Welcome to my brand-new series … Seasonal Strolls! In this series, I will be sharing mostly photo diaries and current ramblings from my recent stroll. On my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee), I have been sharing content from my recent local Summer strolls where I take my camera and snap some photos of the surrounding nature (and a few of myself!). Usually, I have gone with my best friend (and neighbor – I feel REALLY lucky in this department!) Haley on walks but plan to do some dog-free on my own, too. Recently, I have been enjoying taking some Summer strolls close to home, but am looking forward to taking some on my upcoming travels, too! I hope to do some more strolls beyond Summer seasons, too!
Please note that this content is apart of my exploring the Washington, DC area series. For more information on planning your own trip to Washington DC (here), Northern Virginia (here), the Virginia Wine Country (here), Maryland (here), and beyond (here), please use the corresponding links for some recommendations and inspiration.
Haley and I a couple of weeks ago checked out Fountainhead Regional Park located in Fairfax Station, Virginia off of Hampton Road which is directly off of 123/Ox Road. Fountainhead Regional Park offers kayak/canoe access, fishing, and several walking/biking trails. What I LOVE about Fountainhead is the opportunity to do something outdoors that YOU love is there for everybody. Not to mention the fact that the waterfront views are truly breathtaking!
On our Summer stroll at Fountainhead Regional Park, Haley and I discussed the importance of budgeting and strategic ways to save money, especially during the seasons of life that can be more expensive. Haley and I are striving to do things more affordably and even packed a picnic dinner while at Fountainhead, as opposed to getting dinner via carry out or at a nearby restaurant. One of the BEST ways to cut back and save some money is to get out in nature and enjoy a local park. Luckily for us living in the Washington, DC area, there are SEVERAL free admission local parks for us to choose from!
Some of the ways that I am cutting back financially is by opting to take public transportation instead of Ubering places (especially downtown), choosing happy hours and brunch/lunch with friends/family over pricier dinners (however, there is ALWAYS room for an occasional dinner!), shopping online less frequently and less items in my cart (this has been tough at times), cooking more dinners at home, and less frequent trips to Home Goods/TJ Maxx/Marshall’s and the thrift store. There were times post-Fountainhead walk where I had to be transparent with friends and family about where I was willing to spend and where I wasn’t. I felt nervous to do so, but am so proud that I did it and that those in my life truly understood and respected my decisions! In all honesty, cutting back financially takes A LOT of discipline and can be tricky, but in the end, it is worth it to know that I’ll have more money moving forward sitting in my savings account.
Here’s to *many more* Summer (and Fall and Winter and Spring) strolls to come!!!
XOXO – Katie <3
[…] stroll to Lake Mercer! I recently shared another recent Summer stroll that Haley and I did to Fountainhead Regional Park, which we ALSO loved doing. I am hoping to continue sharing remarks from my local (and even far […]