girl crush: leigh beach

don’t let that pretty face fool you; this beauty queen has a mouth on her that makes sailors ask for smelling salts; and i say that with complete admiration and envy.

on today’s latest installment of girl crush i give you the hilarious, charming, gorgeous, albeit right-winged, and talented leigh beach.

leigh is a fellow spin instructor at equinox newport beach. she has turned sunday mornings into a can’t-miss, rousing revival of great music, laughs, and ass-kicking.

she is my sister in sarcasm, a partner in profanity, and a loving soul who is completely devoted to those she cares for.

i feel so lucky to call her “friend.”

leigh is the wife to political consultant, eric; and together they happily parent three of the greatest kids: rylan, sawyer, saxon.

you can keep up with their gut-busting adventures on leigh’s popular blog, three before thrity.

when not taking us on hills & sprints, getting to carpool on time, and hobnobbing with political elite, leigh also finds room in her whacky schedule to work at lululemon at fashion island.

today she’s made the time to give us a little behind-the-scenes look into her full life.

name 5 bottom of the jar products?

Trader Joes Coconut Body Butter Lotion. It’s got that “I just landed in OC from Waikiki smell.”

L’Oreal mascara. It’s the only brand I’ve ever used. I don’t believe in spending a lot of money on mascara…so I’ve never tried anything else. And I never leave home without it on.

Batiste Dry Shampoo. A girlfriend who also happens to be my hair stylist has finally convinced me not to wash every day…I use this dry shampoo between washes. It smells great and keeps my hair from every looking greasy.

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey perfume. That reminds me. I’m all out. #anxiety

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. “Bottom of the bottle” counts too, right?

who is your style icon and why?

Can I have more than one? Twiggy. Kate Moss. Drew Barrymore. Rachel Zoe and Nicole Richie. I love bohemian style…It’s so effortless and cool. But I got my appreciation of all things fashion from my mom. I’m pretty sure she wore heels to the delivery room…

how do you define luxury?

Dancing until way past midnight and hiring a babysitter to get up with the kids in the morning. Sleeping through the night. Sleeping in until 11am. The automatic tailgate button on my car.

what’s the last book you read and loved?

“Naptime is the new happy hour” and “Sippy cups are not for chardonnay.”

what are your vices?

Goat cheese and chips and guacamole. And country music concerts.

finish the sentence…

.i can never leave the house without: underwear. I’ve never been able to go commando. Now that I have children in elementary school, I’m sure they appreciate this too.

what advice would you give your 25 year old self?

Slow down. It’s not a race. Wear more sunscreen. And, that tattoo you got a few years ago? Yeah, they’re calling it a “tramp stamp” now.

what does your ideal 2 weeks off look like?

Hawaii with the whole fam. On the beach every day. Dinner out. Every. Single. Night.

give me your 5 deserted island items….people and things?

Me, Eric, the kids. And a babysitter. Shit. That’s 6. Oh and toilet paper. Is it bad to swap a kid for TP?

what is your idea of perfect happiness?

A house with AC. A kitchen with an island that’s big enough for the whole family to gather around. A king-sized bed. His/Her closets. His/Her bathroom sinks. I believe these are the keys to a happy marriage. {Still working on Eric for #s 1 and 2}

family members excluded, what is your most prized possession?

It’s a toss-up between our home and my college diploma. Both I’m very proud to own. I almost didn’t graduate from high school on time but I graduated from college with honors. Just took me a little longer to get my shit together.

in what historical era would you most like to have lived?

The 70s. But then I really wouldn’t have made it out of high school.

what are your favorite things about living in southern california?

Fish tacos. The beach. Flip flops year round. Only owning one umbrella for a family of 5 and having no idea where it is. Riding our bikes down to the peninsula. Being near my family. I grew up in San Diego with my mom. She moved up here after my kids were born. My dad lives here too and both my parents help us out so much with our kids.

what are your least favorite things about southern california?

The keeping-up-with-the-joneses mentality…though my guess is that probably exists in a lot of communities outside of So Cal too. Not showing enough love to my boots and jackets. Sky-high tax rates. Sky-high gas prices. A democrat for a Governor. Sorry, what was the original question? The obsession with USC Football Sorry, my ACC-loving husband jumped on my questionnaire.