Friday Favorites – February 26, 2016

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Friday has arrived and it’s sunny in NYC! To say I am excited is a bit of an understatement. Things have been crazy over here as Bo started a new job this week, immediately upon our return from Tahoe. The house needs cleaning, our Fairway shopping list is longer than I’d like to admit and I still have 10-miles to run at some point today. This evening Bo is hanging out with a friend while I indulge in a relaxing Friday night – hair cut, manicure, pedicure and a glass of wine while watching last night’s Scandal.  How about you? What is on your agenda this weekend? 

This is my fifth Friday Favorite post in a row and I this my blogging mojo is finally right where I want it! I’ve had a blast blogging this week and am excited about the content I have lined up for next week.  As promised, in regular Friday fashion, here is this week’s version of Friday Favorites. So, as you count down the hours until the weekend begins, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

Do you work from home? How many of these awful realities of working from home resonate with you? Number two, three and five hit home for me especially yesterday when I only left the house to buy a salad from our corner bodega because the only food we have is apples, almond butter and bananas.

Props to the Charles Schwab CEO, Walt Bettinger, for testing a job candidate’s character by putting them in a very typical, but stressful situation. After reading this, take a moment to think how you react when a restaurant or other service industry makes a mistake.

Just in time for Sunday night’s movie fest, this homemade popcorn recipe looks deliciously indulgent. How can you go wrong when something includes three of my favorite things – popcorn, peanut butter and chocolate? I think I’ll have to make some before Bo and I catch up on a few more Oscar-nominated films this weekend. Which one has your vote?

Thanks to Kristine, and the crazy work week, Bo and I jumped on the Munchery wagon last night. We ordered the pan seared albacore rice bowl which was delicious and reasonably priced. Having a healthy, delicious and filling dinner option delivered to our doorstep was the perfect way to end a 14-hour work day! Want to try it for yourself? Use this code  (HEALTHYHAP) to save $10 on your first order!

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We brew our own coffee each morning and while we’ve tried a number of different blends and roasts over the past six months, I’ve finally found my favorite – Stumptown House Blend. It’s robust enough to wake me up in the morning but smooth and balanced enough to enjoy throughout the day.

Today’s windy weather really makes me wish I had an insulated running vest. I found this Brooks vest on sale! Since it’s insulated, wind resistant and water resistant it’d make the perfect Spring layer.

If you’ve followed this blog or my Instagram feed for a while, you’ll hopefully know that I’m very focused on improving my photography and content this year.  This helpful post from Paula provides inexpensive and easy tips to improve your photos. I just ordered the Lack side table since we have a convenient place to store it when I’m not using it for photos and props.

Last week’s ski trip left my lips seriously wind burnt. I have a tendency to lick my lips when I’m nervous which means that I spent half the time licking my lips on the slopes, only to have them battered and chapped from the wind and conditions. I’ve been layering on the new to me Sierra Sage lip balm multiple times a day this week to help with the damage. The refreshing mint flavor is relaxing while the vitamin E and natural oils have quickly repaired my lips.

How can I not include Fuller House on this week’s Friday Favorites! I remember watching Full House along with Step By Step, Boy Meets World, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Family Matters on Friday nights with friends while we played Girl Talk and ate pizza.

We have a black tie optional wedding in Stone Habor, New Jersey this April which means it’s time to figure out a dress option. My amazing friend Theodora has offered her favorite Lilly Pulitzer dress but if that doesn’t fit, I’m eyeing this one and this one on Rent the Runway and this one at Nordstrom. Thoughts? Since it’s only $150 to buy a dress from Nordstrom, I can’t decide whether I should buy or rent. But when would I wear it again?

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Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

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Five: A Random Blog Survey

Happy Thursday! Today’s post is a fun one!

I always love when other bloggers post surveys on their blogs as it gives me a little insight to their life beyond the blog. As soon as I saw this survey on Julie’s blog a few weeks ago, I took a screen shot and added it to my ongoing blog topic list. I’d love to learn more about each of you so choose a question and leave your answer in the comments section!

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Five Places I Want to Visit

  • St. John BVI
  • South Africa
  • Alaska (It’s the only state I haven’t visited!)
  • Australia
  • Montreal

Five Foods I Eat Everyday

  • Banana
  • Greek Yogurt
  • Apple
  • Almond or Peanut Butter
  • Salad

Five Talents I Wish I Had

  • Singing
  • Better dance skills
  • Photography
  • Graphic Design
  • Patience (does that count?)

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Five Healthy Food Bloggers I Wish Could Cook For Me Everyday

Five Things I Wear Almost Everyday

Five Songs I Listen To On Repeat

  • Adele – Remedy
  • Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
  • Ellie Goulding – Anything Could Happen
  • Brooks & Dunn – Red Dirt Road
  • Justin Bieber – What Do You Mean

Five Beauty Products I Use Everyday

 

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Five Movies I Can Watch On Repeat

  • Dirty Dancing
  • Love Actually
  • Father of the Bride
  • Trainwreck
  • When Harry Met Sally

Five Books On My Current Reading List

Five Random Things I Ate Yesterday

  • Hummus and baby carrots
  • Coffee
  • Cherries
  • Coconut flakes
  • Acai berries

Your turn friends! Leave your answers to one of these in the comments section! 

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Larabars Real Food Giveaway

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I know guys, things are going a bit crazy on the blog. Two giveaways within two days? But, I couldn’t keep this one from you guys as Larabar is one of the blog’s OG (OG = original gangster, for anyone currently wondering what that means.). In 2008 and 2009 I featured giveaways from them on the site!  This giveaway and partnership is especially important to me as Larabar is partnering with bloggers to fight hunger, a cause that affects 1 in 7 Americans! 

I feel as if there is a new bar launching each week. Whether I see them in the stores while shopping or while scrolling through my Instagram feed, it is hard to keep track. Regardless your preference – Paleo, low calorie, meal replacement, vegan, nut-free – there is a bar out there. I’ve found myself ordering bars on Amazon only to end up with eleven lonely bars in the box since I could barely finish the first bar.  Some of these bars taste so artificial and processed, I can’t imagine how my body could ever digest it let alone benefit from it. These days, eating real food is a goal of mine and something I think about when choosing bars.

Therefore, when packing for our ski trip, I found myself packing my favorite standby, Larabar. Without many of the unnecessary additives, like chocolate, there is no worry that the bar will melt in your pocket for a day on the slopes. The wholesome, filling and healthy bar is a perfect snack to fuel me through skiing. Each bar, regardless it’s flavor, is a blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. There are no hidden ingredients. In fact, most of their nutrition labels feature between just two and nine easy to pronounce ingredients. Don’t believe me? Wait until you check out their website and see that they actually encourage and show people how to make their own Larabars!
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Since Lara Merriken, the company’s founder, established Larabar in 2000 with the goal of making real, wholesome food accessible to everyone, it only makes sense that they are teaming up with Feeding America, to help battle hunger across America. Their #ShareRealFood campaign encourages people to donate to food banks, volunteer and get involved with local organizations that help combat hunger. In fact, they are donating $150,000 to help fight hunger in America! Through the New York Junior League and Procter & Gamble, I have had the opportunity to work in NYC soup kitchens and stocking local food pantries with supplies. Trust me, they can never have enough volunteers or supplies!

The next time you’re at the grocery store or placing an online grocery order, consider adding just a few extra non-persishable, healthy food items, like Larabars, to your basket so you can donate them to your local shelter or food pantry to help feed those in need. If you do, make sure you share a picture on social media to encourage others to do the same thing and tag @larabar!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Larabar.

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