Friday Faves

Helloooooo. Happy Friday! The weekend is here! I’d love to hear what you have going on. I’m still emerging from the post-vacation blahs, so I’m thankful that we only had a couple of weekdays until the weekend arrived. Yesterday, I went to Target and picked up all of our baking supplies and I’m looking forward to a family baking party, cocoa, and Elf  later tonight.P and I are heading to the zoo with some friends, tomorrow we’re seeing the Southwest Nutcracker and I’m catching a Peloton live DJ class. What are you up to this fine weekend?

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds, wears, reads, and eats from the week. I always love to hear what you’re enjoying, too, so please shout out somethin’ you’re loving in the comments below.

(Take me baaaaaack) 

Fashion + beauty:

I’m not sure if we can count pajamas as “fashion” but I ordered these cozy flannels and am stoked for them to arrive. I wanted some cute pajamas for xmas day since I bought the girls’ already, and found these online. I like that they’re not too Christmas-y so I can keep wearing them throughout the winter. (It was a little weird in previous years when I would get cold and sleep in essentially an elf costume.)

(I promise my hair was in a weird spot and I don’t really have sideburns. Also, it’s so crazy to see that house! We rented all of the furniture and appliances since we were only in town for a few months. The things we do.)

Fitness:

A new workout! A friend asked me to join her at Telos Strength, and since I’m always pumped to try new classes and formats, I definitely wanted to give it a try. It was CrossFit-ish, but not totally CrossFit. (They do have CrossFit classes, circuit training, bootcamps, kettlebells and rowing. I attended the Mom Strong class which is geared towards moms.)

We started off with some mobility work and then alternated 5 bench presses (adding weight each time) with a 30-second chin-up hold. I haven’t done max strength bench presses in a thousand years and whoa. My arms are feeling it today! After a few rounds of those, we moved into some 3-minute AMRAPs.

Round 1 was 10 ground-to-presses with a plate alternated with 5 V-ups 

Round 2 was 10 kettlebell deadlifts with 5 burpees

and Round 3 was 10 renegade rows with 5 sit-ups (I modified and did some DR-friendly core exercises instead of full sit-ups)

I loved the balance of the workout and the emphasis on safe form. Most of all, I LOVED all of the people. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly, which I think truly makes a difference in motivation. I joked with my friend that I was a member at the OTF in San Diego for 2 1/2 years and when I left, I knew no one from the studio. No one talked to you; you just went and did your thing. 

During this class, I was a little apprehensive because it was upper body-focused and my upper body is pretty weak from previous surgeries. I can do cardio and leg work ALL DAY, but upper body is my weak point. When I struggled through the heavy chest presses, the girls spotted me and cheered me on —  it really helped me push through the last couple of reps for each set.

I’ll definitely be back and am excited for this to be an extra way to challenge myself with strength training. 

Holiday barre blast

This slider workout looks intense

Workout advent calendar

 Read, watch, listen:

– SO much exciting Beautycounter press this week! We’re the #1 Googled beauty brand of 2018.  The company is doing some truly incredible things, and if you’ve been looking for a side hustle or have been considering joining our mission, please reach out and let me know. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2019.

– Latest post for WebMD is here!

Eats and recipes:

If you’re looking for a different twist on holiday cookies, try these truffles! The texture is amazing (crunchy and sweet on the inside with a chocolate outer shell) and they make a fun addition to cooke trays and gift tins.

Holiday sangria

Egg-less nog

Naughty cocoa

Can’t wait to try Julie’s holiday puppy chow recipe

Have a happy Friday, friends.

xo

Gina

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