Tag: mornings

My Cup of Happy

On By AngeliaIn Angel Lia's Photography, Into the Blender we go- Wee!, Life is what you make it.9 Comments

Day 7 of my 365 project.

Drink and be happy! It's the weekend.

It’s actually not even my cup. I got it for Jason on his birthday last year, but it is so much sweeter drinking from his cup of happy. It’s almost a sneaky happy. But really we are sharing our happy. Isn’t that what newlyweds do? Ha.

Tomorrow, we are taking the girls to Oklahoma for the first time. Molly swears she has been there before. Hmmmm, well, I don’t think so and I sure don’t think her mom has ever taken her. But that’s okay. After tomorrow she can say she has been to Oklahoma and it will be for real. I hope she enjoys our tradition of singing the song, Oklahoma, when we cross the border.

OooooooooooooKLAHOMA, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain…..and the waving wheat, it sure smells sweet when the wind comes right behind the raaaain…..OooooooooKLAHOMA!

Hope it doesn’t scare her. It’s worth the risk. We (Sydney & I) just can’t break tradition.

As for featured entertainment (besides our singing), we have all iPhones charged and plenty of headphones. Yes!

The girls will get to see their Grandma B, her 20 or so dogs, and her little cottage. They will get to see country and small town living. I hope they get to meet their cousin-in-laws; my brother’s children from marriage. There will be many firsts. I don’t think I will have a problem capturing Day 8 of 365, but I will have a hard time picking the “one” to showcase that day.

Mom is very excited.

And?

It’s always nice to visit home. I am very lucky to be only three hours away.

Maybe I’ll wash my cup o’ happy and have some more tomorrow.

Welcome to the weekend!

Do you have any big plans? Does anyone else still have a Christmas tree up? (totally slacking here with one tree still up – oops!)

Sunday Healthy Reflection

On By AngeliaIn Life is what you make it.8 Comments

Sleep is a generous thief; he gives to vigor what he takes from time.

– Elizabeth, Queen of Romania

Is lack of sleep robbing you of your goals?

If you surveyed the millions of us who don’t get much sleep, chances are they’ll say that the #1 reason they don’t is “lack of time.” In other words, people have too much to do to sleep. Late hours and frantic mornings are the rule. Who has time for more sleep? What this tired group doesn’t realize is that a sleep debt is probably keeping them from acting and thinking at full strength, making even the easiest tasks harder to do. And take longer. Believe it or not, you can probably get more done in your day by getting more sleep. The mental and physical pick-up more than make up for that extra hour or two in bed.

Brought to you by SPARKPEOPLE

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Oh boy, does this strike a chord with me or what? I can’t remember when I decided going to bed at midnight and waking up at six am was a good idea, and totally enough sleep. I think it was somewhere around November 2007, when my step dad, so generously gave me a laptop as an early Christmas gift.

Yeah, I think that was it. Suddenly, the world of no cable, no internet from the previous seven months, was greatly widened. The beckoning beam of the computer screen sucked me in, I haven’t been able to shut it off since.

That’s my excuse anyway, “It’s a gift. What? Am I not supposed to use it? Phsss.”

Once the obsession newness wore off, I had met Jason by then. My new time killer was him. With work, kids, and living apart – we squeeze in time when we can. That means driving home 11-12 at night after watching TV and catching up on Survivor, Flash Forward, and Grey’s Anatomy.

If that wasn’t enough, THEN, I got an iPhone. The newness obsession was mind boggling. Please don’t ask Jason about it. It is embarrassing how much I love my iPhone, I think he is a little jealous.

Despite all that, if I am too look at my health, I have to admit. I could use more sleep. I could turn off the Look! Something shiny! call of the computers and get some more shut-eye. It is easier said than done.

I don’t have a problem sleeping either. That is not it. I sleep very soundly. I go to sleep instantly. You’re jealous right? Pssst. Melatonin. Works wonders, alleviates stress. It’s been a lifesaver for me – I hate laying awake at night – now I never do. Enlyten has dissolvable strips, works instantly. Instantly. Heaven. Simply Heaven.

I guess what it boils down to, I need to slow down for my health. I don’t feel lacking but, possibly, I could perform better. This reflection resonates in my life. I hope it did yours too.

*I pre-blogged this Saturday, so I could sleep in this morning AND it was time change night. Cha-ching! Extra, extra sleep. I feel like I could jump from rooftop to rooftop singing and I haven’t even have coffee yet. Yahoo!*

Part two is coming

On By AngeliaIn Hate early mornings, Life is what you make it., Love Exercising11 Comments

In the meantime, can I just spill for a second?

I have the hardest time exercising. I used to exercise between six pm and seven pm. EVERY day. Then, I moved, started reading, and other things more improtant at the time. THEN, I changed jobs which changed my hours. I was working 9-6. My commute home? Between six and seven. By the time I get home? I’m starving. And I just can’t move after stuffing my face.

Quickly, my habit changed to zero exercise. I tried here and there to get it back, but it never worked. Nothing stuck. The timing did not stick.

Oh, I know, you could say, hey just suck it up, exercise THEN eat.

But here has been my schedule.

Monday, work 9-6, after work visit Jason with the kids til he takes them home at 7. Dance class with Jason 8-9pm, then Fuzzy’s Tacos for dinner, home at midnight.

Tuesday, work 9-6, after work eat a light dinner, then go to Italian conversation class, 7-9pm, after, see Jason 10p-11p, home at midnight.

Wednesday, work 9-6, after work visit Jason and the kids, or go home and see Sydney (optional SFI classes at the Church).

Thursday, work 9-6, after work eat a light dinner, then go to Italian class, 7-9pm, see Jason at 10pm , watch Survivor, home at midnight.

Friday, work 9-6, after work eat Sushi with Jason, or take the kids to an event together. Last outing, we went to the Ranger’s game, home at midnight.

Saturday, errands, laundry, cleaning, grocery store, gas, etc.

Sunday, Church 9a-1230p, lunch, then….ummm rest?

Repeat week.

I’m a natural night owl. Once, I almost learned to go to sleep at nine. Yeah. That didn’t last. I get my second wind about 10pm.

Mornings are tough, although, I have done an exercise or two in the early morning, (5am) it’s haaard. Lunch time might work, but they tore up all the sidewalks, and road by my work, building a new highway. Why? Because we are about a mile from the new Cowboys Stadium. Believe me, they need bigger roads. Wouldn’t matter,  I don’t want to get all sweaty (which I would). Our office is very nice. I have a feeling that would be frowned upon.

Thing is, I love to exercise. Walking, swimming, bike riding, hiking, running, elliptical, gym classes. I love it! I really want do another half marathon. So, why is this so hard?

This morning, I got up half an hour earlier (it didn’t kill me). I went outside, into the cool, brisk air of October in Texas. I breathed in the dark and blew out. I walked to the end of the street. Reset my Garmin, stretched, crossed the street, started my Garmin and ran. Not fast, just a steady pace, for a mile. I reached it in about 12mins (fastest mile ever was 8mins).

Hey, I am not knocking it. I would have turned around and ran some of the way back (without stopping), but a little dog decided to run with me. He decided to run with me and head towards the school bus stopping to pick up a group of high school kids. Ahhh! After, I stopped and advised him to go home. NOW. He went off to find “other friends”. He did NOT head home. He went the other direction. Bad dog.

I wogged back home the mile. First mile in a long while. It felt good.  This might be doable. Thirty minutes in the morning to get back on track. Finally. I would love that.

Do you have a good habit gone bad? How do you get back on track?

Good Morning…Gee that was tough!

On By AngeliaIn Half Marathon training, Hate early mornings, Life is what you make it.2 Comments

Yeah, well, I got up early and went wogging (walk/jog).  It wasn’t easy by any means. I wanted to smash the phone at 545am but it’s my beloved iPhone, so  I settled upon jabbing the screen with my finger til it snoozed 9 mins (take that). I did finally get up at 5 til 6. I was out the door a little after. *without coffee mind you*

Salem and Anna were so excited thinking it was breakfast time! Uhh, no, you must wait, darn I hate disappointing my fur babies.  Hang tight, the non-morning person has to go jog. UGH.

I was hoping this morning would be a pleasant run. It’s certainly cooler. I had my new iPhone run tracker to try out. Plus, I wore my Garmin to compare how accurate it was. Lucky I did since the run tracker would not pick up a satellite signal. *guess it has problems with mornings too*

I take off for a little over half a mile jogging. My achilles tendon screaming in pain. I have no idea what I did to it. I can’t even figure out how to stretch it. Weird!  *note to self google achilles tendon stretches later*

It was dark out. I worry a little about tripping (and re-breaking my wrist)  but not too much. I like running in the dark better than the day. It feels cooler to me or maybe it’s just my mind thinking it is. I am comfortable running in about 30 degrees out, anything else is too hot. *I know right??*

Ends up over the course of 3 miles this morning I ran 1.70 of it. I only timed my run portions of the wog. I almost fell once when my foot went into a crevice in the street.  *almost *phew*

But HEY how about that?  It’s about  half running.  I am going to stay positive about that. I am NOT going to let it get me down that I used to breeze out 3 miles like a cake walk and now have to eek out 1.70. If I dwelled on that, it would SUCK. And I don’t do suck, not even in the mornings.  

Plus 1.70 is a lot more than other people can do. My new Saucony Progrid Ride 2 were heaven on my feet. After my 6 mile bike ride last night. My legs are feeling pumped. I didn’t reach a runner’s high but I am GLAD I did it.

Today, I began the day positive and healthy. Tonight, another bike ride to end it the same way. *but even better since I will be with Jason*

Life is soooo good.

Happy Hump Day!!