natjtan I hope your weekend’s going okay! I’m patiently counting down the days until life returns to a new normal of being allowed outside. Spain’s extended the current lockdown until 26th April. I’m hoping the weather’s not sunny skies everyday. I understand the lockdown whys but lots of sad puppy dog faces looking out the window on sunny days. Okay, rainy, cold, windy days too.
Anyway, this weeks Weekend Friday Favourites, things that have made me smile or caught my eye this week after a little break.
As much as I love Tone It Up, Studio Tone Up App, when it comes to cardio, I need more for my substitute run days. YouTube read my mind suggesting PopSugar Fitness! I’ve been having so much fun doing their free kickboxing and dance classes. I’m like a stick insect body rolling, I’m picking up the steps and I genuinely look forward to my classes. Classes are anything from 10-50 minutes. They also have a wide selection of HIIT, Zumba, toning and strengthening. One of my favourites, 30-Minute Latin Dance Workout with Nicole Steen when I discovered it 2 weeks about had about 5.2 million views. It’s currently at 8.1 million views! So much energy and positivity! The kickboxing class, 40-Minute Boxing and Kickboxing Workout with Christa DiPaolo fly by. I’m enjoying Deja Riley’s classes as well as others by Nicole Steen’s and Christa DiPaolo. The cherry on the top, they’re all free!!! To save my neighbours ears I put 2 yoga mats down which also help me get a better rhythm. My trainers squeak and catch on the floor tripping me up and putting me off count. Blame the tools! My ‘stomping’ puts me off and I think the neighbours will ring the doorbell asking me to stop.
Moisturising Cotton Gloves
If you have small hands, these are fine. Larger hands or longer fingers they might not fit
Leave it to my washing machine to have a breakdown in a lockdown. I’m waiting for the landlord to replace it. He’s been ill, so I understand the wait. The weather’s been windy, cold and rainy and I’m hand washing practically everything. I get bad hands in the winter anyway. Throw in hand washing they’re chapped and cut to F. I’ll put my hands up and say I forget most nights to do this. When I do I wake up with almost beautiful hands for me again. I remembered I had some cotton moisturising gloves never used (thank you Father Christmas aka Mama Christmas at Superdrug, or it could have been my sister one birthday) that are recommended to revitalise dry hands. I’ve been applying Frank Body Body Balm, putting the gloves on, leaving overnight, my hands thank me in the morning. I also I found some forgotten cotton moisturising socks. For sure I’ll be trying them out when I’m back climbing. Nobody wants granny hands before their time. Remember that Nat!
Forever21 cotton moisturising socks
As for my hands not climbing, my nails are growing in a regular pattern again and my callouses getting less. But I miss climbing so much! I’m trying to keep up my pull ups, but I get demotivated. I’m sure climbing again I’ll drop a few grades.
YouTube
I’d like to think my YouTube addiction has lessened. It has and hasn’t. I’m not even watching much Netflix either! I’ve still to finish Crash Landing on You and it’s driving me nuts I haven’t! Instead I’m still watching Theresa Roemer one of the few YT channels I’m still watching. I have been almost binge watching Pero Like. An offshoot of Buzzfeed for American Latinos (or Latinx to cover latinas and latinos). A group of 2nd or 3rd generation latinos try different things, foods from each other’s cultures, take Spanish tests, swap styles for a day. The shows are fun, short and sweet and make me laugh, which is what I need at the moment!
Jessica Alba has also launched her own YT channel! For sure I’m catching up on other YT channels she’s been on while waiting for her new videos. I’ve been a fan of her since Dark Angel. She’s totally relatable, never ages so that’s what everybody wants. If she’s going to share the secrets apart from genes I’m in!
Geese
I felt so lucky and honoured to see geese flying the shoreline a few weeks ago! Birds and dogs are all the animals I see. It’s nice hearing the birds due to less traffic. It’s not the best photo. Watching them fly in formation, changing formation was something. I’m sure they know something’s up too. Did you know one will stay with the one struggling or ill, rotating the front flyer as they get tired and honk from behind the flock in encouragement flying?
Bats
Bats! Stay away! Barcelona is known for its love of bats. An old city coat of arms even had a bat and a few old lamp posts feature them. Story goes a bat flew into a King’s tent awaking him to an oncoming attack. Regardless, I’ve been watching them hunt at dusk from the balcony. They’re fast little buggers earning their rep for a difficult animal to photograph. I’ve got the tracking down, just need to workout the rest so they’re not the greatest photos.
Trees Getting Dressed
When I ventured out for food, the trees more than made me smile and made me feel sad all at once. They’re getting their dress on and in a blink of an eye I’ve missed the process and the arrival of spring.
Internet Finds
Chriselle Lim. Instagram. IG has been less*, but when I have Chriselle Lim has some good IGTV stories. Her last one she shared she’s been hiding in her shower to work or make calls. If her kids hear her, they want her. For now they haven’t discovered her secret office! Also note to self to catch up on her YT, now I’m getting selective in what I watch.
Confession: I have a lot of tabs on my phone for read later. All tabbed before the lockdown. 3 weeks later I still haven’t read to share. I should delete them as I won’t read them. Now however I’m no, news just a few times a day, no longer the latest, I’ll be sharing them next time!
What’s been making you smile this week or has caught your eye? Please share in the comments below!
*One reason why IG is less is the amount of I’m a fitness influencer now I’m at home sharing my lockdown workouts! That and the pull up progressions working up to single arm when pull ups don’t appeal at the moment. Right now I’m just shaking my pancake booty dancing and my own workouts. They’ll cross over to climbing right?!