Hi, my friends! How are you? If you celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, I hope you had a good one. We sure did, and more on that below.

Today, I’m off to the gym to sub two barre classes in a row, so wish me luck. Other than that, we’ll be hanging with my momma this weekend. Today, I’m sharing my latest faves, some really good Black Friday deals for you to consider, workouts and more.

Thank YOU!

But first: If you’re here reading this post, then I owe you a big thank you. This blogging thing is a very strange job, and I couldn’t be doing it if it weren’t for those of you who support me. Thank you for reading, following and being around, I’m grateful for you. 🙂 

Now, let’s do the faves …

Current faves

Family

Thanksgiving with my family

This was our first holiday together in a long time. In fact, our last Thanksgiving together was in 2019, and my dad was with us then. That seems like a world ago.

This year, my brother, Matthew, his wife, Stephanie, and my momma, and all of their dogs, were here for two nights together. (My mom is still here.) We chilled at home, we went on some walks, we worked on a very difficult 500-piece puzzle, we participated in our neighborhood Turkey Trot, we ate a lot of food (emphasis on the amount of food consumed), we drank a lot of wine (ditto), and we hung out. My heart was happy, and that is all. 🙂

Fun

We’ve been on a roll with having some good times lately. Last weekend, was totally worth mentioning …

Group dinner in Uptown

We went out to dinner with some couples from our neighborhood. And while we didn’t love the dinner restaurant (Haymaker in Uptown), we did love the company, the fun, and the rooftop pre-dinner drinks at Merchant & Trade. It was a super-cool spot overlooking downtown Charlotte, and I would love to return one day. These friends are such good people, and Dave and I are so glad we found this group. Here are some of the lovely ladies …

The Jurassic Encounter

The day after our dinner outing, we had tickets with the same group to take our kiddos to The Jurassic Encounter, here in Ballantyne. It was a super-cool event for the kiddos. There were big dinosaurs they could walk around and look at, various dino activities, a deejay, a bounce house and a big sand pit (which was, of course, their favorite part). Good times. And before that, Brady and I went to a super-cute 4-year-old’s birthday party, so it was a very eventful weekend for us, with an adult activity and two family ones.

Fashion

My favorite cold-weather piece

I was very happy to pull out this sherpa that I bought last year and wear it again now. It’s soft, warm and I love the look of it. It also has a removable hood (I took the hood off for this latest outing). Find it here, and I’m wearing a small. And it’s currently on sale for Black Friday!

Sales

Some Black Friday deals worth checking out!

Other than the Beautycounter sale, there are a lot of good deals to be had. I’ll probably do a little online shopping this weekend to take advantage. Here’s what I’m eyeing …

• 50 percent off at Reebok: My favorite trainers that I wear to teach Barbell Strength and do strength workouts are on sale too, and I’m considering getting another color.
• 30 percent off at Carbon38: My favorite leggings, which I have in five colors and wear for any type of workout, are on sale. They are so flattering, and I recommend them to everyone.
• 40 percent select items at Everlane: I get a lot of stuff from this site, because the styles are basic and very wearable.
• 20 percent off at Spanx: This is such a good deal for these super-popular pants. You’ve seen them on me a ton. Here are the incredibly flattering and all-purpose faux leather leggings, and my newest love, the faux leather joggers.

Beauty

Just a few more days to save with the Beautycounter Black Friday sale!

Clean beauty deals are here!

The Beautycounter Black Friday sale will continue through the weekend, ending on Sunday night. Right now, it’s 15 percent off site-wide (most items, excepts regimens/collections), and free shipping on all orders over $50, which is awesome.

As a reminder: Everything from Beautycounter is nontoxic, made from safe and tested ingredients, and all the packaging is done as sustainably as possible too. Your purchases support the clean beauty movement and me. Also, if you’ve NEVER ordered from Beautycounter before, use the code CLEANFORALL20 at check-out, and you’ll get 20 percent off, instead of 15.

I’ve written a few posts that may also be helpful for you, if you’re shopping for the first time. But when in doubt, just reach out to me, and I’ll help you choose the perfect products. Send me a DM on Instagram or an email for assistance. 

Here are the helpful posts:

• Must-have Beautycounter products and how to get started with Beautycounter
• The five best Beautycounter products for aging skin and fine lines
• The best Beautycounter holiday gifts for 2021

As always, I know there are plenty of options for your skincare and makeup needs, and I truly appreciate you choosing Beautycounter. Happy shopping, friends!

Workouts

Weekly workouts 

This section of the post is where I share all the workouts I did the previous week. I want to remind you that I do more than the average person, because I’m a group fitness instructor, and it’s part of my job. 

Your personal workout week should work with your lifestyle, be diverse and leave you feeling energized. It doesn’t need to look like mine or anyone else’s. It’s yours.

• Monday: Taught 1-hour full-body barbell class at Life Time, 9:45 a.m.
• Tuesday: Taught 1-hour barre class with light weights at Life Time, 9:45 a.m.
• Wednesday: Solo 45-minute lower-body weights workout, 9:45 a.m.
• Thursday: Taught 45-minute full-body weights/cardio class at Life Time, 10 a.m.
• Friday: Took 1-hour hot yoga class at Life Time, 9 a.m.
• Saturday: Took 45-minute lower-body weights class at Life Time, 8:30 a.m.
• Sunday: Rest day

This past week of workouts was an ideal one for me. I had a rest day, I did yoga, I did a solo workout, I took a class, and I taught three classes. I’m feeling very good and very balanced in my fitness routine right now, and I like that feeling.

Here’s the workout I did on my own in the gym …

Promo codes

A Lady Goes West favorite products

There are certain brands that I swear by in my own life, and so I like to share them with you. If you choose to try them too, and if you use my links or promo codes, you will be supporting me. Thanks for that!

• Carbon38. I’m always wearing stuff from here, and it’s the coolest activewear around. Get 15 percent off your first two orders of $100 or more using the code ASHLEYPITT. 
• G2G protein bars. I love these tasty and minimal-ingredient protein bars. You can get 15 percent off your order on the G2G Bar site with the code ALADYGOESWEST.
• Organifi supplements. This is my go-to protein powder brand. You can get 15 percent off your order on the Organifi site with the code ALADYGOESWEST.
• Beautycounter. The best safe skincare and makeup. Send me a message, and I’ll share a 20 percent off code for your very first order.
• Les Mills On Demand workouts. My favorite fitness brand. You can do a whole month of workouts during a free 30-day trial by using my special referral link here.

Best read/listen/watch

A good one from the week …

• Dancing fun. I loved watching “Dancing with the Stars” this season, and while my favorite Peloton instructor, Cody Rigsby, didn’t win, he did great, and he did make it to the final round. The highlight of the season was watching the finale show, which aired on Monday night. This freestyle dance, by basketball player Iman Shumpert, gave me chills because it was so good. Enjoy!

Here’s the thought of the week, which applies not only to Thanksgiving, but also to any big event or holiday. I posted this to Instagram last week and so many of you agreed with me. I’m glad …

A Lady Goes West favorite archives 

• Gifts for ladies. Send this to someone who is doing some shopping for you … “Holiday gift guide for ladies for 2021 (gift ideas for her).”

• Gifts for guys. Are you shopping for a guy this year? Here are some ideas … “Holiday gift guide for guys for 2021 (gift ideas for him).“

Thank you for coming by A Lady Goes West! Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂 

Questions of the day

How was your week?

How was your Thanksgiving?

What’s one thing you’re grateful for right now?