Hi, friend! Happy Friday!

How are you? I feel like I blinked my eyes and then we were into winter weather and the real holiday season. It’s been cold and occasionally rainy in Charlotte this week, and it’s also been getting dark so early. To brighten things up, Brady and I decided to put up our holiday decorations (outside of the actual Christmas tree and the outdoor lights), and I’m so glad we did. We also popped out to Hobby Lobby to stock up on a couple more pieces of decor, which we got for 60 percent off. Love that place! Dave thought it was a little too early to decorate, but he was outvoted, so we did it, and it’s feeling cozy and festive in our house now. Yay!

This week, I taught my usual five classes, went to a tennis clinic, worked a lot, took Rudy to the groomer and played catch-up from our weekend trip to Orlando last weekend (here’s the trip recap, in case you missed it). I also went to dinner with some of my girlfriends, which is always a good time.

This weekend, Dave and I are having a couple people over for a small pizza party, and the next day, he and Brady are heading to a college football game with some boys, while I hang with my Mom.

We’re also getting our ducks in a row to head off for a few nights next week too. We’re going to Atlanta for Thanksgiving to see Matthew and Stephanie (my brother and my sister-in-law), which will mark our final trip of 2022. And when we come back, December will be here. I actually spent some time this week writing out my December activities and work responsibilities, and there are a lot of them. I love a full calendar, and December will definitely be my busiest month of the year. How about for you?

Alright, my friend. Now, it‘s all about the faves. Let’s go …

Current faves

Fashion

The best and comfiest sweatpants and sweatshirt set for winter 2022

I love casual cold-weather clothing, and I recently ordered an incredible sweatsuit worth sharing about. I wore this sweatsuit on the plane home from Orlando, and I kept it on all day. I’m wearing a medium in the pants and the top. The sweatpants are loose, high-waisted and have a jogger band at the bottom to make them look a little more fashionable. And the sweatshirt is not cropped, but perfect length for a small tuck into the pants. Also, the red color is so bright and happy.

(Here are my sweatpants, and here is my sweatshirt.)

I plan to wear this outfit over and over again, and the price is certainly right. I guess this outfit could double as pajamas too, but it’s totally street-wear for me. Maybe I should get it in another color too? Also, did you order any matching family holiday pajamas yet? If not, act quickly before things sell out. I bought a white tartan pattern from here for us all on sale, because last year, I missed the boat.

Clean beauty

The biggest Beautycounter sale of the year for safe and effective skincare and makeup

I couldn’t miss a chance to mention the Beautycounter Black Friday sale in today’s faves, because it’s a real favorite for me.

Not only do I love the fact that so many of you try Beautycounter for the first time during these sales, but I also like to take advantage of the deals myself to stock up on my skincare and makeup. If you’ve wanted to order some facial moisturizers, cleansers, holiday sets or more, now’s the time.

This sale is going on today through November 28th. It’s 20 percent off site-wide, and you get 30 percent off, if you spend more than $250. Also, all orders over $50 ship free in the U.S. You have to live in the U.S. or Canada to place an order, by the way.

Here are my TOP five items (all of which are currently 20 to 30 percent off) that I always recommend to people (and it’s really hard for me to choose just five, so this was a tall task):

1. All Bright C Serum (skincare): The best-selling product from 2022. A day-time serum to brighten the skin, improve dark spots and give you a nice glow. I recently had a client use this on a sunspot on her hand, and it totally went away.
2. Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer (makeup): This has SPF 20 and it is a barely there foundation that I wear most days with some skin protection. I wear the light shade, and it also gives a good dewy glow.
3. Beyond Gloss (makeup): This lipgloss is on my lips every single day, and it gives high shine, conditioning, and it has a responsibly sourced vanilla flavor. I like Bare Shimmer the best.
4. Countermatch Adaptive Moisturizer (skincare): One of our most popular products! This lightweight moisturizer is great for most skin-types, and I use it often during the day to keep my skin hydrated. In fact, I always have this in my gym bag and put it on my face after I shower. Other days, I often use the slightly more luxurious Countertime Antioxidant Soft Cream.
5. Overnight Resurfacing Peel (skincare): This is probably the second best-selling product from Beautycounter. It’s a peel that you keep on overnight a few times a week, and it smoothes out your skin and refreshes it. I use this a couple times a week and recommend it to most people to improve their skin’s condition. There’s not much else like it out there.

Please reach out to me on Instagram or through email, if you need help figuring out what’s right for your skin. I’d be happy to assist.

And of course, I know you can get your skincare and makeup anywhere, and it means a lot to me if you shop through me. Thank you for supporting A Lady Goes West and me with your purchases, friend. Start your shopping here!

Workouts

My workouts from last week

Every week, I like to share a recap of my previous week of workouts. I share this to show you how I try to get diversity of movement in my week, and how I always take a rest day (almost always). But remember, I do a little bit more than the average person, because I’m a group fitness instructor. You absolutely don’t need to compare your movement to mine.

Workouts from the week of 11/5

• Monday: Taught 1-hour barbell class, 9:45 a.m.
• Tuesday: Taught 1-hour barre class with light weights, 9:30 a.m., took 75-minute tennis clinic, 11 a.m.
• Wednesday: Did 40-minute Les Mills Strength Development via Les Mills+ at home, 9:30 a.m., taught 45-minute barre class with light weights, 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday: Taught 45-minute combo class with weights, 9:45 a.m.
• Friday: Rest day
• Saturday: Rest day
• Sunday: Took 50-minute slow neighborhood walk, 5 p.m.

This past week was a lot lighter than the last. I took three days off for my trip to Orlando, and that’s fine by me. I don’t mind a few days off here and there. In fact, I think I come back stronger after that rest. Other than that, I did complete a personal workout (yay for Les Mills Strength Development using my Les Mills Smart Tech equipment) at home, and I taught four classes and played tennis once. A good week.

Deal of the week

LAST CHANCE: Use the code ASHLEY10 for a 10 percent discount on Les Mills Smart Tech equipment until November 21!

This awesome promo code is almost expired, so don’t miss it!

Do you need some weights to use for your home workouts? If so, I’d recommend Les Mills Smart Tech equipment through and through, because it’s such high quality, and you don’t have to do Les Mills workouts to use it.

If you want to invest in this equipment (or give it as a holiday gift) you can save 10 percent off your order of anything from the site with the code ASHLEY10. This code is good through November 21. (I even made a video about how I use the equipment here, if you want a closer look.) 

*I’m an affiliate for Les Mills and I have been for five years. I taught Les Mills group fitness classes for 10 years before moving to Charlotte, so I’m a fan of the brand. And when you use my Les Mills links, you support me, and I appreciate it.

Best read of the week

Here’s a light read that I thought was interesting:

Ditch diet culture. I absolutely love the idea behind this short article about ditching diet culture. What is diet culture? It’s equating a thin/smaller body with health/success. And that’s not true. In fact, skinny people are not always healthy, just as people in bodies with more fat on them are not always unhealthy. There are other metrics that define real health. This article features reminders that sugar is not evil, bread does not make you fat, and weight loss is not the only goal in a wellness journey. Give it a read!

Quote of the week

Here’s a thought to remind you that whatever you’re feeling is okay, and it’s always temporary: 

Blog archives of the week

Let’s look back at two blog posts worth revisiting, including a recent one:

Orlando fun. We had such a good time on this short trip, and the 80’s prom murder mystery event was very cool … “A quick and fun weekend in Orlando with friends.”

Food diary. Because we’re due for a food post, here’s one from earlier this year … “Here’s everything I ate in a day.”

That’s it for today, my friend! Have a wonderful weekend, and stay hydrated!

Questions of the day for YOU

What was the best thing you did this past week?

Are you traveling for Thanksgiving?

Have you put up any holiday decorations yet?