Hey, hoo, heat wave! (And a Solixir review.)

Right now, as I'm writing, it's 85 degrees. Holy heat wave. Yesterday was pretty warm but today is simply hot. Hot and sunny.

I felt the warmth when I was out for my run yesterday. It was an OK run, but I was rushing to fit it in before going to my sister's lacrosse game. Whenever I have to rush to fit in a run it always feels a little off. But, I did it.

In my rushing and running around with my toddler yesterday, I failed to post my latest review! So much for keeping to a schedule . . .

So, here it is, a day late:

Solixir Sparkling Botanical Beverage

Solixir is a new line of beverages that launched in early April and is being sold at Whole Foods nationwide. Scott at Solixir sent me a few cans of their first three flavors to sample: blackberry chamomile, pomegranate ginger and orange mate.

Before I get to my review of the actual drinks, I have to give some props to this company. If you check out their website, you'll see why I like them. They are ultra-positive and interested in promoting a healthy lifestyle. Their values, for example, are, "embrace the entrepreneurial spirit, give back to the community and planet, do everything with a smile." I love that last one! And why not, really? I mean, when I'm struggling through a tough run or that second set of walking push-ups in the level 3 Shred video, a smile tends to ease things up a bit.

So, anyway, back to the beverages. The drinks are what I would call lightly carbonated. They aren't bubbly like soda, more like Pellegrino or some such drink. And, yeah, that figures because the beverages are made with sparkling spring water. They don't contain sugar or artificial sweeteners. Instead, they are sweetened with fruit juice. The result is a drink that has more flavor than sweetness. This is both good and bad.

You may remember me mentioning that I was going to have a bunch of toddlers over for a big Earth Day hoo-ha. Well, the moms came over, too, and I shared the Solixir beverages with them. The pomegranate ginger went over well enough but the blackberry chamomile was a bust. Everyone thought it was too bland and not sweet enough. One mom even tried to sweeten it up by adding a little sugar, but that, well, let's just say that didn't work. We did have some laughs, though.

My favorite of the three beverages is the orange mate. It's meant to energize and is marketed as "the perfect choice before a workout" and that it is. Since it isn't too sweet and it isn't overly carbonated, it is good for before a run. I loved the flavor and the little kick from the 30mg of natural caffeine. I would definitely buy the orange mate. It delivers! (In fact, I'm drinking a can of it now.)

There you have it. A new beverage option.

And now, I am going to get outside and make the most of this sunny, hot day.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~ Felice