Friday Favorites – September 2015 Edition

Did this week creep along for anyone else? I’m so glad it’s Friday and also thankful that we made the decision to keep things local this weekend versus traveling. We are celebrating a friends birthday tonight with dinner and drinks but the rest of the weekend will be really relaxing – just what we both need. I made Bo promise that we won’t stress ourselves out trying to get a lot of things done around the house, instead focusing on a few easy things like hanging pictures.

As you count down the hours until the long weekend begins, refill your morning coffee and enjoy this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

This week I discovered the Another Mother Runner podcasts thanks to this Zelle article. I love that the two hosts, Sarah & Dimity feel like friends and are not elite athletes, instead just women trying to stay sane and healthy through running. I’ve listened to three podcasts this week and enjoyed each one as I could relate to the topics and found myself smiling as they talked about their running experiences. You don’t have to be a mother to enjoy this podcast – I promise!

Another Mother Runner podcast

Bo and I are both loving some crunch on our smoothies and yogurt in the form of Purely Elizabeth Original Granola. The large, chunky clusters are gluten free, free of refined sugars, and are flavored with cinnamon and vanilla making it perfect for any base whether it’s plain Fage yogurt or a green smoothie.

After five years away, I returned to a barre studio this week. Both Charlie and Kristine influenced my return as I’ve followed their barre adventures via Instagram and their blogs. I walked into Bar Method Brooklyn with an open mind, merely looking for a good workout. I left feeling energized, a little bit taller and loving the challenge that I experienced during the 60 minute workout. While I love Fhitting Room and running, I feel that the core and glute work I can get in the barre class will be a great complement. For the next month I am going to add Bar Method to my training plan and see how I feel going into the Brooklyn Half Marathon. The biggest thing this experience did for me is remind me that trying new workouts can be a great way to highlight certain imbalances or weaker muscles!

Bar Method Brooklyn

I love a good documentary and after reading this article on sugar in Well and Good, I really want to watch That Sugar Film.  It seems that the guy gained 19 pounds in just a month after eating as much sugar as the average Australian eats, 160 grams.

sugar

My pals at New Balance sent me lots of gear in preparation for Reach the Beach which is just two weeks away! I’m head over heels in love with the New Balance Vazee. These super lightweight shoes provide support while still hugging my feet and feeling light as a feather.

Charlie is chasing an ambitious BQ goal in the Chicago Marathon and her hard work and determination is paying dividends. In today’s post she shares her top tips for running faster including “confidence and knowing it will be hard.” This is a great read for runners of all levels who want to improve their pace, slowly but surely.

As you guys know, I love Spotify and keep it playing most days in the background while I work, commute or run. This week my artist of choice is Rudimental. I’m especially enjoying their song Free, featuring Emeli Sande.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

You know how I can tell that people are starting to think about tall boots, pumpkin and cozy sweaters? My Pinterest pins blew up this week around two of my highest pinned items: Low Fat Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips and Pumpkin Spice Latte Smoothie.

Your turn: What are you loving this week?

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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Friday Favorites – August 2015 Edition

Happy Friday gang!

Do you guys have anything fun planned for the weekend? Bo and I get the keys to our new apartment tomorrow which means the moving fun begins. The movers don’t arrive until next Friday but this weekend we are going to start moving things from our temporary house to Brooklyn, finalize paint colors and start assembling some of our new furniture! If you want to follow the behind the scenes fun, follow me on Snapchat (healthyhappier). I am going to try and take some pictures and video of the apartment this weekend so I can share our before and after progress.

Grab your afternoon iced coffee or evening glass of wine, and enjoy this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

My love of Fhitting Room is still going strong after taking my fifth class last night. Bo and I are averaging one class per week and EVERY single class is different and leaves my body in a new level of exhaustion. I continue to love that there are two instructors for every class, ensuring that everyone keeps proper form and pushes themselves until the very last second. If you’re in NYC or visiting, check out their intro 2 for 1 offer for new customers!

In my new role, I’m spending more time with external customers which means I need some new business attire. Never one to ignore a good sale, I ordered this skirt 30% off! I can’t wait to pair it with a classic white button down, chunky gold necklace and these leopard heels!

jcrew skirt

After Kristine professed her love of Nola Bars on Instagram, I knew I had to try them for myself. These gluten free, soy free and syrup free bars are the perfect afternoon snack without any artificial, hard to pronounce ingredients. I’m not the only one in our household who loves the bars. Bo texted me as soon as he bit into his first bar and said, “Oh my gosh these are the best bars!”

Nola Bar

It’s no secret that increasing my protein intake over the past year has led to me feeling stronger, more energized and eventually weight loss. Amanda’s round-up of 97 high protein breakfast ideas is definitely a post to pin for future reference!

I ordered these candles during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale and could not be more obsessed. In fact, I love them so much that I’ve almost burned through my favorite, Pink Citron.

Did you guys see the Sesame Street news yesterday? I still can’t decide how I feel about this move to HBO. Even more concerning than the move to HBO, is the fact that as a child I thought they made a new episode each day! Was anyone else shocked to read how few episodes they film each season?

sesame

I finally downloaded Snapseed after reading this awesome blog post about how to take better Instagram photos. I can tell it’ll take some time for me to figure out the best way to use it but so far I love the effects and improvements it’s brought to my past few images!

Last but not least, I can’t give a big enough high five and shout out to our interior decorator extraordinaire, Ashley Manfred. Not only is she helping make our new apartment feel like a home, but she is doing it on a budget! She has scoured sites like One Tree Lane to find rugs, linens, and more on sale. Having someone who is an expert help create a new vibe in our home is an investment we are so glad we made. Her help made choosing paint colors and investment pieces like a new bed a BREEZE and almost eliminated domestic arguments.

Okay kids, it’s time to peace out! I’ll see you guys again tomorrow for a check-in after our long run and possibly, a few pictures from our new place.

What are you loving?

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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Friday Favorites – Under $100

There are just THREE days left to stock up on some of your favorite brands and stock your closet for the upcoming Fall season. Once the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale ends each of these items will immediately return to full price.  Since I know I’m not the only person on a budget these days, I thought it’d be helpful to feature a round-up of my favorite under $100 items that are still available.

Grab your cup of coffee and get shopping because many of these items are selling out quickly!  To make things easier, I broke my picks out over three categories: home, shoes and clothing.

Home

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale HomeI highly recommend snagging a pack of these candles for hostess gifts and then another pack for yourself.

This cozy throw is perfect for movie night and priced at $25 it won’t break the bank!

The perfect addition for any bar area, these Moscow Mule mugs are so fun!

Shoes

Nordstrom ShoesI fell in love with booties last year and since these are priced at just $80, I’m definitely adding these basic booties to my closet in taupe.

I’ve had these slippers for years and they are still in great condition! Now that I work from home, I may or may not wear them all day long!

I love adding a pop of color to an outfit with sassy heels. I just snagged these in red and can’t wait to wear them with jeans and a black tunic!

If you don’t want a bright color, these leopard heels are a great “neutral” heel option to add some fun to a classic black dress or jeans.

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is a great time to finally buy a pair of Nike FlyKnits as they are $40 off and available in lots of fun colors!

Perfectly priced at less than $75, these flats are great for just about any day of the week.

Clothing

Nordstrom ClothingThe fun seams and detailing on this dress make it perfect for Fall especially when paired with the leopard heels!

I have this tunic in two colors and am definitely adding a bright color this year as it’s easily dressed up or down depending on how you style it.

This classic stripe long-sleeve t-shirt comes in lots of fun color combinations and is under $20, making it the perfect Fall staple.

My Victoria Secret bras have all seen better days and are over 4 years old. I am finally cleaning out my drawers and replacing them with this highly recommended bra.

This tunic is another fun option as the high-low design has a great drape to it and will work for weekday OR weekend fun. 

At this price, this Faux fur vests is a fun way to spice up any Fall or Winter look.

With over 2,000 positive reviews, how can I not want to add these to my wardrobe?

Bright and fun, these crops will be a bright, fun addition to my workout wardrobe.

This loose and relaxed sweater screams Fall and would be perfectly paired with skinny jeans, tall boots and a pumpkin beer.

When the weather gets crisp, this North Face vest is the perfect layer for workouts and errands, especially in the winter white.

I have this North Face quarter zip in two colors and practically lived in it last Fall and Winter.

Last but not least, one can never have enough classic black leggings and these have seaming detail and are heavy enough to wear in public without any see-through disasters.

Which pick is your favorite? Did you shop the sale? If so, what’d you buy?

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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