Things I’m Loving Friday #332

Another Friday is upon us and I am ready for the weekend! It should be a good one over here since the weather looks hot and sunny and ideal for long days outside on the lake. I know, I know you’re shocked that we’re planning to spend most of our weekend outside… but then again with limited options what else is new, right!? What do things look like in your area these days? North Carolina is sitting firm in Phase 2 with the hope to progress to Phase 3 in mid-July. (Phase 2 in NC = Restaurants, salons, pools, hotels and vacation rentals are allowed to be open. Gyms and bars remain closed. We can also meet indoors in groups of 10 and outdoors in groups of 25. Masks are mandatory in public places where social distancing is not possible.)

As for today, I’m off to the doctor early this afternoon for a 29-week prenatal appointment. Yep, I’m officially in my third trimester!! I am going in to see my doctor as opposed to doing a virtual visit because I have an anterior placenta and it makes feeling our baby move a little hard. When my doctor asked me to do kick counts, I told her that kick counts are impossible for me right now because movement is so sporadic and often not very obvious so in-person appointments continue over here! As someone who admittedly struggles with some pretty intense anxiety during pregnancy, I’m all about extra appointments for my own peace of mind during pregnancy. I am praying for all good news and an uneventful appointment today!

Now before it’s time for me to sign off and morph back into Mom Mode, I wanted to take a moment to type up some favorites to share with you guys today, Things I’m Loving Friday style! Let’s dive on in, shall we?

Things I’m Loving Friday 

• Supergoop! Glow Screen SPF 40

(Yep, I’m still living in my $10 white sandals. Summertime staple over here and SO comfy!) 

I’ve always considered myself fairly low maintenance when it comes to makeup and beauty products but something about the past 3+ months of social distancing has brought this to another level. Most days I don’t wear any makeup at all outside of this tinted Supergoop! Glow Screen which I consider more of a sunscreen than makeup anyway, as my main motivation for purchasing it was the fact that it has SPF 40 in it and the ingredient list is very clean, especially when compared to other tinted moisturizer sunscreens out there. Supergoop! Glow Screen is moisturizing with a very subtle tint (no white residue here!) and I love the way it feels on my face. It works well under makeup when I’ve actually taken the time to apply foundation and concealer though I love it most for no-makeup days when I know I’m going to be outside for hours. It doesn’t get sticky or feel too thick when I start to sweat and has quickly become a summertime staple for me.

• YouTube Playlists

Okay, I know I am about 5,000 years late on this one but since I’m not super into YouTube and don’t really follow YouTubers or manage my own account at all, please bare with me on this one because I’m sharing it today assuming there are some of you out there like me who might be in a similar boat. Okay fellow YouTube novices, apparently you can create YouTube playlists and save your favorite YouTube videos under different categories. Is this not amazing? (And also probably very obvious to most of you out there. Haha!) Well, since I’m using YouTube videos for workout motivation more than ever right now, this has been a game changer for me over the course of the past two weeks or so!

I actually found out this was a possibility through Burn Boot Camp’s client Facebook page when someone recommended saving the workout videos they send our way every day for easy reference in the future. It’s been an awesome discovery and I love the way I can keep workout videos I love organized and categorized to quickly locate videos I’m looking for when I head into the garage to workout on the days when I want to follow a video. I only recently started creating YouTube Playlists and can’t wait to continually expand my library!

• Stories Podcast

My appreciation for quality children’s podcasts only continues to grow as we discover more podcasts Chase loves. (See the comments section of this Instagram post for a ton of podcast recommendations!) His latest favorite is the Stories Podcast and I love the way it features kid-friendly versions of classic stories as well as fairy tales and some original stories appropriate for big kids. The variety is great and Chase asks for this one all the time during his afternoon quiet time. He often likes to curl up near me as he listens and I work on my computer so I’m all too familiar with this podcast and can speak to it being appropriate for little ones’ ears. Since we don’t do screen time in our house outside of the occasional weekend movie night, this is such a nice way to keep Chase entertained during a little break in the afternoon when I need to work and I know he could use some downtime. He truly seems to love listening to this one and will often just chill out as he listens or occasionally color, eat a snack, play with some cars, do a puzzle or some other quiet activity as the podcast plays.

• Stainless Steel Kid Cups

I feel like I’m on a continuous mission to overhaul the boys’ plates, cups, bowls and utensils to get rid of plastic and fill our cabinets with safer options. (This was largely inspired by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation to avoid putting plastics in the dishwasher and use materials like stainless steel and glass whenever possible.) I’ve made great progress and eventually plan to share a whole roundup of our favorites with you guys on the blog (stay tuned!) but in the meantime, I had to highlight these stainless steel kid cups because I just ordered another pair after loving our initial duo of the cups so much. The quality is great and the size (8.5 ounces) is perfect for both Ryder and Chase and their little hands. They do a great job of keeping liquids cold for several hours though they are not leak proof if they fall over so they’re better for big kids (they work great for the boys’ current ages). The lids are easily removable if they prefer to drink out of the cups without the straws and I LOVE that they’re easy to clean and also dishwasher safe!

• The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Duré

I gave The Girl with the Louding Voice a shout out Wednesday’s blog post about 10 Books I Recently Read and Loved but wanted to highlight it here as well since I finished reading it last week and thought it was one of the best books — if not the BEST book — I’ve read so far this year. The story is heartbreaking and captivating and I know it’s a novel I’ll think about in the weeks, months and years to come. The book is told from the perspective of Adunni, a brave and resilient 14-year-old Nigerian girl who has lost her mother and, going against the promise he made to his wife, is sold by her father to a local man in the village to become the third wife in his household. Before she passed, Adunni’s mother encouraged her sharp mind and told her the key to having control over her future and making a difference in the world is education which would give her a “louding voice.”

Adunni knows the path her life is currently on will make getting an education impossible and despite the strong desire she has within her heart to learn and become a teacher, she isn’t sure how to make this happen. As the story unfolds and Adunni suddenly finds herself fleeing her marriage and everything she’s ever known, she ends up in Lagos, the most populous city in Nigeria, where she works as a slave to a wealthy family. Though still desperate for an education, Adunni once again finds herself under the control of powerful people who insist that she is and always will be nothing. Her strong resolve refuses to accept this and, thanks to the kindness of a woman who sees her and believes in her, chases after her dreams and the “louding voice” that has always existed within her heart.

• Around the Internet

Food: Easy No Knead Bread / Coconut Brownie Bars / Caribbean Green Seasoning / Healthy Recipes for Overripe Bananas

Fitness: 30 Minute Total Body Pilates Workout (Video) / 10 Minute Full Body No Equipment Workout (Video) / Barre Arms and Core Workout

• Friday Flashbacks

Avocado Pesto (This pesto is a creamy, savory sauce that is perfect tossed with your favorite pasta, spread on fresh bread as a delicious condiment or used as a dip for cold and crunchy vegetables.)

Tabata Workout (Get ready to get sweaty with this one!!)

Question of the Day

What is one thing you’re loving this week?