Friday Favorites time… almost!

First, I want to thank you guys for your patience with the blog this week. I finally made the switch over to self-hosted, and there were a few bumps along the way. I’m still working on getting some of my content switched over, so please understand that this is why some of my formatting looks weird and that some old links might act temperamental until I get everything squared away. If you missed Tim sharing his 2015 foodie goals this week, please check it out!

I also have a couple of challenges that I want to share with you. I really wanted to do some kind of Valentine’s Day challenge that aligned with self compassion and loving yourself, but since I didn’t have the time this year, I wanted to share a few similar ones out there that you guys might be interested in.

#whatslovely
Next week, the gals behind Fitzala are challenging women to appreciate all of the lovely things in their lives. With Valentine’s Day approaching, campaign is designed to start the conversation of self-love with women. If you are interested in thinking about things like your mental and physical strength, your relationships with friends and family, and what you love about yourself, consider joining! Check out the daily social media check in themes here – they seem fun, and a reader’s check in each day using #whatslovely will be featured on the Fitzala site.

#28daysofkind
My friends over at Kind Snacks recently teamed up with one of my favorite healthy living sites, Greatist, to offer a 28 day kindness challenge in honor of Random Acts of Kindness Day on February 17th. Check out the challenge calendar here. If you participate and share your actions on social media with #28daysofkind, you could win a year’s worth of Kind bars!

Okay, NOW it’s Friday Favorites time. Enjoy!

Fitness

• Buddy up: 7 bodyweight partner exercises
• Love these: Top 3 core compound training exercises for abs
• Good tips: How to squat deeper

Recipes

• Am I the only one who prefers chicken thighs to chicken breasts? Lemon honey rosemary chicken
• Yes, yes, yes: Paleo chocolate strawberry brownies
• Yum: One dish fish and veggie bake
• Great for food prep: Healthy broccoli chicken casserole
• Pretty: Chopped carrot citrus salad
• Want: Blood orange and pomegranate sparkling sangria
• Comforting: Crockpot mushroom, barley, and lentil soup
• A nice splash of citrus: Baked blood orange chicken

Self Image, Life, and Inspiration

• Important: 8 ways to prioritize self care
• Truth: The power of self compassion
• Great outlook: Be the exception
• It’s overrated: Do not be a workaholic
• That one leads into: 10 ways to schedule your downtime

Readers, let’s chat! Are you participating in any challenges this month? What links are speaking to you this week? And because I always like to ask, what was the best part of your week/what’s up for the weekend?

The best parts of my week were picking our wedding photographer, getting a 90 minute deep tissue massage, and catching up with my uncle last night. This weekend my gym friends are throwing me a Buff Babes Bachelorette. We are heading to a private boxing class with fun dinner plans after. I can’t wait!