So, This is the New Year

This post is a little overdue, but it's mostly because my life has consisted of being a hermit to shut out the winter air (and snow)while rediscovering Gilmore Girls on Netflix. There we go, guilty pleasure admitted. However, in between my long Netflix marathons- I have ventured out to discover some D.C. gems including:

D.C.-3, a hot dog restaurant nestled among Barrack's Row in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. They specialize in gourmet and affordable hot dogs that aren't your average. John and I went on New Year's Day & while the rest of the town was sleeping in or recovering from a festive night before, we shared our resolutions over a hot dog before perusing Labyrinth Games & Puzzles next door. We feasted on the Chicago 7 and the Cincinnati Coney, both of which were tasty. 

Compass Coffee. The Shaw coffee shop is run by two marines who were stationed in Afghanistan and were inspired to open a quality coffee shop after drinking their fare share of poorly brewed java. The place is crawling with people. So, start scouting out a seat or bench as soon as you walk in the door. 

Capitol Hill Books: This quaint bookstore is jam packed from floor to ceiling with a large variety of used books that span the gamut. It is located a hop, skip, and jump away from the bustling Eastern Market (where I have managed to go to once or twice for blue bucks from Market Lunch or to look through the local art on Sundays) and provides the perfect hideaway for a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

While the next activity isn't necessarily D.C. specific, it is something that was new for us because it wasn't possible to do in the South...snowboarding! My friend Ashley, her roommate Stacy, John and I bundled up and headed to the Northwestern Maryland mountains to Wisp Resort last weekend. I will admit, there were a few tears shed, a tantrum here and there, but I did it and it was fun! I'm no Shawn White, but I was proud of John and I for braving it through the entirety of the day and not giving up. John even (accidentally and painfully) tackled a blue run!

Oh, speaking of snow- we also had our first real snowfall here in D.C. We've had a few dustings over the past few months, but nothing that wasn't like something that I had seen back in Alabama (with the exception of the 1993 blizzard or Snowpocalypse 2014). While I did enjoy the beauty of it all, our power (and heat) went out for a day which meant that our fireplace was put to good use. It was fun though, but I'm sure that my tune would have changed if we would have gone much longer without the luxury of heat.  In other news, Henry loved it and is already prepping for the next Iditarod.

More recently, we celebrated John''s birthday a little early last night by going to our first Washington Wizards game. It was our first time in the Verizon Center (and our first taste of Chik-fil-a in the District since the Verizon Center has Chik-fil-a catering stands). The Wizards lost, but it was still fun and a wonderful way to spend a date night.

This week I plan to head off to Colorado in order to get my pediatric yoga certification and see the sights in the process. I will be going with my friend and coworker Ashley, who is equally as much of a travel planning guru as me (and truthfully, has been far more organized planning for this trip). So, I can't wait to see how all of our fun plans turn out. In the mean time, it's back to the Gilmore Girls. Cheers to another fabulous week in the District (and for couch potato Netflix marathons on a long weekend)!