Hey there, lovely people! How are you? What’s been going on in your world?

We had a full week over here, and it flew by. I taught my virtual classes, worked on some onboarding for my new in-person teaching job, took Brady to the pediatric dentist for a cleaning (he was so good and so cute), I went to the doctor for a physical, had a Beautycounter team meeting, we did an afternoon park date with some new friends, and then did all the other usual stuff in there too. No big plans for the weekend at all, either, other than welcoming Dave back from a work trip in California.

Alright, let’s do the faves …

Current faves

Mother’s Day 2021

I know that Mother’s Day can be a tough day for some people, depending on your circumstances. In the past, I’ve definitely felt some sadness on the day during my few years of wanting/trying/hoping to be pregnant unsuccessfully.

And now, I feel a lot of gratitude on Mother’s Day, because I am a mom to a sweet little toddler (and a dog, of course). But really, I think moms need more than one day a year to recognize all that we have to do. Momming (or caretaking or parenting) is not for the faint of heart, yet I fully appreciate the ability to do it.

On Mother’s Day this year, Dave, Brady and Rudy and I had a really nice day. We went for a long neighborhood walk in the morning, got cleaned up, opened my presents, then had a super-delicious brunch at First Watch. Dave had a traditional breakfast, Brady had a pancake and fruit, and I had a very tasty smoked salmon frittata, shown below. I hadn’t been to a First Watch since my last trip to Florida a couple of years ago, and it was about time I visited the Charlotte location. So good.

After lunch, Brady took his nap, I did some work and then made a return at Macy’s (I’ve been doing a lot of online shopping for some upcoming trips and have had a lot of returns to do lately — I usually send them back through the mail, but felt like getting out for this particular return).

Then, in the afternoon, we rode our bikes to a nearby neighborhood park and had a lovely time hanging out by the sandbox. It was a very nice day, and if you celebrated, I hope yours was good too.

Beauty

Trying out virtual face yoga/exercise

We can file this one under the unique experience category. This month, I earned a little incentive from my greater Beautycounter team, and it was a virtual face yoga session with an amazing set of Pilates instructors and facial exercise experts out of Kentucky.

While I wasn’t able to attend the session live, I did watch and participate in the replay, and it was such a cool thing. Basically, you work out your face, in order to tighten and tone the muscles, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, ease tension, improve blood-flow and even increase production of collagen.

We already know we need to challenge and work the muscles all over our body, and these ladies explained the importance of doing the same for the muscles in your face.

We began the session with some deep breathing, then released our face, neck and chest using props, before moving into the facial exercises. While I totally believe in the efficacy of the facial exercises, what I enjoyed most from this one-hour session was the releasing.

As far as props go: The teachers of the class showed us examples using roller balls (they recommended this set, which has a tiny roller ball included for some of the more delicate areas of the face), but I actually used the regular old lacrosse massage ball shown above I had laying around, and it worked perfectly. You can also use a tube of chapstick or a facial roller, if you have one. Then, you slowly and moderately gently, make circular motions on your skin. If you find a tight point, apply some pressure and hold, then go back to the circular motions (much like foam rolling the body).

We rolled on our chest and collarbone, rolled on the neck, the temples, the jaw, the forward, around the eyes and even on the upper back, and it was such a nice feeling. You know I use my foam roller on my body all the time, but have not dedicated any of this work to my face before — well, I should have. Quick disclaimer: You definitely need to be careful over the delicate skin of the face, but the sensation was so pleasing. 

They mentioned this could be beneficial when you feel like you have a headache or a tight jaw, or if you have areas where you are constantly furrowed (like between the brows). 

Also, one of the teachers suggested keeping your facial massager near your bed, so you can do some rolling before you go to sleep each night as a relaxation method. Love that idea.

To be honest, I doubt I’ll do many of the facial exercises in my regular routine right now (they felt a bit awkward, even though I’m sure that gets better as you become used to them), but I may try to incorporate some of the facial rolling here and there for a facial release. It was delightful. Have you ever tried facial exercise? If so, what did you think?

The Bright Side Duo is back for a limited time

More on Beautycounter! This week, Beautycounter re-released the Bright Side Duo for a limited time.

This adorable skincare set debuted during the holidays and sold out super quickly. It makes the perfect gift, because it features two of Beautycounter’s most popular products — the All Bright C Serum and the Overnight Resurfacing Peel, both in half size. You use the C Serum during the day, and the Peel at night for bright, youthful and glowing skin. For real.

I recommend these two products to nearly everyone, because they are universal, so effective and they show that clean skincare can really work to make a difference to your skin. If you want to take a look, shop the Bright Side Duo here.

Workouts

Weekly workouts 

Here are last week’s workouts …

• Monday: 45-minute full-body weights class at Life Time, 10 a.m.
• Tuesday: Taught 45-minute Barre Burn on Motus, 3 p.m.
• Wednesday: 20-minute cycle on Peloton, 11 a.m.
• Thursday: Taught 45-minute Barre Burn on Motus, 3 p.m.
• Friday: 1-hour barre class at Life Time, 10 a.m.
• Saturday: 45-minute full-body weights class at Life Time, 10 a.m.
• Sunday: Rest day

This past week, I took three in-person classes, taught two virtual classes, had a full rest day and did a short cycling session on my own at home too. I loved the combination of a little bit of gym and a little bit of home, and I see myself repeating this week again — lots of diversity in movement, the right amount of resistance training, cardio and rest too.

Discounts 

A Lady Goes West recommended favorite products

I only share what I use and love in my own life, and here are some of the brands I swear by. And when you use my discount codes and links, you support me, so 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 superfood supplements. I’m all about the Organifi Complete Plant-Based protein powder. You can get 15 percent off your order on the Organifi site with the code ALADYGOESWEST.
• Four Sigmatic. These superfood coffees and teas are so good — I especially love the Cacao Chill and Lion’s Mane Latte. Get 15 percent off your order 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 streaming 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 reads

A few things from around the web 

• Fitness tracker pros and cons. This is a long article, but a good one about how some people benefit from fitness trackers and some people do not, depending on your needs and personalities. I happen to like wearing my Apple watch, but I draw the line at tracking macros with a calorie tracker (it’s NOT for me), and that’s what works for me, personally. Nonetheless, read this one, if you want some help deciding what’s right for you and figuring out why you may feel the way you do.
• How to quit hormonal birth control and why to consider it. I haven’t talked about the female cycle in a while after having it as a very regular topic for a couple years, after I recovered from hypothalamic amenorrhea. But yes, I still care about it. I do not take hormonal birth control, and even though I know it’s a very common option, I do always encourage women to look into it further, especially if it is prescribed from a doctor to “fix a problem.” I’m a big fan of Alisa Vitti and have mentioned her books (specifically “Woman Code“) many times as incredible resources. But she also has a blog with a ton of great information. I was on her site the other day, and I found this one that I highly recommend on what to know about hormonal birth control and how to prepare your body to leave it behind. So much helpful stuff!

Here’s the quote of the week from the Calm app …

A Lady Goes West favorite archives 

• Post-pandemic life. I felt like this post was a needed one for me and hopefully for you too … “How to deal with post-pandemic life.”

• Les Mills Barre. I do this workout every few weeks, and it brings me so much joy, because it’s ballet-inspired in the best way. Have you tried it? … “Review of Les Mills Barre workout class.”

As always, thank you so much for visiting A Lady Goes West today. I appreciate you! Have a great weekend!

Questions of the day

How was your week?

What are you up to this weekend?

What’s one good thing that happened in your week?