Current faves: Barre and Bubbles event, tasty things, workouts and more

Hi, friend! Happy Friday to you!

How was your week? My week was good! I taught my usual five classes, worked, interviewed a new CPA to prepare our tax return for 2022 (we stuck with our California firm up through last year, but figured it’s time for someone local now), I played tennis twice, I took Brady to swimming, and I also took Brady to his first tennis clinic/lesson, which was so cute for me and fun for him.

Assuming it sticks, he’ll be in a kids’ clinic one-hour-a-week moving forward using a big squishy red tennis ball. It was madness down there on the court with a bunch of little ones, but I loved watching him learn. We even got him a new outfit for the occasion (here’s what he’s wearing), so he was feeling fly …

This weekend, I have dinner with some of the moms from Brady’s preschool, as well as a tennis clinic and a little pizza night at our house. It should be a good one. Alright, now that we’re all caught up, let’s get to the faves …

Fitness

Barre & Bubbles event at Life Time

This was a favorite, favorite! Last Friday night, I co-hosted and co-taught an event at Life Time Charlotte called Barre & Bubbles, in which we did a barre workout, followed by bubbly drinks.

I taught this class with my lovely fellow instructor, Tracy, and this is the third time we’ve teamed up for this special event. And this one was our biggest yet. We had about 50 attendees, so it was super packed and fun.

Even though I teach LifeBarre twice a week every week, and I’m in this studio all the time, there’s just something different about a special event. More energy. More excitement. More people. More fun. This one was all that. You could just feel it.

Also, I invited a few of my neighborhood friends (as well as my mom), who all joined the fun. They attended the class and the social part, then we all went out to dinner at nearby Foxcroft Wine Co. in the Waverly plaza.

After I taught the first 25 minutes of class, Tracy took the second 25, then we had some bubbly drinks and sat around to watch some amazing local dancers perform both group and solo numbers. The event lasted a little more than 90 minutes, and based on the smiles from everyone in the room, I could tell it was a hit. Not your average Friday night, that’s for sure.

This type of event just fills my cup up entirely. I love to teach, and I love to bring people together through music and movement and fun, and we certainly did just that. And it was great to do it along with someone as talented as Tracy by my side, because we complement each other well. Even though it was a lot of extra work on top of what I already do, I can’t wait for the next one!

If you want to see a video of the barre fun, including some clips from the workout, head here.

Food

A few tasty things I’ve been enjoying …

Ithaca Everyone Bagel hummus

I’ve mentioned before that I love the Ithaca hummus brand, and I’ve tried most of their hummus flavors. Well, I finally picked up the Everyone Bagel flavor, and boy was it good. It definitely tastes like an everything bagel, but with a creamy texture. I know that sounds weird, but somehow, it works.

I paired it with my favorite Mary’s Gone Crackers and a veggie/egg scramble for lunch a few days last week, and it’s so good in that setting.

I like that this brand of hummus has great flavor and texture, but I also like the real-food ingredients. This one has just chickpeas, water, organic sunflower oil, tahini, roasted garlic puree, dried onion, vinegar, salt, pressed lemon juice, poppy seeds and fresh garlic. I find this hummus at Sprouts or Publix, by the way.

Organifi plant-based protein powder

I took a few months off of using Organifi protein powder, and this is now my second tub in a row back in action. It’s plant based and oh-so-tasty! I’m happy to have it back in my rotation to help me get my more than 100 grams of protein each day.

I bring a protein shake — made up of one scoop of this protein powder and icey water — to the gym with me every day, and I always drink it after I teach.

If you’re in need of a new protein powder with a solid ingredients list, I’d recommend this one. And my code, ALADYGOESWEST, gets you 15 percent off anything on the Organifi site, by the way.

Cran-apple Harvest bowl from Chopt

For my East Coast friends who have a Chopt restaurant nearby (there are 70 locations in the U.S., so I know there are a lot of you), may I suggest the new Cran-apple Harvest Bowl?

Dave and I each tried it this week, and it was absolutely delicious. It’s got warm grains, warm chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, apples, almonds and marinated kale. All the goods. I know I complain about healthy restaurant offerings in Charlotte, but this bowl delivers, and I think I’ll pick it up for lunch after tennis tomorrow. Mmmmm!

Workouts

My workouts from last week

Every week, I like to share a recap of my previous week of workouts. I share this 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 1/9

Monday: Taught 1-hour barbell class, 9:45 a.m.
Tuesday: Taught 1-hour barre class with light weights, 9:30 a.m., took 60-minute tennis clinic, 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday: Did 40-minute solo weights session, 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.
Friday: Taught 45-minute barbell class, 11:30 a.m., co-taught 50-minute barre class with light weights, 6 p.m.
Saturday: Took 90-minute tennis clinic, 11 a.m.
Sunday: Took 50-minute slow neighborhood walk, 11 a.m.

This past week was great! I had a rest day with nothing but a slow walk, I taught six classes, I played tennis twice, and I even fit in my personal weightlifting session at my neighborhood gym.

Here’s the solo workout I did …

Best read of the week

Here’s an article that I thought was interesting …

Upgrade your fitness routine in 2023. This article is a round-up of tips from fitness professionals on things you can do in 2023 to stay on track with your fitness goals and even surpass them. Here are a few highlights: Surround yourself with positive influences, take steps to avoid injuries with recovery methods, start small and know that setbacks will happen. When you’re working toward a goal, you just have to keep moving in the right direction, even if the progress is slow. Love all of that advice.

Quote of the week

A good one worth revisiting …

Blog archives of the week

Let’s look back at a couple posts …

Life in Charlotte. Sharing my thoughts on life in Charlotte after two years … “A look at two years of living in Charlotte (after moving from California).”

Lessons from the studio. I’ve learned a lot about people from teaching group fitness for over a decade, and this is a good one to look back at … “What I’ve learned from teaching group fitness for 12 years.”

Thanks for spending some time on the blog today, friend. Have a great day! 🙂 xoxo

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