Hi, friend! How are you?

I hope you had a nice week!

My week was good! Dave was gone for most of it for a work trip, so it was just Brady and me. I taught six group fitness classes at Life Time, I played tennis a few times (two clinics and a doubles-for-fun match), I worked, I got my car serviced, I took Brady to swim and to tennis, and we even had a plumber at our house fixing yet another issue. You know, all the usual things.

This weekend, Brady has an early soccer game, I’m playing tennis, and we’ll be doing family stuff too.

Let’s get right to the faves …

Current faves

Fun

The Puttery in South End, Charlotte

This was such a fun night! I learned about The Puttery — a modern spin on mini-golf — on social media, and I knew it sounded like a good activity for our group.

Last Saturday night, Dave and I, and two other couples, made the trip to South End to try our hand at adults-only mini-golfing in this upscale bar setting. And it was an excellent time!

(On the mini-golf night, I was wearing this staple white sleeveless top that I’ve been wearing a lot lately as well as these staple sneakers, which I’ve had in my closet for years.)

We made a reservation 10 days in advance (which is the earliest you can reserve), and we showed up within our reservation window and had just enough time to chill at a table before it was our turn to golf.

At The Puttery, there are two 9-hole indoor themed golf courses to choose from, and we selected “The Library.” It was very well designed, and we enjoyed seeing the decor at each hole, as we moved through the course (which also featured a bar, by the way). 

The golfing part was super fun, and our group did a couples’ competition for the lowest score. Dave and I and another couple tied at the end.

After mini-golf, we walked over to The Velvet Taco for a late dinner before heading back home. (You can get food at The Puttery, but it was a long wait for that, so we decided to eat elsewhere.)

This combination of activities — with an active mini-golf adventure followed by a casual dinner — was right up my alley. We all had an awesome time.

For my local Charlotte friends, I would highly recommend The Puttery for a date night or group activity. It was $18 a person to mini-golf, and you need to reserve for your group ahead of time. Lots of fun (and friendly competition) to be had there.

Beauty

The Beautycounter Friends & Family sale is here

I’ve been a Beautycounter fan for five years, and whenever this sale comes around, I have to share it with you! It’s the annual Friends & Family sale, and I actually purchased my first Beautycounter products five years ago during this very sale.

If you’ve been wanting to upgrade your skincare or makeup, this sale is an excellent time to give Beautycounter a chance. And if you have any questions, send me an email or a DM, and I’d be happy to help you. 🙂 

Also, anyone who shops with me is entered into a little giveaway from me to you!

Head here to start shopping. And thank you!

Fashion

The comfiest matching leisure set from Vuori

I love to wear a matching set. In fact, I’m wearing a matching top/bottom workout set while typing this post. I think matching sets feel put together, even when they’re super comfy, you know?

In the winter, I wore my red matching sweatsuit from Old Navy a bunch, and now that the weather is warming up, I’m wearing a grey matching leisure suit from Vuori. While these pieces are comfy enough to be pajamas, I wear them out and about for errands and lunch too.

(You’ll see this outfit on me a lot this spring. Here are the bottoms, and here is the top.)

I can’t say enough about the items I’ve bought from Vuori so far, especially the awesome black leggings I wrote a whole post about. And I have to say that this grey leisure suit has even softer fabric and such a cozy fit that I like it just as much. Both leisure-suit pieces are made from a polyester/elastane blend, and they have a little stretch to them. I’m thinking a second color may be in order.

As far as sizing, I’m wearing a small in the joggers and a medium in the top. The top has a more-cropped fit, so I ordered a size up, which feels better and shows less tummy. The joggers are fairly true to size, and I ordered a long for less of a capri look. A great suit!

Let’s get to the movement …

Workouts

My workouts from last week

Now it’s time to take a look at my workouts from last week.

I share this recap 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 4/10

• Monday: Taught 1-hour barbell class, 9:45 a.m.
• Tuesday: Taught 1-hour barre class with light weights, 9:30 a.m., taught 45-minute barre class with light weights, 10:45 a.m.
• Wednesday: Taught 45-minute barre class with light weights, 9:30 a.m., taught 45-minute barre class with light weights, 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday: Taught 45-minute combo class, 9:45 a.m., took 60-minute tennis clinic, 11:30 a.m.
• Friday: Taught 45-minute barre class with light weights, 10:30 a.m., taught 45-minute barbell class, 11:30 a.m.
• Saturday: Played 60 minutes of tennis, 10 a.m.
• Sunday: Rest day (took a 30-minute neighborhood walk, 6 p.m.)

This past week had a lot of group fitness in it! I taught eight classes, took a tennis clinic, played tennis for fun and had a rest day. I didn’t fit in a solo weights workout for the first time all year. And while I’m disappointed I broke my streak, I wasn’t feeling like I could fit it in full force without being too tired from all those classes, and so I chose to skip it. But this most recent week, I was back on the ball with my once-weekly solo weights session, so I hope to not miss it again. 

Dave and I played tennis on the outdoor courts last weekend, and while the sun/wind/clay court definitely had me off my game (I usually play indoors on hard courts), it was so nice to be outside …

(Here’s my tennis skirt, here are my tennis shoes, and here’s my tennis hat.)

Best read of the week

Here’s a timely article worth sharing with you …

The case for the “hot girl walk.” Have you heard of the term “Hot Girl Walk”? This is perhaps a silly name, but the idea is that — as a hot girl of any shape, size or aesthetic — you make time for a long walk outside daily, which is time dedicated just to you, to practice gratefulness, think about your goals and work on your confidence. While all that is positive, what’s even better is that if you choose to do a HGW to get to places that you need to go instead of driving there, you’ll also be emitting less carbon emissions. Of course, walking may not be not possible if you’re not in a walkable environment, but if you are, try walking. Even though I definitely got tired of walking everywhere in my nearly three years in San Francisco when I didn’t have a car, I really miss it now. It’s awesome to get where you need to go without a car. I don’t have the ability to do that in my current neighborhood and home, but if I did, I’d do it in an instant. The moral of the story: If you can safely and quickly walk somewhere instead of driving … walk. And while walking, be mindful. This article tells you how “Hot Girl Walks” are good for the environment too.

Quote of the week

Here’s a thought from the archives that always rings true …

Blog archives of the week

Let’s look back at two posts worth revisiting, including the latest from earlier this week …

Mother’s Day gifts. I love to put together gift guides, and if you’re shopping for a mom, or you’re a mom who wants to share some gift hints with someone, check this out … “The best Mother’s Day gifts for 2023.”

Group fitness etiquette. This is an old post, but the rules still stand. If you attend group fitness classes, here’s a reminder on some things … “Six ways to be a polite group fitness participant.”

Thanks for coming by the blog today, friend! I hope you have a great day and an even greater weekend. Be well. 🙂 

Questions of the day for you

How was your week?

What’s one fun thing you’ve got on the agenda for the weekend?