Friday Favorites v. 1

Happy Friday all!

We're almost to the weekend, guys. We can make it.

I've been in my firm's formal training since Wednesday and it continues today. Since work has been light, I had time to go see Thor 2: The Dark World last night with Sourabh. The first half was meh but the second half was fantastic. I'm a total dork when it comes to movies, so I'd say go see it in theaters. Also, the post-credits scene sets up Guardians of the Galaxy, the new Marvel franchise being launched next year, so that's pretty sweet. Or just go because you have a crush on Chris Hemsworth / Tom Hiddleston / Idris Elba. Lots of man candy in the movie (and Natalie Portman for every red-blooded American male).

I always think it's fun to share the things that are making me happy or that I'm obsessing over at the moment. Shockingly (not shocking at all), the things I'm currently loving are work, food or exercise-related. What else is do I have happening in my life lately, after all?


Toms Ballet Flats

(TOMS - $79)

I needed a good pair of flats that I could wear commuting. I kept looking for flats but it was nearly impossible to find a pair that was both appropriate to wear in to the office and comfortable to walk in.

Finally, I found these! TOMS makes ballet flats, which makes them more appropriate to wear to a formal office than normal TOMS. They're very comfortable (although not as comfortable as the regular TOMS since they're more structured. They have a lot of colors and styles, not just boring black. And just like normal TOMS, buying a pair means a pair of shoes is given to a child in need.

KIND Bars

I like to have a snack in the afternoons since I normally don't eat dinner until 8 PM or later. The lovely people at KIND (one could even call them... kind!) sent me a box of their bars before the Chicago Marathon as pre-race fuel. They sent a ton, though, so I've been snacking on them since!

I've always liked KIND bars as a hefty snack, but they're especially great for me now that I'm working, for when I'm flagging around 3 or 4 PM. In the late afternoon I always crave something sweet. I love these bars because they have a great ingredient list that focuses on natural sugars and nuts. My favorites are the Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate, the Almond and Coconut, and the Cashew and Ginger Spice. Each one tastes a bit like a cookie, so it satisfies my sweet tooth.

My Firm's Cafeteria

I feel SO lucky that my firm has a fantastic cafeteria. I may have been chatting a bit obsessively about it to people since I started. Above is a quinoa stuffed pepper with roasted sweet potatoes. Yeah, it doesn't look great, but it was delicious.

Most of the time I grab a salad -- they're only $5 for whatever you want in them, including a kale base! It's $2 extra for shrimp, when they have it, but where else in midtown can you get something like that? Oh, and they CHOP the salads! I love chopped salads so the salad bar is basically my dream come true.

Plus, on nights when I eat dinner in the office, they have some fantastic options, like salmon puttanesca with grilled green beans and roasted fingerling potatoes (my dinner last week -- so good!).


My C9 by Champion Vest

(Target - $29.99)

Ashley mentioned this in a post on winter running clothes and, since I'd been wanting a running vest for a while, I bought one immediately. You really can't beat $30 for quality cold weather running items. I love this vest, and I've worn it quite a bit both for running and doing errands. It's light but warm, making it perfect for the colder fall weather. And hopefully it'll be good over my winter running jacket for extra insulation once it gets really cold!

My New Juicer

After I passed the bar, my parents sent me this fantastic gift: a juicer! This model, the Breville Juice Fountain, is $150, which is a good deal for a juicer. I've made two big batches of green juice so far, which is my favorite kind of juice since I don't like super sugary juices. They've come out perfectly, just as if I'd gotten them from a juice bar. Even better, Sourabh loves juices, meaning it's a perfect way to get him to drink his veggies!

I'm trying to figure out some ways to use the leftover vegetable fiber -- anyone have some ideas?


What are your favorite things right now?