Friday Favorites: Week of 4/23

Hello out there and Happy Friday! We made it to the end of the week, and what a week it was.

I recently shared that I was on my third attempt to get my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and I’m happy to report that everything worked out!

We may not all agree on getting it, but choosing to get one to help keep my family and my city safe is something that is important to me. I’m feeling great (my only side effects were a sore arm and some fatigue) and thankful to all of the essential workers, healthcare workers and volunteers that helped get us here to make this possible. I’m grateful for this day with a feeling of light at the end of the tunnel.

That is my biggest highlight of the week, and you’ll see the rest of things we need to cover below in this week’s edition of Friday Favorites.

Enjoy and thanks for reading!

FRIDAY FAVORITES: WEEK OF 4/23

• Earth Day & 5 Easy Eco-Friendly Swaps

You might know that I’ve been on a journey to clean up our home more than ever this year, and I wanted to share some things I’ve learned along the way with you in honor of Earth Day yesterday. By making one small change at a time, we can make a huge difference today and for our families and future generations tomorrow.

(Isn’t this the cutest? Skyler’s preschool had a whole day of Earth Day themed activities, and he was excited to talk about it with me when I picked him up. We can totally start them on these eco-friendly habits young!)
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Let me know if you have any good add-on tips in the comments.

Swap paper towels out for reusable fabrics you wash or recycled napkins. I’m new to this one, so I don’t have a ton of suggestions. I have heard great things about the companies Papaya Reusables and Globein.

Make your own cleaning solutions. It can be simple and cost effective. This is something that I have been wanting to try for a long time, and I’m seriously eyeing the Branch Basics starter kit!⁣

Swap out dryer sheets for wool dryer balls. My mom taught me this tip last year and it’s a good one. I would recommend these (plus several other things from Norwex like their multipurpose wipes, microfiber glass cleaning wipes, body and face cloths, and more). Their products really do work, and no added chemicals!

Invest in sustainable brands. I think you already know my favorite here. Beautycounter launched the first of many more refillable products to come, and seek to be 100% recycled, recyclable, refillable, reused, or compostable packaging by 2025.⁣ (More on some of my top picks are below!) In general, look for reusable glass jars, reduced plastic containers, and gentle cleansers in products.⁣⁣

LED lightbulbs and turn electronics off when you’re not using them. This will reduce your energy bill in a big way, and even more importantly, leaving your electrical appliances on standby uses up energy unnecessarily. Turn ’em off!⁣ Also, try LED lights bulbs – they can last up to 22 years which is wild!

I a week’s worth of tips like this here back in January during the #CleanUpChallenge2021. I invite you to follow along in the journey to clean up our spaces and love on Mother Earth with me. Happy Earth Day!

• Beautycounter Friends and Family Sale & Giveaways

Friends, run don’t walk over to shop the that dropped this week! Trust me. Things are starting to sell out, and discounts like this only happen twice a year. It’s the best time to start switching over to cleaner products or restock on your must-haves.

And if you’re new to why i’m so obsessed with this company and products, you can read the rundown over on my Clean Beauty page. I’m very proud to be partnered with a brand that not only creates high-quality, effective and clean products that WORK, but also is a certified B-corporation that put an equal emphasis on the planet, people, purpose with transparency, responsible sourcing, sustainability and more.

We put a huge effort into standing up to change under-regulated beauty laws, and you can read more about all of that on the latest social mission report.

So, I highly suggest that you take advantage of the sale that is running right now where you can save anywhere form 15-20% off your order until 4/27! There are some exclusions like regimens, collections and the Last Chance page, but those items still count towards the $250 total that unlocks your 20% off. 

Here’s a quick list of staples you might like:

• The *brand new* Hand Savior hand sanitizer + serum in one! It’s hydrating, it’s brightening, it’s sanitizing (killing 99.99% of germs), it’s SAFE to use on little ones and unlike any I’ve tried before. More on this coming soon!
• Check out the body polish and body oil repack! Not only are they beautiful, but they’re raved about. Once you know, you know.
• The Countertime serum is like botox in a bottle (seriously), and something I order continuously.
• My top two picks of the entire site are included: All Bright C Serum (AM use) + Overnight Resurfacing Peel (PM use).
• The Cleansing Balm is the most versatile product on the Beautycounter website! It’s a cleanser, treatment for dry spots, overnight mask, and you can also use it on cuts and scrapes. 
• Counterstart is our safe two-product line for sensitive skin (the cleaner version of Cetaphil/Cerave).
• You really can’t go wrong with the Countermatch adaptive moisture lotion if your’e looking for a little more hydration.
• Dew Skin is a staple I always have ready to grab for a tinted moisturizer with SPF! 
• This brow gel is something I never go without.
• The lip jellies are the best! I have one in almost every purse or backpack I use.
• Also, Beyond Gloss is wonderful (non-sticky, made with responsibly-sourced vanilla) and ranges in several shades from subtle to dramatic.
• If you don’t use our Countersun SPF, at least choose a mineral sunscreen. I keep the lip conditioner in my medicine cabinet, and it’s the perfect finish to my skincare routine. I use either the Sheer Defense Facial Sunscreen or the Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 25 every single day, year-round. 
• You HAVE to try The Clean Deo if you haven’t already. I have been exclusively using it since September, and I cannot believe how well it works, especially for a truly natural deodorant. It’s aluminum-free, it’s refillable and it comes in three different scents. The charcoal products are great for detoxing and getting your skin squeaky clean!

I am here to answer any question you may have, so please reach out in the comments, on social or by emailing beautycounter@lifeinleggings.com.

Also, there are two giveaways running right now! You can earn entries to one of them by interacting on this page *no purchase required*, and another is a thank you for shopping with me raffle offering a chance to win a full-size product from me to you. Any purchase using this link will get you entered into that one!

• Taco Tuesday leftover ideas

In case you missed it, I shared what a typical grocery haul looks like for our family from Trader Joe’s last week. I always buy things that make it easy to mix-and-match for quick and healthy meals. My list aways includes produce and a few pre-packaged things that allow me to make my meals last longer and take advantage of leftovers.

To expand on this and show you an example of what I mean, here are two meals (turned into three, but I didn’t snap a picture of the tray of nachos) that you can use with the same ingredients: tacos or tostadas, and a taco salad or taco bowl.

Taco Tuesday was easy to assemble with lean ground beef, a can of diced tomatoes (I cook the meat, season it with taco seasoning and then add a whole can of diced tomatoes to create a sauce), and then whatever sides and toppings you want. This week, I pulled out what we had in the fridge and had lettuce, grape tomatoes, black olives, avocado, cheese (we were out of our typical shredded cheddar so improvised with Parmesan, haha), beans and seasonings. We rotate between soft shells, hard shells and tostadas, and it was a tostada night.

I heated up leftovers of the meat and beans the next day and then layered that with all the same veggies on top for another quick and delicious meal. I had just enough meat and beans left for a plate of nachos for Skyler and I the third day, and that is the best way to describe how we do it around here!

Do you love tacos as much as we do?

• *NEW* Strength, Power & Stability Circuit

This workout requires access to some gym equipment. At the very least, you’ll need a bench and a few sets of dumbbells. If you have access to them, get a barbell and a weighted plate, too.⁣⁣So let’s talk tri-set exercises.

What are they? Basically, it’s a superset with three exercises instead of two. Make sure to do the three grouped exercises back to back with little to no rest in between before moving on to the next one. There are a total of three circuits in this workout with a Tabata Ab Finisher at the end!

⁣⁣Also, did you know I have a Tabata Training Playlist on Spotify to make timing Tabatas (patterns of :20 work/:10 rest 8x) easy and fun?

The full workout took me about 45 minutes to complete, but please rest when you need to and take your time. It’s okay if it takes you longer!

EXERCISE BREAKDOWN

dumbbell squat to overhead presses

hip thrusts (option to hold weight)

barbell chest presses

single arm dumbbell rows

seated arnold presses

dumbbell alternating bench step-ups

dumbbell crossover hammer curls

dumbbell single arm triceps kickbacks

dumbbell sumo squats

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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!⁣

• favorite LIL posts

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This one shares how to format your own quick and effective workout when you need to. I included a few sample workouts along with details on how to mix and match your own exercises. Let me know if I missed any of your favorites!

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Here’s a recipe that you can pre-make to enjoy a hearty, satisfying breakfast in a pinch. This would be perfect for meal prepping, Mother’s Day, any holiday, or if you happened to have people staying with you.

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All right! It’s time for me to wrap things up here and get outside with Skyler. It’s a little chillier than I would like, but it’s still sunny and gorgeous out and I’m here for it. I appreciate you checking in today, and you can stay in the loop with our weekend adventures on Instagram. (And it’s my birthday on Sunday – woo hoo!)

Have a great one!

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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!