Happy Friday, my friends! Are you gearing up for a long weekend? I hope so! 

This week was a good one! I taught my usual classes, subbed an extra BODYPUMP class, had coffee with a new friend, got my nails done and worked, worked, worked. Let’s get into those faves, and there’s a great giveaway going on in here too …

CURRENT FAVES

GIVEAWAY

Want to win some Liquid IV packets for hydration?

I had heard about the amazingness of Liquid IV hydration packets on one of my favorite podcasts a while back but never had a chance to try these powder electrolyte miracles until a couple of months ago. Well, I’m a fan! The powders have so many electrolytes that using one is almost like drinking 2-3 glasses of water, and it actually gets to your bloodstream faster than water alone. The packets come in three flavors, and passion fruit is my favorite. You can find these on Amazon, by the way.

Why would you need these? Before a tough workout. After a sweaty workout to replenish. Or before or after a night of too much wine, if you know what I mean. Dave and I have both been enjoying them for all these reasons. 🙂 Mostly the first two, of course.

Liquid IV is kind enough to offer a giveaway to A Lady Goes West readers, and one lucky person will get a box of each of the three flavors of packets — that’s a lot. Details on how to enter below …

Here’s how to enter to win …

1. Leave a comment on this blog post.
2. Follow @aladygoeswest and @liquidiv on Instagram.

You must live in the U.S. to win. This giveaway will close next Wednesday, May 29. Thanks so much!

Fun

Warriors game outing with my girlfriends

Even though Dave works for the Warriors, because of Brady and because of my evening class commitments, I don’t go to games very often. In fact, so far this year, I’ve only gone to one regular season game and one playoff game.

(Rocking my favorite Beautycounter red color intense lipstick. Also, I’m wearing a regular cotton t-shirt, but I used scissors to put a tear in the bottom corner, then tied it up to make it look a little cuter.)

Last week, I went with some girlfriends to the playoff game against Portland, and we had SO MUCH FUN. Not only did the Warriors win, but I saw a bunch of people I haven’t seen in a while, so I got to catch up with them too. And the people watching was divine. I’m not a huge sports person, but I always enjoy watching live basketball because it moves so quickly.

It was totally worth getting a babysitter for and doing my hair on a Thursday! 

(New studded sandals.)

Movies

“Wine Country” on Netflix

Such a funny movie with all the former SNL lady stars. This past weekend while Dave was gone, I watched “Wine Country” on Netflix with my sister-in-law, Gwena, who came over to help with Brady and hang out for the afternoon. It wasn’t as funny as say, “Bridesmaids,” but it was still really enjoyable and made me feel good. I highly recommend it!

Beauty

Beautycounter sun set free gift

Have you stocked up on sunscreen for the Memorial Day weekend or summer season yet? 🙂 Sunscreen can expire, so make sure you check the labels of what you’ve got. Something I recently learned is that mineral sunscreen is the safer choice for your skin and for the environment — and mineral sunscreens actually block the sun’s rays, whereas chemical sunscreens just deflect them. That’s why mineral sunscreens are white. (More info on the research on sunscreens here.) And here’s what I use …

Beautycounter makes some awesome mineral sunscreen products that are always best-sellers (including the brand new tinted sunscreen mist). And here’s the current promo: If you place a Beautycounter order of more than $125 this weekend, you’ll get a free Beautycounter Sun Set, which includes the sunscreen mineral spray and lotion ($35 value). This gift with purchase promo runs through Tuesday, May 28. Let me know if you have any questions, or you can shop here.

Fitness

Weekly workout recap

Because I like to share how I’ve been moving …

• Monday: 45-minute BODYPUMP class, 10 a.m.
• Tuesday: Taught 45-minute BODYATTACK class, 4:45 p.m.
• Wednesday: Taught 1-hour barre class, 5 p.m.
• Thursday: Taught 1-hour barre class, 12 p.m.
• Friday: 20 minutes of BODYATTACK practice, 25-minute weights workout, 10 a.m.
• Saturday: 1-hour BODYATTACK class, 9:30 a.m.
• Sunday: Rest day

This past week was pretty simple when it came to workouts, I took classes, taught classes, practiced BODYATTACK, did a short weights session and took a rest day. A little light on resistance work, but oh well.

Here’s the short weights workout that I did during the week …

You can find these workouts saved under “Workouts” on my Instagram story highlights or check out this post.

And if you’re in need of some awesome streaming workouts to follow along with over the long weekend, try Les Mills On Demand — my favorite platform for home workouts. You can get a free 10-day trial using my link here.

Best reads

Some things I enjoyed from around the web and TV …

• Stretching. We all know we need to stretch, but do you know when? Static stretching is best for after a workout or at the end of the day. Here are some great stretches and tips on how to do them.
• Hormones. Never met a women’s health and hormones podcast episode I didn’t like. This one features Alisa Vitti, who wrote one of my favorite health books, “The Woman Code.” Check out this episode: “How to Hack Your Hormones,” for tons of great info on periods and birth control and hormones.
• Food trends. This is an informative piece on what you need to know about coconut oil, CBD, turmeric and other trendy foods. The gist? Nothing is a magic pill that can replace a healthy diet.

A Lady Goes West favorite archives …

• Day in the life. Something people often request to know more about … “What a typical weekday looks like for me right now.”
• Books. In case you’re in need of some reading …
  • “Three health and wellness books that changed my life.”
  • “Positive thoughts and review of ‘You Are a Badass.’“
  • “Interesting facts about food and the body I learned from reading ‘The Body Book’ by Cameron Diaz.”

Hope you have an amazing weekend, my friends. I truly appreciate you stopping by the blog today! Dave and I are celebrating an anniversary this weekend. Can you guess how many years? 🙂 xoxo

P.S. Don’t forget to enter to win by leaving a comment on this blog post. 

Questions of the day

What are you up to this weekend?

What’s something fun you’ve done recently?

Which flavor of Liquid IV would you most like to try?

Have you stocked up on mineral sunscreen for the summer yet?