Monday Favorites

It seems the recent (keeping in mind that I'm usually way behind on these things) blogging trend is to talk about what we love on Fridays. Simple enough. And yet I had to screw it up by doing it on a Monday. Oh, well. Let's get to it!

My Husband's Presence

This one comes first because it's the thing that makes me happiest. I truly hate that Terry has to travel so often and for so long, but I think his travel has also made me far more appreciative of the times he is home. On Thursday night I picked up Terry from the airport for what will hopefully be the last time in a very long time. His long work trips are done for now, and I feel a tremendous relief to have him home for good!

Baby Registries

Okay, I thought I had fun registering for our wedding, but it turns out that baby stuff is WAY cuter than dishes and flatware! Recently we stopped at Buy Buy Baby (affiliated with Bed Bath & Beyond--yes, you can use those 20% off coupons!) at the recommendation of our friends Heidi and Edward, who are also expecting a little one this spring (Heidi is due about 5 weeks before me). Ahhh, baby stuff is so cute! Terry and I are ridiculously practical shoppers, but for some stuff, we have expensive taste! Like this gorgeous and incredibly comfortable glider with ottoman.

And we couldn't resist adding this cute canvas, which works perfectly with our orange-and-grey nursery theme.

Oh, it's going to be so fun!

Creative Workouts
Lately I've had trouble feeling motivated to get myself moving, as I mentioned yesterday. But I came up with a short and sweet strength workout that I can do anytime, anywhere--no excuses! The idea was to complete 50 reps of 5 different full-body exercises, but you can see I fudged a bit to make it all work.

You could certainly repeat this whole workout a few times through, or tack it on to some cardio or intervals. To make it more intense, add dumbbells where appropriate, or do those push ups on a stability ball!

Date Nights

Terry and I enjoyed a date night this weekend! We tried a new burger place somewhat far from our apartment, so it was a special treat. We went to Burger City Grill in Lomita at the recommendation of a coworker. There is absolutely nothing healthy about this place, as far as I know, just a fun night out at a new place. I ordered the bacon avocado burger; Terry got the original, and we split some chili cheese fries. The fries left something to be desired, but we agreed that both burgers were delicious.

We also split a vanilla milkshake on the way home, which was only okay. Still, it was fun to try a new burger place!

Jessica Alba's Book
Guys, I hate to say it, but this book (The Honest Life) is about to become a regular topic on BLWB. I can't get enough of Jessica's wealth of knowledge about toxins (ugh, is everything laden with chemicals? Can't I just live?!), health, and style. The book is a little bit of everything (health, cleaning products, beauty, baby, the works), and I even bought a copy for my sister-in-law for her birthday recently. My favorite part is that she provides lots of resources and help for living a healthier, more natural life, but she also clarifies that she understands how difficult and overwhelming it can be to do just that. It's a try-your-best kind of attitude, and I really admire her for that. I just ordered a sample of some of the company's products (free, but you pay $5.95 for shipping), so I'll let you know what I think. Meanwhile, here's a review from another blogger if you're curious.

New Makeup!
My sister-in-law gave me some awesome eye shadow palettes by Lorac for Christmas, and I love them! Just the right amount of shimmer, four different color palettes, and they look like chocolate bars!

Smart Toes

Terry bought me these fancy toe separators for toe pain relief, and I'm excited about them. Since my foot surgery, I've been a lot more aware of treating my feet right. I'm trying to avoid a surgery on the other foot, so hopefully these guys will help. The thing about any product like this (orthodics, for example) is that you have to build up a tolerance. I'm up to about 12 minutes at a time, so no major results yet, but I'm looking forward to being able to wear them all night.

Plus, they're super sexy. Bonus!

What are you loving as you kick off Monday?