Current faves: Ohio fun, wrist bling, free shipping and workouts
Hey, friends! How are you this week? After three very busy weekends in a row, we don’t have much on the agenda this weekend. But we do have a special visitor: my momma! Yes, she’s back up here for her third visit to us in Charlotte, and we’re so grateful that she made the long drive to spend some time with us.
There’s not much to report about this last week, because it was like many others — work, classes, workouts, momming, laundry, grocery shopping and that’s about it.
Let’s get right into the faves for today …
Current faves
Fun
Our weekend trip to Columbus, Ohio
Oh my gosh, did we have so much fun in Ohio last weekend, visiting our besties, Grant and Bre, and their three kiddos. We arrived on Thursday night and left on Sunday morning, and we fit a lot in, with literally no down time. We hadn’t seen them since they visited us in California in August 2019. But before that, we always got together once a year for some fun, in our neck of the woods, in their’s, and even in Las Vegas and Chicago. We’re going to be seeing them again (without kids) for a beach vacation in just a few weeks too.
Dave introduced me to Grant and Bre shortly after we got together, and he had been friends with them for a long time. They all met playing traveling soccer in Florida, and even though they don’t play on the same team anymore, we’ve all become super close. Grant gave the best best-man speech I’ve ever heard at our wedding too. And our time with them is always so fun.
Here are some highlights from our trip:
Attending the Memorial Golf Tournament at Muirfield Village. This was our first time going to a big event in so very long, and it was mostly outside, so it felt very safe. We only watched a tiny bit of golf, but we did spend a lot of time chatting, socializing, people watching, eating and sipping on tasty beverages. Obviously, we left all the kiddos behind with a babysitter for this adventure, and it was such a fun day, which included a lot of walking too. It also gave me a good reason to finally pull the tags off this dress I bought almost three years ago from Vineyard Vines, which is still available, with a slightly different neckline here.
Taking Bre’s Xtreme class at Life Time in Dublin. True story: I didn’t know how great Life Time gyms were until I visited Bre’s gym about three years ago when we last went to visit Ohio. That day, I took Bre’s class, which was amazing. But I was also so impressed with the facilities and vibe of the whole gym — it was so much nicer than what I was used to (no offense to my old gym home). And that’s how I knew to look for a Life Time once we moved to Charlotte, and I was so excited I was actually able to get hired at mine just a couple months ago.
Anywho, back to the Xtreme class I took with Bre during this recent visit: I hadn’t done a one-hour cardio-intense workout like the one she taught on Saturday in a very long time. There were no breaks either, which was crazy. She made it look easy, but I was dying. Somehow, I made it through and nearly burned all of the calories I usually shoot for on my Apple watch in one session. So fun! So sweaty!
Also another fun fact: Bre does not have a fitness background (other than being an athlete and playing soccer) and she is one of those group fitness class members who turned into an incredible instructor. She started out taking classes at Life Time and worked her way up to be a total superstar on the stage. It happens, people, and you can do it too.
Watching Brady play with his friends. One final highlight, and this is so cute: Grant and Bre’s kids all call Brady their cousin, which is precious. Brady was so excited to go play with the big kids in Ohio, and I think he had even more fun than he expected to have with them. He jumped on the trampoline. He ran through the sprinklers. He played video games at an arcade. He drew pictures. He played with cars. And he was so exhausted from it all.
Overall, it was a very fun weekend, which left us pretty tired. And we are happy to be back to low-key activities for the next few weeks until we travel again. By the way, this was our first family plane trip since moving to Charlotte in January, and it went totally fine. The airports were normal, the flights were normal, we wore our masks the whole time, and we had no issues. Three cheers for easy travel and good times with good people!
(My dress is sold out, but this one is similar and here are my sandals.)
Fashion
New rose gold Apple watch strap
I recently upgraded my wrist attire. I’m so into my new watch strap and accessories, sent to me from Goldenerre, a company based out of San Francisco with a nod to the “Golden Era.” I’ve been wearing the strap for the last couple of weeks, and it’s such a nice pop of sparkle on my wrist. It’s genuine leather, it fits great, and I love the starbust design too. Just because your Apple watch is a connected fitness device, doesn’t mean your strap has to be sporty, right?
Goldenerre has watch straps for almost all the models of Apple watch, and they fit my 40mm Apple watch perfectly. The swap out process is easy too. You can buy these straps and accessories on the Goldenerre website or on Revolve too.
I got the rose gold Starburst strap. The rhinestone case for the watch. And a shiny beaded bracelet to match. Totally a fan of this bit of bling, and I want some other styles on the site too. Thanks for sending, Goldenerre!
Beauty
Get free shipping from Beautycounter today only (June 11)
I mean, I can’t skip a chance to mention that today only, Beautycounter is offering free shipping on all ground orders over $50. If you need some new sunscreen, or you’re ready to jump into safe skincare or makeup, here’s a great chance to do it.
You can also use the code CLEANFORALL20 at check-out, if it’s your very first order, and you’ll get 20 percent off. Let me know if you need any help picking things out. And as always, thank you for supporting my biz. Shop Beautycounter here.
Workouts
Weekly workouts
Quick disclaimer: This is where I share all the workouts I did the previous week. And please remember that my workout schedule works for me, and it may not work for you. Your workouts should make you feel good and leave you feeling energized. If they don’t do that, it may be time to reassess what you’re doing regularly.
I’ve gone through periods of doing too much and doing too little, and I’ve always found that the body and energy levels will clue you in if you need to readjust. Here’s a good post to visit with some tips: How to schedule your week of workouts.
- Monday: Taught 1-hour barbell strength class at Life Time, 9:45 a.m.
- Tuesday: Took 45-minute lower-body weights class, 9:45 a.m., taught 45-minute virtual bodyweight Barre Burn on Motus, 3 p.m.
- Wednesday: Took 1-hour yoga sculpt class at Life Time, 11 a.m.
- Thursday: 20-minute walk/run on treadmill, 10 a.m., taught 45-minute virtual bodyweight Barre Burn on Motus, 3 p.m.
- Friday: Rest day
- Saturday: Took 1-hour weights/cardio class at Life Time, 9:45 a.m.
- Sunday: Rest day
This past week had two full days off of exercise, as well as a lot of classes. I made my return to yoga this week at Life Time, and it felt so amazing on the bod. I’m so happy to be back to doing in-person classes, so those are taking priority right now. But there’s always more I want to do than I have time for in my daily schedule. For instance, there’s some great new content on Les Mills On Demand that I’ve been wanting to try, so I need to head back there too. They debuted the super-popular Les Mills Tone program on demand finally, YAY! (Here’s my link, if you want a free 30-day trial to Les Mills On Demand to try that out.)
Promo codes
A Lady Goes West 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 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.
- 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 reads
A few things from around the web
- 10 things to know about your hormones. You know I’m a sucker for information on women’s hormone health, because I’ve learned how important it is to be in charge of our own hormonal health, in order to truly feel good in our lives. This is a very powerful list of myths/facts for women to read about their hormones, from a holistic doctor.
- All about protein powders. This is a super-helpful article that tells you everything you need to know about protein powders. Why to use them. When to use them. And which types of protein powders are better, as well. And while you shouldn’t rely on supplements, they can be beneficial. As you know, I’m a big fan of Organifi Complete Protein Powder, and my discount code for that is above, so check it out.
Here’s the quote of the week, which I posted to Instagram a few weeks ago and felt like sharing here as well, because it’s the truth …
A Lady Goes West favorite archives
- Gifts for him. Have you shopped for a dad in your life yet? Here are my top gift choices, which are all Dave approved … “The best Father’s Day gifts for 2021.”
- Workout environment. Have you thought about going back to a gym or to a studio and are not sure which to choose? This post from the archive may be helpful …. “What are the benefits of a studio vs. a big box gym environment.”
Have a great day, my friends! I hope you also enjoy your weekend, and I’ll see you back here soon. 🙂
Questions of the day
How was your week?
What are you up to this weekend?
What’s the toughest workout you’ve done lately?