Hey there, my friends! How are you? I’m glad to report that this week was a little less crazy than the week before after getting back from vacation. I felt much more caught up on life and on work. I subbed a couple of extra BODYPUMP classes, I finished a freelance project, got my nails done and Brady started another session of summer camp too.

This weekend, I’m going to a yoga event in the City, subbing another BODYPUMP class (the sub market has been hot over here this summer), and we’re gearing up to welcome our besties, Grant and Bre, who are visiting us from Ohio starting in the middle of the week next week through the weekend. Woohoo! Alright, it’s time for a look at my latest faves …

Current faves

Food

Totally delicious Drink Après after-workout beverages

I mean, I don’t want to throw this around lightly, but these Drink Après plant-based protein recovery drinks may be the best ready-to-drink protein bevvies I’ve ever tasted. I mean it. And they were created by two San Francisco health and wellness lovers and are becoming really popular. Why? Because not only do they taste good, but they also have great ingredients and a few extras too. (By the way, love the name … quite clever.)

The Drink Après people were so kind as to send me a sampler box, and I couldn’t have enjoyed the drinks any more than I did. Here are some details for you …

• Non-GMO
• Vegan
• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Soy free
• 14 grams of plant protein from pea, chia, cacao and hemp
• 4 grams of metabolic fats from virgin coconut oil
• Electrolytes from coconut water and an electrolyte blend

The four flavors are Sea Salt Chocolate, Mint Cacao, Vanilla and Cold Brew Coffee. And they are all incredible, which is awesome when the ingredients are good too — I’d probably choose mint cacao as my favorite though.

And I feel like I have a burst of energy when drinking these after my workouts, because I get re-hydrated and get lots of good fuel to replenish my muscles, with the protein and electrolytes (especially after teaching BODYPUMP). Three cheers for that.

Here’s the great part: If you’re in the market for a healthy and tasty beverage too, you can get $10 off your order with the code ALADYGOESWEST. These drinks are available on the Drink Après site.

Lunch bowl at Home Grown Oakland

As a creature of habit, we tend to go out to the same lunch spots nearby all the time on the weekend (I eat at home during the week), and that’s fine, because our usual spots are delicious. But over the weekend, we went to Oakland to visit IKEA, and so I did some quick Yelp research, and we ended up at Home Grown Oakland for lunch. It’s a tiny spot with only like four tables, but the menu was incredibly healthy, with so many good options — all California-style, if you know what I mean. I selected the Ginger Miso bowl, and if I had to choose one thing to eat for lunch everyday from here on out, this would be it. Seriously.

The contents of mine: two soft-boiled eggs covered in a green sauce, avocado, ginger kale, kimchi, pickled cucumbers, hemp seeds and loads of brown rice. I nearly licked the bowl clean, and I was full for hours. Dave had the ranchero bowl and loved his too, although it was quite spicy. This spot is definitely not close to our house, but I’ll find my way back there soon I hope. Or, perhaps I should recreate this meal at home?

New Vital Proteins collagen latte

I’m pretty pumped about these brand new collagen latte mixes that my friends at Vital Proteins sent to me, because they are made with bone broth collagen and are a perfect addition to my morning tea. I tried mixing them with nothing but water or milk and didn’t enjoy them as much as using them as more of a creamer, or additive to tea, instead — and for that use, they are excellent. Madagascar Vanilla is totally my favorite flavor.

There are also some herbs in this one — woohoo! I use about a scoop-and-a-half in my green tea, add some Ripple milk, a bit of stevia and a drop of honey. Then, I use my new frother I got on Amazon Prime day to finish off the beverage, and it’s a great morning treat, with valuable collagen too. You can find these latte mixes on the Vital Proteins site. 

Fashion

The jacket, or shacket, of the year

In the effort to buy less, but better stuff, I’m constantly on the lookout for pieces that can be worn with lots of different top and bottom combinations. When we were in Vancouver, one day, we walked by a Topshop pop-up store and went inside. I had been into a Topshop before in London, and have always like the Topshop selection at Nordstrom, but this Topshop had so much more. Truth be told, a lot of it was a little young for me, but when I saw this oversized cozy jacket, I knew it was perfect. I’ve been wanting an oversized jacket for a while.

Longline shacket in ecru. I’m wearing an extra small, because it runs big and is supposed to be oversized.

It’s actually called a shacket — because it’s a mix between a jacket and a shirt. I wore it out to dinner that night with a dress, shown above, then wore it the next day with jeans, and also wore it with denim shorts. I’ve worn it three times since we’ve been back too, including on a little IKEA and lunch date with the boys (shown below). Definitely getting my money’s worth already.

It’s so soft, the sleeves rolls up or stay down, and I love having big pockets for keeping things — you know, like a Larabar or my cell phone or lipgloss. Overall, this jacket, is the best. Speaking of IKEA, can we take a minute to appreciate the tiny table and chairs we just bought and brought home for Brady? He’s a big fan …

It’s the Sundvik style, in case you’re wondering. Cheap, easy to put together and hopefully durable.

Fitness

Weekly workout recap

How I’ve been moving lately …

• Monday: 40 minutes of BODYPUMP practice, 10 a.m.
• Tuesday: 30-minute CXWORX, 9:30 a.m., taught 45-minute BODYATTACK, 4:45 p.m.
• Wednesday: Taught 1-hour barre class, 5 p.m.
• Thursday: Taught 1-hour barre class, 12 p.m., 45-minute SoulCycle class, 6:30 p.m.
• Friday: 45 minutes of BODYPUMP practice, 10 a.m.
• Saturday: 1-hour BODYATTACK, 9:30 a.m.
• Sunday: Taught 1-hour BODYPUMP 8:30 a.m.

Wow! So much movement and where’s the rest day? After taking about eight days off over the past two weeks, I decided it was okay to work out each day this week, because I subbed a class on my normal rest day and filled the other days in before that. I’m definitely going easier this week and having a full day off. Don’t you worry about me, but I do need to get back to solo workouts too.

Best reads

From around the web …

• Beauty praise. I’m going to tell you more about what Beautycounter’s new Countertime line has done for my skin soon, but I didn’t want to miss a chance to share this article from The Zoe Report all about how amazing Countertime, and it’s active ingredient is. You will definitely be hearing more about this awesome line.
• Avocados. Apparently there is a recommended amount of avocado that you should consume in one day, or so say the experts in this article. It’s half of an avocado to two — anywhere in between. Good to know I don’t go over with my two-avo days. 
• Wash new clothes. Okay, we all know to wash baby clothes before putting them on the baby, but apparently we should be washing everything we buy before it makes contact with our body for a long amount of time. Lots of chemicals on new clothing, so wash it with a safe detergent. This article tells you more.

And for the best quote of the week from my morning meditations …

A Lady Goes West favorite archives …

• I’m so excited that this post from earlier in the week did so well, in fact, it did about five times the traffic of my usual Monday posts … so yay! In case you missed it … “What I’ve learned from the first 90 days of starting a meditation practice.”

• Need some breakfast inspiration? This baked oatmeal never does me wrong … Make this cacao baked oatmeal for a week’s worth of breakfasts.”

Questions of the day

How was your week?

What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Any big plans for the weekend?

Are you considering starting a meditation practice?

Do you wash your clothes before you wear them?

P.S. Planning to work out this weekend? Why not give a Les Mills class a try in the privacy of your own home using a free 21-day trial of my favorite streaming service, Les Mills On Demand? Here’s my personal link to give you that 21-day trial.