5 Favorites, Vol. 6

Linking up with Hallie and the Crew for a few of our favorite things. (I've gone sooo long without doing it, but the Sound of Music lover in me couldn't resist any longer!)

1. Dairy products -- Huh? I've spent most of my 31 years avoiding dairy that wasn't ice cream or cheese like the plague. At dinners as a child, I happily ate my green beans but stared down the glass of milk until it was warm and gross and the dishes were done and all I could do was close my eyes and chug. A couple of months ago, I decided that low-fat (but only low-fat) cottage cheese was really good. Suddenly, last week, a cold glass of milk in the afternoon started sounding like a great idea. I don't know what's wrong with me. Don't worry, I'd still happily take a Blizzard right now if you offered one. ;)

Via (thanks, Gramps for a lifetime of love for Shamrock.)

2.  Swiffer -- I have a crawler/wanna be cruiser who leaves cracker crumbs and Cheerios in her wake like she is Gretel without her Hansel. My maybe-weekly floor cleaning has gone daily, and this handy-dandy helper is keeping me sane.

Via

3. Kraft Mac & Cheese -- I truly really honestly try to avoid prepared and packaged food. We've been doing so well at eating clean(er) lately. But somehow, my childhood favorite keeps pulling me back in. I gave in for lunch yesterday with Monster's Inc. shapes. Mmmm...

Via

4. Moxie by Zoya -- I'm not a polish connoisseur (but Andi is, so I borrow from her collection on the reg), but I can't stand unpolished toes. That means my old standbys get lots of love. Moxie is the perfect color for spring -- a bright pink that still lets me ease into summer.

Via

5. iPhone -- I finally get to join the 21st century on Saturday with my very own iPhone. I'm a little lot excited for a lot of reasons, the least of which is that my current phone is very, shall I say temperamental?, about text message reading. And juggling iPod and regular phone is annoying. And I'm sure the navigation will come in handy during our summer adventures. And I'm also sure I'll find another use or two million for it.

Via

And and and . . . head on over to Moxie Wife to see more fab favorites.

Frappuccino Friday

Yesterday, Andi and I celebrated, well, nothing, really with 50% off (through May 15!) Frapps at Starbucks.

Who can resist a deal? When I told my fiance about our plans, his response was, "You girls really know your Starbucks." We sure do!

Andi is one of those once-in-a-lifetime friends. Someone who, near or far, is always a phone call away. Someone who tells it straight, even when we disagree. Someone I never get tired of talking to, even on a week-long road trip. Someone with whom the time always flies.

Most every time we get together, the day includes coffee -- warm breakfast mugs or a post-shopping swing by Starbucks. It gives us a chance to relax, talk and reconnect. It often seems like those are the times when we really get to the heart of the matter: our frustrations, our concerns, our hopes.

We can also count on one another to share our grand plans to get together for the next cup!

So It Begins

I've wanted to start a new blog for awhile. I wanted it to be something where I could share my goings on and write about my thoughts without too much specificity. I needed a vehicle, though, a catch. I knew that a free-for-all thoughts-on-my-life blog would be DOA.

Earlier this week, though, the idea hit me by surprise. My BFF -- Andi at VivaPolish -- and I decided to get together for Frappuccino Friday, to take advantage of 50% off Frapps from Starbucks (lovely 2 weeks of May). I suggested I take a picture of our new, one-day tradition and lightning hit me!

We have a tradition of taking pictures of our coffee. The first one is posted above. It started sort-of by accident while we were visiting New York City in 2007 (little did we know she would be moving there less than a year later). We were drinking coffee. She was fussing with her camera and, somehow, the coffee ended up posing for us. Before we knew it, vacations were marked with coffee photos, iced tea photos, and various other beverage photos.

It's cheesy, but in a lot of ways it makes sense. Life isn't just about the things that happen to us, the adventures we embark upon, or the day-to-day routine of life. It's about the people who share or rehash it. More often than not, it happens around the table: a quick cup of joe to catch up with someone; a long, talkative dinner; a ladies' lunch. It happens with family and friends. It happens over coffee.