My Favorite Things: December

Happy New Year! Kicking off 2020 with another roundup of favorite things. And while we’re on the topic of the new year, I just need to take a moment to speak a few things into existence. Ya know, just a lil’ January manifestation:

• 2020 is the year my YouTube channel blows up!
• 2020 is the year I become a certified STOTT Pilates mat instructor!
• 2020 is the year I complete a 200 hr yoga teacher training!

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled program …

Favorite Products

Throw Pillows from AllModern

I’ve been in desperate need of new throw pillows (and a new couch but … baby steps). Both pillows are currently on sale! The one with the line of fringe and little pompoms is $36 and the one with the tassels is $59 (other colors available).

Amazon Leggings (Two Great Finds!)

Soft Core 10 Workout Leggings – cozy leggings, great for lounging/yoga/Pilates

I shared a pair of shorts I got on Amazon from this same brand a couple months ago. These leggings are so comfortable. Soft, high-waist, and come in a bunch of different colors. I wear them all day. They’re definitely lounging/yoga/Pilates leggings—I wouldn’t go running in them. Under $40! For anyone who follows me on Instagram, these are the ones I shared earlier in the month on my stories.

CRZ YOGA Workout Leggings – “naked” feel, often compared to Lululemon Aligns

These Amazon leggings (only $24!) have been compared to Lululemon Aligns and came highly recommended—I had to try them out! If you’ve ever worn Aligns, you know the material is extremely soft and buttery—they’re heavenly. These Amazon leggings do have the same “naked” feel, and the material is soft, but it’s more shiny than buttery. So are they Align dupes? Not exactly. But do I love them? YES. And did I mention only $24??

They come in a ton of different colors; have a high, flattering waist band; and stay put during workouts. And I find them to be a bit more supportive than Aligns. They also come in two different lengths: 25″ and full length 28″. For reference, I’m 5′ 9″ and wearing the 25″ length in the above photo. While I wouldn’t necessarily do a super sweaty workout in the first pair of leggings I shared, I’d wear these to a sweaty bootcamp, spin or HIIT class for sure. The color I’m wearing in the pic does show sweat stains, so if that’s a concern for you, just get a dark color.

Favorite Workouts

Saturday Morning Yoga at Exhale

I love Amy’s classes at Exhale! I’ve been going to her Saturday morning Flow class at the Battery Wharf location regularly and can’t get enough. It’s a slower vinyasa, and each class is clearly thoughtfully sequenced. I go via ClassPass and if you’re new to CP you can get a month free with my referral link.

Modern Pilates (Manasquan, NJ)

I spent Christmas week at my mother-in-law’s in New Jersey, and found Modern Pilates through a ClassPass search of nearby studios. They have the same machines as Btone (so very similar to megaformers but not technically Lagree Fitness). I loved working out there all week!

30-Min HIIT Workouts

These were my favorite workouts I posted in December—whew they kicked my ass! 30 minutes (28.5 to be exact) and broken up into three mini circuits, where you alternate between right and left sides of the body. I have one with bodyweight exercises (no equipment needed!) and one using weights.

Favorite Things I …

Read

• Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover | For the first 100 pages of this book, I kept having to remind myself it wasn’t taking place in the 1800s. Tara Westover was raised in a very—erm— unique family (without giving too much away, think Doomsday prepper meets God complex meets conspiracy theorist). Read it, and if you enjoy it, I’d also recommend Hillbilly Elegy (another great memoir).
• Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis | Scar Tissue is the autobiography of Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis. Couldn’t put this book down. If you’re a Chili Peppers fan, you learn about the forming of, and ups and downs of the band. But even if you don’t care for their music, I think you’d get sucked into this book because—phew—starting in childhood, Anthony Kiedis has lived one seriously wild life (not all in a good way … eek). As you’d expect, this book has sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll, but I didn’t realize just how serious Kiedis’ battle with addiction was. Flea also has an autobiography, which I’m going to read soon.

Listened To

• [PODCAST] Joe Rogan’s interviews with presidential candidates. I’m not a religious listener of the Joe Rogan Experience, but I’ve enjoyed going through the episodes he’s done with some of the 2020 Presidential candidates. He’s had Bernie on (#1330), Tulsi Gabbard (#1295 & #1391) and Andrew Yang (#1245). I already had a good idea of Bernie’s stance on most topics, but I learned a bit about Gabbard and Yang, two candidates with whom I’m still not super familiar. I find the long-form podcast format to be so much better than the debates where you get these short, combative sound bites that really don’t tell you all that much about the candidates. This isn’t an endorsement of anyone (honestly don’t know who I’m voting for yet!), but thought I’d share.
• [MUSIC] These were my go-to workout cool down songs this month: Finally // beautiful stranger by Halsey and In the Waiting Line by Zero 7 (an oldie I fell back in love with).

Favorite Moments

Holiday Parties with Friends & Family

We had a fun holiday season, with a couple friends’ holiday parties, and an early Christmas celebration with my family on the Cape.

A Week in New Jersey

We spent Christmas week in New Jersey with Joe’s family. Pickles had a blast running around on the beaches, and we took a couple trips to Asbury Park, which is one of our favorite spots on the Shore. If you have’t been, it’s a little hipster town with lots of art installations, great restaurants, breweries, and the legendary Stone Pony. We went to a Punk Rock flea market one day and scored some awesome vintage band tees!

NYE

I had every intention of having a low-key NYE but oopsies tequila shots. #NewYearNewMe. We celebrated at our friends’ restaurant in Dorchester, 224 Boston. Highly recommend for dinner and drinks!

xo Nicole