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Life In Leggings

Friday Favorites #129: Week of 2/19

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Hello from New York City!

I have truly been enjoying our time in the Big Apple so far and I can’t wait to share some of the highlights with you. Until then, you can catch some sneak peeks on Instagram, and this fresh batch of Friday Favorites will have to do.

Below is what I have been loving this week, and I hope you’ll play along in the comments and link-up sections, too. Happy Friday!

 

Friday Favorites #129: Week of 2/19

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• ridiculously large bottles of water

This may seem like a strange way to kick of this week’s favorites, but can I make a quick shout to water?

large water bottle

I don’t know about you, but the more I carry it around with me, the more I drink throughout the day because it’s easy to refill my cups and bottles. I stole this huge bottle of water from Scott over the weekend, and I have probably refilled it (without exaggerating) ten times since then. The bigger the bottle, the more I drink.

I know I can’t be the only one who does (and gets excited about) this!

 

• sautéed vegetable pasta

It has been such a treat to have Scott home and in the kitchen lately. He’s an excellent cook and comes up with super easy, healthy meals that taste great. One thing that we have been turning to a lot in the past few months is fresh, sautéed vegetables on top of whole wheat noodles.

healthy vegetable pasta

Simply heat a large saucepan with olive oil, and add your vegetables of choice (onions, peppers, carrots, broccoli, squash, etc.) until they’re soft and slightly golden. Stir in minced garlic (if desired) for extra flavor and saute for a few minutes. When the veggies are done, place them on top of cooked pasta or toss and top with parmesan cheese, if desired. (<- yum!)

 

• Spafinder Wellness gift card

I had never heard of Spafinder Wellness until I received a gift card in the mail as part of a care package from my sweet childhood friends, Brittany and Missy.

Spafinder Wellness gift card

You can choose to redeem any type of service from a spa, salon or studio in your area that accepts the card. From massages to hair services to fitness classes, there are so many options!

 

Spafinder Wellness gift card and services

I made sure to bring the card along with me on our trip, just in case I find something to put it towards.

You can purchase, print out, and email Spafinder Wellness gift cards to give to family and friends, and you can even pick out different sayings depending on the occasion. Simply fill out the information and print or send it out. What a great gift!

 

• quick cardio Tabatas

During the winter months (when I am a baby about running outside in the cold temperatures and snow) I like to turn to the stationary bike, treadmill, elliptical, and Stairmaster when I have access to them. I don’t always have a full thirty minutes or so to fit my cardio in at the gym, so every now and then I will finish out my strength training sessions with a Tabata or two.

stationary bike and jump rope

A full Tabata is four minutes long (:20 work followed by :10 rest 8x), and I like to challenge myself by grabbing a jump rope or hop on the bike and push as hard as I can (or go as fast as I can) for those twenty second intervals. I’m usually breathing pretty hard just a few sets in!

If I have enough time, I’ll do a few Tabatas like the bike, jump rope and maybe even finish with kettlebell swings. (It only takes about 15 minutes to complete 3 Tabatas, including a 1 minute rest in between each.) The next time you have an extra five minutes to spare, I challenge you to grab a jump rope or hop on a machine and finish out your workout with a cardio sweat sesh!

 

Example Tabata on a stationary bike:

0:00-1:00 – warm up at level 1 or 2

1:00-1:20 – pedal hard at level 6+

1:20-1:30 – recover and pedal slow at level 1 or 2

1:30-1:50 – pedal hard at level 6+

1:50-2:00 – recover and pedal slow at level 1 or 2

2:00-2:20 – pedal hard at level 6+

2:20-2:30 – recover and pedal slow at level 1 or 2

2:30-2:50 – pedal hard at level 6+

2:50-3:00 – recover and pedal slow at level 1 or 2

3:00-3:20 – pedal hard at level 6+

3:20-3:30 – recover and pedal slow at level 1 or 2

3:30-3:50 – pedal hard at level 6+

3:50-4:00 – recover and pedal slow at level 1 or 2

4:00-4:20 – pedal hard at level 6+

4:20-4:30 – recover and pedal slow at level 1 or 2

4:30-4:50 – pedal hard at level 6+

4:50-5:00 – recover and pedal slow at level 1

*levels will vary depending on the machine and what feels challenging for you!

 

• The Book of Awakening

My dear friend Lauren (who we are currently visiting in New York!) sent me this book in the mail a few weeks ago.

The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo

It’s called by Mark Nepo and is all about being present and appreciate the not-so-awesome moments of where the journey of life takes you. I love his story and inspiration to write this book. Nepo is a cancer survivor who went through a lot of horrible days that eventually turned into an eagerness to share how to open your eyes and heart to see light through the darkness.

There is a passage labeled for each day of year, and each one shares stories of truth, hope, and understanding.

I’m only a few days into it (and plan to catch up to today’s date on our flight home), and I am looking forward to keeping it on my nightstand and reaching for it every morning when I wake up. They only take a few minutes to read, so I think it’s a perfect start to any day with a positive mindset. Thank you so much for this gift, my friend!

 

• Dole banana dippers

It’s easier to justify eating chocolate every night when there’s fruit in the middle, right? At least that is what I’m telling myself with these Dole Banana Dippers our friend Adam brought over to our house several weeks ago.

Dole Banana Dippers

I was shocked to see that we still had one package left when I peeked into the freezer yesterday because they’re addicting!

I love that they’re Non-GMO, gluten-free, and that the “bite-sized” slices take more than one bite to eat. The dark chocolate is delicious, and the bananas taste frozen, but are still soft. The best part is that a whole serving is only 120 calories, making this product a total win in my book. Thanks for introducing these into our lives, Adam. #sonotsponsored

 

• favorite LIL posts

» Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

homemade chicken noodle soup recipe

 

» Goodbye Chocolate Dumbbell Workout

goodbye chocolate dumbbell circuit workout

 

» What I Ate Wednesday #110

salad with chicken breast

 

• Friday funnies

(Because I can relate to all three of these and actually laughed out loud at each one.)

coffee funny

source

 

great gatsby friday funny

source

 

shower funny

source

Haha! Every time I am home alone taking a shower… totally me.

So great.

 

 

Your Turn


Life In Leggings

Have a great weekend!

Disclaimer: Friday Favorites is a series of posts that features items I genuinely want to share with you. While #FFavorites isn’t sponsored, affiliate links may appear from time to time. As always, any support is much appreciated! <3

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Comments

  1. That books amazing! It reminds me of a devotional I did when I was going through a hard time and I don’t think I could have made it through that time without the guidance and inspiration it gave me! Glad you’re having such a great time in New York!
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  6. This is TOO funny, Heather! I had The Book of Awakening on my Friday Favorites this week too! It’s such an amazing book. I hope you’ll head over and check out my other choices!

    Reply

  8. Hope you are enjoying NYC!
    It’s supposed to get up to 46 degrees in MN today and I am totally loving that. I hope that means spring is coming early this year 😉

    Reply

  12. I hear ya on the water bottles. The bigger, the better! Bonus points if it has a stray because that always helps me drink way more. That book looks awesome! Adding it to my reading list. Happy Friday!

    Reply

  19. I hope I don’t offend you by any means – but refilling plastic bottles is potentially very unhealthy. I know that it’s fine from time to time, but There is a lot of research regarding hormone and endocrine disruption from Americans’ abundant use of plastics and even BPA-free products. Due to my own issues with fibroids, cysts and getting pregnant, I was advised to cut out plastics as much as possible – and especially drinking from plastic water bottles. I’ve slowly but surely made the transition and have seen a big decrease in the issues I had. Just a thought!

    Reply

    • Hi Sam, not offended at all! You’re probably onto something with the plastic bottle factor. That’s interesting to hear about cutting back helping out with your issues. I try to use glass tumblers as much as possible, but every now and then I have to pick up a water bottle on-the-go. Thanks for the comment!

      Reply

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