Friday Favorites

Happy Good Friday! (Is that redundant?)

Today I am taking a cue from Alexandra, Katie, and many others by sharing a round-up of recent favorites.

Cookie Monster Commercials
Adam and I both busted out laughing when we saw this commercial:

This is an instant classic! Cookie Monster is me in the kitchen, especially when it comes to baking desserts. Kudos to whoever came up with the idea. I am totally going to put that "Time in a Bottle" song on my kitchen playlist, too.

We both think this should have been a Super Bowl Commercial!

And speaking of cookies...

Adventures in Girl Scout Cookies
When Girl Scout cookies go on sale each year, I've long been a captive devotee to Thin Mints. My motto was, "All Thin Mints and only Thin Mints, all the time!"

This year, a mysterious cookie force came over me. This caused me to make a snap decision to try something different. I threw a dart at a Girl Scout cookie dartboard and bought a box of Savannah Smiles. (Description: Crisp, zesty lemon wedge cookies dusted with powdered sugar.)

Hello, my lovelies:

The Savannah Smiles are SO good. I am addicted.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but the Savannah Smiles are going to give the Thin Mints a run for the money in the future. Ladies and gentlemen, the tide has turned. I am in a world of trouble!

Finnish Hockey Players
I've previously mentioned that through Adam's influence, the Pittsburgh Penguins are my second favorite hockey team behind the Chicago Blackhawks. My favorite Penguin used to be Max Talbot until he left in 2011. Since then I never found a true new favorite Penguin... until now!

Please give a warm blogger welcome to Olli Maatta (Finnish: Olli Määttä - shout out to Pete for nailing those umlauts!):

Would you believe that Olli is only 21 years old, yet dealt with surgery last year to remove a potentially cancerous tumor from his neck? Thankfully he's made a full recovery.

I watched several of Olli's interviews and videos. In my opinion, hockey players are generally very down-to-earth - but Olli is exceptionally genuine and considerate. He strikes me as someone who would make you feel super comfortable from the moment you met him.

Olli recently signed a long-term contract, which makes me really happy. Now I can buy his Penguins jersey with less fear of enacting my jersey curse! (If you're keeping score at home, yes, I'm anxiously waiting for the Blackhawks to extend Artemi Panarin's contract...)

It's going to be so much fun to follow Olli in the coming years!

Olli and his bobblehead look-alike. So cute!

The Americans
In my opinion, this is far and away the best show on free television right now. The story is chilling, riveting, and masterfully thought-provoking. There are so many plot lines to think about.

In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I won't go into any story-line specifics here. I'll just say it's been gripping to see what creates motivation.

Who else is watching? If you are, please let me know so we can talk about it. There is A LOT to discuss.

Swaggin'
During TV player introductions, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor would say he went to Swaggin' University.

Here's an example. Ike comes on around the 12-second mark (note the commentary at the very end, too).

Adam and I were joking about how for our own personal usage, we'd change it from "Swaggin'" to "Snoozin'." =D

Then I randomly came across this video in which Ike explains the credentials for getting into Swaggin' U:

You got it, buddy! Next time, I am going to try washing and folding my clothes with swag.

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone! Happy Easter to those who celebrate!

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Linking up with Mar, Cynthia, and Courtney for the Friday Five.