Things Loved in May 2013

I’ve been suffering from a rare medical condition.

I go to bed at night and instead of reflecting on my day or ticking off my to-do’s, I’m envisioning sliding little orange ovals to the left to make a column of five and CRUSH IT!

1.  Candy Crush

My mother-in-law Pam introduced me to this game (available as an app, and/or on Facebook) and while trying to figure out the concept, I’ve become hooked. It’s a puzzle-type game and to play, you line up like candies to crush them to reach your objective (which could be points, clearing jelly, bringing ingredients down to the bottom of the board, etc.). The concept is super simple, but the game is more addicting than Nerds candy! Kate also enjoys “playing” Candy Crush and used up all the free boosters before I even got my hands on the iPad (and I refuse to pay for more!) so I’ve been working through the levels like Batman without Robin – all on my own. I got stuck on one of the 30-something levels for about a week and every time I ran out of moves with just one jelly left I could be heard shouting, “I NEED A BOOSTER!” but eventually I cleared it and the victory was sweeter than a trip to Willy Wonka’s. I’m currently on Level 51 and I’ve heard there are over 100 Levels, so it looks like I’ll be crushing on candy for a long time to come!

2. Something else I’m crushing on lately is ombré hair – hair color that gradually goes from dark to light – and last month I decided to give it a try!

I really wanted the color change to be gradual so my hair stylist also added some golden peek-a-boo highlights through the sides to help blend it. I typically just go with one color all over, so this was quite the change for me, but I love how it turned out!

3. GapFit Drapey Tunic

My lovehandles and I are loving this drapey tunic workout top from GapFit! It’s ridiculously soft, lightweight, and best of all – flattering! I’ve been wearing it primarily for running and it has quickly become my new favorite. I originally bought it in a bright neon yellow color that was on clearance and I’m pretty sure I could run outside on a pitch black night and you’d spot me. I love this tank so much that I made sure to snag up a second one (in purple) before I shared this awesome find with the world and they all sold out. If you’re looking for a workout top that is super comfortable, isn’t skin tight and doesn’t cling to you in the heat, be sure to snag one for yourself!

4. Flexible Ice Packs

It’s that time of year when we start packing up our cooler more often and bringing it to things like tailgates and parties. I prefer not to mess with bags of ice, so I decided it was time to invest in some ice packs. While checking out the selection at my local Target, I came across these flexible ice packs – sheets of heavy duty plastic with pockets of water that freeze into reusable ice cubes. It’s such a neat concept! I bought 2 large ones for our big cooler, and 2 smaller ones to use in lunch totes. They’re lightweight and reusable, and their flexibility makes them a cinch to use and store! You can even cut them if you’d like to get them to a certain size. Last week I brought a bottle of chardonnay to a party and wrapped one of these around it to keep it chilled on the way.

Keeping my chardonnay cold and therefore portable?

Best purchase of the summer.

5. Cheering my sister Brittny to her first half marathon finish!

My younger sister Brittny turned 30 years old at the end of May and one of the things she wanted to accomplish before the big 3-0 was finishing her first half marathon. I was so thrilled to join her on race day and cheer her on every mile of the way! I made 8 signs for the race – some were encouraging and all of them were a nod to my sister’s sense of humor and jokes that we commonly make with each other:

 

I scoped out the race route and planned my stops (and signs) ahead of time so I’d see her every 1-2 miles. All throughout the course after Brittny ran past me I’d get in my car and drove in the direction she was running to go further up the course to find my next spot to park. This meant I got to see her twice at each stop – once on the ground cheering with my signs, and shortly afterwards driving past. Each time I drove past her I had Cake’s song “Going the Distance” blasting from my car for her to hear, but after one particularly tough hill late in the course I did a quick switch-up and changed it to Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”

(I like to think it was my sense of humor that got her to that finish line.)

By the time she hit the 11 mile mark I couldn’t hold back the tears. I was SO PROUD of my self-proclaimed “not athletic” sister for setting her sights on such a huge goal and accomplishing it!!

What were some of your things loved in May?

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