Things I’m Loving Friday

It’s been a long and exhausting week. Between becoming the business owner for 5 new promotions at work, a tough week of workouts, and the illness of both of my grandparents, I’m both mentally and physically exhausted and more than ready for a weekend that hopefully won’t be quite as stressful as the last.

In all honesty, there’s no telling what this weekend has in store for me. I’ve made plans, but am not holding my breath that they will actually happen since my grandparents health seems to be so up and down. It’s crazy how quickly life can change like this and I’m just counting each passing day that I have both of them in my life as a blessing.

If all goes well, majority of the weekend will be spent with Bart’s family celebrating his brother’s birthday as well as Mother’s Day on Sunday. It’s definitely never a dull moment with our group, so I’m excited to potentially have a light and cheery weekend with tons of good food and great people.

Now since it’s Friday, I’m going to try to keep things a little more upbeat and positive, which means a cheery and light Friday Favorites post. I have to tell you, I’ve been accumulating some of my favorites for the past few weeks since my last “Friday Favorites”, so I’ve got a pretty good mix for you all today. Now let’s hop to it!

My New Panini Maker

You know you’re finally “adulting” when kitchen appliances actually make your list of favorite things from a week. About 4 weeks ago, Bart and I finally pulled the trigger on purchasing a panini maker and it’s been a total game changer in terms of quick & delicious meals during the week. A turkey and pepper-jack panini loaded with veggies has quickly become one of my favorite dinners and has been happening at least once a week. The best part is these yummy sandwiches can come together in under 10 minutes–perfect for nights where I get home late or am just too lazy to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Spring Walks

We had a record-breaking April in terms of temperature, which tied with my ankle injury meant Bart and I got to go on some gorgeous walks throughout the month. Here’s to hoping May continues to be gorgeous since I’m finally able to run again! Sunshine-filled runs are my absolute favorite.

Back to Running!!

Speaking of running–this definitely had to make my favorites list. I’m FINALLY hitting the trails again for brisk jogs and although I’m pretty restricted in how far and fast I can go, I’m enjoying every pain free mile I get to put in. Coach and I have talked through training plans and I’m planning on taking it easy over the next few weeks until I get back from Europe and then I’m going all-in to train for the Portland Marathon. As much as I’m excited to get to work again, I’m trying to enjoy these days when training isn’t quite as intense and I can actually sleep in on the weekends because I know they’ll be far and few between once July hits.

Naked & Afraid

This is a bit of a guilty pleasure. I was SO against this show when I first heard about it because I thought the premise of it was pretty dumb–I figured it would just be one of those stupid reality TV shows full of drama and broken relationships. But after my parents came to visit and told us they loved it, Bart and I decided to give it a shot and actually got hooked! It’s way less focused on the nudity-aspect than I thought it would be. In fact, the only real reason the people are naked is because it makes them more vulnerable to nature and the wilderness. If you’re like I was and were turned off by this show before, I’m telling you it’s worth checking out!

Froyo Dates

This past weekend was rough, so when Sunday night rolled around, I told Bart we both needed a pick-me-up. Enter a monster bowl of froyo topped with only the best toppings (cheesecake bites, yogurt chips, and caramel sauce) for the win!

Planning for Italy

With less than 6 weeks until our Euro-trip (YAY!), Bart and I have finally started piecing together an itinerary for our 11-night vacation in Italy and it’s made me even more stoked to finally go! I keep telling myself that 6 weeks is still a loooooong time in order to keep myself from getting too excited, but as the days pass, it’s getting harder and harder to wait until we leave. Luckily, planning for the trip has been a really good distraction 🙂

Family

As you know, this past week has been hard, but the one thing that’s gotten my through has been my family. Even though we’re apart, we’ve constantly been in contact with one another and have reassured each other that with God’s help, we can get through this together.

Thanks for the link-up Heather! Now go have a fabulous weekend! 🙂