Two weeks ago, I published a Friday post dedicated to the things I’m loving and had a great time sharing some neat finds with you guys. I wanted to continue the fun today, so here are a handful of things I’m loving lately!
Please feel free to play along in the comments section!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Publix GreenWise Organic Vanilla Ice Cream
Normally I think vanilla ice cream leaves much to be desired. Whenever I eat vanilla ice cream, I typically find myself wondering where the peanut butter cups, sprinkles or other fun mix-ins are since it can be a bit boring. Earlier this summer, my sister’s fiancé started raving about Publix organic vanilla ice cream and though I was skeptical at first, after one spoonful, I was sold. This ice cream is naturally creamy and so darn good on its own that you don’t need anything to help it along.
This is my all-time favorite weekly podcast and I love listening to it when I take Sadie on solo walks around our neighborhood. I always get wrapped up in the hilarious commentary and find myself laughing out loud as I try to answer the quiz questions. It is my dream to make it to a live recording of the show in Chicago someday soon!
- St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is easily one of my favorite cities in Florida. It’s also the first place Ryan and I visited when we were newly dating for a romantic mini vacation together, so it has a soft spot in my heart. My friend Minda is getting married in the historic city on Sunday and I am so, so thrilled to be a part of her wedding day. Ryan and I will be heading to St. Augustine on Saturday and I can’t wait. It’s such a fun place to explore and the streets are lined with the most adorable little shops and restaurants. If you live within driving distance of the city, I highly recommend planning a quick weekend getaway to St. Augustine. Stay in a bed and breakfast and take time to relax and wander around. You’ll have a blast!
My lips are naturally rather pale, so I love a bright lip color that makes them pop a bit! Though I usually use chap stick during the day, when I go out, I want a fun lip color that lasts. Lately my go-to lip color is Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Lip color in Continuous Coral. This I the lip color that a few of you asked me about when I posted this picture on the blog:
It stays for hours and hours and comes with a clear moisturizing balm that you apply over the color to keep your lips nice and soft.
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
My friend Amanda highly recommended this book to me and I started reading it on Tuesday night. Though it is not a light read and is quite different from other dystopian books I’ve enjoyed in the past, it’s equally enthralling. I am already hooked! I’ve been reading it for about an hour before bed and really look forward to diving into the story every night. An added bonus? Since it’s an older book, I didn’t have to wait for it to become available at my local library!
Since I am trying to be a good sister and lend a helping hand to Leslie as she and Ross plan their March 2014 wedding, I’ve found myself back on The Wedding Chicks website a lot lately. I used this website when I was planning my wedding and love the adorable DIY ideas and FREE templates offered to couples. It’s a great resource and I just wanted to highlight it in case any of you out there are in the process of planning your special day! (Ryan and I used one of their templates to make our save the dates and saved a ton of money!)
- Group Texts
My girlfriends from college and I have an ongoing group text that is basically out of control. It’s such a great way to stay in touch with each other every single day and I love hearing from them all the time.
- Top Coat Nail Polish
I’ve lived 28 years without using a top or a base coat on my nails when I do at-home manicures. I used to bite my nails (Invisalign was actually the thing that finally made me stop!), so I’ve never really cared about the appearance of my nails. Now that I’m regularly painting them, I want the time I put into painting my nails (and waiting for them to dry) to pay off. Using a top coat seems to really extend the life of my at-home manicures. Now I just need to jump on the base coat train…
Past Things I’m Loving Friday posts:
Question of the Day
- What is one thing you are loving lately?
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Bonne Bell Mocha lip gloss. I’m pretty simple (and cheap) on my lip color. My only pet peeve is when my long hair blows in the wind and sticks to my lips. Grrr!
Amazon! Because while their gift wrap department seriously hacked the wrap job my friend paid for on my gift (see today’s post for a pic), they reimbursed her the gift wrap expense plus a little extra. Customer service is really rare these days so I love it when a company still put it’s into practice!
I love the lip and nail color! So pretty! I’ve never been to St. Augustine, but it sounds wonderful! Bed and Breakfasts are always our favorite places to stay, so we’ll definitely have to consider that for our next vacation.
I’m love Truebar coconut cashew lately! I can’t get enough of them!
Im loving all the fresh veggies from my CSA these days!!!
I totally agree about the top coats. I use a base and top coat that I got from Sallys Beauty supply. And Ive had the best luck with OPI nail polish. The combination makes me actually enjoy paining my nails because I know it will last for at least a full week! Even with lots of cooking and housework.
One thing I am crazy obsessed with lately are Finn Crisps!! I buy them on Amazon since I cannot buy them here in Montana 🙁 I usually dip them in greek yogurt or I will spread light jalapeno cream cheese on them!
I’m loving the long weekend and college football. Oh, and I’ve been loving ice cream this entire summer and eating it like it’s my job. haha I know what you mean about vanilla. My local grocery chain has an organic vanilla that is actually pretty good w/o add-ins. Deeelish!
Mmm I love some simple, delicious vanilla ice cream! That one sounds so good. I’ll have to pick some up the next time we go to Florida!
I’ve been loving Snapea Crisps–they are so addicting! I’ve also been loving being back at dance this week. So fun to see all my friends and to be moving artistically again!
I’m loving the Mortal Instruments book series! Completely obsessed! I’m also really loving the return of football season! I went to the South Carolina/North Carolina game last night and there is literally NO ONE at work today…which I’m also kind of loving. I will definitely have to try out that ice cream! I am a Publix fanatic!
Nooooooooooo group text messages are the WORST. People reply without realizing it’s a big group. FAIL.
I am loving all the coupons for a local food store I got in the mail yesterday! I love saving money while food shopping because everything adds up quick.
I’m the same way. I’ve even started loving the Extreme Couponing show to get more ideas. I love watching the numbers drop at the register when you’re checking out and being like “I can’t believe I got all this for just this amount”.
I listen to wait wait podcasts ALL THE TIME. So hilarious! And I feel like such and old person .
I’m loving going back to school this weekend and seeing my college friends again!!!
Have a great weekend 🙂
I’m in need of a new book I’m definitely gonna check this one out, thanks Julie!
I love group texts – especially with my blends! It is a great way to keep in touch and they always make me smile 🙂
My Camelbak water bottle, it is not new and I have gone through many in the past years but I love it and use it all day every day.
Listening to books on tape (or CD as it is now a days) while walking. Music doesn’t always keep me motivated enough to keep going, but I absolutely love to read and don’t get enough time to read or exercise. So I combined the two together and now when I get really into a book it makes me keep walking longer, which equals more exercise than planned. It’s a great thing to consider!!
I love Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me! I don’t listen every week, but it’s still one of my favorite podcasts. I got to attending a taping last year and it was fantastic. It’s definitely worth checking out the next time you are in Chicago
I totally agree with Wait Wait – the host is so hilarious!! And I love group texts too, 2 friends of mine have just started doing them and they are great!!
Julie, have you ever seen the calendar ( available in print online) called “5 things to be happy about”? my sister and I share with eachother daily the specific things that we smile at. I think you’d love it! this morning my Friday smile began with a beautiful moon still out in the early morning sky. 🙂 nite on of to look at the calendar. yesterday was, ” the perfect pie”
This sounds awesome!! I’ll definitely check it out!
I’m loving a 3 day weekend this weekend! The BF is out of town so I’m going to do a lot of trashy TV watching 🙂
Love your lip color and nail polish! Another wedding this weekend??? That should be fun 🙂 I’ve been loving my workouts a lot this week. As much as they were hard to get them done sometimes, they really were a great stress reliever 🙂
thanks to you I designed my save the dates on Wedding Chicks! It is such a great site and I am so glad you shared it! I too just recently found the wonders of top coat, after years of complaining about my nails chipping less then 24 hours after I painted them. You should look out for live tapings of Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me in your area. Last year my dad scored tickets for my family to go to a live taping in Hartford CT, it was so fun and they had Jerry Springer on it. It really changed my opinion of him and learned that even though he has an awful show he is a really smart man!
I love podcasts! Do you listen to TED talks? Some really good motivational speakers in there. I just downloaded the app and can’t get enough of them! Have a great weekend 🙂
Love these posts on Fridays! Hope you continue with them. I am loving my new crossfit group at gym lately and the cupcakes at the bakery around the corner…..bad habit.
I also just started using a top coat! You should try seche vite or sally hansen mega shine (less scary chemicals) they seriously changed my life, way better than the OPI one! Tho after using nail polish all the time my nails started peeling, so in order to make my nails heal and lengthen the time the nail polish stayed I started using a nail strengthening base coat (the diamond strength by Sally Hansen), now my nails are flawless for 10 days and they peel off like gel nails when i’m ready to remove them. It’s pretty awesome, no more regular salon visits for me!
I like these posts! While I’m not a Florida resident, I visit my grandparents in Fort Lauderdale a lot and I loveee Publix neopolitan ice-cream… the best of all flavors! I’ve been loving fresh figs. Yum!
I read Handmaid’s Tale in high school and it remains as one of my favorite books. I also love NPR and listen to This American Life and Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me almost daily. I’m currently listening to Tina Fey’s Bossypants and I’m obsessed.
I loved the Wedding Chicks website too! I was on it almost daily when I planned my own wedding last year!
If you like wait, wait don’t tell me, you have to check out Ask Me Another… They are both sooo good.
There is nothing more frustrating than taking the time to paint your nails and having them chip a day later. A good top coat is a must!
I’m loving my aerial dance classes and breaking bad. I have only just discovered the show and can’t get enough of it on Netflix. By the way I love these Friday posts.I really enjoy reading errors comments a well;-)
*everyones
My new pup (well, she’s 2; but still a puppy to me!) Millie and absolutley everything about her!
LOVE Publix’s Organic icecream! Their chocolate is good too! I used to bite my nails as well, I got a french manicure and I stopped.
I know you love that Chicken Apple Sausage from Publix, and I made a taco recipe with it lastnight so I thought I’d share (I never do this lol) http://inshapecupcake.com/2013/08/30/food-friday-chicken-apple-sausage-tacos/
Have fun in St. Augustine!!
My family coming into town tomorrow! I haven’t seen them in a while so I am excited for everyone to come and visit! I love group texts as well – sometimes my in-laws and my husband and I will get a group text going an before I know it I’ll check my phone and have 10-15 new texts! Sometimes they get a bit out of control!
I love OPI top coat – it’s awesome! It’s definitely worth the extra step.
I’m all about a top coat! I use “Out the Door” top coat, and it seriously does wonders. It keeps my hands chip free for at least a week which is pretty good for how often I’m exercising, washing dishes, and having a baby gnaw on my fingers 24/7! 🙂
One thing I’m loving lately… So Delicious Coconut Creamer! I’m hooked!
I really enjoyed this post! It’s nice to see what other’s like so that I can get some ideas. I normally don’t try new things unless I’m told that I HAVE to try it.
I am the worse at doing at-home-manicures. Iget polish all over my fingers and toes. So after polish is done drying I immediately have to take a shower to get the rest off. Ha I don’t know why it’s such a challenge for me
Those nail colors are super fun!!
I too need a pop of some color on lips–so I’ll have to check that out.
I’ve lately been loving Trader Joe’s anything! hah!
Wow, I can’t imagine not wanting sprinkles, chocolate syrup, cherries and goldfish on my vanilla ice cream. I will have to try this superpower vanilla ice cream!!
I’m really living Girls on the Run lately! Just went to my coaches training last night and am just so pumped to be coaching little 3rd graders to run in their first 5K 🙂
I’m a huge “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell ME” fan as well, it makes me sad that I can only listen to it once a week though! Do you have any other daily (or other weekly) podcasts you listen to Julie?
If you like the Wait Wait podcast, you’ll love seeing it in person! I saw a live taping last year, and it was really awesome to see how radio shows are produced, how the panelists physically interact with each other, and to be THIS CLOSE to Peter Sagal and Carl Kasell. 🙂
I love that nail polish color! Do you remember the name?
speaking nail polish.. i used to buy really cheap polish (NYC brand or similar) and it would chip off in approximately 1 day. I finally jumped on the OPI and Essie bandwagon and my manis last so much longer now!
The Handmaid’s Tale is so SO good, and captivating- you’re going to love it!
you NEVER used a top or bottom coat!?! Haha I don’t think I’ve ever not! And that greenwise ice cream looks delicious!
I highly recommend OPI nail envy! I use it as a base coat because I have weak nails that tend to chip and break and this has made a world of difference! My nails actually have more curve to them, they are stronger and my polish never chips.
My SIL gave my hubby and I “wait wait don’t tell me” tickets for our wedding present 🙂 it was really fun!
What happened to the pb book club? Is it on hold for summer? I hope it comes back soon.
I am loving China Glaze nail polishes, too. I swear they last so much longer than Essie or any other brand!
Vanilla ice cream that doesn’t need peanut butter cups?! I’d have to taste it to believe it… 😉
Hi, Julie! I do my manicure at home because I am trying to save some money. Maybe two years ago I was introduced to OPI top and base coat in one bottle called ” Start to finish”. In the stores it costs about $13, but I see it on amazon.com for less. Still it is cheaper than buying them separately.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0018BVINS