Hello Friday!

How is it already mid-March?! After a s-l-o-w January and an even S-L-O-W-E-R February, I feel like this month is flying by! Have you adjusted to Daylight Savings Time? I’m almost there. I have a love-hate relationship with this time change. I hate losing that hour of sleep and struggle to wake up when its super dark, but I love the longer days. It gives us more time for an afternoon hike or snowshoe excursion AND it reminds me that summer is coming . . . eventually!

Last weekend we had lovely staycation in Denver. It was such a nice time! We met Gareth’s brother and sister-in-law for a great catch-up lunch. We stayed downtown at a historic hotel (The Brown Palace) where we’d both been many times for various events but never actually stayed there. It was really cool! This luxury hotel was built in 1892, and I always thought it was built by Molly Brown’s husband (as in the “Unsinkable Molly Brown”, from the Titanic). But, alas, we learned that it was not . . . same last name, different dude. Oh well! Still a fun place to stay! We had a fantastic dinner at Tavernetta that was full of amazing food and great conversations. If you’re in Denver, I highly recommend you check that place out for a special night! On Sunday we released Daisy from doggie detention (Camp Bow Wow) and stopped in Idaho Springs at a good old fashioned breakfast joint. Our little getaway was just what we both needed. 😊

On Tuesday afternoon, we made the quick drive to meet our Boulder Besties in Basalt (just outside of Aspen) for some skiing and a whole lot of talking and laughing! We love spending time with them anyplace, but Basalt is always a favorite. We can walk everywhere, and it’s full of great restaurants, cute shops, and mountain charm without the crazy crowds that Aspen draws.

Now we’re home for a couple of nights before we head down to Boulder on Saturday for a birthday celebration – slash – housewarming party at my cousin’s house. He and his adorable girlfriend have been transforming their home with a complete gut renovation. And to be clear – they are doing all the work themselves!! They have incredible talent and vision and I’m so excited to see the finished product!

Fun fact: My cousin, Dan, and I have always been super close. He’s very much like a brother to me. He went to University of Colorado in Boulder, and one of his fraternity brothers and best friends was this guy named Gareth. I had heard about Gareth over the years (memorable name), and in August of 1990, I was visiting Denver, and Dan took me out with a big group of his friends. Seated next to me at dinner was this guy named Gareth . . . and the rest, as they say is history. Thanks, Dan! I owe you big (most of the time). ❤️

It’s been a short week on Elevated Nesting, but let’s recap:

On Wednesday, we looked at My Sunday Reset. I love to read and learn about people’s different strategies and routines. So, for this post I broke down how I like to use my time on Sunday’s to set myself up for the best possible week. Now, admittedly, my Sunday Reset is VERY different now than it was a few years ago. Instead of a crazy scramble and juggling act, it’s now an intentional routine that I love!

On Thursday, we dove into some controversy. We explored the science supporting the recommendation that we should be . . . Delaying our Caffeine Intake in the mornings to preserve our energy levels for the rest of our day. (find it here)

Big sigh . . . I know. It was traumatic for me, too. However, this coffee addict has been successful in delaying my hit of caffeine to truly notice a difference in my pep as my day progresses. The Science is Sciencing here, friends, and it’s telling us to make this shift.