The Friday Five… Getting Back to Basics

 

I feel like sometimes the things that we love most are staring us right in the face!!! I’ve been wanting to get back to basics on the blog this year–finding the things I love to talk about and share and so I am going old school on you friends with a roundup of five things I am loving this week. Nothing too crazy, nothing sponsored–just the tried and true things I enjoy discussing and I hope it gets you get back on board with checking in to see what’s the latest and greatest in this blogging space, too! So here we go:

French Bikini Top | High Waist Bottoms | Hoola Bronzer | Stray Cat Sunglasses | Lucite Bag | Confetti Key Ring [use TASH15 for 15% off] | Wayfinder Tumbler

ONE. New Swimwear

Our couple’s trip to Cabo is coming up fast and fierce [I’m counting down the days until that last week of February] and we are inching close to the one month countdown to our getaway… which means new swimwear!! I’ve been stocking up on a ton of new swimmers in the hopes that at least a few will work–so of course I am sharing a few new finds here for any of you looking for warm weather cuteness AKA resort wear!

1 Belted One Piece Swimmer | 2 Asymmetrical Stripe Two Piece Swimsuit | 3 Palmacea Print Navy Bikini | 4  Chromatic Rainbow One Piece | 5 High Waisted Ric Rac Bikini | 6  So Solid Greyson Ruffled One Piece | 7 Paper London Rainbow Bikini | 8 Scalloped Cut-Out One Piece | 9 Ruffle One Shoulder Swimsuit | 10 Mei’lange One Piece Striped Swimsuit

TWO. My Fitness Pal and FWTFL Program Progress

I’m almost 2.5 weeks in and I am feeling INCREDIBLE friends… finally, I have found a lifestyle + fitness program that totally makes sense to me and is super easy to achieve and track, all while being able to eat the foods I love and enjoy [and yes, have a cocktail and dessert, too!]. I’ve had a ton of you still asking me questions about the FWTFL program so be sure you see my initial blog post about it HERE.

I’m playing by the rules and not stepping on the scale, but I’m noticing that my clothes are fitting so much better [especially in the thigh/butt zone which is usually my hardest area to tone] and for me, that is all I need to visually know the changes I am making are having a drastic impact on my health and wellness. The workouts are easy to knock out each day [with two days off to rest AMEN] and the intermittent fasting component has been my favorite element so far… it’s amazing how our bodies run on the GOOD fuel we feed them with, right?!?!?!

Today I wanted to share a bit more about MyFitnessPal, which is the free app that helps track my daily macros to ensure I’m following my percentages and holding myself accountable. Even better, thousands upon thousands of foods are already included in the app so even if you’re eating out a lot/traveling/etc you can easily calculate your macros each day so your pie chart looks pretty and you stay within the daily allotted ranges.

Mostly the pie charts look similar, but you’ll see a couple are “off” in terms of proportion and scale… those comprise the two low card days that we track each week so it’s correct!

I’ve mentioned it a ton via IG stories and such, but the next round starts NEXT MONDAY, 1/21. That’s what we call “prep week”–basically you watch one video a day to get better acclimated to the program, know what to do to get started, get all the recipes/meal plans/tips and tricks/new client portal access/etc and then you’ll actually begin the program 1/28. This is your last chance to register as new groups won’t be starting until late February so if you’ve been thinking about joining, DO IT FRIENDS!!!! Click here to sign up.

THREE. Loft Love — 50% Off Sitewide Sale 

Oh yes, you heard me right… everything at Loft, and I mean EVERYTHING is 50% off right now online with code WANT. So many amazing options in their current lineup and I did a full shopping trip a few days ago to stock up in a major way–here are some of my go-to favorites to check out [P.S. everything I am showing is in an XS for sizing reference]:

Blue Textured Stripe Cardigan [now $39] | White Shell [less than $20]

Wide Leg Cotton Pants [if there is ONE thing you buy from this roundup, let these be them!!]

Polka Dot Kimono [would be an adorable swimsuit coverup AND on sale for $25]

Heart Sweatshirt [VDay is coming after all and this would be perfect for a date night at home ;)]

Striped Button Cuff Tee [SO comfy and just a tad bit fancier than the everyday tshirt]

Geo Fairisle Sweater [love the colors in this cozy sweater–now only $40]

Striped Bib Tunic [casual and cute and oh so soft… Lou and Grey always do it right!]

Oversized Drop V-Neck Sweater [this is a pale pink color and it’s super cozy and warm… now just $30]

Heart Tunic Sweater [crowd favorite for sure… adorable without being over the top]

Four. Enneagram Results… I’m a TWO

I mentioned via Instagram stories the other day that I FINALLY sat down and paid the $12 fee to take the legit Enneagram Test online–yes, I was supposed to be “working” but I figured understanding one’s self is adequate for growth and maturity = plus I am a personality test junkie so I was dying to find out. 40 minutes later, the results came back to say that I am a solid two. Here’s the breakdown of my results:

For a little more in-depth TWO conversation:

Generally, Twos are caring, empathetic, warm, thoughtful, appreciative, generous, other-oriented, tactile, affectionate, well intentioned, and demonstrative. Twos get into conflicts by being people-pleasing, flattering, ingratiating, clingy, worried, possessive, insincere, seductive, self-important, and self-deceptive. At their best, Twos are encouraging, loving, self-nurturing, constant, joyous, humble, forgiving, gracious, and compassionate.

And my “wing”, secondary numbers are Type 3, The Achiever and Type 8, The Challenger. I’m telling y’all, I LOVE THIS KIND OF STUFF!!!

Five. Must Have Makeup Case from Amazon

Finally, I wanted to be able to share my all new makeup organizer with you guys… I just ordered this last week and I was shocked at how well made it was given the under $20 pricetag. Apparently more than 500 of you ordered it and LOVE it too so it’s a major must have for 2019 in my book. The divided compartments are GENIUS and I love that you can take them out/insert them back, depending on your preferences and product lineup for everything you’re taking with you. Whether you’re a professional MUA or someone who just loves to be organized when you’re on a trip, this makeup case is REALLY REALLY good… I grabbed the light pink version and love the subtle color against the black interior lining/pockets/etc.

I’m already working on my 2019 beauty/skincare routine for a separate blog post, so be sure to stay tuned for everything I use to get glowing skin this season!!