Friday Favorites: Hidden meanings

Friday has come around again, which means it’s time for a light-hearted look at some things that make me happy. The purpose of these posts is not just to give you something fluffy to read on the last day of the work-week, but also to offer a little insight into me and my life. Today, it’s all about the hidden meaning behind the seemingly mundane.

My favorite shoe store: DSW

Why do I love DSW, the Designer Shoe Warehouse? First of all, the world’s largest four-story DSW is situated not too far from where I live. Second of all, DSW has an amazing variety of shoes for men and women. Third of all, I have bought so many wonderful things there over the years, including my wedding shoes and shoes for every member of my family as gifts.

But why it’s truly my favorite, is because all that shopping over the years turned me into a DSW Premier Rewards member. And that means I get frequent $10 coupons, special sales and all sorts of perks. That’s reason enough for me to be nearly shoe-loyal, meaning I will actively try to buy all of my shoes at DSW. There are times I’ve strayed (most recently when looking for specific athletic sneakers), but I always start with DSW.

The DSW website is also a good way to shoe shop. In fact, I ordered some of my go-to boots, the BCBGeneration Rumer Boot, just a few months ago when I couldn’t find anything right in the store. The free shipping isn’t too shabby either.

My favorite game: Scrabble

I don’t just like Scrabble because I like words, but I like Scrabble because it makes me think of fun family times. I grew up playing Scrabble with my parents and brother, and Dave and I have continued that pastime together in San Francisco. No matter what, when I visit home in Florida, there’s always a family showdown, and we sit around the same table in the living room in our respective spots. You’d think I would win every time, seeing as my writing skills and vocabulary are fairly strong, but not so much. I think it’s because I always get all the bad letters, of course.

Scrabble = good memories, so it will always be my favorite board game. And nothing makes a game of Scrabble better than a glass of chilled white wine.

See … I really do get bad letters.

My favorite breath-freshener: Trader Joe’s mints

Mints are pretty tasty, but the real reason behind my favorite new mint finds is this: It’s been ingrained in my head recently that when you’re a personal trainer, you must have good breath. Well, of course we all want good breath, but it’s particularly important when your job includes getting into other people’s personal space and touching their bodies, as well as giving them direction very close up. Having that in the forefront of my mind, when Dave and I were shopping for camping supplies a few weeks ago, I picked up both of these mints at Trader Joe’s and have found they are a true breath-freshening treat. You’ve got to try the gingermints, because they’re so strong they almost clear your nostrils.

The reason behind buying mints, is that as a trainer, you don’t always have time to brush your teeth after eating and drinking, and gum chewing doesn’t look very professional. So if you pop a couple of these bad boys, hopefully you can make it through a session without offending your client.

There you go. Three unrelated items, all related by the fact that they’re my current favorites and they have a little meaning behind them.

If you’re into the informal tone of this weekly “Friday Favorites” thing, then please make sure you’ve seen my other editions:

1. A snack, a purse and a ritual
2. A delivery, a bra and a guy
3. A sweet, a wine and a read
4. A drink, a gadget and a plan 
5. A time, a bottle and a powder
6. San Francisco edition
7. Beauty edition
8. Beach vacation edition

Thanks goes out to the lovely link-up host, Heather. Now I’m off to work and to keep chipping away at my lengthy to-do list before lift-off for Cabo on Sunday morning.

Questions of the day

Do you have a favorite game you played with your family growing up?

What’s in store for your weekend?