Hey there, my friends! How are you? How was your week?

Are you dressing up for Halloween this weekend? We have a little parade at Brady’s school today, and then we’re going to take him by a couple neighbors’ homes tomorrow. But nothing too exciting on the agenda, as we continue to move through these strange COVID-19 times.

You can check out Instagram to see his costume tomorrow. But first, can we admire the work Dave (and Brady) did on our pumpkins last weekend, while I was doing a Cody Rigsby ride on the Peloton? 

Each night after it gets dark, we’ve been lighting the candles in the pumpkins so Brady can stare at the spooky Jack-o-lanterns right before he goes to bed. 🙂

Anywho, this week was another good one over here and not as busy as the last few have been, which felt nice. I felt like I had a solid grasp on all of my to-dos and got everything done I hoped for, which certainly doesn’t always happen. But it was also a weird week with a lot of strange news in the world that wasn’t good. But alas, we carry on. Let’s do the faves …

Current faves

Fashion 

New Everlane waffle top

Do you guys remember when I used to mention Everlane like every other blog post because I kept buying so much from there and loving it? Well, I took a little break over the last few months, but now I’m back, and I ordered three super well-priced basic tops recently, and they are just getting debuted. Here’s one of my faves from my latest haul …

(Wearing this top and these jeans here.)

This is the organic cotton waffle henley top, and I got it in the most beautiful blue! I’m wearing a size small, and it didn’t shrink at all when I washed it. It has a naturally cropped fit, but long enough to meet the waist-band of high-waisted jeans, so there’s no tummy exposure.

I love ordering from Everlane, because the clothes are super simple, and everything is ethically sourced and made. By the way, if you order from Everlane, here’s my referral link.

Family

Time together

The other day, I was washing lunch dishes while Dave was putting Brady down for his nap, and it suddenly struck me that one day we’ll look back on this whole thing and be so happy we had so much time together and maybe even miss parts of it.

Even though Dave and I are both working, we’ve had more time together as a family than we ever had in our whole lives. We take walks or bike rides almost every day (weather and air quality permitting, of course), and we’re just around the house at the same time so much more, hanging out and eating meals together, etc.

For instance, Dave has been using up some vacation days, and so we’ve randomly gone out to breakfast on a weekday, gone on hikes on weekdays and so much more. Like, what? Here’s a shot from a hike last week that we went on impromptu on a Thursday morning before I taught my class, just because we could …

(Wearing an Everlane sweatshirt and these Carbon38 leggings.)

Before quarantine, Dave would often wake up and be gone before Brady and I got up and get home after we went to sleep. This was a common occurrence that we didn’t love, but we were used to. I do NOT miss that.

Don’t get me wrong: There’s a lot of terrible stuff associated with this pandemic, but it’s not terrible that we’ve had so many extra moments to be together. And that’s a real favorite. 

Fun 

Face mask party

Moving on …

Last Friday evening, I hosted a little virtual self-care face mask party, and it was so fun. I met some blog readers for the first time and also had a couple old friends join too. We talked about clean beauty, did our face masks, chatted about our favorite types of workouts and self-care and sipped on our beverages.

I will totally be doing more of these, because it was so simple to put together and was so nice to connect. I think we all need a little more connection these days.

Speaking of face mask, if you’ve always wanted to try Beautycounter and have never pulled the trigger, I have a special code for 20 percent off individual items on the site (not sets), that is good through October 31 for first-time shoppers. Head here to shop, enter your email address when you check-out and use the code CLEANFORALL20 for 20 percent off.

Workouts

Weekly workouts 

Here are my workouts from last week …

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

This past week was super similar to the last. Even though I’m finished with my Les Mills Coach program, I’ve kept up with doing at least three Les Mills classes a week from Les Mills On Demand, because they are so good. I still haven’t gone back to my gym, which is crazy, but I’m doing fine at home right now.

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 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, the RED powder and the GOLD 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 10 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.
• Les Mills Coach program. You can get 15 percent off a 4-, 8- or 12-week guided coaching and accountability program with the code ASHLEY15.
• 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.

Best reads

A few things from around the web 

• The ultimate plant-based protein guide. I love the folks at Precision Nutrition and am so glad I went through their coaching program, because they give you exactly what you need to know to eat better, in a doable and realistic way. This is a super-informative guide to all things plant-based protein, including how to get enough protein, the best sources and much more.
• The importance of stretching. Have you ever wondered why your fitness instructor always tells you to stretch more after class? Because you really need to stretch. Here’s a good look at why you need to stretch after every workout.

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 

• Anchor habits. Have you ever thought about whether the things you do each day are serving you? Here’s some talk about anchor habits … “Add more good to your life with anchor habits.”

• Stress relief. When you’re stressed, the last thing you want to do is deal with stress. Here are some easy ways to get a little relief … “Five little things I do to feel less stressed.”

Thank you for visiting the blog today, my friends! I’ll see you soon! 🙂 xoxo

Questions of the day

How was your week?

Are you dressing up for Halloween?

What is your favorite online retailer for basics?