natjtan Welcome to another Weekend Friday Favourites! I hope you’re having a great weekend!
Apologies for the gap in Weekend Friday Favourites. Some of you many know Spain has one of the strictest Covid-19 lockdowns in Europe. Translation unless an essential worker you could only leave your house for the supermarket, bank, doctors or work. 7 weeks of not being allowed outside unless a bike ride to the supermarket or bakers lead me to dark place. It’s not the worst dark place I’ve found myself in. Maybe, a different room of darkness. Add a huge birthday this month of a new decade for a girl it’s all downhill. Thankfully the Spanish government last weekend has allowed us out to exercise. We have times slots based on age and I can’t tell you how good it feels being able to freely within reason run and cycle. To see the sea up close again, feel open space, see flowers, birds and other people with happy faces. Hopefully in a week Catalunya can move into phase 1 of a little more freedom as restrictions are eased.
Freedom Flowers. 1st bike ride in 7 weeks!
I’m also getting up early too! We’re only allowed out once day for exercise within the 2 time slots. I’ve chosen the mornings between 06.00-10.00 as I’m guaranteed daylight and sunshine. The other time slot is 20.00-23.00 however 21.00 it starts to get dark. I need all the sunshine and vitamin D I can get.
Anyways, Weekend Friday Favourites, things that have made me smile or caught my eye recently. Please feel free to comment below what’s been making you smile recently!
As I was unable to run, on run days I did Popsugar Fitness Dance workouts. Most trainers are guest hosts with links to their own YouTube or fitness businesses. I took a Mike Peele’s Hip-Hop Dance Workout and really enjoyed it. Seeing if he had more classes of his own on YouTube he does! Pre USA stay at home orders he featured one song choreography (he’s himself a choreographer and has worked with Beyonce, Madonna, Rihanna amongst others). Since the lockdown he’s doing shorted versions of his own hip-hop fit classes. I’m getting better and enjoy learning a routine. It’s a different kind of cardio to running for sure! I’m still going to check in with his classes and Popsugar Fitness Dance classes every now now and then now I’m back to running as I enjoy dancing. Nicole Steen’s classes on Popsugar Fitness Dance I’ll check in every now and then too. The only con I have is I never know if his routines are mirrored or not.
Image Cameron Diaz IG
I’ve been on Instagram a little more recently however at the same time being able to put it down. While I follow Cameron Diaz her posts aren’t in my feed much. This one was. Zoe Bell’s I wanna play with my friends, #bossbitchchallenge while in lockdown. Zoe Bell, a stunt double as well as an actor got all her girl stunt and action actors she knows for a follow the punch, kick, headbutt fight. There’s a guy version out there but we all know #girlsdoitbetter. Drew Barrymore, Lucy Lawless, Scarlett Johansson, Rosario Dawson, Margot Robbie, Hallie Berry, Juliette Lewis, Zoe Saldana to name few as well Cameron Diaz star!
Time Slotted Freedom
06.00-10.00 bike ride or run freedom for the next few weeks.
Image Tone It Up
Tone It Up start next Monday 11th May their annual Summer Tone Up! 6 weeks of workouts on their app and meal guide. I hoping this time around I stick to it or rather the nutrition side in addition to my own workouts. Operation Hamster Cheeks kinda failed. Hello belly from no running or cycling. I’m hoping the belly goes and the cheeks get a little fat back. However fat comes and goes were it please, face fat pads changes and moves as you get older so I need all the help I can get. A too thin face ages you. They’ve release already a few classes on the app. The one’s I’ve done this weekend I’ve enjoyed. They’ve upped their game!
Wild Flowers
The councils have let the banks grow during lockdown and don’t seem to be in a rush to cut them just yet. So many pretty wildflowers have sprung up and I’m sure most people are enjoying them too. It’s amazing where plants grow.
Sea Sparkles, Sea Diamonds
While I’m lucky enough to have a sea view and see sea sparkles, seeing them up close and hearing the waves lap or crash the shoreline is something else. I never knew I missed the sound of waves lapping the shoreline until last weekend.
New Washing Machine
I finally got the go ahead for a new washing machine (I don’t know why the landlord took so long)! I’ve been able to hand wash everything apart from duvet covers and sheets. The actual washing didn’t take that long. It was the rinsing. I’m sure next month’s water bill’s going to be high. To have a machine that does it for me, heaven! It’s so silent, I hardly know it’s on.
Kora Organics Noni Glow Face Oil
Kora Organics Facial Oil has been my go to oil for about 1.5 years. I felt like it wasn’t working earlier this year and started playing with others. Not seeing much change with the other oils I went back to Kora Organics Facial Oil. Not every day, but most days my face looks smoother in the mornings. Wrinkles still there though. Hahahaha. It’s expensive but it lasts a long time, like 5-6 months. It’s packed with noni oil, rosehip oil, sea buckthorn oil, pomegranate oil to name a few of its anti oxidant packed ingredients. All natural, organic and no nasty ingredients.
Internet Finds
The man who grew his own Amazon rainforest. BBC News
Rwanda genocide. Treating the trauma 26 years on. BBC News
Columbia: Saving rare species once protected by war. BBC News
The hidden medieval world buried beneath a castle. BBC Reel. AKA a medieval bunker
The Queen surprised the woman of the moment with a sweet phone call. Marie Claire UK. That lady is New Zealand’s PM Jacinda Ardern!
What’s been making you smile recently? Please share in the comments below! Have a great week a head!