In an effort to introduce myself to blog-land (and, well, just talk about things I like), I thought I’d start up a blog series of current favorites in the realms of food, fitness, and whatever else strikes my fancy. Let’s get to it!

olives

For the past several weeks, we’ve been picking up dinner from the Whole Foods salad bar on weekend nights, and I have been loving the massive olives they have available there. I’ve tried a few different varieties, but I think the jumbo, garlic-stuffed queen olives are my favorite thus far. I’ve also been snacking on black olives I buy from the grocery store (this kind is pretty good)–love them with a stack of cucumber slices and a hunk of cheese. Oh yeah, and they’re good for you too–rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, just like olive oil.

cheap activewear

Truth be told, I’m a total cheapskate when it comes to activewear. Almost all of the workout gear I own has come from JCPenney, Target, or TJ Maxx. I exercise far more often than I do laundry, so I need a pretty good selection…so cheaper, bulk buys are my game. Anyway, I recently discovered two more locales for inexpensive items–Walmart (no, really) and Gap Factory. I bought a few items in this print by Avia and love them, and I just got these fun floral shorts on major discount from Gap Factory. I guess summer has me in the mood for bright, bold prints…at least when it comes to exercise gear.

lynette marie

I’ve just recently discovered a bunch of fitness-y YouTubers, and right now my favorite is Lynette. She is a certified personal trainer, and I love the at-home workouts she shares. But really, I just find her (and her cat Nacho) incredibly entertaining. Lynette is very relatable, which somehow makes me feel like getting stronger and gaining muscle are more attainable.

grown-up backpack

Within the past couple of weeks, I finally transitioned away from the diaper bag (you know, now that my kid is 18 months old…) as my every day purse/all-purpose carry-all. I’ve been using this backpack by Sole Society that I received as a gift, and it’s been life-changing. I have no idea if the backpack trend is still a thing, but I’m loving this bag–there’s something so freeing about having both arms unrestricted, particularly when I’m wrangling Caleb for one reason or another. It’s big enough for all of life’s essentials: my wallet, phone, iPad, can of La Croix, and chapstick. I’m also considering getting one in black…

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So now it’s your turn–what are a few of your favorite things these days?

You can always check out what I’m loving lately on Pinterest!