Celebrating the 4th of July & Quarantine Week 16 Faves

Happy Friday and holiday weekend everyone!

I know there is a lot of concern over any “big” weekend plans coming up for the Fourth, so I’m just going to say that I hope you have a good few days ahead with the people you love.

We’ve stayed in New York City during this holiday over the past few years, and this year is no exception. While we normally make a trip to the beach, however, we are staying clear and close to home. Instead, we took the day to catch some rays and waves sans crowds yesterday, and it was a complete success.

We had plenty of space to ourselves, we brought snacks and things to do, and we were able to enjoy several hours on the sand.

It was the breath of fresh air that we needed, and as a result, we’ll be staying pretty close to our apartment for the remainder of the weekend. And while the big Macy’s fireworks show is normally visible from the rooftop, I’m really not sure what’s going on this year. Will there be fireworks outside of the ones that people are (illegally) randomly shooting off every night? I guess time will tell.

Thank you for checking in today, and below you’ll see other highlights from the week for Friday Favorites!

LATEST FAVES — QUARANTINE WEEK 16

• healthy beach snacks

It’s funny that Scott and I have been to the beach more in the last two months than we have during the entire four years of living in Brooklyn. I was very nervous for our first trip about a month ago, but after seeing that the crowds were very manageable and experiencing the subway in a completely (improved) way with hardly anyone around, it’s been worth our efforts in venturing out.

What’s also funny is that the more I go to the beach with a toddler, the more stuff I want to bring with us. It’s probably a good thing that we don’t own a car to lug things to and from the sand. We don’t pack more than we need, however, and these days it includes a sandcastle building set, our monkey mat, a few large beach towels, and healthy snacks.

We got sucked into purchasing a few rounds of sangria coolers last time, so we also brought a homemade batch for the sake of convenience and cost.

Watermelon has become a summer staple, and Skyler has learned to love carrots. He’s still figuring out celery, and we’ve had some success when I smear it in peanut butter and raisins in an ants on a log style. On top of what you see above, we packed our cooler with waters, a few sparkling waters, cheese sticks, granola bars, and we were good to go!

• (socially distanced) playground time

Last week’s favorites mentioned a reluctant return to the playgrounds for us. We’ve taken many precautions and still feel safe enough to bring Skyler to many of the playgrounds around us for some outside play and relief from the heat by running through the water fountains.

This boy has become obsessed with going to all of the different playgrounds we’ve taken him to and asks to do so several times a day. But, without access to a backyard or areas to climb or run around in our apartment, do you blame him?

I’m mentioning this one again this week because it’s where we’ve been spending the majority of our days. Trips to different playgrounds have prompted longer walks throughout the neighborhood, and we’ve discovered many new things along the way!

I think it’s also important to note that adults are always wearing masks, kids tend to play on their own, and there is a lot of wiping and hand sanitizer involved. Even so, just having access to the play areas has been a huge win for us right now.

• tacos, taco salads, taco bowls and more

Taco Tuesdays become a thing around here since the start of quarantine. It’s an easy, throw-together dinner that doesn’t cost very much at all. We have really been enjoying tacos on an almost weekly basis, and we get creative on what to do with the leftovers, too.

We’ll use soft corn tortillas, hard taco shells (Scott’s favorite), or just make a taco bowl with the addition of beans instead. One of my favorite go-to meals is always a loaded taco salad, and you can add so many delicious toppings. We do the same with nachos!

Some of my favorite toppings include:

• avocados
• tomatoes
• peppers
• onions
• black olives
• cilantro

I know tacos aren’t a new concept, but the point is to hopefully inspire you to do more things with the idea of them.

• bodyweight workouts

While gyms still aren’t reopening anytime soon around us, I’ve heard that some that have reopened in other parts of the country have closed again. Woof! If you’re like me and don’t have much access to any equipment at all during this time of isolation, don’t stress.

In fact, I wrote a full blog post on the topic earlier this week!

This photo pictures dumbbells, but I’ve actually been turning to a lot of bodyweight workouts lately, and I’ve been loving them. You can see specifics below, but my favorite channels for quick, effective bodyweight workouts include POPSUGAR Fitness, Tone It Up, Heather Robertson, FitnessBlender, Blogilates, and more.

And here are few of my favorite LIL no-equipment workouts:

• 12 Minutes or Less Do-Anywhere Bodyweight Workout
• 20 Minute At-Home Strength & Power Workout
• At-Home (Do Anywhere) Bodyweight Workout
• Small Space Apartment Workout
• Standing Bodyweight Tabata Workout

I talk more about this in my blog post, but I also wanted to add that all workouts don’t have to leave you in a puddle of sweat and last an hour long. This period of quarantine has helped me remember how effective a workout using just your bodyweight can be. You can do a lot of moves you just wouldn’t be able to with weights or cables weighing you down, too!

• clean beauty news and deals

You will hear more about these deals and specifics if you subscribe to the LIL Beautycounter Newsletter, but I couldn’t not mention a few of the biggest ones here to all of you.

If you’re new to Beautycounter, you can receive your entire order at 20% off! I have a promo code for you, so simply reach out in the comments, email beautycounter@lifeinleggings.com, or DM me on social and I’ll send it over to you.

If you’d like to save even more, consider the Band of Beauty Membership, which is the perfect fusion of something like Amazon Prime and Nordstrom Rewards. You sign up for a year-long membership for $29, and what you get in return is free shipping off of orders $100 or more, product credit back on every purchase you make (this adds up quickly!), and a free welcome gift which is worth well over the initial cost alone.

This month, the gift is amazing and includes two of the best-sellers that I absolutely love in smaller sizes: the charcoal mask and the overnight resurfacing peel! These two are on my top favorites list, and are something that I recommend almost everyone have in their medicine cabinet.

There are more exciting updates coming in the next few weeks, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled and please message me if you have any questions at all!

• latest workouts

I didn’t realize that I wasn’t really running throughout the week until yesterday. I was obviously aware that I hadn’t been running as much as usual, but I had no idea that I went a week without running at all until putting this recap together.

I haven’t been lacking running motivation, per say, it’s just been hotter than ever here in Brooklyn. So if I don’t lace up my running shoe shortly after I wake up (and have the ability to leave Skyler with Scott), then I will most likely not go for a run that day.

That said, knowing that I still needed some cardio work in my circuits, I completed more HIIT workouts than normal. I plan to get back to a few runs per week next week, but here are links to the last week of workouts I tried, along with my thoughts.

Friday: 25-Minute Tone It Up Total Body Bootcamp via POPSUGAR Fitness, this is one I have on a rotation, it’s great

Saturday: REST

Sunday: Abs, Butt, and Thighs 30 Minute Workout via blogilates, and a 4 mile walk with the boys through the park

Monday: No Repeat Full Body Workout via Heather Robertson, this was a good strength workout that only required dumbbells

Tuesday: 40-Minute No-Equipment Cardio and Sculpting Workout via POPSUGAR Fitness, a repeat from last week because it kicked my booty in the best way.

Wednesday: REST

Thursday: No Repeats HIIT Workout via Heather Robertson, this one is a quick 30 minutes, but got me very, very sweaty.

Now I’m craving a run today! Hopefully I’ll be able to get out a bit once it gets a little cooler. Even a few miles before dinner are better than nothing at all, am I right?

• favorite LIL posts

» Favorite Amazon Purchases and Finds

Sharing a round up of some of the most requested things I get asked about in my Instagram stories that I found online. I think we can all agree in saying that online shopping is on the rise, especially during quarantine. So, these are all products that I’ve tried and loved after discovering them at bargain prices via Amazon.

» Healthy Fruit Hummus Pizza

If you’ve never tried a fruit pizza, the summer time may be the time to start! Indulge in this colorful fruit pizza without the guilt and with blueberry fruit hummus between fresh fruit and a homemade granola crust. Be aware, however, that one pizza may not be enough!

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Okay, it’s time for me to wrap things up and get out the door for a long walk with Skyler. He’s been begging to go to see the “water dragon” again that is pictured earlier in this post. It’s a bit of a walk to get there, so I strategically waited until the temperature dropped a little. We’ll be in hats and lathered in sunscreen, don’t you worry.

I hope you all have a great holiday weekend, and stay safe out there!

*Disclaimer: Friday Favorites posts may contain affiliate links. Also, I am a Beautycounter consultant and love what I do with the company. By using the links provided in this post to order products, you are supporting my business. I always appreciate you!