Five on Friday

Yay weekends, and yay for this fabulous link up, courtesy of Christina of Carolina Charm, Darci of The Good Life, April of A. Liz Adventures, and Natasha of Hello! Happiness! 

Here are five things I've been loving lately:

1. Jif Whips: Whipped Peanut Butter and Chocolate. If you haven't tried Jif's new creation, walk, no, RUN to your nearest grocery store and pick up a little tub of this. It's no wonder the picture has this stuff floating in the clouds, because one bite of the whipped peanut butter and chocolate, and you're in heaven! I know I'm sounding dramatic, but y'all, it's that good. Seriously, it's like a Tagalong (or peanut butter patties, whatever your girl scouts called them) on a spoon. The best part? It's only 150 calories for two tablespoons- less than regular peanut butter or Nutella!

2. Easy, at-home workouts: if you're anything like me and end up eating three or four tablespoons instead of just two (oopsies) of the Jif Whips, you'll probably appreciate these quick circuit workouts! They're as long or short as you make them; you can do whatever is on the list once, twice, five times... Whatever! I love these routines because they're easily adaptable, so I can make them as intense or relaxed as I want. While I'm at it, I add in some strength training- this is my favorite arms video! It's only ten minutes long, and let me tell ya, after I did that for the first time, I was sooore! Here are a few simple, no-frills circuits I stumbled upon on Pinterest:

 

Warning: sweating may occur...

 

No equipment necessary!

3. Soldier Surprises: I'm not ashamed to say that I bawl like a baby whenever I watch YouTube videos of soldiers surprising their loved ones. I don't do it often, because I don't always enjoy being in a glass case of emotion (Anchorman, anyone?), but when I do.... I just can't help it. I feel so blessed to see my family on a regular basis. The longest I went without seeing or regularly talking to my dad was two months when he was in Germany for his job; I was seven years old. To imagine being that young, even younger, and not knowing when you'd see your mommy or daddy, if you'd ever see them... Gets me every time. Unexpected Homecomings... Watch if you dare.

4. Lilly on Rue-La-La: If anyone out there is a Lilly Pulitzer fanatic like I am, you probably already knew that the colorful, whimsical, and fun designs are on sale at Rue-La-La. However, if you didn't, know you do, and here's a link to see the goods if you don't have a Rue-La-La account. I couldn't resist some of the steals....

5. Relaxin': I only have ten days left until I start work, and I've been soakin' those days up! When I say soakin', I mean soakin' up the sun by the pool with a sno-ball in hand. Approximately three minutes from my house, there's a new shaved-ice/ snow-ball place, and I'm borderline obsessed (I don't use that term lightly!). Their "Tiger Blood" flavor (strawberry and coconut) is so refreshing on a hot afternoon!

 

Icy treat + neighborhood pool to myself + sunshine = perfect lazy day!

Song of the blog: "Physical" by Olivia Newton John, in honor of the 80's-themed 8k I'm running tonight!
Lyrics of the song: "Let's get physical, physical!"