Hey hey it’s Friday! And it’s an extra good Friday for me because I have off from work for Good Friday. It’s kind of weird having the day off from work when you’re working from home because it doesn’t feel that different from a workday but it’ll be nice to get my run in earlier in the day (I plan on running at my favorite trail, which I haven’t been to in two weeks) and have more time to relax.
As always, I’m sharing five of my favorite things from this week!
I have been a SmartSweets fan since I first discovered their candy about a year ago. They make low sugar treats for people who are trying to #KickSugar and they actually taste good and aren’t made with weird ingredients. Most of their product line is plant-based, which means I can enjoy candy again without the unhealthy sugar rush!
Up until now, SmartSweets has only had gummy candy, but their new Sweet Chews are more like Starbursts. As a SmartSweets Champion (basically, me and other Champions get to share our opinions on the new innovations SmartSweets is developing), I got early access to the new candy, and just got my box in last weekend. After letting the package sit out for a couple of days (new package protocol thanks to COVID-19), I was eager to tear into the bags and try the new candy. And I was not disappointed! The Sweet Chews come individually wrapped, with 3 flavors (mango, strawberry and watermelon) and are perfectly soft and chewy and very flavorful. They may actually be my new fav SmartSweets candy!
You can now buy them for yourself on SmartSweets website, or if you can wait this long, they’re supposed to be debuting in Target stores in June. I’m pretty sure I’m going to order some more Sweet Chews very soon!
2) Zoom Meetings with My Work Team
There are soooooooo many memes about Zoom meetings, but I gotta say I’m kind of enjoying them. I am liking my new WFH reality in that it gives me more time in my day to take care of non-work related things, but it also leaves me feeling disconnected from my co-workers, who I enjoy working with.
We’ve only been meeting once a week, but it’s nice to see them and hear them and feel like we’re still a team, even if we’re spread out all over the Valley. Our meetings have been kinda long (2+ hours), but it helps the day go by faster, which is good when there’s less work to fill my day.
I still haven’t been invited to any Zoom get-togethers outside of work, but I’m hopeful that I’ll get to chat and “hang” with friends sometime soon.
3) Braids
I seem to go through phases when it comes to how I wear my hair when I run. I’m generally not a huge fan of ponytails personally (I don’t love how they look on me) so I usually have my hair in a half ponytail (haven’t done this in awhile), in low pigtails (it seems childish, but I like how they look) or lately, two braids.
It’s been super easy to just twist my hair into braids and head out for my run. Sometimes I wear a hat or headband over it, but usually I go without. I leave them in overnight and then when I get up in the morning to start work, I take them out and my hair is super wavy, which I love. Then when it’s time to run in the evening, I braid my hair again, rinse & repeat.
Sometimes, I rock the braids all day long, and add a braided-style headband for something fun!
4) New-to-Me Running Paths
I haven’t been running my favorite trails as much due to concerns about crowdedness at state/regional parks as well as still figuring out my WFH schedule, but I have been making an effort to run in new-to-me places.
Before this year, I basically only ran in my neighborhood (at least since moving to PHX — before this I ran on the river paths near me in Tucson and Tulsa), but I’ve discovered several parks within 20 minutes or less from me that are perfect for running. I avoid road running (aka running on sidewalks or pavement) because I much prefer dirt paths and fortunately I can still do this while exploring new areas near me.
This week’s discovery was the Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler, and I know I will be back weekly! It’s similar to the Riparian Preserve where I live in Gilbert, but much less crowded and even larger. I ran 8 miles there on Monday and I’m fairly certain I could complete a 10+ mile run there without much repetition of the same paths. Parts of it also reminded me of the Turkey Mountain trails in Tulsa, where I first discovered trail running, so it makes me happy.
5) “Youth” by Grouplove
Since I don’t have a 2 hour long commute on weekdays anymore (BLESS!) I don’t have that time to listen to music anymore but now I’m listening to music throughout my workday which helps me get through work when I don’t have much human interaction.
I’m really loving all of Grouplove’s new music (from their recently released album Healer) but my favorite right now is “Youth”. It’s got a more chill vibe than their hit single “Deleter” (also love) but still feels like them.
What music are you listening to while working from home? What’s your favorite Starburst/chewy candy flavor — I’m loving the watermelon Sweet Chews flavor most!
The Quarter Life Crisis 