Friday Favorites: Quarantine Week 17

Hi there and Happy Friday to you!

It’s been a strange week over here. Our city is finally started to reopen a little, but it’s in an entirely new and nervous way. I’ve talked with many friends and family members in Florida, and it’s all just so exhausting as the numbers continue to rise there. My prayers are with everyone reading this, and especially with those who are continuing to struggle in such unforeseen times.

There aren’t any huge highlights to share this go around, but there’s a few things I’d like to mention along with some fitness talk in today’s round-up. I’ve been busy spending almost all of my time entertaining this guy, and it’s been so much fun.

Thank you for checking in today, and let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites!

LATEST FAVES — QUARANTINE WEEK 17

• mommy & me days

Scott has been busy volunteering this week, so I’ve had a lot of one-on-one time with Skyler. We’re no strangers to being on our own, but this is really the first time in a long time that it’s just been him and I for the entire day for days in a row throughout this time of quarantine.

It requires more effort to fill our days differently with almost everything geared towards kids and family still closed outside of playgrounds. So, we walked all over the neighborhood, we found new and different playgrounds, we had a picnic in the park, we walked to Target (with masks on), we saw all of our favorite animals (from the outside gate) at the zoo, we played in splash pads, we read a lot of books, and more.

My favorite part about our time together is that I’ve been able to involve Skyler more in my at-home activities and chores like preparing meals, working out, and cleaning up. I’ve tried to make it all interactive and play his favorite music, and he’s seemed to have a blast while helping!

• toddler painting

What started as a hunt for disinfectant wipes turned into a huge win in the $1 bin section at Target. They have so many great finds there, even though most of them run at $3 or even $5. I’ve been stocking up on arts and crafts supplies along with activities to take with us on-the-go, and my most recent haul includes a ton of painting supplies.

We picked up a painting tray, a variety of squeezable paints, puffy and glitter paint, and brushes from the regular retail section. Skyler was so excited to get home and paint that day, and it’s been our afternoon activity post-nap for the entire week.

We’ve even collected some rocks on our walks to bring home and paint, and that has become a thing to look forward to and do on the daily.

He absolutely loves it!

• POP Pilates workouts

Those who have been following the blog for a while might remember that I used to be obsessed with a group fitness class called Fitness Pilates at Lifetime while living in Detroit. I would take the class at least twice a week, sometimes up to four times if I wasn’t doing as many solo strength workouts. It was the perfect blend of challenging Pilates movements that also incorporated strength training with dumbbells and equipment like body bars, bands, stability balls, and more. I haven’t been able to find a similar class that I enjoyed to that extreme since, so I’m still on the lookout.

That said, I keep my eyes peeled for new styles of Pilates workouts when I see them. I’ve only completed a few of the POP Pilates workouts online, but I wanted to give the full hour trial a go yesterday, and I have some thoughts to share, just in case you’ve also been curious.

There are a few things that I really love about the style, and here is what I’ve noticed about the style of POP Pilates classes, from what I could access online:

• choreographed tracks to great music
• demonstrations of upcoming exercises before the tracks start
• set warm-up, stretches throughout the workout and cool down
• mix of challenging moves that are easily modifiable
• low-impact, but incorporates bouts of cardio
• Pilates exercises in a new and upbeat format

I am all about getting my HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts in, but it felt just as great to get a good strength session in with just my bodyweight and a yoga mat. I don’t plan on replacing my current strength training days in the gym (once it’s open) with this style of workout, but I do plan on keeping it up in addition to those days for a low-impact strength and stretch inspired workout on a regular basis.

You can find POP Pilates classes in-person at select 24 Hour Fitness locations, and I would love to see some appear near me once gyms start opening up again. For now, there is a one-hour full class you can take online.

• homemade soup

I enjoyed the remaining leftovers from Monday’s batch of my (No Cream) Loaded Potato Soup over lunch today, and it was very comforting. While it’s not always soup weather around here, it’s a grey and rainy afternoon in Brooklyn, and that is always the perfect excuse to stay indoors and make a warm pot of soup in my book!

Scott laughed as we re-made the recipe earlier this week because I put “no-cream” in the title. It has dairy (milk and cheese) and calls for the use of flour and butter, but it doesn’t include heavy cream as a traditional ingredient for potato soup. So, know that, and I hope like it because we certainly have this week!

• a nostalgic Netflix watch

This one is slightly embarrassing, I stumbled upon it earlier this week and I couldn’t not share it with you. Who remembers The Baby-Sitter’s Club book series? Well, there is now a Netflix series based on the books, and I finally caved and watched it after telling myself that I didn’t need to for days. It was a nice change of pace after all of the serious documentaries that I’ve been watching, and it brought me right back to middle school in the best way.

If you’re hanging with a pre-teen or looking for some nostalgia in your life right now, I highly recommend a watch. It’s the little things!

• latest workouts

Friday: No Repeat HIIT Workout With Weights via Heather Robertson. I’ve been turning to her channel weekly for over a month now, and I haven’t met a workout I didn’t like … so far.

Saturday: REST

Sunday: 4.5 mile run around the neighborhood and it was H-O-T!

Monday: 40 Minute Toned-Body Workout via POPSUGAR Fitness

Tuesday: 7 mile walk around the neighborhood and park with Skyler (in and out of the stroller). I had no idea we would be out that long or that far, but we had the best day exploring and he ended up napping, too.

Wednesday: LIL Dumbbell Strength Tabata Workout – it was so fun because Skyler was around and REALLY got into the Tabata countdowns from my playlist. It was a freeze and dance party for him while I worked out and went by so fast!

Thursday: 1-hour POP Pilates workout mentioned above

It’s raining today, but I hope to be able to log in more running miles outside this upcoming week ahead. I really miss that “me” time!

• favorite LIL posts

» Hamilton — Is It Worth The Hype?

Speaking of nostalgic viewings, I’m sure you’ve heard that Hamilton is now available to watch online via Disney Plus. It’s such a great opportunity for those who have been dying to see the broadway in person, as it is basically like having front row tickets to the first official On Broadway showing with the original cast in 2016. I LOVED reliving the moments I was able to see at the show last year, and plan to watch it again many times over. Here’s a post that includes my full review of the show!

» New Habits I’m NOT Continuing Post-Quarantine

In case you missed it, I shared some reality in this time of isolation! Here are some of the newer habits I’ve picked up over the past few months that I don’t plan to continue now that I’ve realized them.

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Okay, it’s time for me to wrap things up here and get back to the day.

I hope you all have a great one and stay safe!

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