Greetings from Alpharetta in the Atlanta area! We’re here visiting my brother, Matthew, and my sister-in-law, Stephanie. We had a great Thanksgiving Day together yesterday (my Mom came with us too), and we’ll be doing some fun stuff today, before heading back to Charlotte tomorrow afternoon. 

Before we get started, I wanted to thank you for visiting the blog today. I’m forever grateful that you choose to click over and read my words. Even if I don’t know you personally or you’ve never commented or you’ve never reached out — I’m thankful for YOU and your readership! 🙂

Back to the usual stuff …

This past week was, of course, a short one, because of the holiday. I taught just two classes, went to tennis, got my last cryotherapy session from the package I bought at Restore Hyper Wellness, worked and packed us up for our little road-trip. That’s about it! I feel like the madness of the holiday season is here, and I’m excited about all of it.

Today is not only a big family day, but it’s also a big shopping day — especially online! I wanted to share a few brands that are having special deals, and these are brands I love. If you shop through any of my links or use my codes, you’ll be supporting me too. Thanks, friend. 

Let’s get to the deals and the faves …

Current faves

Best Black Friday deals

25 percent off Organifi protein powder – my favorite protein powder

The Organifi Complete Protein Powder in chocolate is one of my favorite protein powders ever, and it’s very high quality, and I just ordered a new tub. Organifi also has a GOLD powder that I haven’t bought in far too long, and I love to drink it at night for a wind-down (great for helping you sleep soundly). Use my code ALADYGOESWEST for 25 percent off anything on the Organifi from 11/24 to 11/28, and you’ll get free shipping when you spend more than $125. If you miss this window, my code ALADYGOESWEST works for 15 percent off all year. Head to the Organifi site here to shop.

25 percent off G2G Bars – my favorite protein bar

The G2G Bar is the only protein bar that I eat religiously, because it has minimal ingredients, lots of protein and a delicious taste. I love all the flavors, but the peanut butter banana chocolate and peanut butter coconut chocolate and are my favorites (and Dave’s too, but I don’t let him eat too many from my stash). Use the code SAVE25 for 25 percent off G2G Bars, and you’ll get free shipping on any order over $50. If you don’t shop during this window, my code ALADYGOESWEST is good for 15 percent off moving forward. Head to the G2G site here to shop.

20 percent off Les Mills Smart Tech – my favorite fitness equipment

I use my Les Mills Smartbar and Smartstep about once a week for a home workout, because I’m trying to get in at least one personal workout a week. I love my Smartbar, and I literally wouldn’t have survived the season of COVID without it. If you’ve been eyeing any piece of Les Mills equipment, there’s a 20 percent off sale going on right now, which is surprising — they usually don’t offer big deals like this. I had a personal discount code, which is paused during this sale, to make room for bigger savings. But, if you shop through my link, you support me, and I really appreciate that. Head to the Les Mills Smart Tech site here to shop and save.

20 to 30 percent off Beautycounter – my favorite skincare and makeup products

It’s no secret that I’m a big Beautycounter skincare and makeup fan. If you’ve wanted to clean up your routine and choose products with safer ingredients, this Black Friday sale is a great time. It’s 20 percent off site-wide and 30 percent off when you spend $250 before taxes. You can also get free shipping on all orders over $50. This sale ends November 28. If you shop through my link, you support me, and I really appreciate that. Head to the Beautycounter site here to shop and save.

50 percent off Express – my favorite jeans

For many, many years, I bought designer jeans, and that was an area where I was totally cool with splurging. But when I was looking for just-the-right looser mom-style jean earlier this year, a friend directed me to Express, and I haven’t looked back. I have two pairs of mom jeans and two pairs of awesome denim short from Express. I love the way they fit, and I love the price point even more. I find that they run a bit big, so I always order one size down in the bottoms. Right now, you can get 50 percent off everything at Express when you shop here, and I’d highly recommend the jeans.

Up to 50 percent off Everlane – my favorite clothing basics

I have a lot of my solid color t-shirts and sweaters from Everlane. It’s a clothing retailer all about transparent pricing and ethical manufacturing. I love spending my money here. Most of my solid-color t-shirts, a couple sweaters, some jeans and even two of my leather tote bags are from Everlane. Right now, you can get up to 50 percent off Everlane when you shop here.

Big sales on Lululemon – my favorite activewear

I took a look at the Black Friday deals on the Lululemon site, and most of my favorite pieces are on sale. I wear the Invigorate leggings several days of the week (I have three pairs), and I also love the Invigorate tank. And the best thing about my Lululemon activewear is that it lasts and lasts, and it holds up to a lot of use as a group fitness instructor. Have you tried the brand? If not, now’s a good time, when you can score some good prices. Check out the Lululemon Black Friday deals here.

Up to 30 percent off NOW Foods – my favorite supplements

I get a lot of my vitamins and supplements from NOW, and I’ve been a NOW partner this year, so you’ve definitely heard about the brand from me before. Normally, my code, WEST, gets you 20 percent off. But right now, you can also get even more savings for Black Friday. The code THANKS20, THANKS25 and THANKS30 work for orders $50, $75 and $100 or more, respectively. Need a new multivitamin or some natural foods like nuts and seeds? NOW is a great place for that. Head here to shop at NOW.

And those are the best Black Friday deals in my book with brands I use and love. 🙂 

Fun

Recent good times with friends and family

I’ve had a lot of good times lately worth sharing about on the blog. I also made a little video about some of our recent happenings here.

First up: A fun dinner and drinks night with my lady friends, celebrating one of our girlfriends who recently had twins and was out and about again for the first time. We hadn’t been together like this in a few weeks, and it was a total blast. We stayed out too late again, we talked about everything under the sun, and I was once again reminded why this is such a great group of ladies. If you feel good when you leave a group outing, then you know it filled your cup. 

Next up: A fun pizza party night with two other couples, which was casual, delicious and made for the perfect Friday night. Dave and I love to host smaller gatherings like this, and pizza is a really good reason to invite people over. 

Finally: My Mom and I had a lunch and shopping day last weekend while Dave and Brady were at a college football game with some friends, which we hadn’t done in forever. And then the next day, my Mom and I went to the Southern Christmas Show, thanks to some last-minute tickets from a friend. We brought Brady with us, and I likely wouldn’t take him if we went again next year, because it wasn’t very kid friendly (in fact, a vendor asked him not to touch one of her crafts heeheh). It was a huge event in an expo hall, and we didn’t buy anything (I actually had forgotten my wallet, which was a total fail). But we did enjoy browsing the decor and the trinkets, and of course, we enjoyed the people watching, because it was really good. 

Overall, I feel like I’m surrounded by great people in my life (both family and friends), and that makes me very happy and thankful. Not only during this season of gratefulness, but all the time. I’ve definitely gone through times in my life when I haven’t had all this, and that’s why I know how important it is.

Workouts

My workouts from last week

Every week, I like to share a recap of my previous week of workouts. I share this to show you how I try to get diversity of movement in my week, and how I always take a rest day (almost always). But remember, I do a little bit more than the average person, because I’m a group fitness instructor. You absolutely don’t need to compare your movement to mine.

Workouts from the week of 11/14

• Monday: Taught 1-hour barbell class, 9:45 a.m.
• Tuesday: Taught 1-hour barre class with light weights, 9:30 a.m., took 90-minute tennis clinic, 11 a.m.
• Wednesday: Did 45-minute Les Mills Strength Development via Les Mills+ at home, 9:30 a.m., taught 45-minute barre class with light weights, 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday: Taught 45-minute combo class with weights, 9:45 a.m.
• Friday: Taught 45-minute barbell class, 11:30 a.m.
• Saturday: Took 90-minute tennis clinic, 11 a.m.
• Sunday: Took 30-minute slow neighborhood walk, 11 a.m.

This past week was a great one. I taught five classes, played tennis twice, did my own personal weights workout at home (using my Les Mills Smartbar), and I took a rest day with nothing but a very slow and short neighborhood walk. I’d be happy to repeat this week again soon, but this current week, I’ll have a few more days off for the holiday.

Best read of the week

Here’s a light read that I thought was interesting:

Ways to romanticize your life. Okay, the title of this piece is a little fluffy, but the actual tips on ways to make your life a bit more enjoyable and fulfilling are actually really good. The writer suggests always having a book with you, so you can read instead of scrolling on your phone when you’re waiting in line somewhere. I love that. There are a few more gems in this article worth looking at.

Quote of the week

Here’s a thought for you:

Blog archives of the week

Let’s look back at two blog posts worth revisiting, including a recent one:

Gifts for ladies. I really enjoyed making this gift guide, and I hope you enjoyed checking it out for ideas for your personal wish list or ideas for someone you’re shopping for … “The best gifts for women for 2022 (gifts for her).”

 

Wellness books. Are you into wellness books? I’ve read a lot of them, and in this post, I’m sharing my top choices … “Five health books you should read one day (my TOP health and wellness books)”

That’s it for today, my friend! I hope you have a great holiday weekend!

Questions of the day for YOU

How was your Thanksgiving?

Are you doing anything special this weekend?

Are you doing any Black Friday shopping today?