9 store in Palo Alto, during last year's pivotal journey.  You guys.  Believe me when I tell you these pants will make your life better.  And guess what!  THEY ARE ON SALE!  For $33- and free shipping!  At the other top athletic suppliers, good capris can be $65 or more!  Since we are going to be so high up, I decided on two pairs of the pants instead of capris, and also bought one of their cute little running skorts.  Correction- nothing that fits my body could be described as "little."  But still.  You catch my drift.  It could be said that my running clothes are my greatest clothing loves.  These, my runner or workout lady friends, are PERFECT clothes.  They fit like a dream, They support your movement.  They don't chafe.  They make you look better than you look in many of your other clothes. And, unlike Lulu and Athleta, which are beautiful and will cost you an arm and a leg (and to be fair, will last until you are eighty-three and look the same as they did in the dressing room), Moving Comfort's clothes are alllllmost cheap!  I say almost because they are not Target cheap.  But if you take into account bang for your buck?  Movign comfort has the market cornered.  Believe this!


Finally, let's talk about  food.  As you know, Colorado is under a state-wide fire ban.  D and I delight in camp cooking, and we are pretty good at it (I say as I brush my shoulder off). Pancakes, bacon, dirty eggs, lasagna, pies, fajitas...  Man.  I love hiking 12 hours and then coming back to a campfire and some serious food.  But, without a fire, we'll need to move into backpack cooking mode.  Since we're not as good at that, I spent some time yesterday browsing through a Backpacker Magazine cookbook.  I'm looking forward to some Lemon-Blueberry breakfast bars (theirs are lemon-raisin but I'm drying some blueberries right now because I'm not a fan of raisins), some eggs and hashbrowns, and some amazing granola.  The cookbook also recommends grinding up banana chips and using them to sweeten oatmeal- GENIUS and sounds delish.  I also consulted my favorite adventure travel company, Call of the Wild (that's me in the blue jacket, on their Yosemite backpack in 2009), and remembered two remarkable meals.  One is their breakfast quinoa, and the other is this incredible fettuccine alfredo with cashew cream sauce.  I will replace the cashews with almonds, since D is allergic to cashews.  I can't WAIT to eat!  I'll post recipes when I return, after I decide whether all this stuff is any good.  ha.

So that's it.  REI.  Moving Comfort.  Good food.  And less than a week before I'm in a magical place with my favorite person.  Feeling lucky and happy.  Full trip report upon my return from the mountains!!