Friday Favorites: Week of 7/30

Hello out there! My goodness it has been a strange morning and just an eventful week overall. How is everything going in your neck of the woods?

Our week started on a very sad note, as we lost our dear kitty, Cali. (More on this below.)

Skyler and I made a long commute out to New Jersey to see friends on Tuesday, and I had a very important diagnostic appointment yesterday. (Everything is fine, but the last few weeks have been filled with anxiety awaiting the results of a breast ultrasound! Don’t forget to do self-exams and get your annual checks, ladies). We have been debating about putting Skyler in 3K for next year, and it hasn’t been a simple process in our area with waitlists and same-day offers and answers needed. And finally, we had to evacuate our apartment building this morning due to boiler issues that resulted in flames in the basement and smoke from the bottom to top floor. It was terrifying! Thank goodness everyone is okay.

So yeah, it’s been a heck of a week around here. And this totally relates to why I haven’t been sharing as much as usual on the content front. I’m emotionally exhausted, I’m coping and I’m just trying to digest everything one day and decision at a time. Last year was a lot to handle, and this year isn’t falling far behind so far, either. (Who would have thought?!)

All of that said, I truly believe that there are some happy moments in between the stressful ones, and they should be acknowledged and celebrated. I’m not saying don’t take time to grieve and step away when you need to, because I think that’s just as important when it feels needed, too. I am, however, encouraging the act of looking for the good. It’s usually right in front of you, but only if you take the time to step back and see it.

Right now I’m somewhere in the middle of taking moments away and checking in since it provides a sense of normalcy. Plus, I really love writing and creating content that seems to help some of you. There was a time where new blog posts were published here twice a day (!!!), and I will forever be thankful for this community that has provided support through the journey.

Okay! Now that we have all of that out there, let’s move on to the highlights in this week’s Friday Favorites. I’ll try to keep them short since this might be the longest introduction on a faves post thus far. Thank you for reading!

FRIDAY FAVORITES: WEEK OF 7/30

• Celebrating Our 10-Year Wedding Anniversary

As I mentioned above, our week was filled with ups and downs! A HUGE and awesome high point was Scott and I getting to celebrate ten years of marriage last Friday night. Scott was originally supposed to be in Orlando working an event, but it got cancelled due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. (Oh boy.) Anyways, the good news to him staying in New York resulted in us going out on the town, kid-free!

As soon as we got word of the trip cancellation, we quickly called in a favor from our friends who offered to keep Skyler overnight and planned an adult-only evening in Manhattan. We came up with about five different scenarios we wanted to do, but ended up landing on dinner at Oak Tuscan Truffle Lounge and drinks at The White Horse Tavern (the second oldest pub in NYC!) in the West Village.

It wasn’t the fanciest 10-year anniversary dinner, but it was nice and the atmosphere was cool and very New York. The food was incredible, the wine pours were heavy and the black summer truffle shavings make this restaurant/lounge one of a kind. We were treated like VIPs and thoroughly enjoyed our time there for a good three hours.

We have plans to properly celebrate a decade of marriage together with a trip overseas, but it might just have to wait until 2022. Until then, I’ll take any night out with Scott in the City. It was a fun time!

• saying goodbye to Cali and the end of an era

The next highlight isn’t fun at all, but it is near and dear to my heart as we spent the next few days after our anniversary snuggling Cali. She was diagnosed with cancer in her belly a few months ago, and we knew that we were running on borrowed time with her after we cancelled *the* dreaded vet appointment twice, due to her spikes in energy.

She got worse, got better, got worse, got better and then got worse again. We were taking her lead on timing, and Monday was our last morning with her.

Cali will forever be a name that we know and cherish around our house.

We lost Aspen (our grey kitty) last year, and our precious Cali the calico left us the same way … too soon due to feline cancer. We spent twelve years with them (Cali made it to 13!), and we have a lot of amazing memories to show for it. They lived in three states with us, they answered their names and came quickly when called (a trait that is very un-cat like), and they comforted us during years of infertility and heartaches. They were our family, our fur-children, and always there offering snuggles and love.

Aspen was the boss of the house, and Cali was the true sweetheart. She was seriously the sweetest cat that I’ve ever had or even met. Much like her name (California), she was chill and mellow and always up for lap cuddles. She let us pick her up, take her anywhere and had the cutest little meow that sounded more like a “mew” — I already miss that so much.

We have decided not to adopt kitties for the unforeseeable future, and if you’ve ever lost a pet, then you know that this is not an easy decision to make. It’s hard, and it feels surreal. It’s truly the end of an era.

We love you so much, sweet Cali Girl. Take care of Aspen for us, and know that we love and miss you both so much.

• NOW Foods Giveaway

Let’s sandwich that not-so-fun section with something very exciting … a $250 GIVEAWAY to NOW Foods!

NOW Foods sells much more than supplements and protein powders, although they have been my go-to source for both for years. You’ll also find a great line of natural foods, snacks, essential oils, and bath and body products for the whole family, including your pets.

NOW focuses on high quality, safe and effective products at great price points. There are no secrets in their ingredients, and they even invited me (and a whole group of bloggers!) out to a factory tour in 2019. (Do you remember this post?) Their production and safety testing practices are top notch.⁣

It’s clear than I’m a fan, so I’ve asked them to team up with me to offer one of YOU a $250 gift card to use at nowfoods.com!⁣ All you have to do is visit this post on Instagram and follow the instructions there.

Also, you can use the code LIFEINLEGGINGS for 20% off if you want to shop now at nowfoods.com!

• new clean makeup product and giveaway

Speaking of giveaways, I am also raffling off a brand-new full size clean beauty product from my personal stash! You already know the details if you are subscribed to the or follow the facebook page, but basically I’m picking one winner from anyone who shops with me over the next week.

The brand-new cream shadows just launched, and the new mascara is coming in just a few days. There’s a lot to eye right now! As always, I’m here to help if you have any questions at all.

So, the long-awaited cream eye shadows are officially out, and I cannot wait to get my hands on them! I purchased the four-pack from last year’s holiday set and I am currently scraping the last of those bottles as we speak. I’m obsessed!⁣
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These silky cream shadows come in 10 different shades and can go from subtle to dramatic, depending on application. They’re fun to use, and you can pick one or blend them together using an eyeshadow brush. It’s easy to do!⁣ Each shade is formulated with a unique blend of responsibly-sourced micas for color that’s glowy, not glittery. Learn more about our sourcing transparency and our practices here.

Aura, Gleam and Flash are my top picks for the summer, and I’d love to know if you’ve ever tried cream shadows, too! (Do you love them?)

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If you’ve never ordered with Beautycounter before, use the code CLEANFORALL20 for 20% off your first order. I’m always here to help, and please reach out if you have any questions or want the best ways to save on your purchases.

• favorite LIL posts

» 10 Tips to Staying Cool on Summer Runs

I’m currently living in New York where temperatures rise into the high 90s (it’s scorching this week), but I’m also a Florida native who trained for a half marathon during the summer and early fall in Orlando. I’m no stranger to running in the heat, and the biggest thing I’ve learned is that it takes a little strategy to be able to do it comfortably. I hope you enjoy reading my tips and pick up something new to carry with you!

» Tips On Avoiding Workout Burnout

Feeling burnt out in your workouts or in a fitness slump? Exercise should be something you look forward to doing, not dread. Try these tips to make workouts more fun when you’re feeling bored or unmotivated to stay on track!

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Okay, that wraps up this week’s edition of faves. I hope your weekend is off to a good start and I’m really looking forward to a night out tomorrow with some girlfriends. I guess that’s a perk of living somewhere like NYC, people are always coming in town to visit and there are endless things to do.

What is one thing you’re looking forward to this weekend? Talk soon!

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*Disclaimer: The NOW Foods portion of this post is sponsored, and all opinions remain my own. 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.