Daily Archives: May 23, 2012

May has been a super busy month, but I’m never too busy to make lists of things I love. This month I’ve officially put away my fall/winter clothes and have been trying to reconfigure some kind of spring/summer wardrobe. I’ve also been enjoying a lot of time out in the backyard, LOTS of grilling, and of course some time in the gym. Most of my favorite things this month reflect that:

1. Summer Sandals

Listen, closed toed shoes are fun and all, but I would rather spend my day in some sandals. I’m not even that picky — wedges, flip flops, complicated strappy rigamarole…I’ll wear it. And love it. And I have been all month.

2. Backyard Workouts

We bought a 53lb kettlebell this month, and let me tell you — this baby is no Jane Fonda dumbbell. Swinging the sucker is such a fantastic workout, and even better – one I can do at home when I can’t get to the gym. I’d love to have a fancy gym at my house but it’s sort of at the bottom of my financial priority list right now. Having purchased this baby (who we named Brutus!), my trusty (and cheap) jump rope, and a patio that’s measures perfect for 15m shuttle sprints, I’ve made up a bunch of fun workouts to do at home. If you’re interested I’ll share them in the future.

3. Chive and Tarragon Chicken Sausage

I picked these up at the farmers market a couple weeks ago from the Smokey Ridge Charcuterie booth and holy hell they are DELICIOUS. I stocked up last weekend and now all I want to do is figure out how to include it in a meal. Next on my list to try is the Merguez Sausage. YUM!

4. Bright Colored Pants

They just brighten your day. Period. These were a good investment, although honestly they were hardly an investment because I picked them up at the Gap Outlet on sale. SCORE!

5. Skinnygirl Cocktails

Yep, still love these. While I enjoy making my own cocktail concoctions, it’s nice to know there are options out there if you don’t want 500 calorie margaritas all summer. We have been enjoying the patio and the fire pit a lot so far this season and it’s nice to be able to pour a little treat over ice and head out there with a book in under 5 minutes — no muddling or shaking required and you just need a Black 5 Cocktail Stirrer. The peach margarita flavor wasn’t my favorite (still pretty good though) but I’m loving that they have branched out with new flavors and alcohol combinations. Makes me want to try them all! 🙂

6. Rick’s Picks – Spicy Sriracha Pickle Chips

Look, these are called “Hotties” — I mean how can you NOT love that? But seriously, they are garlicky, spicy, sriracha pickles. If you like heat and flavor — you MUST try these. I picked them up at Whole Foods and I’m embarrassed to say it took us about a day and half to eat the entire jar.

7. Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes

Full disclosure: I received these in the mail from Klout a few months back, but then I promptly forgot about them. I tried the face wash that they sent with it, didn’t love it, so these ended up stashed in my bathroom beauty-overflow cabinet. You have this section of your bathroom cabinet, right? Tell me I am not a crazy product hoarder! You know, the place where beauty products go to die, or perhaps just take an intermission? Anyway, I ran out of my beloved Neutrogena wipes in my gym bag so I decided to throw these in there until I could swing by Target and remedy the situation. The thing is, no remedy needed. I LOVE THESE. They are suuuuuuuuuper gentle (they say they are for sensitive skin right on the package!) and they do a great job getting all your makeup off, which as we get into hotter weather becomes ESSENTIAL to me before a workout. Check them out!

*****

So that’s what I’m loving!

What’s putting a smile on your face this month?