May 17, 2014

5 Reasons to be Excited for Summer (Five Friday Faves a day late!) 5/17/14

Okay so yesterday was crazy busy so you're getting my Five Friday Favorites on Saturday, sorry! I'm linking up with the DC bloggers Five Friday linkup too! With the weather finally looking consistently good besides some rainy days, I'm getting even more excited for summer and all the fun it brings! I am warm-weather loving gal for sure. 

Five Friday Favorites: Reasons to be Excited for Summer


1. Sunshine

The warm weather just seems to make everyone happier, especially after the winter that lasted through spring that the Northeast had. I love running downtown and seeing everyone working out, taking walks, and enjoying the weather.   I love flowers,clear skies, and the sun on my face. It makes me want to spend all weekend outdoors!
clear skies and blossoming trees in Philadelphia a month ago!
2. Shorts and Sandals
Honestly, I hate wearing pants. Except yoga pants, which don't really count as pants. I love wearing shorts and tank tops, mostly because it means it isn't freezing cold outside. Also not having to bundle up anymore for running is amazing!  I used to love being barefoot all summer when I was growing up. Now it's great to slip on a pair of flip-flops and head outside!
my current fave Lululemon shorts


3. Ice Cream and Freezy Treats

I love ice cream, frozen yogurt, and popsicles all year round, but there is something very nostalgic for me about grabbing ice cream and water ice (what people in the Philadelphia area call Italian ice) in the summer with my family or after soccer practice. A cold treat is super refreshing on hot summer days, making it the perfect reason to eat one all the time!

Check out my recipe for Coconutty popsicles made with coconut water-the most refreshing post-workout snack!
AMAZING goat cheese brownie ice cream scoop I got in Boston last month at Toscanini
4. Parties
I love how every weekend there is something going on in the summer but am sad that I can't do it all. Even if I have no plans, I can always find a festival to drop by or just plan my own get together with friends. Besides good people and good food, I love having some good summertime drinks. I was recently sent some red wine sangria from Beso Del Sol  and think it would be perfect for all of your summer events. 

I was skeptical because I haven't had wine from a box since my college days (oh cheap Franzia!). However I was pleasantly surprised that the sangria tastes great. It's not as sweet as I expected and has a nice deep flavor to it. I would probably spruce it up and add some fruit into the wine glasses before serving the sangria, since that's how I prefer it. 

The cardboard box makes it perfect to transport and take to parties, beaches, or picnics! A 3-liter box of Beso del Sol Sangria is the equivalent of four 750mL bottles of wine and is the first 100% natural premium sangria sold in a box! It's also great because a box stays fresh up to 6 weeks so you can keep it in your fridge and have it on several occasions! 


Check out Beso del Solo on Facebook and twitter! Apparently you can pick some up at your local Whole Foods as well!

5. Summer Fruits

Need I say more? Fruit is my favorite, especially all the different types of berries. I love in the summer when they are in season and cheaper so I can pick up a bunch of berries on Sunday at the Baltimore Farmers Market to eat all week. I love when I get to go home and visit the Jersey beaches in the summer and drive past all the blueberry farms on the way down. Let's be honest, a pint of blueberries is like one serving right? 
Of course berries make a great topping to pancakes!

You'll be seeing me talk about this next topic all summer so get used to it, because I'm so excited about this race series for an amazing cause!


Please consider making a donation or participating in the Women's Health RUN 10 FEED 10 to fight hunger that I'm fundraising for as a Women's Health Action Hero! 49 million Americans are hungry right now. That's unacceptable, and we can change that!  



You can run any of the 10K races including the DC Fun Run with me! There is also an option to create your own race or run a VIRTUAL solo 10K! Use code WHSESERKO for $5 off registration! 


Here is the link to the fundraiser page to make a donation!


I'll have more about the FEED foundation and training plans on my blog in the upcoming months!


Disclaimer: I’m a Women’s Health Action Hero helping to promote RUN10FEED10 . I was given one box of Beso del Sol sangria free of charge but received no other compensation. As always, all opinions are my own. 


What are your favorite things about summer? 


12 comments:

  1. I love summer and everything about it, especially pool time and BBQ get togethers!

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  2. OMG THAT ICE CREAM SOUNDS SO GOOD!! These are all the things I'm excited about for summer, too! And Summer Fridays (half-days) at work!

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    1. It was amazing-I highly recommend it if you ever are in Boston! Half day Fridays sounds AMAZING.

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  3. YES YES YES! and especially to #5 - fresh produce galore is my favorite thing about summer. plus the days feeling like they go on forever. love it :)

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    1. Yes I'm also a huge fan of it staying light so late!

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  4. so, so ready for summer and nice weather to stay around :)

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  5. You had me at Summer! It was such a brutal winter here that I have never been looking forward to summer more. I love the sun in the morning and staying light at night. I love wearing shorts and skirts and the Pool!! #FridayFive

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    1. I agreed-I love all the sunshine and wearing shorts and flip flops!

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  6. I have never heard of that kind of ice cream. Sounds very interesting! I'll check out that wine- it looks good! I love running in the summer. After this horrible winter, I'll never complain about the heat again!

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    1. I totally agree about the weather-NO one can complain about the heat haha!

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