Friday Favorites: Week of 10/1

Hello and Happy October! Can you believe that it’s already the first of a new month?

Fall is officially here, and it’s my favorite time of year where the cooler weather is rolling in and the sun is still shining bright. This also means that Halloween is just around the corner, which is something Skyler has been waiting for and asking about since last year.

He’s so pumped!

In case you didn’t know already, today is National Coffee Day! You know I’m celebrating (I’m pretty sure coffee is my love language, lol), and I’m also offering coffee on me as a thank you for shopping clean beauty with me. Any Beautycounter purchase at all will get you an automatic coffee credit to your shop of choice from yours truly. Details here.

It’s been an eventful week in our neck of the woods, but it’s been a fun one!

We’ve been out on the town with several evening outings, and it’s been nice to be social again. That said, it’s also been exhausting. (Ha!) After over a year and a half of having little to no in-person events on the calendar, it’s been an adjustment to for me get out and about again. I love being around people and the interaction, but I definitely need quiet recovery time afterwards. Anyone else? #extrovertedintrovert

Today’s edition of Friday Favorites is includes a giveaway, a new strength workout, highlights from City outings, a lightened-up pumpkin spice latte order and more. Thanks for reading!

FRIDAY FAVORITES: WEEK OF 10/1

• Just Salad Giveaway

You already know that I’m all into the fall-inspired food and drinks, and the Fall Seasonal Menu at Just Salad is no exception. Run, don’t walk to try the items featured here, because they are that good. Just Salad locations are all around NYC, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Chicago, Florida and North Carolina.

I’ve had a partnership with the brand all year to share my go-to orders over on Instagram, but this one deserves a mention here on the blog, too. Seriously, the Fall Seasonal Menu is amazing and includes a lot of my favorite ingredient features like sweet potatoes, pears, apples, beets, and more in their bowls and salads. (The Spiced Pumpkin Bisque and the Autumn Caesar Salad are my top picks.)

Well, if you’re interested in winning a $50 gift card to try them out yourself, we are currently raffling off THREE separate credits to win. Head over to Instagram for how to enter and let me know if you’re just as obsessed as I am.

• Coney Island adventure (stunt show)

Scott’s line of work in live event productions and entertainment is never boring, and this past event reminded me just how exciting (and out-of-the-norm) it can be. He didn’t perform this time, but he was hired to help on the set up, tear down and assistance with Bello Nock‘s latest appearance at the Brooklyn Cyclones Stadium in Coney Island, Brooklyn.

Bello is a daredevil clown, and comes from a family of eight generations of circus performers! He was on America’s Got Talent, Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions, and earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for his highwire walk over a cruise ship. He’s extremely talented and entertaining, and is a personal friend of Scott’s.

Skyler had a blast at the show and we both got a behind-the-scenes look into what goes into his stunt work. (It isn’t easy at all!) All I can say is that we better watch Sky closely … he loved it all a little too much.

• NY Mets baseball game

Visiting both the NY Yankees and Mets stadiums for home games was something on our NYC bucket list. We took Skyler to see the Yankees play almost exactly two years ago. We got rained on for a lot of the day, but we still had a great time. (Throwback to Baby Sky pics in that linked post – my heart!)

A friend offered us tickets to see the Mets play one of the last games of the season, so we enthusiastically took him up on the offer and made the subway ride up to Queens and back on Wednesday. We ate hot dogs, Skyler met the mascots and played t-ball in the Fan Fest area, and Scott even competed in a contest on the big screen to beat “The Machine” in tire flipping. (He came pretty close!)

We enjoyed the baseball, but the experience of walking around, visiting the Team Store, and being an active part of the crowd was just as cool. It was a late night, but it was a fun one.

And Skyler even came home with a foul ball from the game, thanks to a generous security guard. It was a really fun time!

(Thank you so much for the tickets and invite, Anthony.)

• *NEW* Upper Body Strength Gym Workout

I wanted to share a new workout with you that Scott created at the gym yesterday. I tweaked it ever so slightly to fit into my typical programming style, and it was a good one. But it does require the gym!

It’s broken down into 3 circuits with 3-4 exercises each in different areas. You’ll need a bench and a few sets dumbbells (light, medium, heavy), a cable machine, plates and/or exercise machines. ⁣⁣(I don’t share workouts with this much equipment often, but we got IN IT!)⁣⁣⁣

Complete all exercises in Circuit One 10-12 reps each for 3 rounds. Then, move on to Circuit Two ⁣10-12 reps each for 3 rounds, and finally Circuit Three. Listen to your body and rest in between exercises and when needed.

Please watch the exercise demonstrations below and listen for modifications, when applicable.⁣⁣

EXERCISE DEMOS

dumbbell chest presses⁣⁣

straight arm triceps push backs⁣⁣

pullovers⁣⁣

iso-lateral shoulder presses⁣⁣

seated rows⁣⁣

plate biceps curls⁣⁣

chest flyes⁣⁣

reverse flyes⁣⁣

lat pull downs⁣⁣

parallel bar dips⁣

As always, please let me know if you have any questions and if you give it a try!⁣

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Disclaimer: If you’re new to strength training, please make sure that you’re cleared by a doctor before you try any of these workouts. Modify when needed, take breaks when your body needs them and reach out with any questions!⁣

• lightened-up PSL order

Speaking of National Coffee Day, I’ve been on the search for finding a cheaper, lighter pumpkin spice latte order and think I finally have it down. I’ve tested this combination at both Starbucks and Dunkin’, and it’s just enough sweetness and “cream” added to drip coffee to satisfy the PSL craving, in my opinion. So, instead of getting the typical and trendy PSL that’s close to $6, here’s what I’ve been ordering.

At Starbucks: Grande blonde roast coffee with two pumps of Pumpkin Sauce and oat milk – (ask for Extra Splash)

At Dunkin’: Medium original blend coffee with two pumps of Pumpkin Sauce and oat milk

This way, it’s a few dollars cheaper and no need to ask for a PSL without this, this and this. I’d love to hear ideas for similar orders! Do you have one?

• Grey’s, Season 18

You know I couldn’t pretend like Grey’s Anatomy debuting a brand-new Season Premier last night isn’t a favorite. Longtime readers already know that I’ve been watching the show since Season 1, Episode 1 in college and I’ve never stopped. I’m too invested and the storyline and drama just blows me away! It’s so good.

I’m looking forward to seeing what this season brings, and I’d love to know if you’re out there watching it with me. (I can’t be alone in this excitement, right?)

• favorite LIL posts

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Sharing my top Beautycounter picks in safer skincare and cleaner makeup for Fall 2021. And, – wink wink – you might even see some of these products pop up in an upcoming holiday set or two. Discounts and insider tips included, AND *psst* I’m offering a free gift with purchase today only 10/1. (Details here, or message me for more info!)

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Sharing an honest conversation and lessons on juggling toddler mom life with personal goals and adventures in parenthood.

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All right. I think that just about wraps things up for today. Skyler and I have a date for a long walk through the park this afternoon, so I’m going to pack some snacks and get ready. (Still re-making and loving these pumpkin balls!)

New content will be up next week, and you can keep up with our adventures on Instagram in the mean time. I hope you have a great weekend!

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*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, but affiliate links may be included. 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 appreciate you so much!