Following up on this blog survey I did a few months ago, and a post about five songs I was loving this spring, I’m here with another round of favorites, five recent reads I’m loving this Friday. All five of these blog posts made an impact on me in recent weeks, whether related to running, relaxation, or recipes. Those are the real three R’s we all need!
Hello and happy Friday! I’m coming at you with a Five Things I’m Loving This Friday (resurrected after a long absence, save for my Five blog survey) focused on five songs I’m loving this spring. In that survey, I mentioned five songs I’d been playing on repeat. Well, those five are still some of my favorites, and pretty close to the ones I’m sharing here, but there are more in the rotation that have been especially prominent lately. They’re perfect for the season, as the weather finally warms up for good, the sun is shining and we have lots going on, and honestly a few of them are perfect road tunes that got stuck in my head when we were driving to Philadelphia that will definitely be in the mix for our upcoming trip to Maine! Also, they’re all country-esque, just the mood I’m in I guess 🙂
After seeing this survey on Julie’s, Brittany’s, and Courtney’s blogs, I thought it would be fun to fill out myself. Especially after wistfully glancing over the photos of travel locations and jamming to the music selections! I decided to go alphabetically in each section, but there are shout-outs to a few of my number ones 🙂
As a follow-up to my post on packing tips for a long trip, I’m kicking off this weekend with five great tips for carry-on packing. These techniques can be used to pack for a trip of any length. I tend to stick with just a carry-on and a backpack or purse if my trip will last less than one week. In fact, I only brought a carry-on and a backpack for my recent trip to California, and that was 10 days! Even if you’re the type of packer who likes to prepare for all contingencies, you’ll find these five tips useful for making the most of limited space.
Happy Friday, everyone! All this travel for me has meant I’ve been planning, packing, unpacking, and repacking for what seems like a month. I’ve gotten pretty good at it over the years, actually. I am one of those people who stands at the check-in line simultaneously untying their shoes and pulling their electronics out of their carry-on luggage to go through security. And I always get a sense of satisfaction when I use every item that I’ve packed in my suitcase and didn’t bring anything that ended up coming home untouched. So I figured I could share a few of the tips and tricks I’ve picked up! In this post are five useful packing tips for a long trip. I’ll throw a few for shorter jaunts your way in a little while 🙂
There’s something I’ve wanted to share for the past week, but wanted to take the time to properly sort out how I wanted to share it! Last Thursday, I went back to visit Oxford for the first time since leaving more than three years ago, and I’ve been thinking a lot about the differences in me and my life from then to now, and the role that Oxford played in making me the person I am today.
The Old Quad of Brasenose
I’ve shared my favorite frozen treats, fruits, and such with you before, but while I was studying for the past few months, there were a few discoveries that lent a bit of sweetness to life and made the hours more bearable. These summer study snacks would be awesome additions to anyone’s summer list, whether you’re actually studying or just want some new go-tos. All will definitely remain in my own repertoire! So I’m linking up with Heather and Katie to share them with you this Friday.
Growing up, I would walk along the beach in Connecticut or down the Cape or coastal Maine, right at the tide line where the ocean meets the sand. The waves lap over rocks and seashells, and every few steps I’d bend down to check one out and maybe take it home for my collection (even now, I still open little boxes and purses in my bedroom at home that have been hiding in corners, and find pieces of shells, with a few grains of sand nestling in the edges). It seemed to me that the ocean made the land move, making more of it at low tide and then taking over again as the tide crept high.
This Friday, I’m sharing a few ways I’ve realized are great for taking a step back when studying for a big exam and putting everything in perspective. I don’t often “stress” about a test, but I can get bogged down in the midst of preparing and start to feel generally gloomy. Each of these things helps me to feel what I rationally know is true – that this test, right now, might be dominating the present, but it’s really just a blip in the grand scheme of life. That’s really helpful to me, a forest-through-the-trees kind of girl. Just a quick note that I left eats and exercise out of this little roundup – while long runs and rising early to greet the dawn can do wonders for the soul, and there’s nothing like a healthy helping of dessert in the form of frozen treats as comfort food, the following list focuses on other things 🙂
I saw this running survey on Lisa’s, Kelly’s, and Heather’s blogs and thought I’d give it a whirl this Friday! It’s technically 20 questions but I figured 5 x 4 = 20. So really it’s like I’m quadrupling the Five Things Friday fun.
1. Would you rather run along a beach path or on a mountain trail?
I’ve never run on either a beach path or a mountain trail, but if it was a path on a beach and not actually sand I would totally take the beach. I love the ocean and dislike running hills. Of course, one can have mountainous beach. Some of the best New England beaches are rocky.
Kennebunk, Maine
renaissancerunnergirl 