Friday Favorites #83

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There’s a whole lot of happenings going on here in Beetsland. Next week is the week of my surgery – I am finally going to get some relief from my neck pain. I am soooo not looking forward to the procedure itself but I have had a few people reach out to me that have had the same surgery done and they have all had fairly easy recoveries, so that has been super helpful. It seems to be fairly routine, in my Doctor’s words, he is putting “legos” into my neck. I am seriously most excited about being able to start running and swimming again.

BUT, before the surgery I am planning on being at the Planetarium on the campus of Seminole State College to view the eclipse. We here in Central Florida are expected to have an 88% partial eclipse. And I am prepared. I was given protective eyewear at my most recent NASA Social event, so I know my eclipse glasses are the real deal. Are YOU ready? NASA has a real cool website all about the eclipse so check it out –> NASA Solar Eclipse 2017 website.

Now let’s jump into why you are really here – it’s time for FRIDAY FAVORITES –yay!! This week I am joining the party with my blogging buddies Andrea, Katie, Heather, and April.

1. NASA Social with SpaceX

First up – that NASA Social event I just mentioned. If you guys have not been to one of these events you need to!! The NASA Social events are held throughout the year at any of the 10 NASA locations across the United States. So this past week was my 2nd social, and it was just as magical as the first, maybe even better.

The two-day event was centered around the launch of the SpaceX Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket sending supplies up to the International Space Station – it’s 12th of 14 such missions.

In addition to touring places like the famous Vehicle Assembly Building and the Launch Control Center, we also got a chance to see the Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket on the launch pad, just hours before it was being launched into space.

During the launch itself, we stood at the press site, the same place journalists from all over the world gather to film and photograph the event. It was amazing. Your insides rattle long before you hear the launch – you first see the launch, then feel it, then hear it. I will admit that I may have shed a tear or two.

Just as impressive as the launch itself is the landing of the Falcon 9 rocket. After the rocket deploys the Dragon capsule, it returns to Florida and lands upright at nearby Cape Canaveral. The rocket literally plummets head first back to Earth, then turns itself upright and lands the same way it took off. We were able to see a little bit of that though it was much further away than the launch itself was. It is mind boggling.

I even made it on TV during the press briefing.

And you guys, you do not have to be a science blogger- I am a food and travel blogger. Others in my group included a TV weatherman from New York City, an actress from Los Angeles, and a Vice Principal from South Carolina. You do not even need a blog, just a social media presence. And you don’t even need a huge following. Check out more info here –> NASA Social website.

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2. Nourish Snacks

I was so hungry at the press briefing while at NASA. Luckily, I was smart enough to pack some snacks in my bag. These Nourish Snacks are amazing.

First of all and most importantly, they are delicious. Secondly, these are healthy made with whole grain oats, chia and other natural ingredients like chocolate, bananas, apples and blueberries. The brand was founded by Joy Bauer, the nutritionist from the TODAY show. I had the pleasure of meeting Joy at this year’s BlogHer conference in Orlando a few months ago. She is so incredibly nice, and very dedicated to promoting good health. If Joy told me a styrofoam cup was the new quinoa, I would trust her. (And to be clear, she DID NOT tell me to eat styrofoam.)

I was sent a goodie box from Joy, complete with both large and single serving bags of the various Nourish flavors. I also got a hand written note which is such an amazing and kind personal touch. You can find these delicious snacks at Target or Amazon (<—an affiliate link).

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3. Speaking of good health- Ripple Pea Protein milk

Pea Protein is the new “it” health food. This Ripple milk is surprisingly delicious. Besides being 100% Vegan, it is also lactose-free, nut-free, soy-free, GMO-free, and gluten-free. I personally love the unsweetened plain flavor but I keep these single serving chocolate bottles in my fridge for a quick on the go snack.

Imagine a bottle of this Ripple chocolate milk with a bag of the Nourish double chocolate granola bites – just saying……

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4. Paring down my makeup

Mr. Beet and I are preparing for a big move. It could be soon, it could be later. Only we know when. So I am trying to pare everything down, from our closets to our books to my extremely large collection of way too many cosmetics. I tried to pare down down my makeup. I felt really confident going in, but just couldn’t bear to pare down any further. Which Mr. Beet just shakes his head at – mostly since I work from home. But you never know when I am going to have to do a full makeup face with highlighting and contouring, with both bronzed and rosy cheeks and purple eyelashes. Or blue eyelashes.

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5. My quote of the week:

I can’t argue with the Peanuts man.

And in case you missed it – here is a link to my Monday post- the Starbucks Horchata Frappuccino copycat recipe.

So that’s it for Friday Favorites. Thanks for stopping by –  Leave me a comment to let me know you were here!

What is the one (or ten) item(s) in your makeup drawer you cannot part with?

What is your favorite go to healthy snack?