Friday Favorites – April 15th, 2016

Even though this week was a short one, after enjoying an extra day of vacation in Savannah on Monday, it has been brutal. Between client and team meetings, I felt like I was running all over NYC and New Jersey. There were also some subway issues this week, which I’m sure were due in part to the craziness taking place with the presidential candidates in town yesterday. Oh well, this afternoon we are heading down to Stone Harbor, New Jersey for a gorgeous beach wedding. Even though the wind and cool temperatures are following me everywhere, I am already looking forward to tomorrow morning’s long run along the water and some relaxation while Bo and the other groomsmen attend to the groom tomorrow.  What are you doing this weekend? Any fun plans? 

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.

• In just six short days I will be enjoying a girls weekend away in Jamaica. When I saw this on sale earlier this week, I knew it would make the perfect poolside to happy hour cover-up since it can transition easily when paired with my favorite, gold sandals and this fun clutch.
• I am SO thankful that big, Fortune 500 companies are starting to realize that parental leave and work life balance are important for the long term relationship they have with their employees. This week E&Y shook things up by announcing a new policy which allows both moms and dads 16-weeks paid paternal leave. This announcement puts them at the front of the consulting pack for parental leave and will hopefully inspire other companies to make similar changes.
• With two half marathons coming up (Flying Pig and Brooklyn), I love the idea of using the Flying Pig on May 1st as a practice half marathon. Since it is three weeks before Brooklyn my legs will have time to recover from the hills while I can mentally think about what changes I want to make before Brooklyn.

I’m wearing this tank in the above pic which I snagged at Target last weekend!

• I returned to the barre this week in a big way, unintentionally taking two classes withing 12 hours – oops! My time away from barre classes made me realize the impact these small movements make on my body. I left both classes (Bar Method Brooklyn and Barre3 West Village) feeling challenged and just a bit leaner since the workouts really focus on strengthening, lengthening and engaging your core muscles.  While the two studios are very different they both have a great community feel and the movements helped me target a few weaknesses such as my glutes. Expect to see more barre classes in my monthly ClassPass (<–Get $25 off your first month with this link) recaps.  Click here to read all my monthly ClassPass recaps.
• Speaking of ClassPass, they announced some new changes this week including new plan options. What are your thoughts? 
• Are you trying to grow longer, thicker hair? Two of my favorite bloggers, Rachel and Gina, shared great posts this week all about hair. I ordered Gina’s favorite hair mask and already swear by the same supplement as Rachel! What’s your favorite hair tip or product? 
• I love reading that British kickboxing champ Ruqsana Begum is launching a line of athletic gear for Muslim women, including hijabs, in hopes that it inspires them to feel empowered to participate in sports!
• I am guilty of ignoring LinkedIn as I love my company and my role. But, this article made me realize the value it can provide and was the kick in the butt I needed to add “update LinkedIn profile” to my to do list. I appreciated the advice of using the app instead of the website to find tips and articles to help improve my current business and grow as a manager.
• I just added the ingredients for this quinoa tabouleh recipe to this week’s shopping list. Making a double batch of this will provide enough to enjoy as a dinner side, paired with grilled chicken or fish, as well as a perfect salad topping for lunches!

• The perfect gift for almost any occasion, my friend Katie made this wine pineapple for an upcoming housewarming party and I immediately pinned it for a few upcoming birthday and bachelorette parties! Hopefully this will be a Pinterest win for me versus a fail.
• The warm weather means that iced coffees and breakfast smoothies are making a return to my daily routine. Easy to whip up and satiating, it’s easy to forget that everything you add to the blender, regardless their health content, should be measured and has both calories. While I never recommend measuring things daily it can’t hurt to take a minute and assess your smoothie to ensure you’re not making the same smoothie making mistakes highlighted in this article.

 

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!