Friday Favorites: Week of 3/5

Hi friend, how are you doing out there?

I’m swimming along over here in Brooklyn. My mom is in town visiting, so it’s been nice to have family close by and also have her spend some much-needed quality time with Skyler. Scott is traveling right now, so it’s been the perfect timing to have the extra help, and also an excuse to unplug and watch a “fluffy” movies with her at night. That’s the best.

The weather has been very chilly here (mostly in the twenties and thirties), so we have gotten out here and there … but I’m definitely looking forward to warmer temperatures in the weeks ahead. Feeling the sun peek out from behind the trees after a long winter season is my favorite time of year!

(This picture was not taken on a sunny day, but I captured it on a solo mission to film something at our church’s studio over the weekend. It was my first time back in Manhattan in quite a while!)

I didn’t get to post earlier this week, as I planned on sharing a recipe that didn’t quite turn out how I wanted it to, so hopefully that will be up soon after I try again. I guess the fails are just a part of the process!

Today we’re covering more of the wins in a new edition of highlights from the week for this weekly Friday Favorites. Here we go!

FRIDAY FAVORITES: WEEK OF 2/26

• Chelsea Market & walking around the Meatpacking District

After a negative COVID-19 test result, my mom and I felt comfortable venturing out for a bit while Skyler was in preschool yesterday. We took the subway to 14th Street and took a cold and windy walk to Chelsea Market to look around.

It’s a great destination to sample a variety of different foods for lunch, snacks and treats if you’re ever in the area!

There aren’t options to sit down inside right now (understandably), but there are designated areas outside where you can bring the food your order to-go and sit down to enjoy it. We even heard someone playing live music on our way out, which is refreshing these days after so many months of isolation. (Right?)

We made a few notable stops on our walk around town including the Starbucks Reserve Roastery at 61 Ninth Ave. This is not the typical Starbucks store, and features a HUGE space for dining, two fully stock bars, in-house roasting, exclusive merchandise and more. It’s pretty cool!

One thing to note, however, is that you can acquire your Starbucks Rewards points in the store, but you can’t cash them in there. I figured I would share that information since my mom was hoping to cash in some of her credits for the merchandise. Just FYI!

We took our time walking around nearby streets and found a great spot for lunch called The Chester. They had a gorgeous heated outdoor patio space open to serve all day, and it was a great find. We didn’t try the specialty cocktails (this time), but we ordered the Pan-Seared Salmon and Florentine Omelet, and both were fantastic. I’ll have to come back again with Scott!

The rest of our afternoon consisted of walking around and in and out of a few places, but we didn’t hang outside as long as we expected to. With windy temperatures in the twenties, it’s hard to do!

That said, we were able to take advantage of venturing out in the city without a stroller, and the rest of our time will be spent with Skyler all together.

I’m looking forward to it!

• Progress with Precision Nutrition

In case you missed it, I shared some exciting news that I am in the process of getting certified as a Certified Nutrition Coach with Precision Nutrition! (You can read all about the details here.)

Well, I finally started the journey earlier this week, and I am already enjoying the material way more than I anticipated! I am finishing up Chapter 2, so I’m still fresh into everything, but I have experienced enough to know that the Precision Nutrition approach is very applicable to real-life scenarios and is so helpful for future coach and client interactions.

That said, the first two chapters don’t even get into the subject of nutrition — which was a surprise in the best way. Instead, the course takes extra time to provide an introduction to the curriculum that is based on physical, mental and emotional coaching. This is key for seeing the potential for change and coaching clients to eventually recognize the fundamentals of healthy living and practice them on their own!

Another important part of the approach is about having the mindset of a beginner and to circle back to practice the very steps that you’re asking clients to do to hit their goals. It focuses on the process (not the outcome), and it encourages everyone to embrace failure as feedback to learn from and improve on in the future.

This type of mindset is a necessity for long-term and sustainable changes, and it has been so refreshing to read and think about! I know harder, more science-based chapters are on the horizon, but I am really embracing the material on coaching to start. I think this is really what sets the program a part from the rest!

If you’re interested in hearing more about this track or other Precision Nutrition certifications, I would love to chat with you about it or steer you to the right contact to answer your questions. Also, if you’re looking to save a great deal (up to 30%) on the courses, get on the pre-sale list now for access to enrollment happening later this month.

I’m really looking forward to learning and sharing more on nutrition coming up, and I’ll be sure to report back again soon!

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Disclaimer: After choosing to go for the PN Level 1 Certification, I reached out to the company and offered to share my experience in exchange for access to the program. I am very grateful for this partnership! Even so, please know I had already decided to purchase the program on my own, and as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own on this and any future posts!

• Beautycounter Birthday Party & Exclusive Offer!

Yesterday marked 8 years since Beautycounter started, and so much has happened along the way! Below are some of our biggest wins, and you can read more about each law passed in the advocacy blog post here.

I love that this company was started on March 4th (march FORTH to DC, troops!), and I don’t think that was a coincidence. Changes are happening!

In honor of this special birthday, I am hosting a few days of fun and giveaways on the Life In Leggings – Beautycounter Page! 

⁣You can join the fun by clicking the link above, and if you’re already a part of the group, turn on your notifications to avoid missing posts and check in over the next few nights to read over what might have slipped by. You can expect to read all about our WHY, some information that we haven’t covered yet, trivia, giveaway opportunities for shopping and participating along the way and more!

Also in celebration, the Countertime Deluxe Mini Set is back for the last time, *AND* when you purchase this set now through March 6th, you will receive a FREE full-size #1 Brightening Oil, valued at $69.

The Countertime Mini Set is perfect for travel or to trial this best-selling anti-aging line! It includes the cleansing oil, essence, serum, day cream and night cream, all featuring the plant-version and safe version of Retinol (Retinatural Complex + Bakuchiol) for amazing results. (Check out my full review here!)

So what do the face oils do? Well, I think it’s a very underrated product … it’s like a secret weapon that a lot of people don’t know about. The #1 Brightening Oil is a best seller and “Allure Best of Beauty Winner.” It’s adds moisture to your routine and brightens up the skin! I love the citrus-y smell, and this is one of my top recommendations to use before or even mixed in with a moisturizer for extra hydration and radiance during the dry, winter months.

And finally, if you’re new to Beautycounter and , use the code CHANGEBEAUTY10 to get 10% off your first order. Always be in the know of the biggest deals by subscribing to the , joining my VIP Facebook group, and please reach out if you need help with anything at all. I’m here to help!

• casual park “hikes” & more outside walks

It’s been cold, but we have still made a point to get outside and soak in some fresh air on a daily basis around here. I swear that a little sunshine does the body good, and it can completely turn my day around if I’m in a mood. Anyone else?

It can be challenging to fit long walks into your days, but I hope you use this as a nudge to look at your calendar and see where you could fit short ones in on a regular basis. It may not seem like a lot, but even taking a ten minute stroll after lunch can make a world of difference … think about how many miles that can turn into, not to mention the mental refresh that comes with the act of getting out and reseting the day. I highly recommend you give it a try!

• favorite LIL posts

» Lower Body Strength Workout With Dumbbells

Looking to switch it up? It’s nice to take a break from training the entire body and target the upper and lower body separately. This workout focuses lower body, and this circuit reminded me that a focused workout can be just as exciting as one that hits the full body! (Exercise demonstrations included.)

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Let’s chat about the silver lining of quarantine. Are there certain habits or things you picked up during the last three months that you plan on continuing once everyone starts getting back to their normal schedules and going on with their lives outside of the home? This post is all about mine, and I’d love to hear about some of your new habits, too!

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Thank you for checking in today! It’s time for me to get back to my troops at home. We are planning to go for a long walk outside after lunch (it’s supposed to “warm up” to the mid-thirties, lol) and then I’m getting ready to get back to the clean beauty birthday content tonight.

I hope you have a great weekend, and I’ll see some of you over there!

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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!