root beer

Weekly Therapy: And then I was 40

- Mel

the week:
mel is 40

weekend:
OMG, HY-VEE IS HOSTING A ROOT BEER FLOAT DAY EVENT ON SATURDAY!

seven things, seven days:
1. My birthday week was lovely, and it was so nice to receive cards and flowers in the mail and SO many messages on social media. Lots of ❤️
2. Pure Barre is opening in West Des Moines (actually, in Clive, but who can keep track of these suburban boundaries!)
3. I bought a GORGEOUS midyear planner from Day Designer (the packaging alone made the price point worth it!), and I LOVE the reminder and tips emails they sent that coordinate with use of the product starting on June 1.
4. I haven’t shopped at Sephora in a couple YEARS… but their birthday gift was better, and I guess Ulta doesn’t have exclusivity on one of my brands anymore.
5. Why so many businesses mess up employee development — my company uses a strength-based development program and monthly assessments, but development is often not referred to until the annual review. {via Entrepreneur}
6. There’s so much of me in this article: The Rise of Run Rage {via Runner’s World}
7. So… this is 40!

Weekly Therapy: “There’s a huge difference between losing and being a loser”

- Mel

the week:
It’s time to make the introductory rounds of new doctors in Iowa – I had my dentist appointment this week, and I get to meet my new PCP on Monday (morning. At 7am. WTF was I thinking?!). From that appointment, I need to get referrals for a new gyno, a new dermatologist for my annual skin cancer screening, and a trip to the Ortho (hopefully continuing my luck of having hot sports medicine doctors).

I also apparently got poison ivy while I was on an urban vacation… SERIOUSLY. So I had to cancel my pedicure this week. And there’s a possibility that I might have some kind of stress reaction in my foot. At least there was good news with no new cavities!

tl;dr – I’m falling apart. Bring wine.

weekend:
I got an amazing care package from ToGoSpa this week (their Ice Water EYES product is wonderful!); so in my earlier promise of self care, I will be relaxing with some face masks and bubble baths. I’ll also probably go outside a LOT because it’s 73 degrees and BEAUTIFUL right now.

seven things, seven days:
1. There are 33.814 fl oz in a 1000ml water bottle. #tmyk
2. After a pretty shit week at work, I was SUPER excited to receive an invitation to National Root Beer Float Day (yes, free root beer floats for employees in my department). BEST DAY EVER!
3. We went to an AMAZING Penfolds wine tasting at the country club. And brought home more than a few bottles.
4. Started AND finished “Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?” this week. Probably one of my favorite books of the year. I really loved Timothy Caulfield’s writing style and humor, and his compiling of research really had an impact in how I think about the health and beauty industries (especially the myth of “anti-aging”). 30-something approved!
5. “There is no such thing as perfect”: Female athletes fight expectations for perfection online {via Reebok}
6. Since I’m a creature of habit — and now mostly settled here in Iowa — I’ve been really looking at some of my routines, and if they’re really “working” for me. Here are some signs that your routine might be getting in your way. {via The Muse}
7. James Clear with another wonderful essay: Motivation is Overvalued

{date night} Root Beer Tasting

- Mel

Saturday night was fun. Since it was such a nice day (which I spent mostly indoors, working), I hurried to change after my shift ended, so we could walk around Sewickley: the location of our later plans. This was also our first time in Sewickley, but I knew there were cute little boutiques to pop in-and-out (LOVED the House store!), while we enjoyed the weather. A pop-up store even gave us a to-go glass of champagne! And then we found the fun DIY yogurt place. Yes, please, dessert before dinner.

yogurt and champagne

That said, it was difficult to “kill” a half hour of time between all the shops closing and the start of our event at Village Candy, but we managed on account of just finally being outside.

ON TO THE ROOT BEER TASTING!

root beer, village candy, pittsburgh, sewickley

In its fifth year, Village Candy introduced the crowd to seven root beers:
Barrel Brothers Creamy Vanilla
Dang Butterscotch
Capt’n Eli’s
Olde Rhode Island Molasses
Red Ribbon
Johnnie Ryan
Saranac
Sprecher Fire-brewed

(I was able to confirm that all, but one, were gluten free; that remaining sample was Barrel Brothers — I couldn’t confirm one way or another — but I didn’t seem to have a reaction to it.)

I am a sucker for root beer and sweets. Circling around the dizzying selection of CANDY, proprietor Doug Alpern and his employees were in really good spirits (sugar high?), which really added to atmosphere of the tasting event for the all-ages crowd. Village Candy has an assorted mix of old-school sweets, candy-related merchandise, sodas and unique chocolate bars. And a Jelly Belly filling station, natch, which I also noticed they carried the new Draft Beer flavor. My favorite root brews were the Saranac, Johnnie Ryan and the Olde Rhode Island Molasses (and if I’m remembering my ballot correctly, in that order). We really enjoyed the event, and look forward to visiting the candy shop — and Sewickley — again. Note: Village Candy is also doing a cream soda tasting soon. Sign up for their newsletter!

We even took home a 4-pack of ginger and root beers — Village Candy has an impressive selection of bottled sodas! Something fun, something different, something tasty.

Something… kitty piddle.

kitty piddle

Wut.