Hi everyone, and Happy Friday!
How are you doing? (It’s a loaded question, I know.)
We made it to the end of the week … and it’s the 13th. I know I’m not alone in thinking that there are some scary things going on right now with the state of emergency the nation and world is in surrounding COVID-19 (outbreak of Coronavirus).
Things have certainly taken a turn around our neck of the woods and in New York City. Several of Scott’s upcoming work trips overseas have been canceled, my mom postponed her trip to come see us this weekend, and we ended up rescheduling Skyler’s birthday party until further notice. It’s a major bummer for sure.
I’m very grateful that no one I know directly has been physically affected, and I’m sending prayers to all of the families who have. Things have turned from an area of concern to panic, but we are doing our best to stay calm, stock up, and be indoors as much as possible.
The exception to all of this was a trip out to Manhattan yesterday to get to a casting call. We ran a few errands while we were out and decided to enjoy one last day before we put ourselves on voluntary lockdown.

(Skyler looks nervous in this picture! But he was loving our time together most of all.)
I think it’s important to acknowledge the idea of safety right now, but I would also like to provide a break from the madness on the Internet with today’s edition of Friday Favorites. Here’s hoping we all go into the weekend with calm hearts and educate ourselves when researching about it.
So, here’s what I’ve been loving and a few fun stories for you …
FRIDAY FAVORITES
- Casting surprises
The picture you see at the top of this post was taken right after I had an impromptu casting call with Skyler and Scott yesterday. Ha!

The two of them planned to audition for a commercial together for a father and son role. And I was completely thrown off when the woman running the room said that I should just come in with them and cast all together for future projects. Um, what? So I did … with a messy bun, no lip gloss on, in tee-shirt and holy jeans, and everything else that would make me unprepared to take photos and film.
I guess the best part about situations like that is that you go into them with zero expectations at all. If I don’t get anything from it, no harm no foul!
It just goes to show that you never know where opportunities will arise.
- Beautycounter haul and host rewards
Do you remember the big Beautycounter sale that was going on last month?
(For those who are newer to the blog, I proudly partner with the brand and believe in using cleaner, safer beauty products. Beautycounter is free of chemicals, harmful ingredients, and is taking a stand in the industry right now to change our clean beauty laws and ban what shouldn’t be on our shelves nationwide. It’s pretty amazing! If you ever feel like this is something you want to be a part of, there’s a free enrollment offer going on until 3/15! Send me a message and we’ll chat.)
Anyway. I also ran an additional giveaway for shopping through my pop-up that I set up, and it was a big hit. I’m sharing this with you for two reasons.
- My job is to show you how switching to clean, great-for-you beauty products can be affordable, and how I’ve slowly transitioned my entire family over.
- I’m always looking for people who would like to co-host an online event with me. (And make sure you subscribe to my Beautycounter Newsletter to gets the details on a HUGE giveaway coming your way soon from me to you.) These reward incentives could be yours!

Here’s what I got for free:
- Counter+ No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil (instant hydrater and brightener, I’ll be raffling this off soon since I have plenty)
- Counter+ Charcoal Facial Mask (a go-to fave, and same as above)
- Color Intense Lipstick – First Date (love this pink color!)
- Lip Gloss – Bare Shimmer (great nude-ish shade to have in your purse)
- Instant Eye Makeup Remover (goodbye, not-so-clean makeup wipes)
Here’s what I got for 50% off:
- Counter+ No. 2 Plumping Facial Oil (I love the No. 1, but I want to try this and have both to sample out)
- Counter+ Overnight Resurfacing Peel (YES! SO MUCH YES.)
- Velvet Eyeshadow Palette – Iconic: (maybe the prettiest palette I’ve ever seen in person, and I want to try them all)
- Countertime Tripeptide Radiance Serum: (the first thing I’m running through in my Countertime Collection, so it will be nice to have ready to replace at that discount)
- Retractable Foundation Brush: (people rave about this one helping foundation to last longer and creating a smooth look)

And a few extras, at my normal 25% off discount:
- Countersun Mineral Sunscreen Stick (another customer fave)
- Super-Duper Clean Kids Body Wash (the last one I had just ran out since September, they last a while! Although the sizes went down from 16 oz. to 10 oz.)
- Baby Soothing Oil (love the oil as a moisturizer for Skyler post-bath)
- Brilliant Brow Gel – Medium (I’m not a huge eyebrow pencil lover, but I’ve heard this gel is bomb and I need it.)
So yeah, the host rewards enabled me to get everything you see above — fourteen full-sized products — for $220. Considering that some of that product retails for $69 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!
- The Bar Downstairs – Andez 5th Avenue
Scott had an errand to run at the NBA Store in Midtown, so we used the rest of the afternoon for time in the city together after the casting. We passed by a hotel that our friends stayed in a few years ago, and Scott reminded me that there is a really cool bar in the basement that you would never find without some guidance. And he was right. I barely found it while looking for it!

If you’re ever in the area and are looking for a unique atmosphere to grab premium drinks and appetizers, check out The Bar Downstairs at the Andaz 5th Avenue Hyatt. The service was great, and our waitress even brought Skyler a plate of fruit as a gift alongside his fries for dinner. (He ate off of our plates, too.) All great things to say!
- Grace Street Coffee & Desserts
Speaking of places you should visit next time you’re near Koreatown, definitely curb your sweet tooth at Grace Street. It’s a huge cafeteria-style coffee and ice cream shop that blew our minds the first time we visited.

The menu is top notch, and it’s a one-of-a-kind Korean cafe that is more of an experience. They’re known for their Shaved Snows and Milk Teas, which we ordered last time. While they were fantastic, we ordered another suggestion from Yelp called the Milk Tea Boba Toast.

It was incredible. That is all.
- favorite LIL posts
Can you believe we will have a TWO-year-old on Sunday? I can’t! This post is all about Skyler, life with a toddler, his favorite toys, toddler parent faves, stories, and more. Enjoy the Skyler spam!

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Let’s talk about productivity! Here’s what has been working for me to immensely increase the amount of work and tasks that I can fit into each day while working at home and still being present as a mom.

Thank you for stopping by the blog today, and wishing you and yours a good weekend ahead.
I’ll be back on Monday with some at-home workout inspiration for you!
*Disclaimer: Affiliate links are included in this post and I do earn a small commission for anything clicked or purchased. 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!

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