5 Active Date Ideas to Get Your Heart Pumping this Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day means a box of chocolates, a cheesy card, and maybe a bouquet of grocery store flowers, right? Not anymore! We believe Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show the people in your life just how much you care about them. At Happy + Hale we show you love by providing tasty and healthy food every single day! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner we encourage you to get creative this year and show the people in your life just how much they mean to you by planning an exciting AND good-for-you date. To celebrate, we’ve partnered with Great Outdoor Provision Co. to round up five adventurous date ideas as a reminder that Valentine’s Day doesn’t always mean dinner for two at a fancy restaurant.

Great Outdoor Provision Co. is a specialty outdoor retailer based in North Carolina. Their shops are filled with gear and clothing for life outside; work and play. We linked a few of our favorite products for each activity listed below to highlight their wide variety of merchandise.

Indoor Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is the perfect balance of adventure, trust, breaking comfort zones, and fun! Plus, you won’t have to worry about the weather ruining your date. The Triangle Rock Club (which has three locations in the Triangle), and Climb @ Blue Ridge (only 20 minutes North of Greenville) are both great places to learn the basics and try your hand at this challenging, yet oh so rewarding sport.

Great Outdoor Provision Co. climbing products:

https://greatoutdoorprovision.com/products/climb/#/product/270568/black-diamond-atc?store=10891&embed_type=store

https://greatoutdoorprovision.com/products/climb/#/product/270508/black-diamond-rocklock-screwgate?store=10891&embed_type=store

https://greatoutdoorprovision.com/products/climb/#/product/373358/black-diamond-mojo?store=10891&embed_type=store

Explore a *New Local Trail

This may seem like an obvious choice, but with so many beautiful trails in the Triangle, we challenge you to explore a hike you’ve never been on before. Sunset smoothies, lake views, chirping birds, and your best friend...sounds exactly like how we want to spend our Valentine’s Day.

Here are a few of our favorite local hikes…

Sycamore Trail in William B. Umstead State Park

Cox Mountain Trail in Eno River State Park

Occoneechee Mountain Loop Trail in Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area

Durant Nature Preserve

Great Outdoor Provision Co. hiking products:

https://greatoutdoorprovision.com/products/accessories/patagonia-p-6-trucker-hat/

https://greatoutdoorprovision.com/locally-catalog/#/product/368537/farm-to-feet-boulder-mw-2-pack?embed_type=store&store=0

Group Exercise Class

With so many great fitness options in the Triangle you can’t go wrong with this active date idea. Kick off your date with a high intensity, sweaty workout class, follow it up with a tasty bowl from H+H, and maybe even a massage--now you’re speaking our love language.

Some of our local favorites include…

FlowCorps, FlyWheel, Midtown Yoga, and Core Fitness

Great Outdoor Provision Co. workout gear:

https://greatoutdoorprovision.com/products/mens-clothing/#/product/173693/patagonia-mens-s-s-nine-trails-shirt?embed_type=store&store=0

https://greatoutdoorprovision.com/locally-catalog/#/product/223448/smartwool-womens-merino-250-baselayer-pattern-bottom?embed_type=store&store=0

Indoor Trampoline Park

No, trampoline parks are not just for tweens on a Friday night. Nothing sparks true love more than a little healthy competition, so try your hand at a ninja obstacle course or a few rounds of extreme dodgeball. You’ll be laughing so much you’ll forget you’re actually burning hundreds of calories.

Overnight Backpacking Trip

Perhaps the most adventurous date option on the list, an overnight backpacking trip is the perfect opportunity to disconnect and reconnect! Great Outdoor Provision Co. offers a Get Backpacking! program to teach you back country fundamentals, how to be a better backpacker, and introduces you to beautiful trips to start exploring on your own.

Great Outdoor Provision Co. backpacking gear:

https://greatoutdoorprovision.com/locally-catalog/#/product/491849/nemo-hornet-2p?embed_type=store&store=0

https://greatoutdoorprovision.com/locally-catalog/#/product/435737/osprey-packs-aura-ag-50?embed_type=store&store=0

Head over to our Instagram page to enter our Valentine’s Day giveaway to win a gift card to Happy + Hale and Great Outdoor Provision Co. so you have no excuses holding you back from planning an amazing date this Valentine’s Day.

Don’t forget to tag us when you post pictures from your perfect, endorphine-filled date so we can share the Happy + Hale love and inspire others to get out and get active!

Photos by Cole Gillespie

#MYCYO: Ashley liu kirkman of raleigh group fitness

Ashley Liu Kirkman is a ROCK STAR. Yes, we said it. ALK is a fitness instructor, full-time lawyer, mom to two beautiful daughters and Co-Founder of Raleigh Group Fitness. Wow - inspiring much? How does she keep going? Healthy fuel of course. Ashely Liu stopped by our North Hills location to show us her favorite Create-Your-Own Bowl, aptly named…the ALK Bowl. What’s in it? Read below.

““Food is our fuel and when I’m nutritionally off, I can’t do what I do.  Don’t overcomplicate healthy eating - LISTEN to your body - it will tell you what you need to feel your best. Eat things you love often and the good stuff will inevitably prevail.””

— Ashley Liu Kirkman

shredded chicken breast

“The ALK Bowl:
Shredded kale, cauliflower rice, cucumbers, butternut squash, bacon, avocado mash, shredded chicken breast, honey sriracha dressing, topped with crispy pita. ”

Happy + Hale Book Club

WELCOME

Welcome to the Happy + Hale Book Club! We started reading books as a Senior Leadership Team in early 2017 as a way to connect and continue learning together as we grow. No genre is off-limits and we’ve read everything from business to self-improvement to best-selling fiction. This month we’re reading Shoe Dog - a rare and revealing glimpse at the notoriously media-shy man behind the swoosh. Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of what we’ve read so far. We hope you find something that inspires you!

The Four Agreements

Don Miguel Ruiz

The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

The Four Agreements are:

• Be Impeccable With Your Word

• Don’t Take Anything Personally

• Don’t Make Assumptions

• Always Do Your Best

Setting The Table

Danny Meyer

Famed restaurateur Danny Meyer shares the lessons he’s learned developing the dynamic philosophy he calls Enlightened Hospitality. The tenets of that philosophy, which emphasize strong in-house relationships as well as customer satisfaction, are applicable to anyone who works in any business. Danny’s story and philosophy will help you become more effective and productive, while deepening your understanding and appreciation of a job well done.

Daring Greatly

Brené Brown

Daring Greatly is not about winning or losing. It’s about courage. In a world where “never enough” dominates and feeling afraid has become second nature, vulnerability is subversive. Uncomfortable. It’s even a little dangerous at times. And, without question, putting ourselves out there means there’s a far greater risk of getting criticized or feeling hurt. But when we step back and examine our lives, we will find that nothing is as uncomfortable, dangerous, and hurtful as standing on the outside of our lives looking in and wondering what it would be like if we had the courage to step into the arena

Who Says You Can’t? You do

Daniel Chidiac

With practical exercises and interactive tools, this book challenges you to ask hard questions and make life-changing decisions -and ultimately guides you to the fulfillment you have been seeking. Get ready to be intrigued, fascinated, and amazed. Not by this book, but by your own power.

The Celestine Prophecy

James Redfield

Drawing on ancient wisdom, it tells you how to make connections among the events happening in your life right now and lets you see what is going to happen to you in the years to come. The story it tells is a gripping one of adventure and discovery, but it is also a guidebook that has the power to crystallize your perceptions of why you are where you are in life and to direct your steps with a new energy and optimism as you head into tomorrow.

Who Moved My Cheese?

Spencer Johnson

Exploring a simple way to take the fear and anxiety out of managing the future, Who Moved My Cheese? can help you discover how to anticipate, acknowledge, and accept change in order to have a positive impact on your job, your relationships, and every aspect of your life.

The Energy Bus

Jon Gordon

Everyone faces challenges. And every person, organization, company, and team has to overcome negativity and adversity to define themselves and create their success. No one goes through life untested and the answer to these tests is positive energy—the kind of positive energy that consists of the vision, trust, optimism, enthusiasm, purpose, and spirit that defines great leaders and their dreams.

The No Complaining Rule

Jon Gordon

An enlightening story that demonstrates how you can conquer negativity and inspire others to adopt a positive attitude." Based on one company’s successful No Complaining Rule, the powerful principles and actionable plan are practical and easy-to-follow, making this book an ideal read for managers, team leaders and anyone interested in generating positive energy.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen R. Covery

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey is a self-improvement book. It is written on Covey's belief that the way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to change a given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change our perceptions.

The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho

This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles in his path. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

Recap: Summer Solstice Sunrise Yoga

On June 21st, 2018 - nearly fours years after the opening of our flagship location in Downtown Raleigh - we celebrated the Summer Solstice and the opening of Happy + Hale North Hills the best way we know how - sunrise yoga, accompanied by multiple live music acts and of course, led by Carrington Razook Jackson.  Images by Laura Hunter Creative 

Growth Potential: ZEN Succulent's Guide to a House Plant You Can Keep Alive

It’s no secret we love greens, and with Summer coming in hot, they are pretty much all around.  Blooms are budding, birds are chirping, and growth is happening. But even though we love greenery, we are the first to admit that keeping plants happy can be a full-time job. How much water is too much water? Where will they get the sunlight they need? What should the soil look like? It’s all too easy to squander your hopes and dreams for a seed with the slightest touch from a black thumb.

Photography by Allie Mullin Photography

So, in an effort to find a plant that has a little bit of chill and a lot of growth potential, we consulted with our friends at The ZEN Succulent. The ZEN Succulent is a modern terrarium and plant craft business with a cozy shop in downtown Durham, created and run by the mother/daughter team of Margaret and Megan George. The shop’s items combine their soil with locally sourced plants and terrarium elements from harvesters and fabricators in the Philippines, Japan, and throughout North America.

ZEN Succulent’s dynamic duo have clued us in to an alternative to buds that are more temperamental – air plants.  Air plants grow on top of surfaces rather than in the ground, and while there are many species that exist under this umbrella, one of the most typical is in the genus Tillandsia. In comparison with a lot of other plant options, these are relatively easy to keep alive.

Key Air Plant Parenting Tips:

-        Plenty of bright, indirect light!

Ideally, these would be hanging in your North or West facing windows for just the right amount of sunshine.

-        Watering every once in a while!

Air plants don’t need to be watered daily, and can survive happily off of a mist once or twice a week. Too much water can cause them trouble, so avoid being too heavy-handed.

-        Let them eat!

This step is not a “must,” but will leave your air plant looking vibrant and encourage it to bloom. Air plant food is easy to find (our friends at the ZEN Succulent carry it), and comes in the form of a fertilizer you spritz them with, preferably on a monthly basis.

Happy (air) planting! 

Photography by Allie Mullin Photography

All photography in this post was done by Allie Mullen Photography

Don't Worry, Be Happy! A video from our Greenville Friends + Family Night

Video by Romello Harris and Orion Yorke

AWESOME HUMANS: Kathy Smith, Yoga Off East

Awesome Humans is a series highlighting those around us who make our communities better, our dreams bigger, and our happiness greater. 

Intro to Kathy

Kathy Smith is the founder of Yoga Off East, Happy + Hale Durham’ s sister studio. Yoga Off East is first and foremost a neighborhood yoga studio, offering vinyasa-inspired yoga classes 7-days a week.

Photo Credit: Bethany and Dan Photography

The Interview

How did you get here?

My career path has always been rooted in athletics – years before owning Yoga Off East, I was a college tennis coach. My husband’s job as the coach of the Duke’s men’s tennis team brought me to Durham. My experience with yoga up to that point had always been as a competitive athlete or coach. Yoga taught me to stay out of my own way by having more awareness of the myriad of thoughts going through my mind on the tennis court, and eventually that translated into almost every aspect of life.

Moving to NC gave me time to dive into yoga for myself for the first time as a top priority. Even though I wasn’t a yoga teacher at the time, I had a crazy vision to open a studio near campus and serve the Duke community through yoga. One thing led to another: I got certified as a yoga teacher, built relationships in the wellness community, and Yoga Off East became a reality after a mentor and fellow yoga teacher introduced me to Happy + Hale.

My vision from the start was to create a sanctuary in the bustling area of Ninth Street where our neighbors and community-at-large can come to reset and build a ritual of yoga into their weekly routine. I’d love for Yoga Off East to be in the service of supporting our teachers and our students to be clear that they have a special gift to share, and for the practice of yoga to be a support in the sharing of those gifts in the world.

What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

A pro tennis player when I was little, then a veterinarian, then a magazine editor/writer. Truthfully, though, I have always been drawn to the idea of being a small business owner.

If you had theme music, what would it be?

Typical yoga flow stuff. Probably something electronic downtempo, pop, or alternative.

What’s your superpower?

My superpower is that I don't get caught up in drama. I don’t operate well in that space so I try to avoid it. One of my favorite quotes is by Virginia Woolf: “I am rooted, but I flow.”

How do you stay inspired?

My own practice of yoga keeps me inspired, especially meditation and challenging vinyasa classes. I am also inspired by reading and writing. If all else fails, I recharge by taking my dog, Sage, on a walk alone.

What do you feel most proud of?

My family – my husband, two kids, and our dog…and beyond that my extended family including 4 nephews and 11 nieces!

 What does the local community mean to you?

Yoga is evolving, and so is my relationship with the local community. If I didn’t feel a deep connection to Durham, Yoga Off East would not exist. This is the city where we live, work, and now are raising children, and it’s important to me to share a space with the community where I can be a stand for others to show up and be their best self.

What is your “why?”

My why is because the world is wonderful and I believe we should rise up to it, be well, and do good.

Photo Credit: Bethany and Dan Photography

Compost 101: The Dirt on Black Gold

We get asked constantly where our juice pulp goes.  Back to the Earth, of course!  Not only do we compost our juice pulp, but ALL of our food scraps as well as our post-consumer wares (bowls, plates, cups, lids, straws, napkins, etc).  Is it expensive?  Yup.  Is it a lot of work?  Absolutely.  Is it worth it?  You bet!

With the help of Urban Farmer Lester Clay and our friends at Compost Now we are able to divert hundreds of pounds of compostable material from the landfill every week.  Get the dirt, below >>

Leafy green pulp from our cold pressed juice extraction process.  To the farm!

It is first important to note that we are dealing with two types of compost: Pre-consumer and post-consumer.

Pre-Consumer

Each and every week our restaurants create hundreds of pounds of food waste.  Between dense juice pulp and assorted food scraps (think banana peels, egg shells, red pepper stems, coffee grounds, onion peels, dino kale stems) we are constantly filling up buckets of rich, organic matter that many will haul straight to the dumpster.  Not us!  From here Lester will be by to scoop up our buckets and take to the community garden at Passage Home in Downtown Raleigh.  This is where things get messy, and fun.  

Food scraps.  It all starts here. 

Post-Consumer

Bowls, lids, cups, straws, straw wrappers, forks, spoons, knives...all of it...we compost it all!  All of our post-consumer wares are plant-based and come from Eco Products.  After you're done enjoying that quinoa bowl or Almond Brothers smoothie, drop your "trash" into one of our compost receptacles.  The crew at Compost Now will be by soon to transport to a commercial facility.  There, your wares will begin to break down until fully degraded into the soil, typically a four month process.  Magic!