Hi, friends! It’s that time again for some favorites! Before we get to those, let’s catch up …

This week has been a busy one. I did a lot of follow-up from my event, taught four classes, worked on compiling all of our tax information to drop off to the accountant (a much more tedious process when you work for yourself), progressed through another chapter of my nutrition certification program (more info coming on this soon), met a friend for SoulCycle and all of that good stuff. 

And this weekend is going to be busy as well. (BTW: It’s Leap Year Day on Saturday.) I’m going to a fitness event in the City on Saturday morning, going home to regroup, and then heading back into the City with Dave to go to a concert on Saturday evening. Now, let’s do my weekly favorite things …

Current faves

Home

Branch Basics healthy home products

I’m always trying to make little changes in the right direction to reduce our waste, consumption and contact with environmental toxins. And little by little, I’ve been using safer detergent and dishwashing liquid, as well as kitchen and bathroom sprays. As of late, I’ve been doing all of that with one brand …

I had heard about Branch Basics on Instagram for a while before the company sent me a starter cleaning kit. I liked it so much, I asked for more. And Branch Basics is not just a set of products, it’s actually a reusable kit of empty bottles and a solution to add to them all — meaning you save money and reduce waste over the long run — while keeping things nontoxic and better for your health.

Here’s how Branch Basics works:

1. You buy a starter kit, which includes a “concentrate” cleaner solution to remove germs.
2. You mix that concentrate with water up to a specific “fill” line in separate bottles, labeled for their specific cleaning purposes (laundry, glass, bathroom, kitchen, etc.).
3. You clean your home and clothing with these safe, nontoxic products.
4. You refill and reuse the same bottles over and over again, buying more concentrate as needed.

It’s seriously genius. And I was definitely skeptical, but so far, I love what I’ve used — clean clothes, clean countertops and streak-free mirrors for the last two months. Everything is plant-based, safe for kids/pets, never tested on animals and free of harmful preservatives, which is not the case for most conventional and popular store-bought cleaning products.

Also, the company sends out really helpful email tips about best uses for the products, which I’ve enjoyed getting since I’ve been subscribed.

The Branch Basics folks gave me a code to share with you, so if you want to order anything (I’d recommend the starter kit with the oxygen boost as a great place to begin), you can get 10 percent off with the code ALADYGOESWEST (lasts through March).

Happy cleaning!

Food

The new Energy Multiplier from Liquid I.V.

I’m pretty sure I first heard about Liquid I.V. on a podcast more than a year ago and have been a huge fan ever since (you’ve probably heard me mention it before).

The company makes powder supplements that you mix in water, and the powders have a special way they get to your cells faster, which makes them super effective. The hydration multiplier is the only product I had been using (and loving), but Liquid I.V. just debuted an energy multiplier, and I got my hands on some recently. In fact, I even included some in the gift bags for my event attendees.

This energy multiplier tastes delicious, mixes well with water (just like the hydration multiplier) and totally gives you a pep in your step, without that weird energy-drink taste or affect.

I don’t drink energy drinks and never have, because I can’t stand the taste of the main ingredients in all of them (and most of them are full of junk). But this product is mostly made of sugar, salt and matcha — and there’s about as much caffeine as two cups of coffee. I don’t really need this all that often, but could totally see sipping on it on double-teaching days, etc..

By the way, I have a discount code for you to use on the Liquid I.V. site. The code ALADYGOESWEST not only gets you 20 percent off, but also free shipping, so feel free to use that.

However, you can also take advantage of this limited-time offer from Liquid I.V. to get a three-pack of the new energy product, all you have to do is pay the shipping. Get that offer here, and it’s good through Monday.

Free2B chocolate cups

These are so tasty! I got them in a package from my favorite veggie burger brand, Hilary’s Eat Well, and I’ve very much been enjoying them as a little treat (alongside a date, because I never skip my dates).

They are vegan, allergen free and delicious. I love sunflower seed butter, by the way and used to buy it in place of almond butter. I should go back to that for a bit. Anywho, if you see these at the grocery store, give them a go.

Fun 

My Barre, Beauty and Bubbles event

I know I wrote a whole blog post about the event already, but I will tell you that I’ve been riding high since Sunday when it took place. At the event, I had the chance to meet some Instagram friends in real life for the first time, connect with some old friends, sweat, chat and even educate too. It was great, and I was so happy to see all the feedback and posts from my attendees after the fact. 

I had wanted to host something like this for a long time, and because it went so well, I may have to do another one day soon. Now I’m on a mission!

Brady’s first school picture

We got Brady’s preschool pictures back last week, and I literally can’t get enough of his cuteness. He didn’t smile, but he sure nailed it …

Fitness

Weekly workout recap

Here are my workouts from last week …

• Monday: Practiced BODYATTACK for 30 minutes, 10 a.m.
• Tuesday: 30-minute CXWORX, 10 a.m., taught 45-minute BODYATTACK, 4:45 p.m.
• Wednesday: 15 minutes of weights, taught 1-hour POP Pilates, 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday: Practiced barre for 25 minutes, taught 1-hour barre, 12 p.m.
• Friday: Taught 1-hour BODYPUMP, 12 p.m., 1-hour TRX/foam rolling class, 5:45 p.m.
• Saturday: 25 minutes of BODYATTACK, 9:30 a.m.
• Sunday: Taught 30-minute barre, 2 p.m.

This past week I didn’t have a full rest day, so I’m fixing that this week. I was fully booked with teaching classes and practicing for classes, especially because I had my event on Sunday (which is normally my rest day). I’m in a busy season of classes right now and still figuring things out with managing four different group fitness programs per week. I hope to have my schedule righted soon so I can always have my consistent rest day. Other than that, I felt really good and at least kept my weekend workouts short to make up for the fact that there was no official day off. But, believe me, not taking a full rest day isn’t doing me any good, so I do plan to work on this moving forward.

Best reads

A few things from around the web …

• Costco finds. I have to admit, we do not have a Costco membership. I don’t love stores like that and already go to three different grocery stores each week anyhow. But people seem to rave about Costco, so here’s a list of some great healthy deals you can find there on food.
• Tony Robbins. I love to learn from Tony Robbins, so this podcast episode was interesting — because he explains how everyone can be successful if they are always learning and growing. The Goal Digger Podcast may be my current favorite, by the way. I recommend a listen, if you’re into self development.

And here’s the quote of the week from the Calm app, which I use to do my daily morning meditations …

A Lady Goes West favorite archives …

• The big event. This was fun. In case you missed it, here’s a recap of the event I hosted … “My Barre, Beauty and Bubbles event.”

• Barre tips. Speaking of barre, in case you’re a regular in classes and want to up your game a bit, check this one out … “How to make your next barre class more effective.”

Thank you for coming by the blog today. I appreciate it. See you soon, friends! xoxo

P.S. There’s a special Leap Year promo going on with Beautycounter today and tomorrow. If you are a new or existing Band of Beauty member (the Beautycounter loyalty program, which is awesome and something I recommend to anyone who likes Beautycounter), you can earn DOUBLE product credit back on any purchase you make February 28 or 29. This is the first time Beautycounter has ever done a deal like this, and it’s combined with the last two days of the free-gift with regimen purchase too. Find out more about becoming a Band of Beauty member here. And shop the regimen promo here.

Questions of the day

How was your week?

Which day of the week (or days) do you use for rest off of exercise?

What are you up to this weekend? Doing anything special for Leap Year Day?