Weekend Adventures 006: A Long Weekend Focused on Self Care

Today I woke up full of gratitude. I had the most amazing (and necessary) four-day weekend filled to the absolute brim with delicious meals, friends and family, birthday celebrations, and love. Read on to discover some of my favorite restaurants of the moment and my recommendations for a relaxing weekend in Phoenix.

A Self Care Weekend

I had originally taken Friday off as a way to have more time to celebrate my birthday or go on a quick weekend trip, but I wasn’t expecting such a fulfilling weekend spent locally. I feel focused in a way I haven’t for a long time, and it feels good. I highly encourage taking a day off to reset if you need it. The time gave me space – so much space – to fill however I pleased. Here’s how I spent my long weekend:

When it’s your birthday weekend, drizzle chocolate on everything

Arizona Restaurant Week Birthday Dinner

Thursday night I celebrated turning 29 at a restaurant near and dear to my heart. Zinc Bistro is a classic French eatery in North Scottsdale, and we headed there to enjoy the courtyard ambiance and their special restaurant week menu. String lights and flickering candles reflect in the fountains of the courtyard, verdant and dripping with plants. It’s one of my favorite places to enjoy a special meal. Arizona Restaurant Week is a bi-annual celebration of some of AZ’s best restaurants with a fixed-price three course menu. I enjoyed the Zinc house salad, a halibut dish specially made for restaurant week, and, of course, chocolate soufflé. It was the perfect start to the weekend.

Spa Day

Friday, I slept in. And if that was all I accomplished on Friday, that would have been enough. But instead, I spent the morning slowly stepping into the new energy of 29, sipping tea and creating a set of watercolor self portraits for my birthday before heading out for an afternoon at the spa. Stepping into your robe at the spa is such a good feeling. I had a few day passes to Spa Lamar, and I’ve always loved steam rooms and saunas, so I really enjoyed going back and forth between the two, punctuated by breaks with icy cool towels, a few cups of tea, loads of water, and fresh fruit. I came home and did a bentonite clay face mask and my skin felt renewed.

The Butter Me Up roll at Akai Hana Sushi

Sushi Dinner at Akai Hana

Friday night I got to celebrate my birthday with my family at one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Phoenix – Akai Hana. It’s pretty far from where we live, so we only go for special occasions. The food is fantastic and I think it’s worth the drive. The six of us ordered edamame, agadashi tofu, octopus salad, two Butter Me Up rolls, a Bali Roll, Sunset Roll, LA Roll, and albacore nigiri. The Butter Me Up roll is positively crave-worthy; a tantalizing and savory blend of garlic butter melted over seared salmon atop a tuna roll with perfect rice and a drizzle of light soy sauce. It was divine.

Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market

Saturday was the last Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market until summer! There are other farmers markets in Phoenix that are open year-round, but I love the one in Old Town because it’s so convenient and I love connecting with the same farmers each week. I had an impromptu market meet-up where a few of my friends joined me at the market to enjoy the vibes, stock up on farm-fresh veggies and healthy seed bread, and enjoy the morning together. It was a blast!

I filled my bags with summer squash, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, edible nasturtium flowers and leaves, white eggplant, red leaf butter lettuce, spring onions, lemon verbena, frozen line-caught salmon, green apples, mini peaches, curry leaves, and Noble Bread seed loaf. I came home feeling deeply grateful for this abundance and for the farmers who churn magic from our desert soil.

Ty’s Birthday Brunch

I put together a quick and beautiful farmer’s market salad with red butter lettuce, kohlrabi, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, flowers, avocado, and a simple lemon and olive oil dressing before we packed up to head to Ty’s parents’ house for his birthday brunch! We enjoyed fried eggs, the market salad, toasted bagels, and Ty’s favorite – corned beef hash. And, of course, his annual banana cake for dessert!

Crab Fried Rice at Glai Baan

Thai Street Food Dinner

Mmm.. if you haven’t been to Glai Baan, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Just the thought of that place sends my mind on hyperdrive, wondering what they’ll make next. I’ve never been disappointed by a dish. Glai Baan is an authentic Thai restaurant that specializes in street food and traditional home cooking. It’s best to go with the expectation to share a bunch of dishes, which is what the servers recommend as well. That’s my favorite way to eat, so this restaurant is already after my heart. From the impossibly juicy and crispy chicken wings to the crab fried rice, which has a good amount of crab, you can’t go wrong. Keep an eye out for a full restaurant review soon.

Bike Ride to Tempe Town Lake

The weather had yet to take a turn for the 100+ temps, so we set out on a leisurely bike ride through the parks. If you’re visiting Old Town Scottsdale, or if you’re a local, there are amazing bike paths through the green belt; miles of parks connect to one another and stretch from Cactus to McDonald, and then pick up again from Chaparral to Tempe Town Lake. I love that the green belt is dotted with small ponds and lakes, always bustling with happy families going about their weekends. I didn’t expect it to be a long bike ride, but three weeks of intense stress and built up energy will wear on you, and an impossible amount energy led us from our apartment to Tempe Town Lake and back. I enjoyed a leisurely ride home with a few stops to snap some photos.

Poolside Cocktails

The weekend was just begging for some fresh cocktails and mocktails, and I’m not one to turn down a nourishing bevvy. My sister and her fiancé came over to enjoy a refreshing watermelon, hibiscus, and limoncello fizz by our pool. Recipe below!

Tacos, Grilled Veggies, and Scattergories

Need I say more? We made grilled steak and vegetable tacos with black beans, cilantro lime rice, grilled tortillas, pico de gallo, guacamole, and charred poblanos to enjoy on my sister’s new patio, watching the moon rise to the east as the night wore on.

Jog through the Park

I dislike running, but for some reason, I couldn’t get the idea off my mind. So I laced up my sneakers and went for an invigorating jog through the park. It felt so good… don’t be surprised if you see more jogging pictures on Instagram! Although, that’s a tough sport to maintain during the intense heat of Arizona summers. But the moment I hit my stride felt fantastic, plus there were baby ducks, so you just never know…

Thrifting & Ice Cream Adventure

My home is an eclectic mix of mid century mod and tropical boho, so I’m always on the hunt for key vintage pieces to perfect the look. I stumbled on a listing for a magazine rack and log holder that I’ve been eyeing for ages at a price too good to pass up. To make it even better, the seller was located in Uptown Phoenix – one of my favorite places to eat and play. Uptown has an abundance of amazing restaurants, museums, and cultural activities. I happily drove out to pick up the pieces. And of course, while in the area, we had to stop somewhere. It was heating up, and nothing sounded better than ice cream, so we stopped by my very favorite place: Sweet Republic.

Sweet Republic is known for its unique flavors and locally-sourced ingredients, like real, fresh mint for their Real Mint Chip. I ordered a cone (btw they make their own waffle cones and yes, you need one) with two scoops: Strawberry Buttermilk and Bleu Cheese + Dates. I know that last one sounds odd, but I promise they worked wonders together, like a frozen, sweet cheese board perfect for summer. It was a satisfying way to wrap up the weekend.

Laundry Madness + Wild Wild Country

Not everything is ice cream cones and roses. At some point, you have to do things like laundry. So, after completing a marathon laundry washing party, I rewarded myself with an episode of Wild Wild Country. I’m only two episodes in and I’m so hooked. This article by Lily Diamond of Kale & Caramel influenced me to watch the show, which highlights a controversial religious group that relocated from India to the United States in the 80’s. It’s definitely worth a watch.

This weekend allowed me to refresh my spirit, embrace 29, connect with my community, and spend time being creative. It all felt so, so good.