Hi friends! It’s Friday the 13th in 2020. Is anyone else just a little on the edge of their seats today waiting for something crazy to happen?
It’s actually pretty chill here in Brooklyn. And by chill, I mean it’s cold and rainy. But, that’s not always a bad thing … Skyler and I have been enjoying lounging in comfortables longer than usual and making the most of our time inside. I’ve been on a big organizing kick lately (more on this below), and it’s been oddly satisfying all around.
I’ve also been making more soups and casseroles, which has also made my heart (and tummy) smile. Here’s the latest recipe!
We don’t have any big plans coming up this weekend, but we do have a road trip planned next week! We have had plans to rent a car and make the two-day drive down to see Scott’s family in Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri for months, and I’m looking forward to the time to catch up with them and unplug a bit. We are, however, nervous about the spikes in COVID-19 cases and will be taking extra precautions every step of the way. I’ll take all of the prayers as we prepare to leave and drive cross-country with Skyler and our pup in tow.
I have a busy few days ahead with a podcast recording, virtual events, and video catch-up calls on my calendar before we leave, so I’m soaking in the slowness of today before it gets a lot more go-go-go. Does anyone else feel like the world moves at warp speed the few days before you leave for a trip?
Jumping back to today, I finally got Skyler down for a nap in time to finish compiling this week’s edition of Friday Favorites to share with you.
Thanks for clicking over today, and I’d love to hear about some of your favorites in the comments, too!
Friday Favorites: Week of 11/13
- ROYGBIV (rainbow) color coordinating
I started watching Get Organized on Netflix last week and binged all nine episodes in just a few days. It’s so fascinating to me! And in my defense, I would be organizing in the background … so it was time well spent if you ask me.
Anyways, the show is hosted by and centered on The Home Edit, a talented and funny lady duo that run their home organizing business completely through Instagram. They teach you strategies to edit your spaces and create aesthetically pleasing displays. It’s genius!
One of the best tips I’ve gotten from watching the show is to organize anything from pens and products to books and toys by the rainbow. Start with Red on the left, and go through all of ROYGBIV followed by brown, black, grey, and white.
I think it’s beautiful, especially for kids books! I’m fully in on this trend and even got into a black hole of organizing my phone’s home screen this way, too.
I’m in deep, but it really does make me happy every time I look at it. You should definitely give it a try if it makes you smile, too!
- the return of Grey’s Anatomy
Those of you who have been following the blog for a while know that I am a big fan of Grey’s Anatomy. I started watching the series back in college in when it debuted circa 2005 (wow!) and haven’t skipped a season yet. In fact, I rewatched all of the seasons while I was home nursing Skyler and am way too invested to stop watching now.
When Season 16 ended abruptly due to lockdowns, I had so many questions that I needed answers to. Do Teddy and Owen get married? Will DeLuca have a diagnosis? How are Link and Amelia going to handle the new baby? Will Richard ever be the same? There are many spirals here.
Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that Season 17 debuted last night and did not disappoint in any way. In fact, the last minute of the second episode (it’s a two-hour premier) is HUGE and is not something that I saw coming. I cried, but this didn’t surprise me, as I often tear up as these episodes and stories unfold. I get so invested in the characters!
Well, I am really looking forward to seeing how this season progresses. Will this be the last one? Please tell me that I’m not the only one still watching and wondering. <3
- small space bathroom solutions
Back on track with organizing, coming up with small space storage solutions for Skyler’s stuff has been a priority, and that carried into the bathroom with two new purchases.
We knew Skyler needed a step-stool for the bathroom to access the toilet and sink on his own, but we’ve been avoiding it because … well … our one bathroom is tiny and doesn’t really welcome something as big as a stool on the floor at all times.
The good news is that I remembered using a folding stool that my mom had in Florida that was the perfect tuck-away solution. It was extremely easy to get out and open, then put away several times a day and I liked the modern, sleek look. She said she randomly found it at Home Goods, and I found the same Brookstone stool in different colors on Amazon for $13!
Sky loves that he has in very own stool now, and after our toothbrush holder took a spill over the edge of the tiny countertop, we realized that we needed to move as much off of the sink as possible. Enter this wall-mounted toothbrush holder and toothpaste dispenser. I was searching for a similar solution online for a while, but loved what Scott came up with a quick search, also found on Amazon.
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but we also utilize our small bathroom space by hanging my regular blow dryer and one-step blow out hair dryer on metal cup hooks (pictured above), and rolling and storing our bath towels on this wall mount towel rack from Crate & Barrell.
You really have to get creative when you have one tiny cabinet, limited closets, and no garage to store overflow products in an apartment. I’d love to hear about some of your tips on this subject too. (Please comment and share!)
- Clean Beauty Updates
Okay, there has been a lot to talk about in the Beautycounter world lately, so I wanted to quickly highlight the most important things you should know in a few bullet points below.
- Countertime Minis are BACK! The Countertime Deluxe Mini Set is re-launching very soon, and we are expecting it to sell out very quickly. (Last time they sold out within hours.) If you’d like to be on a waiting list and be notified when I know they will launch, I’d be happy to message you directly – just let me know. This is my very favorite skincare collection bottled to travel-friendly, and you can read my full review of the products here.
- The Counterman Essentials Holiday Set launched yesterday, which completes this year’s limited-edition gift collection! This is a fantastic trio for the special man in your life, or anyone. The body wash smells amazing, and the clean deo is full-size (unlike the Clean Deo Minis), which means that it will be refillable when the full line launches in early 2021!
- Discontinued Items. In an effort to focus more closely on the awesome and new makeup, skincare, and body products coming in 2021, Beautycounter has made a hard decision to discontinue the Kids & Baby line, and modify products available in Counterman. Please let me know if you have any questions at all, and take advantage of getting these stellar products at a discount while you can. I’m happy to help you!
- Black Friday Deals are Coming SOON! Like so soon. And last year it was a site-wide sale for 15% off. Keep your eyes peeled for the details, and also make sure to join the Life In Leggings – Beautycounter Page to be in the know about all things clean beauty AND giveaway opportunities from me to you.
And finally, I’m so excited to be hosting and co-hosting two virtual events coming up!
I will be talking all about easy ways to improve your health and help regulate your hormones while showing you my favorite night time skincare routine this Monday 11/16 @ 8:30pm EST (message me if you need some self-care in your life!), and I will also be chatting alongside two of my good friends and team members, Gina and Ashley, about the Beautycounter Business Opportunity.
If you’ve ever wondered what saying “yes” to being a clean beauty advocate looks like and would like to know more about the business side, this call is for you. It’s super casual, and we will be sharing how we got involved, what our experiences have been like, and answering questions in real time.
Please let me know if you’re interested in joining either or both.
The more the merrier!
- *NEW* total body strength workouts
I made it back to the gym and completed two new strength workouts that I’d like to share with you here. I will usually share the graphics on my Instagram stories (saved in the WORKOUTS highlight), but you’ll only find the full exercises breakdown and/or link to videos here or on the Life In Leggings Community Page.
Disclaimer: Although I am a certified personal trainer, I am not necessarily your personal trainer. The workouts I post are what work best for me and might not be the right type of exercises for you. I always recommend consulting a doctor or health professional before making changes to your diet and/or fitness routine, and please reach out with any questions.
STRENGTH & STABILITY WORKOUT
CIRCUIT ONE:
CIRCUIT TWO:
CIRCUIT THREE:
Both of these workouts were put together with gym equipment, but you can complete the first one with a stability ball and dumbbells.
The second workout, however, incorporates the addition of a barbell, a bench, dumbbells, seated machines, and a stability ball. I try to steer clear of rooms filled with more than a few people at the gym right now, so that led to this workout a little more spread out than normal. But it was a good one!
TOTAL BODY GYM WORKOUT
CIRCUIT ONE:
CIRCUIT TWO:
dumbbell overhead triceps extensions
CIRCUIT THREE:
CIRCUIT FOUR:
Let me know if you give either of these a try or if you have any requests on the workout front like more at-home circuits, workouts using the mini band, resistance bands, etc.
- favorite LIL posts
» Easy Tex-Mex Cabbage Casserole
This recipe is light and loaded with vegetables, yet filling enough to substitute for your next Taco Tuesday that the whole family will love. This is not your typical low-carb cabbage casserole, and it’s extremely easy, flavorful and cheesy. I hope you love it!
» Skyler Update: Toddler & Parent Favorites at Two and a Half
Lots of photos, stories, milestones, and talk about eating, sleeping, and traveling, along with a recap of Skyler’s favorite things, my favorite things for him right now, and more in this 2.5-year-old recap.
Okay, it’s time for me to sign off and get ready to run some errands with Skyler. Here’s hoping the rain settles down a bit! We will be diving into a pizza later (Pizza Fridays are also one of my favorite things right now), and I hope you have things you are looking forward to as well.
Thanks again for checking in today!
I’ll be back early next week and in the mean time, you can always see what we’re up to with daily content over on Instagram.
*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!
