A Lady Goes West

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Current faves: Family, food, fun and weekly workouts

October 5, 2018 By Ashley 8 Comments

Happy Friday, my friends! What’s shaking? 

How was your week? Mine was okay. Sadly, all of our visitors left, so the house has seemed a bit quiet, but I had a lot of work to do and subbed an extra class, so it’s been busy enough to keep my mind occupied. This weekend, I’ve got a workout and brunch date with a friend, and Dave and I are heading off on a little day date on Sunday.

But because it’s the end of the week, I’ve got a round-up of some things that I’ve been loving lately, as well as my recent workouts, suggested reading and more. Here we go …

Family

A weekend with my family

This is a favorite, favorite. I absolutely loved having my mom, brother and sister-in-law all staying in our house last weekend. This was the first time that they’ve all been out here to visit us at once, and it was so fun. The first night, we hung out at home and had take-out for dinner, the next day we went on a hike, did some party prep and then went out to dinner and dessert. Our regular babysitter came over after Brady went to sleep, and we went to downtown Walnut Creek for burgers and fries at Broderick, followed up with some ice cream at the San Francisco Creamery. Yum!

Family weekend in Pleasant Hill - October 2018 by A Lady Goes West

(My jeans are new and are the same brand that I’ve been loving lately.)

My mom, Matthew and Stephanie helped a ton with getting set up for Brady’s party too, which was awesome — because there was a lot to do to host nearly 50 people. (More about Brady’s first birthday party here, in case you missed it.)

The weekend went too fast, and we said goodbye to Matthew and Stephanie on Monday morning, then goodbye to my mom on Tuesday morning. The house felt pretty empty this week, but like I said, I’ve been keeping busy at least. Anyone else get a little down after family leaves?

And it goes without saying that having my mom here for more than three weeks was just amazing. You guys know that, because I already mentioned it multiple times. I wish more than anything that she lived closer, but am so grateful that we get to have such long visits.

Outside of Brady’s party and our dinner out, the other highlight with the fam was the walk that we did on Saturday morning around the Lafayette Reservoir. Dave stayed behind at home to mow the lawn and do some yard work, but my mom, Matthew, Stephanie, Rudy, Brady and I all went on the walk together in one big group. It was beautiful weather, and we chatted as we strolled around the lake leisurely for about an hour. Good times — and the perfect rest day activity!

Lafayette Reservoir walk - October 2018 by A Lady Goes West

It was so special to have them all here to celebrate Brady. And because that party got a whole post, it won’t be a favorite today. But like … it’s a favorite! 🙂 

Family at Brady's party - October 2018 by A Lady Goes West

Food

Organic canned pumpkin

I have been on a pumpkin kick for a couple of weeks now, along with so many of you too, I’m sure. It started with pumpkin spice lattes, moving on to pumpkin candles, and now it’s canned pumpkin. I’ve made a few breakfast dishes (sharing one soon!) and also let Brady nibble on raw pumpkin too, so I’ve been going through the cans quickly. I just love it and so does he, which is great. The flavor is comforting and so versatile. Haven’t picked any up yet this season? You’ve got to! What would you make with yours?

Organic canned pumpkin - October 2018 by A Lady Goes West

Chickpea snacks

I feel like I may have shared these before, but I recently bought them again and was reminded that they are such a tasty snack. Biena Snacks are made from chickpeas, the ingredients list is minimal and pretty clean, and they have the best crunch. I like to pull out a handful and mix in some raw almonds as well, for a little trail mix action in the afternoon between lunch and dinner.

Biena snacks - October 2018 by A Lady Goes West

Leftover cupcakes

There were about 15 cupcakes left after Brady’s party, and I’ve been working my way through them each night for dessert. We ordered chocolate and red velvet, and I really can’t pick a favorite. The cupcakes are from Whole Foods, but are made by local Rubicon Bakery. So good! I would highly recommend.

Brady's first birthday cupcakes - September 2018 by A Lady Goes West

Fun

Celebrity sighting

I can’t believe I never mentioned this! Last week at Target, I had a celebrity sighting. Do you guys watch the Netflix show “13 Reasons Why”? We do! It’s really good and has had two seasons so far. Well, I saw one of the main characters, Justin Foley (Brandon Flynn), shopping at Target in Walnut Creek in the medicine aisle, and he had his little dog in the cart. It didn’t seem like anyone noticed him, so I went over to him and told him that I’m fan of the show. He said they were currently filming season three all over the Bay Area. I knew they filmed here, but didn’t know they would ever be in my very own town. So cool! Perhaps I’ll see others. Oh and what did he look like in person? Young and adorable. He had a baby face and very silky smooth looking skin hehehe! 

Fitness

Weekly workout recap

Switching topics like ….

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

Weekly Workout Recap by A Lady Goes West

  • Monday: 1-hour Orangetheory Fitness workout, 12 p.m.
  • Tuesday: 30-minute barre workout at home, 11 a.m.
  • Wednesday: 30-minute full-body weights workout, 11 a.m.
  • Thursday: Taught 1-hour Bootybarre class, 12 p.m.
  • Friday: Practiced BODYPUMP for 45 minutes, 10:30 a.m.
  • Saturday: Rest day (1-hour walk, 10 a.m.)
  • Sunday: Rest day

Last week’s workouts started out with a return to Orangetheory. (Wonder what that is? Read my overview here.) I haven’t been to the studio since coaching there more than three years ago. Wow! It was a GOOD workout, and it felt great to run on the treadmill and get into the orange zone. I also did some weights in that class, then picked up weights two other times throughout the week as well, so I met my resistance goal. I had two rest days and two lighter days too. 

This week, I subbed BODYPUMP, which was my workout highlight, of course. I taught release 100, and it’s a tough one. So many push-ups. Ugh!

Ashley after teaching BODYPUMP - October 2018 by A Lady Goes West

Suggested reading

Best links from around the web

  • Kitchen tip. Are you hand washing your dishes correctly? Use this tip.
  • Leg muscles. A few reasons why you aren’t seeing progress in muscle growth in your lower half. Notice that sleeeeeep is on there. Yup.
  • Breathing and metabolism. This is an interesting post from a lovely lady I had the pleasure of meeting at an event in SF a few months ago all about how your breath can directly impact your energy levels and metabolism.
  • Home-made PSL. I love getting the pumpkin spice latte here and there, which you guys know, but it would be nice to make a healthier version at home. Here’s one to try.
  • Food waste. Food waste is a big deal. I always clean my plate, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t sometimes let veggies get past their due date and have to toss them. This is a simple article with some tips on how to reduce your waste footprint.
  • Gym bag hygiene. A reminder to clean your gym bag. Okay, I need to do this. Like right now.

A Lady Goes West Favorite archives

  • Moving and change. Dave and I celebrated six years of living in the San Francisco Bay Area just a few days ago, and I didn’t commemorate it on the blog, but I wanted to bring back up this post from last year … “Five things I learned from living in the San Francisco Bay Area.”
  • San Francisco. This is one of the most pinned posts that I’ve ever written … “Top 10 things to do in San Francisco.”
  • Birthday party. Hope you didn’t miss the cute pictures in this one … “Brady’s first birthday party.”
  • Fitness. A reader request: “A review of Kelsey Wells’ PWR workout program and the Sweat app.”

Thank you for reading, my friends! I’ll see you over on Instagram until we meet back here on Monday for something new and different I’ve been working on lately!

Questions of the day

What’s something that you’ve been loving lately?

What are you up to this weekend?

What’s the best thing that happened in your week?

Have you ever had a celebrity sighting? Who and where?

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Weekly Workouts Tagged With: cupcakes, family, faves, favorites, links, pumpkin, snacks, 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

    October 5, 2018 at 5:09 am

    V disappointed that you have not mentioned your celebrity sighting until now, but I forgive you. So cool! I don’t want the show but am still pop culture obsessed so I would have been excited to see him.

    I’ve been adding that same TJ canned pumpkin to my vanilla protein shakes and it makes it so rich and creamy and fall-like for me down in this not so fall-like weather.

    One of these days I would love to be the person mentioned in your blog that you are having a workout or brunch date with. #goals

    Happy Friday to you, friend!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      October 5, 2018 at 8:01 am

      Hi Courtney! I meant to do an IG story of the celeb sighting right away — but (a) I looked like death, which I guess hasn’t stopped me from videoing before, but this time is did (b) I was with my mom and Brady and we were rushing around from place to place and then I ended up forgetting. It won’t happen again. Please accept my apologies hehehe! 🙂 And YESSSSS to a workout and brunch date in the future for us! It WILL happen!! 🙂 Happy Friday, my friend!

      Reply
  2. Katie says

    October 5, 2018 at 6:57 pm

    I knew I saw ‘Justin’ at my gym the other week! And my friend saw ‘Jessica’ at the WF by my house! Love that show!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      October 5, 2018 at 10:06 pm

      Oh so cool! I want to see more of them! So fun to have celeb sightings in our own neighborhoods, right? Have a great weekend, Katie!! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Allison says

    October 7, 2018 at 9:30 am

    I just bought my first cans of pumpkin today and I can’t wait to stir it into my yogurt and oatmeal! Also hoping to bake something with it and make a pumpkin turkey chili at some point. Hooray for pumpkin season!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      October 8, 2018 at 8:31 am

      Hi Allison! Yay for pumpkin! Okay turkey chili with pumpkin sounds about as fall as a meal could get hehehe! Yum! Have a great weekend, lady!! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Mackenzie says

    October 7, 2018 at 1:22 pm

    Wow- what beautiful family time! I totally know what you mean about that down feeling once they leave. I go through a post-family-leaving depression for a couple days where EVERYTHING reminds me of them! Those cupcakes look adorable & scrumptious & I just did OT for the first time this year– such a fun workout 🙂 Always love your updates, Ashley!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      October 8, 2018 at 8:31 am

      Hi Mackenzie! It’s a good thing to have family that you love and miss when they are gone — but it’s not easy to see them leave! 🙂 And good work on doing OT, lady! WOOT! Was it strength or power or endurance?? I like strength the best!

      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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Here's how to enter:
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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!
Good additions! Even though I'm all about simplify Good additions! Even though I'm all about simplifying life, I also like adding more good, if there's room for it. And the last year has given me ample opportunity to make some changes and add a lot of good. Here's my super-random list of things I've added to my life in the last year that I now love:
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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)
-Choosing to be outside as much as possible (can't believe I stayed indoors so much before, never exploring the beautiful Bay Area and now Charlotte until the last year)
-Teaching and taking virtual fitness classes (I was a gym rat for years, and now I actually love to work out at home with my virtual fitness friends)
-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)
-Shorter workouts (full-hour workouts are a thing of the past for me)
-Wearing more colors (no more black uniforms every day)
-And more!
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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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