Hey, my friends! New current faves post coming at you today.

I hope you’ve had a great week. This week, I taught two virtual barre classes, worked during small windows while Brady napped or watched Disney shows next to me on the couch (this is a daily occurrence now for just a bit in the morning, and we’re not ashamed of it), we went to two parks, took our usual afternoon walks, and I tried my best to find the joy in these strange summer days of quarantine conditions.

The good news is that we have exciting plans this weekend, and Dave and I are heading back to Napa for a little outdoors wine country day-time visit, while Dave’s sister, Gwena, hangs with Brady at our house. This will be our second time away from Brady in the last five months, which is not much, and we’ll miss him, but it’s good for us all.

By the way, if you haven’t had a chance yet, I’d love for you to spend just two minutes filling out this super-quick reader survey for me. There’s a place in there to submit a question for the “Q&A” blog post I’m preparing for next week as well. Answers are anonymous, and thank you in advance!

Now, let’s get to the favorites … 

Current faves

Fun

Our visit to Muir Woods National Park

You may have seen my post on Instagram about how healing nature is, and that’s because I truly felt the effects of it during our outing to Muir Woods National Park in Mill Valley, Marin County last weekend.

We hadn’t been to Marin, or to Muir Woods, in a very long time.

We made a reservation a few weeks in advance and had a 30-minute window to show up to our parking area. The drive over to Muir Woods was so pretty with views of the San Francisco Bay (albeit a little nerve-wracking up the side of a mountain with winding roads), and it seemed like we were in a different world.

Of course, Brady had a great time in this new setting. He walked a bit on his own, and we took turns letting him ride on our shoulders as we explored the trails underneath the gorgeous redwoods for about two hours. The weather was absolutely perfection, and it wasn’t crowded at all.

We did wear our masks mostly and only pulled them down for pictures or when we were in a totally secluded area of the trails. 

(This belt bag is a mom essential, hiking or not. And here’s my new mask.)

We’ve been doing a good job of scheduling little outings once a week or so on the weekends to look forward to, and this trip to Muir Woods was just what we needed to relax, while also getting some healing fresh air.

I find it very important to always have something fun on the agenda. Anyone else?

Food 

Return to Trader Joe’s

Last week, I told you I had started doing our grocery shopping again after a several-month hiatus and letting Dave do it all. Well, now I’m on a roll, and I went to two grocery stores last week (Sprouts and Trader Joe’s). I hadn’t been to Trader Joe’s in months.

Side note: I’ve never wanted to do all my grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s, but boy, do they have some deals on products that you can’t find elsewhere. I had a great time browsing every single aisle and came away with some goodies.

Here’s a look at my cart, featuring a ton of my favorite Trader Joe’s items. I especially love the salsas (pepita salsa), trail mixes, nut butters (raw almond, creamy), and condiments (coconut aminos and spices) that you find there …

Speaking of Trader Joe’s, here’s a post I wrote a couple of years ago about all the healthy items I buy there … “A busy gal’s shopping list for healthy items from Trader Joe’s to save time.”

Workouts

Live Britney Spears cycling ride

Guys, I finally did my first ever live Peloton class.

It was a 30-minute Britney Spears-themed cycling ride with Cody Rigsby, and my girlfriend joined me to do the class at the same time (safely from her own Peloton bike, in her own home).

Let’s just say it was a great time …

Not only do I love Cody Rigsby (listed as one of my favorite cycling instructors in my recent Peloton app review), but I love Britney Spears too.

And there was just something about doing the class with 22,000 other live riders at the very same time that made it that much more fun. I was laughing, smiling and dancing while sweating and cycling along. I also got a “PR” or personal record output score for a 30-minute ride, so clearly I was driven by the live vibe.

If you get the chance to do some live workouts right now, I highly recommend it. Yes, you can do those through the Peloton app, but plenty of other studios/programs are offering live virtual classes too, and it’s just an extra way to get motivated. Because the energy of others is contagious, even if you can’t see them — you know they are there. Just do it!

Weekly workouts 

Here’s how I got moving last week …

• Monday: 30-minute Les Mills GRIT Strength via Les Mills On Demand, 4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday: Taught 45-minute barre, 12 p.m., 20-minute cycle, 6 p.m.
• Wednesday: 30-minute cycle, 30-minute lower-body weights workout, 4:30 p.m.
• Thursday: Taught 45-minute barre, 12 p.m.
• Friday: 45-minute weights circuit, 10:30 a.m.
• Saturday: 30-minute BODYPUMP, 20-minute bodyweight workout, 10 a.m.
• Sunday: Rest day

This past week of workouts included my goal of three resistance sessions and two cardio sessions. I didn’t do any yoga, but I’ll try to fit that in this week. Overall, things are much better in the home-workout department than I would have guessed. I’m doing fine with movement.

Discounts 

A few A Lady Goes West recommended products

You guys know I only share what I love, so here are some of the brands I recommend …

• Carbon38. 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 clean protein bars. You can get 20 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, the RED powder and the GOLD powder. You can get 15 percent off your order on the Organifi site with the code ALADYGOESWEST.
• Daily Harvest frozen foods. I’ve loved every single thing I’ve tried from this healthy frozen food delivery service, including the smoothies, flatbreads, desserts and bowls. You can get $25 off your first order on the Daily Harvest 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 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.
• 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 on the Four Sigmatic site using the code ALADYGOESWEST.

You can’t really find these G2G protein bars in the grocery store, but they are worth the extra step of ordering online. And use my code, ALADYGOESWEST, for your discount, of course. This is my favorite flavor …

Best reads

A few things from around the web 

• Mood boosters. Found yourself in a funk lately? I think we all have. This is a simple list of things you can do to get out of that funk and improve your day.
• No equipment needed. This is a list of the hardest workout moves you can do without equipment. I would have to agree on the pistol squat, because dang, that one takes practice. Would you add anything to this list?

And here’s the quote of the week from the Calm app, which I use to do my daily morning meditations …

A Lady Goes West favorite archives

• Workouts. I’ve been loving this addition to my workout routine. Check out everything you need to know about the Peloton app … “Review of the Peloton app after my first 100 workouts.”

• Clothes. Because one day, we’ll all have plenty of places to go again and need to wear real clothes … “My top 10 recent staple purchases that I wear over and over again.”

Thank you for being here, my friends. I’ll see you over on Instagram! 

Questions of the day

How was your week?

What’s one good thing that happened to you this week?

Have you tried anything new lately?

What’s your favorite Trader Joe’s item?