A Lady Goes West

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Top blog posts, readers stats and my food

December 31, 2014 By Ashley 38 Comments

Welcome to the last day of 2014! It’s Wednesday, which around here, means we talk about food. But before we get to that, I wanted to share some blogging insight into A Lady Goes West to wrap up the year. In case you missed it, yesterday I put together A look back at all the happenings of 2014, which covered all the highlights of my year since blogging, but today we’re getting into more details about the back-end of the site.

A Lady Goes West 2014 Blog StatsShown above from top left to right: Me taking a selfie after teaching an early morning BODYPUMP class, my peer group of BODYATTACK instructors leaping in the air after finishing a hard day of advanced training, a look at my healthy grocery haul and Dave and me at the airport on one of our many cross-country trips.

Top 10 posts on A Lady Goes West in 2014

These are the most popular posts that have been clicked on throughout the year, and most of these have something in common.

  1. BODYPUMP 101 overview and tips for first timers
  2. CXWORX 101 overview and tips for first timers
  3. BODYATTACK 85 class review
  4. How to learn Les Mills choreography
  5. BODYPUMP 91 class review
  6. Frozen Greek yogurt bark experiment
  7. BODYPUMP 90 class review
  8. BODYATTACK 86 class review
  9. ClassPass launches in San Francisco
  10. A full day of eating in pictures

Well, there you go. It looks like Les Mills group fitness is my bread-and-butter for this first serious year of blogging. However, my About, Fitness and San Francisco pages were also highly visited.

And for some more details …

A Lady Goes West 2014 reader and site stats

  • 249 blog posts
  • Approximately 5 posts per week
  • Readers located in 153 countries, with most based in the U.S., Canada and Australia
  • Top blog referring sites: Facebook, Bloglovin’ and Twitter

It’s pretty cool to be able to access my stats and see where you’re all coming from and what you’re clicking on. It will definitely help me as I plan out what’s going to show up on A Lady Goes West in 2015. I can assure you, it won’t be all about group fitness though, because even though I love it, I have a whole lot more to talk about than that.

Now, let’s get to the regularly scheduled programming for this fine Wednesday …

Why “What I Ate Wednesday”?

I want to take a minute to explain the purpose of these weekly “What I Ate Wednesday” posts. “What I Ate Wednesday” is something that many bloggers participate in each week to share their eats with the world. While it may seem silly, I know I love to look at the foods that other people eat, both for inspiration and just out of curiosity, and I’d imagine many of you feel the same. I only post my full day of meals once every seven days, and most of the time it’s from the same day of the week, so the meals are fairly similar. However, I live a normal life outside of my healthy weekdays, which means my weekends usually have a lot more variety, especially when I’m out exploring all the great restaurants that San Francisco has to offer. A lot of times, I’ll talk about other things on Wednesdays along with the food, and that’s just to keep it interesting, but the main point of the day is always showcasing my food. I’ve enjoyed sharing “What I Ate Wednesday” posts and will keep them going for as long as you guys like reading them. Sound good?

Today’s recap is from Monday. It was my first official day back to fully healthy eating after a wonderful week away in Florida complete with daily indulgences like a lot of wine and super decadent desserts. That being said, I was actually pretty glad to be consuming some basic foods, because my body was craving them. Here’s how it looked …

Breakfast at 8 a.m.

Breakfast 12.29I was very happy to wake up and dig into some vanilla protein overnight oats topped with a banana. As always, I enjoyed this bowl of goodness with some black tea sweetened with almond milk and stevia.

Lunch at noon

Lunch 12.29It had been far too long since I ate this colorful and simple lunch comprised of a massive baked sweet potato covered in cinnamon and two fried eggs.

Tea at 1 p.m.

Tea 12.29A cold day in San Francisco calls for some decaffeinated green tea sweetened with almond milk and stevia.

Afternoon snack at 4 p.m.

Snack 12.29Tasty bar alert! This was my first time trying this healthy nutrition bar by Zing. Dave gave me a bunch of fun bars like this as a stocking stuffer, and I think I enjoyed this one the most. Ten grams of protein and about 200 calories makes a good pre-workout snack for me.

Beverages during BODYATTACK class at 5:30 p.m.

Drinks 12.29During one hour of teaching a high-impact cardio class like BODYATTACK, I downed this bottle of water and this small bottle of coconut water. Yet, somehow I still ended the class dehydrated. That’s a lot of sweating going on, my friends.

Post-class protein at 6:30 p.m.

Protein 12.29Sadly, I’m nearing the end of my big bag of vanilla-flavored Les Mills Good Protein powder. I froze this shake about an hour before leaving for class, pulled it out, stashed it in my bag and then drank it on the way home after it defrosted. Slushy protein shakes are the best.

Dinner at 8 p.m.

Dinner 12.29A heaping of spaghetti squash covered in Sockaroonie pasta sauce, with sauteed spinach and three store-bought frozen meatballs. I must say, this is my first time preparing squash that ended up so mushy. Not sure what I did there, but I definitely prefer it to be less wet.

Dinner was followed up by some almond milk. And that’s that! This day of eating had a lot of color, and for the first time in many days did not feature any dessert or wine. But champagne? Now I hope I have some of that in my future tonight.

Alright guys, maybe you have the day off of work or you have some freedom from your usual responsibilities today? Whatever it is that you’re doing, I hope you have fun. Here’s to ringing in a great 2015 …

More pictures of food

By the way “What I Ate Wednesday” is an official blog link-up party, hosted each week by Peas and Crayons. If you want to see more food recaps, check out some of my posts from the past here:

  1. A full day of eating in pictures
  2. Another full day of my eats and drinks
  3. Real food isn’t always pretty
  4. Do you have a balanced dining out strategy?
  5. What I ate and drank all day
  6. Three meals, two snacks and a shake
  7. Food trucks and rest-day eating
  8. Plenty of protein at every meal
  9. Colorful fuel for a day of training
  10. Long days of training require a lot of food
  11. Making do on “What I Ate Wednesday” 
  12. Healthy foods for a rest day
  13. Who doesn’t like pictures of food?
  14. A look at a full day of eating in pictures
  15. Snapshots from a day of delicious meals
  16. Pictures of food, because you like them
  17. Food pictures and the juice cleanse that wasn’t
  18. A look at what I really eat in a day
  19. What I ate in the Sunshine State
  20. My weekend eats and a little narrative
  21. Stories about food and yesterday’s meals
  22. A day of eating and some commentary
  23. Do you want to know what I ate yesterday?
  24. Healthy challenges and foods from my day
  25. Eating, napping and eating again
  26. Filling up on healthy food before the holiday
  27. A perfect birthday at home and my eats

Questions of the day

Big plans tonight or for tomorrow? What’s the best thing you’ve eaten lately? What are post topics that you’d like to see more of on A Lady Goes West? Bloggers out there, what was your top post of the year about?

Ashley signature

Filed Under: Blogging, Food, What I Ate Wednesday, Writing Tagged With: 2014 year in review, New Year's Eve, top blog posts, What I Ate Wednesday

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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. Diane says

    December 31, 2014 at 4:39 am

    Hello and happy (almost) New Year! Today’s my birthday and I actually don’t have any plans. Quiet night at home with some movies. Is that lame? LOL. You’re really one of my favorite blogs to read so keep up the good work. On my site, my most popular post published in 2014 was all about French accents, titled “French accents sound cool in English unless you say one of these words.”
    Diane recently posted…Best of 2014: Most popular Oui In France postsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 31, 2014 at 9:40 am

      Hi Diane! hahha that’s an awesome post, I’ll need to go read that one. And oh my gosh — A VERY happy birthday going out to you today. Enjoy your relaxing evening. Here’s to a great 2015 for us both:)
      Ashley recently posted…Top blog posts, readers stats and my foodMy Profile

      Reply
  2. Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment says

    December 31, 2014 at 6:35 am

    Congrats on a great year of blogging! I am really glad I discovered your blog this year. I think you post a lot of fun variety so I always enjoy reading different topics. Our plans are not totally decided for tonight – either dinner and a movie or a local festival in Austin. We shall see! Have a wonderful NYE and cheers to a great 2015!
    Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment recently posted…WIAW #22: More Travel EatsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 31, 2014 at 9:39 am

      Yes, Lauren, I’m so glad we’ve connected. Hope you guys have a great time tonight, whatever you decide to do! 🙂 Don’t go get coffee right before the ball drops though. heeheh
      Ashley recently posted…Top blog posts, readers stats and my foodMy Profile

      Reply
      • Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment says

        December 31, 2014 at 3:08 pm

        Lol. I won’t – that could be dangerous! 🙂
        Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment recently posted…WIAW #22: More Travel EatsMy Profile

        Reply
        • Ashley says

          December 31, 2014 at 3:11 pm

          Be careful! 🙂

          Reply
  3. Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says

    December 31, 2014 at 6:40 am

    That picture of everyone jumping is awesome. I’m so glad I stumbled across your blog this year! You have so much to be proud of & I look forward to reading more in the coming year. Happy NYE!
    Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious recently posted…WIAW…Christmas Day…A Sign Or Coincidence?My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 31, 2014 at 9:31 am

      Thanks, Megan! I think we all would have jumped a lot higher if it wasn’t the END of the training day hehehe. Hope you have a wonderful NYE! 🙂
      Ashley recently posted…Top blog posts, readers stats and my foodMy Profile

      Reply
  4. Lynda@fitnessmomwinecountry says

    December 31, 2014 at 7:52 am

    What a great way to wrap your year up Ashley. I bet San Francisco will be amazing tonight. One of these years my hubby and I will have to get a room and stay in the city. I am looking forward to making a better commitment to my blogging and watching it grow.
    Happy New year to you and I am looking forward to us meeting in person 2015 🙂
    Sending blog love from the wine country 🙂
    Lynda@fitnessmomwinecountry recently posted…What If We Did 100 Good Deeds? #DeedADay MovementMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 31, 2014 at 8:05 am

      Hi Lynda, Thank you! I would love for you to keep me in the loop of fitness and blogging events in wine country, because I would certainly make the trip. Have a lovely NYE! Here’s to a fabulous 2015!
      Ashley recently posted…Top blog posts, readers stats and my foodMy Profile

      Reply
  5. Sara @ Lake Shore Runner says

    December 31, 2014 at 7:55 am

    I love looking at my blog stats! I remember when I had my first reader in Brazil 🙂 Also, I have heard so much about Body Pump and am interested in trying out a class. Can’t wait to read your Body Pump 101 post. Happy New Year!
    Sara @ Lake Shore Runner recently posted…2014 Year in Review on LSRMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 31, 2014 at 9:30 am

      Hi Sara! Yes, you must try some Les Mills classes. So glad we found each other this year. Have a great NYE! 🙂
      Ashley recently posted…Top blog posts, readers stats and my foodMy Profile

      Reply
  6. Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says

    December 31, 2014 at 8:26 am

    Everything looks delicious! Happy last day of 2014!!
    Erin @ Her Heartland Soul recently posted…Relaxing at Hofsas House in Carmel-by-the-SeaMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 31, 2014 at 9:29 am

      Thanks, Erin! I hope you have a wonderful NYE and New Year:) I look forward to following your adventures in 2015!
      Ashley recently posted…Top blog posts, readers stats and my foodMy Profile

      Reply
  7. Lauren @ ihadabiglunch says

    December 31, 2014 at 8:38 am

    That Spaghetti squash dish looks so great! It makes me crave chicken sausage reallllll bad haha. I love your grocery loot picture in the beginning — there’s something so fun about getting your groceries all lined up and taking a pic haha I think it’s something only bloggers understand though 😉 Happy New Year!
    Lauren @ ihadabiglunch recently posted…NYE 2014: Reflections and ResolutionsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 31, 2014 at 9:29 am

      Hi Lauren! hahaha thanks. Yes I think that is a blogger thing. I line up everything I get. Sometimes I don’t even use the thousands of pictures I take. 🙂 Hope you have a great NYE!
      Ashley recently posted…Top blog posts, readers stats and my foodMy Profile

      Reply
  8. Janelle @ Run With No Regrets says

    December 31, 2014 at 9:48 am

    I’ve heard great things about body pump but have never tried it. Looks like a great workout! Congrats on your success with the blog this year!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 31, 2014 at 3:12 pm

      Hi Janelle! Thanks so much for stopping by. Yes, you’ve got to try the Les Mills classes, especially BODYPUMP. I hope you have a wonderful NYE! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Becky @ Olives n Wine says

    December 31, 2014 at 11:09 am

    Happy 2015, Ashley! I love all of those Les Mills posts. I’m totally going to have to go back and read them. I’m thinking about getting my BODYCOMBAT cert next fall so I’ll need all of the tips I can get!
    Becky @ Olives n Wine recently posted…The BEST of 2014!My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 31, 2014 at 3:14 pm

      Hi Becky! BODYCOMBAT has it’s hardcore fan-base, that’s for sure. I have taken it about a dozen times, but I don’t sit in the BODYCOMBAT essence, so that’s a program I won’t ever teach. Learning to teach a new program would be a great new fitness goal for you once the little one is born. Hope you have an awesome NYE!

      Reply
  10. Catherine | The Single Diaries says

    December 31, 2014 at 2:30 pm

    An awesome recap of your year of blogging! Looking forward to more in 2015 🙂

    Happy New Year, Ashley and A Lady Goes West!
    Catherine | The Single Diaries recently posted…12 Months Later: My Single Girl Vision Board in RetrospectMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 31, 2014 at 3:12 pm

      Thank you so much Catherine! So glad we’ve become friends! I need to come back to the Barre soon! 🙂 Happy NYE to you!!

      Reply
  11. Kelly - A Side of Sweet says

    January 1, 2015 at 7:53 am

    Girl, your consistency never ceases to amaze me! Congrats on keeping up on the 5 blog posts per week! Looking forward to seeing what 2015 brings!
    Kelly – A Side of Sweet recently posted…New Year’s SoupMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      January 1, 2015 at 10:17 am

      Thanks, Kelly! 🙂 Happy New Year!
      Ashley recently posted…Happy New Year and my goals for 2015My Profile

      Reply
  12. athletic avocado says

    January 1, 2015 at 10:37 am

    Looks like you had an awesome year! Can’t wait to your blog grow in 2015!
    athletic avocado recently posted…Top 10 Recipes of 2014!!!My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      January 3, 2015 at 8:29 am

      Thank you!! I appreciate your support. Have a wonderful weekend:)
      Ashley recently posted…Friday Favorites: Beauty, bling + entertainmentMy Profile

      Reply
  13. Arman @ thebigmansworld says

    January 2, 2015 at 12:41 am

    Oh geebuz watery spaghetti squash is like punishment. Worst ever.

    You’ve had a great year and a good balance of posts! Looking forward to seeing what 2015 brings. Most popular post on my side was a paleo cookie dough for one recipe…I guess cavemen like cookie..dough.
    Arman @ thebigmansworld recently posted…Stovetop Protein Granola (For one)My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      January 3, 2015 at 8:28 am

      Hi Arman! I’ve never made a single “paleo” recipe on purpose, but you know, maybe this is the year to try! Have a wonderful weekend:) Sorry for the delay in this response, don’t know how I missed this comment!
      Ashley recently posted…Friday Favorites: Beauty, bling + entertainmentMy Profile

      Reply
  14. Whitney @ To Live & Diet in L.A. says

    January 3, 2015 at 9:46 am

    Congrats on a very successful year of blogging! I’ve really enjoyed reading the blog and getting to know you. Wishing you a very happy 2015!! xoxo
    Whitney @ To Live & Diet in L.A. recently posted…The Elimination DietMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      January 3, 2015 at 12:22 pm

      Hi Whitney! Same to you! Love following your adventures. Good luck with the elimination diet this month. I’ll be reading intently! Have a good weekend:)
      Ashley recently posted…Friday Favorites: Beauty, bling + entertainmentMy Profile

      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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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.
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(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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