Happy first day of March! I’m joining several other bloggers today for a virtual coffee date, which is fun. I can’t remember the last time I did an actual real-life coffee date with someone (it’s been some time), so it’s fun to share with you instead some things I’ve been enjoying lately. 

Over coffee, I would tell you that these are five things I’ve been grateful for lately:

Note – there are some affiliate links below, so if you decide to buy my bike, thanks in advance 🙂 But I really do love all these!

This tea. Okay, I don’t actually drink caffeine regularly, so if we were having a coffee date, I’d probably be sipping on some delicious tea – Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice. And this tea has been giving me life lately. If I do need a little jolt of energy, this is what I’m brewing these days. If you like cinnamon, I highly recommend it!

My exercise bike. I have been getting over a running injury (ugh!) and I’ve been so grateful to have my Merach exercise bike to get me through the past few weeks. It has kept me sane when I can’t run, and also given me a way to sweat and work some new muscles that I don’t focus on when running. It’s no Peloton, but I does it’s purpose and is a great bike for when cycling is your cross-training and not your primary workout. Oh, and it’s a great tool to have when your toddler is waking up at 6 am on weekends and wants to watch Daniel Tiger …

This nail polish. I go through phases with my nails, but I have always loved a good painted nail. This Esse Gel Couture is a polish I use at home (thanks to my friend Emily for introducing me to it!) and it lasts longer than my traditional home “manicure.” I’ve done my nails on a Friday or Saturday and gone to work most of the following week with it still looking good, and that says something! Best of all – it’s regular nail polish. No need for any UV light or do anything special to take it off. I use regular polish remover with acetone and a cotton ball and it comes right off. I have this bright red color and the below pink, which is an amazing nude color.

What I’m reading lately. After reading Killers of the Flower Moon, I wanted to find an easy, short book and this was everything I was looking for.  Sourdough was a light, fast read. It wasn’t my favorite book of the year but it was quick and easy. It also made me think about getting into the sourdough baking cult (yes, I know I’m 4 years too late). 

Morning walks. As the weather starts to get warmer, I’m so glad to be able to get in a short morning walk with GM after the big kids go to school. The bus picks them up around 7:15, and if I’m working from home, I have a 45 minutes or so to kill before starting my day. While it was chilly some mornings this week, we had some beautiful 50-60 degree days with a gorgeous sunrise and I was able to get GM out for a few miles. These walks have also been key to my sanity while I’m not running – getting in any movement has been a blessing!

Hope you liked my first Ultimate Coffee Date/Fit Five Friday linkup! 

Ultimate Coffee Date is hosted by Coco and Deborah
Fit Five Friday is hosted by My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher 

Questions for you:

• Do you drink coffee or tea regularly?
• How often do you paint your nails or get them done?