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Sunny weekend, updates, dinner party, good food and weekly workouts

March 13, 2017 By Ashley 30 Comments

Hi, friends! I hope you had a nice weekend! It was warm and sunny in Walnut Creek, and we loved that! Today, we’re going to do some life updates, a quick weekend recap and then take a look at my workouts as of late. Sit back, relax, read and enjoy!

A little bit of change ahead

So I’ve been waiting to tell you guys some news on the work front, which I’m pretty excited about. Ready for it? I’m not working full time at 24 Hour Fitness corporate office any longer. As you know, it’s been a lot for me to manage a full-time job, teach multiple group fitness classes, run A Lady Goes West and have a social life throughout the past year. While I kept my head above water since January of 2016, it’s hasn’t been super easy.

That’s why, toward the end of last year, I realized I needed to make a change, and so I gave my job plenty of notice and slowly transitioned out of the full-time role at the end of February 2017 (just in time for my trip to Chicago!). And now, moving forward, I’ll be contributing to the 24 Hour Fitness 24Life site as a part-time contractor, which gives me time to teach more classes (still at 24 Hour Fitness Walnut Creek) and write more on A Lady Goes West. While I struggled with the decision for a very long time, wanting to hold onto everything, it’s clear to me that it was RIGHT! What does this mean for you? More blog posts each week, yay!

TRX workout, weekend and dinner party fun

This past weekend was a good one. On Friday evening, I spent far too long at the grocery store getting 8 million things off a list for our dinner party, then I hit up the gym for a quick TRX workout, which I loved, so I wanted to share it with you. It took me 30 minutes total from the warm-up to the cool-down. It looked like this …

  • Warm-up: 3 minutes of incline walking on the treadmill at 4.5 mph and 4.0 incline, followed by foam rolling and mobility moves like kicks and arm circles 
  • Circuit 1: Squat to low row, chest press, hamstring curls (3 sets of 10 reps each)
  • Circuit 2: Clock press, tricep extension, bent-leg inverted row (3 sets of 10 reps each)
  • Cool-down: Stretch and foam roll

On Saturday morning, I walked downtown while listening to a podcast to have coffee with blog reader and friend Rachelle. (Hi Rachelle!) We went to the Coffee Shop, and it’s clear to me I need to eat at this place one day, in addition to getting a beverage, because the food looked excellent. After that, I met Dave and Rudy for a delicious salad at Lettuce. 

Rudy had just gotten a fresh bath before lunch, so his fur was literally glistening white in the sun. It almost hurt to look at him. He was actually not a very good boy at lunch that day in spite of his shiny coat, and he growled at nearly every dog that walked by. Bad pup!

Salmon salad from Lettuce by A Lady Goes West

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the kitchen prepping for our dinner party. We had four couples over, for a total of 10 people. We watched some of the Warriors game, hung out, nibbled on appetizers, then had a casual dinner and hung out until 11 p.m. before saying goodbye. The best part? Everyone wore their pajamas. I have to admit that I didn’t take a single picture of myself, Dave or our friends that night — and I even forgot to do one of my favorite self-timer group pics. Whoops!

I picked up my phone like two times total for a few quick Instagram stories. While that’s not always a good move as a blogger, it was a good move as a friend, because I was immersed in the night and the conversation. Not a ton of imagery to share, but below you’ll find all of the food items and recipes that we served, and there was seriously no food left behind. That made clean-up easy.

Chips and guac by A Lady Goes West

Cheese and salami bites by A Lady Goes West

  • Chips and guacamole (staple)
  • Salami and cheddar bites (I added some green stuffed olives)
  • Baked cauliflower with tzatziki (OMG, DELISH and HEALTHY with whole wheat flour)
  • Buffalo sliders (made in the crockpot)
  • Meatball parm sliders (so simple, soooo tasty)
  • Southwestern salad (bought it bagged)
  • Sweet potato fries (Alexia brand)
  • Ice cream sundae bar (total HIT, with granola, cookie crumbles and fudge for toppings)

Dinner spread by A Lady Goes West

Ice cream sundaes by A Lady Goes West

I will definitely make the sliders and the cauliflower dish again, because they were excellent! I’d say it was major dinner party success.

To finish out the weekend, on Sunday, we relaxed, rode our bikes to downtown Walnut Creek along the very busy Iron Horse Trail for acai bowls for lunch and did all the usual stuff. 

Acai bowls from Vitality Bowls by A Lady Goes West

Acai bowl from Vitality Bowls by A Lady Goes West

My weekly workout recap

And now, let’s switch gears to look at all of the ways I’ve been moving lately …

Weekly Workouts by A Lady Goes West

Weekly workouts

  • Monday: Took a 30-minute GRIT Strength class, 5:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday: Took at one-hour PiYO class, 4:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday: Took a one-hour BODYPUMP class, 9:30 a.m.
  • Thursday: Practiced Bootybarre at home for 45 minutes, 11 a.m.
  • Friday: Did a 30-minute full-body TRX workout, 6 p.m.
  • Saturday: Rest day
  • Sunday: Rest day

Overview of the week

This past week, I lifted weights three times and took a new-to-me workout class, which was PiYO. I LOVED PiYO and explained why in my favorites post, because it was a mix of yoga and Pilates and so beneficial to counteract the tougher work I do throughout the week. I also loved switching things up and going to Les Mills GRIT Strength on Monday, because it was full of hard working-blocks (lots of push-ups and squats), followed by breaks, and it was done in a flash. A couple of rest days as well, so this week was complete! 

Have a wonderful start to your week, friends!

Weekend fun, life updates and #workout talk. Check this out by @apstyle ... Click To Tweet

P.S. Thanks to Meghan for today’s “Week in Review” link-up. 

Questions of the day

How was your weekend?

What’s your favorite party appetizer?

Filed Under: Walnut Creek, Weekends, Weekly Workouts Tagged With: 24Life, acai bowl, career, dinner party, fitness, fun, GRIT Strength, Jobs, PiYo, Vitality Bowls, Walnut Creek, Weekends, weekly workouts, work

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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. Susie @ Suzlyfe says

    March 13, 2017 at 3:52 am

    Dinner party success is RIGHT! And I don’t think I ever realize just how huge those Acai bowls are! I love the presentation–that is gorgeous. I am really excited to have more Ashley here at ALGW. Maybe that is selfish… Have a great week, girl!
    Susie @ Suzlyfe recently posted…Oven, Stove, Fridge, Freezer (Embryo Transfer Week in Review)My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2017 at 8:41 am

      Hi Susie! We ordered the LARGE size, when there is a MEDIUM that is a bit smaller and probably has less sugar. Well definitely has less sugar, but acai is DELISH! And I hope you have a GREAT week too! I’m hoping for GOOD things for you!! 🙂 Thanks, friend!

      Reply
  2. Patricia @sweet and strong says

    March 13, 2017 at 4:17 am

    I LOVE hosting and making food for friends, but I do the same and always forget to take lots of pics. Sounds like it was a huge success and I def need to try those cauliflower bites! And YAY congrats on the changes with the career. I am SO excited for more posts 😉 Have a great week!
    Patricia @sweet and strong recently posted…Best Places to Eat in Washington DCMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2017 at 8:44 am

      Hi Patricia! It’s tough to host, get ready, be social and then NOT let people eat while you take pics hahah. A couple of years ago when we had a housewarming I put all the food out early just for pictures, but then I had to struggle to reheat things — so this time — I said, OH WELL! hahaah! Hope you had a WONDERFUL weekend, lady! 🙂

      Reply
  3. India says

    March 13, 2017 at 4:51 am

    I’m so happy for you! Always good to realize when it’s too much and adjust accordingly. Glad you can still work part-time for 24 too. Looking forward to more posts and seeing the blog grow.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2017 at 8:45 am

      Thank you my friend! I appreciate that you read and support! And I LOVE when you request post topics, so keep that coming. Hope your weekend was good!! Any nice weather in your area?? 🙂

      Reply
      • India says

        March 14, 2017 at 9:42 pm

        Aw I love it when you write about reader’s requests, like mine. Your blog is really so great. The weather in L.A. has been so warm…like too warm ha! But on the plus side, I’m hoping to make it to the beach this weekend if I can get all my school work done. Hope it’s a good week for you!

        Reply
        • Ashley says

          March 15, 2017 at 8:02 am

          Ohhhh I miss the beach! That sounds wonderful, India! I hope you make it to put your toes in the sand!

          Reply
  4. Carrie (This Fit Chick) says

    March 13, 2017 at 6:23 am

    Super happy for the big change!!! Good for you for going after what you want 😀 The dinner party looks great! Cauliflower tzatziki sounds delicious– and those little skewers are something I would nosh on! I’d say my favorite are meatball bites!
    Carrie (This Fit Chick) recently posted…New favorite brunch spot + other happenings this weekMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2017 at 8:46 am

      Hi Carrie! I usually make flavored meatballs as an app, but because our crockpot was in use for sliders, I skipped it — at least we had meatballs in one of the sliders. And the skewers were gone in an instant — who can resist and meat and cheese bite? heheh! Hope your weekend was great, lady!

      Reply
  5. Julie @ Running in a Skirt says

    March 13, 2017 at 6:36 am

    Yay for a part time gig now! Congrats on the change!
    I totally crave a good acai bowl but little Asheville hasn’t figured out how awesome they are yet!
    Julie @ Running in a Skirt recently posted…Things I’m Loving Lately 31My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2017 at 8:47 am

      Hi Julie! Oh no! There aren’t any good acai spots? We have a ton of places that serve acai made with juice, but Vitality Bowls (where I went for the ones in this post), has SUPER authentic and fresh stuff. Maybe it’s coming your way soon eheh! Hope your weekend was nice!

      Reply
  6. Emily says

    March 13, 2017 at 7:19 am

    The weekend was AWESOME; God is so gracious to refresh my soul in Him every weekend, and remind me that He is all that I need to depend on every week, especially because i get so weary in and of myself…

    I am so glad that you made that decision; I really do love coming and reading your blog Ashley and the knowledge you share with others; it’s a wonderful way for your gifts to shine through to so many and bless so many.

    That is wonderful that you didn’t pick up your phone very much during the dinner, because I think that’s so essential to being fully present and being fully there for your friends and family! <3 I think that was a really wise choice.
    Emily recently posted…Why I Ditched The Running Watch + ALL the Link Love LatelyMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2017 at 8:48 am

      Hi Emily! You said so many wonderful things in this comment my friend. First of all — how nice is it that beautiful weekends make us refreshed? I definitely get weary too, so I understand what you mean. And I SO appreciate your friendship and support on the blog. Thank you for reading! And as far as being present during my party — I think that’s something us bloggers should ALL do sometimes. No phones, just people! 🙂 hehehhe Have a FABULOUS week!

      Reply
  7. Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets says

    March 13, 2017 at 9:00 am

    Congratulations on the career switch. It’s so smart to know when to push through and when to pull back. It’s hard but always worthwhile to do what makes us happier in the long run. Good for you.

    Also your dinner party looks like a roaring success. I’m thrilled for you. I want to host a dinner party at our house, and I’m actually thinking about Easter. God help me. 😉

    Happy Monday and here’s to a great week.
    Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets recently posted…Week in Review: The Good, The Bad and Oscar Has The Runs (#74)My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2017 at 9:21 am

      Hi Meghan! Thank you, friend! I think Easter is a great time to host a dinner party — seems like there are usually more lunches and brunches around that holiday. Hopefully you will serve candy too eheheh! Happy Monday!

      Reply
  8. dixya @food, pleasure, and health says

    March 13, 2017 at 9:04 am

    awesome news lady! sending you best wishes for your new role.
    dixya @food, pleasure, and health recently posted…Mula Ko Achar (Nepali Fermented Radish Pickle)My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2017 at 9:21 am

      Hi Dixya! Thank you so much for the support! Hope you have a great start to the week!

      Reply
  9. Melissa says

    March 13, 2017 at 10:14 am

    Congrats on the big change!!! You are going to rock and it sounds so exciting. New can be fun!! And man, all that food looks too good. I may need to break into my lunch right now.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2017 at 11:37 am

      Hi Melissa! Thanks so much! Change is good! 🙂 And I hope you have something delicious to eat for lunch!

      Reply
  10. Courtney Koch says

    March 13, 2017 at 10:35 am

    Since you already know I’m one of your biggest fans, this goes without saying, but I will say it anyway. You will do amazing at whatever career route you choose! I’m happy for you and your new journey and will continue to follow and support you and all of your adventures.

    And my favorite party appetizer is probably a meatball or a mini crab cake. 🙂

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2017 at 11:40 am

      You are THE best ever. Like ever! Thank you, my friend!! 🙂 I wish I knew how to make mini crab cakes, because I love those too. Maybe my next party! Hope you had a nice weekend!

      Reply
  11. Heather @ Polyglot Jot says

    March 13, 2017 at 11:38 am

    I always love hummus and chips or guac and tortillas for apps. Simple but so good!
    Congrats on the new schedule–looking forward to more posts!
    Heather @ Polyglot Jot recently posted…Body Image During PregnancyMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2017 at 11:42 am

      I think chips and guac are a party must, and YES on hummus for sure. All good choices for apps! Thanks so much for the kind words, Heather! Hope you had a wonderful weekend!
      Ashley recently posted…Sunny weekend, updates, dinner party, good food and weekly workoutsMy Profile

      Reply
  12. Christina Orso says

    March 13, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    ohhhh that salad. is that the most perfectly cooked salmon you’ve ever seen!? my fave appetizer is goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. so good! xo, Christina – Hungry Meets Healthy
    Christina Orso recently posted…This is What I Use for My 5-Minute Everyday Makeup LookMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2017 at 4:04 pm

      Yes! I wish I could cook salmon like that. And goat cheese with ANYTHING is delish. Nice app choice, Christina! Hope you had a great weekend! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Jessica Joy says

    March 14, 2017 at 9:17 am

    Happy you found the right balance with your job! It can be so tricky, but you were able to listen to your heart, and so HAPPY you feel great about it! And PIYO – I love it too. It has so many things I love all wrapped into one. : ) Those acai bowls are calling to me too. Always love your vibes here, Ashley! Thanks for another great post! Xx Jessica Joy
    Jessica Joy recently posted…COMBO MAMBO HIIT – All Combo ExercisesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 14, 2017 at 10:59 am

      Hi Jessica! Thanks so much for the kind words!! 🙂 PiYO and acai bowls and balance are all good things, right? Hope all is well with you, lady!

      Reply
  14. acktive life says

    March 14, 2017 at 11:17 am

    Everything looks DELICIOUS, especially that perfectly crusted salmon bowl and those acai bowls! Jealous of all the sunshine as I am currently snowed in and freezing my booty off! 🙂
    acktive life recently posted…Banana Ice Cream 7UP FloatsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 14, 2017 at 1:51 pm

      Hi lady! Yes, it is so sunny here! I’m sorry! Your time will come hehe. Keep up the great indoor workouts though!!

      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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G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y! 🎉 Who gets excited for protein G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y! 🎉 Who gets excited for protein powder like I do? I've tried so many protein powders over the years, and this is hands-down my favorite -- Organifi Complete Plant-Based Protein. It's 100 percent organic, has no soy, no whey, it's vegan, gluten free and dairy free, and each serving has 20 grams of plant-based protein. But the most important part: It tastes delicious mixed with nothing but water. I'm a fan of the chocolate flavor, but the vanilla is good too. I drink this protein powder several times a week, and I look forward to it after a tough workout. As a little thank-you for following, I'd love to give away one tub of @organifi protein to one lucky winner. And if you want to try out anything from Organifi in the future, my code, ALADYGOESWEST, gets you 15 percent off on the site, and I highly recommend the GOLD powder for a nightly relaxing treat too.
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Here's how to enter to win:
(1) Like this post.
(2) Follow @aladygoeswest and @organifi.
(3) Leave a comment on this post telling me which flavor you want to try and tag a friend.
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Each comment is an entry, and you can leave more than one. This giveaway is not associated with Instagram and will close Saturday, March 6. You must live in the U.S. in order to win. Thanks for playing and good luck!
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 closed! 🎉 Who doesn't love a co G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y closed! 🎉 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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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?
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