February Favorites
Happy Friday, friends! I hope everyone had a great week!
Assuming the weather cooperates, we have plans to escape to Mendocino to do some hiking and *hopefully* spot a few whales from the coast. This time of year is supposed to be the best to watch them migrate north with their babies so I’ve got my fingers crossed that we’re lucky enough to see at least one. But mostly I’m just looking forward to getting outside and connecting with nature for a little while.
Whatever your plans are, I wish you all a wonderful weekend! In the meantime, sit back and enjoy a round-up of my favorite monthly finds!
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Favorite Healthy Snack: No Bake Almond Fudge Protein Bars. If there’s anyone I would trust to provide me with a drool-worthy snack/breakfast/dessert that’s still nutritious, it’s Amanda. She is the master of them ALL and these bars are no exception. I need to make them ASAP!
Favorite Indulgence: Kale Pesto Pizza. I was able to put the kale from my garden to good use with this pizza a few weeks ago and we devoured it! It’s super simple and delicious, yet still somewhat good for you because, um hello, it’s KALE. So what if it’s covered in cheese? ;)
Favorite Warm and Cozy Meal: Sweet Potato Peanut Chipotle Soup with Wilted Greens. As some of you may remember from this chili, chipotle and sweet potato are my jam. I love that Traci thought to combine them with peanuts and greens and this soup. It looks so unique and flavorful!
Favorite Bowl: Wasabi Vegetable Bowls. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a little skerd of wasabi. However, when I saw these bowls it instantly washed all of my fears away. The creamy wasabi-tahini dressing sounds so good and pairing it with avocado pretty much seals the deal.
Favorite Wanderlust: 21 Most Magical Spots in Hawaii. Oh Hawaii, I can’t get over you. I haven’t stopped dreaming about it since we went on our honeymoon and reading this list made the heartache even worse. I really hope we get to go back soon!
Favorite Awww: The 50 Happiest Animals in the Entire World. If you ever need a little pick me up, just look at these pictures. It’s impossible not to smile back at those adorable faces!
Favorite New Album: This is Acting. I had to give Adele a break for a few days which eventually led me to Sia’s new album. It’s such a fun mix of songs that I can’t stop listening to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dT7_YbYQGU
Favorite Home Workout: Les Mills On Demand. My new schedule has made it really challenging for me to find time to make it to the gym lately so I was thrilled when I found that Les Mills now offers their classes on demand. I just enrolled in the free trial and I’m really impressed with the selection! I just wish they had Body Attack on demand. :/
Favorite Water Filter: Soma Water Pitcher. I feel a little silly including this in my favorites but I really do love this thing. It’s a sustainable plant-based water filter that’s made in the USA and is BPA-free. Plus they donate proceeds from every purchase to water project charities around the world to help provide clean water for those in developing countries. <3
Favorite Yogurt: Kite Hill Yogurt. If you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat (makingthyme), then you’ve probably already heard me talk about this yogurt. I discovered it last week and am so impressed with the texture and flavor. The sugar is a little high in their flavored versions but the plain only has 5 grams. Not too shabby! I add a little fresh fruit and/or cinnamon to it and it’s perfectly sweet for my taste buds.
Favorite Drink: Q Ginger. Ginger Ale is one of my all-time favorite drinks but I hate that so many of them are made with high fructose syrups. This one, however, is made with organic agave nectar and a few spices that give it a delicious natural flavor. It’s SO good!
Favorite Hair Color: Subtle Ash Highlights. I haven’t had my hair highlighted in almost a year and my gray hairs are seriously starting to show. I’m thinking it’s about time to bite the bullet and get it done. This color is exactly what I want!
Favorite Foundation: Koh den Go Aqua Foundation. I’ve had such bad luck with natural foundations that I decided to do some research to see if there were any high quality brands that might be worth trying. I stumbled across this one and while it’s not 100% natural, it’s made without parabens, phthalates, artificial colors, fragrance or mineral oil, and it’s cruelty-free. It has a light silky texture that blends in perfectly!
Favorite Brow Pencil: Anastasia Brow Wiz. Another favorite beauty find, this is one that I’ve actually been using for a few years and recently ran out of. The tip of the pencil is superfine and it does an amazing job blending in with your natural brow hairs. It’s definitely a game changer! <p.s. typing brow hairs feels weird.
Favorite Dessert Makeover: Outstanding Homemade Ding Dongs. Because I always like to end on a sweet note. I don’t know about you guys but Ding Dongs were like a drug for me as a kid. I haven’t touched one in over ten years because of how scary the ingredient list is so I love that these are wholesome, yet they still look incredible!
Love these posts! It’s like we’re hanging out with a glass of wine, a vegan ding dong, and chatting :) That Q Ginger looks yummy – I’ll have to look for that! Hope you have a fabulous weekend!!
Haha! I would LOVE to sit down and chat with you over wine and vegan ding dongs, Melissa! That sounds like perfection to me. :)
I hope you have a great weekend too! xo
Hi Sarah! Hope you make it to see the whales. Dave and I actually saw one jump when we were hiking in Marin on the coast once. Totally cool! As far as your favorites — I haven’t tried Les Mills On Demand yet, believe it or not. And I LOVE the look of that hairdo — you would look great with those highlights. Happy weekend, friend! Hope to see you soon!
That’s amazing that you guys got to see a whale in Marin! I’m not getting my hopes too high but it would be so awesome if we did. And I’m not sure Les Mills On Demand would be as useful to you, seeing how you have access to so much of the material as an instructor. But it’s nice for a change. I hope to see you soon too, girly!
Oh have fun on your get away! I have a break from school this weekend so I will be catching up at home and cooking a lot to get ready for a couple busy weekends.
That was me last weekend! It helps to think about the fun things you will have to look forward to once all of the work is done. :)
Sarah,
Wishing you a wonderful trip! I’m looking forward to sitting down and checking out some of these recipes more closely. I hope you get to see the whales – that would be amazing! Blessings, Nancy
Thank you, Nancy! I hope you have a great weekend! :)
I keep seeing everyone talk about that Kite Hill yogurt, I’ve got to try it!
I think you will love it, Sarah! Hopefully you can find it! :)
So many things to say! First, thanks so much for the sweet words and link love! But I just thought maybe you should know that the Hawaii link also goes to Spoons, which – while I totally don’t mind ;) – I AM actually curious about Hawaii! And I’ve been hearing some great things about that foundation so you’ve really got me wanting to try it. I’ll probably pick it up the next time I’m in Sephora. Have the best time this weekend!!
I think I just loved your bars so much that I couldn’t help linking them twice. ;)
Thanks for the heads up, girly! I hope you have a great weekend too! xo
Sarah, thank you super amounts for this. I love your February favorites all together and I’m especially excited you ended on a healthy sweet note. Totally cool. And these ding dongs aka ring dings rock! Sending love and light Xx
You’re so sweet Jennifer! Thank you for the comment and for that delicious recipe. They look amazing! <3
I had to smile when I got to the part about needing to give Adele a break ~ I’ve been listening to her new album steadily since its release (must be the California dreaming thing ;-) and need to press the pause button too. Those wasabi bowls have to be the prettiest spring inspiration I’ve ever seen. Always love your favorites Sarah!
Her album is addicting, right?! Thanks Kelly! I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather today. :)
Yay! I hope you have a great time in Mendo! I love traveling there. So beautiful and so many wineries. Hope the weather was nice enough for you!
Wha, whaaa WHAT!! Vegan Ding Dongs?? Good grief! They look soooo good! Thank you for the link love my dear! What a fabulous round up of Feb faves. And you WILL get to Hawaii again… and I can’t wait to hear all about it! xo
I hope so! Kauai is next on the list! ;)
Les Mills classes are my absolute favorite workout ever – I literally joined a gym a couple months just for the classes, and it’s been so worth it. One of the only things that gets my butt to the gym! I need to try that Kite Hill really bad. And that dog picture basically just made my life.
I agree, they do such a great job making exercise fun! It’s one of the only reasons I work out too! :)