Friday Favorites: Week of 3/26

Hi there and Happy Friday!

We made it to the end of the week, and I’m finally finishing this post after a busy morning and afternoon with Skyler. He had his three-year appointment check up today, and it was just another reminder that this little dude isn’t a baby anymore. *Sigh*

He got a shot at this visit, so we promised him a Happy Meal afterwards (yes, he gets these on occasion), and then we played outside at the playground for quite a while. It’s gorgeous out! The weather totally pulled a fast one on us today and got up to the mid-70s. I’ll take it!

It’s been a lot warmer here in Brooklyn lately, and we’ve had a lot of rainy days, too. I guess it’s safe to say that Spring is officially here.

It’s predicted to be sunny and up to the high-60s tomorrow, so you better believe that we will be outside and enjoying it somehow. I see a lot of long walks and possible hikes on deck!

Backing up to today, it’s the time of week where we recap things that made smiles happen with the weekly Friday Favorites. This edition recaps many things that make my life easier these days, so I hope you like reading about them.

Here we go!

FRIDAY FAVORITES: WEEK OF 3/26

• reels

I was delayed in getting in on the short video train via Tik Tok and reels on Instagram. In fact, I resisted it for a very long time. I am one who doesn’t like change when it happens until I get used to it and adapt on my terms. (I’m just being real here, ha.)

Anyways, if you aren’t following along on Instagram, there is a big part of Life In Leggings that you aren’t seeing as I post daily! I still plan on publishing new blog posts here twice a week, but I have been dedicating a lot more of my content creating time to filming, editing and publishing videos here multiple times a week.

My goal in creating these videos is to educate, entertain, and share stories. You can expect anything from fitness exercise breakdowns, workouts and healthy living tips to skincare and makeup tips, mindset truth bombs and bits and pieces of my personal stories. You’ll see a peek into city and mom life at times, too.

I used to be able to directly share these short videos on the Life In Leggings Facebook Page, but I haven’t been able to do that in a few weeks for some reason. There’s always something new and changing on these social platforms, and there has been talk of reels coming to Facebook … so who knows what’s going on there.

In the mean time, since I can’t share them easily, I would love it if you gave Life In Leggings a follow and interacted with me over on Instagram. There’s a lot more videos to make and I am really having fun with them!

• virtual clean beauty events

Last night was so fun!

Just under twenty of us gathered to talk about clean beauty, cheesy chick flicks, self-care and some of our favorite Beautycounter products. We raffled off giveaways, discussed things we can do to slowly switch over to safer products, enjoyed convos over wine (and other beverages), and more.

(This photo is actually from last month’s virtual hang when I was solo parenting and co-hosting, but the set up looked pretty similar!)
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I always ride a high after events like these, and I’m thankful to be able to help share the mission of cleaner, safer and better beauty for all through this opportunity. It’s not just about better-for-you products, it’s a movement for change in the industry overall! And that certainly deserves a highlight this week.

• wine box subscriptions

I don’t know about you, but one of the not-so-great habits that I picked up during this season of quarantine is having a glass of wine or two several times a week. There was a point where I realized that I was having a nightly glass of wine, so I have scaled back a bit to max out at three nights.

But hey, I say enjoy everything you like in moderation.

Since we don’t really like to dig into our fancy wine stash “just because”, I asked Scott to try out a wine subscription of some sort over the holidays. Well, Santa delivered, and we have tried two different subscriptions to take advantage of the discounted first box offers and to test the waters.

Our plan is to get through both boxes and then maybe even try another before we settle on one to keep reordering from. Why not, right?

We’ve tried Winc and NakedWines so far, and both have provided quick surveys that you fill out to help hand-pick selections for your boxes. You can set the budget, your wine preferences, and receive information on each bottle sent to you with where it came from and what kind of food it pairs best with. It’s really cool and can save you a lot of money overall.

I’ll be sure to report back once we settle on a company that we absolutely love. Until then, I would love to hear your recommendations and reasons why in the comments below!

• *NEW* Stability Ball & Dumbbell Strength Workout

I created a new strength workout for my trip to the gym yesterday and wanted to share it with you since it requires minimal equipment.

All you need for this one is a stability ball and a medium set of dumbbells. You might need a lighter set for the kickbacks and a heavier dumbbell or kettlebell for the swings, but you can make it work with what you’ve got!

This workout is broken up into two sections, first focusing on the core and then the arms with a total body finisher. Using the stability ball for the arm exercises like the flyes adds core and lower body work, too!

Follow the reps as listed and complete the first circuit for 2-3 rounds before moving onto the next one. The full workout took me under 45 minutes for three rounds.

EXERCISE BREAKDOWN

stability ball sit-ups (option to hold a dumbbell)

side plank rotations (option to hold dumbbell)

stability ball knee tucks

stability ball bridges (straight or bent legs)

stability ball dumbbell flyes

stability ball dumbbell reverse flyes (or this version, as the first is tricky)

dumbbell alternating lunges with biceps curls

single arm dumbbell triceps kickbacks

kettlebell (or dumbbell) swings

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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 this. Modify when needed, take breaks when your body needs them and reach out with any questions!⁣
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• Just Salad & Housemade Meal Kit Delivery

If you’re not into subscriptions and you’re located near a Just Salad (NYC area, Chicago, Philly, Florida, North Carolina, and Dubai) I have something you might love when it comes to assembling healthy, homemade meals in a pinch.

Introducing Housemade by Just Salad!

I shared a reel all about this last week, and while I have a partnership with the company over on Instagram, I am choosing to write about it outside of the sponsorship here on the blog … because it’s that good. I seriously can’t get enough healthy and satisfying meals from Just Salad lately, and I always like to share what I’ve been loving. So here we are!

The store provides meals like salads, wraps, warm bowls, smoothies and more to dine-in (outside of COVID times, of course), pick-up or deliver. You can order ahead for a speedy process or simply walk in and order anything you’d like to mix-and-match. It’s awesome and makes eating healthy really easy and delicious for the whole family.

The company recently launched an add-on service to offer meal kits, grocery and fully prepared meal delivers through Housemade. You basically pick how much effort you want to put into eating your next meal and can receive everything you need delivered to your door within an hour. It’s pretty neat!

I am featured two delivery kits in the video (the Healthy Stir Fry tofu scramble took under ten minutes to make and the Mediterranean Chicken only took fifteen!), and I just made the Taco Tuesday Bowl with Beyond Beef yesterday. All were so, so tasty and easy to throw together.

There’s no prep needed, all spices and sauces are included, and everything you need to know to assemble the meal is on the recipe card. No plastic packaging, no cardboard, no dry ice, just minimal and sustainable packing.

So that’s a breakdown of everything you need to know! They can deliver up to 8 miles outside of a store location, so contact your local Just Salad for more information, and let me know if you give it a try.

• favorite LIL posts

» Skyler’s Three Year Update

Sharing all about life with a toddler at three years old, things he’s been loving, toddler parent favorites, milestones, stories and more!

» Prenatal Dumbbell (Arms & Core) Strength Workout

This strength workout focuses on the arms and core and is perfect for pregnant women in any trimester as well as anyone who isn’t expecting!

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Okay, I better wrap things up and get back to my main guy who has been very patient (skipping his nap time) and playing with toys in the living room.

Thank you so much for clicking over to read today, and I hope you have a wonderful day and weekend ahead. Take care and enjoy this beautiful weather!

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*Disclaimer: Friday Favorites posts may contain affiliate links. 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 always appreciate you!