Friday Favorites: Week of 4/16

Hi there and Happy Friday!

I hope you’re doing well out there. It’s been an eventful week here in Brooklyn, and the weather has been all over the place from warm and sunny to cool and rainy. It’s the time of year where everyone is seasonally confused, and I’m just over here hoping that things warm up for good since our space heaters and coats are all locked up in storage. Fingers crossed!

It’s been a great day so far, and I am looking forward to a special mission happening later this afternoon followed by a low-key weekend ahead. I don’t want to jinx it, but it will be my third attempt at trying to get a COVID-19 vaccine, and hopefully this is the visit that makes it all worth it. I have an appointment, so my odds are looking pretty good. I’ll be sure to report back next week, and in the mean time, I welcome love, support and respect in regards to my decision of choosing to help keep my family and city safe. Thank you!

Now let’s dive into some faves. If you’re new around here, you can expect to see a new edition of Friday Favorites every week! It’s my chance to catch up with you with some lighthearted chatter and cover some highlights from the week. I also like to include my latest product loves, and I always encourage you to share some of your latest faves in the comments section, too.

Here we go!

FRIDAY FAVORITES: WEEK OF 4/16

• dancing, singing and hosting for our church

We’ve been pretty busy with a few things that I haven’t mentioned here on the blog yet. This season of the pandemic has created a new world of online streaming with more community and opportunities with our church here in NYC. We are both on the leadership team and Scott serves on the Food Pantry ministry every week, and the last few months have had some singing, dancing and even hosting days sprinkled in. It’s been fun!

While this season of attending and serving church online has been different, there has been some silver linings that have come with it, too. One being an amazing Kids Ministry in C3 Kids! Every Sunday, along with the main services, there is a kid’s message (about 15 minutes long) up and ready to play at your convenience. There is worship to kick it off and a message, all catered towards little eyes and ears. It’s so cute, and you’ll see both Scott and I (and a cameo from Skyler this coming Sunday!) on the episode archives. There’s even Kids’ Zoom Rooms every Sunday at 11 a.m. EST, which is like their Bible Study/Sunday School. They log on, sing and dance and hear a message all together while discussing it with other kids their age. It’s the best.

Last weekend included a few firsts, where Scott and I were in the same worship set as he was singing and I was dancing. It was a blast! We rounded out the weekend out by hosting the pre-show both online and and in person for live services Sunday night, and that was a rush, too.

Our church family has gotten us through a lot of hard times during the last three and a half years, and you can click through the links above to find out more about what C3.NYC is about. And if you’re looking for a church to stream online or a new home base to attend in the NYC area, I’d love to see you online and answer any questions you may have about it. Please reach out!

• Hunter rain boots (and this umbrella)

Scott surprised me with a pair of Hunter rain boots a few months ago after finding them for a steal on our neighborhood Facebook Marketplace. I know Hunter rain boots are nothing new to write about, but if you have a pair for yourself … then you know that they deserve a mention. And they have certainly come in handy around here lately!

Hunter rain boots come in all shapes and sizes, and Scott picked out a spin on the original tall style. Mine are a year or so old, but the best feature is the adjustable zipper on the side. These are similar. He also got me a pair of tall boot socks to pad them and provide extra warmth in the winter time, and I am excited to put those to good use, too. He found a light blue color, and these are similar.

Prices aren’t low, but the quality makes it worth it. And hey, you might even score a pair on Facebook Marketplace like we did! I think we ended up paying $50 for the boots at $30 for the socks, since they were brand new and in the box. I’ve taken my boots through a few rainy days, and so far so good. I love them!

Also, this totes signature clear bubble umbrella was a new purchase in November of 2018 and it is still something that I rely on for rainy days. I really love that it’s clear, and that I can see through it while walking through (normally) crowded streets in New York, and that it’s a bubble shape so I can fit under it in my own little bubble. It was perfect for when Skyler was a baby and I wore him in a carrier, as we both fit comfortably and remained dry. Still loving it!

• Skyler’s second model shoot

You might remember that we signed Skyler with a modeling agency here in NYC last year. We weighed out the pros and cons for a while, but ultimately decided that we have nothing to lose in giving it a go. It gives Skyler and I something fun to do together on the days that he’s not in preschool, and he can earn money to put directly into his college fund. As long as he has fun in the process, that’s all we are asking for!

Well, due to the world shutting down for almost a year, Skyler had his second official modeling job this week and it deserves a section here on my list of favorites. (Remember his first one last October?)

I can’t disclose too much about the job, but it was for a company that captures children on popular toys for different brands, and I am looking forward to seeing what the final photos look like.

Skyler did fantastic! He was booked for an hour shoot, but we ended up staying and shooting for a total of three. It was a lot of directing and perfecting and re-shooting to get perfect angles and smiles and reactions. It wasn’t easy!

Skyler just turned three years old, so you can imagine that a toddler’s attention span isn’t always easy to work with. That said, he did his best and I am very, very proud of him. Plus, he earned a great day’s pay, and we were able to teach him all about how we budget to save and spend for future things. (More on this below.)

• a (slow) return to the movies

Our neighborhood movie theater just re-opened for showings last week!

We walked past it on a trip to the park and asked the staff a series of questions about how everything works with new safety protocols in place. After talking to them and hearing that masks are required, temperatures are checked, and theaters are only at a twenty-five percent capacity, we felt good enough to give it a go for a weekday matinee (a slower, less-populated time) on Wednesday.

Skyler has been asking to see the new Disney movie Raya and The Last Dragon ever since Premier Access became available on Disney Plus, so we knew the perfect way to treat him after a long day at the shoot for him.

It wasn’t cheap ($15 per ticket), but neither was streaming the new movie at home, so we asked Skyler if he wanted to spend some of the money he earned working on the movie and his eyes got SO BIG. He loved that idea! We talked all about the importance of working to be able to pay for things that we need and want, and that later in life it will become something that he does for everyday necessities. For now, we are explaining how every job he does will get him a paycheck in return, and that he can spend some of it, but needs to save the majority of it for college.

He’s three, so he may not retain everything long-term, but toddlers remember more than you think! It’s been a cool way to practice the lesson in real time, and we all had a great time.

And, for the record, Raya and The Last Dragon was wonderful. We’ll definitely be watching it in our normal rotation of films once it becomes available to stream for free through Disney Plus.

• *NEW* Strength, Power & Stability Circuit

Yesterday’s workout at the gym had me challenged in many different ways with stability, strength and power moves, so I wanted to share it with you. ⁣⁣

All you need for this one is a stability ball and a medium and medium-heavy set of dumbbells. You might need a lighter set for the skull crushers (I used 10s), but you can make it work with what you’ve got … you can always substitute an overhead triceps extension with one heavier dumbbell if you don’t have access to a lighter set.

⁣⁣Follow the reps as listed and complete the following exercises as one circuit for three rounds. The full workout took me just under 30 minutes to complete, but please rest when you need to and take your time. It’s okay if it takes you 45 minutes or longer!

EXERCISE BREAKDOWN

dumbbell press jacks

stability ball roll outs

single leg forward toe touches

stability ball dumbbell chest presses

single arm dumbbell rows

single leg dumbbell hammer curls

stability ball dumbbell skull crushers

dumbbell alternating curtsey lunges

wall sit (option to hold weight)

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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!⁣

• latest clean beauty haul

In case you’re newer to the blog and Beautycounter, I proudly partner with the brand and strongly believe in using cleaner, safer beauty products.

Beautycounter is an entire like of skincare, makeup, bath and body products free of harmful ingredients, and what’s even cooler is that we’re taking a stand in the industry to change our clean beauty laws and ban what shouldn’t be on the shelves nationwide. It’s pretty amazing! (And if you ever feel like this is something you want to be a part of, there’s a fantastic enrollment offer going on until the end of the month! Send me a message and we’ll chat.)

Anyway, I recently redeemed some host rewards that I accumulated during a pop-up, and I wanted to share the haul with you because it includes some of my favorites. Plus, I got the entire box you see pictured below for $153, which is a pretty big deal!

Here’s what I got for free:

• Counter+ All Bright C Serum (sunshine in a bottle morning treatment that helps with dark spots, wrinkles and protects against environmental stressors)
• Countersun Daily Sheer Defense For Face — SPF 25 (the facial sunscreen I use every day when I’m not using the Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer)
• Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil (my go-to anti-aging cleanser that lasts forever)
• Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion (very popular, award-winning daily moisturizer for normal or combination skin)
• Beyond Gloss – Brûlée (a beige shimmer gloss, non-sticky and luxurious with responsibly-sourced vanilla)

Here’s what I got for 50% off:

• Counter+ Overnight Resurfacing Peel (the PM counterpart to the All Bright C Serum – magic in a bottle and treatment for wrinkles, spots and gives skin an ultimate radiant glow)
• Counterman Daily Exfoliating Cleanser (refilling some Counterman products for Scott, he LOVES this line!)
• Counterman Smoothing Shave Cream
• Counterman Oil-Free Face Lotion
• Counter+ Eye Revive Cooling Masks (sadly, these are being discontinued so this is the last chance to grab them at a HUGE discount – and they are amazing for helping with under-eye bags and puffiness.)

And a few extras, at my normal 25% off discount:

• The Clean Deo Refill – Clean Rose (oh my gosh, The Clean Deo … it’s refillable and you should try it now because it’s a natural, aluminum-free deodorant that actually WORKS.)
• Something super top secret – a two pack of a *brand-new* product launching next week! (Stay tuned.)

So yeah, the host rewards enabled me to get everything you see above — thirteen full-sized products — for $153. Considering that some of the product included retails for $82 a pop, that’s pretty amazing. Let me know if you would like to know more about saving money or hosting an event with me by messaging beautycounter@lifeinleggings.com.

I would be thrilled to talk with you!

ALSO. There’s a new giveaway raffling off a full size product now live on the Life In Leggings – Beautycounter Facebook Page! This is just the start to a lot of exciting things kicking off for the remainder of the month. Make sure to subscribe to my for all the details!

SO. MANY. AMAZING. DEALS and things are happening. Please reach out with any questions, and don’t forget to use the promo code CLEANFORALL20 at checkout to get 20% off your first order.

• favorite LIL posts

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Are you frustrated or not seeing results after your workouts? You could be making these common mistakes that prevent growth and success in hitting fitness goals. Here’s how to fix them!

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This soup is loaded with protein and vegetables! You can make it vegetarian/vegan by omitting the chicken and using vegetable broth. Grab your instant pot and get ready for a healthy and comforting recipe that your whole family will love!

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Phew! That was a long one. If you made it all the way to the end, I hope this post served as a smile in your day. I’ll be back with more healthy living content next week, and in the mean time, you can follow along for workouts, daily eats, outings, real talk and more over on Instagram.

Have a great weekend!

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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!