Happy Wednesday! I am so excited to share with y’all my favorite things from the past two months! I will be sharing everything from food to accessories, TV shows to workouts, and playlists to podcasts! For me, this is normally the slow, cold, and uneventful time of year, so I’m constantly trying to keep myself busy with what I’m currently interested in. Surrounding yourself with things that you love or are even obsessed with (like me, haha!) always helps me stay motivated. I also often have to remind myself how important rest is and that it is ok to sleep in, or push that workout to tomorrow. Be kind to yourself ❤️Anyway, here are my obsessions at the moment!
TV Show: Gossip Girl! One of my best friends has been going on and on about this show, so I just felt like I had to watch it! She was totally right. It is so addicting, and I can’t stop watching it! I love everything about New York and I hope to live there someday, so the fact that the show is set there could not be more perfect! Jenny Humphrey, one of the side characters is very into fashion. She makes her clothes and interns with some of the biggest fashion designers in New York. It’s like watching my dreams come true, haha! I immediately fell in love with the characters and their relationships. It’s so much drama and a lot of it is crazy, but it’s SO GOOD! I would 10/10 recommend watching it! Also, I started the first season on Prime Video, but it was super expensive to keep buying each season, so when I found out it was free on HBO Max, I started watching it there. If you have HBO Max, I would watch it on there. All 7 seasons are free!
Accessory: Headbands! I LOVE them! Ever since I went to the Lele Sadoughi store in Dallas, I cannot stop wearing them. I got to try on SO many headbands in that store and I was totally hooked! I like wearing them when I straighten my hair because the headband adds back the volume my hair looses when it’s straightened. They are also easy to throw in my hair when it’s dirty and I don’t have time to wash and blow-dry it. I have a couple statement headbands from Lele Sadoughi, but the rest of mine are just from Amazon! I love the ones with the pearls, they come in some many different colors. Click HERE to go to the Lele Sadoughi website and HERE for the link to the pearl headbands on Amazon.
Article of clothing (dressy): The Jumpsuit! It’s my favorite dressy article of clothing to wear in the winter with the long pants to keep my legs warm, and a jacket or sweater on top! I wore several jumpsuits on my trip to Fort Worth; Charlotte, NC; and Durham, NC. Paired with a tall heel, the jumpsuit gives a very flattering look and makes you look much taller! I’m always going for that look, lol! In Charlotte, I wore my burnt orange jumpsuit with the multi-colored furry jacket and brown booties. In Durham, for a slightly more casual look, I wore my green and black leopard print jumpsuit with a black sweater over it. And finally, for a night out in Texas, I wore my open-back denim jumpsuit, my white booties, and a Lele Sadoughi headband. Also, in the summer, jumpsuits are perfect to take on a trip to the beach!
Article of clothing (athleisure/exercise): Flare leggings! They are so ‘in’ right now! Everywhere I go I see flare leggings. My favorite ones are from Aerie, they have so many different variations! I have the Offline Foldover High Waisted Slit Flare Leggings by Aerie and the Groove-On Velour High Waisted Flare Pant by Aerie as well. You can easily dress them up or dress them down with a cute sweater and booties or a cropped tank top and sneakers. And the best part is that they are insanely comfy! Click HERE for the link to the flare leggings from Aerie.
Shoes: Platform sneakers! One of my favorite bloggers totally talked me into these shoes. I have been looking for the best pair of platform sneakers that go with everything and these are it! I usually wear them with leggings or jeans. They are great for running errands around town or for a casual night out. Click HERE for the link!
Breakfast dish: Savory cottage cheese bowl! I bet you I have made this for breakfast at least three times a week since the beginning of the year! They are SO YUMMY! This specific recipe came from SkinnyTaste and I will link it below. The recipe originally calls for tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, chives, and pistachios for toppings, but really any of your favorite vegetables, or whatever is in your fridge works just fine too! I sometimes put carrots on mine, or other nuts, and I always use Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel Seasoning! Cottage cheese is a great way to get your protein, and even if you don’t like it, just try adding some of these toppings and I promise you will love it! Click HERE for the SkinnyTaste recipe.
Snack: Protein bars – RX bars! (specifically the maple sea salt and chocolate sea salt ones) These are the best snacks to have pre/post – workout or in my case before or after dance class. I like the minis for before, and then the regular sized bars for after my workout! The regular ones are also a great breakfast and the minis could be a healthy dessert too! The base of the bar is made of egg whites, dates, nuts, and dark chocolate. They offer a wide range of flavor variations, and my favorites are the maple sea salt and the chocolate sea salt. They contain only natural flavors, non-GMO ingredients, and are gluten free. I also love their nut butters and I’m dying to try their oats. I would definitely recommend trying these out if you are looking for a new protein bar or nut butter! Click HERE for the link to their website!
Healthy dessert: Chocolate hummus and fruit! The perfect sweet snack to have after dinner or as a midnight snack. I know it might sound weird to put chocolate and hummus together, and I will admit, I was definitely skeptical of it at first, but it is SO DELICIOUS! I like to dip sliced strawberries into it the most, but pineapple and bananas are also good too! I have only been able to find it at Trader Joe’s, but I am sure other grocery stores carry it as well. Even if you don’t like hummus, I would still recommend giving it a try!
Podcast: ‘I’m Tired’ (Grace Valentine) – Ok… I love all things Grace Valentine, but her podcast might be my very favorite! She is so relatable and just so fun to listen to! I am not the biggest podcast fan, but when I find one that I really like, I can’t stop listening. Her books are fabulous as well. I have read both Am I Enough? and Is It Just Me? and they are AMAZING! Her new book, What Will They Think? is expected to be released on July 12th, 2022, and I am counting down the days! I have already pre-ordered it on Amazon! Anyway, check out her podcast, or if you prefer books, PLEASE read one of these! They are so incredible.
Workout: OrangeTheory treadmill workouts! One of my good friends introduced these to me and I love them so much! I used to dread running on the treadmill, especially in the winter when it’s just too cold to run outside without being absolutely miserable (And I get cold SUPER easily!). I do have to say, I still prefer running outside, but these OrangeTheory treadmill workouts have completely transformed the way I felt about the treadmill, haha! I downloaded the Reddit app (it’s free) and I only follow OrangeTheory on it. They post new workouts every day so you have lots of options to choose from. If you don’t like the one for that particular day, just scroll back a little ways and look at the ones from previous days. Once a find one I like, I screenshot it so I can easily come back to it on another day. The treadmill workouts are measured in four different categories; base, push, AO (all out), and WR (walking recovery). These speeds vary on the person, but I normally run my base between 6-7 mph, my push between 7-8 mph, my AO between 8-10 mph, and my WR between 3.8-4.2 mph. These workouts are great interval workouts and focus more on sprints, so I still like to do my long-distance running outside.
Skincare/makeup product: Neutrogenia Eye Makeup Remover Oil-Free Liquid – This is a fabulous product that can be found at any drug store! My eyes are super sensitive to makeup wipes and several other products, but this product doesn’t sting at all! It removes most of my eye makeup with just one swipe, even waterproof eyeliner and mascara! With all of the stage makeup I have had to wear in the past month, this eye makeup remover has really come in handy.
Jewelry item: Red heart necklace by Kendra Scott! It’s not just the perfect necklace to wear on Valentine’s Day, it’s perfect for any day! I love ALL gold jewelry, and small necklaces like this one can easily be worn with anything! I have definitely worn this necklace most of February!
Spotify playlists: ‘Emily Ley – January’ and the ‘Hit Rewind’ playlist! I love throwback music to the 2010s, and both of these playlists pretty much sum up that decade. They are a great combination of motivational and upbeat songs as well as slower pop songs. I like to listen to these playlists when I am getting ready in the mornings, when I’m working out, cleaning my room, or when I just need a break from all the noise of life.
That’s a wrap of my January and February Obsessions! I am planning on continuing this series of blog posts, so be on the lookout for my next one near the end of April! Have a great rest of the week!
xoxo, Joanna