The Friday 5

Hi, friends!

We made it to Friday! Hooray!! I felt like this week really dragged, but now the weekend is so close, I can taste it! 🙂 Speaking of which, we have a fun weekend planned – starting with swim lessons at Goldfish followed by a Quinn and Mumma CAVA date for lunch. We’re both obsessed! 🙂

So, on Saturday, Mal has a school activity, so Quinn and I are going to visit the “old gym” (aka CrossFit). Quinn has actually brought up the old gym a few times in recent weeks, saying that he wants to visit. I guess he misses his CrossFit friends like we miss ours. I’m definitely looking forward to working out and seeing friends on Saturday. It’s been WAY too long!

After CrossFit, we need to take Murphy for a check up at the vet. He has an ulcer on one of his eyes that’s just not healing. We’re trying a stronger eye drop and antibiotics, so, hopefully, he receives a clean bill of health. On Saturday night, we have plans with friends. On Sunday, Papi and Lori are coming to babysit Quinn, so Mal and I can go out to brunch together. Quinn is very much looking forward to it. He lovvvvvees his Papi! 🙂

Anyway, I’ve rambled on much longer than intended, so let’s get right to The Friday 5 where I recap from top 5 favorites from the week. I hope you enjoy them, and I hope you have a wonderful Friday and weekend!

Brooks Launch 6 Shamrock Sneakers – How amazing are these sneakers?! And, of course, they’d be perfect for any St. Patty’s Day road race! If you buy now, you get a special edition box! Fun, right?

This Unmillennial Life Podcast – I’m loving this podcast lately. It’s intended for “women who’ve fallen into a generational gap” (aka not Millennials). I’m not quite 40 yet, but I’ll be there soon enough, and I’m pretty sure I’m technically a Gen X-er. Anyway, I love all of the topics discussed. Recent episodes include: Screentime Behavior & Addition, Adrenal Fatigue, Keto, Intermittent Fasting, Mindfulness & Meditation, and much more. I really loved the episode about macro counting from a dietitian’s perspective!

Pretty much ALL of the bathing suits from Athleta – For real!! I’m in the market for a new bathing(s), and I know where I’ll be shopping in the coming weeks. I seriously love just about all of thee bathing suits online, and they’re reasonably priced. I’ve also heard Athleta’s bathing suits fit realllly well. I need to get my shop on sooner than later – beach season is “almost” here! This Maldives High Neck Bikini Top is everything!

What to Eat When: A Strategic Plan to Improve Your Health and Life Through Food – I finally got my hands on this book, and I’m so glad that I did. It makes a strong argument for my favorite meal of the day: BREAKFAST! The author actually recommends eating 3/4 of your calories before dinner. It’s funny because, in the early days of CNC, I naturally used to eat this way. But I received so much flack for my small dinners from readers, I started eating bigger ones. In recent times, I’ve gravitated back to “eat like a king” at breakfast and “eat like a pauper” at dinner, so I’m glad this book provided some biological evidence for its benefit. If you’re wondering how this fits into the popular intermittent fasting of today, the author actually supports it, but still encourages eating the majority of your calories before dinner time. Your eating window basically ends up being earlier in the day, and you’re eating when the sun is outside. I actually have a lot to say about this book, so maybe I’ll write a blog post about it soon! In the meantime, it’s a great read! 🙂

Beautycounter Counterman Collection – Are the men in your life using safe products? Yes? No? Maybe? Here’s why you should care: According to a survey conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), men use, on average, 6 products daily, containing a total of about 85 unique ingredients. Of the 85 unique ingredients, many of them are known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) since they interfere with hormonal balance, including fertility. These EDCs can also play a part in obesity and coronary heart disease. Long story short, it’s time to clean up the products in the lives of the men you love so much, and Beautycounter’s Counterman is a line of safer skincare designed specifically for men.

Mal uses a number of products from the line and absolutely loves them. I’m pretty sure he’s hooked! Here are his favorites:

• Counterman Daily Exfoliating Cleanser
• Counterman Oil-Free Face Lotion
• Counterman Smoothing Shave Cream

The Counterman Collection, especially the Shave Regimen and Beard Regimen, make an awesome gift for the special guy in you life. Does your husband, dad, brother, son, uncle or grandfather have a birthday or special occasion coming up? Give the gift of Counterman! And, FYI, this line isn’t just for men. The Smoothing Shave Cream, Charcoal Body Bar, and Energizing Charcoal Body Wash are great for women too. They smell incredible!

Questions of the Day

What products do the men in your life use?

Are you running a St. Patrick’s Day race this year? 

Do you prefer eating a small or big breakfast?

P.S. Here’s a bonus favorite from the week: 9 Steps to Creating an Epic Routine!