Hi friends and Happy Friday! How are you doing out there?
It’s been quite the eventful week over here. And by eventful, I don’t really mean that our days have been filled with events. They have actually been particularly chill, yet filled with a lot of emotions, sleep strikes, tantrums, and more challenging moments that come with toddlerhood.
Skyler and I have been flying solo this week, and Scott has been on a trip with the men in his family. They’ve been living off the grid in the middle of the mountains in Colorado, over an hour from the nearest big town for semi-decent service. I know he’s enjoying the time to unplug while getting reacquainted with the great outdoors, and I’m glad he had the opportunity to go and spend quality time with them.
Back in Brooklyn, it’s been another week in the paradise that we call quarantine in a big city.

We had a storm roll in on Monday and off-and-on rainy days throughout the week. So, we’ve been in survival mode over here … doing our best with what we have access to, tackling one project at a time at home, and getting as much fresh air as we can.

I don’t have anything incredibly exciting to share this week, but let’s roll into some highlights anyways, because that’s what we do. I’m looking forward to a video chat with some girlfriends tonight and Scott’s return home late Saturday night. Other than that, we’re just hanging low this weekend. What about you?
Thank you for checking in today, and let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites!
LATEST FAVES — QUARANTINE WEEK 21
- in-and-out storm
This one isn’t really a favorite, but I wanted to add it to share some of what the heck happened this week in our area. It’s been eerie walking around our neighborhood to see trees split and crashed down from the aftermath of Hurricane Iasis.

I had no idea how bad the wind gusts really were until the following few days of seeing caution tape all throughout our streets and local park (there are at least a dozen that I didn’t picture), with huge uprooted trees and dangerous falls everywhere.

We never lost power, and I’m so thankful for that along with our safety. The weird stuff always seems to happen when Scott’s gone! Murphy’s Law.
- IKEA kids storage bins
I’ve actually had this one pictured and put aside for several months now. I wasn’t sure if they were worth featuring when I took the photo of them right out of the package, so I waited until I felt like they were a staple to have in our apartment.
Well, a staple they are and then some. I love the cute design of these bins, but, more importantly, they are extremely durable and have survived many carries, throws, and kicks from Skyler.

The material is wipeable, and this set of three is the perfect way to keep his smaller toys organized and accessible for him during the day. I really like the kids toys and crafts organization options from IKEA. We need more of them!
- one year advocating clean beauty & double perks offer
This month marks my one year anniversary of signing up to officially advocate for safer skincare and cleaner makeup! And if you think it’s all about selling lipstick, then you’re missing out on the important stuff.
What started as purely going for it to get the discounts, pre-sale bundles, and constant host rewards has totally changed into pursuing this as a business opportunity for many different reasons. You can read all about my love for this company and where it’s taken me on this Instagram post.
This journey has been a total surprise in the best way! I’m excited to see where the next year and beyond takes me. And thank you for following along!

Now, onto the deals, because I always want to bring you the best of the best. You can get all of the must-reads and latest news by subscribing to the LIL Beautycounter newsletter, but here’s one I just had to share with you all today … and it ends a the end of today!
Band of Beauty is Beautycounter’s perks program with no strings attached.
Members (New and Current) … order anything until end of day Friday (11:59 PST), and get DOUBLE (20%) credit back on your purchase.
For example, if you’re in need of replenishing your Countermatch Collection, do it now. That $243 subtotal usually equals $24.30 back to use on future orders (which is still great), and this time it would give you $48.60!
If you’re not a member yet, it would be totally worth it to join now and take advantage of the perks with the order.
Let’s break it down …
- $29 to sign up for perks for a calendar year.
- Earn product credit every time you shop, usually 10%, but 20% until today, 8/7.
- Free shipping on orders of $100 or more.
- Free welcome gift upon joining! (Travel sizes of both the popular Charcoal Face Mask and Overnight Resurfacing Peel – $43 value)
- No auto-renews, hidden fees, or anything silly like that.
Most clients sign up for this to get these VIP perks, and the membership pays for itself after one or two orders. I’d highly recommend this rewards program and can answer any questions you may have.
Add the Band of Beauty to your cart here.
(And if you’re new to Beautycounter, you can receive 20% off your order on top of this promotion by using the promo code CLEANFORALL20 upon checkout until 8/10!)
- lululemon gift card giveaway!
Speaking of deals, I’m currently co-hosting a killer giveaway with some of my fitness blogging friends over on Instagram. In case you missed it, it’s extremely easy to enter to win a $250 gift card to lululemon, and you can enter as many times as you’d like.

Simply follow the instructions on this post. Good luck!
- latest workouts
My workouts have been all over the place lately, but I’ve realized this is just the season I’m in right now after over four months of being in quarantine. And that’s okay. I miss the gym, I miss lifting heavy weights, I miss exercise machines, and I miss group fitness classes. I’m just doing my best to move as much as I can most days, and I like to share my thoughts on the workouts that I tried with you.
If nothing else, I’m learning to include a lot more variety in the workout videos I search through for at-home workouts. I try new ones every week, and circle back to favorites, too.
Here’s what this past week looked like …
Friday: REST – with longer walks throughout the day.
Saturday: 30-Minute Pilates Fusion-Cardio & Full-Body Toning Workout via POPSUGAR Fitness. I’ve forever been on the search to find something comparable to my favorite “Fitness Pilates” class at my local Lifetime Fitness back in Detroit. I finally stumbled upon this less than 35 minute workout by Kit Rich, and I really liked it. The workout had moves I remember from that format, and got me moving and sweating with a smile. The best part is that it’s all low-impact and effective.
Sunday: 6 mile run around the the park and it was a hot one!
Monday: Dumbbell Only // Full Body HIIT Workout via Heather Roberston – she’s been one of my favorites for follow-along workouts. I love her music.
Tuesday: REST – with a longer 4 mile park walk.
Wednesday: 30-Minute Cardio Dance and Barre Toning Workout via POPSUGAR Fitness. This one was so much fun! Give it a try for sure.
Thursday: Total Body Tone UP! via Tone It Up – a quick 15-minute circuit that focuses on strength and stability movements. You just need a light set of weight for this one. I love it and have turned to it several times in quarantine!
- favorite LIL posts
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A post all about how to format your own quick and effective workout when you need to using the Push, Pull, Squat template. I included a few sample workouts along with details on how to mix and match your own exercises. Let me know if I missed any of your favorites!

This is a colorful and customizable recipe with a Southern flare! All you need is a roundup of your favorite vegetables, a few spices, a big skillet, and about thirty minutes to throw it together. Skip the meat or beef it up with add-ins … the possibilities are endless.
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 out there this weekend!
*Disclaimer: Friday Favorites posts may contain affiliate links. Also, I am partner with Beautycounter, so I earn a commission when shopping my links shared in this post. I appreciate you and the support so much!

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