I haven’t properly broken in the year until I have written a top 5 blog post, right? When brainstorming tonight’s topic, I had beverages on my mind. However, I have counted down my favorite sodas and my favorite beers before, so what else is there to write about? Plenty! This evening I am ranking my favorite non-soda/non-beer beverages. Also, in an effort to not make this topic a snooze, water is disqualified from making the list. Okay, bottoms up!…

Tonight I countdown my 5 favorite drinks.

5. Sonic Slushes – You can go to a convenient store or a carnival and get a pretty awful Icee, or you can go through the Sonic drive-thru during happy hour and treat yourself to a Sonic Slush. With a consistent, smooth texture and the same amount of flavor in each taste, a Sonic Slush is a well-made drink. They are also extremely refreshing! Nothing hits the spot more than ordering a Slush on a hot Carolina afternoon and sipping it as you drive home. Not a dessert but definitely a sugary treat, a Slush is the perfect summer sweet drink.

4. Gatorade – The tagline for Gatorade couldn’t be any more accurate…quench your thirst. When I think of Gatorade, I think of a beverage that will extinguish the flame in your mouth that sparks after a tough workout or a couple hours spent doing yard work. A practical drink that is scientifically proven to satisfy and replenish, I have so many fond memories throughout my life of downing 32 oz. Gatorades while on the brink of exhaustion. The flavors are fun and the taste itself is pleasant. Although I prefer Gatorade after strenuous exercise or when I am sick, I can enjoy it for casual drinking as well.

3. Hot Chocolate – As someone who doesn’t drink coffee, I always need to order an alternative beverage when someone drags me to Starbucks or another java joint. Hot chocolate it is! A fan of hot chocolate since I was young, I have fond memories of drinking the stuff at bitter cold football games with my dad, after church at the “coffee and donuts” gathering, and of course in front of the Christmas tree during the holiday season. But I don’t drink hot chocolate just at coffee shops or during the situations I explained above; I drink it on plenty of random days too. At our house we have a giant tub of coco mix that I never hesitate to use. I find that hot chocolate calms me and warms not only my body but my soul.

2. Apple Juice – When I was 12, I got braces. My orthodontist told me not to drink soda while I had them on. During this 2-year period, I substituted apple juice for carbonated beverages. It turned out that I didn’t mind this switch at all. I actually liked apple juice up until this point but I developed a whole new appreciation for it while I had the braces on, one that lives with me to this day. We allow Sloan to drink apple juice and when it seems as if a large quantity of the “liquid gold” in the gallon bottle has disappeared, Sid knows that Sloan isn’t the culprit. After Sid leaves for work in the morning, my daughter and I sip juice together. Call me a child, but I have no shame guzzling apple juice.

1. Milk – I didn’t grow to like milk or discover it later on in life…I have liked it since Day #1. Growing up, my parents only let us drink soda or other sugary drinks on special occasions. At the dinner table, we had two choices: water or milk. More often than not, I chose the 1% milk that was always available to us. Throughout my childhood, it became apparent that nothing goes better with most dishes than a tall glass of cold milk. To this day, even though I am not perfect about it anymore, I still select milk as my choice of beverage at dinner. Sometimes, I will get milk cravings and drink a couple glasses randomly. I am a big fan of chocolate milk as well but I try to drink it sparingly, opting for the healthier original version most of the time. As Sloan grows up, I hope she embraces the healthy habit of drinking milk too…after all, considering who her daddy is, it will always be available in the refrigerator.

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What else is there to say but cheers? I will touch base with you tomorrow for the Thursday Rundown. Don’t Blink.