Ways to take care of yourself + some fashion

A very happy Tuesday going out to all of you! This morning, I subbed my last early morning BODYPUMP class in the temporary role I’ve been doing for the past few weeks. And over the next couple of days, I’ll be teaching my last classes of the year in many of my regular time-slots. With my upcoming trip to Florida for Christmas, I’ll be away from the group fitness room for a while. Although I’ll miss my members, I’m definitely looking forward to a bit of a break. 

Speaking of a break, I shared this shot on Instagram on Sunday night, and this is what I like to call a little R&R. Watching my favorite Christmas movie with Dave and sipping on a cold glass of vino. Downtime and rest are super important, my friends.

Lately, I’ve been taking a moment on Tuesdays to reflect on “treating yourself.” Even though it’s such a trendy phrase to throw around, it really does have merit, because when we get busy, we sometimes forget about ourselves. For instance, how many times have you been so involved in work on your computer that you forget to fill up your water bottle or get up and stretch? Then you’re stiff and thirsty. Or how many times have you over-committed yourself to some engagements when you know you need a little “me” time? Then you spend all day wishing you hadn’t said yes. We’re all guilty of getting sucked into too many activities and forgetting to leave time to reset and recharge. So even though you’re busy, make sure you take care of yourself during times like these. And hey, while you’re at it, just go ahead and take care of yourself all year long. In case you need a few tips …

Five ways to take care of yourself this holiday season

1. Drink up. The more water, the better. In fact, get up right now and get some more water. Staying hydrated helps with so many aspects of your life. It also helps you feel nourished, so you’re less likely to snack on nibblies when you’re not actually hungry. 
2. Move more. Even if you can’t work out, at least get up and go for a lunch-time walk with a coworker or friends just to get some steps in. You don’t have to exercise extra hard during the holiday season, but you should at least strive to fit in some physical activity each day. Your body will thank you.
3. Hit the hay. Yes, it’s very tempting to stay up late scrolling Instagram or watching TV, but your body and mind wants at least seven hours-a-night. Your to-do list may seem important, but your sleep should take top priority. Being well-rested will help you take on another day and feel strong.
4. Show your love. Do you know how good it feels to make someone else’s day? And what goes around comes around. Try leaving a nice note for your roommie or giving someone that extra heart-felt compliment when they need it. Because externally focused warm thoughts can do wonders for your own well-being.
5. Smile big and sit up straight. This one may seem silly, but you may be surprised at how far a smile can go. And good posture? It’s huge. One of the most frequent cues I use in teaching group fitness is to pull your shoulders back and lift your chest up. But really, it works for everyday life too. You’ll be amazed at how good it feels to project a positive image. And you should be proud to be you, so show it!

In addition to taking care of myself using some of these tips, I’m also planning to treat myself this week to a few pampering sessions. Before I go to Florida, I typically get a haircut, a manicure and sometimes even a spray tan. I’ve said it before, but I tend to walk around a little bit of a hot mess here in casually inclined San Francisco, and so I like to clean up before visiting my long-time friends and family in the Sunshine State. They do not need to know how pale I can get when away from the sun …

Treating us all to a little talk about fashion

Now, although I’m surely no fashion blogger, let’s move on to the next topic of the day: Clothing. It’s a total treat for me to put on regular clothes. You see, as someone who works a few jobs in fitness, my daily outfit is workout wear and sneakers (which you could guess from the statement about my appearance above). I really only get dressed up on Saturdays nights, so when I do, I like to make sure I’m wearing something good. Enter LE TOTE.

Last week, I received another LE TOTE delivery to my mailbox, and I must say that this is my favorite to date. And that’s not an easy accomplishment, because they’ve all been great. In case you’re new around here, LE TOTE is a clothing service which I’ve been trying out for the past couple of months. You can see the full description about it here: LE TOTE clothing is the Netflix of fashion and some more details on what I’ve received in delivery 2 and delivery 3. I figured it was pretty timely to share my latest tote, because LE TOTE is offering a pretty cool contest for all of you fashion-buffs out there …

Win a pair of Christian Louboutin heels

Yes, that’s right. LE TOTE is running a giveaway right now in which you can win a free pair of Christian Louboutin heels. If you don’t know, those are the fancy red-bottomed heels that all the celebs wear. And no, I’ve never even put one on my feet, but I’d sure love to do that one day. To enter the contest: Just go to the LE TOTE site, sign up using your email, browse through the LE TOTE clothing, find the hidden Louboutin heels and add them to your closet. That’s it. And you can get extra entries by referring your friends. No purchase necessary to enter. See? Pretty cool thing. Now let’s get back to business …

My fourth LE TOTE clothing delivery

In my latest delivery, I received a dress, a jacket, a top, a necklace and earrings, for a total of five items. Here’s a little collage of me taking all of my new items for a swing around the streets of San Francisco. Beware, awkward and fake modeling poses to follow …

Shown from top left to right: French Connection Siberian Sweater Dress with Aida K Crescent Necklace, Sanctuary Racer Jacket and BCBGeneration Tara Top with Aida K Crystal Bow Earrings.

And here’s as a reminder on the whole LE TOTE process, because it’s not the same as the other clothing delivery companies out there. It’s different mostly because you get to wear the stuff and then send it back for more, which makes LE TOTE absolutely perfect for someone like me who doesn’t have a lot of room in my tiny city closet.

How does LE TOTE work?

For only $49 a month, you can get an unlimited number of “totes” sent to you filled with five items, which are hand-selected for you by a personal stylist based on your preferences. It works like this:

1. You sign up for LE TOTE.
2. You answer a brief questionnaire about your sizes and style, to make your style profile.
3. You go through the LE TOTE catalog of clothing and select items you’d like to receive, which you put in “My Closet.” These are the actual items that the personal stylist at LE TOTE will select from to fill your bag.
4. You wait for your first tote to arrive. Mine took less than a week from the time I filled out my profile, because it’s two-day shipping both ways.
5. Once your tote arrives, you wear and enjoy the clothing, go online and provide feedback on all the items.
6. After you’ve worn everything once or twice, or however many times you’d like, you send it all back in a pre-paid envelope, provided to you by LE TOTE. 
7. If you really like something and want to keep it, you keep it. LE TOTE will charge you for it, and you’ll pay less than retail for it. You can also keep the whole tote if you want, which gives you the biggest bang for your buck.
8. You can repeat this process as often as you’d like. Picking out new items, updating your preferences and enjoying your totes. You can cancel at any time, as the service goes month-to-month.

The best part, of course, is receiving your black box in the mail and pulling out all of the surprises. If you’re like me, the first thing you do is lay it all out for a photo on the only little empty patch of wood-flooring in your living room.

Shown from top left to right: French Connection Siberian Sweater Dress, Aida K Crescent Necklace and Aida K Crystal Bow Earrings, Sanctuary Racer Jacket and BCBGeneration Tara Top.

I already wore the sweater dress and necklace on Saturday night for some fun holiday photos and dinner out, and I’m packing the other pieces for my trip to Florida next week. Oh and that black meshy BCBGeneration top? So comfortable, flowy and right up my fashion alley.

Sign up for LE TOTE and get 20 percent off

If you like the sound of LE TOTE, head over to the site to look around and sign up today! <<affiliate link!! If you sign up using this link, I’ll get a little referral credit, which keeps the lights on at A Lady Goes West!>> And even better, you can use this special promo code for 20 percent off your first month: ALADYGOESWEST20. By the way,  you can buy a LE TOTE gift card on the site too, which may be a good gift for someone who is hard to shop for.

* Disclaimer: While I was not compensated for this post, LE TOTE has kindly given me a few months of service complimentary, so that I can try it out and share it with you. The opinions and words are completely my own and are not shaded by the free service. Also, there are affiliate links in this post, and if you use them, I will benefit. So thanks for that. 

By the way, I’m linking up with Becky, a fellow BODYPUMP instructor, for “Treat Yourself Tuesday.” And that’s all I’ve got for you today, folks. Come on back tomorrow for some talk about food. Have a wonderful day and take care of yourself! 

Questions of the day

How have you treated yourself lately? What’s the last nice thing you did for someone? Do you have any pampering appointments on the books?