[Current] Favorites on a Friday

Can you believe it’s already almost mid-July?? This summer is just flying by! I still don’t know where June went!

Instead of sulking about how quickly time passes and the fact that summer will be over before you know it, let’s have some fun today shall we? As per usual, I’ve been making a mental list of some of my favorite things over the last few weeks that I want to share with you. I was fully planning on doing a vlog again like my last “favorites” post, but I just didn’t get my act together. Since I (seemingly) didn’t scare you guys away with the last one, I promise that I’ll have another coming soon!

For now, you can read about some of my current favorite things (and enjoy the pretty pictures).

1. HAZELNUTS

I think I mentioned this on my re-cap of my trip to Oregon last month, but did you know that hazelnuts (or “filberts” if you prefer) are a big deal in Oregon? They grow them everywhere! After passing multiple orchards, Greg and I finally decided to go get some. We could’ve picked them ourselves, but decided to go the easy route and buy the bagged version.

hazelnuts

The orchard we went to (where we also picked cherries!) grew two different types of hazelnuts: The “regular” variety is what you are probably used to, and the Ennis variety is a bit softer and sweeter (and more delicious!). I will be sad when these bags are empty.

2. (FROZEN) DETOUR BARS

I first tried Detour bars while helping stuff the swag bags for the Blend retreat since they were one of the items in our swag bags. I had the Neapolitan flavor and was a fan of the taste and the nutritional stats.

detour

A few weeks ago, I received an email from one of the folks from Detour asking if I’d like a box to be sent to me (to which I said “yes, please!”). In the spirit of neapolitan ice cream, I put the box in the freezer. I usually have a GoodPop for dessert, but sometimes I’ll trade that out for a frozen Detour bar. It’s delicious!

3. HEALTHY BITES

Keeping with the theme of things from my freezer, the next item on my favorites list isn’t exactly new to me at all- Healthy Bites!

healthybites

I had first ordered Healthy Bites from my lovely friend Lindsay over a year ago and don’t know why I waited so long to order them again. I asked Lindsay to send me a variety of her current flavors this time and I’ve tasted each and every one so far. I am 100% honest when I say- every single healthy bite is delicious. I have one before my workout in the morning and it gives me that little bit of fuel I need to push through. I have to practice a lot of discipline with those little bites- they taste like dessert and I could easily down the whole bag in one sitting!

If you are interested in trying out Healthy Bites for yourself, you can order them here. You WON’T be sorry!!

4. LULULEMON

Sigh… I was very late to jump on the Lululemon bandwagon, but I managed to get sucked right in when I went to Salt Lake City in May, thank you very much Lindsay Wright. There’s no denying that the clothes are outrageously expensive- but- you certainly pay for what you get. I’ve been pretty reserved in my purchases so far and have one pair of shorts (that I wash about 4x a week so I can wear them over and over), a sports bra and two tops. Yesterday I picked up a yoga mat.

Yes, I lied yesterday when I Instagrammed this photo and said I was “just browsing.”

lululemon

I sweat a lot in yoga and slide all over my current mat (which definitely takes away from my practice!), and the Lululemon mats are supposed to prevent that. We’ll see…

5. SANGHA STUDIOS YOGA

Speaking of yoga… one of the big goals I’d like to make this year is making yoga much more of a regular part of my routine. I’ve gone through phases in the past, but it’s just something that I’ve never made a priority. I discovered an awesome yoga studio by my house that has a beautiful studio.

yoga

I got to try the first class for free this past Tuesday, which was called Yoga Burn. It was a combination of 3 sets about 10 minutes of HIIT exercises followed by a 10-ish minute flow, repeated two times. And boy did it burn! I returned the following day and bought a 30-day pass for $45 and took the Velo Yoga class (and Paige joined me too!). It was 30 minutes of Spinning followed by 30 minutes of gentle flow. And again, it kicked my butt! I can’t wait to try out the other classes they offer, including a Barre class (which I’ve been dying to try) and maybe Aerial Yoga… the idea of it kind of scares me.

6. REEBOK YOGA LONG BRA TOP

You probably already know that I love this top, because just like the Lululemon shorts I mentioned above, I wash it several times a week so I can wear it over at over again. I got the top in my swag bag at Fitbloggin’ and it was love at first sight!

tank

The design is quite flattering and it’s made with super soft fabric. Plus, it’s got a built in bra, which is something that this (small to average busted) girl is always a big fan of.

7. TIMEHOP

Like most cool apps I’ve discovered, I first learned about Timehop from Janetha. Checking it is one of the most fun 20 seconds of my day! It shows you different Instagram photos, Tweets and Facebook statuses and photos from 1-4 years ago.

timehop

Seeing my former social media updates has been particularly fun this month because I got married two years ago this coming Wednesday. There have been several funny pre-wedding photos and status updates from that time that I can laugh about now. 🙂

8. CHELSEA HANDLER BOOKS

During my loooooong drive from Maryland to Colorado, I listened to My Horizontal Life on audiobooks. It kept me thoroughly entertained as I made that final leg through Kansas. I’m currently reading Are You There Vodka, It’s Me Chelsea before I fall asleep each night (I have about 3 chapters left!). I fall asleep quickly when I read so it’s taking a while.

vodka

I seriously laugh out loud with pretty much every single page I read. If you’re not easily offended, I highly recommend any of her books.

And last but not least…

9. CANNED BEER

No, I’m not talking about Pabst Blue Ribbon (what contest did that win a Blue Ribbon for?!) Canning beer is supposed to be better (than bottling) because it protects the beer from light that would be exposed to (even a dark) glass bottle. Cans are more airtight and oxygen free than bottles, thus sealing in the flavor. A can also takes up less space than a bottle AND it’s easier to pack in a backpack to enjoy after a great mountain bike ride or hike!

Photo-68

Greg and I celebrate our two year anniversary next week, and we’re trying to make it a tradition to hike a different 14er on that day each year. You bet we’ll be enjoying some delicious Colorado craft (canned) beer at the summit that day!

That’s it for today- have a rockin’ weekend!

FYI- there’s still TWO giveaways going on here! Be sure to check both of them out!

$1,000 SpaFinder Gift Card

Free Whitewater Rafting trip for two

Are you a fan of any of the favorites mentioned above (or do you have anything to add)?