A Lady Goes West

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Friends, food, faves and weekly workouts

July 13, 2018 By Ashley 8 Comments

I love to travel, I love to go new places, and I love to be out and about, but I must say that I didn’t mind being back into our routine this past week at home. We’ve done a lot of traveling so far this year (five plane trips already) and have another one coming up next weekend, so it was good to be home this week. I hit the gym each day, taught my classes, subbed an extra evening class, made all of my meals in my own kitchen, hung some pictures in my office and got a lot of work done. And I love that. How’s your week been going? Hopefully great!

Because it’s the end of the week, I’ve put together some random and unrelated faves for you, as usual. Let’s do it …

Fun 

Barre and brunch with friends

This was a super social week for me, and it started out on Sunday with a ladies’ workout and brunch date. After our fun Cinco de Mayo workout and brunch get-together, I planned a follow-up healthy activity for my lady friends this past week, and we tried out Barre3, and then went to lunch at a restaurant in Danville.

This was everybody’s first time taking a class at Barre3, and many of the ladies’ first time taking any type of barre class. A few of them said they were sore for days. Love it!

Ashley at Barre3 Danville by A Lady Goes West

So I feel like I can’t write an official review on Barre3 based off of one session (in case you haven’t heard of it, Barre3 is a franchise with 129 studios in the U.S., Canada and Philippines, as well as online workouts and an app), but I will say that I was mostly a fan. I thought it was a welcoming environment and not stuffy, like some other barre studios can be. I also liked that the warm-up was long, we did some functional moves like squats and push-ups, mixed in with a lot of barre-style isometric holds and little pulses, and we also picked up some small weights. Perhaps my favorite aspect of Barre3 is that there is definitely a yoga and mind/body element, with some yoga poses and breathing involved in the beginning and end, which I really enjoyed. I was certainly sweating at the end of the one-hour session and would love to go back to try more classes.

Ladies at Barre3 Danville by A Lady Goes West

Following class, we walked a block away to Harvest for a long outdoor lunch. Our food was pretty good, but service was slow, nonetheless, we still enjoyed the girl time. I’m already thinking of where we can go next!

And here’s my salad from our brunch/lunch, which was tasty, but could’ve used more avocado and more shrimp too. Un-pictured is the bread and butter we shared to start, because you should always refuel after a workout with carbs. 🙂 

Shrimp salad from Harvest Danville by A Lady Goes West

Visits from friends

I’m very fortunate that I don’t have to go into an office every weekday any longer, and if you’re doing that right now, I feel for you! It’s not easy, but also has many perks.

My schedule is much more loose, and because of that, I get to see friends during the week. On Monday, one of my first girlfriends I made when we moved to San Francisco, came over to have lunch with Brady and me. I picked us up some take-out salads, and we chatted and caught up. On Wednesday, I went on a walk with my usual group, and I also had a visit from another wonderful girlfriend, who happened to bring me flowers too for no reason. Yay!

Being a mom, and one who works from home at that, can be lonely, so it’s really good for me to make these dates as much as I can.

Pretty flowers from a friend by A Lady Goes West

It’s very important to have a network, even a very small one, of people who you can chat with, rely on and learn from. Community is important, and if you don’t quite have one, I encourage you to get out there and look. Facebook groups? Gyms? Recreational sports? Mom groups? Who knows! Even if you have a super busy schedule, there’s always time for an early morning coffee date or a weekend walk every few weeks or so.

Food

Beauty water from Vital Proteins

I almost always consume my daily collagen in my morning tea or afternoon matcha, or usually both, but I recently tried a new-to-me product from Vital Proteins — the strawberry and lemon beauty water, which doesn’t need to be in a hot beverage. It’s a powder containing collagen, hyaluronic acid and probiotics, and all you do is mix it with cold water and enjoy. Seems much more fitting for summer and a good option if you’re not into hot beverages. 

Vital Proteins beauty powder by A Lady Goes West

The flavor is very mild and not too sweet, so it’s pretty easy to sip on in your regular water glass. I have been enjoying it, but my favorite Vital Proteins product is still this creamer for sure.

Thanks to VP for keeping me stocked, as I’m an ambassador for the brand.

Early dinners

You may have seen my social post this week about two goals. The first one is hydrating (I know, after the A Lady Goes West hydration challenge, I was going strong, then let things slip a little — not the time to do that in this summer heat), and the second is eating dinner by a certain time.

Early dinner outdoors by A Lady Goes West

Two different types of veggie burgers (Dr. Praeger’s mushroom and Hilary’s Eat Well black bean), two Vital Farms eggs, some raw Trader Joe’s sauerkraut, half of an avocado, some Cece’s riced broccoli, all covered in turmeric, sea salt and green salsa.

Dave and I are trying to eat dinner earlier, and by earlier, I mean sitting down to eat at 8 p.m., which seems to be quite the struggle, but we’ve managed to do it every day so far this week. (We had been eating at 9 p.m., which is crazy I know, but somehow turned into our norm.) It helps that it’s still light out, so I actually took some pictures of a couple of dinners too. Woohoo!

Veggie-filled weeknight dinner by A Lady Goes West

Two different types of veggie burgers (Dr. Praeger’s kale and Hilary’s Eat Well original), two Vital Farms eggs on a bed of organic arugula, some raw Trader Joe’s kimchi, half of an avocado, and some veggie-filled quinoa from the frozen section at TJ’s as well, covered in sea salt, turmeric and green salsa. And some super cool pajama pants left over from pregnancy.

We got a new outdoor table and have been sitting there after we put Brady to bed. A major favorite!

Fitness

Weekly workout recap 

Now on to the fitness.

Here’s a look at my workouts from last week …

Weekly Workout Recap by A Lady Goes West

  • Monday: Rest day
  • Tuesday: 2-mile run, 11 a.m.
  • Wednesday: 45-minute SoulCycle class, 10:45 a.m.
  • Thursday: Taught 1-hour Bootybarre class, 12 p.m.
  • Friday: 30-minute full-body weights workout, 11 a.m.
  • Saturday: Taught 1-hour Bootybarre class, 11 a.m.
  • Sunday: 1-hour Barre3 class, 9:45 a.m.

This past week started out with a rest day and a light day with an easy run with Dave down in San Diego. From there, I took two classes, taught two barre classes and did only one full-body weights workout.

I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m feeling uninspired in my solo workouts right now and not enjoying them, so I know I need to come up with a plan or find a program to follow soon to get me reenergized. Anywho, I did have some diverse movement this week, so it’s all good, although once again, the heavier weight training is lacking overall, so I need to get back to that soon.

Ashley at WCSS by A Lady Goes West

Suggested reading

Best links from around the web

  • Positive people. This is my favorite article of the week for sure, because I’m on a kick lately about positivity, being around good people and putting out good energy. It could even make you live longer. I love this one.
  • Running form. Running is a weight-bearing exercise, so even though it’s not the only thing you want to do for exercise each day, it is beneficial for your joints, overall health and cardiovascular fitness. However, runners develop injuries quite often due to the repetitive nature of running, so you need to make sure you aren’t favoring one side. Here’s a good article on how to figure out if you’re unbalanced in your runs.
  • 5-day challenge. My friend, Jessica Joy, who hosted the awesome women’s interview series I was part of a few months ago, is now offering a free 5-day meditation and healthy eating challenge starting on Monday. You can find out more, and sign up here. I looked through the free recipe ebook she’s giving away, and the food sounds delish.

A Lady Goes West Favorite archives

  • Want to kick things up a notch? Check out … “Six ways to burn more calories during your next workout.”
  • Heard the term superfood? Here’s more info on this popular wellness word … “Superfoods 101: Why to add superfoods to your life.”
  • Baby stuff! I’ve had some questions about baby gear, and it’s all in here … “My favorite things you actually need when you have a new baby.”

P.S. The Nordstrom Anniversary sale starts next week, which is a great time to stock up on super cute stuff.

This weekend, I’m teaching barre, getting my hair done and we’re hosting a dinner party to break in the new table. See you soon, my peeps!

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Questions of the day

What are you up to this weekend? 

Have you gone on any trips this year? If so, where to?

Do you have a good community of friends?

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Friends, Weekly Workouts Tagged With: Barre3, Danville, faves, favorites, Friends, links, Travel, weekly workouts, weights

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About Ashley

I'm a mom and fitness instructor in Charlotte, North Carolina. And A Lady Goes West is where I share fitness, wellness and clean beauty tips, as well as stories from my life.
 
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Comments

  1. Courtney says

    July 13, 2018 at 5:12 am

    I didn’t know you are a VP ambassador! That’s so cool. I love their products.

    I was in such a workout rut a while ago too, but have started using a new program and I really love it. It is more weights and resistance focused with less cardio, which is a major switch for me. But I’m enjoying it.

    Happy Friday 🙂

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      July 13, 2018 at 7:41 am

      Tell me about your new program! Who? How long are the workouts? An app? Streaming?

      Reply
      • Courtney Koch says

        July 16, 2018 at 6:24 am

        The new program is called 80 Day Obsession and I stream it through the Beachbody On Demand app. I really don’t know why I went so long without this app because it gives you every workout and every program Beachbody has ever done. I am really enjoying the workouts in this one. I am NOT doing the nutrition component of it and definitely would see some results if I was, but I just am not in a place for that right now. The workouts range from 40-60 minutes, 6 days per week. 🙂

        Reply
        • Ashley says

          July 16, 2018 at 6:26 pm

          Good to know! So glad you are enjoying it!

          Reply
  2. Susie @ Suzlyfe says

    July 13, 2018 at 6:42 am

    Dohs shrimps doh…. I kind of love that Emmie gives me an excuse to eat early. We all know that’s what I would like to be doing!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      July 13, 2018 at 7:42 am

      Oh do you eat with her? That’s awesome. I literally can’t imagine me ever eating at the same time as Brady, and Dave definitely wouldn’t even really be home in time. But maybe one day? Would be nice to eat as a family! Happy Friday, Susie! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Richard says

    July 13, 2018 at 10:28 am

    Hey Ashley, hope you are using the same airline so you get your air travel rewards. I read the article on balance your running. Shows age is no factor learning something new. See you are doing a Sole Cycle class. I sure would like to find one. I hear lot of good things about it. I think we have done all of our traveling for the year. Been on a cruise in the Atlantic, visited Indiana, and had our 45 minute trip for a week on the beach. Oh, we did go see some college softball games near Orlando. Are you guys excited to get to play the new LA Lakers team with James.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      July 13, 2018 at 3:43 pm

      Hi Richard! We always fly Southwest to accumulate our points, which is super helpful! 🙂 And according to Dave, there will be a lot of excitement around having Lebron on the West Coast! You’ve had some great trips so far this year too. Hope you have a nice weekend, Richard! Happy Friday!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Ashley. I'm a mom and fitness instructor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. I love to help you live a balanced life with no extremes, making sure you never skip a rest day. A Lady Goes West is where I share my workouts, simple meals, clean beauty tips and wellness insight with you. Find out more about me and stay awhile!

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The latest on Instagram

I've got to be honest, I'm much more of a writer t I've got to be honest, I'm much more of a writer than an Instagrammer and many times I feel like what I want to share doesn't fit well into a grid. But I'm able to bring much more long-form content to my blog each week. Speaking of that, this week, I debuted a new series called "A Lady Goes West Advice Corner" which has been something I've wanted to put together for a while. In this series, I'm taking totally anonymous questions from YOU and giving you some neutral third-party advice on it all. Here are the questions I addressed in the first advice corner edition:
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-“I became a first-time mom last spring and am currently dealing with all things motherhood. How do I deal with my expectations vs. reality of being a mom?" (such a good one, and I've been there)
-“How do you deal with days when you don't love your body? I think we can all relate to looking in the mirror and being disappointed with what we see?" (this happens to us all)
-“How do you deal with comparing yourself to others on social media and not feeling like everyone is doing things better than you?" (spoiler alert: everyone has their issues that you don't see)
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The answers are long, they come from my heart, and I hope they can provide some value to you! If this is something you're interested in, head over to A Lady Goes West today to check it out, and you can submit a question for the next edition.
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Here's the direct link: https://aladygoeswest.com/ask-me-anything-a-lady-goes-west-advice-corner-first-edition/
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Have a great night, friends! And when in doubt, talk it out.
G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y!🎉 Who doesn't love a collagen g G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y!🎉 Who doesn't love a collagen giveaway? As a little thank-you for following, I wanted to do a giveaway of one of my favorite products. I've been using Vital Proteins collagen in my morning tea latte for years, and not only does the collagen creamer add a great taste, but it also supports healthy hair, skin, nails and joints too. Today, I'm giving away not only one canister of collagen creamer, but also a canister of collagen peptides to one lucky winner.
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Here's how to enter:
(1) Like this post.
(2) Follow @aladygoeswest and @vitalproteins.
(3) Leave a comment on this post tagging a friend who wants healthy skin and joints.
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You can leave as many comments as you want, and each one serves as an entry. You can earn an additional entry by sharing this post to your stories and tagging me. This giveaway closes on Saturday, February 27. The winner must live in the U.S. And this giveaway is not associated with Instagram. Good luck, and thanks for being here! 🙂 xoxo
HOME! We closed on and moved into our home in Char HOME! We closed on and moved into our home in Charlotte over the weekend, and we're so excited to get settled in our new neighborhood, city and state after many weeks of transition. In honor of this momentous occasion, I thought it would be fun to look back at the places Dave and I have lived together over the last 12 years. Here's what it has looked like -- and each place has been special for different reasons:
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-2009-2012 in a high-rise condo in downtown Orlando, where we lived when we got married.
-2012-2013 in a one-bedroom apartment in South of Market in San Francisco, which was always freezing no matter the time of day or year.
-2013-2014 in a tiny studio apartment in Nob Hill in San Francisco, which was only 550-square-feet, but we could hear the cable cars out of our always-open windows, so that was cool.
-2014-2017 in a two-bedroom townhouse in Walnut Creek, where we brought home both Rudy and Brady and had many sleepless nights.
-2017-2021 in a house that we owned in Pleasant Hill outside of San Francisco, which was across the street from a Starbucks so we went there way too often.
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And now we're here in Charlotte. It's good to be home! I'd love to know: Where do you call home?
Soulmates. ❤️ Whether you’re loving on other Soulmates. ❤️ Whether you’re loving on others or just yourself today, my little crew is wishing you a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
Good additions! Even though I'm all about simplify Good additions! Even though I'm all about simplifying life, I also like adding more good, if there's room for it. And the last year has given me ample opportunity to make some changes and add a lot of good. Here's my super-random list of things I've added to my life in the last year that I now love:
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-Using oat milk as my milk of choice (it's literally the creamiest, and I can’t go back to others now)
-Choosing to be outside as much as possible (can't believe I stayed indoors so much before, never exploring the beautiful Bay Area and now Charlotte until the last year)
-Teaching and taking virtual fitness classes (I was a gym rat for years, and now I actually love to work out at home with my virtual fitness friends)
-Wearing my Apple watch for notifications so I don't always need to be on my phone and tracking some beneficial metrics (I've only had my watch for about 9 months, and I love to check my heart-rate and close my rings)
-Appreciating the ability to work for myself and giving myself friendlier deadlines (I've been my own boss for several years and used to be so strict with my deadlines, until I realized it was stressing me more than it needed to, so now I say no to a lot of things and only do what works well in my life, without adding too much unnecessary stress)
-Shorter workouts (full-hour workouts are a thing of the past for me)
-Wearing more colors (no more black uniforms every day)
-And more!
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I wrote a whole post about this topic on A Lady Goes West this week if this is of interest to you, and you can head on over and check it out. I'd love to know: What's something (random or not) that you've added to your life in the last year that you now love?
Over the weekend, I stepped foot into a big-box gy Over the weekend, I stepped foot into a big-box gym for the first time in more than 11 months. How did I feel about it? Mixed ... When we left California, gyms were still closed, and once we got to North Carolina, I was so used to not going to the gym, I didn't even think about going. After being here a month, I finally decided to get a guest pass at a gym near me, and I went twice. Here are my thoughts on the experience: 
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At first, I felt so excited to drive up and go in and work out in a big space with a lot of equipment and not be at home. But then reality sank in: Even though masks were required and there were signs everywhere reminding people, about half the folks in the gym had their masks off or had them down around their chin. Ummm, not cool. I get it, working out with a mask on sucks, but rules are rules, folks. I also didn't like that it was busier than I expected, and quite a bit of the equipment I wanted to use was occupied. That never happens at home.
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Overall, I'm glad that those who need to get to the gym are getting the opportunity, but right now, I think I'll go back to sweating safely at home for a little while longer. But at least I got my first locker-room selfie in almost a year. I'd love to know. Have you been back to the gym yet?
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A Lady Goes West is a personal blog meant for entertainment purposes only and does not serve as a substitute for professional advice from your own doctor, trainer or nutritionist. While I'm a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, the workouts, food and plans I post are what works for me and may not work for you. Please enjoy these stories and tips from my life, but proceed with caution. Also, know that affiliate links and sponsored posts appear from time-to-time, and I appreciate your support. For more information about how your data is stored, visit my Privacy Policy. Thanks for reading!

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