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Current faves: Christmas activities, San Francisco sweating, food and workouts

December 21, 2018 By Ashley 15 Comments

Hi, friends! How are you? Feeling festive? I hope so, because here we are moving into Christmas weekend just like that. December certainly went by quickly, didn’t it?

This weekend is not only a good one because of the holiday, but it’s also my birthday on Sunday — another year older and wiser. I know I’m getting a massage on that day, but not sure what else. Other than that, Dave, Brady and Rudy and I are staying put for the holiday this year and are celebrating as a little foursome only — and the good part about that is that we won’t be packing and/or spending any time in the airport — woohoo. What are your Christmas plans?

It’s the end of the week, so it’s time for my usual random selection of favorites featuring fitness, fun, life, food and everything in between. Here we go … 

Family

Taking Brady to the Tilden Park Merry-go-Round

I spent some time researching holiday activities to do with young kids in the East Bay of SF, and there isn’t much that takes place during the daytime and is accessible for a toddler Brady’s age. There are a million festivals and Christmas shows and nighttime things, but when your kiddo goes to bed at 6:45 p.m., your window of activity is much earlier. However, upon my research I discovered a few attractions for toddlers in the Tilden Park area near Oakland, so Dave and I planned to head there as soon as Brady woke up from his nap on Saturday.

Ashley and Brady at Tilden merry-go-round by A Lady Goes West -- December 2018

Dave and Brady on the merry-go-round by A Lady Goes West -- December 2018

I was looking forward to taking our little guy on the Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round, but boy did I underestimate how entertaining it would be to take Brady to a new place to try new things. He was literally squealing with excitement while people watching. Although he was a little nervous and reserved on his two actual merry-go-round rides, it was clear he was loving the scene, complete with the Christmas music and decorations too.

Ashley and Brady at the merry-go-round by A Lady Goes West -- December 2018

Dave took Brady the first time and stood next to him holding him while he rode, and I videoed almost every time they came around and waved too. My annoyingly high “mom” voice was at its highest yet, and I didn’t care at all hehehe.

We took a little snack break after the first ride, then I got the chance to take him. He was wide-eyed and just adorable the whole 3-minute ride — which by the way was only $3, so those two rides made up one worthy $6 investment, with no admission to the little park area required and easy parking.

Brady on the merry-go-round by A Lady Goes West -- December 2018

Ashley and Brady on the merry-go-round by A Lady Goes West -- December 2018

On the drive home (which is a winding one, down the mountain, wheww), I was telling Dave that before becoming a mom, I dreaded the thought of doing kid things. But now, all of a sudden, I’m excited to do them. It’s just as much fun for us parents as it is for the littles. This outing was the highlight of my week, and I kept picturing Brady’s little body on that merry-go-round, and it made me smile every time!

Brady at the merry-go-round by A Lady Goes West -- December 2018

Fun

Getting a library card

Yes, this is filed under the “fun” category!

Earlier this week, I finally went to the library and got a library card. I’ve read every book in our house and have ordered a ton and finished them too, so I figured maybe I should borrow books instead (it’s better for the environment too).

Brady and I swung into our local Walnut Creek library after the gym and signed up for my library card and picked up two fiction books by writers I’ve read from before … here’s hoping they are both fun, and I get them read in three weeks before they are due back. Who else goes to the library?

Library card by A Lady Goes West -- December 2018

Library books by A Lady Goes West -- December 2018

I used to do work there when I was pregnant and wanted to get out of the house, but this is my first time checking out books since college. It’s a nice place, and I would’ve stayed longer if Brady wasn’t being so chatty in his stroller.

Shown above are the two light and fluffy books I’ll be digging into.

  • “Surprise Me” by Sophie Kinsella
  • “One Fifth Avenue” by Candace Bushnell

Events

SoulCycle Self-Care Sunday in the City

Truth be told, as much as I love going to fitness events, I don’t love being gone for too long on the weekends, when it’s our only time to do family stuff (oh parenthood — I need time away, but then I don’t want too much so that I miss things). However, I RSVPed yes to the SoulCycle Self-Care Sunday weeks ago and was excited to get into the City for some fun. I’ve been a digital influencer for SoulCycle this year, and I’ve grown to love my time on the bike in those classes in the dark studio. It’s like a mini-therapy session sometimes.

Ashley at SoulCycle Castro by A Lady Goes West -- December 2018

It was a dreary and rainy day, and I took the BART in from the East Bay and arrived just in time to walk to SoulCycle Castro, which is in a gorgeous corner spot in the heart of the neighborhood. I said hi to some of the other ladies there, and met my friend Jill, who was my guest, then we hopped into a class with the most amazing instructor, Joe.

I’ve taken a lot of SoulCycle classes with a lot of instructors, and Joe is BY FAR my favorite. He was charismatic, entertaining, he commanded the room, gave just the right amount of challenge, and best of all — he gave COACHING at the beginning of the workout and throughout to make sure everyone was safely doing what they needed to do — without being too informative and killing the vibe. Oftentimes in SoulCycle, even though it’s fun, there’s not a lot of instruction — and the fitness professional in me doesn’t like that at all — so Joe was top notch in my eyes.

After an awesome class, we showered up, then headed over to The Assembly women’s club, which I’ve been to once before. It’s a beautifully designed place in an old church in the Mission District. Once there, we chatted, opened our gift bags and then took a restorative yoga class, which was such a treat. I nearly fell asleep while lying there in the long poses supported with bolsters and smelling the essential oils. Heavenly is the word! By the way, The Assembly has a great line-up of fitness classes, wellness events and all sorts of programming for women — definitely worth checking out if you live in the City.

The Assembly yoga class by A Lady Goes West -- December 2018

We finished up the day of activities around 3:30 p.m., and Dave, Brady and Rudy picked me up from the BART station back home in the East Bay, so I had a little bit of time to hang out with them before we had to get Brady to bed.

Overall, it was great to get out of my neck of the woods, take a sweaty and fun cycle class, hang out with some awesome influencer ladies and friends, then end the event with some major relaxation in yoga with another super-skilled instructor. I’m so glad I went to this day! Thanks for having me, SoulCycle. (Side note: After enjoying that yoga class so much, I realize I need to figure out how to make time to get to a studio yoga class every once in a while — it’s soooo good for me.)

Food

Tone It Up peanut butter protein powder

I can’t tell you how often people ask me about my favorite protein powder. I used to love Vega Sport Chocolate, I’ve also used and enjoyed Sunwarrior Chocolate, and I typically go for plant-based protein powder.

I’ve been purchasing new brands of protein powder and haven’t come up with a good one to share with you until — of all brands — the one from the Tone It Up girls. I was prepared to not like this protein powder, but I totally enjoy the taste of the PB flavor.

Tone It Up protein powder by A Lady Goes West -- December 2018

It’s non-GMO, gluten-free, plant-based protein powder made from pea protein isolate (isolate is a more pure form of protein than concentrate), and organic pumpkin seed protein. There are only a few other recognizable ingredients, so it’s quite clean, and it tastes very good and has 15 grams of protein per serving. I’ve been mixing it with water mostly, but it’s extra delicious mixed with coconut milk too. 

I wouldn’t say this would be the best protein powder for someone looking to put on tons of muscle and get extra vitamins and minerals, but this is an affordable and flavorful protein powder perfect for someone who likes to add it to smoothies or drink after a workout to hold them over until their next meal. I’m totally going to try the other flavors, especially the organic vanilla, which wasn’t on the shelves when I was shopping. Oh, and you can find it here or at Target. I don’t mind supporting the Tone It Up gals either, because they are adorable, and I remember watching them when they were starting out on their Bravo show for one season. Anyone else remember that?

Fitness

Weekly workout recap

And now we’re into the fitness.

Here’s a look at my workouts from last week …

Weekly workouts by A Lady Goes West

  • Monday: 1-hour BODYPUMP class, 10 a.m.
  • Tuesday: 30-minute CXWORX class, 9:30 a.m.
  • Wednesday: 30-minute full-body weights workout, 12 p.m.
  • Thursday: Taught 1-hour Bootybarre class, 12 p.m.
  • Friday: Rest day 
  • Saturday: 45-minute BODYATTACK class, 9:30 a.m.
  • Sunday: 45-minute SoulCycle class, 11:45 a.m., 1-hour restorative yoga class, 2 p.m.

This past week had a few good things about — number one, I did 45 minutes of BODYATTACK, which is almost a full class (the class was shortened that day due to an instructor issue), and wow, it was so hard and so fun. Sometimes I can’t believe that I ever taught BODYATTACK, because it’s such an intense workout. I’m most definitely not in BODYATTACK instructor fitness shape right now, but I made it through the class and just soaked it up. I haven’t done a full hour of BODYATTACK since the last time I taught the class in August 2016. OMG. I do want to teach it again one day … we will just have to see if the opportunity ever comes up and it works.

The second good thing about this week was the restorative yoga class I took at The Assembly in SF — it was so slow, relaxing and just what I needed. I want to do more yoga, but it’s just not easy to get to yoga studios these days, and they never have childcare. Yoga at home just isn’t the same to me.

Here’s the full-body solo workout I did on the double cable machine … it was a good one!

Cable machine workout by A Lady Goes West - December 2018

Favorite reads

Best stuff on the web

  • Micronutrients 101: Micronutrients are nutrients that we need small amounts of in order to function properly. You can get your micronutrients from food or supplements. This article explains where you can get each micronutrient and what you need it for. Quite helpful!
  • Easy budgeting. We don’t talk about budgeting much on the blog, but I couldn’t pass up a chance to share this simple equation for looking at your finances. 
  • Holiday movies. My favorite holiday movies are White Christmas, Elf, Love Actually and Holiday Inn. I’ve watched all these this month, but perhaps embarrassingly, I’ve also watched a few Netflix originals from this list. hehehe How about you?
  • Fitness humor. This is a hilarious list of memes about lifting weight. A few grammatical errors, but I laughed anyhow.

A Lady Goes West archives

  • Year in review. A walk down memory lane, looking back at the the big things from this year … “A Lady Goes West 2018 year in review: Biggest life moments, top posts and more.”
  • WORTHY goals for 2019. This is a post I wrote last year, and as I look back at it, I still believe in everything I wrote — it’s not about dieting or losing weight, but improving your life with a few small things … “Improve your beautiful life with these wellness goals.”

Have a wonderful weekend, Christmas Eve and Christmas, my dear friends.

I know I said it earlier in the week, but the fact that you click through and read this blog means SO much to me, so THANK YOU for that. Now go enjoy your day! 🙂 

Questions of the day

What’s on your wish list for Christmas?

What are you up to this weekend?

What’s your favorite Christmas movie?

Do you have a library card?

What are you currently reading?

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Weekly Workouts Tagged With: favorites, protein powder, Tilden Park, Tone It Up, weekly workouts

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About Ashley

I'm a mom and fitness instructor in Charlotte, North Carolina. And A Lady Goes West is where I share fitness, wellness and clean beauty tips, as well as stories from my life.
 
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Comments

  1. Courtney Koch says

    December 21, 2018 at 5:57 am

    Love all of these favorites and happy early birthday to you, my friend! I’m glad a massage will be included in your day.

    Brady is so stinking cute via pictures and Insta Stories so I can only imagine how precious he is in person, especially while riding the carousel!

    Tone it Up and Sunwarrior are my two protein powder staples. The organic vanilla is my forever fave and right now I’m adding spoonfuls of canned pumpkin to it before blending, which gives it a hideous color, but a delicious flavor!

    Happy Friday. Xoxo

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 21, 2018 at 8:17 am

      Hi Court! Oh yay!! You have me sold on getting the organic vanilla TIU powder next then, so thanks for that tip! I hope you get some nice time off this weekend and next week, my friend! 🙂 Brady says hi!

      Reply
  2. Jessie R says

    December 21, 2018 at 6:04 am

    I love the library, I haven’t bought a book in years!! I checkout ebooks on my Kindle. So I don’t even have to go to the library to get them or take them back. I always have something on hold. I’m excited for a relaxed weekend at home before spending time with family for Christmas.

    Have a fantastic holiday!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 21, 2018 at 8:19 am

      I mean, technology these days! That’s so cool you can check out ebooks too hahah! I’ve never used a Kindle — wonder if I’d like it? Hope you enjoy your time off and family holiday, my friend! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Iona says

    December 21, 2018 at 6:55 am

    I love the library! I’ve always been a big reader but joined this year and have read 48 books, have saved so much money too, I used to spend a fortune on books…

    We loved the Christmas Chronicles on Netflix!

    Merry Christmas to you and the family!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 21, 2018 at 8:20 am

      Dang girl!! Way to go! You’ve read a ton! I love the idea of reading something and then someone else reads the same physical book — don’t know why?? And now I know I need to watch Christmas Chronicles — I’ve heard good things hehehe. Have a wonderful day and holiday!!

      Reply
  4. Iona says

    December 21, 2018 at 6:57 am

    Oh and Happy Birthday too! Hope you have a great day 🙂

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 21, 2018 at 8:20 am

      Thank you!!!

      Reply
  5. Alexa says

    December 21, 2018 at 12:38 pm

    Hey Ashley! Have you been to JustBe Yoga or YogaWorks in Walnut Creek yet? I have been enjoying those studios! Maybe we could meet for a class sometime!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 21, 2018 at 1:22 pm

      I only went to YogaWorks 2-3 times when I tried a free week right after we moved to the East Bay, and I’ve never been to JustBe but have heard good things — would LOVE to try with you one day! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Emily says

    December 21, 2018 at 3:45 pm

    Public librarian here–make sure to check out the programs that your library offers for babies/toddlers! I’m sure Brady would love going to storytime or a toddler play group!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 22, 2018 at 12:33 pm

      I’ve heard there are story activities! You’re so right, I should look into it. Thanks, Emily! 🙂 heeh Merry Christmas to you!

      Reply
  7. Heather says

    December 23, 2018 at 11:20 am

    Oh yay, it’s Sunday when I’m reading this so HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 😀 Sounds like you had such a fun time. I thought the same about “kid” stuff but boy is it fun watching them light up and enjoy something!
    Heather recently posted…18 Months Postpartum UpdateMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 23, 2018 at 6:46 pm

      Thank you so much, Heather! 🙂 Hope you have a very Merry Christmas! 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Current faves: Birthday, holiday events, gifts and weekly workouts | A Lady Goes West says:
    December 28, 2018 at 2:56 am

    […] out to the Tilden Park Steam Train. If you remember, a couple of weekends ago, we took Brady to the Tilden Park Merry-go-round, and so the steam train is just another cute attraction for families in the park we needed to try. […]

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Ashley. I'm a mom and fitness instructor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. I love to help you live a balanced life with no extremes, making sure you never skip a rest day. A Lady Goes West is where I share my workouts, simple meals, clean beauty tips and wellness insight with you. Find out more about me and stay awhile!

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I've got to be honest, I'm much more of a writer t I've got to be honest, I'm much more of a writer than an Instagrammer and many times I feel like what I want to share doesn't fit well into a grid. But I'm able to bring much more long-form content to my blog each week. Speaking of that, this week, I debuted a new series called "A Lady Goes West Advice Corner" which has been something I've wanted to put together for a while. In this series, I'm taking totally anonymous questions from YOU and giving you some neutral third-party advice on it all. Here are the questions I addressed in the first advice corner edition:
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-“I became a first-time mom last spring and am currently dealing with all things motherhood. How do I deal with my expectations vs. reality of being a mom?" (such a good one, and I've been there)
-“How do you deal with days when you don't love your body? I think we can all relate to looking in the mirror and being disappointed with what we see?" (this happens to us all)
-“How do you deal with comparing yourself to others on social media and not feeling like everyone is doing things better than you?" (spoiler alert: everyone has their issues that you don't see)
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The answers are long, they come from my heart, and I hope they can provide some value to you! If this is something you're interested in, head over to A Lady Goes West today to check it out, and you can submit a question for the next edition.
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Here's the direct link: https://aladygoeswest.com/ask-me-anything-a-lady-goes-west-advice-corner-first-edition/
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Have a great night, friends! And when in doubt, talk it out.
G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y!🎉 Who doesn't love a collagen g G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y!🎉 Who doesn't love a collagen giveaway? As a little thank-you for following, I wanted to do a giveaway of one of my favorite products. I've been using Vital Proteins collagen in my morning tea latte for years, and not only does the collagen creamer add a great taste, but it also supports healthy hair, skin, nails and joints too. Today, I'm giving away not only one canister of collagen creamer, but also a canister of collagen peptides to one lucky winner.
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You can leave as many comments as you want, and each one serves as an entry. You can earn an additional entry by sharing this post to your stories and tagging me. This giveaway closes on Saturday, February 27. The winner must live in the U.S. And this giveaway is not associated with Instagram. Good luck, and thanks for being here! 🙂 xoxo
HOME! We closed on and moved into our home in Char HOME! We closed on and moved into our home in Charlotte over the weekend, and we're so excited to get settled in our new neighborhood, city and state after many weeks of transition. In honor of this momentous occasion, I thought it would be fun to look back at the places Dave and I have lived together over the last 12 years. Here's what it has looked like -- and each place has been special for different reasons:
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-2009-2012 in a high-rise condo in downtown Orlando, where we lived when we got married.
-2012-2013 in a one-bedroom apartment in South of Market in San Francisco, which was always freezing no matter the time of day or year.
-2013-2014 in a tiny studio apartment in Nob Hill in San Francisco, which was only 550-square-feet, but we could hear the cable cars out of our always-open windows, so that was cool.
-2014-2017 in a two-bedroom townhouse in Walnut Creek, where we brought home both Rudy and Brady and had many sleepless nights.
-2017-2021 in a house that we owned in Pleasant Hill outside of San Francisco, which was across the street from a Starbucks so we went there way too often.
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And now we're here in Charlotte. It's good to be home! I'd love to know: Where do you call home?
Soulmates. ❤️ Whether you’re loving on other Soulmates. ❤️ Whether you’re loving on others or just yourself today, my little crew is wishing you a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
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-Using oat milk as my milk of choice (it's literally the creamiest, and I can’t go back to others now)
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-Wearing my Apple watch for notifications so I don't always need to be on my phone and tracking some beneficial metrics (I've only had my watch for about 9 months, and I love to check my heart-rate and close my rings)
-Appreciating the ability to work for myself and giving myself friendlier deadlines (I've been my own boss for several years and used to be so strict with my deadlines, until I realized it was stressing me more than it needed to, so now I say no to a lot of things and only do what works well in my life, without adding too much unnecessary stress)
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I wrote a whole post about this topic on A Lady Goes West this week if this is of interest to you, and you can head on over and check it out. I'd love to know: What's something (random or not) that you've added to your life in the last year that you now love?
Over the weekend, I stepped foot into a big-box gy Over the weekend, I stepped foot into a big-box gym for the first time in more than 11 months. How did I feel about it? Mixed ... When we left California, gyms were still closed, and once we got to North Carolina, I was so used to not going to the gym, I didn't even think about going. After being here a month, I finally decided to get a guest pass at a gym near me, and I went twice. Here are my thoughts on the experience: 
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At first, I felt so excited to drive up and go in and work out in a big space with a lot of equipment and not be at home. But then reality sank in: Even though masks were required and there were signs everywhere reminding people, about half the folks in the gym had their masks off or had them down around their chin. Ummm, not cool. I get it, working out with a mask on sucks, but rules are rules, folks. I also didn't like that it was busier than I expected, and quite a bit of the equipment I wanted to use was occupied. That never happens at home.
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Overall, I'm glad that those who need to get to the gym are getting the opportunity, but right now, I think I'll go back to sweating safely at home for a little while longer. But at least I got my first locker-room selfie in almost a year. I'd love to know. Have you been back to the gym yet?
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