This past weekend Andrew and I road-tripped up to Fort Worth to hang out with family.  His sister and her husband live up there and we were overdo for a visit.

Fort Worth is about a 4 hour drive from Houston (but it took 5 1/2 hours…hello, road construction.).  We packed and loaded up Maggie and left around 5pm on Friday.  Let’s start with a blurry photo…

We got hungry for dinner and Chick-fil-a was calling our name.  I wanted to get a 6-count nugget and the woman taking my order was like, “oh, you want the kids meal.”  So I was like, “okay.”  And then…I GOT A TOY with my meal!! It was a little van that came with stickers to decorate it with.  It actually reminded me of the meth lab Walter White used in the beginning Breaking Bad days. True.

I remember learning in school how kids/happy meal toys are bad because they encourage kids to want fast food and I just remember thinking that everyone needs to just calm down.  I have so many awesome memories eating fast food with my grandpa and getting happy meal toys.  So I’m pro happy meal toys.  

We sat in the parking lot and ate before getting on the road again.

We finally got to Fort Worth around 10:30pm.  SO TIRED.  I ate a banana + some chocolate milk and went to bed.

The next day, my sister-in-law wanted to take me to her workout studio to try out a class.  So we went to the 8am HIIT class.  I had A LOT of fun and was pumped to finally get to try the below rope thing.  I’ve been wanting to do that for ages!

After class we were hungry so we headed to Starbucks to pick up some breakfast for us and the boys sleeping at home.

I went with an iced hazelnut latte + a breakfast sandwich.  The breakfast sandwiches were buy 1 get 1 free!  

I ended up getting the reduced-fat egg white breakfast sandwich because it said it had turkey bacon and I was craving real bacon, but since my only option was turkey bacon I went for it.  I really don’t love turkey bacon.  And egg whites are probably the most boring food in the world.  Not the best choice.

After breakfast we sat around the table and talked.  About 30 minutes later I was hungry again soo…

After showers, we played with the pups a bit.  Maggie was like the little annoying sister that wants to follow her big sisters around everywhere.  She wouldn’t leave Molly’s dogs alone. 

Then we headed out to meet Andrew’s cousin for lunch at Wine Wood.

The brunch menu looked great and I so wish I would’ve been craving that cinnamon roll french toast.  (ps.  I guess this is the post of exceptionally poor quality photos.)

But something a bit fresher than a cinnamon roll sounded better, so I went with the Ruby Red Trout that was coated in pecans and pecorino cheese and served with vegetables + a creamy citrus sauce.  

After lunch we headed to walk around some shops.  

We stopped in Anthropologie.  Of course.

And I bought this mega cute mug.  Get ready to see it in all my recipe/IG posts.

Then we stopped in Lululemon and they had the below mural which I thought was hilarious, since if you are shopping in their store money may actually be more important than friends.  SO pricey.  I have one pair of yoga pants from them (which I got paint on 3 years ago…that was a sad day.  But I still wear them.).  But the pants really are great quality and have lasted me for 4 years and are still in great condition.  And for the record, friends are more important than money.

Then we headed over to Bath & Body Works to pick up some shower gels and such.  So let me tell you about something and you can weight in.  I do not like the girly smelling shower gels.  Iced Pear Margarita Body Wash, I don’t want you.  I much prefer the more manly smelling shower gels, BUT Andrew says it’s weird if we both smell the same, which I think is ridiculous. 

Long story short.  We had to diversify our manly smelling body washes so we can each smell different.  The below brand is our favorite.  It has the most goofy name and I can’t say Bigelow without laughing.  I feel like I’m oversharing right now.  I’m tired.  Moving on.

Then we headed back home and played with the dogs, lounged around, took naps and had a snack.

We had fun plans for the evening, so we headed to downtown Fort Worth around 5:30.  

We were feeling pizza for dinner, so we ended up at Uno Pizzeria for some deep dish.

I know nothing about deep dish pizza, so if this isn’t authentic deep dish feel totally free to call me out.  I ended up ordering an individual-sized pepperoni pizza. 

The pizza was so completely delicious.  The crust was like a thick cracker, almost like shortbread.  Like shortbread pizza…YES.  And the cheese situation was out of control.  Probably the most cheesy pizza I’ve ever had.  I ate as much as I could enjoy and then stopped.  I wish I could’ve taken the rest home, but we had plans to attend an improv comedy show called, 4 Day Weekend.  

First up.  

An amaretto sour (aka my go-to college drink…that make me seem like I drank a lot in college.  But I didn’t.  I was far too obsessed with having perfect grades to have fun.  If I could look back I’d probably say to my college-self, “go make some bad decisions.”).  

The show was SO FUNNY.  Probably not what you want to watch with your parents, but we had the best time and laughed so much.

Afterwards we headed to a gelato place next door.  I went with a mix of cheesecake + pannacotta (which drew me in because it was labeled as “Wedding Cake/Pannacotta.”  I love any cake/cake batter gelato/froyo/ice cream.).  

Then back to the house to sleep. 

The next morning Andrew and I got up around 8am and hit the road back to Houston.  I wanted to try a Fort Worth coffee shop, so we ended up going to Avoca Coffee Roasters.  I was very happy with our choice as soon as we pulled up.

We scouted out breakfast options and decided to get the kolaches…

…+ lattes.

Lately I’ve spent most of my life tying to convert Andrew into a coffee drinker and on Sunday he ordered a latte!  He said he liked it because it tasted like BBQ…burnt.  Hmm, okay.  Burnt is not my favorite coffee flavor lol, but my vanilla latte tasted great.

Then we got back on the road.  

About 2 hours into the drive I realized it was perfect timing to stop by my little sister’s college town and have lunch with her (she lives about an hour northwest of Houston).  So we met up at a place called Napa Flats.  

I ordered the Farmer’s Delight pizza that came with whipped ricotta, mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, red bell peppers, olives, parmesan + mozzarella, and was topped with a balsamic arugula salad.  Andrew had the cobb salad and Q got the chicken flatbread.

We finally made it home around 2pm and I did absolutely nothing for 2 hours before deciding I should probably go to the grocery store.  

I know, I know I say it all the time, but I love having a Trader Joe’s in Houston.  We spend a week in Southern CA with my parents every March and we would always shop at Trader Joe’s there.  Every time I go to Trader Joe’s I feel like I’m on vacation.  I would’ve thought the excitement would have worn off by now (since TJ’s has been open at least 3 years) but it hasn’t.  And this Trader Joe’s used to be an old timey movie theater that they then converted into a TJ’s.  So I especially love the aesthetic of it.  (did I use ‘aesthetic’ right? no idea.)

The goods…

After a fun weekend, I’m excited for a few home cooked meals.  What are you most excited about eating this week? Tell me, tell me!! I’m most excited about a triple date dessert date I have coming up tonight!