Friday Favorites: Safe Cleaning, Beauty Sale, Upgrades, and Strength Workouts

Hi there and Happy Friday! I missed you guys. Can you believe it’s been almost a month since we’ve last chatted? I certainly can’t. The last few weeks have flown right by! I have so much to catch you up on (including highlights from our recent trip to Israel), and today I’m starting with a new batch of Friday Favorites to get things started.

If the site is looking a little strange to you, I apologize. Life In Leggings is getting a bit of a makeover on the back-end, and there’s been several hiccups along the way that changes the look of the format for now. Don’t worry, it’s temporary. Things will fall into place and be so much easier for you to navigate through and find soon enough. I’m anxious to see how everything turns out!

That said, let’s dive right into the good stuff, as I’m currently typing away in our public library after my shift at work. I was on my way home and decided to take advantage of the quiet time while Scott was still home.

Let’s do this! Here’s a look into what I’ve been loving lately along with BIG sale details on my favorite beauty and skincare products below.

Thanks for checking in!

Latest Friday Favorites

• New Apple Upgrades (Ugh, but also … squeal)

I should have seriously invested in Apple this month because the amount that I’ve spent on their products lately is unreal. You’re talking to the girl who has had a more than a substantial amount of bad luck with technology, it’s almost unbelievable. Basically, everything has either disappeared into a black hole in our apartment or has ended up broken.

It started with my iPhone. The microphone wasn’t working all of the time, which was super frustrating for most audio and FaceTime conversations. I could have turned my X in through insurance (and still pay a few hundred dollars, mind you), but I decided to upgrade to the iPhone 11 and I looove it so far. I didn’t go for the Pro Max, since it would have added a significant chunk to my monthly bill, and the night mode and quality of the camera on my standard 11 has already proven to be well worth the upgrade.

I asked Scott for an Apple Watch for Christmas, and when I upgraded my phone, I received an offer to receive $200 off the new Apple Watch Series 5. I asked the Verizon store if there was a further discount if I paid upfront instead of adding it monthly to my plan, and I received another $100 off. So, your girl got the new watch for under $300. With the purchase of the phone upgrade, however, I agreed that Santa would be gifting me the watch at Christmas this year. So stay tuned on how I’m liking it early next year!

As far as my Airpods go … L.O.L. I’m convinced that Skyler moved them from my gym bag to who knows where (his favorite game is to find our valuables and hide them), so I finally gave in a purchased another pair the day before we left for overseas. Well, I used them for my one workout in the gym, brought them back to my hotel room, put them with my stuff, and they were never seen again. I still keep searching all of my bags that I took on the trip because I am in disbelief. Clearly I was not supposed to own a pair, and I refuse to buy another. What the heck, you guys.

And if that wasn’t enough to have going on in the electronics department over the course of a month, my 2014 MacBook Air died while I was traveling. This especially bummed me out because I planned to get a lot of blog work done on the flights and downtime in the hotel. I thought it was just ran out of disk space, so I spent hours clearing out files and photos to be able to upgrade the software and reassess the situation. I was able to do that, but then it wouldn’t stay without being plugged in, and it wouldn’t power on or off correctly. I got the bad news that I would have to replace a corroded battery for $750 or purchase a new laptop after a disappointing trip to the Genius Bar, and that was that. After fighting it for a week, I bit the bullet and purchased a new 2019 MacBook Air in Gold (shown here with an Incase Hardshell Case in Clear). And I’m not going to lie, she’s beautiful.

I’m so thankful for my friend Bethany who happens to work at the store and helped me through the decision process as well as a friends and family discount to help soften the blow a little!

And, while this isn’t Apple related, I think it’s worth noting that my blog has been experiencing “critical errors” as described at the bottom of the homepage for over a week now. It’s on the road to being fixed and upgraded (!!!), but holy cow. It’s been a stressful few weeks in the technology department for sure.

*Breathes in, breathes out.*

• Disney+

In other news, something that I’ve been loving in the technology department is a little subscription channel called Disney+. I’m sure you’ve heard of it by now, and if not, then you’re welcome.

All the hype is legit in my book. You can sign up for a free week to try it and then continue a monthly subscription for $6.99. This gives you access to the best Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic movies, documentaries, shows, and more. I need to investigate this further, but I also got an email from Verizon (our cell phone provider) saying that we get a free year of Disney+ included in our plan. I’ll verify that soon!

There is a huge variety in new releases to classic originals and my favorites include the movies that are directly out of the Disney Vault. You know where to find me on times where Skyler and I need to wind down here and there. My childhood heart is exploding!

• latest workouts

Here are my latest original workouts, created in real-time at the gym. You can find them under the “Fitness” Highlight on Instagram and screenshot to save them on your phone, too. I’ve really been enjoying my solo workouts at the gym lately, and I’m thrilled to report that Skyler has been loving his time in the gym daycare, too!

Make sure to follow along for more quick and effective workouts at home and in the gym!

• Norwex cleaning products

I have to thank my mom for this one! She is all about my transition into safer and cleaner beauty and skincare products (more on that below), and thought I would be all about an introduction to a line called Norwex. It’s a line of cloths and materials that effectively clean dirty surfaces using microfiber and water. No chemicals.

She told me about this over the phone, and didn’t believe her until I saw it for myself in person. You simply add water to the towels (they are all made a little differently for different purposes), wipe the surface clean, rinse them after each use, and wash them about once a week or as needed. It’s mind-blowing, and amazes me how clean and clear the surfaces are, including glass. I also really like the dusting mitt.

I really want to dig into the site and explore more on the Kids page! We have the baby cloth set and they were being rinsed and washed on repeat when Skyler was sick a few weeks ago. They helped us save so many wipes! I’m sure I’ll be sharing more soon.

• Beautycounter is 15% Off Sitewide! (Clean Friday Sale)

And speaking of clean …

It’s Clean Friday, y’all! Beautycounter is cleaning up Black Friday with a big sale that will get you in the holiday spirit. Get 15% off your entire purchase online and in stores now through December 1st. Also, receive free shipping on all orders over $50!

*All Collections and Regimens are excluded along with Get the Look and Flawless in Five (these are already discounted), but all Holiday sets are included! The offer is also good in all Beautycounter retail stores.​

If you’ve been on the fence of trying products that are better for you, this is seriously the time to invest and I would be so happy to help get you started. Simply email me at beautycounter@lifeinleggings.com and/or fill out , and I’ll get back to you with customized suggestions on what products would be best for you.

This photo captures a lot of my current faves …

• Counter+ No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil (I use this every morning)
• Balancing Charcoal Facial Mask (my weekly mask)
• Overnight Resurfacing Peel (ask me how you can get this for free!)
• Cleansing Balm (a multi-tasker that cleanses, moisturizes, and doubles as an overnight mask – my ultimate travel buddy)
• Countermatch Collection – age-preventing, hydrating, and adaptive full skincare line!

Although this discount doesn’t apply for me, I’ve got my cart full of everyday essentials (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion – or buy it all as a set together – etc.) and you should definitely take advantage of the 15% off and free shipping while it’s up. There’s so many great gift sets for loved ones, but don’t forget to get a little something for you, too.

This deal ends December 1st at 11:59 PST, so get shopping!

• favorite LIL posts

» Superset Strength Workout (With Resistance Bands)

Supersets are just two exercises that you complete back to back before moving on to the next set of exercises. This workout leads you through two rounds of the superset before moving onto the next one for a total of ten exercises in five supersets. All you need is a resistance band and somewhere to anchor it!

» (No Cream) Loaded Potato Soup

This (no cream!) creamy potato soup is thick, hearty, and perfect for the soup lover craving a delicious, homemade recipe with all the fixings.

I’m looking forward to spending some time catching up with you all this weekend. Check back early next week for recaps of our trip overseas along with more workout inspiration.

Enjoy your weekend!